Homeland: Saul’s Game. Andrew Kaplan

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Berenson, sir?” he asked.

      “You are?” Saul asked.

      “Lieutenant Colonel Chris Larson, sir. Can I take your bag?”

      “I’ll take it. They told you to look for the guy with the beard?” he asked as they walked to the parking lot.

      “Something like that, sir.” Larson smiled.

      As they got into the car and drove on the airport road, Saul asked:

      “Will it take us long?”

      “It’s not far. You’ll be sitting in the general’s office in nine and a half minutes, sir.”

      “The general likes it precise, does he?”

      “He does, sir.”

      They drove to the gate at MacDill Air Force Base, and nine and a half minutes, almost to the second, later, Saul was able to park his suitcase in the outer office and was sitting next to his carry-­on in the office of four-­star General Arthur Demetrius, CENTCOM commander, famous for having implemented the surge in Iraq, the current commander of all U.S. military forces in the Middle East, and in charge of all military-­related activities and negotiations including the Status of Forces Agreement and the military resolution of the war in Iraq.

      Demetrius was about Saul’s height, six feet. Lean, very fit, about fifty, with an intelligent horsey face, tanned from spending time outdoors. Not just West Point, Saul reminded himself. He had an M.P.A. from Columbia and a Ph.D. in political science from Prince­ton. He remembered Bill Walden’s description of General Demetrius. “He’s not just some military hard-­ass. He listens.”

      “So, Mr. Berenson, you know my problem?” Demetrius began, leaning forward on his desk, fiddling with a ballpoint pen. Behind him, Saul could see a bit of the air force base and a palm tree through the office window’s partially closed venetian blinds.

      “Your problem is that Abu Nazir, IPLA, knows everything your troops or the Iraqis are going to do before you do. So do the Shiites and the Iranians. They’re always one step ahead of you. Your problem is that the U.S. is on the verge of an economic meltdown and the Congress and the country think the war in Iraq is over, only nobody told the enemy. Meanwhile, we, the CIA, have been playing Whac-­A-­Mole with IPLA and AQI, al-­Qaeda in Iraq, not to mention the Shiites, and have been of little or no use to you. That’s your problem. Oh, call me Saul, General,” he said.

      “Finally.” Demetrius smiled, putting down the pen. “Somebody from Langley capable of telling something that resembles the truth.”

      “There’s more,” Saul said, and told him about the SOG mission to Otaibah and Carrie’s intel. When he talked about the SOG mission, Demetrius went to a wall map and they followed the mission on the map and then Carrie’s route in Damascus and to Aleppo.

      “So the Syrians gave sanctuary to Abu Nazir?” General Demetrius asked. “Why?”

      “So that Sunnis in Damascus don’t start strapping on suicide vests or RPGs with President Assad and his generals as the target,” Saul said. “Anyway, Abu Nazir’s gone. He’s not in Syria anymore.”

      “So where is he?”

      “Probably back in Iraq.”

      “Any idea where?”

      “Could be anywhere, could be south, even north.”

      “Why? The Kurds’d have him for breakfast.”

      “Hard to say. The one thing we’ve learned is not to underestimate him.”

      “But you’ll find him?”

      “Eventually. Right now that’s not my priority,” Saul said, moving his chair closer to the general’s desk. “Or yours either. You’re leaving very shortly, aren’t you?”

      General Demetrius nodded, looking at him sharply.

      “How did you know that?”

      Saul pointed to himself. “CIA, remember? Listen, I came to you because it’s vital.”

      Demetrius put down the ballpoint pen and leaned forward, his chin resting on hands clasped together as if he were praying.

      “I’m listening.”

      “I’ve been suspicious of something for a long time. Our ops officer in Otaibah and Damascus came through with intel that confirms beyond the shadow of a doubt that we have a mole. The likelihood is that it’s a very high placed mole somewhere within the Coalition Forces or top echelons of the Iraqi government. But I need to be absolutely honest and clear. It could also be inside the CIA’s Baghdad Station or even at Langley. It could even be inside your own command, General. It is one hundred percent actionable intelligence.”

      “Inside my command?”

      “Or mine, General. I don’t think it’s likely that a CIA agent or an American soldier would do such a thing, and none of us likes to think it’s possible, but you and I both know, sir, it’s been known to happen.”

      General Demetrius stood up. He began pacing up and back in his office, then turned to Saul.

      “What the hell am I supposed to do? We’re on the verge of making critical decisions to finish this war. I have to trust the ­people I work with, that I give orders to.”

      “It’s worse than that. The same actionable intel also indicates that Abu Nazir is planning a major ‘action,’ something that may finally trigger the civil war you have been doing everything in your power to prevent, General,” Saul said, rubbing his beard.

      “Do you know what it is?”

      “Not yet. But I will. Very soon.”

      General Demetrius glanced at his watch.

      “We have three and a half minutes, Saul. Then I have to go.” He leaned against his desk. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”

      Saul smiled. “They said you were good, General. I have to get going too,” he added, standing up and lifting the handle on his carry-­on. “I need a favor.”

      “And that is?”

      “A counteroperation to block Abu Nazir’s action is being set up. I may—­repeat may—­have to come to you at some point for some Special Forces–type resources. Not sure if and not sure how much. Anyway, just in case, the name for this counteroperation is ‘Operation Iron Thunder,’ ” Saul said.

      “And flushing the mole is part of this operation?” Demetrius asked, heading for the door.

      “You could say so,” Saul said, following him to the outer office, where a half-­dozen officers stood ready for the general. “You could definitely say so.”

      General Demetrius stopped.

      “And do you know where I’m going now?”

      Saul smiled. “You’re flying, along with some additional resources, СКАЧАТЬ