THE CONTROLLER-Covenant

by Jerry Bruce

“Thanks, I needed that.” Richard flashed a smile Randall’s way. “Sometimes I’ve wished that I wasn’t in my shoes.”

  “Let your father enjoy dinner, honey. Leave the political discussions for one of your fishing outings. Okay?”

  “I don’t mind, Ronnie. I’m glad Randall’s showing an interest.”

  “We have to put up with politics enough as it is; I’d prefer we discuss family matters at dinner.” Veronica looked closely at Richard and thought she saw relief in his eyes that he wouldn’t have to discuss the situation anymore—at least not until tomorrow.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The next morning, Richard had a hardy breakfast after sleeping in a little longer than usual. Veronica insisted on getting up with him so they could talk over breakfast and take a walk together before he went to his office. He had just seated himself behind the desk when the cell phone rang.

  “Hello.”

  “Congratulations, Richard. You performed admirably in handling the Cairo matter. I couldn’t have done better myself. Do you see now how easy it can be to get things done if you are willing to exert a little force and ignore politics?”

  “Well, I have to admit that I was worried about actually having to use a nuke on an old friend like Israel. But you were right, they backed down. Did you have someone on the inside telling you how they would react?”

  “I merely applied common sense and logic. No one in his right mind would challenge the most powerful nation in the world. First, you get them pinned with their backs to the wall to where the only alternative is war, and then, as you found out, you show them you will use the most powerful weapons at your disposal, and voila, instant capitulation. Just for future reference, should something like this come up again, you might remind your adversary about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It always helps to punctuate a threat with an actual instance where the threat was indeed carried out.”

  “You don’t actually think I would have done that, do you?”

  “You wouldn’t have had any choice, Richard. Think about it, you were on record as willing to use nuclear force. Now if you didn’t follow through with that and instead let your opponent back you down, what kind of message would you be sending the rest of the world? Eventually you would have another situation where American lives were lost and you would have to take the same action. The only thing you would have accomplished by not attacking the first opponent is the additional loss of lives of American citizens. Remember that, and also consider that I didn’t get to where I am today by not following through on my promises. I believe you can attest to that.” There was a bite to the Controller’s voice that Richard immediately sensed.

  “You’ve made your point. Nevertheless, I’m just glad that I didn’t have to carry out the threat.”

  “Don’t be so sure that you won’t have to. Now that Israel will be totally unable to defend itself, there are some who would like to take advantage of the situation, in spite of any warning you may render. You have to be prepared to take swift and decisive action.”

  “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Today the vice president will address the Middle East representatives and I believe he will convince them of our resolve.”

  “I’m sure he will.”

  * * *

  No sooner had Richard ended his call with the Controller than his other phone rang; this time it was Adam.

  “Mr. President, our forces have retaken the embassy. The Israelis cooperated fully.”

  “Excellent. Do we have any information about the hostages at this point?”

  “Well sir, we have some bad news. Apparently, all the Marines have been killed.”

  “What about the civilians?”

  “All are alive and well. The Israelis claim that the only reason the off duty Marines were killed was due to one of them spotting the insurgents and sounding an alarm, resulting in the fire fight. General Wilson is seeing to it that replacement troops are sent in and that the bodies are brought home.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Just that Prime Minister Schmier called. He wants to talk to you at your convenience.”

  “Arrange for a phone call with the Prime Minister immediately after this afternoon’s press conference. Is everything quiet on the home front?”

  “Well, sir, I wouldn’t exactly say its quiet. We are getting feedback from both houses regarding the way you’ve handled this crisis. Most of the comments have been negative, with only the usual assenting voices; I think you know to whom I am referring. Just between us, I think that almost to a man they agree that it’s about time we kicked some butt. Of course some of them would never admit to that. The Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader want to come to Camp David to confer with you. Sounds to me as if they want to let you know how displeased they are at not being consulted. If you can fit them in, it might be a good move to do some ego stroking.”

  “Okay, set up a meeting for the four of us the day after tomorrow. By then we should have a complete update from the vice president.”

  “Will do. Is there anything else, Mr. President?”

  “That’s it for now Adam; I’ll see you in a couple of days. Hold down the fort.”

  * * *

  The press conference was scheduled so that it followed Stephen’s address in London by several hours. A quick phone call from Stephen had given Richard the feedback that he needed. Richard hadn’t planned on mentioning the embassy situation during his press conference, but once he heard Adam’s news and, more importantly, Stephen’s assessment of the feelings in London, he amended his statement to make Cairo the main topic. He wasn’t fond of using such an unfortunate event to make political points but this was a crucial time for his administration. He had to muster as much support as possible, and appealing to the American populace was the proven method.

  * * *

  In his media room, the Controller watched intently as the president conducted his press conference on the lawn outside Aspen. He was paying close attention to every word the president uttered, studying the man’s body language and facial expressions. He wanted to make sure that every word Richard spoke was coming from his convictions. Believing in a cause and committing to it are two different things. He didn’t just want Richard’s commitment, he wanted his heart.

  The president gave a cursory glance up at the storm clouds that were building, hoping that they would hold back their rain for a few more minutes. He then proceeded to give an account of what had transpired, opening with a touching tribute to the brave Marines who had given their lives protecting those in their care. He did this purposely to instill anger against Israel in those listening. He wanted everyone to feel the same anger he did when he first heard the news. He pulled no punches when speaking of the disappointment he felt at the involvement of Israel and the impact this would have on future relations in the Middle East. The president gave the details of the terms under which the crisis was resolved, and then spoke of the vice president’s visit to confer with Middle Eastern representatives and his belief that this would deter future conflict. The president concluded his speech with the revelation that he would have used nuclear weapons had it been necessary. This drew audible response in the form of gasps from those present. The issue of retaliation with nuclear devices hadn’t been raised before and no one was prepared for this. He told them that the Middle East was a powder keg waiting for a spark, that it was almost a certainty that the area would be engulfed in war, probably nuclear, within a year. The president stressed that the world was now on notice that the United States was willing to use nuclear weapons if that were the only means by which terrorism could be eliminated and peace attained. The president thanked everyone for attending, then left without taking any questions.

  The Controller was pleased with Richard’s speech, feeling convinced that the president was definitely committed to their program.

  “Yes, he’s on board now, completely,” he said softly while staring deeply into the president’s image on the monitor. “Com
pletely.”

  * * *

  Richard returned to his office and turned on the TV to watch the post-conference coverage. The reaction to his statements didn’t come as much of a surprise, with those analysts who had supported him in the past supporting him now. What he did find interesting was the reaction of the “man on the street” to the threat of the use of nuclear weapons. There was some “brink of war” talk as there was during the Cuban missile crisis. Mostly the reaction was that of support for the president’s action.

  He turned off the TV when the phone rang and answered with a “Hello Adam” without waiting for the caller to identify himself.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. President. The press conference went well.”

  “Yes it did, but we can discuss that later. Is Prime Minister Schmier on the line?”

  “Yes sir, I’ll patch him through.” With that Adam was off the line.

  “Mr. President?”

  “Yes Prime Minister, how are you?”

  “Fine, and if I may dispense with the formalities, you appeared to be equally well during your press conference, Richard. The reactions here to your speech are, how shall I say, less than enthusiastic. I’m sure that there will be a change of attitude after some time has passed. But before we continue, may I ask if we are speaking in private?”

  “Yes, only you and I are conversing. Tell me, Ariel, what are your personal opinions of what has transpired?”

  “That is precisely why I wanted to have this conversation with you. I think you know me well enough that you will believe me when I say that I was just as appalled as you with the aggressive actions of my country.”

  Richard detected remorse in Schmier’s voice. But there seemed to be more that he wanted to get off his chest, so Richard gave him an opening. “I’ve always felt that you, of all people, would be the last one to take a combative stance.”

  “I assure you, Richard, I had absolutely no prior knowledge of the assault on your embassy.”

  “Are you saying that you were not consulted?” Richard was amazed at this prospect. He wasn’t questioning the prime minister’s veracity, just the audacity that he was not included.

  “Exactly, Richard. I was told five minutes after the attack commenced.”

  “What reason were you given for not being consulted?”

  “I was not afforded the courtesy of an explanation. I was merely told that the embassy was being taken and that I should deny all complicity in the matter.”

  “That’s unfathomable. Do you have any idea who was behind the decision?”

  “I’ve been told in no uncertain terms to drop the issue and to concentrate on damage control. Apparently, there was no contingency plan should the United States find out that it was Israel, and not an Arab country or Islamic extremists that were involved. Whoever undertook this did so with total confidence that it would be successful.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense at all, especially in light of how well prepared Israeli operations have always been. How could anyone be that stupid?” Richard couldn’t imagine that anyone knowledgeable of Middle East politics could even consider such an approach.

  “I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this and I can arrive at only one answer.”

  “What would that be, Ariel?”

  “I believe that everything was planned so precisely that the only way it could fail would be due to sabotage at the hands of someone involved. How else can you explain the rapidity with which your intelligence sources came up with evidence pointing to Israel?”

  “I can’t, and that’s been bothering me.”

  “Precisely my point, Richard. This whole matter causes me to believe that Israel was merely a pawn.”

  A pawn meant to be sacrificed as a part of a much bigger game plan, Richard thought to himself.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The Controller had assured Richard that he had not caused the situation at the embassy; but after his conversation with Ariel Schmier, Richard was having second thoughts. He could, however, come up with one suitable explanation—that the Controller has a source high up in the Israeli government that can keep him apprised of the goings-on in Israel. This would just be following the Controller’s pattern. Richard would make a point to see if he could get the Controller to admit to having such a source.

  In the meantime, he had to think about his morning meeting with Speaker of the House, George Hollister, and Senate Majority Leader, Jerrod Isaacs. He couldn’t decide if he would use a strong-arm approach or soothe their egos and try to appease them. He knew that no matter what they had to say, he was determined to do things his way, and without their support if necessary. Richard couldn’t believe he was thinking this way; maybe it was attributable to his popularity with the general populace. According to the polls, his method of dealing with Israel was applauded and his ratings indicated an increase of twenty percent in popularity and job acceptance. Richard’s advisors felt that if these numbers kept rising, he could sway his detractors via his popularity with their constituents.

  Richard had just finished jotting down his thoughts in his notebook when there was a knock on the door.

  Adam opened the door a crack, “Mr. President, they’re here.”

  “Thanks, Adam.” Richard stood, buttoning his suit jacket. He purposely hadn’t dressed casually, as might be expected considering the informal nature of Camp David. Instead he wanted his visitors to have no doubt they were dealing with a businesslike and purposeful president. This was going to be a critical meeting; they were going to leave either as enemies or allies. Richard already had decided that it didn’t matter which.

  As they walked down the hall, Richard asked Adam, “Is my approval rating the same?”

  “Actually, it’s up slightly, Mr. President. Apparently, the public is as fed up with the Middle East situation as you are. Are you going to use that?”

  “You have to admit that the timing couldn’t be better.” Richard flashed a grin at Adam.

  Richard and Adam entered the conference room while the speaker and the majority leader were serving themselves coffee from the serving cart in the corner of the room. Simultaneously they said “Good morning, Mr. President.”

  “Good morning, gentlemen. That coffee smells good, I think I’ll join you,” he said, picking up a cup and saucer. The president could feel the eyes of the two men looking him up and down as he turned his back toward them.

  “Allow me to pour, sir.” Adam picked up the silver coffee pot and filled the president’s cup, then his own.

  “Let’s have a seat, shall we?” Richard indicated where the two men should sit and Adam took a chair to the president’s right. “Who would like to kick things off?” The president appeared cheerful.

  Speaker Hollister began the discussion. Hollister had a deep, gruff voice that he used to its fullest when he felt the situation warranted, and this time he felt it was warranted. “Well, Mr. President, I wanted to make you aware of the prevailing attitude in the House. Your failure to consult with us in this Israeli situation wasn’t well received.”

  “Well, Mr. Speaker, the situation warranted fast action, and frankly, I didn’t want to be tied up with Congressional debate when I needed to be reacting to developments on a timely basis. You know as well as I do that Congress would still be discussing the situation if I hadn’t taken matters into my own hands. You were properly informed of the events as they occurred, were you not?”

  “Yes, Mr. President, but being informed and being consulted are different things.”

  “That may be true, but when the heat is on and decisions need to be made quickly, the pressure falls on the president, not the Congress. I’m not the first president to take such action, nor will I be the last.”

  “Mr. President, if I may interject.” The Majority Leader had waited patiently, but now wanted to be heard.

  “Of course, this is an open discussion.”

  “I just wanted to say that the Senate doesn’t feel as slighted as the House. In fact, the
majority opinion is that you acted appropriately. There is some concern over the use of nuclear weapons as a threat to achieve the upper hand, however.” The Republican controlled Senate agreeing with the president came as no surprise; nor did the Democrat-controlled House’s disagreement.

  “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? The real reason for your visit isn’t to express dissatisfaction with my failure to consult with you. It’s your objection to my threat of nuclear force. Now isn’t that so?” The president was tired of the cat and mouse game.

  Both men nodded in agreement. “Except for a few war mongers,” said Hollister, “the Congress is appalled at your threat and would never endorse the use of nuclear weapons.”

  “Well, Mr. Speaker, let me enlighten you with a few facts. Recently, I had a lengthy conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister. We talked a great deal about the position that I took regarding the use of nuclear weapons. He told me that were it not for that, we would still have hostages being held in the embassy. I also talked to the vice president, who you know has been in London and has addressed envoys from the various Middle East powers. The vice president came away from that meeting with a high level of confidence that our threat did not fall on deaf ears. In fact, he had many conversations with representatives who gave him their assurances that their governments would be told that our threat was not to be taken lightly. So you see gentlemen, whether you like it or not, and whether you agree with it or not, we put all our chips on the table, and if some crackpot nation decides to call our bluff, we will have no choice but to follow through. So you can go back and tell your colleagues that the president has made a stand and intends to stick to it. And if that doesn’t impress them, remind them that the opinion of the American public is on my side. Perhaps the possibility of losing an election will get their attention. So unless you gentlemen have something further to discuss, I suggest we end this meeting.” Richard rose without waiting for a reply and started toward the door.