Betrayals by Brian Freemantle

everything we can.”
    â€œThat isn’t an answer to my question.”
    â€œThrough Arab governments with whom we have dialogue we have made it clear we want contact,” conceded Willsher. “That’s why your courting publicity didn’t help.”
    â€œWould this meeting be taking place if I had not made some sort of protest?”
    â€œI told you we had to be sure,” repeated Willsher.
    â€œWhat harm has the publicity done?”
    â€œFrom the outset the aim has been damage limitation,” said Willsher, pedantically. He looked away from her, appearing almost embarrassed, then continued: “The CIA, as an organization, is a particular target among these people. We wanted as much as possible to minimize Sheridan’s position.”
    Janet felt the familiar anger begin to build up. The man was discussing John as if he were some disembodied awkwardness, not a human being going through God knows what sort of torment. She said: “I did not disclose John’s position in the CIA. I didn’t even know he was connected to the CIA until I heard it on a television newscast. If you’d been so goddamned anxious to deny any connection with the CIA you could have done so by doing just that: telling a lie and denying it. That ridiculous statement saying neither one thing or the other was practically an out-and-out admission!”
    â€œSomething else that wasn’t handled particularly well,” conceded the man.
    â€œI know about William Buckley,” said Janet, flatly.
    â€œSo do we, ma’am,” said Willsher, more forcefully than he had so far spoken. “And we don’t want anything like it to happen again.”
    â€œThere must be something the government can do, other than just sit around and wait!” said Janet. “Why not issue a public warning about retribution if any harm comes to him!”
    Willsher shook his head. “You must believe me, Ms. Stone. A lot of discussion and consideration has already gone into this. The combined view of the Agency and the State Department is that a confrontational stance is not the right one to adopt.”
    What the hell was a confrontational stance? thought Janet. Ma’am and Ms. had re-entered the conversation, too, she realized. She said: “What is, then?”
    â€œIt has been decided to wait until the demand.”
    â€œThen what?”
    â€œWe can’t answer that until we know what the demand is.”
    Around and around on the carousel, thought Janet. She said: “That could take weeks … months …”
    â€œWe’re prepared for it to take as long as necessary, if it means getting John safely back.”
    Janet supposed it was the right attitude—the only attitude—but she was impatient with it. She wanted to be told that something positive was being done, like offering a definite ransom or assembling some sort of gung-ho rescue squad. She said: “Just sit back and wait!”
    â€œNo,” said Willsher, patiently. “I told you everything that can be done is being done, and it is. The State Department has made approaches to every Arab country, saying that the government will react in the strongest possible way … without being specific what that might be … if any harm befalls him.”
    â€œI thought you were pulling back from confrontation!”
    â€œThese are diplomatic messages, not press statements getting headlines,” Willsher said. “And I think it’s important they remain that way. I don’t think what I’ve just told you should get to the newspapers.”
    â€œThe New York Times has already come pretty close.”
    Willsher shook his head. “No one has reported how we might react.”
    Remembering her earlier impatience, Janet said: “What about when there is contact? What about sending in some sort of snatch squad?”
    â€œI thought I’d already made it clear, Ms. Stone, that every