worst nightmare.”
Spreading his hands, the counter-insurgency expert’s voice carried sarcasm. “So what will you have me do, Colonel? Surrender? Confess? Taste the barrel? I don’t think you know shit, because there’s nothing to know. You’re fishing in a pond where there are no fish. You’re wasting your time… time that I’m sure the president would prefer you spend on more productive projects.”
“I want you to set the record straight with the president. I want to end the persecution of an innocent man. I want this government to conduct itself with honor.”
The smirk returned to Mr. White’s lips, “Innocent man? How ridiculous. There are no innocent men, Colonel. And even if your friend were above reproach, would you truly sacrifice the good of millions over the life of a single man?”
“It’s called liberty. It’s a concept you should read up on sometime.”
Mr. White laughed loudly, seeming to enjoy the statement. Finally, he replied, “I gave you too much credit. You fit the ex-military mold perfectly. Everything is black and white, good or bad.” His voice then became cold and low. “Let me tell you something, Mister Liberty and Honor, when we delayed the Iranian nuclear program without the loss of a single American soldier, no one screamed about liberty. When we turned the Iraqi Al-Qaida leaders against each other and saved thousands of military causalities, no one gave a rat’s ass about honor. My country is hurting, sir. My beloved United States of America is at the brink, and I’ll sacrifice a thousand men to save her.”
“Our country isn’t worth saving if we have to resort to that,” came the reply.
The CIA man’s attitude relaxed, his casual posture indicating the conversation was over. “You should really do a better job of picking your friends, Colonel. I can see associating with mass murderers has tainted your logic,” he closed.
The two men stared at each other for a long moment, and then Mr. White stepped around his antagonist and continued toward his quarters.
Watching him walk away, the Colonel shook his head and whispered. “We will see about that. I have an asset you no longer possess. I still have faith and trust in a few of my fellow humans… something you lost a long time ago, Mr. White.”
Alpha, Texas
July 27
The single Humvee rolled into Alpha’s main square promptly at 7:55 a.m., the representatives of the US government arriving for the scheduled negotiations without fanfare or escort. Tensions were high, as it was the first meeting between the parties since the attack at Midland Station.
General Owens exited the passenger door, a briefcase and bottle of water in his hand. He turned to enter the courthouse and almost ran headlong into Nick.
“General,” the ex-operator greeted, his expression showing resolve.
“Sergeant.”
“General, I’m afraid there’s going to be a delay in the negotiations this morning. An important matter has come to our attention, and we feel it needs to be addressed before any further talks can proceed.”
Owens didn’t like surprises, and his face said so. “What’s this all about, Sergeant? Why did you let us travel all this way if the meeting isn’t to take place?”
“Because I need you to solve the problem, sir.”
Owens’s back stiffened, not sure of the big man’s intent. “Go on.”
“I need you to accompany me, sir. You and you alone.”
“And where might we be going, Sergeant?”
“I don’t want to disclose that until we are on our way. I give you my word you won’t be harmed. We’ll have you back here in Alpha in six hours. You’ll have to trust me, sir. This matter must be addressed before any agreement can be reached.”
The undersecretary joined the two men, “General, is everything all right?”
Owens ignored the question, his gaze boring into Nick’s eyes, trying to make a decision. Finally, he turned to the politician and said, “Yes, everything is fine. There’s
Spreading his hands, the counter-insurgency expert’s voice carried sarcasm. “So what will you have me do, Colonel? Surrender? Confess? Taste the barrel? I don’t think you know shit, because there’s nothing to know. You’re fishing in a pond where there are no fish. You’re wasting your time… time that I’m sure the president would prefer you spend on more productive projects.”
“I want you to set the record straight with the president. I want to end the persecution of an innocent man. I want this government to conduct itself with honor.”
The smirk returned to Mr. White’s lips, “Innocent man? How ridiculous. There are no innocent men, Colonel. And even if your friend were above reproach, would you truly sacrifice the good of millions over the life of a single man?”
“It’s called liberty. It’s a concept you should read up on sometime.”
Mr. White laughed loudly, seeming to enjoy the statement. Finally, he replied, “I gave you too much credit. You fit the ex-military mold perfectly. Everything is black and white, good or bad.” His voice then became cold and low. “Let me tell you something, Mister Liberty and Honor, when we delayed the Iranian nuclear program without the loss of a single American soldier, no one screamed about liberty. When we turned the Iraqi Al-Qaida leaders against each other and saved thousands of military causalities, no one gave a rat’s ass about honor. My country is hurting, sir. My beloved United States of America is at the brink, and I’ll sacrifice a thousand men to save her.”
“Our country isn’t worth saving if we have to resort to that,” came the reply.
The CIA man’s attitude relaxed, his casual posture indicating the conversation was over. “You should really do a better job of picking your friends, Colonel. I can see associating with mass murderers has tainted your logic,” he closed.
The two men stared at each other for a long moment, and then Mr. White stepped around his antagonist and continued toward his quarters.
Watching him walk away, the Colonel shook his head and whispered. “We will see about that. I have an asset you no longer possess. I still have faith and trust in a few of my fellow humans… something you lost a long time ago, Mr. White.”
Alpha, Texas
July 27
The single Humvee rolled into Alpha’s main square promptly at 7:55 a.m., the representatives of the US government arriving for the scheduled negotiations without fanfare or escort. Tensions were high, as it was the first meeting between the parties since the attack at Midland Station.
General Owens exited the passenger door, a briefcase and bottle of water in his hand. He turned to enter the courthouse and almost ran headlong into Nick.
“General,” the ex-operator greeted, his expression showing resolve.
“Sergeant.”
“General, I’m afraid there’s going to be a delay in the negotiations this morning. An important matter has come to our attention, and we feel it needs to be addressed before any further talks can proceed.”
Owens didn’t like surprises, and his face said so. “What’s this all about, Sergeant? Why did you let us travel all this way if the meeting isn’t to take place?”
“Because I need you to solve the problem, sir.”
Owens’s back stiffened, not sure of the big man’s intent. “Go on.”
“I need you to accompany me, sir. You and you alone.”
“And where might we be going, Sergeant?”
“I don’t want to disclose that until we are on our way. I give you my word you won’t be harmed. We’ll have you back here in Alpha in six hours. You’ll have to trust me, sir. This matter must be addressed before any agreement can be reached.”
The undersecretary joined the two men, “General, is everything all right?”
Owens ignored the question, his gaze boring into Nick’s eyes, trying to make a decision. Finally, he turned to the politician and said, “Yes, everything is fine. There’s
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