Mission of Honor by Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik, Jeff Rovin Page B
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers, Suspense fiction, Espionage, Political, War stories, Adventure stories, Government investigators, Intelligence service, English Fiction, Kidnapping, Adventure fiction, Spy fiction; American, Botswana, Crisis Management in Government - United States, Crisis Management in Government, Government investigators - United States, Diamond Mines and Mining
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good thing is, if Beaudin is involved, he can’t afford that, either,” Herbert said. “There’s no profit for him. That’s why we have to see if there are some major pieces still missing.”
“What does Kline want to do?” Rodgers asked.
“I spoke to him again, told him there was no point trying to check up on Beaudin’s activities through France,” Herbert said. “They shut me down when I tried to link him to those nutcases in Toulouse.”
“The Church might find a few more allies than we did,” Rodgers pointed out. “There are more Roman Catholics in France than any other denomination. About ninety percent, I think.”
“You’re right, but they’re also fiercely nationalistic,” Herbert said. “Kline doesn’t want to suggest that a Frenchman committed an anti-Catholic act.”
“Even if he may have,” Rodgers said.
“If he did, we’ll have to find out through other means,” Herbert said. “If that ever got out and we were wrong, the Vatican would have forty-five million very unhappy worshipers.”
While Herbert was speaking, Rodgers re-accessed Patricia Arroyo’s personnel database. He entered the name Ballon, Colonel Bernard Benjamin. The forty-something Colonel Ballon was a tough veteran officer with France’s Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Rationale. The Frenchman’s anti-hate crime unit had worked with OpCenter to stop the New Jacobins from murdering Algerian and Moroccan immigrants in France. If they could bring in Ballon, maybe this would not have to become a national hot potato.
“My feeling is we’re going to have to try to kite-tail Beaudin from the other end,” Herbert went on. “We or the Vatican Security Organization should get someone close to the religion or cult or whatever it is as soon as possible. While we’re watching them, we can also look for signs of Beaudin.”
“Do you think Paul will go along with that?” Rodgers asked. “Not the idea but the haste.”
“I think so,” Herbert said. “If not for humanitarian reasons, then for simple intel. No one else is onto this yet, and it could be explosive.”
“Paul may not want to take that heat,” Rodgers said. “Not with the shit we’re getting from the CIOC and Senator Fox.”
“We may not have a choice,” Herbert replied. “It’s happening, and we’ve been asked to help. The VSO may not want the CIA or National Security Council involved. Our government doesn’t like religious wars. Minority wars. Paul’s answer has to be yes or no.”
Given that choice, Rodgers knew what Pope Paul would say. He always put people ahead of politics. But Rodgers had been in this game long enough to know that even a successful mission could hurt. Instead of proving how invaluable OpCenter was, they could piss off all the intelligence units that did not have a Vatican contact, or had missed the significance of the Washington Post article, or who just didn’t want OpCenter to succeed at any damn thing they did.
“If nothing else,” Herbert said, “getting involved with the kidnapping will let your new team hit the ground running.”
“That’s true,” Rodgers said. “Bob, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the team-“
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Herbert interrupted.
“I think there is,” Rodgers shot back. “Paul sprang the HUMINT idea on me this morning, and I ran with it.”
“That’s what you were supposed to do,” Herbert assured him.
“Not over your still-breathing body,” Rodgers said.
Herbert laughed. “Mike, I don’t have the time, temperament, or experience to run a field force,” the intelligence chief assured him. “You do. Now we’ve got more important things to deal with than protocol between coworkers who also happen to be good friends.”
Rodgers did not believe that Herbert was as indifferent as he made it sound. But Rodgers thanked him just the same.
Herbert was about to call Hood and update him when the file on Colonel Ballon opened.
“Hold
“What does Kline want to do?” Rodgers asked.
“I spoke to him again, told him there was no point trying to check up on Beaudin’s activities through France,” Herbert said. “They shut me down when I tried to link him to those nutcases in Toulouse.”
“The Church might find a few more allies than we did,” Rodgers pointed out. “There are more Roman Catholics in France than any other denomination. About ninety percent, I think.”
“You’re right, but they’re also fiercely nationalistic,” Herbert said. “Kline doesn’t want to suggest that a Frenchman committed an anti-Catholic act.”
“Even if he may have,” Rodgers said.
“If he did, we’ll have to find out through other means,” Herbert said. “If that ever got out and we were wrong, the Vatican would have forty-five million very unhappy worshipers.”
While Herbert was speaking, Rodgers re-accessed Patricia Arroyo’s personnel database. He entered the name Ballon, Colonel Bernard Benjamin. The forty-something Colonel Ballon was a tough veteran officer with France’s Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Rationale. The Frenchman’s anti-hate crime unit had worked with OpCenter to stop the New Jacobins from murdering Algerian and Moroccan immigrants in France. If they could bring in Ballon, maybe this would not have to become a national hot potato.
“My feeling is we’re going to have to try to kite-tail Beaudin from the other end,” Herbert went on. “We or the Vatican Security Organization should get someone close to the religion or cult or whatever it is as soon as possible. While we’re watching them, we can also look for signs of Beaudin.”
“Do you think Paul will go along with that?” Rodgers asked. “Not the idea but the haste.”
“I think so,” Herbert said. “If not for humanitarian reasons, then for simple intel. No one else is onto this yet, and it could be explosive.”
“Paul may not want to take that heat,” Rodgers said. “Not with the shit we’re getting from the CIOC and Senator Fox.”
“We may not have a choice,” Herbert replied. “It’s happening, and we’ve been asked to help. The VSO may not want the CIA or National Security Council involved. Our government doesn’t like religious wars. Minority wars. Paul’s answer has to be yes or no.”
Given that choice, Rodgers knew what Pope Paul would say. He always put people ahead of politics. But Rodgers had been in this game long enough to know that even a successful mission could hurt. Instead of proving how invaluable OpCenter was, they could piss off all the intelligence units that did not have a Vatican contact, or had missed the significance of the Washington Post article, or who just didn’t want OpCenter to succeed at any damn thing they did.
“If nothing else,” Herbert said, “getting involved with the kidnapping will let your new team hit the ground running.”
“That’s true,” Rodgers said. “Bob, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the team-“
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Herbert interrupted.
“I think there is,” Rodgers shot back. “Paul sprang the HUMINT idea on me this morning, and I ran with it.”
“That’s what you were supposed to do,” Herbert assured him.
“Not over your still-breathing body,” Rodgers said.
Herbert laughed. “Mike, I don’t have the time, temperament, or experience to run a field force,” the intelligence chief assured him. “You do. Now we’ve got more important things to deal with than protocol between coworkers who also happen to be good friends.”
Rodgers did not believe that Herbert was as indifferent as he made it sound. But Rodgers thanked him just the same.
Herbert was about to call Hood and update him when the file on Colonel Ballon opened.
“Hold
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