The Twilight Patriots by Charles D. Taylor

Author:Charles D. Taylor [Taylor, Charles D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: military fiction
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2015-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

NOVEMBER 1984

CHAPTER TWELVE

In the more than twenty years they’d known each other, Royal had never seen Ted Magnuson discouraged before. He knew Ted had no intention of throwing in the towel, but the odds against him in Washington were now tougher than overseas.

“Benjamin’s gone, Jack. Fired. He went last week. There was no fanfare, no official announcement, nothing. The President didn’t even talk to him. Just had his Chief of Staff call him into the office at the White House and explain his services were no longer required. Just like that.” He drummed a pencil on his desk, shaking his head morosely. “He stopped by here afterward to let me know.”

“Did you ask him what he said?”

“Sure. I’d been hoping if we both laid low he’d be my last ace in the hole. Benjamin did ask for details and the Chief said it was a matter of undermining the President’s policies toward Russia, pure and simple. The Chief wished him luck, told him to clean out his desk that same day, and sent him packing with a handshake. That’s the way it is in the White House … easy come, easy go.”

“Do you have any idea how you stand?”

“I suppose I’m lucky to still be in this office. The shit came flowing downhill here the same day. The President called the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Chairman called the CNO, the CNO called me and said I’d better come up with something firm on Seagull fast or plan on early retirement.”

“Which means … don’t tell the President what he doesn’t want to hear.”

“Not unless you can nail down the entire scenario, I guess. But shit, Jack, look at this.” Magnuson slid a paper across the desk. It bore TOP SECRET stamps in each corner. “This is what I’ve been digging for, the key I expected—this is what the President has to give a shit about and I still can’t say this is it forever and ever, Amen. We can break their damn codes, but the code words within the messages are killing us. Until we know what they mean by those terms, we can’t nail down anything.”

The message was to all Soviet submarines attached to the Pacific Fleet. It indicated they should be in newly assigned stations no later than “Delta minus five.” The code words for missile targets would be continued in publications to be distributed at a later date by courier. It also referenced American ships scheduled for Vladivostok and pinpointed the most recent stations of American missile subs in the Western Pacific. Krulev had issued the message.

“The Delta date, Jack. That’s what I need first. If I had that computer tape, or even a partial copy, to establish the date and the plans Maslov has, I might get to the President. All the other agencies are in the dark and the President has scared the shit out of them.” His fist came down on the desk in frustration. “You know, a couple of months ago I had Benjamin on my side.

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