They all watched the green image on the right screen, which showed a hand reach out and grab the remote control. A few seconds later, the green image intensified, and they could no longer make out details in the room.
"Have Lieutenant Commander Daly remove his helmet cam's night vision attachment," Gordon said into his headset.
The image shook and became obscured for several seconds, which prompted a few gasps in the room.
"He's fine. Just working on the camera," General Nichols reassured them.
The green image changed to a regular color scheme and shifted again. The new image settled in on the monitor, and they all saw General Sanderson sitting in front of a small lamp, his face beaming a grin that Shelby could only interpret as smug.
"Your radio operator should find the cable he's looking for on the table. It's the left one. I wasn't sure if I'd be dealing with a SEAL or Marine Advanced Communications System. If you'd also power up the teleconference device, we should be able to chat," Sanderson said. "While I have your undivided attention, let me welcome you to my humble compound. I commend all of you for an incredibly efficient operation. Commander, you had your task force offloaded in eighty-four seconds. That's a record in my book. I would have ordered an immediate surrender if the compound had been occupied."
Shelby didn't like the sound of this and registered the concerned looks from the military leadership around the table. Sanderson was watching the assault force, which didn't bode well.
"I assure you we have no intention of harming any of the assault team. Barring any unforeseen mechanical difficulties, you'll bring everyone back, Commander."
General Gordon gave the president a thumbs up and pointed to the microphone on the table, which flashed a green light. Shelby shook his head, indicating that he thought it would be a bad idea to start out with the president. They needed to treat Sanderson like a terrorist, and terrorists didn't get to speak with the president of the United States.
"General Sanderson, this is General Frank Gordon. I'm in charge of this operation. We're working on a very limited timetable here, so if you would make your communication brief, we would appreciate it."
"Frank, always good to hear your voice. JSOC is in capable hands," Sanderson said, nodding on the screen.
"I wish I could say it was good to hear your voice, Terry."
"I understand and assume you're not alone in that spirit. I'll be brief. I want to discuss the terms of an immunity deal in exchange for critical information related to the recent bioweapons attack on Russia and possible subsequent attacks throughout Europe and the United States. I'm seeking informal presidential immunity for my organization. This will be a wide-scoped agreement, encompassing the activities of all of my operatives, past and present. I'd also like to discuss reactivating the Black Flag program."
Shelby shook his head and looked at the president, who leaned toward the microphone. Please don't do this, he thought, and briefly considered pulling the president back in his seat, which would have been a career limiting move. He heard the national security advisor tell one of his aides to get a hold of the president's chief of staff. He caught a whisper about the attorney general and lawyers. He really hoped they weren't going to give this any consideration.
"General Sanderson, this is the president of the United States. Please explain the nature of the information in your possession. I have no inclination to negotiate with you."
"I appreciate your tough stance, but I have detailed information about the attack on Monchegorsk and specific information about the locations of impending attacks in Europe. I assure you that this information is worth sweeping my past and present activities under the rug."
"We can't just sweep terrorist activity under the rug," Shelby whispered and received a scornful look from the president.
"General, I already possess this information. I'm not sure how the information came into your possession, but I have to seriously question your involvement in the plot. There will be no immunity deal, and we have no need for your rogue operatives. I will never entertain the idea of sanctioning one of your programs. We can get the work done without you."
"Really, Mr. President? Who do you think got you the information from Stockholm? CIA operatives? Special Operations assets? Two of my people sacrificed their lives on Bondegatan Street to capture Reznikov and provide the CIA with that information. Another is critically wounded. I lost another man in Kazakhstan, alongside a CIA operative, while tracking Reznikov. I gave you this information."
"What is he talking about?" General Gordon said.
There was a general murmur in the room, especially among the White House staff. Shelby was at a complete loss, which was a rare and uncomfortable feeling for him.
"My team is several minutes from delivering Reznikov to a CIA safe house north of Stockholm. Should I send them somewhere else?" Sanderson said.
"These are your operatives?" the president said, then whispered to the national security advisor, "I thought this was a CIA team?"
The national security advisor shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. An argument escalated between the two of them when the national security advisor suggested that this couldn't be construed by the public as their fault. Shelby couldn't believe what he was hearing. It didn't matter who knew what. The president was ultimately responsible, and he had unknowingly used terrorists to pursue terrorists on European soil. This was a disaster of epic proportions for the administration and all of them. Their leverage had just evaporated.
"Terry, you're a better man than that!" Major General Bob Kearny yelled from down the conference room table. "I can't believe you would withhold information that could save thousands of lives, just to save your own ass!"
"Is that you, Bob?" Sanderson said.
"Damn straight it is. Up until right now, I still respected you on many levels. Tell me I'm mistaken here with my new assessment of your character," Kearny said.
There was a long pause.
"I have no intention of stealing away with Reznikov. I just wanted to drive home the point that you need the kind of capabilities my organization can provide," Sanderson said.
"We have plenty of assets suitable for these operations," General Gordon said.
"And they're all wrapped up in red tape, constrained at every turn. How long would it have taken to put a Delta team in Stockholm? If we hadn't been in place, the Russians would have captured or killed Reznikov, flushing all of your links to the bigger plot down the toilet."
"General, I appreciate your gesture and will rely on General Kearney's previous assessment of your character to ensure that you carry through on your promise to deliver Reznikov. If you have no further information to offer, I'd like to bring General Gordon's people home," the president said.
"Reznikov's yours, but I think you're overlooking my main bargaining chip."
"If you take action against the assault force, I'll bring to bear the full resources of the United States to hunt you down. They'll find you holed up like Saddam Hussein," the president said.
"I'd rather die myself than endanger these brave warriors, but I have no problem causing irreparable damage to your administration. Compliments of a very well connected businessman here in Argentina."
"Ernesto Galenden," Shelby said.
"Yes, thanks to Galenden, I'm holding some very hard to come by telephone numbers. The Chilean and Argentinian Defense Ministers for starters. Better yet, I have a direct line to the 31st Electronic Detection Group's commanding officer. Coincidentally, the group commander picked tonight for quick reaction drills. It was a last minute decision. I'm told that their Boeing 707 Condor is fueled and can be airborne in five minutes. I have arranged for several phone calls to be placed, all alerting the base to a large formation of low flying helicopters just north of Villarica. I probably don't need to remind you that the Condor carries the Phalcon radar system. 200 nautical miles of three hundred and sixty degree coverage, both in the air and on the surface. I'm pretty sure they'd pick up your birds as soon as they leveled off over the airbase in Puerto Montt. I might be wrong about the helicopters, but I can't imagine they would miss the BOXER."