“Be seated, Ambassador,” the president said. He took a chair opposite him, instead of at the head of the table as expected. As he pulled his chair in, Tupolev noticed the portrait of Theodore Roosevelt on the far wall, literally framing the American president. The selection of the Roosevelt Room and the president’s place at the table didn’t go unnoticed. The Americans were making a subtle statement of their displeasure.
Tupolev settled into his chair as the other four Americans did the same, flanking the president. On the president’s left sat SecDef McVeigh and Secretary of State Dawn Cabral, while to his right was the president’s chief of staff and national security advisor. Tupolev’s eyes settled on Christine O’Connor, meeting her tonight for the first time. The rumors were true. Although she was half Russian and half Irish, her Russian genetics dominated; she could pass for a beautiful Russian woman anywhere in his country. Tupolev wondered if she had any idea whom she resembled. Under different circumstances, he would have taken a moment to enlighten her. Instead, Tupolev returned his attention to the American president, who placed a folder on the table.
“I hope you don’t mind if I get directly to the point.”
“Not at all, Mr. President. I don’t want to take up any more of your time than necessary.”
“I’m sure you’re aware by now,” the president said, “of what occurred off the coast of China yesterday.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
When Tupolev offered no other information, the president slid the folder across the table. “I’d like you to explain this.”
Tupolev opened the folder and examined the documents. After reviewing the evidence of Russia’s transgression, he closed the folder and looked up.
“On behalf of President Kalinin, I offer a sincere apology for this accident. President Kalinin learned a few hours ago that one of our guided missile submarines accidentally launched a missile salvo at your aircraft carrier.”
Tupolev slid the folder back to the president.
“You expect us to believe,” the president replied, “that one of your submarines accidentally launched not one, but twenty-four missiles at our carrier?” The anger in the president’s voice was palpable.
“Yes, Mr. President, because that is exactly what happened. The submarine crew was engaged in a training evolution, simulating a missile launch against a high-value target — your aircraft carrier in this case — and there was a malfunction in the fire control system. The launch command should not have been sent. Clearly, something went horribly wrong and I assure you we’ll investigate thoroughly and put additional safeguards in place to ensure this does not happen again.
“In the meantime, President Kalinin has agreed to pay reparations to any crew member injured in the accident and the families of those killed, and we will also cover the cost of the aircraft carrier’s repair. The details will need to be worked out, but Russia takes full responsibility for what happened and we offer our sincerest apology. President Kalinin would normally have called you by now, but he is aware of our meeting and is working to determine how this happened. I’m sure he’ll call in the morning, offering an apology of his own.”
Tupolev maintained a sincere expression when he finished, contrasting with the surprised looks from the Americans. No doubt, they had expected him to deny Russia’s involvement. Admitting culpability was a bold but savvy move.
“I have little else to offer tonight,” Tupolev said, “but I will brief you or your designated representative whenever we learn more.”
Tupolev leaned back slightly, waiting for a response. The president’s jaw muscles flexed as he digested Russia’s confession, most likely attempting to decide whether he was being lied to. Tupolev was telling the truth, of course. Someone in Moscow was doing the lying.
Finally, the president replied, “I appreciate your candid response, accepting responsibility for what happened. I hope you determine what went wrong quickly, so it doesn’t happen again. Please keep Secretary of State Cabral advised of what you learn.”
The president stood, extending his hand. “Thank you for joining us tonight.”
Tupolev shook the president’s hand as he stood, surveying the other four Americans. Not a smile in the room. “Thank you for your understanding,” Tupolev said. “We will work aggressively to ensure this tragedy is not repeated.”
The president nodded toward Hardison, who escorted the Russian ambassador to the West Wing exit. Tupolev descended the steps toward his awaiting car without a farewell from the American chief of staff.
He climbed into his sedan and the door closed with a solid thud again. After his driver slid into the front seat, he looked in the rearview mirror. “The embassy, Ambassador?”
Tupolev nodded and the car eased from the West Wing portico, reversing course toward the White House gate. Tupolev let out a deep breath. That had gone much better than expected.
5
WASHINGTON, D.C.
“He’s lying,” Hardison said as he joined the president and the other three members of his staff and cabinet, still seated in the Roosevelt Room.
“We’ve already come to that conclusion,” the president replied. “The question is — why did they attack us?”
“Maybe a more specific question should be asked,” Christine said, then amplified. “Why did they attack Roosevelt?”
“Good point,” the president said. “This wasn’t a random attack against one of our ships. They wanted to take out one of our carriers.”
“Maybe not,” McVeigh joined in. “Even a couple of Shipwreck missiles wouldn’t normally knock an aircraft carrier out of commission. They got lucky, detonating ordnance staged on the Hangar Deck and hitting the aircraft carrier’s Island superstructure.”
Turning to his secretary of state, the president asked, “What’s going on in Russia that might explain their attack?”
Dawn Cabral replied, “Internally, Russia’s economy is on the brink of recession due to the world oil glut. Oil and natural gas exports provide fifty percent of the Russian government’s revenue, and the low prices are hitting them hard. The ruble has dropped to twenty-five percent of its value from only two years ago, causing disaffection within the Russian population. President Kalinin’s popularity is plummeting ahead of next year’s election, which is causing consternation within his administration. You never know what straws desperate politicians will grab at to shore up their popularity.
“Regarding external events, Russia is still upset over the addition of the Baltic countries to NATO and has taken a hardline stance against the addition of Finland. Within the Russian administration, the most commonly used phrase translates to ‘Over my dead body.’ Elsewhere, you’ve got Russia’s annexation of Crimea and their support of separatist factions in eastern Ukraine. Then there’s Russia’s involvement in Syria, with their level of commitment vacillating every few weeks.”
Dawn finished up with, “Finally, there’s the issue of Ice Station Nautilus. There are three Russian submarines on the bottom of the Barents Sea. Although Russia’s official demeanor since the incident has been conciliatory, the attack on Roosevelt could be payback.”
The president contemplated the potential reasons for Russia’s aggression, then said, “We’re not going to solve this tonight. Start working the problem. What we know is that this was Russia’s opening move. We need to figure out what their endgame is, so we can respond appropriately. Without knowing where this is headed, we’d be flailing about in the dark.”
Turning to McVeigh, he said, “Coordinate with the intelligence agencies and see what they can glean from human sources and electronic means. What kind of ability do we have regarding access to Russian classified information?”