“I’m telling you, sir, the report will fizzle away,” Case Simmons said reassuringly. “The story appeared two days ago, and it hasn’t been confirmed by anyone. We admitted we had Marines and Special Forces troops in Lithuania, but they’ll never find out about the EB-52s. Some reports are saying they were Americans, others say they were Ukrainians, and others say it was a Russian stealth bomber … they don’t know shit-sir. It’ll blow over.”
“I damned well hope so.” The President groaned. “I’m sick of this. Jesus, I want to get on with relations in Europe, and I can’t function with the press hounding me on the bomber attack.” He smiled, then added, “Although I do have to hand it to Elliott — the old war horse came through. Again.”
“That he did,” agreed the Chief of Staff with a wry smile.
There was a knock on the Oval Office door, and National Security Advisor George Russell was admitted. He strode right over to the President’s desk, looking almost apoplectic.
“George, what’s the matter?” asked the President, concerned.
“That bastard Elliott!” exploded Russell. “He’s done it again! lie’s … he’s, oh, fuck it. I’m going to kill him!”
The President and his Chief of Staff were staring at Russell. “George,” the President said, hoping he would calm down. “What exactly has Elliott done?”
Russell gritted his teeth. “That crazy sonofabitch swapped prisoners on us! Sometime when David Luger was being transported to his plane, Fryderyk Litwy, the Lithuanian defector we picked up last October, was switched in his place. That fucking doctor must have been in on it, too, goddamn it!”
“What doctor?”
Russell scowled. “Oh, one of Elliott’s staff physicians. They must have snuck Litwy in the cargo bench storage area in the ambulance, then made the switch on the way to the plane. Dammit, when I get my hands on Brad Elliott…! This time he’s gone too far. He thinks he can do anything he wants and I’ve had it. Sir, I want him court-martialed. I want his head on a platter! I want—”
The President was now laughing so hard that Russell looked as if he were ready to pull his hair out in frustration.
“Sir, I fail to see the humor—”
The President was laughing even harder now, tears welling up in his eyes. “Never mind, George. Never mind. Just forget about it.”
“What? But, sir, Elliott—”
“—will take good care of Luger, and he’ll see that he stays out of the public eye until the security review is completed. He knows what’s best for his people, George. He always did. He’s a sonofabitch, all right … but at least he’s our sonofabitch!”