The Prodigal Daughter (65 page)

“The President
told me,” said Brooks pointedly when Florentyna had read the final message,
“that he feels Pakistan is not another Poland and that the Russians wouldn’t
dare go beyond the Afghanistan border.”

“I think we arc
about to find out if his judgment is sound,” she said.

“The President,”
he added, “has been in touch with Moscow during the week, as well as the Prime
Minister of England, the President of France and the West German Chancellor.
They all seem to agree with his assessment.”

“Since then the
situation has changed radically,” said Florentyna sharply.

“It’s obvious
that I’ll have to speak to the Russian President myself.”

Once again
Brooks hesitated. “Immediately,” Florentyna added. Brooks picked up the phone.
Everyone in the room waited while the circuit was linked. Florentyna had never
spoken to President Andropov before and she could feel her heart beating. She
knew her phone would be monitored to pick up the slightest reaction she
unwittingly displayed, as it would be for the Russian leader. It was always
said that it was this device that had enabled the Russians to run roughshod
over Jimmy Carter.

A few minutes
later Andropov came on the line.
“Good evening, Mrs. Kane,”
he said, not acknowledging her title, his voice as clear as if he were in the
next room.
After four years at the Court of St. James the President’s
accent was minimal and his command of the language impressive. “May I ask where
President Parkin is?”

Florentyna could
feel her mouth go dry. The Russian President continued before she could reply.

“In
California, no doubt.”
It didn’t surprise Florentyna that the Russian
President knew mom about Parkin’s habits than she did. It was now obvious why
the Russians had chosen ten o’clock to cross the Pakistan border.

“You’re right,”
said Florentyna. “And as he will be indisposed for at least another two hours
you will have to deal with me. I therefore wish you to be left in no doubt that
I am taking full Presidential responsibility in his absence.” She could feel
small beads of sweat, but didn’t dare to touch her forehead.

“I see,” said
the former head of the KGB. “Then may I ask what
is the
purpose of this call
?”

“Don’t be naive,
Mr. President. I want you to understand that if you put one member of your
armed forces over the border with Pakistan, America will retaliate
immediately.”

“That would be
very brave of you, Mrs. Kane,” he said.

“You obviously
don’t understand the American political system, Mr. n-esident. It requires no
‘bravery’ at all. As Vice President I am the one person in America who has
nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

This time the
silence was not of her making. Florentyna felt her confidence growing. He had
given her the chance to continue before he could reply. “If you do not turn
your battle fleet south, withdraw all ten army divisions from the border with
Pakistan and fly your MIG 25s and SU 7’s back to Moscow, I shall not hesitate
to attack you on land, sea and in the air. Do you understand?”

The phone went
dead.

Florentyna
swiveled around.

By now the room
was abuzz again with professionals who had previously only played “games” in
this situation and now waited like Florentyna to see if all their training,
experience and knowledge were about to be tested.

Ralph Brooks
held a hand over the mouthpiece of his phone and reported that the President
had landed in Colorado and wanted to speak to Florentyna. She picked up the red
security phone by her side.

“Florentyna?
Is that you?”
came from the phone in a broad Texas accent.

“Yes, Mr.
President.”

“Now hear me,
lady. Ralph has briefed me and I am on my way back immediately. Don’t do
anything rash-arid be sum the press doesn’t get to hear of my absence.”

“Yes, Mr.
President.” The phone went dead.

“General Dtxon?”
she said, not
,bothering
to look at Brooks.

“Yes, ma’am,”
said the four-star general who had not spoken until then.

“How quickly can
we mobilize a retaliatory force into the battle area?” she asked the chief of
staff.

“Within
the hour.
I could have ten squadrons of FI I Is in the air, Gut
ot
our bases in Europe and Turkey, but it would take me all of three days for the
Mediterranean fleet to make contact with the Russians.”

‘How long would
it be before the fleet reached the Indian Ocean?”

“Two
or three days, rna’am.”

“Then issue the order
and make it two, General.”

“Yes, ma’am,”
said General Dixon again, and left the Situation Room Jor the Operations Room.

Florentyna
didn’t have to wait long for the next report to come up on the screen. It was
the one she feared most. The Russian fleet still plowed on relentlessly toward
Karachi while more and more Soviet divisions were missing at Salabad and
Asadabadon on the Afghanistan border.

“Get me the
President of Pakistan,” said Florentyna.

He was on the
line in moments. “Where is President Parkin?” was his first question.

“Not
you as well?”
Florentyna wanted to say, but in fact replied, “On his way back from Camp
David. He will be with us shortly.” She briefed him on the actions she had
taken to date and made it clear how far she was still willing to go.

“Thank God for
one brave man,” said Murbaze Bhutto.

“Just stay on
the open line and we’ll keep you briefed if anything changes,” said Florentyna,
ignoring the compliment. “Shall I get the Russian President back?” asked Ralph
Brooks.

“No,” said Florentyna.
“Get me the Prime Minister of Britain, the President of France and the
Chancellor of West Germany.”

She checked her
watch: 7:35. Within twenty minutes Florentyna had spoken to all three leaders.
The British agreed to her plan, the Germans were skeptical but would cooperate,
while the French were unhelpful.

The next piece
of information Florentyna received was that Russian MIG

25s at Kabul
military airport were being prepared for takeoff.

Immediately she
ordered General Dixon to place all forces on standby.

Brooks leaned
forward to protest, but by then all those present had placed their careers in
the hands of one woman. Many of them watched her closely and noted she showed
no emotion.

General Dixon
came back into the Situation Room. “Ma’am, the F I I Is
are
now ready for takeoff, the Sixth Fleet is steaming full speed toward the Indian
Ocean and a brigade of paratroopers can be dropped at Landi Kotap on to the
border of Pakistan within two hours.”

“Good,” said
Florentyna quietly. The Telex continued to rap out the message that the
Russians were still advancing on every front.

“Don’t you think
we should renew contact with the Soviet President before it’s too late?” asked
Brooks. Florentyna noticed that his hands were shaking.

“Why should we
contact Andropov? I have nothing to say to him. If we turn back now it will
always be too late,” said Florentyna quietly.

“But we must try
to negotiate a compromise, or by this time tomorrow the President will look
like a jackass,” said Brooks, standing over her.

“Why?” asked
Florentyna.

“Because
in the end you will have to give in.”

Florentyria made
no reply but swiveled back in her chair to face General Dixon, who was standing
by her side.

“In one hour,
ma’am, we will be in enemy airspace.”

“Understood,”
said Florentyna.

Ralph Brooks
picked up the ringing phone by his side. General Dixon returned to the
Operations Room.

“The President
is preparing to land at Andrews Air Force Base. He’ll be with us iu twenty
minutes,” Brooks told Florentyna. “Talk to the Russians and tell them to back
off until he returns.

“

“No,” said
Florentyna. “If the Russians don’t turn back now you can be certain they will
let the whole world know exactly where the President was at the moment they crossed
the Afghanistan border. In any case, I am still convinced they will turn back.”

“You’ve gone
mad, Florentyna,” he shouted, rising from his chair.

“I don’t think I
have ever been saner,” she retorted.

“Do you imagine
the American people will thank you for involving them in a war over Pakistan?”
asked Brooks.

“It’s not
Pakistan we’re discussing,” replied Florentyna. “India would be next, followed
by Turkey, Greece, Italy, Britain and finally Canada.

And you, Ralph,
would still be looking for excuses to avoid any confrontation even when the
Soviets were marching down Constitution Avenue.”

“If that’s your
attitude, I wash my hands of the whole affair,” said Brooks.

“And no doubt
you will receive the same footnote in history as the last person who carried
out that ignominious act.”

“Then I shall
tell the President you overruled me and countermanded my orders,” said Brooks,
his voice rising with every word.

Florentyna
looked up at the handsome man who was now red in the face “Ralph, if you’re
going to wet your pants, can you please do it in the little boys’ room and not
the Situation Room. “

Brooks stormed
out. General Dixon returned.

“Twenty-seven
minutes to go and still no sign of the Russians tuming back,” whispered the
chain-nan of the joint chiefs. A message came through on the Telex that the
fifty MIG 25s and SU 7s were taking off and would be in Pakistan airspace
within thirty-four minutes.

General Dixon
was by her side. “Twenty-three minutes, ma’am.”

“How are you
feeling, General?” Florentyna tried to sound relaxed.

“Better than the
day I marched into Berlin as a lieutenant, ma’am Florentyna asked a staff major
to check all three networks. She began to realize what Kennedy had been through
over Cuba. The major pressed some buttons in front of him. CBS was showing a
Popeye cartoon, NBC a basketball game, and ABC an old Ronald Reagan movie. She
checked through everything on the little TV screen once again, but there was no
change. Now she could only pray she would be given enough time to be proved
right. She sipped at a cup of coffee that had been left at her elbow. It tasted
cold and bitter.

She pushed it to
one side as President Parkin stormed into the room, followed by Brooks. The
President was wearing an open-necked
shirt,
a sports
jacket and check trousers.

“What the hell
is going on?” were his first words. Florentyna had stepped away from the
President’s chair and General Dixon came forward once again.

“Twent~ minutes
to go, ma’am.”

“Now, brief me
quickly, Florentyna,” demanded Parkin, taking his place in the President’s
chair. She sat down on the President’s fight and told him what she had done up
to the moment he walked in.

“You fool,” he
shouted when she had finished. “Why didn’t you listen to Ralph? He would never
have got us into this trouble.”

“I am aware of
exactly what the Secretary of State would have done presented with the same set
of circumstances,” said Florentyna coldly.

“General Dixon,”
said the President, turning his back on Florentyna.

“What is the
exact position of your forces?” The general briefed President Parkin. Maps
continually flashing up on the screen behind him showed the latest Russian
position.

“In sixteen
minutes’ time the F III bombers will be over enemy territory.”

“Get me the
President of Pakistan,” said Parkin, banging the table in front of him.

“He’s holding on
an open line,” said Florentyna quietly.

The President
grabbed the phone, hunched his shoulders over the table and started speaking in
a confidential tone.

“I’m sorry it’s.worked
out this way, but I have no choice but to reverse the Vice President’s
decision. She didn’t understand the full implication of her actions. Now, I
don’t want you to feel we’re deserting you. Be assured we will negotiate a
peaceful withdrawal from your territory at the first possible opportunity,”
said Parkin.

“For
God’s sake.
you
can’t desert us now,” said Bhutto.

“I must do what
is best for all of us,” replied Parkin.

“Like
you did in Afghanistan.”

Parkin ignored
the comment and slammed down the phone.

“General?”

“Yes, sir,” said
Dixon, stepping forward.

“How much time
have I got?”

The general
looked up at the small digital clock suspended from the ceiling in front of
him. “Eleven minutes and eighteen seconds,” he said.