Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

She had become one of the four people in the room who could talk back to McNab--even interrupt him--without triggering a scathing response, the others being her brother and Phineas DeWitt.

"We'll resume at oh-nine-hundred," McNab then announced. "Brief recapitulation: As is often the case, our major problem is ignorance. We don't know exactly what the evil Iranians and their Russian mentors are cooking up for us in the Congo--only that they're doing it.

"We won't even know precisely what to look for until Colonel . . ." He stopped and looked at Woods.

"Hamilton, sir. Colonel J. Porter Hamilton," Woods furnished.

". . . J. Porter Hamilton of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute at Fort Dietrich arrives . . ." He looked at Woods again.

"At oh-eight-fifteen. Delta flight 616 from Atlanta," Woods furnished.

". . . and having been met by . . ."

"Colonel Richardson, sir."

". . . comes here to share with us what the CG of Fort Dietrich says is Colonel Hamilton's encyclopedic knowledge of the subject.

"Meanwhile, rushing ahead blindly in our overwhelming ignorance, it is tentatively planned for our people to enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the ground via Rwanda, as Phineas tells us that's our only option except by HALO insertion, and that's not much of an option, because we wouldn't know where to drop them, which would leave us with between twelve and twenty-four of our people in the middle of we-know-not-where and without wheels.

"Our people being defined as 'as black as possible' Delta Force operators to be selected by Mr. Leverette, who will go to Bragg as quickly and as quietly as possible to do so.

"And, speaking of black people, inasmuch as Brother Britton feels that (a) those he insists on calling the Afro-American Lunatics may be in possession of useful information and (b) that he may able to obtain it from them, we have to get him--"

"And his lovely wife," Sandra interjected.

McNab looked irritated at the interruption but did not flare up.

"--and his lovely wife to Philadelphia as soon as possible, and quietly, which may be difficult, as he is what is known as a 'person of interest' to the Secret Service.

"Presuming all this can somehow be accomplished, our people will be transported to . . ." He looked to Castillo.

"Gregoire Kayibanda International in Rwanda, or Bujumbura International in Burundi," Castillo furnished.

"Depending on which looks like the better place to Phineas, who will reconnoiter both on the ground, having entered both countries surreptitiously from Uganda, presuming he can persuade the Ugandan embassy in Washington to give him a visa. A little cash may help in this regard.

"Phineas, equipped with large amounts of currency, will also purchase a fleet of vehicles that will be waiting for our people at either . . ."

"Bujumbura International or Gregoire Kayibanda," Castillo furnished again.

". . . when they arrive aboard our 727 . . ."

"Or are HALO'd in," Leverette said.

"Thank you, Uncle Remus. May I continue?"

"Sorry, sir."

"The vehicles will be waiting for our people when we somehow get them in, either in our 727--dressed in the color scheme of some ragtag African freight hauler, to be determined by Colonel Jake Torine--or, as Uncle Remus was so kind to point out, are HALO'd in.

"Once they have the vehicles, Phineas will bribe their way across the bridge at the southern end of Lake Kivu, from which they will proceed up Congo National Route Three.

"How far they proceed up Route Three depends on our finding out just where the laboratory is. It

is to be hoped that Brother Britton, after eluding his former associates in the Secret Service, will be able to get from the AALs at least a hint about the location of the lab.

"Once that little detail is out of the way and we can tell them where to go, they will infiltrate the plant area in search of whatever . . ." He looked at Colonel Woods.

"Colonel J. Porter Hamilton."