out what these Loyalists want first, before we can decide anything.â
Billings caught the Presidentâs attention. âSir, what about our long-standing and well-voiced policy of never negotiating with terrorists? Does that include the people who are now holding the Vice President of our nation against his will?â
President Edwards shook his head, his lips a firm angry line. âI just donât know, Sage. I donât know. First we have to determine that these men who have Vice President Adams are terrorists. Perhaps this no-negotiating problem will just go away.â
âVietnam,â General Lawford said. Everyone looked up. âReminds me of how the SEALs worked the war in Vietnam. They made the rivers their highways, charged up anddown them getting their jobs done neatly and swiftly. Iâd suggest we send in our special platoon of SEALs to be on station there in Sierra City, even before we decide what we need to do. Anything we come up with, they probably would be involved with anyway.â
Lawford looked around the table. âMr. Donaldson, could you get your favorite SEAL platoon over to Sierra City in twenty-four hours?â
âWe could.â He looked at the head of the table. âMr. President, Iâm liking what General Lawford just said more and more. Fact is, we can put the SEALs on the scene, and use them for recon if nothing else. They can get in and out of a rat trap and not even bother the cheese.â
The President looked around the table. He saw three of the men nod. Worthington bobbed his head. âLetâs do it, then see what else we can do when we need to do it,â he said.
âAre there any Naval units in that area?â the President asked.
âWe utilized some of our assets last week up near Spain, which are the closest ones to this problem,â Johnson said. âI remember the CNO saying he had no units south of there, so we would have to fly south off a carrier.â
âSpain is how far from West Africa?â General Lawford asked.
Donaldson frowned. âJust a minute.â He wrinkled his brow and rubbed his forehead. âEven with some flyovers, it would be over three thousand miles from the task force in place to that small country. We would do better to fly in some Rangers from Germany with a couple of stopovers.â
âPremature,â the President said. âFirst we find out what this guy wants, and then we talk with him.â
âWe try to figure out a new policy about negotiating with terrorists?â the CIA man, Donaldson, asked.
âWeâre not negotiating, and we donât know that heâs a terrorist,â the FBI director said. âFirst we wait and see what we have here.â
A knock sounded on a door, and an aide came in with some papers in his hand. He went to the President andwhispered something to him, then gave him the papers.
The President put them on the table, adjusted his reading glasses, and went over the words carefully. Partway through he looked up.
âWell, this is good news. A SATCOM message directly from Adams. The Vice President says not to worry about him. He goes on:
â âIâm being well treated and I am safe and in no danger. I already consider these men Iâm with as friends, not enemies, and certainly not terrorists. Iâm not sure why I am here, but Mojombo Washington, the leader of the Loyalist Party, told me that he would be making some demands on the United States soon.
â âI donât feel like a hostage, and certainly not like a person who has been kidnapped, although technically, I guess I was. Iâll be back in touch with you when I have more news. In the meantime, donât do anything sudden, rash, or bold. General Lawford, there is no reason for any massive military response, at least not right now. Mr. Washington has not told me what to say. Heâs listening to me and usually grinning. He says