Code Word: Paternity, A Presidential Thriller by Doug Norton Read Free Book Online Page B

also mean returning thousands of bodies to Nevada. And if we put the certain fatalities
in hospitals, we won’t have enough beds for people with a chance to survive. On
the other hand, if we continue to set up field care units nearby, family
members can be with them, and the handling of remains is not such a problem. It
won’t be pretty, but I think it’s the kindest and most practical way to go;
plus it saves hospitals for those who benefit most from them.”
    Rick glanced at his chief of staff. Bart
Guarini’s green eyes flashed out of deep, heavy-browed sockets, screened by
partially lowered eyelids. The effect was a bit like a pair of snipers firing
from formidable concealment: attract their ire and you die. Bart understood as
if it were his own thought: Rick wants some pushback.
    “Doctor, what do we say when survivors
with radiation sickness and their families complain they’re being warehoused to
die, and warehoused in terrible conditions at that? The average high this time
of year must be around a hundred degrees,” said Guarini.
    “We tell the truth: that they’re going to
die in any case and we need hospital beds for those who can live if they reach
one. “
      “That’s a hell of a bedside manner you’ve got,
doctor!”
    “What would you tell them, Mr. Guarini?”
    The chief of staff reddened as he formed
a retort, but Eric Easterly was quicker.
    “Doctor,” said the secretary of defense,
“Once we reach the period when most of the radiation deaths occur, how many can
we expect a day?”
    “I don’t know how many received fatal
doses . . . considering that about five hundred thousand were probably exposed
. . . easily five to ten thousand deaths a day, beginning about a week after
the explosion.”
    “Bart, I don’t know about our national
hospital capacity, but I do know
about airlift,” said Easterly. “Even with full mobilization of the civil
reserve air fleet, I think moving that many bodies in addition to those with a
chance to pull through, plus uninjured but homeless survivors, would overwhelm
our capacity. And you’re right about the temperature, which makes it even more
critical to quickly evacuate those who can survive.
    “We’re in a war, and we have to adopt
wartime measures. We bury people where they die, like in World War II, and
later return the remains to relatives for burial.”
    No , thought Rick, unconsciously shaking his
head, we’re not going there! I am not calling this war. Once that horse is out
of the barn, diplomacy is dead.
    “Eric, I take your point, but not the way
you’ve expressed it. I want everyone clear on this: we are not at war. We’ve been the victims of a terrorist attack. Until we
know who’s behind it, we have no country to go to war with .”
    The president’s gaze swept the table like
a death ray as he said, “We have terrorists to identify and apprehend, not a
war to fight!”
    Bruce Griffith kept his expression
attentively neutral, but his mind shouted: Victims!
I hate that word! It implies powerlessness, helplessness. We’ve been attacked;
we’re going to find who did it and strip them of the power to attack us again.
That’s how I would put it, how most Americans want to hear it. And,
“Apprehend.”   Apprehend? We should kill
the bastards who did this!

 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter 8
    Martin shifted his gaze to Dorn, who
said, “OK, let’s turn to what Homeland Security is doing. Then we’ll hear from
Justice and National Intelligence.”
    Opening a
folder, Zimmer began.
    “We’ve made some assumptions; we’ll
adjust them as facts come in. First is that terrorists don’t have man-portable
weapons, suitcase nukes. So, we’re concentrating on vehicles, rail, aircraft,
and ships as possible means of delivery. The coast guard, with help from the
other services, has the lead in searching all ships in our ports.
    “We’re assuming the next target is
another large metro area. So, the FAA is diverting all flights to large