cc.floodtide-第13节

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…armies　of　highly　trained　and　skilled　terrorists　or　just　plain　crazies；　they　all　dream　of　destroying　the　White　House　and　its　live…in　residents。　Many　have　tried。　We　all　remember　the　car　that　crashed　through　the　gate；　the　lunatic　who　fired　an　automatic　weapon　through　the　fence　on　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　and　the　suicidal　maniac　who　flew　his　plane　onto　the　South　Lawn。　Any　athlete　with　a　good　throwing　arm　could　heave　a　rock　from　the　street　against　the　Oval　Office　windows。　The　sad　fact　is　the　White　House　is　a　tough　target　to　miss…〃
　〃That　goes　without　saying；〃　added　Sandecker。　〃The　number　of　attempts　that　were　nipped　in　the　bud　by　our　intelligence　services　remains　a　deep　secret。〃
　〃Admiral　Sandecker　is　correct。　The　professionals　who　planned　to　assault　the　Executive　Mansion　were　apprehended　before　their　operation　could　get　off　the　ground。〃　Laird　finished　off　his　vodka　and　set　the　glass　in　a　small　sink　before　exiting　the　bus。　〃It　is　too　dangerous　for　the　First　Family　to　eat　and　sleep　in　the　White　House。　Except　for　public　tours；　occasional　press　conferences；　social　functions　for　visiting　dignitaries　and　photo　opportunities　of　the　President　meeting　in　the　Rose　Garden　with　the　public；　the　First　Family　is　seldom　at　home。〃
　Gunn　found　it　difficult　to　accept　the　revelation。　〃You're　saying　the　executive　branch　of　the　government　conducts　business　someplace　other　than　the　White　House？〃
　〃Ninety…five　feet　above　us；　to　be　precise。〃
　〃How　long　has　this　facade　been　going　on？〃　asked　Sandecker。
　〃Since　the　Clinton　administration；〃　answered　Laird。
　Gunn　stared　thoughtfully　at　the　steel　door。　〃When　you　consider　the　current　situation　at　home　and　abroad；　I　guess　now　you　see　him；　now　you　don't；　does　seem　a　practical　solution。〃
　〃It　seems　a　shame；〃　said　Sandecker　solemnly；　〃to　learn　that　what　was　once　the　revered　home　of　our　presidents　has　now　been　reduced　to　little　more　than　a　reception　facility。〃
　Sandecker　and　Gunn　followed　Laird　out　of　the　elevator　across　a　circular　reception　room　guarded　by　a　Secret　Service　agent　and　into　a　library　whose　four　walls　were　packed　from　floor　to　ceiling　with　over　a　thousand　books。　As　the　door　was　closed　behind　him；　Sandecker　saw　the　President　standing　in　the　center　of　the　room；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　admiral　but　showing　no　trace　of　recognition。　There　were　three　other　men　in　the　room。　One　Sandecker　knew；　the　other　two　were　unfamiliar。　The　President　held　a　coffee　cup　in　his　left　hand　as　Laird　made　the　introductions。
　
　〃Mr。　President；　Admiral　James　Sandecker　and　mander　Rudi　Gunn。〃
　
　The　President　gave　the　impression　of　being　older　than　he　was。　He　looked　sixty…five　but　was　still　in　his　late　fifties。　The　premature　gray　hair；　red　veins　streaming　through　his　facial　skin；　the　beady　eyes　that　always　seemed　reddened；　inspired　political　cartoonists　often　to　caricature　him　as　a　wino；　when　in　fact　he　rarely　drank　anything　more　than　an　occasional　glass　of　beer。　He　was　an　intense　man　with　a　round　face　and　low　forehead　and　thin　eyebrows。　He　was　the　consummate　politician。　Within　days　of　replacing　his　ailing　boss；　no　decision　regarding　his　lifestyle　or　the　state　of　the　union　was　made　without　considering　the　potential　for　gathering　votes　for　his　run　for　office　in　the　next　election。
　
　Dean　Cooper　Wallace　would　not　bee　one　of　Sandecker's　favorite　presidents。　It　was　no　secret　that　Wallace　detested　Washington　and　refused　to　play　the　required　social　games。　He　and　the　Congress　pulled　in　harness　together　like　a　lion　and　a　bear；　both　wanting　to　eat　the　other。　He　was　not　an　intellectual；　but　was　adept　at　cutting　deals　and　acting　on　intuition。　Since　replacing　the　man　who　had　been　duly　elected；　he　had　quickly　surrounded　himself　with　aides　and　advisers　who　shared　his　distrust　of　the　entrenched　bureaucracy　and　were　always　looking　for　innovative　ways　to　circumvent　tradition。
　
　The　President　extended　his　free　hand　while　still　holding　the　coffee　cup。　〃Admiral　Sandecker；　a　pleasure　to　finally　meet　you。〃
　
　Sandecker　involuntarily　blinked。　The　President's　grip　was　anything　but　hardy；　not　what　he　expected　from　a　politician　who　pressed　flesh　year　in　and　year　out。　〃Mr。　President。　I　hope　this　will　be　only　the　first　of　many　times　we　meet　face…to…face。〃
　〃I　expect　so；　since　the　prognosis　for　my　predecessor　is　not　good　for　a　full　recovery。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　it。　He　is　a　good　man。〃　Wallace　did　not　reply。　He　merely　nodded　at　Gunn；　acknowledging　his　presence；　as　Laird　continued　playing　host。　The　chief　of　staff　took　the　admiral　by　the　arm　and　led　him　over　to　the　three　men　standing　in　front　of　a　gas　fire　that　burned　in　a　stone　fireplace。
　〃Duncan　Monroe；　missioner　of　the　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service；　and　his　executive　associate　missioner　for　field　operations；　Peter　Harper。〃　Monroe　had　a　tough；　no…nonsense　look　about　him。　Harper　seemed　as　if　he　melted　into　the　bookcase　behind　him。　Laird　turned　to　the　third　man。　〃Admiral　Dale　Ferguson；　mandant　of　the　Coast　Guard。〃　〃Dale　and　I　are　old　friends；〃　said　Sandecker。　A　large　ruddy　man　with　a　ready　smile；　Ferguson　gripped　Sandecker　by　the　shoulder。　〃Good　to　see　you；　Jim。〃
　〃How　are　Sally　and　the　kids？　I　haven't　seen　them　since　we　took　that　cruise　together　around　Indonesia。〃
　〃Sally　is　still　saving　the　forests；　and　the　boys　are　wiping　out　my　pension　with　their　college　expenses。〃　Impatient　with　the　small　talk；　the　President　gathered　them　all　around　a　conference　table　and　kicked　off　the　meeting。　〃I　apologize　for　asking　you　to　leave　your　beds　on　a　rainy　night；　but　Duncan　has　brought　to　my　attention　a　crisis　that　is　exploding　on　our　doorstep　that　involves　illegal　immigration。　I'm　counting　on　you　gentlemen　to　e　up　with　a　viable　program　to　cut　the　flow　of　aliens；　particularly　the　Chinese　who　are　being　smuggled　across　our　shorelines　in　vast　numbers。〃
　
　Sandecker　raised　his　eyebrows；　puzzled。　〃I　can　certainly　see；　Mr。　President；　where　INS　and　the　Coast　Guard　fit　into　the　picture；　but　what　does　unlawful　immigration　have　to　do　with　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency？　Our　work　is　based　on　underwater　research。　Chasing　down　Chinese　smugglers　is　out　of　our　territory。〃
　
　〃We're　in　dire　need　of　any　source　that　can　help　us；〃　said　Duncan　Monroe。　〃With　congressional　budget　cuts；　INS　is　overstretched　far　beyond　our　capacity。　Congress　appropriated　a　sixty…percent　increase　in　INS　border…patrol　agents；　but　provided　no　funds　for　expanding　our　investigations　division。　Our　entire　department　has　only　eighteen　hundred　special　agents　to　cover　the　entire　United　States　and　foreign　investigations。　The　FBI　has　eleven　hundred　agents　in　New　York　City　alone。　Here　in　Washington　twelve　hundred　Capitol　police　patrol　an　area　that　is　measured　in　city　blocks。　Simply　put；　there　are　nowhere　near　enough　INS　criminal　investigative　assets　to　put　a　dent　in　the　flow　of　illegal　immigrants。〃
　
　〃Sounds　like　you're　operating　with　an　army　of　patrolmen　on　the　beat　but　few　detectives　to　back　them　up；〃　said　Sandecker。
　
　〃We　fight　a　losing　battle　as　it　is　with　illegals　pouring　across　our　border　with　Mexico；　many　who　e　from　as　far　away　as　Chile　and　Argentina；〃　Monroe　continued。　〃We　might　as　well　hold　back　ocean　surf　with　kitchen　sieves。　People…smuggling　has　grown　into　a　multibillion…dollar　industry　that　rivals　arms　and　drug　smuggling。　Moving　human　cargo　in　an　underworld　apathetic　to　borders　and　political　ideologies；　people…smuggling　will　be　the　major　crime　of　the　twenty…first　century。〃
　
　Harper　inclined　his　head。　〃To　make　matters　worse；　large…scale　alien　smuggling　from　the　People's　Republic　of　China　is　reaching　epidemic　proportions。　Smugglers；　with　the　blessing　and　support　of　their　government；　who　are　looking　to　decrease　their　tremendous　population　any　way　they　can；　have　launched　a　program　to　export　tens　of　millions　of　their　people　to　every　corner　of　the　globe；　especially　to　Japan；　the　U。S。　and　Canada；　Europe　and　South　America。　Strange　as　it　sounds；　they're　even　infiltrating　the　whole　of　Africa　from　Capetown　to　Algiers。〃
　
　Harper　continued　for　his　boss。　〃The　smuggling　syndicates　have　organized　a　plex　labyrinth　of　transportation　routes。　Air；　sea；　and　land　are　all　used　to　smuggle　human　cargo。　Over　forty　advanced　staging　and　dispersion　areas　have　been　set　up　throughout　Eastern　Europe；　Central　America　and　Africa。〃
　
　〃The　Russians　are　especially　hard　hit；〃　added　Monroe。　〃They　see　massive；　uncontrolled　migration　of　Chinese　nationals　into　Mongolia　and　Siberia　as　a　threat　to　their　security。　The　intelligence　directorate　of　the　Russian　Defense　Ministry　has　warned　their　leaders　that　Russia　is　on　the　verge　of　losing　its　Far　Eastern　territories　because　the　flow　of　Chinese　is　already　accounting　for　a　greater　part　of　the　population　in　the　region。〃
　〃Mongolia　is　already　a　lost　cause；〃　said　the　President。　〃Russia　has　allowed　her　power　base　to　slip　through　her　fingers。　Siberia　is　next。〃
　
　As　if　reading　lines　from　a　play；　Harper　chimed　in　again。　〃Before　Russia　forfeits　her　ports　in　the　Pacific；　with　rich　deposits　of　gold；　oil　and　gas；　all　vital　for　her　entry　into　the　exploding　Asia…Pacific　economy；　her　president　and　his　parliament　may　out　of　desperation　declare　war　on　China。　That　would　make　for　an　impossible　situation　for　the　United　States　to　choose　sides。〃
　
　〃There　is　also　another　cataclysm　in　the　making；〃