Chapter Eight
Making Their Point
"You should be advised, Mr. President," the Captain
continued, "we have a visitor down here."
Back in The White House the President said "Oh. Do describe
your visitor, Captain."
The Captain did so, and the President looked to Nathaniel Green
who nodded. "Inform your visitor, Captain," the
President continued, "that we are conceding to his demands.
Operation Northern Light has been canceled and no such operations
will ever be considered again."
There were several seconds of awkward silence, followed by a
startled cry. "Captain!" the President asked,
"Captain! Is everything all right?"
"Yes, Mr. President," Captain Hope answered. "Our
visitor just got up, turned around, and walked through the
bulkhead! Quite a startling thing to see, sir. Mr. President, the
main lights just came back on. The ventilation just went on full
power. Number two, check the weapons panel."
Commander Day shouted back. "All systems returned to normal,
sir! All weapons show ready and standby"
The Captain let out a deep sigh. "We're all right, Mr.
President," he continued. "Everything is returning to
normal. Shall we continue our patrol or return to base?"
The President turned to an Admiral nearby. "We think they
should return to base, sir," the Admiral answered to the
President's unspoken question. "We want to check those ships
over from bow to stern."
The President relayed the instructions and Captain Hope
acknowledged.
"Well done, Captain!" the President praised.
"Thank you, sir!" Captain Hope acknowledged. "But
we didn't really do much, sir."
"Captain!" Commander Day cried, "There's a new
message on the computer screen."
"Read it off," the Captain cried.
"'Mr. President, thank you for being reasonable. Would you
kindly instruct Mr. Green to take up pursuit of Mr. Peterson
before him and his associates cause us further problems?'"
"Did you hear that, Mr. President?" Captain Hope asked.
"Yes, Captain," The President acknowledged. "Yes!
Agent Green is already going out the door. Again, my hearty well
done to you and your crew. Washington, over and out!"
"Abraham Lincoln over and out, sir," Captain Hope
acknowledged. The President put down the telephone and turned to
those present. "The military personnel may depart," he
ordered. "The Bureau chief and the Agency chief are to stand
by 'til we find out what is happening."
Men began to scatter. A few minutes later Nathaniel Green rushed
back into the room. "Mr. President," he snapped,
"two men saying they were from the Bureau came and got Agent
Peterson from the detention center saying he was to be
transported to the bureau's office for interrogation. No such
pick up was ordered, sir. I fear we have several rogue agents who
have decided to act on their own initiative."
The President shook his head. "They must be stopped,"
he ordered, "whatever it takes, notify all departments.
LETHAL force is authorized. Please, gentlemen, please. Try to
keep this quiet. This government has got enough troubles as it
is. Everything that happened here must be kept totally
secret. No one must ever know."
"Yes sir," everyone snapped.
"You may leave, gentlemen," The President ordered. As
everyone departed the President called out, "One moment,
Green."
Agent Green stopped, as the others disappeared. "Mr.
Green," the President continued speaking softly, "isn't
there some way we could bring him into the government, give him
some kind of work, establish a beneficent dialogue?"
Agent Green shook his head. "We would have to straighten up
our act, Mr. President, considerably, before he'd even consider
that. Though he'll be aware of your interest and when this
business is concluded he may make some efforts to soothe our
feelings, do us a few favors to make up for having to be so
forceful."
The President laughed. "They DO make Their point, Mr. Green,
don't they?" he concluded, patting the agent on the
shoulder. "They most certainly do have a way of making Their
point."
"That they do, Mr. President!" Agent Green agreed,
"that they most certainly do."