Then ramp those missiles up to combat readiness, and make sure the Russians know about it. They need to get their boys in line. If we show em our guns, maybe theyll see we mean business over here.

The voice on the other end hesitated. Yes sir.

Anything else?

Not at this moment, sir.

Ryan turned off the phone. It was very quiet in the room. He looked at Ed Graves.

Thoughts?

Eds hands rested on his knees. They were gnarled and liver-spotted hands, like old tree trunks. Eds face was craggy and lined. His nose was bulbous, and crisscrossed with broken blood vessels. But his eyes were like twin laser beams.

Its silly, he said, to send two planes across the border. Why are we testing them? We know what they can do, and we know what we can do. They attacked us first, right? They killed our President.

Here, Ed made an outrageous wink. Bill was almost embarrassed for him.

If thats true, then we need to hit them and hit them hard. We need to retaliate. We have the Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf. Lets take out the Iranian guns in the Strait of Hormuz. We dont want to give them a chance to lay mines there. Just take them out. Poof. Then, send bombers all the way to Tehran. Give them a full complement of fighter escorts so they get there. I would start all of this today.

Bill nodded. Theyll have to fight their way to Tehran.

Ed shrugged. Our boys are the best. And isnt that what we pay them to do? Fight? A week or two of heavy bombing in the city center and I think our whole Iranian problem will go away.

What about the Russians?

Ed Graves seemed to think about that for a moment. Finally, he shrugged. Fuck the Russians.

A knock came at the heavy oak door.

Come in.

The door opened. A young aide came in. His name was Ben, and he had been on Ryans staff for a couple of years. He was an energetic kid in general, but today he seemed positively electric with excitement. The whole team was moving up in the world.

What can I do for you, Ben?

Sir, we just got an identification on the woman found in the SUV that blew up and went into the Tidal Basin last night. You asked me to report to you when I heard anything about that.

Yes, I did. What have you got?

Dental records indicate it was a woman named Liza Redeemer.

Those were not words Bill Ryan wanted to hear. Redeemer?

Yes sir. She was a 33-year-old vagrant. Long history of mental illness, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, the works. She had her name legally changed from Elizabeth Reid when she turned 18. Theres no indication here what she was doing in that car.

Ryan nodded. Okay. Thank you.

When the aide went out, Ryan looked at Ed Graves again.