“The NAC is due to meet in a couple of hours. That’s eight a.m. Brussels time. Admiral Howard tells me the general view is one of defeatism, but pragmatism: if the Russians have taken the Baltics, there’s nothing anyone can do but accept it. But if that happens, NATO is dead in the water. NATO exists to defend its fellow members and a failure to do so negates its very purpose. It becomes a talking shop and no longer a military alliance. And there’s no shortage of talking shops in Europe.”

The President gave a small smile at MacWhite’s well-aimed jibe.

He continued, “It’s easy to be wise after the event but if NATO had stationed permanent, well-equipped forces in the Baltic states, it’s highly unlikely that the Russians would have chanced it as they have.”

“Too right . . . but too late now,” responded Dillon. “What about the Brits and French?”

“The Brits are beginning to make the right noises, especially now their Special Forces are secretly working up a joint plan with us to infiltrate into the Baltics to support the insurgents. But we still need them to go public that they are with us militarily. As for the French, the military are as gung-ho as ever, but the politicians are still making contradictory noises. That, ma’am, is one I will have to leave to you.”

Bear could almost see Dillon’s mind working as she sat and digested the news. Twice in the previous century America had stepped in to help save her allies in Europe. Bear knew his history; throughout his childhood America had underwritten European peace and freedom and helped prevent the Cold War turning hot. Now, nearly thirty years after the end of the Cold War, Americans were again fighting and dying in Europe. Meanwhile, some Europeans, even though they were facing an existential threat to their survival as Western democracies, were not only trying to avoid picking up their share of the burden, but were actively preventing others from doing so.

“Hell,” she said, “we’ll just have to persuade them, won’t we?”

Bear could see from the glint in Dillon’s eyes and the jut of her jaw that she was a fighter . . . and a leader.

“It’s one hundred years since America first defended European freedom and I don’t intend to duck the issue on my watch. So let’s start working those phones. Starting with the Prime Minister. This time he’s going to get a pat on the back for looking after the Global Response Force. I was told before you arrived that they’d already landed in Britain.”

“How did you know, ma’am?” MacWhite asked in surprise.