“It’s a clever move talking to the nations, David.” Vahr was supportive but wary. “However, it’ll backfire if it is seen as an initiative by SACEUR. And it’ll be even worse if it is seen as your initiative. I’ve no doubt the US will be working on the Germans overnight, so I’m confident we’ll eventually get agreement. But the NAC is very sticky about the military getting ahead of the game. Any change of readiness must look as if it has come from the nations themselves. We have to play the long game on this.”

McKinlay opened his mouth to speak, but Vahr held up his hand to stop him. “Before you say anything, I know, David. It may well be far too late by then. But wasn’t it ever so?”

Now back in SHAPE and reflecting on events in Brussels, McKinlay walked up the stairs that took him direct to his office door, entered, and was greeted by Group Captain Jamie Swinton, his Principal Staff Officer. The rest of his front office team of three Military Assistants (German, French and British), his Flag Lieutenant and his PA all stood.

“Sit down, guys,” said McKinlay. “I keep telling you there’s no need to stand when I come into the office.”

“Evening, Sir,” said Swinton, ignoring him and still standing. “The only thing to add to the news of the cyber-attack on Latvia is that the NATO Communications and Information Agency and the Cyber Center of Excellence in Tallinn are all over it at the moment. The boffins are working the wiggly amps to help the Latvians get their systems back up and running. And, by pure chance, I’ve just managed to get a call through to General Balderis’s MA in Riga on my mobile. He’s a chum of mine and I happen to know he has an American mobile and number from his time at Staff College in the States. I tried him on that on the off-chance and got him. You probably want to speak to him before SACEUR?”

“That’s good—well done, Jamie. Put me through.” He went through to his office and sat down.

Swinton followed, handed him his iPhone and pulled up a chair so that he could listen in.

“Raimonds, how’re things? You’re having a tough time.”

Balderis’s voice was clear, albeit he sounded a long way away. He was calm and measured.

“David, my friend. Things are very dangerous here. All our command and control systems are down, but we’re working to get things under control. I feel that we are living through that exercise you ran in Riga last year, Steadfast Pyramid, when we war-gamed an attack on Estonia and its reinforcement by NATO under Article Five. But this time it’s for real. And it’s us and not Estonia. Yet.”