Read Online What Changes Everything by Masha Hamilton - Free Book Online
Authors: Masha Hamilton
Ads: Link
breath. She needed some time. "No military rescue attempt for now." She touched her fingers to her lips as soon as she spoke, almost wishing she could pull back the words, and then lowered her hand to her lap. "Not until we think this through," she said, making her voice more decisive. "Or until we get a little more information about the best way to get Todd home."
Jack looked displeased but managed to shrug. "You‟re still digesting the information. I understand that. We‟ll revisit it later. One more thing. In general in these cases, the lower profile, the better." He looked at Ruby, and then glanced at Angie. "It‟s important to keep it out of the media, and we need your help, too. Don‟t blog about it or Facebook it, of course. Try not to tell anyone. We‟re keeping it as quiet as we can so if a journalist calls, decline comment and refer them to us. The less frenzy, the more time we have to negotiate, and to try to pinpoint his whereabouts exactly."
"What else can we do?" Ruby said.
"It may be hard, but try to keep your life as normal as possible. It will be better for you than spending the whole day worrying about what‟s happening."
"What else?" Ruby repeated.
"As soon as they reach out again, we‟ll try to push forward the negotiations," Jack said.
"Shouldn‟t Clarissa be a key part of negotiations?" Bill Snyder asked.
"She‟ll be intimately involved, of course. But we do have experienced people both in the states and on the ground."
"I appreciate that experience. On the other hand, Todd‟s family and colleagues will have his interests at heart in the most uncomplicated way," Bill Snyder said. "You guys," he jabbed his chin toward Jack, "have many issues to consider that don‟t have to do with Todd."
Jack and Bill both turned to Clarissa. Their disagreements clearly carried a subtext Clarissa couldn‟t follow. She was being asked on the spot to make decisions that could have a direct impact on the outcome of this kidnapping—specifically, on whether or not Todd lived. At the same time, she was being given no tools to help her decide, not even two contacts who agreed on how to proceed. It would be unnerving to speak directly to Todd‟s kidnappers, she imagined, and equally unnerving to have others speaking to them with her left out of the process. Beyond that, the broader implications escaped her. Still, both men waited.
"I need to at least confer with whoever would be negotiating on our behalf," she said. "Beyond that, I need a little more time to think about it." She sipped the water that Angie had brought for Ruby. "Can you be specific about what you will be doing next?" Clarissa looked at
Sandy, who struck her as more the planning type than Jack.
"The government is aware of what has happened, at the highest levels," Sandy said, emphasizing the word "highest."
"Executive, Defense, State, all three," Jack added. "Right now, we pursue two paths. We try to use intelligence on the ground to locate them."
"And we wait for them to make the next contact," Sandy said.
Contact. That word again. It sounded so sterile, more distant than a handshake. What Clarissa wanted was for someone to fly now to Afghanistan, do whatever was needed to find her husband, put a supportive arm around his shoulder and bring him home. She didn‟t want to think about opening a process of negotiations, or whether Todd would be safe in a rescue attempt.
They kept talking—about where they would route any call from the kidnappers, and who would have to be informed—but Clarissa lost her train of thought. Then Jack was reaching toward her, and she backed away before she realized he was handing her something.
"Sorry. I guess I‟m jumpy."
He hesitated a moment, then extended his hand
Jack looked displeased but managed to shrug. "You‟re still digesting the information. I understand that. We‟ll revisit it later. One more thing. In general in these cases, the lower profile, the better." He looked at Ruby, and then glanced at Angie. "It‟s important to keep it out of the media, and we need your help, too. Don‟t blog about it or Facebook it, of course. Try not to tell anyone. We‟re keeping it as quiet as we can so if a journalist calls, decline comment and refer them to us. The less frenzy, the more time we have to negotiate, and to try to pinpoint his whereabouts exactly."
"What else can we do?" Ruby said.
"It may be hard, but try to keep your life as normal as possible. It will be better for you than spending the whole day worrying about what‟s happening."
"What else?" Ruby repeated.
"As soon as they reach out again, we‟ll try to push forward the negotiations," Jack said.
"Shouldn‟t Clarissa be a key part of negotiations?" Bill Snyder asked.
"She‟ll be intimately involved, of course. But we do have experienced people both in the states and on the ground."
"I appreciate that experience. On the other hand, Todd‟s family and colleagues will have his interests at heart in the most uncomplicated way," Bill Snyder said. "You guys," he jabbed his chin toward Jack, "have many issues to consider that don‟t have to do with Todd."
Jack and Bill both turned to Clarissa. Their disagreements clearly carried a subtext Clarissa couldn‟t follow. She was being asked on the spot to make decisions that could have a direct impact on the outcome of this kidnapping—specifically, on whether or not Todd lived. At the same time, she was being given no tools to help her decide, not even two contacts who agreed on how to proceed. It would be unnerving to speak directly to Todd‟s kidnappers, she imagined, and equally unnerving to have others speaking to them with her left out of the process. Beyond that, the broader implications escaped her. Still, both men waited.
"I need to at least confer with whoever would be negotiating on our behalf," she said. "Beyond that, I need a little more time to think about it." She sipped the water that Angie had brought for Ruby. "Can you be specific about what you will be doing next?" Clarissa looked at
Sandy, who struck her as more the planning type than Jack.
"The government is aware of what has happened, at the highest levels," Sandy said, emphasizing the word "highest."
"Executive, Defense, State, all three," Jack added. "Right now, we pursue two paths. We try to use intelligence on the ground to locate them."
"And we wait for them to make the next contact," Sandy said.
Contact. That word again. It sounded so sterile, more distant than a handshake. What Clarissa wanted was for someone to fly now to Afghanistan, do whatever was needed to find her husband, put a supportive arm around his shoulder and bring him home. She didn‟t want to think about opening a process of negotiations, or whether Todd would be safe in a rescue attempt.
They kept talking—about where they would route any call from the kidnappers, and who would have to be informed—but Clarissa lost her train of thought. Then Jack was reaching toward her, and she backed away before she realized he was handing her something.
"Sorry. I guess I‟m jumpy."
He hesitated a moment, then extended his hand
Similar Books
