McDonald calls her team leader. “Jim, I really want to find out if our Melanie might be an Iranian agent. Things are falling into place. Our possible leak may have opened up the flood gates.”
“I still have Jane working on it,” Stewart says, “but I can give her another person or two to dig a little quicker.”
“Jim, this is vital. I cannot express how crucial I feel this connection is. I may be wrong, but my intuition tells me I’m not.”
“I’ll take care of it and confirm what you’re looking for, one way or the other, as soon as I can, Allison.”
“Jim, thanks.” Then she adds, “Please be very sure of your facts before you call me.”
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Chapter Seventy-Seven Same Week
At nearly nine o’clock at night, the vice president receives a call from the administration’s chief of staff.
“Pat, we have a problem,” Maria Sterling says tersely. “Are you free to talk?”
“Yes, my wife and the kids are upstairs. What kind of problem, Maria?”
“The kind of problem that we could lose our jobs over, maybe even go to jail.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Hell, no,” she responds angrily. “Why do you think I’m calling you right now.”
“What happened?”
“Scott Brubaker just called me at home. He says he had dinner with a congressional investigator – who wanted to verify that we are going to war.”
“Jesus H. Christ!”
“Pat, we have a problem,” Maria Sterling says tersely. “Are you free to talk?”
“Yes, my wife and the kids are upstairs. What kind of problem, Maria?”
“The kind of problem that we could lose our jobs over, maybe even go to jail.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Hell, no,” she responds angrily. “Why do you think I’m calling you right now.”
“What happened?”
“Scott Brubaker just called me at home. He says he had dinner with a congressional investigator – who wanted to verify that we are going to war.”
“Jesus H. Christ!”
Monday, December 14, 2009
What it takes to sell books
Getting your title, book bio and your name in front of as many people as possible is the key to marketing your books.
Having them online is nice but people need to know who you are. I have found success in doing book signings, Rotary and Kiwanis presentations, three live radio interviews, a cable TV program that ran for a month, on display in the International Book Fair in Miami the month of November. Two more shows already booked for 2010.
All of this, plus getting a great professional review and excellent reader reviews.
Now, I start to expand my marketing outside of New Hampshire to continue its success.
Happy Holidays to everyone! I am currently writing different kinds of books; which are already in the works.
Joe
Having them online is nice but people need to know who you are. I have found success in doing book signings, Rotary and Kiwanis presentations, three live radio interviews, a cable TV program that ran for a month, on display in the International Book Fair in Miami the month of November. Two more shows already booked for 2010.
All of this, plus getting a great professional review and excellent reader reviews.
Now, I start to expand my marketing outside of New Hampshire to continue its success.
Happy Holidays to everyone! I am currently writing different kinds of books; which are already in the works.
Joe
Chapter Seventy-Six Jibril Atwan's Death
“Prime Minister, the president of the United States is calling on a secure line. You can take it on line three,” says his secretary.
“Thank you.”
Smiling, Yaakov says, “Mr. President, to what do I owe this occasion – and why the secure line, may I ask?”
“Yaakov, I wish I could say it’s nothing, that I was just calling to pass along some good news. However, it’s not good, or at least we have reason to believe it’s not good.”
“What’s not so good?” Yaakov begins to frown.
“Within the last twenty-four hours, five of the six Iranian Kilos of have departed Bandar Abbas. We have never seen more than two ever leave at any one time. Based on what you and I’ve been observing, we are concerned they are putting battle plans into action.”
“Why five and not all six?”
“Our intelligence tells us that the sixth has a prop bearing problem. They have to wait for spare parts from Russia.” President Egan hesitates to say anything about Whispering.
“You found out about the repair problem in twenty-four hours? That’s damn good intelligence. What else are you hearing you might want to share?”
Yaakov Brumwell misses nothing. “We are getting word that they are going to replace twelve currently built Shahab missiles with different warheads.”
“Shit, I knew it,” Yaakov says. “They’ve developed enough enriched uranium to make twelve nuclear warheads. Now the real game begins. This fits with information we have learned recently. Do you know of a Jibril Atwan?”
“I believe I’ve seen his name in reports, but no, not really.”
“Atwan is – was – an advisor to their supreme leader. It seems that he has been spending time in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. This is highly unusual – to the best of our knowledge, he has never left Iran before.
“Why is he so special all of a sudden?”
“Thank you.”
Smiling, Yaakov says, “Mr. President, to what do I owe this occasion – and why the secure line, may I ask?”
“Yaakov, I wish I could say it’s nothing, that I was just calling to pass along some good news. However, it’s not good, or at least we have reason to believe it’s not good.”
“What’s not so good?” Yaakov begins to frown.
“Within the last twenty-four hours, five of the six Iranian Kilos of have departed Bandar Abbas. We have never seen more than two ever leave at any one time. Based on what you and I’ve been observing, we are concerned they are putting battle plans into action.”
“Why five and not all six?”
“Our intelligence tells us that the sixth has a prop bearing problem. They have to wait for spare parts from Russia.” President Egan hesitates to say anything about Whispering.
“You found out about the repair problem in twenty-four hours? That’s damn good intelligence. What else are you hearing you might want to share?”
Yaakov Brumwell misses nothing. “We are getting word that they are going to replace twelve currently built Shahab missiles with different warheads.”
“Shit, I knew it,” Yaakov says. “They’ve developed enough enriched uranium to make twelve nuclear warheads. Now the real game begins. This fits with information we have learned recently. Do you know of a Jibril Atwan?”
“I believe I’ve seen his name in reports, but no, not really.”
“Atwan is – was – an advisor to their supreme leader. It seems that he has been spending time in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. This is highly unusual – to the best of our knowledge, he has never left Iran before.
“Why is he so special all of a sudden?”
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Chapter Seventy-Five Thursday That Same Week
Usually the last to arrive, President Egan is currently the only one sitting in the Situation Room, going over his thoughts once more before his military leaders arrive. This is no time to be indecisive, yet he must also be absolutely certain that he isn’t jumping the gun and unintentionally starting a world war.
He picks up the secure phone in front of him and dials NSA Director John Walker on a speed dial already set up for him. “John, President Egan. I’m glad you’re up at this hour. What’s the latest you’re getting on our Whispering reports?”
“With the Kilos departed, I haven’t been to bed yet, suh. There’s nothin’ unusual in this mornin’s reports, just what we’d expect – except we did intercept ordahs to have the main propellah bearin’ replaced in that one Kilo remainin’ behind, so now we know why it’s still there. A reply message said that the parts’ll have to be ordahed from the Russians. Seems they have no inventory on that item.”
“Are you getting any messages indicating military movement, John?”
“No, suh, we are not. However, their missile people are tellin’ the military that it’ll take four weeks for them to redo the warheads in the last dozen they manufactured.”
“Redo the warheads? What do you make of that, John? Those are land based missiles, correct?”
“To answer your first question, suh, we’re not sure what they mean by ‘redoin’ the warheads.’ However, our gut feelin’s that they’re plannin’ some type of military confrontation usin’ both land-based missiles, as well as their five operating Kilos.” John just let the rest of the statement hang in mid-air.
“Do you have a launch date, or anything we can hang our hats on, to make a strategic decision, John?”
“No, suh, I do not. Right now that’s the best I can give you, Mr. Pres’dent.”
He picks up the secure phone in front of him and dials NSA Director John Walker on a speed dial already set up for him. “John, President Egan. I’m glad you’re up at this hour. What’s the latest you’re getting on our Whispering reports?”
“With the Kilos departed, I haven’t been to bed yet, suh. There’s nothin’ unusual in this mornin’s reports, just what we’d expect – except we did intercept ordahs to have the main propellah bearin’ replaced in that one Kilo remainin’ behind, so now we know why it’s still there. A reply message said that the parts’ll have to be ordahed from the Russians. Seems they have no inventory on that item.”
“Are you getting any messages indicating military movement, John?”
“No, suh, we are not. However, their missile people are tellin’ the military that it’ll take four weeks for them to redo the warheads in the last dozen they manufactured.”
“Redo the warheads? What do you make of that, John? Those are land based missiles, correct?”
“To answer your first question, suh, we’re not sure what they mean by ‘redoin’ the warheads.’ However, our gut feelin’s that they’re plannin’ some type of military confrontation usin’ both land-based missiles, as well as their five operating Kilos.” John just let the rest of the statement hang in mid-air.
“Do you have a launch date, or anything we can hang our hats on, to make a strategic decision, John?”
“No, suh, I do not. Right now that’s the best I can give you, Mr. Pres’dent.”
Monday, December 7, 2009
Chapter Seventy-Four That Same Day
President Egan takes the call from John Walker.
“Mr. Pres’dent, I need to inform you,” John says, his tone stiff and formal, “that we have satellite ev’dence that five Kilos have gone missin’ from their berths in Bandar Abbas, since just before dawn this mornin’, suh.”
“Shit, this is just what I was afraid was going to happen,” the president replies, throwing formality to the winds. “Why do you think the sixth one’s still there?”
“We don’t really know yet, suh.”
“Thank you for calling, John. I’ll take it from here.”
“Admiral Smith, the president is on the line,” says the admiral’s staff secretary.
“Bob, we just got word that five of the six Kilos in Iran have left their berths. I want you to work up how quickly they could make it to our shores.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Mr. Pres’dent, I need to inform you,” John says, his tone stiff and formal, “that we have satellite ev’dence that five Kilos have gone missin’ from their berths in Bandar Abbas, since just before dawn this mornin’, suh.”
“Shit, this is just what I was afraid was going to happen,” the president replies, throwing formality to the winds. “Why do you think the sixth one’s still there?”
“We don’t really know yet, suh.”
“Thank you for calling, John. I’ll take it from here.”
“Admiral Smith, the president is on the line,” says the admiral’s staff secretary.
“Bob, we just got word that five of the six Kilos in Iran have left their berths. I want you to work up how quickly they could make it to our shores.”
“Yes, sir!”
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Chapter Seventy-Three Tuesday After Labor Day
“Aziz,” says Ahmajid, “your missiles are finally complete. They will be loaded aboard your vessels in the next two days. Do you see any problems with your crews departing on the third day?”
“Number 106 has developed a bearing problem in her prop, which will need to be repaired before she can get underway. Otherwise it could seize up, and the noise alone will let everyone know where she is. The other five are being loaded with supplies as we speak. How long do you expect them to be out to sea on this operation? I need to know how much to load them with, in terms of supplies.”
Mahmoud replies, “Provision them with supplies for ninety days. That should carry them through comfortably.”
“You know, Mr. President, our submarines have never been out that long before,” Aziz points out. “That long a time can create a major strain on the crews.”
“They are Iranians and submariners both. I am confident that they will be able to handle their assignments,” says Ahmajid. “They will depart as soon as they are properly loaded.”
This guy, thinks Aziz, may be the Supreme Leader, but he doesn’t understand shit about what I’m talking about. I know the stresses these men will go through.
“You have told me that they will be attacking the United States. Who, may I ask, is assigning the targets?” As if I didn’t already know.
“Number 106 has developed a bearing problem in her prop, which will need to be repaired before she can get underway. Otherwise it could seize up, and the noise alone will let everyone know where she is. The other five are being loaded with supplies as we speak. How long do you expect them to be out to sea on this operation? I need to know how much to load them with, in terms of supplies.”
Mahmoud replies, “Provision them with supplies for ninety days. That should carry them through comfortably.”
“You know, Mr. President, our submarines have never been out that long before,” Aziz points out. “That long a time can create a major strain on the crews.”
“They are Iranians and submariners both. I am confident that they will be able to handle their assignments,” says Ahmajid. “They will depart as soon as they are properly loaded.”
This guy, thinks Aziz, may be the Supreme Leader, but he doesn’t understand shit about what I’m talking about. I know the stresses these men will go through.
“You have told me that they will be attacking the United States. Who, may I ask, is assigning the targets?” As if I didn’t already know.
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