Page 22 of Freedom Fighters
“What do you mean, ‘we’?” her father asked and settled back on the sofa. Nick took the other club chair. “Your privileges haven’t been revoked. You can visit me anytime you want.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Olivia told him. “Or has White House security relaxed their tolerance for foreign nationals wandering the halls?”
She could see he understood what she was implying by the way his eyes narrowed. “You’ve given up your United States citizenship?”
“And your name, too.”
Nick took in a breath. “Perhaps I should leave you two alone for a while and let youcatch up.”
“No, please stay, Nick,” Olivia told him. “You’re family now. You should get to know my father properly.” She looked back at her father, who had shown no surprise at her reference to Nick as family. How much did he already know? “I am Señora Castellano now. I am also the Vistarian Ambassador to the United States.”
“For a faction that has no control over the country they call theirs,”her father shot back. “Really, Olivia, can we at least be civilized? You said…” He glanced at Nick. “When you made that call from Vistaria, you said you would work to find a way for us to at least speak to each other once more. I have met you more than halfway. This…” he waved his hand at the room in general, “is more than any non-recognized nation would receive from the United States.”
“We appreciateyour gesture of good will,” Nick said smoothly. “And I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, even if it is not in an official capacity.”
Olivia could almostseeher father switch mental gears. The politician was piloting, now. “The United States and I are grateful for everything the Loyalists have done to protect our citizens,” he told Nick. “Although there is the matter of three Blackhawkhelicopters that we would like back.”
“You should take that up with my civilian and military quarter-masters, through normal channels,” Nick replied just as blandly. “I am not aware of what happened to the Blackhawks after the raid on the White Sands. I was busy arranging transport to take your daughter to Acapulco for medical treatment.”
Nick was in effect saying, “I made your daughter a priorityand you should, too.”
Her father sighed. “I don’t care about the choppers either. As this is the most official meeting you’ll get from anyone in the White House, it is my duty to speak of them. Nicolás…may I call you Nicolás?”
“Nick, preferably,” Nick said easily, although Olivia could tell he hadn’t dropped his mental guard.
“Nick, then. Thank you. Your arrival in Washington puts the WhiteHouse in an awkward position. You are not in control of Vistaria.”
“Yet,” Nick said flatly. “That will change. Soon.”
“You sound sure of yourself.”
“I know the quality of the men in my army. I know the Insurrectos are recalculating their position and double-guessing ours, after the raid. Serrano is wondering if we have the silent support of the United States, a possibility that will keep himawake at nights. His spies would have told him by now I am in the States. Depending on how entrenched his intelligence system is, in the next few hours he will learn that you and I met, too.Thatwill give Serrano nightmares.” Nick’s smile was predatory.
Her father gave a small smile back. “It is because of your assistance with the White Sands exercise that I am here at all. That, and my daughter,of course,” he tacked on.
Olivia shook her head in wonder. He hadn’t changed at all.
“However,” Davenport continued, “you should not consider the goodwill you have generated to be in endless supply. There is only so much we can do unofficially.” He hesitated. “Unless the situation changes, of course.”
Nick didn’t twitch in reaction. “Isn’t it unusual for the United States to be hanging backand waiting for a cue from another country? Mexico is not considered to be a world leader.”
“Mexico understands your nation’s strengths and weaknesses far better than we do,” her father replied. “If they feel it prudent to acknowledge your Loyalists and open diplomatic dialogue, that would be the best indication to us that your efforts will bear fruit.”
It was diplomatic double-speak, full ofpassive verbs and indirect references. Olivia sighed mentally.
Nick shook his head. “Mexico is waiting for you to acknowledge us officially. They won’t move until you do.”
Callan Davenport smiled. It was a dry expression. “A genuine Mexican standoff,” he mused. “You do have a problem, don’t you?”
“Not necessarily,” Nick said, his tone as stiff as her father’s smile. “We’re not shooting at eitherMexico or the United States. Your real standoff is with the Insurrectos. If you’re looking for a sign of weakness, Colonel, then consider this—the first person to shoot in a genuine Mexican standoff is the loser, because the third person can fire at leisure.”
“An interesting analogy,” her father replied and for the first time, Olivia saw something other than diplomatic indifference in his eyes.His attention had been pricked. “Are you saying the Insurrectos shot first?”
“They haven’t shot their bolt yet,” Nick said. “However, we know Serrano much better than the Mexicans do. Serranowillshoot first. He won’t be able to help himself. He has sloppy impulse control. He’ll go off half-cocked and he’ll do it soon.”
“That’s what you’re waiting for, isn’t it?” her father asked sharply.
Nick inclined his head in an almost regal nod. “That is what I am waiting for,” he confirmed. “Then I’ll drive a stake through the weakness he reveals. I’ll drive it right through the weakness and into his heart.”
Olivia detected a faint air of admiration from her father. She didn’t blame him. She was impressed, too.
