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； then gotten his life's ambition； flying jets off aircraft carriers。 He'd done it for the next twenty years； plus a stint as a test pilot； manded a carrier air wing； then a carrier； then a group； and finally topped out as SACLANT/CINCLANT/CINCLANTFLT； three very weighty hats that he'd worn fortably enough for just over three years before removing the uniform forever。 Retirement had meant a civilian job paying about four times what the government had； mainly consulting with admirals he'd watched on the way up and telling them how he would have done it。 In fact； it was something he would have done for free in any officers' club on any Navy base in America； maybe for the cost of dinner and a few beers and a chance to smell the salt air。
But now he was in the Pentagon； back on the government payroll； this time as a civilian supergrade and special assistant to the Secretary of Defense。 Tony Bretano； Josh Painter thought； was smart enough； a downright brilliant engineer and manager of engineers。 He was prone to look for mathematical solutions to problems rather than human ones； and he tended to drive people a little hard。 All in all； Bretano might have made a decent naval officer； Painter thought； especially a nuc。
His Pentagon office was smaller than the one he'd occupied as OP…05…Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Air…ten years earlier； a job since de…established。 He had his own secretary and a smart young mander to look after him。 He was an entry…port to the SecDef's office for a lot of people； one of whom； oddly enough； was the Vice President。
〃Hold for the Vice President；〃 a White House operator told him on his private line。
〃You bet；〃 Painter replied。
〃Josh； Robby。〃
〃Good morning； sir；〃 Painter replied。 This annoyed Jackson； who'd served under Painter more than once； but Josh Painter wasn't a man able to call an elected official by his Christian name。 〃What can I do for you？〃
〃Got a question。 The President and I were going over something this morning； and I didn't have the answer to his question。 Can an Aegis intercept and kill a ballistic inbound？〃
〃I don't know； but I don't think so。 We looked at that during the Gulf War and…oh； okay； yeah； I remember now。 We decided they could probably stop one of those Scuds because of its relatively slow speed； but that's the top end of their ability。 It's a software problem； software on the SAM itself。〃 Which was the same story for the Patriot missiles as well； both men then remembered。 〃Why did that one e up？〃
〃The President's worried that if the Chinese toss one at Taiwan and we have a ship alongside； well； he'd prefer that the ship could look after herself； y'know？〃
〃I can look into that；〃 Painter promised。 〃Want me to bring it up with Tony today？〃
〃That's affirmative；〃 TOMCAT confirmed。
〃Roger that； sir。 I'll get back to you later today。〃
〃Thanks； Josh；〃 Jackson replied； hanging up。
Painter checked his watch。 It was about time for him to head in anyway。 The walk took him out into the busy E…Ring corridor； then right again into the SecDef's office； past the security people and the various private secretaries and aides。 He was right on time； and the door to the inner office was open。
〃Morning； Josh；〃 Bretano greeted。
〃Good morning； Mr。 Secretary。〃
〃Okay； what's new and interesting in the world today？〃
〃Well； sir； we have an inquiry from the White House that just came in。〃
〃And what might that be？〃 THUNDER asked。 Painter explained。 〃Good question。 Why is the answer so hard to figure out？〃
〃It's something we've looked at on and off； but really Aegis was set up to deal with cruise…missile threats； and they top out at about Mach Three or so。〃
〃But the Aegis radar is practically ideal for that sort of threat； isn't it？〃 The Secretary of Defense was fully briefed in on how the radar…puter system worked。
〃It's a hell of a radar system； sir； yes；〃 Painter agreed。
〃And making it capable for this mission is just a question of software？
〃Essentially yes。 Certainly it involves software in the missile's seekerhead； maybe also for the SPY and SPG radars as well。 That's not exactly my field； sir。〃
〃Software isn't all that difficult to write； and it isn't that expensive either。 Hell； I had a world…class guy at TRW who's an expert on this stuff； used to work in SDIO downstairs。 Alan Gregory； retired from the Army as a half…colonel； Ph。D。 from Stony Brook； I think。 Why not have him e in to check it out？〃
It amazed Painter that Bretano； who'd run one major corporation and had almost been headhunted away to head Lockheed…Martin before President Ryan had intercepted him； had so little appreciation for procedure。
〃Mr。 Secretary； to do that； we have to…〃
〃My ass；〃 THUNDER interrupted。 〃I have discretionary authority over small amounts of money； don't I？〃
〃Yes； Mr。 Secretary；〃 Painter confirmed。
〃And I've sold all my stock in TRW； remember？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 〃So； I am not in violation of any of those fucking ethics laws；
〃No； sir；〃 Painter had to agree。
〃Good； so call TRW in Sunnyvale； get Alan Gregory； I think he's a junior vice president now； and tell him we need him to fly here right away and look into this； to see how easy it would be to upgrade Aegis to providing a limited ballistic…missile…defense capability。〃
〃Sir； it won't make some of the other contractors happy。〃 Including； Painter did not add； TRW。
〃I'm not here to make them happy； Admiral。 Somebody told me I was here to defend the country efficiently。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 It was hard not to like the guy； even if he did have the bureaucratic sensibilities of a pissed…off rhinoceros。
〃So let's find out if Aegis has the technical capabilities do this particular job。〃
〃Aye； aye； sir。〃
〃What time do I have to drive up to the Hill？〃 the SecDef asked next。
〃About thirty minutes； sir。〃
Bretano grumbled。 Half his working time seemed to be spent explaining things to Congress； talking to people who'd already made up their minds and who only asked questions to look good on C…SPAN。 For Tony Bretano； an engineer's engineer； it seemed like a hellishly unproductive way to spend his time。 But they called it public service； didn't they？ In a slightly different context； it was called slavery； but Ryan was even more trapped than he was； leaving THUNDER with little room to plain。 And besides； he'd volunteered； too。
They were eager enough； these Spetsnaz junior officers； and Clark remembered that what makes elite troops is often the simple act of telling them that they are elite…then waiting for them to live up to their own self…image。 There was a little more to it； of course。 The Spetsnaz were special in terms of their mission。 Essentially they'd been copies of the British Special Air Service。 As so often happened in military life； what one country invented； other countries tended to copy； and so the Soviet Army had selected troops for unusually good fitness tests and a high degree of political reliability…Clark never learned exactly how one tested for that characteristic…and then assigned them a different training regimen； turning them into mandos。 The initial concept had failed for a reason predictable to anyone but the political leadership of the S