mation, and more information. Gather as much as possible from
as many sources as possible, and as quickly as possible. More-
over, although he had a capable and trustworthy staff, the infor-
mation should not be diluted or encapsulated by his staff.
Interestingly, he found that if he got his information from the
268 DALE BROWN
same sources that served most of the American people, he was
able to stay on top of events that the people were most concerned
about. He rarely found himself caught up in events in the Persian
Gulf, for example, if most Americans were really concerned
about the economy.
It was not a foolproof system, but it had served him well
during his first three and a half years in office and, with luck,
would serve him well in a second term.
Taylor's predecessor was a fanatic about daily exercise the
way Taylor was about information, and so Taylor combined the
two shortly after arriving in the White House. After rising at
five-thirty every morning, the President would change into shorts
and sneakers and make his way into the well-equipped exercise
room in the back west comer of the White House.
There, in the middle of the room, sat a walking/jogging tread-
mill, a self-contained physical fitness evaluation device that
measured and recorded two dozen di fferent vital signs from pulse
to weight to blood pressure as he walked. That was his prede-
cessor's contribution. In front of the treadmill was Taylor's-a
large-screen voice-command computer monitor and terminal.
"Good morning, Mr. President," Paul Cesare, the Chief of
Staff, greeted him. Cesare set a glass of orange juice and a fresh
towel on a table near the treadmill. "How do you feel this mom-
. 9"
ing.
"Just fine, Paul." The President stepped onto the tread-
mill. The pre-programmed machine beeped five times in
warning, then automatically started. Taylor slipped his hand
into a glovelike device on the handlebar that had sensors in
it that would feed information to the body function monitors.
As the President started walking, the computer terminal came
to life.
"Good morning, Mr. President," the terminal said in a quiet
feminine voice. On the screen was a recorded view of the Po-
tomac and the Jefferson Memorial. The screen changed to sev-
eral columns of information in large letters showing the
weather, date, important holidays and the day's appointments.
"The following is an encapsulation of your morning appoint-
ments:
"You have a Cabinet meeting at eight o'clock. At ten
o'clock, a meeting with the Senate Foreign Relations commit-
tee. At noon, the luncheon with the International Kiwanas at
DAY OF THE CHEETAH 269
the Ambassador Hotel. There are five desk flags." Desk flags
were items left on his desk that would require some study or
consultation. A brief description of each flashed on the screen;
none seemed too important. "Would you like to review them
now? "
"No.-
"Would you like to review the afternoon appointments?"
"No.-
"What would you like, Mr. President?"
The treadmill had sped up to about three miles per hour as it
automatically sought to raise Taylor's heart rate to its optimum
aerobic exercise rate. "Go back to bed," he said, stepping up
the pace.
The computer thought about it for a moment, then, "Please
make another choice, Mr. President."
"Thanks," he said, and Cesare grinned. "How about wire-
service headlines?"
"Please select a keyword, or select 'All.' " The keywords
were phrases used to narrow down the huge selection of news
items.
'White House,' " the President requested.
A long list of news bulletins flashed on the screen, all con-
taining the words "White House. " The computer-synthesized
voice continued: "Selected headlines as of five A. Eastern
Standard Time: 'White House may announce decision on Korean
trade bill today.' 'Foreign Relations Chairman Myers travels to
mies White House advisers. ' 'First Lady will receive veteran's
group in White House ceremony . . . ' "
Taylor pounded a fist on the treadmill STOP button. "What
the hell . . . ? Stop. Read item three."
"Headlines Stop," the computer acknowledged. "Review.
Item three. Washington Post Wire Service, date twenty-one June,
nineteen hundred and ninety-six. Washington desk, first para-
graph: 'A Russian KGB deep-cover agent may have caused the
crash of an experimental B-52 bomber in the southern Nevada
desert on Tuesday, an unnamed military source said today. He
may also have been responsible for the downing of an F-15
fighter over Mexico and the crash of a second F- 1 5 over southern
Arizona, with loss of life as high as six. Second paragraph:
Despite the attacks, the White House has apparently decided to
270 DALE BROWN
take no action that may provoke the Soviet Union until more
evidence has been received and analyzed. Third paragraph:
Sources confirm-'
"Stop, darnmit. Who the hell authorized that news release? I
didn't-"
"It sounds like it came from the Pentagon, sir .
"The Pentagon? Get General Kane on the phone."
Cesare hit the auto-dial button for the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. "I'll get hold of Walters, too," Cesare said.
Ted Walters was the White House Press Secretary. "He might
be able to keep that story from going out on the morning news-
shows if we catch it in time."
"The morning news . . . Goddamn, get on it, Paul. Of all the
things to leak out .
"General Kane on your speakerphone, sir, " Cesare said a few
moments later. The President punched the flashing button.
"Bill, there's an article on the Washington Post wire service
that mentions our discussion yesterday about the-"
"Open line, Mr. President," Cesare interrupted, his hand over
the mouthpiece of his phone.
--the aircraft incident. Know anything about it?"
"No, sir. I certainly authorized no release about that at
all.
"Better get over here, Bill."
"On my way, sir."
"Ted's on his way too, sir. He can make some calls from his
car. I I
"When I catch the sonofabitch who leaked this I'll kick his
butt out of Washington, out of the country . . . "
Cesare, always protective of the Boss and concerned about his
blood pressure, tried to soft-pedal the news. "It sounds a little
sketchy. Maybe an imaginative reporter heard about the B-52
crash and just kept on digging until he found--
"There's no way any reporter could start from a B-52 crash
and end up with KGB deep-cover agents without help from this
office. We've got to assume Walters can't stop the media from
picking up on this and spreading it all over the country - So what
are we going to say ab
out it?"
"The story is so far out," Cesare said, "that if we deny the
whole thing people will believe us. A Russian KGB agent shoot-
DAY OF THE CHEETAH 271
ing down a B-52 bomber over Nevada? Who's going to believe
that? "
"Eyewitnesses. They could have interviewed someone from
Drearnland. They could confirm the fact that the B-52 was shot
down deliberately. There could be eyewitnesses to the plane be-
ing shot down over Mexico or the crash in Arizona. There--
The phone rang beside Cesare. "Cesare here . . . Edward
Drury? . . . Hold on." Cesare put the phone on, hold. "It's
Drury from CNN, Mr. President. He's asking for White House
comment about a so-called KGB spy incident
So much for keeping it out of the press, the President thought.
"All right, the comment is that the story about a KGB agent is
false, and the cause of the crash in Nevada is still under inves-
tigation.
"I'd advise against it, Mr. President," Cesare said. "How
about 'unsubstantiated,' or 'rumors only'? If we say the story is
false, and someone digs up some hard evidence . . . "
"All right, all right." A headache was already spreading
from his sinuses. "The information about a Russian agent is
an unsubstantiated rumor, and the cause of the B-52 crash un-
der investigation by the Air Force has not yet been determined.
Any speculation would be detrimental and injurious to the per-
sonnel involved and the best interests of the country. Got all
that?
"Yes, sir. I'll make sure Walters gets a copy."
"Have Ted hold a press conference as soon as possible and
get out a release. No one on the staff goes in front of the media,
except Ted, until we get together on a statement, and Ted's only
statement will either be what we just said there or 'No com-
ment.' Got that?"
"Yes, sir." Cesare flipped through his notes. "Speaker Van
Keller is scheduled to be on ABC this morning. He's the only
one in on our meeting yesterday who could be pinned down on
it.
"Better get that statement out to him as soon as possible,"
the President said. "Have him call me or Ted so we can brief
him. "
"This could be a problem, sir," Cesare continued, scanning
his notes. "The first fifteen minutes of the meeting with the
Foreign Relations Committee was supposed to be a photo op-
portunity.
272 DALE BROWN
The President shook his head in frustration. "Great. In that
case we'll keep it a photos-only session and cut it down to five
minutes.
"Senator Myers and the committee members might have some
questions about the incident-"
"We'll give them what we give the press-the crash is under
investigation, we have no information on any KGB agents being
involved.
Cesare finished writing. "One more thing, sir-the Russians.
That wire story said we weren't going to do anything. Should
we make a comment about that?"
"To hell with them." The President massaged his temples,
then added, "They can think what they want. If we come out
with any comment directed at the Russians we'd be admitting
that they had something to do with the B-52 crash-"
The phone rang again. "Cesare here . . . Ted, what's up?
. . .what? . . . any details? . . . all right. You're ten minutes
away? All right, I'll pass it on."
"What now?"
"Ted just got off the phone with the Post. They're now saying
that they have a tape of the conversation between the B-52 and
the XF-34 aircraft during their engagement. The radio conver-
sation was on a channel called GUARD, an international emer-
gency frequency used by planes, ships . . . They have the whole
thing-including the pilot of the XF-34 saying that he's a colonel
in the KGB. He said the guy from the Post even said, 'XF-34.'
That designation was top secret-until now."
"Dammit all to hell, less than twenty-four hours after our
meeting and the whole country, whole world, knows about it.
All right, all right," the President said. "Cancel the Cabinet
meeting agenda, get the NSC and CIA and have everybody in
the conference room no later than seven-thirty, briefed and ready
to discuss this, but for Christ's sake do it quietly-don't make it
look like we're circling any wagons. This is a routine Cabinet
meeting. Make sure we get tapes of any news broadcasts about
this thing."
"We should change the press statement," Cesare said. "I
suggest-
"The change is easy. The word now is 'No comment.' That's
it, and it goes for Ed Drury and the networks and everybody.
DAY OF THE CHEETAH 273
We've got to get a handle on this thing before it gets completely
away from us .
Cesare got on the phone again and while he was waiting, the
President turned to him and said, "Paul, I want General Elliott
at the meeting, too. Has he left Washington?
"I believe so, sir.
"Then we'll set up a secure teleconference and . . . no, I
want him here. He had some ideas about this DreamStar thing
that I want to hear. Wherever he is, have him back here
soonest.
"Yes, sir." Cesare dialed the office of the military commu-
nications liaison and issued the President's orders, then turned
back to President Taylor, who was standing near the treadmill,
staring at the news item on the big screen.
"Any idea who leaked this, Paul?"
"Well, that news item mentions a military source." He
paused, then asked: "Do you think it could be Elliott? Is that
why you're bringing him back to Washington?"
"A guy that's just been stripped of his command and being
forced to retire can do some very strange things, but no, not
Elliott. He's by-the-book. I want him back in Washington to
hear what he has to say about this DrearnStar thing. It's been
his baby."
"Are you considering a military response?"
"Maybe I won't have any choice. If we can't get control of
this leak, we may have to do more than just protest to the Rus-
sians-"
The phone rang. Cesare picked it up. "Military communica-
tions, sir, " Cesare said. "General Elliott had made a stopover
at the Air Force Aeronautical Laboratories in Dayton. He can
be here for the staff meeting."
"That's very good of him. I can't wait to talk to him."
"This was a deliberate information leak on someone's part,
President Taylor said. "I want someone's butt, and I want it
now. "
He paused, scanning the faces of his Cabinet and senior White
House staff members. "I expect whoever did this will have the
courage to come to me later and explain why he or she felt it
was necessary to reveal classified information like this. I will
274 DALE BROWN
not tolerate this in my staff. I'll shit-can the lot of you, and
senior staff, if I have to."
He let his words linger on the wide cherry conference table
for a few moments. No o
ne appeared ready to confess or throw
themselves on the sword. He also saw a few faces that allowed
themselves to appear skeptical when he had mentioned dis-
missals. But he had no choice, the President thought-some-
one had to get fired over this. Someone had to take a fall if I
for no other reason than credibility, or deniability, as in Iran-
scam.
"The official word on this incident is 'No cornment,' " the
President said. "And I don't mean any of that 'Neither confirm
nor deny' stuff. I mean 'No comment. 'You're not authorized to
discuss anything dealing with Dreamland, the B-52 crash, ex-
perimental aircraft or any military or civilian personnel. Is that
clear?" A few nodding heads. "If you have any difficulty with
that order tell me now. I won't hold any questions against you,
and I won't think that anyone who has a question has to be the
guilty party. Speak up."
Silence.
"All right. If any problems come up, refer them to Ted Wal-
ters, Paul Cesare or myself. But I want a lid on this. And I want
it on tight. We've got news about the Summer Olympics and the
elections to take the media pressure off this incident, and that's
what I want to happen - "
The President turned to General Kane. "Update on that
DrearnStar aircraft, General?"
"Very little, Mr. President," the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
told him. "Increase in message traffic on the Soviet satellite-net
out of Sebaco Airbase near Managua. We haven't been able to
decode it yet but our analysts believe this reinforces our esti-
mation that DreamStar is at Sebaco."
"How long would it take them to take that aircraft apart,
General?
Kane was anxious to get out of the sudden glare of attention
and have the spotlight focus on the principal of this incident.
He said, "I can't give you an accurate answer, Mr. Presi-
dent." He turned to General Bradley Elliott sitting beside him. I
Brad? " I
"It's hard to say, Mr. President." All eyes were on Elliott,
but not because they were waiting to hear what he said-they all
DAY OF THE CHEETAH 275
believed he was the one who had leaked the information on