Chapter 39

39
PALACE OF THE PRESIDENT, BRASILIA, BRAZIL

"General, I afraid that your performance at Government House was less than we expected. This whole thing is slipping through our fingers as we speak, in large thanks to your bungling! If it weren't for your brother-in-law's support of this administration, I wouldn't have to keep coming to you to solve my problems." President Falau was no babe in the woods when it came to Brazilian politics.

"We have good intelligence that the Americans are coming here to take Him out, back to the United States, that is. There is a carrier group and another squadron of missile frigates leaving station in Cuba. God only knows what else they've ordered in here." Falau was pressing home the gravity of the situation. "He's supposed to be in protective custody, but thanks to you He's sitting on His yacht outside territorial water. With His Godamned lawyer!"

"There was nothing we could do at Government House. We were surprised and surrounded by a superior force. Jesus Robeles could have been killed if we had stormed the place." General Ortiz interjected in his own defense. "Besides, we still have the Navy. The Americans can't get here that fast. Remember the Falklands?"

"One angle our people have thought of is that Jesus Robeles has no papers, no birth certificate, no passport, nothing except the competency decree from some crooked judge." the President reviewed what he had to work with. "Besides, He's illegitimate. We can claim that makes Him a ward of the state."

"He's too old for that. He's clearly reached the age of majority." Ortiz objected.

President Falau countered with "Yeah, but with no papers can He prove it?"

General Ortiz conjectured, "We could pull that to gain a day or two, but we can't go against the court. And, you can count on it, Santos would have a court order before the door was closed."

"Here are your orders, General. Have the Defense Ministry use the Navy to force the yacht back into the harbor on the pretext of getting them out of the combat zone. Board it and take the Man into protective custody. Do you think you can do that this time? Don't hurt Him, but use drugs if necessary. Eliminate His friend and the damned lawyer, eliminate all the witnesses then burn the ship." President Falau was showing his true colors. "If the Americans show up, I want a fight, at least a little one. If we lose a ship or two it will galvanize the country behind my policy of protective hospitality. I am sure the Americans will be only too happy to oblige, they're all trigger happy cowboys."

The President was pensive for a moment, then he added, "We're going to have a company of Paraguan Army regulars here by tomorrow. General Froesthusen told me personally that he wanted his troops to have direct combat with the Americans if it comes to that. Get some of those troops on the picket ships and start defending the harbors, all of them. Go light on Fortaleza, Recife and Salvador. We know they'll be headed right for Rio. I want our oldest ships on station out side Guanabara Bay. I'm pretty sure we can get reparations if this turns into a shoot out."

"I'm putting you in charge of this operation, Ortiz. If State Security can't handle this, just say so. I don't want a repeat of Government House. Is that understood?"

General Ortiz nodded. He was a man who understood little about the difference between brutality and decisiveness. He was a man who understood fully the fine line between the influence of nepotism and the final failure to tolerate incompetence.