The Reluctant Assassin Box Set
Page 54
“Let me address those first,” Burly interrupted. “The answers might not be satisfactory, but your points are valid. First, the invasion force includes Cuban exiles of all ages and classes. They mostly come from Miami and live for the day to come back home to Cuba. I can’t give evidence. Time is too short.”
He paced across the room, rubbing his chin. “I won’t deny the US sometimes has selfish motives but give some credit to those of us who go in harm’s way by coming here.” A warm chorus of agreement supported him. “As for the government in exile, representatives were elected in Miami by the exiles themselves.” He raised his eyebrows. “But until my government delivered an ultimatum to choose leaders by a given deadline or lose US support, no representatives were chosen.”
A few men groaned. “You convinced me,” one called. “Foolishness like that sounds like a Cuban government.” Nervous laughter rippled through the room.
Burly went on. “As for operations, training, and logistics, your questions are good, but without good answers. We’ll coordinate as closely as we can. But to be effective,” he paused, and enunciated deliberately, “Cubans have to take initiative. And let me say one more thing to allay fears. We’ve successfully done this in Guatemala.”
As soon as he made the statement, Burly’s expression showed he wished he could take it back. Then, bracing himself, he continued. “The exile army is well-trained. They include soldiers who defected from Cuba’s national army and are led and staffed by Cuban officers. They call themselves Brigade 2506. I can’t tell you where they train. But, if you walked through the swamps in the country I mentioned a moment ago, you might see strange things happening.” Laughter rippled again. “Now, Tomas, you have other concerns.”
Atcho nodded. “Thank you for being candid.” He felt growing respect for the CIA officer. He picked his words carefully. “I appreciate what your agency did in Guatemala, but several factors are different.
“Here you have to do an amphibious landing, and you rely on an uprising by the Cuban people. What will cause that uprising?” He paused. “I lost everything to this regime. I hate Castro and all he stands for. If I had the chance, I would kill him with my bare hands.” He lowered his voice. “But I don’t see strong opposition from the population. People who had no land now live on what Castro took from others. No one feels the US trade embargo yet, so goods are still plentiful. At this moment, things are better for many Cubans. And when the embargo is in full effect, they won’t blame Castro. They’ll blame the US,” he looked around, “and us.”
Men murmured throughout the room. Burly contemplated awhile. When he spoke again, his voice was grave. “If you’re right about Cuba’s population, we’ve made one hell of a miscalculation.” He paused. “As for the amphibious landing, you know that your guys will be trained and supported by the most successful landing force in history.” He noted approving reactions. “You had another question?”
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Acknowledgments
I owe thanks to so many people who helped frame my books. In particular for this one, I must specifically express my gratitude to my stalwarts, John Shephard for keeping me on track, my sister Anita for reminding me to be sensitive, and my necessarily unnamed friend for paying attention to procedural and tactical detail. Beyond them are a host of people who contributed their insights. I am grateful to all of them.
About the Author
Lee Jackson is the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of The Reluctant Assassin series. He graduated from West Point and is a former Infantry Officer of the US Army. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, splitting 38 months between them as a senior intelligence supervisor for the Department of the Army. His novels are enjoyed by readers around the world. Lee lives and works with his wife in Texas.
LeeJackson@AuthorLeeJackson.com