The blatant disregard for diplomatic courtesy by the Americans stunned M. How could their so-called "allies" disrespect her country so brazenly? These "cowboys" didn't play by any conventional rules!
Wasn't there a way to resolve this discreetly through diplomatic channels? Why resort to this all-out public shaming, exposing everything?
Didn't the Americans still want the U.K. to play its usual role as the "European troublemaker," ensuring that the EU remained fragmented and incapable of presenting a united front? This kind of face-slapping tactic didn't align with how seasoned politicians usually handled matters.
M couldn't figure it out. Historically, the U.S. and U.K. had always shared a common objective: keeping Europe disunited to prevent it from collectively challenging U.S. dominance. Britain played a crucial role in this strategy, stirring up internal divisions within the EU.
So why was President Benjamin Arthur allowing this public rebuke, tarnishing bilateral relations?
What M didn't realize was that the U.S. no longer saw the U.K. as an equal partner. Britain's waning global influence had left it clinging precariously to its status as a major power. The Americans had been particularly outraged by the handling of Dr. Edward Bailey, whose "red mercury bomb" incident had caused massive casualties on British soil. Washington saw Britain's decision to secretly imprison a man capable of building such a powerful weapon as a monumental blunder.
The U.S. had wanted to capture and recruit Bailey, but he'd chosen to die on his own terms, detonating the only red mercury bomb in existence. For the Americans, Britain's incompetence had squandered an invaluable asset.
This latest debacle, where British agents targeted Castle for his technological secrets, was the final straw. What made the situation worse was the bipartisan consensus it triggered in U.S. politics.
Castle's extensive network of connections on both sides of the political spectrum played a pivotal role. He was deeply embedded with Democratic leaders, having funded President Arthur's campaign. Simultaneously, his collaboration with defense giants like Lockheed Martin and General Electric gave him significant sway over Republican lawmakers. Adding to this, Castle's close friendship with National Security Advisor Mozzie ensured support from key figures in the administration.
The result was rare political unity. From the president to the Pentagon and the defense industry, everyone agreed: Britain needed to be put in its place.
That's why the White House had taken the unprecedented step of publicly exposing the British and Turkish espionage operations without prior diplomatic warnings. No courtesy call was made to the British ambassador.
The fallout in London was immediate. The new prime minister and his cabinet were thrown into chaos. The prime minister, defense minister, and foreign secretary quickly convened an emergency meeting at 10 Downing Street.
The foreign secretary was livid.
"How could you go ahead with this without informing me?!" he demanded. "You've made a complete fool of our government!"
The defense minister tried to defend the secrecy of the operation, citing national security.
"National security, my ass!" the foreign secretary snapped. "This is about Rolls-Royce, isn't it? You wanted military tech from that bloody writer in New York, and now look where it's gotten us. Our agent's dead, and the Americans are humiliating us on live television!"
"Now you want me to fix this mess? Unbelievable!"
Despite his frustration, the foreign secretary knew he couldn't resign—not now. The political damage was too severe, and walking away would only add to the chaos. But perhaps he didn't need to take the full blame. This was, after all, the intelligence service's failure.
"Get M here," he suggested coldly. "She's the one responsible for this disaster."
The prime minister and defense minister hesitated. They knew pinning the blame on M could backfire. The formidable head of MI6 wasn't someone to cross lightly. She likely had dirt on both of them and wouldn't hesitate to use it if cornered.
Furthermore, with Britain already facing domestic criticism over its Brexit maneuvering, they couldn't afford a scandal involving their intelligence services. If the opposition got hold of this story, they'd have a field day.
For now, damage control was their top priority. They needed to smooth things over with Washington, contain media coverage, and find a scapegoat—but not M, at least not yet.
M received the summons from Downing Street and knew exactly what it meant. She wasn't afraid. The truth was on her side. The operation had been forced upon her by political leaders seeking to curry favor with Rolls-Royce.
When she arrived at the prime minister's residence, M was surprised to find the atmosphere less hostile than expected. Rather than accusations, the prime minister and his ministers looked to her for solutions.
"We need to de-escalate this situation, M," the prime minister began. "The Americans have blindsided us. How do we regain control?"
M saw through their desperation but played along. She knew how to handle these crises better than anyone. Together, they devised a multi-pronged strategy:
Immediate Diplomatic Outreach: The prime minister would personally call President Arthur to apologize and seek common ground.
Public Relations Control: The government would work with British media to downplay the scandal. Efforts would also be made to quietly reach out to Castle, hoping to placate him and prevent further escalation.
Political Damage Limitation: Measures would be taken to pacify opposition parties and prevent them from exploiting the crisis.
Response to Turkey: While retaliation against Turkey would have to wait, Britain would lodge formal protests over the killing of their agent.
A Moratorium on Castle: Finally, there would be no further attempts to acquire Castle's technology through covert means. Rolls-Royce would need to find its own way.
As the meeting concluded, the prime minister breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't over, but at least they had a plan. Still, M couldn't shake the feeling that Britain's days of playing the world's puppet master were truly coming to an end.
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