“Good morning, Mr. President,” she said respectfully. “Here’s your coffee.” And with that she extended a tray loaded with a coffeepot, creamer, a bowl of sugar, two cups, and two spoons. It was a ritual the two of them had shared for eleven years.
“Thank you, Bessie,” Grace said, and he turned to carry the tray over to the big bed. He heard the door close behind him.
Cora was sitting up by then, and by long-standing tradition the next half-hour belonged to her, as another day in the White House began.
Then, at precisely 7:30 A.M., President Grace made the journey downstairs.
Presidential Chief of Staff William Dentweiler awoke with a headache, a bad taste in his mouth, and the cloying scent of Eau d’Hermès perfume in his nostrils. His left arm was numb, and no wonder, since someone was lying on top of it.
But who?
Then he remembered the party at the French embassy, the desperate gaiety as two hundred guests sought to drink the war away with bottles of Taittinger champagne. The wine was increasingly hard to come by, yet many American officials seemed to have quite a bit of it. Most of Europe had fallen to the Chimera, and just about all the foreign diplomats wanted to bring someone into the United States before communications were severed.
This also explained why a stone-faced German military attaché had turned the other way when Dentweiler had left the party with his beautiful wife. A willowy blonde, who, though less than fluent where the English language was concerned, certainly knew how to please a man. She was snoring softly as Dentweiler pulled his arm out from under her bare shoulders, swung his feet onto the floor, and eyed the clock next to the bed.
It was 8:12 A.M.! Damn. And the cabinet meeting was scheduled for 9:00. Not 9:05, 9:10, or—God forbid—9:15.
Not while Noah Grace was President.
Dentweiler swore under his breath, made his way into the bathroom, and stepped into the tub. There was a rattling noise as he pulled the shower curtain closed, followed by the shock of cold water, which gradually turned warm. Once it reached body temperature Dentweiler was free to pee and shower at the same time. A rather efficient practice that continued to serve him well.
Fifteen minutes later Dentweiler was freshly shaved, dressed in one of his tailor-made gray suits, and ready to go. The German woman was still asleep—but he left her a note with a name and telephone number on it. If her husband’s parents were still alive, and if they could make it to a pick-up point near Bremen on a certain date, they would be brought to America. “A deal,” as Dentweiler liked to say, “is a deal.”
A long black town car was waiting in front of Dentweiler’s apartment building as he turned up the collar of his sleek Brooks Brothers overcoat and entered the crisp November air. There weren’t many Christmas decorations to be seen, and weren’t likely to be. Not with thousands dying every day.
Dentweiler stepped into the car, and it pulled away.
Having heard Dentweiler leave, the German woman opened her eyes. Then, softly, she began to cry.
The Cabinet Room was located in the West Wing of the White House, on the first floor. It had been completed in 1934 and was positioned to look out on to the Rose Garden through French doors topped with lunette windows. A painting titled The Signing of the Declaration of Independence hung over the fireplace at the north end of the room, while a row of portraits personally selected by President Grace lined the west wall. The floor was covered by a custom-made burgundy-colored carpet. And that’s what Secretary of War Henry Walker was looking at as he completed the last of his twenty-five push-ups. It was a ritual he performed frequently throughout the day.
Having regained his feet, the sixty-three-year-old re-tired colonel was in the process of putting his blue pinstriped jacket on as President Grace entered the room, closely followed by the other members of his cabinet.
“There you are,” Grace said cheerfully. “I should have known… Military men are always on time. Especially when the budget comes up for discussion!”
That was sufficient to elicit a chorus of chuckles from the coterie of toadies, sycophants, and ass kissers with whom Grace had chosen to surround himself. The group didn’t care for Walker any more than he cared for them. But he was—insofar as they were concerned—a necessary evil, due to the fact that he was popular with the top brass. A group upon whom Grace was very dependent.
So as everyone took their seats, Walker knew he was deep inside enemy territory, and largely on his own. His only potential ally was Vice President Harvey Mc-Cullen, who, in his own scholarly way, served to put the brakes on Grace’s worst excesses.
Walker scanned the group. Grace sat halfway down the long oval table with his back to the Rose Garden. Chief of Staff Dentweiler and Secretary of the Interior Farnsworth sat to his right, with Secretary of Commerce Lasky and Secretary of State Moody on his left. Presidential Counsel Hanson, Attorney General Clowers, Vice President McCullen, Secretary of Agriculture Seymore, and Secretary of Transportation Keyes were seated opposite the President.
That left Ridley, the Director of the Office of Special Projects (OSP), and Walker himself to man opposite ends of the table, where their flanks were open to attack. Or that was the way Walker thought about it as he took his seat.
As was his habit, Grace said a prayer once everyone was seated. But if God had been listening during the last eight-plus years, there weren’t any signs of it.
Secretary of the Interior Farnsworth was the first to give a report. Walker had a hard time taking him seriously, since he wore carefully brushed shoulder-length hair at a time when most men cut theirs short. His prow-shaped nose extended out over a handlebar mustache so prominent it was impossible to see his lips. His department was responsible for the Protection Camps that thousands of displaced Americans had been forced to enter after being driven from their homes by Chimeran forces.
Yet despite the relative safety of the camps, many people who entered them rebelled against the highly regimented lives they were forced to live within the fenced enclaves. In fact many were leaving to take up residence in the sprawling shacklands that were growing up around the larger cities. Slums really, which Farnsworth described as “breeding grounds for crime and disease.”
“So,” Grace responded once the report was complete, “what would you suggest?”
“We need armed security guards, Mr. President,” Farnsworth said. “And we need to require all displaced persons to demonstrate a verifiable need before they can leave the camps. For God’s sake, the United States is under attack! We can’t have people running around like lunatics.”
Grace nodded thoughtfully.
“What you say makes sense. Homer, do you see any problem with Larry’s suggestion?”
The Attorney General’s head was covered by an explosion of frizzy white hair and he had eyebrows to match. His mustache was unexpectedly dark, however, and it bobbed up and down as he spoke.
“You have the necessary authority, Mr. President. It’s implicit in the Executive Protection Act of 1950. Should you wish to create the sort of security force that Larry mentioned, you could tuck the new organization in under the Domestic Security Agency. That would lay the groundwork to use the Protection Camps as a place to house agitators, dissidents, and anarchists until the cessation of hostilities.”
“Which is just a fancy way of saying that people who attempt to exercise their civil liberties—including the right of free speech—will be imprisoned,” Walker put in cynically. Walker had a countenance that one wag had likened to Mr. Potato Head, which was a reference to the toy that enabled children to create funny faces by attaching plastic ears, noses, and lips to an Idaho spud. Now, as blood suffused his already homely features, he became even less attractive. “Or, put another way,” the Secretary of War growled, “I think Larry’s full of shit.”
A pained expression appeared on Grace’s face, and he sighed audibly.
“I know the Secretary is accustomed to rough language—but I would appreciate a semblance of civilit
y here in the White House. And, while I applaud the Secretary’s love of liberty, I feel it necessary to remind him that our freedoms extend from the rule of law. Not protest, not chaos, but law. We will have order in this country—or we will have nothing at all.
“So,” Grace continued as his eyes shifted to the Attorney General, “Larry’s proposal is approved. Homer… please prepare the necessary paperwork for my signature.” Then, having turned his attention to Seymore, Grace spoke again.
“George?” Grace inquired. “How’s the Department of Agriculture doing?”
Seymore was a long-faced man with a receding hairline and the demeanor of an undertaker. And for good reason. Crops had begun to fail due to changes in the weather, food shortages were becoming alarmingly common, and the price of even the most basic foodstuffs was spiking. Seymore noted that while the Victory Garden program had met with some success, it wasn’t going to be enough.
For the moment, however, there was one glimmer of hope. The administration’s decision to stop shipping food abroad was helping to ameliorate the shortfall.
And so it went as the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and State all weighed in with reports that were unrelentingly grim. Ironically, the only person with anything even remotely positive to say was Walker, who gave a report regarding a successful commando raid into Chimera-occupied Britain, and a high-altitude fly-over of enemy headquarters in Iceland. Where, based on aerial photography, it was clear that some sort of construction program was underway. But, in spite of a few isolated victories, Walker had to admit that the future looked bleak.
Grace nodded somberly. “That brings us to the last item on today’s agenda,” he said. “A contingency plan I don’t believe we’ll have reason to use—but which I feel obligated to put in place. I call it Project Omega. Simply put, it would be a process by which to conduct negotiations with the Chimera.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Walker opened his mouth to object, but Vice President McCullen beat him to it.
“Surely you can’t be serious, Mr. President… Why, just last month you gave a speech in which you swore that the United States would fight to the last man, woman, and child! Were the news of such a plan to get out, there would be political hell to pay.”
Thanks to the efforts of SRPA, knowledge gleaned from the Chimera had been applied to all sorts of things over the last few years, including audio technology. And as Secretary of War, Walker had access to all the latest products, including the pocket-sized wire recorder he used for taking notes. Walker reached into a pocket to turn the device on as Grace formed a steeple with his fingertips. The recorder made a soft whirring noise, but thanks to Walker’s position at the end of the table, no one else could hear it.
“I hear you, Harvey,” Grace said tolerantly. “And, as I said before, I continue to believe that we will win a military victory. But I think you’ll agree that the government has a responsibility to examine every alternative, no matter how unpleasant.
“Furthermore,” Grace added, as his eyes swept those around him, “if there is to be any chance of a successful negotiation with the Chimera, it would have to take place while the country is in a position of strength, or the enemy won’t have a reason to enter into talks with us.”
Another long moment of silence followed the last statement.
Walker was tempted to speak but wanted to get all of the traitors on the record before he told them what assholes they were.
The Director of the OSP spoke. Because Ridley’s famously large head sat atop a relatively small body, his detractors sometimes referred to him as “the troll.” He was also known for the colorful bow ties he wore, a surprisingly beautiful wife, and his ability to play pool. His voice was smooth and cultured.
“I agree with the notion that all of the possible alternatives should be explored… But I would like to share some observations about the Chimera.”
He was famous for his mini-lectures, and Farnsworth rolled his eyes. Ridley continued, undeterred.
“As all of you know, the Chimeran forms have one thing in common,” he said. “They are constructs—tools, if you will, created by an alien virus that arrived on our planet in June of 1908. As such, the Chimera don’t have a government, military, or culture as we think of such things. In fact, as far as our experts can tell, they have no formal hierarchy whatsoever. Everything they do flows from common instincts, shared desires, and biological imperatives.
“So,” Ridley continued carefully, “taking those realities into account, it’s difficult to know who we would talk to… And more importantly, to what end? It would be like trying to negotiate hurricane season with the wind. Besides they already have most of Europe and Asia. There isn’t much incentive for them to negotiate at all.”
Grace had a lot of respect for Ridley, even if he didn’t like having his programs subjected to criticism, but he nodded tolerantly.
“Thank you, Tom. You make some excellent points. Still, just because some difficulties appear to block the way, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”
Dentweiler had been silent up to that point, and now he cleared his throat.
“We might be able to contact the Chimera through an infected soldier named Jordan Shepherd. He had already begun to change when he escaped from SRPA custody in Iceland, and by the time he was recaptured a couple of months ago, the reports I read described him as a new form of Chimera. Part-human and part-Angel. Yet, interestingly enough, one that is still capable of communication.”
Grace could see where Dentweiler was headed and hurried to seize upon the opportunity.
“Good thinking, Bill… This could be the opportunity we’re looking for!”
“Not so fast,” Ridley countered soberly. “I’m sorry to inform you that Shepherd—now referred to as Daedalus—is no longer in custody. He was being transferred from a temporary holding facility at Offutt Air Force Base, to a specially built maximum security lab in Florence, Colorado, when the convoy he was riding in was attacked by a force of what we would classify as Chimeran commandos. Half of the stinks were killed, but Daedalus escaped, and remains on the loose.”
“How long ago was that?” Farnsworth inquired doubtfully. “I didn’t hear about it.”
“Three days ago,” Ridley answered tightly, “and no, you didn’t hear about it. The report went to those with a need to know… The SRPA people are very upset by the way… They claim they should have been given responsibility for the transfer rather than the DSA. Which is ridiculous, given the fact that they were the ones who lost Daedalus to begin with!”
Grace had a need to know, or thought he did, but chose not to say anything, fearing that the relevant report was somewhere in the stack of papers on his desk. As for Ridley’s complaints regarding SRPA, he agreed. The people in charge of the organization had become increasingly combative of late. The Sentinels would be a critical part of any military victory—which made it difficult to rein them in. But that was a problem he would deal with later on.
Dentweiler smiled bleakly. His dark hair was combed straight back, his round wire-framed glasses sat high on his nose, and his prominent cheekbones gave his face a gaunt appearance. “That’s a tough break,” he said smoothly. “But it serves to support my point… Because if the Chimera chose to free Daedalus, it implies that he can call on them. Or that they need him.”
“Daedalus may provide a channel for negotiations!” Grace put in brightly. “See? We can accomplish anything if we put our minds to it.”
Then, turning to Dentweiler, Grace said, “Bill, please follow up on the Daedalus thing, and report back as soon as you have something. This could be a real opportunity, and we need to be ready to take advantage of it.”
He stood, and the meeting would have come to an end at that point, except that Walker couldn’t remain silent any longer. He brought a fist down onto the table so hard that a pen jumped into the air and landed with a clatter.
“Are you insane?” he demanded loudly. “Didn’t you hear wha
t the Vice President said? What you propose is treasonous! What about Congress? And the American people? Shouldn’t they have a say?”
Grace just stared at him across the table. Finally he responded.
“Congress had its say when it approved the Emergency War Powers Act of 1946,” Grace replied stiffly. “As for the American people, you’ll recall that they elected me to an unprecedented third term in November of ’48.
“That being said,” the president added tightly, “I take exception to the notion that anyone who doesn’t happen to agree with your idealistic nonsense is a traitor!” He paused, and seemed to relax. “For the moment, Henry, I choose to believe that you’re overworked and distraught about our losses.”
Then his voice hardened again. “But if I’m wrong, and you wish to resign, you know where to send the letter.” He stood, and addressed the room. “This meeting is over.”
Vice President McCullen was the only person to direct a sympathetic look at Walker as Grace led the rest of the cabinet out of the room.
Once they were gone, Walker put his head back, closed his eyes, and battled the overwhelming sense of despair that threatened to drown him. The recorder still was running—but it stopped when a button was pushed.
The rest of the world continued to spin.
CHAPTER FOUR
A Stroll in the Park
East of the Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Monday, November 19, 1951
A miniature snowstorm billowed up around the Party Girl’s hard angular lines as the battle-scarred VTOL descended out of the grayness above.
There was a thump as the transport’s landing gear came into contact with the ground, and Hale came to his feet. He was wearing four layers of clothing, counting the winter-white parka and matching trousers. And, in spite of the viral inhibitor shot he had received prior to takeoff, he was wearing a combination combat harness and white knapsack over his I-Pack. The emphasis was on health, food, and ammo. Everything else having been eliminated to keep the weight down.
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