‘Slow down, Raul. San Jacinto and Clay. OK. What are the two exceptions?’
‘South Texas College of Law and the Four Seasons Hotel.’
‘OK.’
‘And I want you to have all forces under your command stand by for alert, including mobilizing all reservists for active duty.’
Terrell hesitated. ‘Raul, that kind of decision needs an order from the President. At the very least, I’d need something from the Secretary of Defense.’
‘The Secretary of Defense is still in Russia,’ Gutierrez said. ‘I tried to contact him. Wade has ordered him to stay there until sent for.’
‘Jesus Christ.’
‘Later today, President Trevathan and her new Secretary of Defense will ratify every action you take. You have my word on that.’
‘Who is the new Secretary of Defense?’
‘Later. Will you do what I’ve asked?’
‘I’m on it,’ Terrell replied.
‘We’ll need to be in constant contact. I suggest we adopt war procedure now and continue until further notice.’
‘Agreed,’ Terrell said, before hanging up.
Gutierrez looked at his watch and wondered when the second American Civil War would begin.
* * *
During the hurried drive from FBI Headquarters to Andrews Air Force Base, Lazenby took the only chance he had to brief Kelly on what he expected of her.
‘When you get to Houston, there will be transport waiting. Take Ellen straight to the law school. Ken Hunt has already closed the place to students and faculty, and none of his people will be there, except for a few administrators, secretaries, librarians, computer technology personnel, catering staff, the kind of people you’ll need anyway. Our field office has already taken over security inside the building. You should find they’ve installed additional phone lines and a bunch of computers. There will be a strong military presence outside, covering all of downtown, so I don’t think you’ll have any problems. Everybody is staying at the Four Seasons, which is two blocks away. They’ve emptied about half the hotel already, and you can have as many more floors as you need there. Ellen has to get to work right away, and she’s going to need as many members of the government as we can get to join her. You’re in charge of making it possible for them to work, but delegate as much as you can.’
‘Who’s coming with us?’ Kelly asked.
‘Today, four Supreme Court Justices, the Head of the Postal Service, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Tomorrow, we should have the remaining members of the Court, except for the Chief, a lot of senior military officers, the Director of the CIA, and most of the House committee chairs. That should be enough to hold things for a few days.’
Lazenby looked out of the car window.
‘Nothing we can do about the Senate or the Chief Justice for now. They’re stuck in the Capitol until after the vote.’
As Kelly stepped out of the car to walk to the hangar where the aircraft waited, Lazenby called her back.
‘Oh, Kelly, there are two other things.’
‘What?’
‘In this envelope there are numbers to contact Raul Gutierrez and me at any time. We may have to go underground, so don’t share them with anyone except Ellen and Jeff.’
‘OK. What’s the second thing?’
‘I have to function as Vice President for a while. You’ll take over as acting director in my absence.’
Leaving Kelly open-mouthed and speechless, Lazenby drove away. Kelly had never suffered from air sickness in her life, but spent the entire flight fighting back the urge to throw up. Ellen, on the other hand, seemed composed and, sensing Kelly’s stress, made no demands on her. The Vice President took charge of the cabin crew, and spoke reassuringly to the other officials on board the aircraft, who were as worried about the families they had left behind as they were anxious about what lay ahead. Each of them had been whisked from home with no preparation and with little information, except that a national emergency was expected, during which it was important that they continue their official functions. Kelly knew that she should be playing some part in helping them cope, but she was overwhelmed. The fact that there was nothing she could do during the flight made the situation worse. She felt nothing but relief when the aircraft touched down, and she had no alternative but to take command of the operation.
On Ted Lazenby’s instructions, a convoy of black limousines, accompanied by every available FBI field agent, was waiting at Ellington Field to drive the party into Houston. Houston’s Mayor and Police Chief contributed a procession of police motorcycle outriders, which accompanied the group through a succession of city streets which had been closed off to traffic in advance of its arrival. The convoy attracted little attention. Things were quiet in town. Most people were in their offices and homes, waiting for the Senate’s vote and Steve Wade’s television address to the nation.
By the time the party arrived at South Texas College of Law, the Dean’s suite on the second floor had already been prepared for the Vice President’s use. The moot court room and the law library had been reserved for the use of the Supreme Court. Several large screen televisions had been installed in the student lounge, and CNN could already be heard reporting on the last phase of the Senate impeachment proceedings. Armed agents were patrolling the building. The Four Seasons had sent a large vase of flowers and a tray of fruit, with a note welcoming the Vice President to her exclusive floor of the hotel. Ellen explained the possible developments of the next several hours to Dean Ken Hunt, and asked him to serve as interim Attorney-General. Hunt swallowed hard, and asked if he could call his wife to tell her he would be late getting home.
Late in the afternoon, they gathered in the student lounge to watch the story unfolding in Washington. CNN’s coverage alternated between the proceedings in the Senate Chamber and the increasingly menacing scene outside. A nervous female reporter was speaking from the main entrance to the Capitol, which was guarded by a number of police officers armed with sub-machine guns.
‘We’re expecting the vote to be taken within the next hour or two,’ she said. ‘The crowds have now spilled over from the area outside the Capitol to the surrounding streets, and they appear to be filling up the Mall. It’s been many years since demonstrations on this scale have been seen in Washington. But there is no sign that the Senate has been intimidated. In fact, according to one chief aide, it has made them even more determined to press ahead with the vote, which, it now seems inevitable, will go against President Wade. There is one new development. Marines are taking up positions around the Capitol – you may be able to see some of them as our camera scans the area – and they are spreading out, surrounding the building. They are heavily armed, and we have seen several armored vehicles in the area. We’re trying to get more information about this development but, so far, no one is saying anything about it officially. And we still have no comment from the White House. Apparently, they’re waiting to see what happens. But we’re still expecting the President to address the nation as soon as the result of the vote has been announced.’
The reporter placed a finger on the tiny microphone inside her ear.
‘I’m being told that the Washington Police are advising us to move to a safer distance from the building, which we are just about to do. It looks like we have a very tense situation developing here, and no one I’ve spoken to has any idea what might happen next.’
45
AGENTS LINDA SAMUELS and Gary Mills flanked President Steve Wade, as he walked unhurriedly from the Oval Office to the situation room. The White House was eerily quiet. Most of the civilian staff were gone, told to stay home but remain available by phone until further notice. A team of Marine Corps specialists was working with a minimum of conversation in offices throughout the building. The atmosphere in the situation room mirrored the uneasy quiet of the rest of the White House. In one corner, a large screen television was tuned to CNN, the sound muted. On one side of the room, flanking the large conference ta
ble, several junior officers were manning computers, whose screens flashed images of the United States on to the opposite wall. Key military installations were indicated by blinking lights. Clocks on the wall above recorded the time in all the time zones around the world. Already seated around the conference table were the Marine Commandant, General Hessler, Admiral McGarry of the Navy, and the Attorney-General, Dick Latham, together with a number of lower-ranking Marine and Navy officers and civilian intelligence personnel. Martha Graylor sat, silent and alone, in a chair in a corner of the room. The occupants stood as the President entered. Taking his seat at the head of the table, Steve Wade gestured to them to sit.
‘I call this session of my Emergency Council to order,’ the President announced. ‘It appears we have very little time. My information is that we may have less than two hours, three tops, before the Senate takes this ill-considered vote. General Hessler, your report, please.’
Hessler glanced down briefly at the notes in the folder before him on the table.
‘Mr. President, I have dispatched two units to the Capitol. Their commanding officers have instructions to make sure that the public understand that the military presence is there to protect them in the exercise of their rights, and is not hostile. Many of those present are armed, and we have no information as to whether or not they are subject to disciplined leadership. Things could get nasty if they get out of control. The Washington Police have been advised not to interfere. First reports are that the units are achieving their objectives.’
‘Good,’ Wade said. ‘And they will ensure that no one is allowed in or out of the Capitol once the vote has been taken?’
‘Yes, Sir. The Senate isn’t going anywhere.’
‘What about response around the country?’
Hessler hesitated.
‘The Marine Corps has a tradition of unquestioning obedience to orders, Mr. President. But there has been a great deal of anxiety, especially among the more junior line officers. We may lose many units. But I don’t think that matters at this point. I must emphasize that we have a limited objective here, namely, to secure the White House and the Capitol until the crisis is resolved. We have enough men in place to accomplish that objective. But I must repeat the advice I have given before, that the faster we can resolve this crisis the better.’
‘I understand, General,’ Wade said. ‘I don’t think that will be a problem once the senators appreciate their situation. Our strategy is simple. The show of support we have in place around the Capitol is intended to change the minds of seven senators. That’s all we need to reduce the majority to less than two thirds. We will give them time for reflection, for reason to prevail, and a new vote will be taken, one that goes the right way. I’m quite confident that will happen. The people have decided to make their voice heard.’
‘I sincerely hope so, Mr. President,’ Hessler said.
‘Admiral McGarry, what about the Navy?’
‘Not so good, Mr. President. We’re pretty much split down the middle right now, but once the vote is taken, I’m afraid I may not be able to hold the line. Naval commanders can be a pretty independent bunch, and…’
‘I’m not interested in the psychology of naval commanders, Admiral,’ Wade almost hissed, as Hessler muttered an obscenity under his breath. ‘I don’t have time. What’s going on?’
McGarry shrugged.
‘With regard to our surface ships, we’ve lost the fleets almost entirely, Mr. President, in the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Med,’ he replied in a subdued tone. ‘The ships that are at sea are on their way back home at full speed. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kelso pulled out of Norfolk this morning, three days ahead of schedule, without telling anyone, and we haven’t heard from it since. Maybe they’re just going to wait it out, but maybe they’re ready to do more than that. Either way, it’s not good.’
‘So, what you’re saying is, you don’t have any damn control at all over your own Service,’ Hessler interrupted. ‘What kind of outfit are you running, Admiral?’
‘One that calls for a certain degree of intelligent thought,’ McGarry shot back.
‘All right, that’s enough,’ Wade intervened. ‘We don’t have time for squabbling. Let’s get to what really matters, Admiral. What about the nuclear subs?’
‘We have the subs,’ McGarry said. ‘At least for now. They operate on a different protocol. As long as you hold the keys to the nuclear codes, they will not accept orders from anyone else. Obviously, that’s only going to last for so long. Once the word gets out about the vote, they may decide their only option is to head back to base.’
McGarry leaned forward on the table and looked nervously around the room.
‘Of course, one possibility would be to make sure the word doesn’t get to them for a while,’ he suggested tentatively.
‘You mean, we could insulate them from that information?’ Wade asked.
‘We could, Mr. President,’ McGarry replied. ‘A submarine is an isolated environment. They are cut off from the rest of the world in a way surface ships are not. Signals are strictly controlled. Even so, we could only hold them for a limited time. We could buy more time by planting some positive disinformation.’
‘You mean, tell them the vote went in my favor?’
‘It’s a possibility,’ McGarry replied.
Wade took a deep breath. ‘Let’s do it. Has anyone heard from Terrell?’
‘He’s ratted on us,’ Hessler snarled. ‘Same with Gutierrez, although we expected that.’
There was a silence around the table.
‘Sounds like we’re out-gunned,’ Wade observed somberly.
‘In some ways,’ Hessler replied. ‘But in two decisive respects we have the advantage.’
Wade looked up.
‘First, we control Washington. We’re surrounding the Capitol, and we’re occupying the White House. The opposition isn’t going to risk the kind of damage it would take to dislodge us.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure of that,’ the President said quietly.
‘If they did,’ Hessler said, ‘it would only be as a last resort. It would take them time just to position themselves for the attempt and, meanwhile, the whole world will be urging restraint, which is what the diplomats like to call not having the balls to take decisive action. By that time, the situation will have resolved itself, one way or the other. Assuming everything goes well, we don’t have to worry about it. If not, it gives us a chip to bargain with.’
‘Besides,’ McGarry said. ‘We’re dealing with Ellen Trevathan. She’s a pacifist. She’s not going to open fire on us. Not until every other possible approach has failed.’
‘As I said,’ Steve Wade replied, ‘I wouldn’t be so sure of that. What’s the second thing?’
‘We’re in control of the nukes,’ Hessler said, with a grim smile. ‘You have sole charge of the codes, Mr. President. There’s nothing the opposition can do about that.’
Every eye around the room was on Hessler.
‘I hope, General,’ Dick Latham said, his face white and strained, ‘that you are not suggesting the President would use a nuclear weapon within the United States, against his own people. I can’t believe you would even say it out loud.’
Hessler returned Latham’s look with a contemptuous sneer.
‘I’ll put your lack of sophistication down to your lack of military training, Mr. Attorney-General,’ he replied tersely. ‘The point is not that the President would order the use of a nuclear weapon. The point is that he could. It’s something we can use to keep the other side off balance. They have to make the calculation. I would remind everyone present that we’re not planning a prolonged campaign here. We only need a very short-term tactical advantage, just long enough to allow the President to resolve the political situation.’
Wade looked around the room for Martha.
‘What’s the word on the Vice President?’ he asked.
‘I’ve confirmed that the Vice President has established Headquarters
in Houston, at a law school, Mr. President, as we were told earlier,’ Martha replied, her voice barely audible. ‘We’re not entirely sure who is with her. We know one or two members of the Court, a few Congressmen, and her personal Detail, obviously.’
‘Gutierrez or Terrell?’
‘We don’t think so, Mr. President. Word is they’re still in Washington, though we’re not sure exactly where.’
‘What about Lazenby?’
‘Same goes for the Director, Mr. President. He’s probably still in town, but we’re not completely sure.’
Wade looked at his watch.
‘General Hessler, can’t we prevent these people from going to Houston to become Knights of the Round Table at the Vice President’s Camelot?’
‘Prevent travel? No, Mr. President,’ Hessler replied at once. ‘We cannot.’
‘But…’
‘We don’t have the resources. The only way would be to detain them, and we don’t have the man-power to do that. Besides, if part of the idea is to avoid adverse publicity, that would be worse than letting them go.’
‘I hardly think publicity is an issue in this situation,’ Latham said.
‘Be that as it may, as I said before, Mr. President, this is a short-term operation. I recommend we use our resources only for necessities, such as remaining in control in Washington. That’s all that matters. Let them play whatever games they want in Houston. Who cares?’
The President nodded.
‘Martha, are we all ready to go with the broadcast?’
‘Yes, Sir, all set.’
‘Good. Then let’s turn up the volume on the TV and see if the Senate has got the message yet.’
‘Mr. President …’
‘Yes?’
‘You should know that… that the Vice President is planning her own broadcast immediately following your address.’
Wade nodded.
‘Yes, I’m sure she is,’ he replied. ‘What a field day for the press!’
He stood and faced the entire room.
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