‘We have to talk to someone,’ Wade replied eventually. ‘It’s not good politics to ignore an offer to talk. That’s not what the American people want. They are looking to us to resolve this situation. If Trevathan wants to talk terms, we should listen to her.’
‘They’re not asking us to listen to her,’ Hessler said. ‘They’re sending some young woman…’
‘That young woman happens to be the Acting Director of the FBI, General,’ Latham interrupted, apparently taking a renewed interest in his surroundings.
‘That title is not legal,’ Hessler rejoined, ‘and it doesn’t conceal the fact that we are being asked to deal with the minor leaguers.’
‘That’s the way it’s done,’ Latham insisted. ‘I would have thought, with your experience, General, you would know that. You don’t bring in the big guns until the deal is ready to be done. You don’t expose them to the risk of failure.’
‘And they want her college buddy, Agent Samuels, to talk to her?’ Hessler snorted contemptuously. ‘The two girl friends are going to negotiate for us? Sounds like a typical Trevathan idea to me.’
‘It’s a damn good idea,’ Latham said, getting up slowly. ‘Agent Samuels is very loyal to the President. She went to prison for him. She’s not going to give anything away. And Kelly Smith is a very smart woman. You don’t get to be Ted Lazenby’s personal assistant without having what it takes, believe me.’
‘And it gives us cover,’ Wade added. ‘While they’re talking, we’re making other plans, or carrying out other plans. We look like good guys for talking to them, but we’re also pressing forward with our agenda. And we can buy more time by saying we have to consider very carefully any suggestions that they may make. I don’t see a downside to it.’
Hessler stood up straight and faced Steve Wade.
‘All right, Mr. President, if you put it like that, I guess I don’t have an objection. But you do understand that once she’s in, Miss Smith can’t leave, and neither can anyone she brings with her.’
Dick Latham turned around sharply to look at Hessler.
‘What the hell do you mean by that?’
‘Just what I said,’ Hessler snarled viciously. ‘Anyone we allow into the White House will get a first-hand look at our operation. We can’t allow the other side to gain access to that kind of intelligence. It’s not secure.’
Latham pushed himself up out of his chair and walked decisively towards Hessler as if to confront him.
‘I don’t believe this,’ he said angrily. ‘You’re seriously proposing to kill the woman, you’re going to murder her?’
‘I’m drawing attention to a regrettable operational necessity.’
‘Are you out of your fucking mind?’ Latham screamed. ‘Steve, would you get this psychopath under control, for Christ’s sake?’
‘It’s not murder, Mr. Attorney-General,’ Hessler replied. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, we are in a state of war. The disposal of enemy agents is a normal incident of war. I don’t expect you to understand that, but that’s the way it is.’
‘That’s bullshit,’ Latham shouted. ‘We are not at war. Smith is not an enemy agent, and she’s not going to go anywhere near our operation. She’ll have a marine guard every step of the way. We’re not going to let her anywhere near the operations room.’
‘It’s not secure,’ Hessler repeated. ‘Who cares, anyway? By the time anyone asks what happened to her, we will have the entire Senate under threat of immediate invasion, and we’ll have a battery of nuclear weapons trained on Houston. Kelly Smith will be the last thing on Trevathan’s mind, I guarantee you that.’
Latham looked hopelessly at Steve Wade.
‘Steve, come on. For God’s sake.’
Hessler smiled. ‘Do you really think it’s up to him any more?’ he asked.
Wade turned even further round in his chair, his back to the other occupants of the room.
‘I have to leave security matters to General Hessler,’ he said quietly. ‘I have other things to consider.’
‘The hell you do.’ Latham walked up to Wade’s desk and brought a fist crashing down on it. ‘I didn’t sign up for this. I’m a prosecutor, for Christ’s sake. I’m not about to condone murder.’
‘You don’t have any choice, Mr. Attorney-General,’ Hessler said.
‘The hell I don’t,’ Latham replied, heading for the door. ‘You’ll damn well see what choice I have.’
‘May I remind you,’ Hessler said quietly, without turning round, ‘that there are a number of Marines outside that door, who will carry out any order I give them without questioning it. I strongly advise you not to test my patience.’
Latham stopped at the door, turned, and gave Hessler a look of pure hatred.
‘I’ll be in my office, Mr. President.’ He left the room.
Hessler switched on the radio attached to the collar of his uniform.
‘The Attorney-General will be accompanied at all times until further notice,’ he said.
‘Yes, Sir,’ a voice responded.
‘Well, I think we’re in agreement, Mr. President. I’ll give the word that Smith and one other agent may pay us a visit.’
Steve Wade turned his chair back around. ‘When do we move on the Senate?’
‘I recommend we put my forces on alert when Smith arrives. At the end of the discussions, we allow her to call Trevathan to say we’re still talking. We go in when their defenses are down.’
‘Very well. And the nuclear weapons?’
‘I’ll get started on redeploying them now. Once they are in place, you can talk to Trevathan any time you want and make sure she understands what she’s up against.’
Wade drummed his fingers nervously on his desk. ‘I hope she gets the message.’
‘Ellen Trevathan is a lightweight,’ Hessler said contemptuously. ‘She can’t stand the idea of force. Not since her first peace conference in 1964. She’s the one the Williamsburg Doctrine was made for. She’ll fold like a stack of cards.’
‘Let’s not forget that, right now, you’re the only member of the Joint Chiefs who still supports the Williamsburg Doctrine,’ Wade said. ‘McGarry seems to have become unreliable. Ellen can count on a lot of support if it comes to a fight.’
‘There will be no fight, and McGarry will be back once he figures out they can’t stop us,’ Hessler insisted. ‘We’re holding all the cards. Once the Senate reverses its vote, they’ll be back on board. Without that vote in the Senate, Trevathan has no legitimacy.’
‘We can’t hold the Senate hostage forever,’ Wade said. ‘This depends on the people, not the Senate. I’m not hearing about too many people taking to the streets. I’m a popular President. What is wrong with these people? Can’t they see what we’re trying to do here? Can’t they see we need their support? That’s what’s going to get Ellen’s attention, when she sees that the people are behind me.’
‘We have the people that count on the streets,’ Hessler said. ‘Here in Washington. Lots of them. Once we take the Senate, they’ll make their views known soon enough. The people want what they always want, Mr. President. They want a quiet life. They want to see this thing resolved, so they can get back to their beer and football. And that’s what we’re going to give them by this time tomorrow. Besides, Trevathan knows what would be involved in trying to retake the White House. There won’t be a White House any more, and she’s not going to do that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and get things started.’
Wade nodded. Hessler left the Oval Office. Two Marines stationed outside the door came to attention and made as if to follow him. Hessler shook his head.
‘Stay here and guard the President,’ he ordered. ‘Don’t let anyone in without my permission.’
* * *
As Senator O’Brien followed his colleagues wearily back into the Senate Chamber, Frank pushed himself up from the floor and walked over to join him.
‘How did it go?’ he asked.
O’Brien shook his head. ‘
Not good,’ he replied. ‘You’ll hear all about it.’ He took one step forward, intending to take his seat, but then abruptly turned back.
‘Frank, is there any way, any way at all, to verify these stories we’ve been hearing? They seem unbelievable, but…’
‘You think there may be something to it, Senator?’
‘I’m beginning to think so. I’m afraid our colleagues may be on the verge of making a big mistake, but without some more facts, I don’t see any way to stop them.’
Frank’s eyes suddenly opened wide. ‘You mean they’re thinking of…’
‘That suggestion has been made to us… Maybe.’
Frank ran his hands through his hair. ‘Perhaps there is a way. I’m not sure how much longer my phone is going to hold out… I wonder if… ? Give me a moment, Senator.’
O’Brien nodded and made his way slowly to his seat. Frank ran to a corner of the Chamber where he hoped there would be marginally less noise, and with a silent prayer dialed a number. The phone seemed to ring for ever, but just as he was about to give up, his call was answered.
‘Kelly Smith’.
‘Kelly, thank God. It’s Frank.’
Unable to sleep or relax, Kelly and Jeff had walked back to the law school and were waiting by the phone in Ken Hunt’s office. Kelly was sitting in the Dean’s chair, alternating between nodding off and suddenly being wide awake. The sound of her mobile phone made her jump.
‘Frank? Where are you?’
‘I’m in the Capitol with Senator O’Brien.’
Kelly gestured to Jeff, who, also now wide awake, ran over to kneel by her side and listen in on the call.
‘Listen, Kelly, I’m not sure how much juice my phone has left…’
‘What’s going on in there?’
‘That’s what I have to tell you. We’re being held hostage by Hessler’s marines…’
‘Yes, I know…’
‘The problem is, no one really knows what’s going on outside. There are all kinds of rumors flying around. The Senators don’t know what to do, Kelly. Senator O’Brien thinks they may be about to take another vote on the impeachment.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ Kelly breathed. ‘Where does Senator O’Brien stand on that?’
‘I don’t think he wants to do it. He’s asked me to try to get some more facts. You were the only person I could think of. I don’t know how much time we have left. Conditions are pretty bad in here, Kelly…’
Kelly looked at Jeff anxiously.
‘Frank, listen, you were right to call. I can’t tell you everything, for security reasons. What I can tell you is that President Trevathan has taken the oath of office. She is safe, and she is in charge of the legitimate government.’
‘In Houston? That’s the rumor around here.’
‘Yes. I’m here with her. Wade is still in the White House, and he and Hessler are trying to prevent Trevathan from taking over. But it’s not going to work. I know you have some Marines to worry about, but most of the military is supporting Trevathan. We have a plan in place, and we expect to have everyone safe soon. But here’s the thing, we really need the Senate to hold firm.’
‘Can I tell Senator O’Brien I’ve talked to you?’
‘Yes. Tell him he has to reassure the Senate that we’re doing all we can. I can’t say any more now, but President Trevathan has promised to get you all out of there, and that’s what we are going to do.’
Kelly heard the sigh on the other end of the line.
‘Thank you, Kelly. I’ll do what I can.’
‘I know you will.’
There was an embarrassed silence.
‘Just in case, Kelly… I… I want to apologize for being such an asshole.’
Kelly smiled. ‘It’s not necessary.’
‘How is it going with… Jeff, is it?’
‘Yes. Fine. How about you? Found someone to have a future with?’
Frank laughed. ‘Still looking. Somehow, it doesn’t seem so important right now.’
‘Yeah, I know. Frank…’
‘Yes?’
‘Thanks.’
The phone beeped several times, then went dead.
Kelly looked at Jeff.
‘We’d better speak to the President,’ she said.
* * *
‘This is Fox. Are you hearing me?’
‘I hear you spent your vacation in France?’
‘No. I prefer Italy.’
‘Hearing you loud and clear, Fox,’ Carlson replied. ‘Go ahead.’
‘The Marines have been put on alert. When the time comes, your people will storm the Capitol. The Marines will put up a show of resistance, but will be unable to prevent the crowd from entering the building. No shots will be fired. I expect you to be responsible for that. If they are fired on, the Marines will return fire, but their rules of engagement are that they are not to fire unless fired on. This is to be an action by the people, not the military. The world’s press has to see that the American people are taking back their institutions. But nobody is to move before time. Is this clearly understood?’
‘That’s affirmative,’ Carlson replied.
‘Good. And you understand what is to happen once you’re inside?’
‘The Senate is to be persuaded to change its vote.’
‘Yes. And as soon as that happens, you call me, and wait for further orders. Once you are secure in the Senate, you may have your people take a few other buildings, just to make the point, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, whatever you want. Tell your commanders to make sure the press get a good look at what’s going on. But the same rules apply. No shooting. Understood?’
‘That’s affirmative. How long…?’
‘Not long. There are a few things to take care of, political matters, nothing that need concern you.’
Fox rang off abruptly.
52
‘WE’RE IN,’ Jeff said, hanging up. ‘The helicopter has clearance to land on the White House landing pad. They require the pilot to call in with an E.T.A. at five minutes, and then two minutes out. They have assigned us a special frequency for transmissions.’
Ellen got up from her desk, walked over to Kelly and Jeff and placed a hand on each of their arms.
‘I don’t like this,’ she said.
‘We have to do something, Madam President,’ Jeff replied. ‘We don’t know how long we can hold things in the Senate. The alternative is to mount an all-out frontal attack on the White House now, and you’re not ready to do that yet.’
‘It may be a trap.’
‘Possibly,’ Kelly said. ‘But they have nothing to gain by doing anything to us. Besides, Linda would have warned us.’
‘Linda may not know,’ the President observed.
‘They want to talk,’ Kelly said. ‘They could have just refused to let us in. I think the worst-case scenario is that they will use the time to plan their next move, which they will do anyway. But so will we. And General Gutierrez said the more time we could buy him, the better.’
‘And they have agreed that you can be in touch with me by telephone?’
‘We made that a non-negotiable condition. We’ll report whatever happens, of course.’
‘I’ve been keeping my eye on the television, Kelly. I don’t like the look of that crowd around the Capitol. Something’s fixing to blow there.’
‘“Fixing to”, Madame President?’ Jeff smiled. ‘You’ve been in Texas too long already. We need to get you back to Washington.’
‘My fault,’ Ken Hunt grinned. ‘I haven’t learned to watch my Ps and Qs around the President yet.’
Ellen managed a tired smile.
‘Fixing to, is about to, whatever,’ she said. ‘The point is, as Jeff said, we don’t know how much time we have. And, Kelly, if things get out of hand in Washington, I’m going to take action. I will protect the Senate. So if I call and tell you to get out of the White House, you get out right away, and you come back here, no questions asked. All right?’
‘Yes, Ma’am,’ Kelly replied. ‘Let me suggest we have a code for that, so we don’t give them a heads-up.’
‘How about I say‘we’re ‘fixing’ to do something? It’s not a phrase I’m likely to use accidentally again, now it’s been pointed out to me.’
‘Sounds good,’ Kelly said. ‘Dean Hunt, you make sure you hold her to that. No ‘fixing to’ unless you mean it.’
‘You got it, Kelly,’ Hunt replied.
‘We need to get going,’ Jeff said. ‘As it is, we’re not going to be there before the middle of the afternoon.’
‘We’re out of here,’ Kelly said.
‘I wish you God speed,’ Ellen said. ‘I will be praying for you, and I will never forget this.’
* * *
‘Quite a reception committee,’ Jeff said nervously, as the helicopter pilot hovered his craft above the White House grounds. The area was crowded with uniformed Marines brandishing assault rifles.
‘It’s like something you’d expect to see in Colombia,’ Kelly answered.
‘You want me to set her down?’ the pilot asked. His voice crackled through Kelly’s headset. Kelly had stipulated that they would not actually land until she had the chance to assess the situation on the ground. She was not sure exactly what it was she was expecting to assess. She had no real alternative. This was the point of no return. She looked around one last time.
‘That’s affirmative,’ she replied.
The helicopter descended slowly and gracefully, coming down softly on the landing pad. Kelly and Jeff unbuckled their seat belts. Jeff grasped the small briefcase tightly as they left the helicopter, keeping their heads low until they were clear of the main rotor blades. A marine captain and two guards approached from the direction of the entrance to the White House. The captain saluted smartly.
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