He thought about the Taiwan situation again and decided to mount an all-out examination of the system once more. He’d have his people check and re-check every single component. Then they’d set up a whole series of new tests in both the Atlantic and Pacific areas.
Yes, that’s what he’d do. And when it worked, he’d plaster the defense community with press releases and watch when other countries lined up to buy his systems. He’d show the world that Sterling Dynamics was still in the game, a game that it simply was not in his nature to lose.
CHAPTER SIXTY
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE
The sleek blue and white modified 757, tail number 80002, with the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” emblazoned on the side rolled to a stop. A white truck drove up to extend the long stairway to the forward door.
Hunt watched as several Secret Service agents came down the stairs dressed in dark suits, their ear pieces firmly in place. Next, Vice President Jayson Keller, clad in grey slacks, white shirt and a blue blazer walked down the stairs to greet the base commander and a number of other officers standing in line to shake his hand.
A passel of press types streamed out the back exit, down a separate stairway and headed to the terminal for a short break during the refueling process. There were only a dozen of them representing the various news organizations. One wire service reporter, a couple of print reporters, a few covering the networks and cable outlets, along with a collection of cameramen. They would write a “Pool Report” which would be made available to every member of the press corps back in Washington before filing their own dispatches. They now knew they were going to Asia, but they didn’t yet know why. The vice president’s press secretary was continuing his news blackout until they safely dropped off Dr. Talbot in Taiwan.
Hunt went over to his boss and shook his hand. “Welcome to Travis, sir. A bit warmer here than DC this time of year.”
“Hello, Hunt,” Jayson Keller said. “Good to see you. I’m anxious to hear how you’re doing retrofitting that F-16. Come on into the terminal. We have some time here before we have to take off for Taiwan.” Jay looked around and asked, “Where’s Dr. Talbot?”
I figured that would be the man’s first concern. I’ll bet he’s relishing the thought of spending so many hours alone with her. Well, maybe not exactly alone, but with her all the same.
Hunt felt his stomach tense up when he thought about the vice president making a move on Cammy. Not that he didn’t have a right to, but Hunt had been trying to win back her confidence, little by little, over the past couple of days. He thought he’d been making some progress. Now, with her agreeing to go to Taiwan with the second most powerful man in the world, well, what the hell was he supposed to do?
The entire group walked into the terminal where the base commander ushered them into the Visitors’ Lounge. An Airman offered them coffee or cold drinks. They sat around a small conference table and reviewed their progress on the laser.
A few minutes later, Cammy walked in, pulling her carry-on bag. She had packed a few pair of slacks and cotton shirts to wear during the days when she would be working with the technical crews and also included a simple black dress and heels she always carried in case she was invited to a decent dinner. A second small bag held her computer, a sheaf of notes and a book to read on the plane.
She saw the group seated at the table, drinking coffee and having an animated discussion. There were several Secret Service agents sitting nearby. They nodded to her as she walked by. “Sorry I’m a bit late, gentlemen. Last minute packing and all.”
“No problem, Dr. Talbot,” Jayson Keller said formally. “Come sit down. We’re just reviewing your progress here.”
They went over the work of the last several days. Cammy and Hunt both explained how the crews were finally able to attach the pod to the underside of the F-16 fuselage, install the 360-degree laser mechanism inside and wire it to the panel in the cockpit. They were going to use the next several days for test runs while Cammy was away in Taiwan.
As she looked around the table, she couldn’t help but compare the two attractive men sitting side by side. There was Jay, with his slate grey eyes, muscular build, and take charge attitude.
And there was Hunt, with his brilliant blue eyes, six foot two physique, straight-line grin and more quiet demeanor. Jay was interesting, brilliant in some ways, politically astute and probably calculating. You had to be if you were any kind of successful politician these days. Hunt was smart, dedicated to a fault, a bit rah-rah when it came to his military training, but then so was she.
Hunt was a pilot, just like her dad. Did it matter? Maybe not, but she felt she understood him better than the ambitious man asking the probing questions there at the table.
Hunt had certainly been solicitous of her the last few days during those moments when they had any time at all to chat. But he still hadn’t told her why he hadn’t called her or been in touch for months after their wild affair in India.
Cammy thought back to the nights they spent at the hotel overlooking the Taj Mahal. They had sat out on his balcony and stared at the incredibly beautiful building bathed in moonlight. Studded with precious stones, it was a place that took a thousand elephants and twenty-thousand men to build. At least that was the story in all the brochures.
They had been there as honored guests of the Indian government after they had worked together to deploy her original Q-3 system that was able to lock on to a cruise missile launched by a terrorist group. She had used her complicated algorithms to invade its guidance system like a virus in a computer and then redirect it safely over the mountains, thus saving the city of New Delhi from a devastating attack.
At that hotel in Agra, she and Hunt had made love over and over again while night breezes wafted through their open balcony doors. She could still feel the warmth of his embrace, the smell of the soap he used, the soft touch of his hands as they roamed over her body and sent shivers of anticipation to her core.
She had relived the moments when he had raised her to such a peak that she cried out his name and finally collapsed. It was so intense, so erotic that she had told him later she felt ethereal. And she described her feelings in terms of those “E words.” He had just grinned at her, pulled her closer and held her throughout the night.
She had fallen so hard for the man. She had thought about a future with him, made plans about how they could combine their careers and be together from then on. But when they had returned to Washington, everything suddenly changed. He had been sent away. God knows where. He didn’t call her, didn’t send an email. He was just … gone.
Now what? Was he back in her life? Did she want to go through it all over again? Would he want to pick up where they had left off? He hadn’t said so. Not in so many words. And in the meantime, Jayson Keller had roared into her life. Talk about attentive. The man found a reason to call her almost every day in spite of his grueling schedule.
She wondered if he was fascinated with her or with her work. After all, he had a lot riding on her technology right now. If it worked and could be deployed on our entire fleet of air carriers, he could proclaim it to the world and show that his administration really did have an answer for the crazed terrorists who were holding our economy hostage. And if he could do that, he’d be a shoe-in for the next election.
If he were elected president of the United States, what would he want from her then? The role of First Lady? The mere thought of such a thing was absolutely daunting. She didn’t know if she could picture herself going through a long campaign or presiding at all those receptions and dinners, giving speeches, promoting causes and smiling at every available camera.
Hers was a life of research, technology, computers and challenges. She had decided years ago to concentrate on the whole subject of missile defense as a way to preclude attacks and save the lives of soldiers as well as innocent bystanders. A way to perhaps change the entire concept of war.
It wouldn’t be mutual assured destruction or the MAD
doctrine that had been U.S. policy throughout the Cold War days. No, now that the world had changed, their defenses had to change too, and she wanted to be a part of the process.
If she hooked up with Jay, maybe she would have more opportunities, more power. If she hooked up with Hunt, maybe she could still work on her projects, form a kind of partnership and … enjoy his other talents.
So how would all this play out? As Cammy studied the men at the table, she realized that at this point, she didn’t have a clue.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
GEORGETOWN
Senator Derek Winters slapped a man on the back as he passed a table at Café Milano in the heart of Georgetown. “Good to see you, Harry. Remember me to your lovely wife.” He nodded to a couple across the room and continued to follow the hostess who led him to a table along the side where Melanie was perusing the menu.
“Hi gorgeous,” he said as he sat down opposite her. “Sorry I’m late. Had a vote on the floor. You know how it is,” he explained, waving at yet another woman who was smiling at him from a nearby table.
Melanie looked up and said, “I know. You’re never really sure of your schedule when the Senate’s in session.” She glanced around the room, “But you’re always sure to see your contacts whenever we eat out.”
“All part of the game, my dear. And right now I feel like I’m at match point.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? You of all people are up on the news. Hell, you make the news.”
“I know, but …”
“C’mon sweetheart. This whole administration is crashing and burning along with our airplanes. You can see that. I’ve taken in more donations in the last two weeks than I raised in the whole campaign for my Senate seat. We’re riding high.”
“You mean, riding high on the back of tragedy,” she observed glumly.
“Look, Mel, that’s the way it’s played in this town. When you’re in the White House, you take the blame, or the credit, for whatever the hell goes on in the country. The economy, foreign policy, terrorist attacks. Everything. You know that.”
“Yes, but what if the president doesn’t have anything to do with it? I mean if we’re attacked, well, he didn’t cause that,” Mel said defiantly.
“Of course not. But he didn’t prevent it either. And he hasn’t done a damn thing to catch these guys, whoever they are. No, the man is a complete incompetent, and I’m the one who’s going to point that out in every single speech from now on.”
A waiter walked up and asked if they’d like to order a drink. Mel was glad for the interruption. This conversation was getting downright depressing. “I’ll have a glass of your house cabernet please,” she said.
“Red wine for the lady, and I’ll have a Manhattan,” Derek said. The waiter went to the bar in the other room while the senator resumed his observations. “Don’t you see, sweetheart, this is a golden opportunity. Market’s in the tank, controllers are out, flight attendants have joined in, protesters are crowding the parks, and the talk shows, well, did you see me on Tucker Carlson’s show last night? I think I really nailed the bastard.”
“Sorry, I missed that one. What happened? I can’t imagine that Tucker gave you an easy ride. He’s famous for taking on the other side. And to be honest, I like that show.”
“Yeah, well, during our little exchange, it got kind of heated. Probably made his ratings go up though.”
“Derek, do you mind if I change the subject here?” Mel asked.
“Of course not. What would you like to talk about?”
“Have you been interviewed by the attorney general’s people yet about that leak situation?”
“Of course I have,” Derek said, a serious expression covering his face. “Do you think I could be the one who leaked Talbot’s name and information on her project? What do you take me for anyway?”
Melanie studied the man across from her. Yes, he was attractive in an angular sort of way. And he had that killer smile that he turned on like a faucet all the time. He had a high forehead and a shock of hair that often fell down, giving him an almost boyish look at times. She wondered if he used hair spray to get that effect. “I don’t know. I’ve just been trying to figure out how her name got out there. And now after that explosion at Heritage and the attack on the cargo plane at Travis.”
“Yes. Terrible situation., Really tragic. I am sorry about losing all those people, Mel. You have to believe me on that one.”
Should she believe him? He was such a bullshit artist sometimes, it was hard to separate fact from fabrication. “Well, who then?”
“I don’t have any idea. But I’m not losing any sleep over it. They can investigate all they want. Nobody cares. It’s all out there now anyway. About her laser invention, which may or may not work,” he said. “Do you think it’ll work?”
“If I knew I couldn’t tell you,” Melanie said.
The waiter brought their drinks and asked if they were ready to order.
“Insalata Milano and the veal chop, medium rare, please,” Mel said.
“Good choices, ma’am. And for you sir?”
“I’ll have your tomato and avocado salad, and then how about the linguini and lobster?” Derek suggested.
“Always one of our best.” The waiter left, walked past the other tables packed with lobbyists, House members and a few news reporters and slipped into the kitchen.
“Now then, Miss Melanie, I have to say you seem awfully preoccupied or upset or something tonight. You’re not your usual bouncy self,” Derek said, taking a sip of his cocktail. “Why don’t we forget all of these weighty problems and drink to us, shall we?”
He raised his glass and Melanie picked up her wine. But as she clinked his glass she realized that she truly was preoccupied. With the terrorist attacks, the strikes, the market, the tension spreading through the entire city to say nothing of the rest of the country. But most of all, she was focused on thoughts of her friend, Cammy, and her flight to Taiwan to help that country stave off a possible attack.
Why couldn’t Derek work on being part of the answer rather than always being part of the problem? It seemed he was constantly finding fault with everyone and everything. Always trying to figure out how to capitalize on others’ misfortunes, especially if they happened to be in the other political party.
Maybe he was just playing the same role as most of the other politicians in positions of power in this town. But right now she was sick of it.
A lot of people she knew quoted Lord Acton all the time about how power corrupts. But she had another take on that. She realized that power amplifies character. As she gazed across the table at this man who had become her lover over the past few weeks, she started to feel ashamed of herself.
Was she only using him for a good time on a few Saturday nights, just as he was probably using her? She didn’t really envision any sort of future with this guy. And the more she got to know him, the more they argued. So what was the point of all of this?
She picked up the conversation and turned it to other action on the Hill, the pending bills, the requests from his special groups back home. And as they finished their dinner, she finally made a decision. It had been a while in coming, but it was about time.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
ON BOARD AIR FORCE TWO
“You did what?” Jayson Keller practically shouted at Cammy.
They were seated in two spacious leather chairs in the lounge of Air Force Two, a large compartment located just behind the communications center where classified memos were received and secure phone calls were made. Inside the lounge, there was a pull out couch, the two chairs, a table and a map of the world on the far wall. It was just large enough to hold small staff meetings or private tete-a-tetes like this one.
The vice president and Cammy were all alone in the lounge. The crew members were sitting in blue and silver leather seats in the next cabin. Farther back there was a conference area with eight navy leather chairs, tables with telephones a
nd drink holders where the traveling staff sat.
Between that and another compartment for the doctor, the military aide, press secretary and official photographer, there was a door with the seal of the vice president affixed to the top. A blue carpet ran the whole length of the plane. It ended in the last section that had some two dozen seats. This was the only part of the configuration that looked like coach seating. This is where the press was stashed.
Cammy had been given a tour of the entire plane when she first came on board. Now she was comfortably ensconced in the lounge telling the vice president about the call she had made to the Indian ambassador, her former host in Washington. But she soon would be quite uncomfortable as her story unfolded.
“I wanted to call you first, but you were already on your way to Travis. Besides, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“I was on my way to Travis? Cammy, for Christ sake, we have the most sophisticated communication system in the world. WHCA can patch me through to anywhere.”
“WHCA?”
“White House Communications. And what the hell is this about not bothering me? With an issue like this? You’d God damn well better bother me. You’re not the secretary of state! At least not yet,” he muttered under his breath.
“I just thought it was such a great idea. I mean, here we are going to Taiwan where I’ll only have a couple of technical people to help me set up the entire defense perimeter. That’s a Herculean task. It will take time to get the Taiwanese up to speed on the system. It’s not just something where you can turn it on and walk away.”
“I know, but asking another country to come in and help? Without authority? Jesus Christ!”
She didn’t like his tone of voice one bit. Cammy thought her idea was positively brilliant. When she had first designed Q-3, there had been another scientist at Bandaq who had headed up their radar and satellite divisions. Then, when he had finished setting those up, he was assigned to her division, and he had been enormously helpful when she was nailing down the last tricky parts of the technology. His name was Raj Singh, and he was from New Delhi.
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