by James Hunt
Jones kicked the broken pieces of the phone away like a child discarding a toy he was no longer interested in playing with. He slumped into his chair and rubbed his temples. He was in the dark. He had no way of knowing what Daniel and Smith were going to do. Gallo had gone rogue, and the vice president had yet to commit to Jones’s plan.
In less than a day, years of plans were unraveling. That’s all it took. The egos surrounding him were too bruised and prideful to see the bigger picture. Jones loathed the ego. It clouded a man’s ability and turned his ambition into a hell-howling beast. And right now, all of the beasts were rampaging through the world, tearing it apart.
If Gallo ended up attacking official U.S. troops, it would collapse everything he was trying to build. Jones knew that if the United States entered a full-fledge war with Mexico, they wouldn’t have the resources to capitalize on South America. And if he couldn’t pull the water resources from Brazil, then the U.S. economy would collapse within a year. They needed that water now.
“Congressman?” Ken asked. “There’s someone here to see you.”
Ken’s frail head disappeared and was replaced by the grim face of Daniel Hunter, whose younger face looked how Ken’s must have felt all of the time.
“Daniel, I’m glad you came to s—”
“Save it,” Daniel said.
The room fell quiet, with Daniel’s voice acting as the silencer. Jones became aware of how dark the room was. The sun had finally set, and the windows provided no light for the two of them. Jones’s desk lamp was the only illumination in the office.
“You’re one of the most despicable creatures I have ever laid my eyes on,” Daniel said.
Jones’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he tried to clear his throat. His mouth felt dry. He reached for a glass of water but instead knocked it over in his unintentional haste. Daniel’s surprise visit and the tone he was using threw Jones off guard. Jones was in unfamiliar territory. He was now the one with something to lose, but he didn’t know how much Daniel knew.
“You manipulate, lie, and cheat to accomplish whatever goal you decide is important. It’s not Congress’s decision or the president’s or the people’s. Just yours,” Daniel continued.
Jones replied, “I know you couldn’t care less what I think of you, Daniel. But I do know that your family’s perception of you carries a great deal of importance. How would they react to what you’ve done? How would they see you if they learn what happened?”
Daniel reached for the spilled glass on Jones’s desk. Jones leaned back, creating space between himself and Daniel. Daniel twirled the glass in his hand. The color of his fingers turned from a healthy tan to a dark purple from the pressure he applied.
Jones jolted back as Daniel smashed the glass on the edge of the desk, turning it into jagged pieces. Daniel held the bottom of the glass, which was still intact, and thrust the sharp edges at Jones, who recoiled. A drop of blood ran down the side of Daniel’s hand.
“If you ever speak about my family again, I will end you. Do you understand me? I will kill you without hesitation, fear, or regret,” Daniel said.
Jones grew smaller in his chair. His breaths were short. The collar of his dress shirt and jacket rose to his chin. He had the look of a turtle too frightened to come out of his shell to confront the predator threatening him.
“I understand,” Jones answered.
Daniel threw what was left of the glass against the wall. It exploded upon impact and sent another shower of sharp pieces across the floor. Daniel fell backward onto one of Jones’s couches and closed his eyes.
“Me and my family have immunity against whatever charges are filed. The Colombia case is buried, and my children never have to worry about money again. Understood?”
“I’ll have Ken draft the paperwork up right now.”
***
Smith and Edwards were parked in a car just outside the factory where Dr. Carlson’s equipment was being delivered. The two of them exchanged a few documents detailing the costs and materials used. The contractor had all the material he needed. Now Smith and Edwards were stuck with the worst job of all: waiting.
“What do you think Daniel will do?” Edwards asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“You really don’t think he’ll side with Jones, do you?”
“I think he’ll do whatever’s necessary to keep his family alive and well. And if he thinks siding with Jones will accomplish that, then it’s in the realm of possibility.”
“Christ, David. How did we get here? Secret meetings, treason, exile. All of it is inconceivable.”
Smith wished he had an answer, but it was buried under miles of bureaucracy. The nation’s troubles went back farther than before either of them took office. What had happened over the past week had been decades in the making.
“It’s not over yet,” Smith said. The words sounded desperate and hollow.
A figure came walking toward them, and Smith recognized it as Dr. Carlson. He rolled down his window.
“Congressmen, so nice of you to join us. Can I interest you in a bottle of water?” Dr. Carlson asked while pulling out two bottles from his coat.
“Is the facility up and running already?” Edwards asked.
“No, but these were from the smaller-scaled model I created yesterday,” Dr. Carlson answered.
“Where’d you get the water for the process?” Smith asked.
“Right out there,” Dr. Carlson said, pointing to the Atlantic.
Edwards took a sip then set the bottle down. “This is seawater?”
“It was. Now, it’s the cleanest, purest, freshest water you’ll find this side of the Mississippi. Or at least what’s left of the Mississippi.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Smith said.
“Yeah, well, let’s just hope your construction team can get everything up and running sooner rather than later. I’ve got to head back in and meet with the contractor.”
Smith rolled the window back up as Dr. Carlson walked away. He squeezed the water bottle in his hands, and the plastic crinkled. He smiled. Maybe they could pull this off after all. He had just signaled for his driver to take Edwards and him back to the Capitol when police cars surrounded them.
“What the hell?” Edwards asked.
Both congressmen exited the car and were greeted with drawn pistols.
“Congressman Smith? Congressman Edwards?” one of the officers asked.
“What is going on here?” Smith asked.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I’m going to need the both of you to turn around and place your hands on the vehicle.”
Four other officers began approaching Smith and Edwards, their pistols still aimed with their fingers on the triggers. One of the officers spun Smith around and slammed him into the side of the car. Smith’s chin banged against the sedan’s roof, and he felt the tight steel of handcuffs restrain his arms behind his back.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say will be held against you in a court of law.”
Smith tried listening to the officer, but all he could see were the dozens of other police officers raiding the factory. The officer continued his speech as he pushed Smith’s head under the roof of his police cruiser and closed the door.
***
The moment Dr. Carlson saw the red and blue lights flashing in the distance, he sprinted into the factory. He was looking for one person. Beth. He found her speaking to the contractor, and without any warning or explanation, he yanked her arm and started pulling her toward the back door.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Beth screamed, trying to wrench her arm away from his grip.
“We need to go,” Dr. Carlson answered.
Cops burst into the factory and arrested anyone within arm’s reach. Beth’s jaw dropped as Dr. Carlson pulled her out the back door and into the shipyard behind the factory.
Despite having heels on, Beth flew past Dr. Carlson and at points needed to slow down for him to
catch up.
“For Christ’s sake, will you hurry up?” Beth asked.
Dr. Carlson leaned up against the side of an old fishing boat hull. Barnacles lined the bottom of the boat, and he pressed his hand to the side of his stomach. It felt as though a knife was stabbing him in the ribs.
“You wouldn’t happen to have any whiskey on you, would you?” he asked.
Beth grabbed his hand and yanked him forward. The two of them continued their trek until they managed to make it to the small town about a mile inland from the coast. There they hid inside a diner so Dr. Carlson could rest and Beth could make a phone call.
“C’mon, pick up. Pick up,” Beth said.
Dr. Carlson gulped down a glass of water, and Beth slammed the phone on the table, shaking the condiments and tipping over the ketchup.
“Damn it!” she said.
Dr. Carlson looked around. The place only had four other people inside it, but every single one looked over at them.
“Tourette's. Sorry,” Dr. Carlson said, then leaned into Beth, who was still cursing under her breath. “So what are we going to do?”
“I’ll make a few calls, see how the police found the facility, and find out the charges filed against David.”
***
Orchestra music played lightly in the background of the bar. The polished wood bar reflected the dim glow of the lights and the solemn faces of the patrons. Daniel rested his chin on his forearm. The glass next to him was nothing but ice with a thin layer of whiskey at the bottom. Daniel circled the rim of the glass with the tip of his finger.
The barkeep wiped a dirty rag across the wooden table top then flung it over his shoulder and started cleaning empty glasses. Daniel flagged him down and pointed at his drink. The barkeep nodded.
“And make this one a double,” Daniel added.
He wanted to make sure he couldn’t remember the next few hours. A small television sat just above the bar, and a news update flashed across the screen. Images of Smith and Edwards in handcuffs as they were escorted to a police station appeared.
The bartender placed the double whiskey in front of Daniel and took the empty glass. He looked up at the screen and shook his head.
“Can you believe those guys?” the bartender asked.
“Do me a favor and turn that off, will you?” Daniel asked.
“Sure.”
The screen went black, and the bartender headed down to the other end to tend to another refill. Daniel pulled the drink to his mouth, his chin still resting on his arm. He extended his lips and gently tipped the glass of liquor into his mouth. After a few sips, he set it down and licked his upper lip to grab the droplets that had gathered there.
Daniel wasn’t going to feel sorry for Smith and Edwards. They had taken a risk, just like he had, and it didn’t pay out. Such was life. His pocket started buzzing. The phone’s screen read “Amy.”
“Hey, baby,” Daniel said.
“Daniel, are you okay? I just saw the news.”
“Yeah, I’m great. How’s your day?”
Daniel’s words came out slow. He could feel the numbness of his tongue. He swayed on the barstool a bit and grabbed the wooden bar top’s edge to steady himself. There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Are you drunk?” Amy asked.
“Yeah, you wanna come join me?”
“Daniel. What happened?”
He picked up the glass of whiskey and drained the rest of its contents. A piece of ice slid into his mouth, and he started chewing it.
“Daniel,” Amy repeated.
“Don’t worry, honey. We’re fine.”
***
The photographers outnumbered the policemen escorting Smith ten to one. Smith tried shielding his face and eyes from the flashing lights and the camera lenses shoved inches from his face. The officers pushed their way through the crowd, and Smith bumped along the reporters itching to get an exclusive.
“Congressman, what charges are you being brought up on?”
“Congressman, why have you been arrested?”
“Congressman, does this have to do with the new bill that was passed last week?”
Smith didn’t make any comments. His mind still swirled with unanswered questions. He knew Jones was behind it, but he wasn’t sure how far he was going to take it. All of it could just be a media circus to further damage his credibility, but he wasn’t sure how desperate Jones was.
The officer led him inside and took his fingerprints on a digital scanner, snapped his picture in a mug shot, and locked the door to his cell. They separated him from Edwards, who was taken to another part of the station. The police didn’t want to give them any opportunity to speak to one another. Smith knew Edwards was smart enough to request a lawyer. Now wasn’t the time to put his foot in his mouth.
What really troubled him was what had happened to Beth and Dr. Carlson. He had no idea whether they had been arrested or if they had managed to get out in time. During the commotion at the factory, he had searched desperately to try and find either of them but came up short.
Smith took off his jacket and tossed it on the cot. He loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. He could already feel the heat of the cell. Police stations ran A/C to every part of their building except the jail cells. It was part of a bill he had voted yes on years ago.
After a few hours of letting him roast in the cell, one of the officers unlocked his door.
“You have a visitor.”
The officer escorted Smith to the visitors’ room. Cubicles with thick, bulletproof glass formed a grid that separated the inmates from the people coming to see them. Sitting by herself in one of the cubicles in the middle of the room with her hair pulled back in a bun was Beth. Smith was the first to pick up the phone.
“I see they let you keep your clothes,” Beth said.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I heard about what happened while I was at the office.”
Smith picked up on Beth’s deception. She didn’t want whoever was listening to know she had been at the factory during the raid. He knew she would have done some research before coming here. Whatever she had found made her believe that it wasn’t safe to speak the truth.
“Tell Kathy and the girls I’m all right. I know she’s probably worried.”
“They were my first call, David.”
That was Beth. No matter what was happening in his life, she was always a constant. It didn’t matter what the obstacle was. She was always ready.
“What about our… intern. Is he all right?” Smith asked.
“He’s still incredibly difficult to deal with, but he’s fine. I have Jake looking after him.”
Smith let out a sigh. As long as Dr. Carlson wasn’t being held by the authorities, there was still hope. He knew Beth could continue the work without him. Hell, she could easily take his seat in Congress. She was as recognizable as Smith in the Capitol. They could still make a go at another site.
“Thank you, Beth,” Smith said.
“Don’t thank me, David. It’s my job.”
Chapter 16
The chill of the desert air surrounded Brooke and Eric. Both of them lay flat in the sand. Eric scanned the area about five hundred yards away. The only things standing in their way were four patrol cars roaming the Texas border, a barbed wire fence, and the patrol station just beyond the border.
Eric had been right. The patrol and barricades were more excessive closer to the south. The cruiser was ten yards behind them, tucked behind a boulder. Eric lowered the rifle and handed it to Brooke.
“To the left, about fifty yards, there’s a gap in the fence,” Eric said.
Brooke peered through the rifle’s scope. It took her a few seconds to find the gap, but there it was. The only problem was that it was nowhere near big enough for the cruiser to fit through.
“How are we supposed to drive through that?” Brooke asked.
“Really fast.”
The two of them scooted ba
ckward, keeping low, and headed to the cruiser. Emily was tucked in the back seat, lying down, and John was in the driver’s seat just in case they needed a quick getaway.
“The guards will hear us break through the fence. They have patrol runs every three minutes, and it won’t give us enough time to get away after we break through,” Brooke said.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing they’ll be chasing after something else, then, isn’t it?”