Shadow Storm

by Michael R. Stern

  “What are you going to do next, Mr. President?” Linda asked.

  “No real plans yet. I'll do some fundraising for my library, make a few speeches. Mostly, I think I'll take it easy for a while. I'd like to spend as much time with my girls as I can before they're both gone. My oldest goes to college in the fall. Maybe I'll write another book.”

  “I'd be happy to edit it for you,” said Linda.

  “Thanks. Maybe we can collaborate. I hope we'll stay in touch,” he said, looking around the table.

  “I'm sure we will,” said Linda.

  Chapter 18

  On Wednesday, almost sixty teachers came to the meeting about the tournament. Surprised by the turnout, Fritz thanked them all for coming. The crowd's size demanded that he be short-winded. He explained how it would work and told them what they would be doing.

  “The kids set the rules for single elimination. So after each round, half of you will have your free time back.”

  “Fritz, is your friend going to have any new projections this year?” Joe Rosenberg asked. “I'd sure like to see one.” The air filled with murmured agreement. Fritz digested the real reason they were there. He needed a good answer. He needed their help.

  “I haven't asked him, Joe. He's been involved in a project with NASA, developing projections for satellite transmission,” he lied. Tom Jaffrey covered his mouth. “If he has anything new, I'll let you know. George wasn't too happy with what we did last spring. Too disruptive, he said.” He scanned the teachers' looks of disappointment. “Now, if any of you are willing to help with the history baseball tournament, please sign the sheet that's going around. The more of you that join us, the less time any one of us will need to contribute. If I have enough coaches, you can split the time.”

  “Fritz.” Joe Rosenberg had another question. “I'm not much on history. What exactly would someone like me be able to do?”

  “As I see it, Joe, it's a lot like test review. You'll have sample questions and a list of topics. There won't be anything that the kids will need more than our school's textbooks to answer. You'll have four students from each grade. The seniors can help the younger kids. We'll try to make sure that each team includes someone who is or was my student and knows how the game works. I'll try to pair a history teacher with every other coach. You'll be able to work out how to train your teams.” He looked for more questions. “I think we'll have a lot of kids. We may need to have team tryouts. Who knows? But we'll need to get started soon. My ninth graders have already started working on prizes and advertising. The Phillies have agreed to be a sponsor.”

  “Fritz,” said Liz Chambers, “the entire history department will do this with you. I'll guarantee that. Each of us can help several teams. I'll spread them around, like consultants.”

  “Thanks, Liz. So, anyone up for it?” Everyone raised their hands. “That's great. Thanks a lot, guys. I'll tell George and the kids. Encourage your students to take part, if you would. We'll have a meeting with the kids next week. Any questions?” When he saw there were none, he said, “Okay, we're all systems go. Next, the kids.”

  “Fritz, I do have one question,” said a voice in the back. “Would you have a game we could watch just to see how it works?”

  “Absolutely. Great idea.”

  ASHLEY AND LINDA sat chatting at the kitchen table when Fritz walked in. Fritz told them about the teacher turnout. He asked Ashley if he could count on his help.

  “You mean I have to put up with you, the kids, and now the teachers?” he asked. The Cheshire Cat had reappeared.

  “You know, I'm not sure you should be here this early. Why don't you go home? And maybe not come back.”

  “Then I can't tell you,” said Ash.

  “Tell me what?”

  “I can't tell you.”

  “Where's Jane? At least she can keep you leashed.”

  “She's working. More than I can say for you. Oh, and thanks for walking my dog.”

  “Will you two behave? I really don't need a crash course in child rearing. Or the management of teenagers.”

  Fritz asked, “So what is he not telling me, Lin?”

  “Ask him. I'm not in the middle of this.”

  “What are you not telling me?”

  “Check your mail.”

  Fritz looked at Linda, then back at Ash, and got up. In addition to the junk mail stacked on the counter, he pulled out an envelope from the county.

  “Jury duty. You've got to be kidding. I can't do this now.”

  “Not that, although it is your civic duty,” said Ashley, prodding him. Fritz turned his closed fist to Ashley, raised his pinky finger, and said, “Do you know what this means?”

  “Yup. I'm very familiar with the various fingers on your hand. That one is your IQ.”

  Linda snorted. “Will you two stop! Fritz, there's another letter.”

  “Yeah, from you know who,” Ashley said.

  “Lord Voldemort?” He looked up as he continued to thumb the envelopes. “Here it is. Why didn't you open this, Lin?”

  “It's addressed to you. I didn't know if it was safe to open. It might be a letter bomb.”

  “So you're jumping in with him?” asked Fritz, pointing at Ashley.

  “Just open it.”

  Fritz held it up, but the opaque envelope shed not a clue. He took a knife from the drawer and slit through the top. After opening the letter, he sat down, his mouth wide open. “Holy cow.” He handed a piece of paper to his wife.

  “You need to call him, Fritz. Now. This is nuts.” She handed the check to Ashley. Smiling, he reached in his pocket and pulled out the one he had received.

  “You need to call him, and let me talk to him too.”

  “HI, MS. EVANS. Is he available?”

  “Hello, Mr. Russell. How's Linda doing?”

  “Everything's fine, thank you.”

  “He'll be right with you.”

  The president came on the line. “Hi, Fritz.”

  “Are you out of your mind?”

  “You don't think you're worth it?”

  “Mr. President, we didn't come after you to get paid.”

  “And I'm not paying you for saving me. Fritz, once again, you've put your country ahead of your family and personal welfare. You could be like other government contractors, shamelessly submitting a bill for some vague service and an outrageous amount. Would you send me a bill, even if I asked?”

  “No, Mr. President. I wouldn't.”

  “Then I did what I determined to be in the best interests of the country. I mean it, Fritz. I owe you my life. The country owes you for saving its president. It's a small price to pay. You never signed on for any of this.”

  “Then, thank you. Ash is here. He wants to talk to you.”

  “Mr. President,” Ashley began. “Thank you very much, but would you consider a one-on-one game, to 20, double or nothing?”

  The president howled. “Ashley, you're welcome. I'm glad to hear you're back to normal. But I'll put my money up. How about a game to 10, for a hundred bucks?”

  “You're on. When?”

  “Well, we'll be seeing each other soon. So we can work that out. I'll have my people call your people.” The president chuckled.

  “SO YOU HAD lasagna again,” the First Lady said. Since the Geneva attack, she had hardly seen the president. “Are you planning to spend more time in Riverboro?”

  He eased into his favorite armchair. “Actually, Fritz came up with a way that we might be able to use the portal to accomplish something.” He explained. “I just don't want to wait too long. While the attack is still fresh in everyone's minds, I think, I can feel it, we can make huge progress. Jane is working up a plan. I told her I want something by Friday. She'll get it done, knowing her.”

  “How is Linda holding up? The baby is getting close.”

  “Her nerves are frayed. She's afraid something will happen to Fritz. Fritz thinks he can convince her, make her comfortable with it, as long as he doesn't go in himsel
f. I haven't had a chance to think it through yet. His instincts have been pretty accurate, and he knows Linda.”

  “DON'T YOU EVER go home?” the man asked. “It's nice to be able to find you always in one place.”

  “I've been reviewing what happened in Geneva. The president had someone inside, someone we didn't know about. They got him out, faked the rescue. Our execution worked to perfection, but the president's people had pinpointed where he'd been taken. Our man recruited well, but we couldn't have planned for this contingency. The president is one lucky S.O.B. So far. But everyone's luck runs out.”

  The man said, “Let's hope it's not ours.”

  BEFORE FRITZ LEFT for school, a phone call from the president told him he had devised a plan for quick visits to the Congressional leaders. He said he would be in Riverboro the following Tuesday and wanted to explain the details. Afterward, they could all go to dinner. He wanted to take the police officers, the Kennedys, the Chamberses, and the Jaffreys.

  “We could go to The Mill again,” the president said. “I can talk to George then. Will Linda be okay with this? I know we're cutting it close.”

  “She's not happy. She won't be turning cartwheels, that's for sure.”

  “Under the circumstances, that would be pretty difficult, anyway. But I get the message. The First Lady will be coming too. I'll take care of the reservation from here. Mr. Marion is his name, isn't it?”

  “Yes, sir. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you.”

  “Have a good day, Fritz. See you Tuesday.”

  Chapter 19

  “I DON'T KNOW how soon Ashley and Jane will be here, Lin,” he said, taking the soda she had poured, “but I've been thinking about the president's plan since he left. I wish I could reassure you.”

  “I just worry that an occasion will arise, like needing to save the president, that will make you go in when you could send someone else through. You could have been hurt or even killed. Given that you did that, why would you expect me to be calm and collected? You, Ashley, and the portal are a lethal combination. I don't see an end to this, and I don't know what I can say to you that will get through.”

  Fritz sipped his drink. He grappled with his guilt. Was he being reckless? Was he using the portal for his personal enjoyment? His self-doubt had hit skyscraper level, and the distraction was affecting his teaching. All day, his mind had drifted to Linda. She'd been unhappy about the portal, but her objections to the president's newest request stopped him cold. “I don't know if I can say no to the president. He hasn't asked me to do silly things. I can't do more than promise I won't go through. And stick to it. I really want to find out more, and I think I can do it safely. But that's not relevant right now. I promise I will not go through when I help the president.”

  “I'm not asking you not to help him. But I need you to understand how much it affects me. I like the president, but his motives are different from yours. You want to see history. He's making it. You know what he said. 'I vowed I would try to fix the Middle East.' Now he thinks he actually has a way to do it, and I hope he can. I also know he has a time limit. So you're going to have to help him. I only wish he would wait until after the baby's born. I want to make sure you're here when I go into labor.”

  “I'll talk to him, Lin. It's only a few weeks. He doesn't need to start his discussion with Congress right away.”

  “Fritz, he only has a year or so left. He's going to continue to ask for help until then. We both know that, and he's not shy about asking. The world's not a safe place. But when there's a new president, I hope you can say no.

  “And,” she added, “I want you to limit using the portal on your own.” Fritz sensed a little jolt of happy juice surge. She had left him room. “I want to be in on any plans you have. Beforehand. I want to be at the school if you go in.”

  “Are we negotiating?”

  “Sort of.”

  A few minutes later, Ashley and Jane walked through the back door carrying dinner. Fritz relaxed, relieved that he and Linda had a deal and a good meal.

  THE NEXT DAY, he postponed all his classes' tests. Students who wanted to participate in the tournament swamped him at lunch. That evening, Fritz and Linda joined Ash and Jane at the football game. Another win. Linda said cheering wasn't easy, and it would probably be her last game for the season. A quiet weekend helped. Jane and Ashley came late on Saturday and Sunday and made dinner. Linda watched them working together, cooking together, being together. Their happiness spread.

  Sunday's dinner generated a more serious conversation. Jane told them she had a blueprint for the president and wanted to ask their opinions. She said, like many, she believed there would never be peace unless the Palestinians had their own country. “Full recognition of Israel has to be the tradeoff.” They listened, nodding in agreement as she continued. “Jerusalem would become an open city under the protection of the United Nations, and it could be the capitals of both Israel and Palestine.”

  “No one will agree to that,” said Fritz. “They've been fighting over Jerusalem for centuries.”

  “There's more. We have major natural resource issues, oil and water in particular. We'd ask the oil countries to assist in financing desalination projects and water delivery systems, as well as the development of topsoil projects, irrigation, wind and solar energy farms, and tree planting. We'll expedite new housing initiatives. We'll propose development of small consumer manufacturing of food products, household goods, and clothing. Hospitals are critical, and so are health delivery systems. Serious cultural concerns accompany all this. Education, women's rights, religious freedom. And we'll ask governments to join together to bring an end to both anti-Israel and anti-Western terrorism. This has to apply to all the countries, not just the Palestinians. We want acceptance, so we need compromise. Not just the Israelis and Palestinians, but all the countries. The project helps them all. And we have to do this all with an eye on keeping people safe as the climate warms. Some parts of the region will likely become uninhabitable.”

  “You're talking about creating a modern society, nation building,” said Linda. “Does the president really think that such diverse cultures and countries will accept this, especially as an ultimatum? The religious differences are huge, even among Muslims. The Shiites and Sunnis, the Wahabis, the Salafis. They may not agree with one another even if they are all opposed to what you're proposing.”

  “And what about Hezbollah and Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State? We've already seen how effective local police forces are in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Ashley said.

  “Jane, this is beyond one afternoon's discussion,” Fritz added. “He might get a couple of countries, but this is more than what Congress or the American people will be willing to pay for.”

  “Fritz, over the years, I've been part of a team that has talked to policy analysts, historians, military experts, and others who study the cultures and religions. I've met with development professionals. Everyone says the same thing—it's too big, too complex. Okay, it is complicated. But we've never had a wedge before, other than the military. Every world leader saw what happened in Naria. Now they'll know how it was done. It will be impressive. An end to war is in everyone's interest, theirs and ours. I think it can be a blueprint for South America, Africa, the entire third world. And it has a precedent—the Marshall Plan. Most people think that was just for Europe, but as you know, we also rebuilt Japan after World War II. And the Japanese certainly had cultural differences.” She stopped to take a breath. “Okay, so it's not exactly the same, but we committed to rebuilding after the war. And we know what difference it made then.”

  “Jane, it's not reasonable to get this all done quickly,” said Fritz. “You're undoing thousands of years. It will take generations.”

  “The president understands that. You can't ignore the motivation they have to improve their lives. It's about dignity, progress, a future. And it's about choices. It's time for the world to understand that
all our interests are aligned. Only a grand plan, supported by the rest of the world, will make it happen.”

  “So is he going to bring other countries into this meeting?”

  “Russia, China, Japan, Germany, England, France, Turkey, Brazil. Maybe South Africa and India. Just for starters. The goal is everyone. Development and employment. Raised standards of living. The president knows getting started is all he has time for.”

  Fritz turned to Linda. “Go ahead, tell her,” Linda said.

  “After the president leaves office, I won't want to do this anymore.”

  “Then it's even more important we get this going now, isn't it? I hope, though, you might want to reconsider. Keeping this program going, keeping our stick, is a real chance for world peace. Shouldn't we give peace a chance?”

  Chapter 20

  DAY AND NIGHT fought. Day chased night from the Monday horizon, and night pushed back in the afternoon. Daylight savings hibernated. Ashley returned to his classroom. After school, Jane told them the president would be in early the next day.

  “Who's coming with him, Jane?” asked Linda.

  “I'm not sure. The First Lady will be here. And the agents, probably James and Mel.”

  “Does anyone know what he wants to do?” Linda asked.

  “Once the word is out, there will be a lot of chatter, so he's keeping it close. I spoke to him this morning. He knows how hard this will be.”

  “So why is he coming here?” asked Linda. “Other than talking to Fritz.”

  “He wants to thank the people who helped save his life, but other than that, I don't know.”

  Something, he wasn't sure what, made Ashley uneasy. The others didn't notice, but he understood Jane better than they. And better than any woman he had known. She twisted her ring and stared at her hands. Ashley watched her, but he stayed silent, surprised she hadn't told them more.