A Heartbeat Away

by Michael Palmer

  DAY 4

  9:00 A.M. (EST)

  With the bang of her gavel, Ursula Ellis called to order the first meeting of the newly formed United States House Special Committee on the Death Investigation of Senator Harlan Mackey. Ellis possessed profound knowledge of congressional history and could not recall an instance where a special committee resolution had been drafted and voted on in such a compressed timeline. Most unusual too, since President Allaire had endorsed the committee that could ultimately destroy him.

  Ellis reflected on the formation of the special committee, and the moment when Allaire, in all his arrogance, agreed to allow it to happen. The president had returned to the House Chamber after a lengthy absence conferring with his cronies, his face drawn and the color of fog. The mood in the hall was bordering on hysteria. Some members of the legislative and judicial branches were demanding to see the video of Mackey’s death again, but as the presiding leader over nonlegislative House activities, Ellis acted within her authority to deny the request. The video had served its purpose, and to rebroadcast it would offer no gain. She had already gotten what she wanted. Jim Allaire was on the ropes.

  “What are we going to do about this, Ursula?” Allaire had asked.

  They sat facing each other behind the rostrum, Allaire in the vice president’s chair, and Ellis seated across from him in her own.

  “Well, Mr. President, you’ll need to be more specific than that.”

  “You know damn well what I’m talking about,” Allaire snapped.

  On the House floor, a cordon of Secret Service agents, Sean O’Neil among them, blocked access to the rostrum and ensured a private exchange between the two adversaries.

  “Sir, there was evidence presented inside this chamber that suggests you may have condoned or even ordered murder.”

  “Well, obviously that’s not the truth, and you know it.”

  “All I know is what I saw on that videorecording,” Ellis said. “Answer one question for me, Mr. President.”

  “Go on.”

  “Did you authorize the military’s use of deadly force?”

  Allaire’s eyes narrowed.

  “No,” he had said.

  “Well then, I’d like to form a special committee to establish independent corroboration of that claim. I assume you’ll vigorously endorse such a measure. Unless, of course, you have something to hide … sir.”

  “And just how do you propose going about organizing such a committee, Ursula?”

  “Simple, Mr. President,” Ellis had said, her tone syrupy with confidence. “At my last count, we have two hundred and eighty voting members of the House of Representatives, all confined by your orders here inside the House Chamber. You have not made it clear whether or not I have access to the ones who are not here.”

  “And your point?”

  “Constitutionally speaking, whether or not we get the others, that gives us a quorum to conduct business.”

  Allaire went from calm to livid in a blink.

  “You want to hold an official House vote in the middle of this crisis? Are you insane?”

  “With all due respect, sir, if your intention is to maintain order, you’ll need to reestablish trust. I believe this is the best way to proceed in doing that.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Allaire said. “The purpose of this special committee of yours is to investigate me?”

  Ellis could almost feel the man’s desire to wrap his hands around her throat. The notion made her smile.

  “Oh, not you specifically, Mr. President. The committee will focus on Senator Mackey’s tragic death. Naturally, I’d expect your full cooperation when the committee calls key witnesses to testify under oath. Yourself included.”

  “And if I refuse my support?”

  Ellis did not hesitate to respond, although given the jubilation she was feeling, it took effort to maintain an outward expression of gravity.

  “In that case,” she said, “I’d request that the House Judiciary Committee consider evidence of wrongdoing. The Constitution does grant us the authority to impeach you for high crimes and misdemeanors. I’d say that murder falls under the former of those transgressions. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Ms. Ellis,” Allaire said, “given the threat to our nation posed by these circumstances, what you are doing borders on treason.”

  “We have only one Constitution, sir, and I will be only one of those committed to protecting it.”

  The anger on Allaire’s face had quickly yielded to stoicism.

  “Conduct your hearing and call your vote,” he said. “You’ll have my support.”

  “Thank you, Mr. President.”

  Leland Gladstone crafted the first draft of the resolution to form the special committee. Ellis edited much of it. Still, she was impressed that her precocious aide’s prose demonstrated a remarkably mature acumen for the craft of politics. Multiple possible interpretations for every statement. Copies of the resolution were made in the media room, and were distributed to each voting member. Then Ellis called the quorum together. The measure passed with near unanimous support.

  Ellis appointed herself chairperson, which did not violate House rules given the committee’s lack of a legislative agenda. Her next task was to select the fourteen committee members from a candidate pool of more than five times that number. The resolution called for equal representation from both parties, though Ellis’s presence ensured that deadlocks would be broken in her favor. She purposefully picked several Allaire loyalists. After they turned against their beloved leader, which Ellis was confident they would, the shockwaves sent through his supporters would be that much more profound.

  Access to nearby meeting rooms was not permitted, so Ellis’s newly formed Select Committee met in a cordoned-off section in the upper gallery. Despite the frigid temperature outside, body heat was threatening to convert the chamber into a sauna. And of course, not only were the windows locked shut, but the air-conditioning had been disabled. Shipments of utilitarian clothing had finally been distributed throughout the three groups, and as a result, morale was slightly improved.

  “Before we commence with committee proceedings, I want to personally thank each of you for putting aside extremely valid concerns for your own health and safety to focus on vital congressional business,” Ellis began. “I would have not pushed to create this select committee had I not believed it was of the utmost importance to the health and safety of our most pressing responsibility—the welfare of the citizens of the United States. Through your courageous vote, you’ve shown your support in the most significant of ways.”

  Silver-haired Barbara Crain, a many-term representative from Delaware, whose ashen complexion cried out for fresh air, spoke first.

  “To be honest, Madam Speaker, any action at this time is a welcome distraction. We are feeling impotent and stifled here.”

  Many nodded agreement and Ellis graciously thanked them all again. She kept her attention focused on the body language of Allaire’s hardliners, and asked Gladstone to do the same. As she expected, they initially appeared ready to stonewall progress and vociferously defend Allaire to the end. Their postures would change soon enough.

  “Just a procedural note,” Ellis said. “My aide, Mr. Gladstone, will be compiling complete and detailed reports of all committee activity. However, under the Open Meetings and Hearings rule, clause two of House Rule eleven, we’ve voted these proceedings will remain closed. Therefore, I’ll remind this committee to refrain from recording any of what is discussed here.”

  A congressman from Ohio, overweight and perspiring profusely, scoffed, “We don’t even have anything to record with. Allaire’s damn Nazis have made sure of that.”

  That led to a volatile exchange. Ellis banged her gavel to reestablish order.

  “A reminder that we will conduct this committee with established House rules for special investigative committees. The chair recognizes herself for five minutes to deliver an opening statement.” Ellis had written out
her remarks, but could have easily recited them from memory. “Today, we are faced with one of the greatest and gravest threats our country has ever known. I am of the opinion that this is a threat from within. By within I mean not only from the terrorists calling themselves Genesis, but from our own government, and, yes, from the president himself. It will be the business of this committee to ascertain the validity of my disturbing claim.

  “Let us begin with an examination of the facts, such as they might be. Genesis, a known terrorist organization, has allegedly penetrated our extensive, state-of-the-art security to infect us with a virus of some sort. How did they accomplish such a feat without assistance from the very forces assigned to safeguard us? Why have we been prevented from participating in the response to this devastating attack? Why is the executive branch of our government not giving us, the legislative branch, the chance to do the job for which we were elected?”

  Ellis paused and let her gaze linger longest on several of the staunchest Allaire supporters. Gladstone checked his watch and held up two fingers to signal Ellis the number of minutes she had spoken.

  “As the gentleman from Ohio sadly pointed out,” she continued, “under presidential order, you no longer have phones to contact your own base of support. Why is that? Let me ask: How many of you have a major university in your congressional district?” Half the hands were raised. “And don’t these major universities have scientists? There are vast resources at our disposal that could assist in ameliorating this crisis, and yet we’re denied access. Why?” Again Ellis paused. She had learned that a question often carried more persuasive weight than a claim of fact.

  “I propose that there is more to this situation than meets the eye. I further propose that by an exhaustive exploration of Senator Harlan Mackey’s tragic and horrible death, to which we have all borne witness, a new truth will emerge. This select committee must act with the interest of the country above the interest of any individual … or any president. We need to know what Genesis has demanded, not only with this terrifying attack, but with those that preceded it. Surely such demands have been voiced. Surely President Allaire must know what they are. Why has he not shared this information with the people through their duly elected senators and representatives? This committee must be prepared to deal with any and all possibilities—even charges that the president of our country has chosen to keep us in the dark as to what Genesis wants, and has resorted to murder to protect his self-interest by keeping those secrets from us. Does any member have an opening statement?”

  A deeply entrenched Allaire supporter raised her hand.

  “I have a statement.”

  “The chair recognizes the congresswoman from Kentucky,” Ellis said.

  “You’ve raised some interesting points, Madam Speaker, that have perhaps altered my thinking. Our dear colleague Senator Mackey appeared to have been executed for simply stepping outside. If this virus does not pose an extreme risk to the populace, as the president so asserts, why did Senator Mackey pay such a steep price for what would seem to be a minor transgression?”

  “What are you suggesting?” Ellis asked, as a way of urging her on.

  “I’m asking of those present at this proceeding, who believes this virus represents a minor health threat?” A majority of hands were raised. “In that case,” she continued, “we should be able to shortcut this investigation simply by getting somebody on this committee to volunteer to leave the premises and walk the same path Senator Mackey took. President Allaire assured us the shooting was accidental. We believe the virus threat is negligible. A quick trip outside should prove both claims quickly.”

  “So said,” Ellis replied. “Do we have any volunteers willing to take up the congresswoman from Kentucky’s suggestion?” Not a single hand went up this time. “If you doubted the importance of our committee before, perhaps those doubts have now been erased.”

  There was movement to Ellis’s right. She turned to see a Secret Service agent approaching, carrying a large, bulky manila envelope.

  “These are closed proceedings,” Ellis said. “I’m sorry, but you are not permitted here.”

  “My apologies, Madam Speaker, but this package arrived for you with our last supply delivery. I’m in charge of package security, so I had to have it scanned, but I did not feel the need to open it. It’s apparently from General Egan himself, so I thought you might want it right away.”

  “Much appreciated. I’m sorry to have snapped at you.”

  The agent handed Ellis the package, nodded to apologize for the intrusion, and left in the direction from which he had come. Ellis studied the delivery. It was a padded envelope sealed with clear plastic tape. The outside markings she recognized as official U.S. Army insignias, and it was stamped URGENT in bold red lettering. Ellis banged her gavel one time.

  “The chair recognizes her right to call a thirty-minute recess.”

  Ellis rose and maneuvered past the members of her select committee. To this point, the hearing could not have gone much better. As far as doing any significant damage to Jim Allaire, she was still feeling her way along. But the man was lying and concealing vital information, and she was far too much of a pro not to keep probing until something in his shaky façade gave way.

  She knew who General Paul Egan was, but had only met him briefly at some sort of official affair. Almost certainly he wasn’t an Allaire supporter. Whatever it was, she sensed this package could only be good. Clutching it, she headed off in the direction of the ladies’ room.

  CHAPTER 31

  DAY 4

  9:30 A.M. (EST)

  General Paul Egan has nothing to do with this package. We used his name to be sure the security monitors took the delivery seriously and brought it to you. The members of Genesis believe that you are someone fit to lead this country. Reply to this message if you agree and would like to learn more. The code to open our messages will be the security login password of your Bank of Virginia online banking account.

  Ellis took in a sharp breath as she read the text on the display screen of a handheld messaging device that had been carefully enclosed in protective wrap. It was as thin as a BlackBerry, but somewhat larger. The display on the screen was sharp.

  Password? The device prompted.

  Impossible, she thought. There was no way Genesis could have gotten ahold of her personal banking password. She purposely typed in an incorrect code, and the device immediately refused to proceed. She then typed in the correct numbers and was directed to two typed sheets, carefully hidden between the bubble wrap of the envelope and its manila outer shell. Printed on the first sheet were the words GENESIS DEMANDS.

  Ellis took the package into a stall and secured the door. On first reading, the demands—radically antiestablishment—bordered on the absurd. But Ellis pushed aside her initial impression by reminding herself of the brilliance the organization had displayed thus far, as well as their unbridled ruthlessness.

  Who is behind Genesis? she typed.

  The response appeared less than a minute after she pressed Send.

  We represent everybody who values true freedom. That is all you need to know. These messages are encrypted and secure. These transmissions cannot be detected. Have you read our demands?

  Ellis reviewed the sheet of demands again, and then sent a message, which read simply: I have.

  The device buzzed in her hand after Genesis returned a reply.

  We have communicated these demands to the president and he has ignored us. The virus you have been exposed to is real and lethal. We alone have the treatment that will save your lives. The president, by not responding to our demands, has sealed your fates.

  Ellis typed: What do you want from me?

  This time there was no immediate response. Can this all be some sort of trick on Allaire’s part? She had after all threatened him with impeachment. Could he be trying to set her up as one willing to negotiate with terrorists? It was possible.

  If Allaire wasn’t behind this, then why were
they reaching out specifically to her?

  Ellis warned herself to tread softly until the picture became clearer. If the message were really from Genesis, then Allaire had not only ignored their communications, but kept them secret as well. If so, he had placed everyone in the Capitol in mortal danger. Suddenly, the device buzzed in her hand.

  See to it that legislation is passed that will make our demands law. Do so and we will give you and you alone the antiviral treatment. You will be responsible for saving the lives of seven hundred of the most important people in America.

  Ellis did not need Genesis to explain the potential impact of her being the one to end this crisis. She was more than fit to lead the country. It was her destiny to do so. What Genesis was offering was the path to that inevitability. She thought of William Jennings Bryan, who wrote: Destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. At that moment, her choice was to prove that the opportunity indeed was for real.

  What is this virus? Ellis typed.

  WRX3883.

  What is that?

  Ask your president. He’ll know. He made it.

  Interesting, Ellis thought. But the exchange proved nothing. Were she to confront Allaire with specifics about the virus, it might only confirm that she had taken his bait. She needed more certainty than that to proceed.

  Ellis typed: The president has brought in a virologist and tasked him to develop an antiviral drug. He may succeed before I get your bill passed, in which case, you have no leverage.

  She wondered how Allaire, assuming he was behind this sham, would respond.

  The virologist is dead. Killed when we blew up his transport helicopter. You have no other option.

  Not only was that an interesting response, but a most unexpected one as well. Ellis knew all about the helicopter disaster. The explosion shook the chamber walls and incited some panic among an already jittery group.