A Powerful Secret

by Dr. Kevin Leman

  “So what is Spencer going to do?” the man asked.

  “You mean, other than throw a few things around the Oval Office in a fit? Don’t know.” The caller sobered. “Just know that he’s far from happy, and Carson strolled out looking confident and in the driver’s seat.”

  That could only mean one thing. Thomas Spencer Rich III, president of the United States, had just made an unholy alliance between himself and one of the dirtiest men on the planet.

  It didn’t bode well for either of them . . . or for anyone in their way.

  14

  KATHMANDU, NEPAL

  Sean lay awake in his hotel room. As much as he traveled, he still always felt a little out of sync for a few days in the new time zone. Then, by the time he got adjusted, it was time to head back to New York. He knew all the tricks—drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, taking only a two-hour nap to adjust to the time zone, and resetting his internal clock by a brisk one-hour walk when he got up. But he still often felt sluggish.

  Tonight, however, he was wide awake, as if a lightning bolt had struck him. Indeed, it had. Why not take a stab at running for governor of New York? His thoughts kept circling back to that possibility.

  He threw the idea out to his social network, and the responses were massive and nearly instantaneous.

  Makes perfect sense.

  It’s about time, buddy.

  You already know the ropes.

  You’ve got what it takes.

  Go, Sean!

  You’re a Worthington, for heaven’s sake. Of course it’ll work.

  Within minutes, he scrolled through the responses. Not a single negative one. Everyone in his loyal circle encouraged him, even pushed him, into pursuing that possibility.

  Why not give it a go? He didn’t have anything to lose.

  Sean knew exactly where to start with an exploratory commitment—Kiki Estrada, the executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He’d gotten to know her well while working on Will’s campaign, and he owed her a phone call. He’d been ducking her insistent calls about Will for days. Kiki knew politics better than anyone on the planet, especially New York politics, and she’d be able to advise him on a bid for governor. While it wasn’t the Senate, her current bailiwick, all political roads in New York intersected in some capacity with DC politics.

  Why not consider exchanging one Worthington running for a Senate race for another equally important political office? Both races were on the ballot at the same time. Sean had the same financial resources Will did, and a lot of the work they’d already done could still be put into play. It wouldn’t take long to change the paperwork and kick off an announcement in the press.

  With that idea settled, he turned over and, within minutes, was asleep.

  “It’s about time,” Kiki Estrada exclaimed when Sean phoned her the next day.

  “Before you get on a roll,” he said, “let me tell you confidentially that I didn’t have a clue that Will was going to back out. No one did.”

  A memory of his mother’s and Laura’s exchanged glances flashed into his brain. But you have no real proof, Sean argued with himself.

  “But what on earth—” Kiki began.

  “What’s done is done. Will won’t change his mind. He’s not saying why. I can’t pry it out of him, and you won’t be able to either.”

  “Isn’t that the truth,” the feisty Latina replied. “He isn’t even returning my calls. He owes me at least that much. I mean—”

  “I know,” Sean soothed. “In time, I’m sure things will come to light, and everything will be explained. But you know Will. He doesn’t go off half-cocked about anything. He had a reason. He just can’t share it yet. Maybe he needs to think it through.”

  “Well, he better think fast, because I’m holding the press off with a bunch of mumbo jumbo, and that isn’t easy.” The words were heated, but her tone was calmer.

  “I really appreciate that, Kiki, and you know that Will and I appreciate all you’ve done and are doing.” He took a breath. “But I’m calling because I may have something else to offer.”

  “Like what? An instant candidate as prominent as Will?” she joked.

  “Well, what would you say if I told you I was thinking about getting into politics as well? I obviously can’t run for the Senate. That would be too awkward. But the governor’s race is on the ballot at the same time.”

  There was a resounding silence on Kiki’s end of the line, then an unbelieving, “You’d do that? Be willing to step into the line of fire?”

  “Maybe. You could—”

  But Kiki was already up and running. While she had no immediate dog in the New York governor’s race, she was a longtime political operative who knew that all things eventually come around in politics. Governors from New York actually had a better shot at the White House than senators.

  “I can help with your exploratory commitment,” she said. “Once the paperwork is settled, maybe we tell the press that through you and Will working together on his campaign, Will decided that politics wasn’t for him, and you realized it was more for you, but you hadn’t done the exploratory commitment for yourself yet, so he wasn’t able to say anything except that he was stepping out of the race . . .” And Kiki was off, her excited ideas and the possibilities jumbling together into a stream-of-consciousness soliloquy.

  Sean smiled. Nothing like taking care of a phone call you don’t want to return and jumping into a new career path all at once. If there was one thing he’d learned growing up in a house with a rock-headed older brother and an outspoken little sister, it was how to be an outstanding mediator. In fact, he’d earned his PhD in it by now.

  He hadn’t said for sure he’d do it. He’d merely dangled the bait as a possibility.

  Diplomacy worked every time. It was also a great stall technique.

  It didn’t fail him now.

  15

  JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

  Sean exited the commercial airline and made his way down the ramp to JFK International Airport. He was relaxed, happy he’d delayed his return flight 24 hours in order to tell the GlobalHealth team that he was increasing his commitment to their work in Nepal tenfold. They were literally speechless at the news. That sort of gift, while not unprecedented, was nearly unimaginable on the spur of the moment. They were appreciative beyond words and had already begun to email preliminary plans for what the expanded gift could do for their critical work on the ground in Nepal.

  Sean decompressed in a Starbucks at the airport. As much as he loved the adventure of traveling to distant places where his philanthropic wealth could make a difference, there was something grounding about sitting quietly in a brightly lit, familiar place, slowly drinking coffee. It was one of his favorite things to do after closing a deal on financially backing an NGO, but he sometimes didn’t have the time before his next flight.

  Somehow traveling to new locales and connecting with an intriguing variety of people also kept his restlessness at bay, at least for a while.

  When his cell rang, Sean didn’t check caller ID. He picked up his cup of coffee, exited Starbucks, and answered out of habit.

  “You certain this is what you want to do?” Drew’s tone was unruffled.

  It never ceased to amaze Sean how much information Drew knew quickly. The man had connections Sean could only guess at. Drew was a master networker, and he’d taught Sean well.

  But Sean hated questions. To him, asking a question was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Questions implied, “Hey, I don’t think you’re smart enough to think for yourself, so make sure you’ve considered all the angles.” Of course Sean had considered the angles. He just did it more swiftly than Will.

  Sean blinked. His competition with his brother was so ingrained it naturally rose to the surface and irked him, especially at times like this. “You worried I’ll smear the Worthington name if it ends badly?” he shot back.

  There was a pause, then a quiet, “You kno
w better than that. I only want to make sure you’re not taking on your brother’s fight as your own.”

  “Why? Because you think I can’t do it, but Will could? That his shoes are too big for me to fill?”

  “Maybe it’s time to stop trying to be your brother and just be yourself. The man I know you are. The man I know you can be.”

  Then, for the first time ever, Drew was the one who ended the call.

  Sean stopped and stared at his cell as the maze of people in JFK parted around him like rivers running in two opposite directions.

  NEW YORK CITY

  There was a first for everything, and Will had experienced more than enough of them lately. Firsts were always surprises, and Will didn’t like surprises. He liked the highways of life to be smooth, with signposts marking each mile of the journey to his destination. Lately, the signs posted along the way to his destiny had either given him incorrect information or taken him on detours. Now they were entirely missing. That was disturbing indeed.

  He’d been groomed from babyhood to assume the helm of Worthington Shares. In that role, he was confident.

  He’d also been groomed by his father to take American Frontier, the world’s most powerful oil company, to even greater heights. Developments in clean energy would literally save the planet, ensuring the healthiest possible future for generations to come. But when the board was swayed in their vote, Will had walked away without looking back. He had felt lighter, no longer sullied by his tie to a company that had lost its integrity in the midst of a push to expand horizons and pursue the almighty dollar.

  Why then did he still keep an eye on every AF development in the news? Only because he was used to doing so?

  Will had thought Frank Stapleton, the longtime CEO of City Capital who was also on the AF board, would be in his court. But Stapleton had gotten in bed with Sandstrom to take Will down the instant his political aspirations became known. The betrayal stung, Will had to admit. But it was a good reminder to choose alliances carefully. He could count on two hands the people he could trust, other than his family. The number was shrinking, but Drew and Jean remained among the loyal few.

  Then there was Sean. Will hoped that photo Carson had shown him wasn’t another first—a lapse in his brother’s ethical judgment. But until Will could be sure, he had to be cautious.

  Another first was happening right now. Drew had phoned the previous night, asking Will to meet him for breakfast at the restaurant on the ground floor of the Trump International Hotel at Columbus Circle. It was their usual pre-meeting spot, but today wasn’t a regular meeting day. And it was Drew, instead of Will, who had called the meeting.

  Will frowned as he neared the Trump Hotel. The only other time Drew had called a meeting was for the dinner at his home, when he’d requested all three Worthington siblings attend. This had to be about something big, or Drew would have discussed it with him over the phone.

  Drew sat at their usual table. After the waiter had taken their orders, he asked, “Have you heard from your brother?” Concern creased his brow.

  Will shook his head. “He’s been skillful at avoiding me. Not that I can blame him. The last time I saw him, he was in my face about backing out of the race. I couldn’t give him an answer.”

  “And you still can’t?”

  “No. If I tell him about the photo now, he’ll think I don’t trust him.” He sighed. “It’s more that I don’t trust human nature.”

  Drew nodded. “So what’s your next move?”

  “I’m not sure. And it’s driving me a little crazy.”

  “You mean regarding Sean and the bomber connection? Or what your next personal career move is?”

  “I guess both.”

  “And that’s all it is?” Drew’s gaze was intense.

  Suddenly Will felt like a boy again, caught with his hand in the cookie jar. So this was another first—not telling his mentor the entire truth. He wanted to reveal what he’d learned from his mother about Sean’s parentage—the other factor that, combined with the photo, had caused him to turn down the Senate bid. But even Sean himself didn’t know. Was it fair then to tell Drew?

  Finally Will said, “For now, that’s all it is.”

  “I see. Well then.” Drew didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press further.

  However, outside the door of the restaurant before they parted, Drew hesitated. “Will, I know a few things. And one is that secrets always come to light . . . sometimes not in the way you’d like them to.”

  As Will rode the subway toward his home, his conscience was troubled. He was caught in a great moral dilemma—protecting his brother from emotional pain that was certain to follow or telling him the truth about one or both revelations.

  If he did tell his brother, he might be able to filter the details. Then Sean would realize that who his birth father was didn’t change his value in Will’s eyes. Will could report that Carson had approached him with a photo and then say, “It was a photo of you chatting with some guy in a bar. Do you remember anybody taking a photo with you?” He could then describe the photo, gather any details from Sean, and judge his brother’s body language before he revealed that the guy had been identified as the Polar Bear Bomber.

  Will continued to play out the scenarios in his head. Should he or shouldn’t he?

  Wait, the still small voice whispered.

  But waiting had never been harder.

  16

  GRAVITY CANYON, NEW ZEALAND

  Air currents rushed around Sean’s body as he plummeted at a speed of over 150 miles per hour. His friends were right. This was the ultimate rush—free-falling 50 meters into the Mokai Canyon above the Rangitikei River. Even better than zip-lining over the Great Wall of China in Simatai at nearly 100 miles per hour last year.

  “Woo-ahh!” was all he could say with the breath nearly knocked out of him. So he simply grinned and gave his other three adrenaline-seeking friends a thumbs-up.

  Ian Jones, CEO of Overland Adventures, grinned back. “Told you. Major rush!”

  The Rangitikei District was south of the Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe volcanoes on the central North Island of New Zealand. Sean and his friends had crammed into a Jeep, driven State Highway 1, and gone off-roading for a couple of days to explore the area. This afternoon the weather had been perfect for zip-lining.

  Sean was ready to put his feet up at the River Valley Lodge. He even loved its nickname: the Adventure Lodge. He and his friends planned to thoroughly enjoy the hot tub and then the farm-style dinner.

  Tomorrow they’d enjoy one of the supposed best Grade 5 white-water rafting trips in the world—down the Rangitikei River.

  Sean had been in overdrive mode the past several weeks visiting potential start-ups. Now that he’d decided to set his sights on the governor’s mansion in Albany, he had a sudden urge to visit as many far-flung places as he could and pay closer attention to several of the critical start-ups in his portfolio. He had to do it now, because the campaign would suck all the oxygen out of the room soon enough.

  He’d put his travels with friends on the back burner during Will’s campaign. That had included the trip to New Zealand they’d discussed for over a year. For Sean, travel—whether for the start-ups or with friends—was a good thing. It energized him, connected him more deeply with his ever-widening social circle, and helped him duck his family’s phone calls when he didn’t want to answer.

  Ever since the end of the Senate race, he’d felt disenfranchised from Will in particular, and his father as usual. Bill’s backing of Will and disregard for Sean picking up the pieces made Sean even more determined to show his father what he could do. He was tired of playing second fiddle in the family orchestra.

  He texted Sarah often but was reticent to pick up his mother’s calls. The strong woman he’d grown up with had become pensive, worried, and often tearful. He was weary of her asking him if he was all right and encouraging him to come for dinner. Instead he hit the road.

  But as h
e headed back in the Jeep to the River Valley Lodge, restlessness stirred again. He shook his head to clear it. He was on an exotic adventure many would only dream of, with great friends who had become family to him. So why was it in the midst of the fun he still struggled with the uncomfortable notion that there was a piece missing in his life? That no matter where he went, he longed for a more permanent connection, a place for his heart to land?

  He knew what his sister would say—that only God could fill that hole. In the past couple of years, Sarah had turned more religious than he was comfortable with. She’d even given him a compact Bible for Christmas last year and pestered him to read it for himself.

  “How can you dismiss something you’ve never even read?” she’d challenged him once. “Maybe you’re not as smart as I give you credit for.”

  Sean hadn’t even cracked the book open once. Maybe because he disliked anyone telling him what to do, especially a family member. Or maybe because only in places like Nepal was it natural for him to reflect on a God who otherwise seemed elusive and disconnected from his life. Ironically, he carried that small book in his luggage wherever he went. It comforted him like the ragged blanket he used to sleep with and drag around with him when he was a toddler.

  Funny how, when he was born, his mom had insisted he be called Sean. He felt anything but “favored by God.” In fact, in the midst of wealth, privilege, and traveling the world, he felt . . . lost. That was the only way to describe the ache inside that descended upon him in the quiet moments.