__________
Earlier that day, when Jenny and Sweeney got to Jackson's apartment that morning, he told them about his concerns and his hunch. He asked Sweeney to dig as deeply as possible into the work of both Rex Duncan and Michael Brock while they were at Harvard. Sweeney could not find any of their class work documents online, they both went to school there too long ago. But after much digging, Sweeney found the notes of some of Rex and Brock's professors, which had been converted to online documents stored in the University's secure file for professors. The files were not accessible to the public.
One economics professor, Jonas Schreiber, expressed concerns in his notes about the overzealousness of Brock and Rex in presenting, Why Society's Pecking Order Works, a paper they co-wrote. The paper argued that, “capitalism could only survive with a definable upper, middle, and lower class and that some people born in the lower class were best suited to stay there, particularly minorities.” Curiously, Schreiber's later notes about the paper identify Michael Brock as the sole author.
When Sweeney read Schreiber's notes to Jackson, Ronnie and Jenny, they all became numb.
“Does this mean that Rex Duncan was a part of the plan?” Jenny asked.
“I don't think so,” Jackson said. “At least, not an active participant. But I think it’s possible that he knew about it through Michael Brock and supported its thrust.”
“That's a pretty big leap, based on one college paper,” Jenny said. “In effect, you are saying that our next president may have been okay with the killing of a million kids.”
“I am not really saying that,” Jackson responded. “I am just saying that we need to be sure. Look, it just has been bothering me that he doesn't seem as sad or devastated as he should be about Amy. I know he loved her and I don't think he had anything to do with her death, but it is almost as if he accepted it all too quickly. It made me want to find out more about him and Brock. But trust me, I know that has nothing to do with whether he was involved in the plan. It just prodded me to focus on him.”
No one said anything. Jackson continued.
“Then it hit me. The main thing is this: Remember when we met the senator and Reba at Lincoln's Cottage? He brought up General Brock and I will never forget his words. He said, 'You know, when I was in college with Michael Brock, he started talking this white superiority garbage. He never stopped. And it all came to this. We lose our daughter and the lives of a million kids are at stake. I promise you, I will rid the country of this poison.'“
“Okay,” Jenny said. “And?”
Jackson responded, “Duncan tells us that Brock never stopped talking about this garbage, yet we know that Brock never talked like that with anyone publicly or privately, except those with whom he was in cahoots. There is no way he would have gotten all of those stars and military advancements if his true sentiments were known. But, he continued to talk to Duncan about it. Duncan had to know.”
Ronnie then spoke, “You may be on to something, Jack. If the General felt comfortable enough to talk candidly about his racism with Duncan and still believed he would be appointed the Secretary of Defense, you have to also point a finger at Rex Duncan. All of which makes Amy's death crazily ironic.”
“And, truly sad,” Jackson said.
Jenny chimed in. “But wasn’t it the Duncans who fingered the General? If Rex knew about it, why would he turn him in?”
“Reba,” Jackson said. “She was the one who pushed Rex to help her find the truth. When it became clear to Rex that we were getting close and that Reba would not stop, he had to make his friend a sacrificial lamb.”
“I am still not sure. It all seems a little thin. The main question now is what do we do?” Jenny asked.
Jackson scratched his head and said, “I suggest we take it to Harrington and get his opinion. If he thinks it makes sense to go further with it, so be it. If he doesn't, I will be fine with that too.”
“Will you, Jack?” Ronnie said. “Even if the man becomes president of the United States?”
They all fell quiet.
Jenny said, “Jackson, you have to call Harrington. It is unavoidable. We have to get his opinion.”
Neither Jackson nor Ronnie said anything.
Sweeney then spoke. At times, the nerdy college kid felt in over his head around the other older, more knowledgeable adults. But he also felt safe, protected and nurtured around them. Increasingly, he was getting comfortable speaking up.
“You guys are scaring me. Look, I am still in college. We have to call in the F.B.I. It looks like Rex Duncan will be the next president. I was okay with that until I did this research. We have to stop him. If he gets in, he will find a way to hurt people. Is this the world I am facing in the future?”
“Not if we can help it, Sweeney,” Jackson said. He playfully grabbed his neck. “And 'we' includes you. Your work is helping us make things right. Both you and Jenny are right. I will call Harrington.”
After being brought up to speed, Harrington said, “Jackson, you may be onto something here. If so, we cannot let him get in the White House. But we need to flush him out. I think the best way to do so is through his wife. If I go talk to him alone, she won't be in the room. I think that you and your team should go with me for a surprise visit. You can then ask him about the college paper in front of her.”
Jackson thought that Harrington's suggestion was brilliant. But he was wondering why Harrington seemed more accommodating. He said, “Actually, that suggestion makes a lot of sense to me, Ed. I have to ask, though, are you and me okay, now?”
“Jackson, it is no secret that I had major issues with your loner, egotistic tendencies. But, that was a long time ago. More than anything, over the last few days, I have seen you use the instincts and skills you’ve always had to help stop a catastrophe. And you have done so while working with your team. You have served your country well. Now, let's go see the senator.”
TWO
When Senator Duncan saw all of them and the look on their faces, he winced, but recovered quickly.
“Hi, folks,” he said, smiling. “How is everyone?” He looked at each of them and said, “Is everything alright?”
Reba walked to her husband and grabbed his hand.
By now, Jackson, Jenny and Harrington were seated on the sofa. Rex and Reba sat in the two side chairs directly across from the sofa. Ronnie remained standing, assuming a protector’s stance.
Harrington looked at Jackson, silently giving him permission to lead the questioning. Under proper protocol, Harrington would do the talking, but his look handed the reins to Jackson. Jackson acknowledged Harrington's gaze and was momentarily distracted. He had not seen Harrington in over ten years. The man still looked fit. Jackson also noticed that Harrington still had those reading glasses hanging around his neck. Some things never changed. Jackson got refocused.
“Senator,” Jackson began. “While you and General Brock were at Harvard, do you remember writing a paper together entitled, “Why Society's Pecking Order Works?”
Rex Duncan started turning beet red in the face as he stared at Jackson. He said nothing. Reba, confused, but sensing something bad, tried to step in.
“Jackson, what on earth are you talking about? And why are all of you storming our home in this way? It is not about some college paper. You all need to say what you want to say.”
Jackson took a deep breath, about to speak. Rex looked like he had been knocked off stride. At that moment, he knew that they knew. Like his friend, General Brock, the reality of not gaining the power and status that he had craved his entire life, was hitting him in the same way it had hit had Brock, and in very same room.
He stood up, held up his palms and said, “Jackson, I need to talk with my wife and then Director Harrington. This will not be played out in this way.”
Now totally flummoxed, Reba stood and put her arm around her husband's waist.
For everyone else in the room, those words were the conf
irmation that they needed. Rex Duncan knew about the plan. Jackson was angry. All that he had gone through was coming to a head. Amy. The plan. Even the frailties of his past, highlighted by Harrington's reemergence in his life. All were weighing on him at that moment. Jackson's head was spinning. Not quite sure what to do, he also stood up.
He walked within six inches of the senator and said, “She deserved better.”
Rex matched Jackson's stare and said, “Yes, she did.”
Jackson turned to walk away, then, in a totally unexpected move, turned back around and threw a powerful left hook straight into the senator's stomach. The punch lifted Rex a little off of his feet. Rex grunted audibly, then dropped to his knees. It was a beautiful punch. Mike Tyson would have been proud.
For the next few moments, chaos ensued. As the senator fell to his knees, Reba screamed and rushed to his aid. Rex was having a hard time catching his breath. Harrington tackled Jackson and was assisted by several agents who were in the nearby kitchen and heard Reba's screams. The glasses hanging around Harrington's neck were shattered. Ronnie and Jenny initially moved to pull Harrington off of Jackson, but then backed away, correctly deciding that it made no sense to fight the F.B.I. agents.
Jackson was cuffed and roughly thrown on the living room sofa. Rex Duncan was still recovering from the blow, trying to catch his breath. He slowly began standing up.
Reba glared at Jackson, saying to Harrington, “I want that man arrested and out of our house!” Any fondness she had for Jackson previously was now all gone. Her eyes contained nothing but venom in them. Of course, at this point, she knew nothing about her husband's real relationship to the plan. Harrington took charge.
Talking to his agents, he said, “We have this under control. Toss me the keys to his cuffs and head back to the kitchen. Please close the door behind you.” The agents complied.
To Rex and Reba, he said, “You two sit in your chairs.”
Rex, who had his breath back, said, “Ed, you cannot order me around in my own home, especially after having been assaulted by the likes of him!” He aggressively pointed at Jackson. “My wife is right. If you don't arrest him immediately, you will never be confirmed.”
Harrington stayed cool. “Senator, this is not about my confirmation. Nor is it about Jackson Lowery. It really is about you.” He tossed the key to the handcuffs to Ronnie. Ronnie took them off Jackson, who had not said anything since he had punched Rex.
Harrington turned to Jackson, Ronnie, and Jenny. “You all can leave. I will be in touch soon.”
As the three of them stood up to leave, Rex Duncan pointed a finger at Jackson, but he said nothing. Reba was crying with her head down. They walked out of the room, left the house and got into the Jeep. Ronnie was driving. Jenny was riding shotgun, with Jackson, as usual, in the back seat. They all sat stone-faced and quiet in the car as Ronnie navigated the streets in and around Rock Creek Park.
As soon as they got on Massachusetts Avenue heading toward Wisconsin Avenue, Jenny exclaimed, “Jackson Lowery! What the fuck? Where did that come from? Did I say that you were my new hero? What a freakin' badass!” She was beaming.
She then looked at Ronnie, who held up his hand for a high five and said, “Jack, I never, in a million years, thought you would go gangster like that. It needed to be done and I am glad you did it.”
Jackson was somewhat surprised by his friends' reaction. He sure wasn't looking for accolades when he punched Rex. He was just at the end of his rope. Plus, Rex's arrogance lit a torch in him.
“Well, the best thing about it was that Harrington did not arrest me. When he tackled me and all of those agents piled on, I thought for sure that I was going downtown. Thanks, guys, for having my back.”
“We did kind of back away. I had a sense that Harrington was going to let you go. Truth be told, I think Harrington liked the fact that you slugged that asshole,” Ronnie said.
“Yeah, he did,” Jenny said.
Just then, Jackson's phone rang. He answered, had a brief conversation and hung up.
“That was Harrington's office. He wants to meet us in two hours.”
Jenny chuckled. “Your new best friend.”
Two hours later, Harrington joined Jackson, Ronnie, and Jenny in front of the Mary McLeod Bethune statue in Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill. Team Jackson was there early, blending in with the other park users. Jenny had ventured over to the playground, where several mothers with strollers had gathered. Jenny was sitting on a swing. Three teenaged boys were passing a basketball between them as they cut through the park. A couple of them snuck second looks at Jenny, who smiled back at them. Ronnie was leaning on a tree, eating an apple.
While he looked unfocused, he was taking in everything and everyone in the area. Jackson was in a much better mood. The punch lifted a load off of him. He was kicking a few stones on the ground. The team all came together to face Harrington as he walked toward them. Four F.B.I. agents, with earpieces, fanned out around him. Harrington shook hands with each of team Jackson. The park goers watched them all assemble.
Harrington looked at Jackson. “You have changed. The Jackson Lowery I knew before would not have had the balls to take that punch.”
“I did not think about it. It just happened,” Jackson said with a very tight smile.
“Well, it was a helluva punch,” Harrington said.
Jackson shrugged. “Thanks for not arresting me,” he said. “And, sorry about your glasses.”
Harrington waved his hands. “Forget it. That bastard deserves a lot more than an uppercut to the gut. In fact, let me bring you up to date.”
Jackson, Ronnie, and Jenny all gathered in closer to Harrington.
“Officially, the senator admits nothing, other than he feels that it is best that he not run for president or re-election when his term ends. My impressions off the record is that Duncan had been tacitly supporting his friend, General Brock, behind the scenes. None of the other conspirators knew this.”
Jackson cut in. “Why, Ed? Why would he do it? The man was running for president. Does he really believe this crap like the rest of them?”
Ed looked at his shoes, shook his head and said, “Jackson, more than anything, I think he was consumed with being president. The old humble, I am not sure stuff, was a joke. I don't know if he believed in white supremacy to the extent that the others did. He just saw it as one of many possible means to an end: getting to the White House.”
Jackson shook his head. “Power. It was all about power. He did not care about the loss of lives. He knew he would be more revered if he provided order to a destabilized country,” he said.
“Exactly,” Harrington said.
“Even if it cost him his own daughter's life,” added Jenny.
Ronnie then spoke for the first time. All this talk reminded him of his Black Op days in the government. While Harrington had been speaking, flashes of violence in war torn countries peppered his brain. He knew the extent to which men would kill for power.
“Rex Duncan is not alone. Power hungry men like that come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Duncan's mindset is similar to African rulers in places like Rwanda, Uganda and Sudan, where ethnic cleansing and starvation were used as political tools to keep leaders in power. Duncan is like all of them.”
“Bosnia, Serbia, Stalin's Russia, the list goes on,” said Jenny.
Shaking his head, Jackson asked, “How did Reba react to it all?”
Harrington bit his lip. “She was blown away. She immediately asked if the confrontation they had with General Brock was all an act, a big show. It obviously was because Rex kind of hung his head and did not answer. She sat down and kept saying, 'our daughter...how could you do this to our daughter?' He was begging for forgiveness. They are going to have a tough time.”
Now Ronnie was shaking his head.
“They even had Brock's exit orchestrated,” he said. “A true military man to the end, falling on his sword for his futur
e commander in chief. I bet that Brock really believed that once Duncan got in the White House, he would still find a way to push the white supremacy agenda - even from jail.”
“And, Amy is dead,” Jackson said. “I feel bad for Reba, but Rex Duncan is getting off easy.” Looking at Harrington, he said, “Ed, whatever you do, make sure that man is finished in politics.”
“He is done, Jackson. But I am not finished with him yet. You can count on it.”
“Thanks. Over the last few days, there have been a lot of arrests, but that poisonous mindset is out there. It has to be ferreted out.”
Jenny asked, “Are we free to go, Mr. Director?”
Harrington gave her a slight smile. “For now. I will be in touch.” He nodded at them and turned to leave.
Team Jackson then walked side by side, past the Bethune Memorial, got in the Jeep Cherokee and left.
THREE
Four days after the plan was thwarted and one day after the meeting between Harrington and Team Jackson, the senator announced that he would not be a candidate for president and that he would be resigning from the U.S. Senate at the end of the year. He and Reba moved back to Idaho. The conventional public belief was that he could not get over his daughter's murder, and that the grief was too much. Rex Duncan was never charged with any crime.
Consistent with Team Jackson's wishes, the contributions made by the four of them were never mentioned by anyone.
While all of the details were never made public, the names of all six of the conspirators were displayed all over the news. The media did their best to demonize each of them. Having been charged with conspiracy and treason, Roger Tyler and General Michael Brock accepted reduced sentences in exchange for naming names.
In addition to the regular occupants of the Fairfax command center, over two hundred people both from inside and outside of the government were indicted. Most were convicted and jailed, including the scientists and researchers working out of the Pennsylvania building. True to their word, Jim and Susan Carr disappeared completely. No traces, no leads. Rampant speculation and media coverage about their whereabouts never led to any information whatsoever about where they could be hiding. They were nowhere to be found.
The Plan (The Jackson Lowery Trilogy Book 1) Page 25