by Siegel, Alex
"That's true." She smiled. "I wish I had my own gift though. I feel like I'm not quite a member of the club."
"Give it time. Norbert is in the same boat, and he's been a Spear a lot longer than you."
They arrived at the stage. Metal staircases on either side led up to a painted plywood deck about eight feet off the ground.
Smythe lifted a cloth fringe to inspect the steel scaffolding underneath. He didn't see any bombs, but there were plenty of shadowy nooks.
"On second thought, let's not waste our time on the obvious threats," he said. "The feds will do that. I'm sure they'll inspect the whole building from top to bottom before the President arrives tomorrow night."
Sheryl nodded. "OK. What non-obvious threats should we look for instead?"
He looked around the huge arena. There were a lot of high, dark places where a sniper could hide, but the feds would be watching for that threat. In fact, they would have their own snipers up there.
He stomped on the hard floor. "I wonder what's underneath. Maybe there are tunnels."
"I'm sure Perry can find the plans on a computer somewhere."
"I bet Aaron already asked him to do that."
"Maybe one of the delegates is an assassin," she said. "If he could somehow get a gun into the building, he would have an easy shot at the President. How many delegates are there?"
"Around four thousand."
She winced. "That's a lot."
"An inconvenient number."
Smythe was already getting frustrated, and the mission had barely begun. There were too many possible threats. He didn't even know if the attack would take place in this building. Wesley's warning had been very vague.
Smythe walked around the stage and Sheryl followed. A movie star trailer was parked behind the curtain.
"I bet that's for makeup," she said. "Let's check it out."
The door was guarded, but Smythe and Sheryl had badges with every kind of clearance. They entered the trailer without any trouble.
Nobody was inside. Three chairs were mounted on swivels in front of three lighted mirrors. The air smelled of hair spray and acetone.
"I just thought of a non-obvious threat," she said.
He raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"Poison in the make-up."
"That's interesting. There are plenty of poisons that can pass through skin. You don't even have to get exotic. Ordinary nicotine will kill in high doses, and it can be mixed into a cosmetic easily. Let's mention it to Aaron."
"Should we call him?" she said.
"Why?"
"I think we need some guidance. We could waste hours here and accomplish nothing."
He shook his head. "He understands our situation. I'm sure he'd call us if he had any advice to give. Let's keep moving. Maybe we'll come up with more good ideas."
Chapter Four
Tawni was standing at the corner of West Odgen and Jackson in Chicago. She could see the United Center in the distance. The huge building was made of gray-brown concrete, although parts of the sides and roof were blue. It had a generally oval shape with squared off sections. Long vertical lines above the doors gave the architecture a slightly classical feel.
The intersection where she stood had become the epicenter of the anti-Haley protests. It was blocks away from the arena, so the police didn't feel compelled to break up the crowds. Abundant parking lots provided plenty of open space for gatherings.
The convention didn't officially begin until tomorrow evening, but protesters were already assembling and making their voices heard. Tawni studied the scattered crowd. The first thing she noticed was all of them were white even though mostly black people lived in this neighborhood. The inherent racism was so obvious it was almost funny.
"Let's pick somebody to talk to," Norbert said.
He wore loose blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a leather jacket. It was an appropriate outfit for a pleasantly cool September morning. He was trying to blend in, but his freakishly athletic physique always drew some attention.
Tawni wore a brown sweater, a yellow skirt, and a floppy hat. The weight of several guns and knives under her clothing made her feel confident. A short sword strapped to her thigh was her favorite weapon. She had more toys in the beaded purse hanging on her shoulder. Being heavily armed was a good way to start a mission.
"How about that loser?" She pointed at an old man with a scrappy, gray beard.
He wore green Army fatigues which had stains and worn out knees. An empty gun holster was on his belt.
Norbert shrugged. "Fine. Let me do the talking."
"Why?"
"You tend to get violent when you're around morons."
"That's fair," Tawni said.
They walked over to the old man. His face was dirty. Tawni was glad they were outside so she didn't have to smell his body odor.
"Do you know when that asshole Haley is showing up?" Norbert said.
The old man turned and narrowed his eyes. "Who's asking?"
"Just another guy who hates him. You must be here for the same reason."
"Damn right. He's a lying mother fucker." The old man glared at Tawni as if she were partially responsible.
"What do you mean?" Norbert said.
"Everybody knows his father was a convicted rapist."
"I never heard that. I thought his dad was a school teacher."
"Haley had the records altered when he was the governor of North Carolina," the old man said loudly. "That bastard comes from a bad seed."
"Do you have proof?"
"It's common knowledge."
Tawni held her tongue with great difficulty.
"Oh." Norbert nodded. "Well, it was nice meeting you."
He walked off, and she hurried to keep up with him.
"You were right," she said. "He was a moron."
"But harmless. We're looking for the dangerous morons."
They came to a pudgy woman in a cute, pink dress. Her white tennis shoes were practical and boring. She was clutching a tiny, black purse to her chest and looking around anxiously.
"You seem a little nervous, ma'am," Norbert said.
She glanced to either side and whispered, "I'm watching out for Zionists."
"Why?"
"They're paying for Haley's re-election campaign. They secretly control him."
"Really?" he said in a dispirited tone.
Her eyes widened and she leaned forward. "The Jews have always used the blacks as dumb labor." She turned to Tawni. "But you already know about that, right?"
Tawni wanted to punch this woman in the face.
"Moving on." Norbert rolled his eyes.
The two of them continued to drift among the scattered protestors. Tawni expected the crowd would get much thicker and more rambunctious later in the day.
They came to a group of three young men wearing identical black pants, white shirts, and ties. A red, white, and blue stripe pattern decorated the ties. Their haircuts were so short they almost looked bald. Tawni guessed they were around twenty years-old.
"I like your suits," Norbert said.
"We're protesting the President's military policy," one of the men said proudly.
"What part don't you like?"
"A strong America requires a strong military. Haley is trying to destroy our proud Armed Forces by taking away all the money."
"That's not accurate," Norbert said. "He just wants to reduce expenditures to a more sustainable level. Besides, he's a veteran. I think he served in the Navy. I'm sure he understands the value of a strong military."
"He never served! That whole story is a lie. Nobody has ever seen his military record."
"Did you read that on the internet?"
"It's true!" the man said.
Norbert sighed. "Right."
He and Tawni walked off.
"How long do we have to do this?" she said glumly.
"Until Aaron tells us we can stop."
* * *
Aaron walked into his office.
Perry looked up from his computer monitors and said, "Hello, sir. How did the meeting with the President go?"
Aaron wore a black business suit, a blue shirt, and a brown tie. He hadn't taken off his Secret Service costume yet. Perry thought he looked very impressive.
"Pretty well, all things considered," Aaron said. "There was no bloodshed. The legate was terrifying, as usual, but she kept herself mostly under control. She'll be staying with the President for the duration."
Perry's eyes widened. "Huh? They'll be hanging out together? How is that going to work?"
"Very awkwardly, I expect, but the legate feels the best way to keep him safe is to be his personal bodyguard."
"That is one hell of a bodyguard. And Boreas is with her?"
"Indeed. A formidable pair." Aaron furrowed his brow. "You look tired."
Perry was more than just tired. He could barely keep his eyes open.
"I worked straight through the night. This is my first real mission. I didn't want you to think I'm a slacker."
"I like that attitude. Do you have any results for me?"
"Yes, sir," Perry said. "I combed the databases of the FBI, the CIA, the Secret Service, and Homeland security. I also performed a deep internet search and went through the Society watch list."
Aaron cocked his head. "The what?"
"It's a list of dangerous people the Society keeps an eye on. I think it's a fairly new development. Anyway, sir, when I was done, I had a list of five thousand distinct threats. I cut that down by looking for people or groups who have a presence in the Chicago area. I figured there was no point in investigating somebody who isn't even here. I used the twins' correlation software to perform the analysis. It's amazingly powerful."
"Good job." Aaron nodded.
"Thank you, sir," Perry said. "Eventually, I trimmed the list down to a hundred threats that seem worth checking out."
"Did you print them?"
"No, but we can look at them on my monitors." Perry glanced at his bank of screens.
"You know me," Aaron said. "I like to see information in hardcopy. Do one threat per page. That will make the sorting easier."
"Yes, sir."
Perry typed on his computer for a moment to send the job to the printer. He got out of his seat. A stiff back made him wince. His ergonomic workstation was designed to be extremely comfortable, but no furniture could compensate for not moving at all for many hours on end.
He walked to the computer room where the laser printer was located.
He always marveled at the hardware whenever he entered the room. The twins didn't just have a lot of computers. They were also the fastest available on the planet. A special cooling system used mineral oil to keep the CPUs from burning up. There was a radiator the size of a double bus on the roof, and it was just for this room. Perry could hardly imagine how much the whole system had cost. Some of the equipment couldn't be purchased on the open market at any price.
He found his way through the maze of racks to the printer. A hundred sheets of paper took a little while to print out. While he waited, the hiss of ventilation fans was deafening. The twins didn't seem to mind the noise, but they didn't have human ears.
Bethany and Leanna weren't in their chairs at the moment. Perry wondered where they had gone.
Eventually, he collected the printouts and returned to Aaron's office. The commander was sitting behind his desk, and he had taken off his black jacket.
"Let me see," he said.
Perry handed over the thick stack of papers. Aaron began to go through them one at a time.
Perry was in awe of this man. Aaron was an absolute genius but not in the usual way. He didn't have a great understanding of math or science. He wasn't interested in literature. Aaron's extraordinary talents involved human behavior. He could read body language as easily as most people read a book. He usually knew what people would do before they did. He was always two steps ahead of everybody else in the room.
Aaron looked up from his work. "This will take some time. Get a little sleep. I'll find you when I need you again."
"Yes, sir. Thanks."
Perry walked off.
* * *
"We're thinking about giving the keynote on Saturday to Congressman Davis," Sandra Holt said. "His reelection campaign is in a dead heat. He needs the exposure."
President Haley shook his head. "I don't like it. He missed a lot of important votes this year."
"You don't approve, sir?"
"It's your decision, of course. You're the head of the planning committee. I'm just stating my opinion. I don't think Davis earned a keynote."
Haley was sitting in a large conference room packed with people. They occupied every available seat and were lined up against the walls, two deep in some places. Body heat made the room warm despite good ventilation. A mish-mash of colognes, perfumes, and certain odors infused the air. Nobody looked happy.
This was the final planning meeting before the convention. Political careers would be made and ruined here. Everybody wanted to see.
"It's a good point," Sandra said after a pause. "Maybe we'll keep the schedule the way it is."
She was a tall woman with a mane of raven hair. She wore a sunshine yellow suit, her signature look.
Haley glanced at Ethel. She and her bodyguard, Boreas, were lurking in the darkest corner of the conference room. They were still dressed like Secret Service agents and were doing a fair job of blending in. Both stood at attention like real agents. Sunglasses covered Ethel's strange eyes. With her lean build, she could be mistaken for a short, old man from a distance.
"Next topic," Sandra said. "The safety people aren't happy about all the bunting in the arena. They think it's a fire hazard."
"You really need me to make a decision about bunting?" Haley said.
"It's part of the presentation, sir. The national audience will see it."
He sighed. "Get rid of it. The flags are more than enough. And I've had enough. We've been at this for two hours. I'm going outside for some fresh air. Carry on without me, please."
He stood up. The Secret Service scrambled to escort him.
Guarded on all sides, Haley left the conference room and entered a hotel hallway. The carpet had a white and brown paisley pattern, and the walls were tan.
He was in the American State Hotel which had become the field headquarters of the Democratic Party. All the important meetings were here. The United Center was just for the television audience.
Haley started walking with no particular direction in mind. Just moving felt good. Hopefully, the planning meeting would be done by the time he got back.
He glanced over his shoulder. Ethel and Boreas were trailing several paces behind the real Secret Service agents. Director George Seferis was an equal distance behind them. He was glaring at Ethel with open hostility. Doesn't he have better things to do? Haley thought. Why isn't he managing his agency?
Haley eventually found a third-floor balcony with a view of downtown Chicago. The air outside was refreshingly cool. He wanted to take off his jacket and let the sweat underneath evaporate, but there were certain things a president never did in public.
The Secret Service formed a perimeter. They were such a constant presence in his life he sometimes forgot they were there. One agent stood out though. Her name was Zimmer, and as the only woman on the protection detail, she was a novelty. She had short, red hair, cut in a masculine style. He wondered what hoops she had jumped through to get this job.
Ethel boldly walked up to Haley. The real agents gave her strange looks, but he waved them off.
She stood on the edge of the balcony and looked out. "Chicago is my favorite city," she murmured. "I spent most of my life here. So many memories." She pointed to her left. "See the river over there?"
He looked at a strip of brown water in the distance. It flowed between the tall buildings like a regular street.
"Yes," he said.
"I had to swim it in the dead of winter," she said. "
The floating ice cut my skin. And that brown building is where I disarmed a bomb with just a nail file, clippers, and a ballpoint pen. See that very tall, blue building with the glass sides?"
He was certain she was just making up stories, but he was willing to be entertained. "Yes."
"I climbed the exterior one night from the ground to the roof. It was exhausting."
"Why?"
"There were people on top who needed my attention. Bad people." She didn't sound like she was making a joke.
"You arrested them?" he said.
"No, of course not."
The cool air suddenly seemed cold.
He noticed sunlight fell on her skin oddly, and it wasn't just the dark color. Light seemed to bend around her as if it had no business touching her.
Seferis joined the little group, scowling fiercely. "You two seem to be getting along well. I'm extremely uncomfortable with this situation, sir."
"Mr. Seferis," Ethel said, "there is no reason for us to fight. We can be great assets to each other. Is there anything you want? I'll be happy to do a favor for you to demonstrate my sincerity."
Haley decided to stay out of this squabble. The two adults could work out their differences on their own.
"You're trying to buy me off like the others," Seferis said. "You're an influence peddler."
She shook her head. "I have many responsibilities, just like you. Often, having friends in high places is very useful. I don't do favors for my personal benefit. Frankly, it's a pain in the ass sometimes, but it's part of the job. What do you want? I'm giving you a free wish."
Haley was desperately trying to figure her out. Clearly, she was part of a larger organization with extraordinary capabilities, but the purpose of that organization was completely unclear. He didn't even know why she was protecting him.
"I don't want anything from you," Seferis said. "Besides, you can't fix the important stuff."
"Like what?" Ethel said.
He hesitated. He had something to say but was unwilling to do so.
She took out her bulky, gray phone and made a call. "Hello," she said. "It's me. I need information about the Director of the Secret Service, George Seferis. He has a personal problem he is unwilling to discuss."
Haley heard tinny voices on the phone.