Since his address following the assassination attempt there had been really no new information. General Slaider had filled him in on what facts they had about the imposter Secret Service agent, the disappearance of Cranshaw and then Samuel Berman, and the overwhelming of the civilian security forces in Washington ad elsewhere. But as to what has happened sincehe was totally in the dark. He was very unhappy about this and was thinking about whose ass he had to chew out. What happened to Frank Morrison? And he didn’t like the drugged feeling and how long it evidently had persisted. He needed his wits about him and he needed to be fully alert.
Why was there no call button by his bed? He lay in bed, thinking, until he fell asleep.
Once again, the turning of the lock from the outside of his room awakened him. This time he shook the grogginess from his mind more quickly and more easily. And this time it was not the nurse. This time, to his surprise and delight, it was Morgan Slaider.
“Morgan, thank god you’re here. I’d about given up hope and feared the worst for everyone. Where are your men and what in god’s name is going on?” Drummond said, as he began to rise from his bed.
‘Please stay calm, Emerson. Sit back again and relax. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been used as a soccer ball and anxious as hell about what’s going on out there. Have we got things under control?” Drummond asked, leaning back onto his pillow at the gentle urging of Slaider’s outstretched arm.
“I believe we do, sir, yes.”
“Wonderful. I knew I could count on you. Have there been any more deaths?”
“I’m afraid so, Emerson. Some airmen in a fight to regain control of Andrews Air Force Base and two Secret Service agents.”
“Well, that’s not too bad at all. Any other deaths”
“Except for you, no more in the last day or two.”
“Thank god. What do you mean except for me? I’m not dead, or hadn’t you noticed?”
“I’m afraid that’s not exactly true, Emerson. You died a couple of days ago. The ceremonies attached to your death will be held later this week. A convincing likeness is being prepared for the lying-in-state as we speak.”
Slaider sat down in the chair next to Drummond’s bed.
Drummond looked at Slaider, trying to grasp the sense of what he was saying. Slaider leaned back against the chair, relaxed. He took his wire-frame glasses off and slowly began to clean the lenses.
Drummond watched Slaider continue to clean his lenses, waiting, expecting a further explanation. None was offered.
“Yes? And what else? What are you talking about, Morgan? Is this some sort of ruse to flush out the assassins? If it is, I think we must have had less disruptive options. Whose idea was that anyway? Really, Morgan, did anyone think I would authorize such a stunt?”
“Emerson, this is no stunt. You are dead and gone, I’m afraid.” He put his glasses back on. “I am the assassin.”
Drummond stared at Slaider, still unable to accept what he was hearing.
“Not literally, of course. But I arranged everything.”
“What the hell are you talking about,” the president fairly exploded, grabbing his chest, fighting the pain shooting through it from his outburst.
“Not now. I’ll go into that with you very soon. But not now.”
“What do you mean not now, goddammit? Have you gone crazy?” Emerson coughed violently for a moment.
“Don’t excite yourself, Emerson. Please.”
“Morgan, is this some kind of stupid joke?”
“I’m afraid it’s no joke, Emerson.”
The president was silent for a moment. “This has gone far enough, General Slaider? Where are the others? I order you to have my communications officer brought here immediately and I order you to have Morrison, Latimer, and Llewellyn brought to me immediately.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Vice President Latimer is in rebellion against the government, Frank Morrison is under protective sequestration, and Secretary Llewellyn is currently busy acting as interim president. So, you’ve got just me for now.”
“Interim president? What the hell are you talking about? There is no such thing as interim president.”
“Now there is. I’ve arranged that as well.”
“What is this, Morgan, a coup? Do you think this is Haiti? Why are you doing this?”
“I think you must know, Emerson, why I had to act as I have,” Slaider said, pulling a pipe out of his pocket. Slowly and carefully he filled it with tobacco he retrieved from a pouch he pulled from another pocket.
“What is this about? Your goddam laser? Or is it my proposal for the UN? Haven’t you overreacted to a policy disagreement, to say the least? And now you have innocent blood on your hands. Those young Secret Service agents and now servicemen!”
“It’s precisely about the laser and the UN and about AJC Fusion. You have proposed to change the world. That’s a big step, Emerson. I have assessed the situation and determined that the world will never be the same, what with Cranshaw’s technological achievements and your plans for the UN. I decided that as long as the world was going to be irrevocably changed, it was prudent to think about what opportunities inevitable change offer us. Make lemonade out of lemons so to speak.
“What kind of change has been the focus of my thoughts from the moment I began reading the situation reports on Cranshaw’s actual achievements? Since we are talking about revolutionary technological change, why not revolutionary political change? Once you start thinking that way, Emerson, the possibilities become staggeringly open-ended. One can envision reshaping anything. Once you and Cranshaw opened that box, Pandora’s box if you will, you let loose the evil of unintended consequences. I am now one of those unintended consequences.”
“You’re crazy. You’ll never get away with this . . . whatever the hell it is you think you are doing.”
“Oh, I’ll get away with it.”
“And what about Emily? She believes I’m dead?”
“Emerson, you are dead.”
“Morgan, I can’t believe you are doing this. You of all people. You’re a patriot. You’re one of America’s true military heroes. You’ve got to see that whatever our disagreement over energy policies may be, it’s not as serious as your attack on the institution of the presidency and the infamy of your actions. And I use the word infamy advisedly. Infamy doesn’t just come from overseas. Your name will be associated with infamy and murder for the rest of America’s history. God man, don’t you see that. Whatever it is you think you are doing for America, it can’t work out, doing it this way.” Drummond fell back on his pillow, coughing slightly, his energy drained.
“It doesn’t matter, Emerson. Yes, I’ve thought it outI believe, more carefully than you in just these few moments. The world is changing Emerson. Much more profoundly than you realize. And you failed to recognize the threat to the world and to America. How I am painted by history is of little importance to me so long as I am able to derail the disaster for the world that your joint venture will unleash, so long as we don’t miss the opportunity open to us now. I’m afraid, Emerson, that your vision was much too small.” Slaider paused and puffed on his pipe letting out a thin stream of smoke from the side of his mouth. He took the pipe in his hand and tamped down the ash with his finger.
“What are you talking about?” Drummond asked quietly. “We are about to enter a new golden age for all mankind, Morgan, one that may last for as long as there are people living on this planet. You know the promise of this fusion breakthrough. I know you are concerned about sharing our laser technology but surely you can see the overriding priority of this wonderful new world that the joint venture will help us usher in.” Drummond stopped, hoping his quiet questioning would somehow lead Slaider to a different line of thinking.
Slaider took a slow, thoughtful drag on his pipe. “Emerson, I don’t think you are strong enough to continue. I’ll get the nurse to check your bandages. I’m pleased that you’re exercising
.” Slaider rose to leave.
“Just a goddam minute. You can’t just walk out now. What the hell did you tell me all this for if I’m dead? Why are you keeping me alive then?”
With his hand on the door, Slaider turned toward Drummond. “To talk, Emerson. Just to talk. And while Alex may be acting president to the rest of the country, in some irrevocable way you are still my president. I can’t bring myself really to kill you.” He turned once more to the door, opened it, and left. Drummond heard the sound of the door latch being set.
72
“Jesus Christ,” said Senator Paxton, pounding his fist on his desk. “Great-Jesus-Godallmightychrist, what got into that boy?” He began pounding the desk with both fists. “Why, why, why don’t they ever just ask their elders for some advice instead of going off half-cocked all the time. Great Jesus, what a mess!”
He turned the telescreen off and dialed the telephone.
“Senator McGruder, please—Senator Paxton calling?” Paxton waited for a moment.
“Charley, its Jeb. How many have we got? Are we near the quorum yet?Okay. Keep trying. I’ll check at Defense and State later and see how many they’ve been able to locate and get back in here. At this rate we’ll have a goddam civil war all over again before we can muster a quorum. I’m trying to get a call in to Llewellyn. At least they’ve stopped this relocated White House bullshit. Have you seen the news?Yes I know you’re a little busy to be watching telescreen. But have you seen the news? It’s just now on the TV. Slaider couldn’t leave well enough alone. Couldn’t just leave the status quo until Congress got going. He had to send in an army brigadier to take command of Andrews. Well, the flyboys put up a fight and we’ve got fourteen dead and the base commander under arrest. I’ve got to talk to Llewellyn and tell him to just let everyone stand pat for one more day and then Congress can put it all back together. Call me as soon as you think we’ll have a quorumI know you are. I have to get off now too. There’s a caucus of the Southern senators that have made it back to DC and it’s just about to get started. I’ll call you as soon as it’s over. Charley, this is truly an unadulterated piece of pig shit politics, and by the military yet.”
Paxton hung up the phone. Stopping only long enough to pick up his half-smoked cigar from the ash ray on his desk, he rushed out of his office to the meeting.
73
“I understand,” General Stoner said. He placed his telephone handset back on its cradle.
“Well, at least we know that Morgan isn’t bluffing, Paul. He sent the troops in to take over Andrews Air Force base. We’ve got dead and wounded. The base is under Army control now.”
Latimer sat down. “What do we do now?”
“We start choosing up sides, I guess. I never was very good at chess, but I don’t like the way things are looking for us three or four moves from here, Paul.”
74
The news from CNN was just coming in.
“ . . . The air chief just announced the sealing of all remaining Air Force bases. He issued a press release stating that the new Executive Council was a violation of the constitution and would have no authority over the Air Force. He stated that all United States Air Force bases would remain under the authority of the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Warren Stoner, as would the Strategic Air Command, the Military Airlift Command, and the Aerospace Defense Command. He said that all bases would be defended against unauthorized and illegal intrusion by other services. He also said in his statement that until the Congress decides otherwise, the constitution is clear on presidential succession and therefore the Air Force accepts Paul Latimer as president of the United States. When asked whose finger was on the button that could launch a nuclear retaliatory attack, General Stoner stated that all strategic forces and weapons were under the command of the president of the United States, Paul Latimer . . . ”
Paul Latimer and Warren Stoner were sitting watching the CNN report. Latimer banged the table and rose from his chair, excited about the turn of events. “Okay. We’re beginning to get our message out. What about the other services, Warren?”
“The best that I can tell is that the Navy has put out to sea. The bases are wide open, but there’s not much in them. If Slaider wants to send in the troops to take over jurisdiction, he can. The barn is empty. Every ship capable of moving under its own power has been ordered out of port, full crew or not. The navy is apparently going to steam around and wait until the dust settles. I don’t have a reading on the Marine Corps or Coast Guard, but the army is solidly with Slaider.” Stoner looked down for a moment, thinking.
“What is your concern three or four moves from now, as you put it, Warren?”
“Look, Paul, it’s my job to be realistic about military situations. We are talking about a potential conflict between the Army and the Air Force if Slaider plays his hand to the end. This isn’t a football game and we don’t all get to go home when it’s over. No matter how it plays, if it comes to a serious shooting situation, and Andrews makes me think it will come to that, a lot more people are going to be dead very soon. There are about 600,000 military personnel in the Air Force and about 600,000 military personnel in the Army. Not too badly mismatched by the numbers, but our missions are very different. There’s no nice way of waging an air war. And there’s no way at all that the Air Force can secure territory. So no matter how you cut it, we can only fight a highly destructive defensive war, while the Army can wear us down and ultimately secure territory.
“Warren, I can’t share your concern. It’s never going to come to that. No way. Congress is only a day or two at the most from reconvening with a quorum. The succession issue will be resolved and Slaider will be finished, back in his cage, no matter who is president. I don’t know what he thinks he’s doing, but his game is almost up. In three days, he’ll be history. And in prison.”
75
Jeremy Leach pulled the car into the gasoline service station. It was the first one he’d seen in an hour. He was traveling through a part of Alabama that was still largely undeveloped. His contract had been completed. It all went off rather better than he thought it would. It was the biggest job he had ever handled. And he was still feeling at risk, having needed to use accomplices. Each additional person drawn into his plans was a danger. The possibilities of error or a slip-up or just bad luck multiplied accordingly. They represented more and more elements out of his control and it made him nervous, very nervous. But the returns were too big to turn down. It was also, he thought, maybe too big to turn down safely. You don’t get offered a contract like this one and then say, “Sorry, I’m busy that month.” You know too much already and could end up dead one way or the other.
He filled the gas tank for a long ride.
By coded messages, he had informed the four other men where and how to get their pay. They would drift back into the dark anonymous world of crime where he found them, knew them, trusted them. There was no need to kill them. If they were ever discovered and he was implicated, well, soon that wouldn’t matter. Anyway, more than likely they would be dead in a year, victims of their own risky lives.
He knew the FBI was looking for him. His approach to his life was not unplanned. The general had told him, “Jeremy, you make sure you get the job done and I’ll make sure you get away.” All he had to do now, the general assured him, was make it to Anniston. He would meet his contact there and be taken to the fort. Once inside, Jeremy would have his pick of the world. The general suggested Colombia, but it was too dangerous there, Jeremy thought. Too many criminals. He liked Argentina. It was big, had all the amenities, places to both spend and invest money, and yet somehow it was backwater—safe and more or less predictable. It would be Argentina. He’d even been taking Spanish lessons to elevate the street Spanish he had learned in the course of plying his trade.
Except he decided he’d pass on the general’s offer of a free ride. He could get there on his own. No sense in taking any unnecessary chances. Not that he didn’t trust the general—but j
ust to be on the safe side he would do it all himself. He’d helicopter to Mobile. Take a private charter to Cancun and from there to Buenos Aires by commercial airline. His passport, bank accounts and temporary residence in Buenos Aires were already arranged.
At Tuscaloosa Jeremy got back onto Interstate 20. The roadblocks had stopped the day before when the curfew was lifted and he could make better time on the highway. He hadn’t thought of retiring so soon in his career, at least not voluntarily. Forty-six years old. Not bad, he thought. It did make him nervous, though, having something to live for. It made you careless. But it was only a few more hours and then it would be all over. He would start a new life. Maybe even get married to one of the señoritas. Who knows?
As he was leaving Birmingham, Jeremy turned on his radio. He wanted to catch the news. It had been an interesting show, he thought. He wanted to know how it all turned out, but he really wanted to find out listening to a BBC broadcast when he was safely in Argentina.
As so often happened in the past few days when he tuned in for the news on the hour, what he heard instead was a news conference or bulletin or special announcement already in progress. This time was no exception. Alexander Llewellyn, the secretary of state, and head of the temporary Executive Council, was addressing a special news conference.
“ . . . a pervasive web of subversion, a most flagrant, infamous, and hostile violation of international trust, centered by all the evidence now bringing this perfidy to light, at the United Nations itself. I did not condone the searches of diplomatically immune properties conducted by General Slaider’s forces. These searches began and were mostly carried out before the authority of the Executive Council was established.
On Deception Watch Page 30