West glanced less than twenty yards to Jordan’s left and picked the guy out quickly. He looked back to Jordan, who remained long enough to ensure he had seen her. She tugged on her earlobe, a little sign they gave to each other when leaving for school or business trips. He’d already seen through her disguise, but now he also knew she was under no duress and was here of her own volition. He watched as she then turned and walked down the sidewalk. She paused to look back as if pleading to her father to make all this madness stop and take her in a secure and loving hug.
West could feel the distance widening between them as she ambled away. Frustration and pain clouded his face. He made no effort to conceal the emotions. He watched long enough to ensure no one was following her, then turned to Ethan.
“Young man, you realize if she comes with me right now, then this entire ordeal is over, and we can all go home.”
“That’s not exactly true, sir. There will be kidnapping charges against us. Add that to any other laws they will say we broke by getting her out of that hospital. I’m pretty sure that even you couldn’t make this mess go away just by saying, ‘it’s all been a big misunderstanding.’ Think about it. I know you were careful in watching for people following you on your way here, but they found you anyway. They will find all of us eventually. And let’s face it, the easiest way to deal with us is to make us disappear. “
“Then why didn’t you ask for help earlier,” he said, frustrated. “Back before this small hole became a bottomless pit.”
“It was never a small hole, governor. Senator Karlson deliberately revealed military secrets to the enemy. When Jordan confronted her, she was drugged and locked away. The senator has been working to track us all down and cover her tracks ever since.”
West made a face like he’d received an electrical shock.
“We saw her do it,” Ethan continued. “Jordan was heartbroken. But she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t confront her mother and allow her the opportunity to fix what she’d done. Well, she tried and look where it got her. Locked in a padded cell and medicated out of her mind. At that moment, we didn’t know who we could trust, you included, sir. As her friends, we saw ourselves as her only option. So we broke a lot of laws and took on forces we had no business competing against. And there she is, safe and sound, at least for now. We know that if we don’t do this right, then it’s a simple case of our word against the senator’s. Jordan is adamant that we close this chapter once and for all. For the sake of everyone involved, she is asking for your help because you’re the only one she can trust. The only one that can make this right.”
“Treason,” West repeated. He closed his eyes and the word was still there, etched into his mind. His wife actually committed treason, then locked up their daughter to cover her trail. No amount of political backpedaling could ever undo these egregious acts. The consequences would follow them both for the rest of their days. The life they built together was over, and he mourned its loss.
The confrontation with Katherine would come later. Right now, his first responsibility was guaranteeing the safety of the most precious player on the field; Jordan.
“I need to know that she is protected,” he finally said. “Tell me what assurances I have that no harm will come to her?”
“She will be safe because we’re no longer in a defensive position, sir. We’re proactive. We control a bit of the battlefield now, and we know things they don’t. With your help, we can catch them in the act. That is the only way this ends well for all of us.”
“From my perspective, this seems like a long way around what should be a straight line. You realize that, don’t you?”
“I’m sure it appears that way. But if we don’t follow our plan, then everything your wife has done will remain nothing more than unproven allegations. Speculation and conjecture in the eyes of the law, and therefore plausibly deniable. The only way this story stops here and now is for the senator to be caught in her own lie.”
The governor’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “That was a very compelling argument. I don’t make a habit of judging a book by its cover, but that’s not what I would have expected to hear from a musician.”
Ethan smiled slyly, as though one of his life secrets had been revealed. “My father was an attorney. And though I had no interest in that direction myself, I always listened when he spoke. He was. . . a knowledgeable and articulate man.” Then he added, “And greatly missed.”
Ethan’s words were having a disarming effect on West. Each bit of information garnered from the young man further proved he was someone of high intellect and strong moral value. West probably wouldn’t have chosen him as his daughter’s love interest and protector, but here he was. He was also satisfied that Jordan was in good company.
“So, how do you propose we move forward?”
“That involves a rather big favor we have to ask of you. If you can set the wheels in motion, we can take care of the rest.”
For the next ten minutes, Ethan laid out the plan and what they needed. West made notes in his phone as he listened, nodding from time to time, never interrupting.
When Ethan finished, West pocketed his phone. “You’ve covered this well,” he said. “It’s a good plan. An excellent plan, actually. I do believe, however, that we need to stay in close communication until this is over. I would suggest. . .”
Ethan nodded before he could finish. “There’s a burner phone taped under the table with my number in memory. This one is secure and untraced.”
“I should have figured you have that covered as well. I think you’ve missed your calling, Ethan. You could have a future with Central Intelligence, maybe the FBI.” He subtly pulled the phone loose from under the table and slipped it into his jacket pocket. He rose from his seat and said, “You have my full support. And tell my daughter… tell her that I love her.” He smiled and added, “But she already knows that.” He reached over and shook Ethan’s hand, then headed out the front door.
Ethan remained seated, tapping away at his phone. After a few more minutes, he headed to the restroom and locked the door. He peeled off his jacket and reversed it, pulled on a brown beret and black-rimmed glasses, then adhered a false mustache to his lip. He opened the door a crack and peered through cautiously. Seeing it was clear, he slipped out the employee entrance and took a circuitous route to Joe’s house.
Governor West strolled down the street, stopping at a few stores as instructed. He then climbed into a town car that awaited him at the end of the block. Once inside, he pushed the button to raise the divider between himself and the driver. He dialed one of the numbers from his phone book and waited. When a receptionist answered, he said, “Special Agent Masterson, please.” A moment later, he was connected. “Agent Masterson, this is Governor Clifford West. I have some information to share with you at your earliest convenience. It concerns my daughter, Jordan.”
47
Katherine Karlson spent most of Friday afternoon in the Presidential Suite of the DC Kingston hotel. On another day, she would have enjoyed the sprawling patio with its breathtaking view of the Washington monument. From her vantage point, the flow of people and vehicles below appeared as living cells, each carrying essential nutrients to a ravenous, monolithic organism.
Karlson took no notice. Instead, she concentrated on the steady stream of wealthy donors as they filed in to greet her, shaking hands and offering sizable checks for future favors. Karlson moved about the two-thousand square foot suite shaking hand after hand while rehearsing her speech between visits.
Gene Lawton worked in an adjoining office, struggling to regain control of the Jordan West situation. The public sentiment still played in their favor. But what Karlson saw as light at the end of the tunnel, Lawton envisioned as the headlight of a freight train rumbling toward them.
Despite Lawton’s pessimistic view, Karlson maintained the belief that Jordan could eventually be coaxed back under her wing. She was also confident that the rest of the situation could
be ignored until the inquiries quit coming. The news media often treated their chosen candidate with that courtesy. They stopped asking difficult questions if they sensed Karlson was becoming frustrated. Or that she might struggle with an authentic and newsworthy query that had not been pre-screened.
Karlson broke away from her speech notes, stretched, and let out a long yawn. “Have you heard any more from the FBI about possible Jordan sightings?”
“Nothing from them or the state police,” said Lawton. “All they’re offering are theories. Our own agents believe Jordan and her accomplices are lying low. She’ll contact you when she feels the time is right.”
“She wants me to quit the campaign and step aside. I doubt she’ll be changing her mind until we can get her away from that brainwashing band she’s shacking up with.”
“Probably not, but it might buy us some time if you tell her you’re considering it. At least let her know that you’re looking into a way to correct what’s been done.”
“That’s a tall order, Gene. I wouldn’t know who to trust if we wanted to find another way out. All we can do now is play dumb about the whole damn thing. Speaking of which, do we know for certain that the security video of the interview has been destroyed?”
“Yes, the job was done. This time, the hard drives were physically destroyed.”
Karlson chuckled disdainfully. “I’ll believe it when I see it. I have zero faith in that fat fuck. I wouldn’t doubt he left the drives in the trunk of his car and forgot about them. I want you to bring in someone new, Gene. Verify those drives are gone for good, and then fire that piece of shit.”
Lawton nodded. “Let’s just get past tonight, and then we can start looking for a replacement. Smart people are plentiful, Katherine. Finding someone you can trust, now that takes time.”
“Loyalty can be bought, remember that.” She spoke with a smugness that warned Gene not to challenge her.
“Speaking of which,” she continued, “maybe we approach this situation with a new spin. Let’s throw out a news line that Jordan is suffering from exhaustion and depression. Say that she is in critical need of medical attention. That could bump the sympathy vote and get people watching for her. Let the country know that we fear for the safety of my daughter. We’ll need a few key people to start repeating that line.”
“I’ll plant the seed tonight.”
Gene was packing away his computer when he heard a rap on the door. A tall, dark-suited secret service agent let himself into the room. “Excuse me, senator, but we need to move you to the stage dressing room now.”
Karlson nodded without looking up.
“Time to bring home the labor vote,” Lawton said as he walked over and held the door open.
Karlson smiled as she tucked her speech notes into a leather binder. “Let’s be honest,” she said, “the labor vote was mine by virtue of who I am not.” She let out a short, sly laugh. “They’re going to vote for me because I am not Davis Tenor!”
Karlson’s cell phone chirped on their way to the dressing room. She dug it from her purse and caught it on the fourth ring. The caller ID displayed ‘anonymous.’ Typically, she did not answer unrecognizable numbers but then had a thought. What if…
“Yes?” she answered cooly.
“Mother, it’s me.”
Karlson stopped dead in her tracks. Lawton, who was walking beside her, continued on a few more steps before realizing she had halted. He turned and read from her face that it was Jordan.
“My God, baby, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick! Are you all right? What are those terrible people doing to you?”
Lawton noted how the woman’s words did not synchronize with her face. He heard the concerned tone of voice but saw no change of expression as her eyes stared forward, revealing nothing. It was like watching a movie with bad overdubs. This was an aspect of the woman that Lawton feared. She was proving him right for not fully trusting her no matter what that buttery smooth voice said.
Karlson gestured with a finger for Lawton to wait as she listened to her daughter.
“I’m in the building, and I have to speak with you,” Jordan continued. “You and I need to have an understanding. There is an empty meeting room called the Sierra Hall. Please come alone, mother. I’ll be waiting.”
The call ended, and Karlson whispered into Lawton’s ear. “She’s here, now. She wants to meet with me alone in the Sierra Hall. Get our people to cover the exits in case this doesn’t go well.”
Gene nodded and hurried back the way they came. He pulled a two-way radio from his pocket and gave instructions to the private security team. The trap was now set.
Karlson excused herself from the secret service escort and found one of the wait staff to direct her to the new destination. She located it quickly enough and let herself in.
The lighting was low in the immense, empty hall, but she recognized the outline of Jordan sitting at a table near the back wall. Karlson sauntered toward her, observing everything around, watching for movement in the shadows. She could make out Jordan’s face now and was relieved to see her daughter safe. Her maternal instincts being quenched, Karlson immediately began formulating her next steps. Constructing the conversation that would take place. She had to convince Jordan that her actions were for the sake of the country. If she could just get in a few words edge-wise, then she might still make this all work out. If not, she hoped her security team would not hurt her only child. She moved closer. Jordan made no effort to stand and greet her.
“Hello, mother.” Jordan’s tone was flat, simmering with undercurrents of anger.
For a moment, Karlson felt a slip in the balance of power, a strange tingle of uncertainty. It was not a welcome sensation, and she pushed it out of her mind.
Her daughter regarded her blankly. “Have a seat,” she said, pointing to an empty chair.
“Is this how you greet your mother? After being kidnapped and disappearing off the face of the earth for days?” Karlson’s voice was brimming with indignation.
“This is how I greet the woman who drugged me. This is how I greet the woman that sent me to that terrible place like a prisoner. Christ, mom, your own daughter! How the hell do you think you could ever justify yourself to me? Or to my father, let alone the rest of the country? Did you really believe you could talk your way out of everything you’ve done?”
Karlson expected some anger, but Jordan was standing up to her more than she’d expected. Although annoyed with this newfound attitude, she still admired the girl for showing some backbone.
“Honey, you left me little choice. If you just tried to be a little more reasonable we—”
“Reasonable? You revealed military secrets to the enemy. Why? Why would you betray your own country like that?”
Karlson waved off the comment like brushing away a pesky fly. “Because that’s how things get done in this town. Give and take. I gave up the details of a mission that had the potential of destroying all that I’ve worked for.”
“It would have shortened the war,” Jordan said. “Maybe even ended it.”
“Oh, there’s so much more at stake here than just that.” Karlson looked down, shaking her head. “That mission would have jeopardized everything.”
Jordan laughed out loud. “Bullshit! How could ending the war sooner possibly be a bad thing?”
“We couldn’t allow anything like that to happen until after the election. Only then could we use diplomacy to end it on our terms.”
“Diplomacy? Mother, let’s be honest, you don’t know a fucking thing about diplomacy. That’s why you pay people like Gene to negotiate for you.”
Karlson had heard enough. Her buttons weren’t merely pushed, they’d been smashed in. Nobody questioned her motives or intentions like this. And certainly not an ungrateful daughter who was incapable of grasping the fine art of politics. She stood outraged and pointed a trembling finger down at Jordan.
“I am a United States Senator, little girl! I am weeks away from
winning the presidency. Make no mistake that I am a diplomat, first and foremost. You are way out of your league here and so very out of line! As usual, you learn a little and think you comprehend the entire situation. So let me explain once and for all how this really works. If that mission had been allowed to go forward, then yes, it could have ended the war before the election. But do you have any idea what that would have meant? Hell no, you don’t. It would mean the current president could take credit for it happening on his watch. His poll numbers would have shot through the roof. That would have been the end of my campaign, right then and there. Now, we can wait until I’ve been elected. I’ll send in my diplomats to broker a peace treaty. We will end this war on my watch, on my terms. History will reflect that I accomplished what five presidents failed to do before me. My legacy will be carved in stone, and a second term is all but guaranteed.”
“But those people want nuclear weapons! They’re less than a year away from becoming the most dangerous threat in the Middle East!”
“Too goddamn bad! They’re going to figure a way to get them regardless. At least this way, I will have a treaty with support from the rest of the world. If OASIS attacks their neighbors with a nuclear bomb, then we would retaliate by blowing them off the face of the earth. And we would have the blessing of nearly every other country.”
“All except the one that OASIS destroyed with that first nuke. They would all be dead.”
“Collateral damage, darling! World peace would grow from the ashes.”
Jordan stared in disbelief. This was far beyond anything she thought her mother was even capable of conceiving. The words slammed her back into her seat. She gripped tightly to the table edge and struggled to maintain her composure.
“I can’t believe you actually said that,” she finally managed to answer. “Allowing two countries to destroy each other because it would be better for your election? My God, mother, what have you become?”
ENEMY WITHIN THE GATES Page 27