The 13: Fall (21 page)

“Mr. President,” Keene muttered. “That was …”

“Intense,” President Grant finished his thought. “Yes, I agree. But needed.”

The four of them sat in the Oval Office, having just finished the ceremony, if you could call it that. It wasn’t so much a ceremony as an event, Keene thought. Something of the kind he had never witnessed before. And the look on Marianne Levy’s face. It was utter shock and dismay. That brought a quick smile. But he quickly stifled it, knowing the mood was anything but joyous right now.

It happened so quickly
, he thought. It was like a roller coaster that shot out of the gate and slammed to a stop two minutes later. President Grant had made his declaration then shown the video to the chief justice and VP Walker. Before the video went to a blank screen, he told them that he had Keene, Taylor, and Boz on assignment looking for the guy. He brought up the explosion at the warehouse in Chicago and then restated his position. Without a second thought, the chief justice and vice president nodded to each other. President Grant then produced the necessary documentation to make the order official, and the two of them signed it without a word. Marianne Levy had stood there, mouth agape. The shock of it all had rendered her speechless.

She did, however, manage to spew a few eloquent curse words as she stormed out of the office. And as she left, she turned to face President Grant and spat, “You’ll be sorry you ever crossed me!” And then she was gone.

The president thanked the chief justice for his time and excused him. He told VP Walker that he would speak with him in more detail in a little while. But for now he needed the vice president to step out.

“What now?” Keene asked.

“You three go do your jobs,” President Grant said.

“So you still want us to find this guy?” Taylor asked.

“I do,” the president affirmed. “But maybe not for the reason that you all think you need to find him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Keene asked.
Here we go again.

“It means what it means, Mr. Keene. I do want you to find this man. But”—he held up a hand—”and I do mean
but
, you are not to harm him in any way. Do I make myself clear?”

“Mr. President.”

“Mr. Keene,” the president held him off again. “I mean it. Do not harm this man. You may not subscribe to my thoughts on matters of faith. I get that. But I am still the president. And until someone invokes some other constitutional amendment to remove me from this office, I will be the one making these decisions. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir,” Keene said, frustrated.

“I know how you feel about this man,” the president said. “But I know deep within my soul that he is not HAMAS, al-Qaida, or any other terrorist. I truly believe that there is something bigger at play here. But I won’t abdicate my responsibility in protecting this nation either. That is why I’m giving you permission and the full resources of this office to find him. If I’m wrong, and he is somehow involved in a plot to bring down this nation, we will prosecute him to the fullest extent of my power.”

That assuaged Keene’s anxiousness a little bit. At least the president hadn’t completely lost his mind, he thought. But he still disagreed with the man. This was nothing more than an elaborate terrorist plot.

“But if I’m right,” the president continued, “then I—we—are going to need this man’s cooperation going forward.

“Now, I have asked the networks for thirty minutes tonight. I am going to give our nation a speech on the steps of the Capitol building at seven o’clock. I would like you all to be there, but I understand if you want to get moving on finding our Prophet.”

“What are you going to say?” Boz spoke up.

“I’m going to try and assure everyone we are going to be all right. That we think this stock market thing is just the free market doing what it does. But I’m also going to tell them that they need to take this as a warning. And then I’m going to do something that perhaps no president has ever done.”

“What’s that?” Keene asked.

“I’m going to share the Gospel with them. And then I’m going to ask them to repent, as a nation. And to turn back to the God who gave them their country in the first place.”

   CHAPTER 35   

T
he Prophet sat on his couch, weeping. He didn’t understand. He had done what he was told to do. And now, he was told, the president was going to attempt to call the nation to repentance. But then he was told that it would not happen. The nation would not turn. That this must come to pass.

“But why, Lord?” he cried in desperation. “Why? If he is to do what You’ve asked him to, then why? Why have me do all of this? I don’t understand.”

“
Because it is about much more than just one man’s obedience,”
he was told.
“Yes, President Grant is a good man and a true believer. But it is not for him to lead these people through this.”

“I don’t understand,” the Prophet cried again. “Show me, Lord.”

“
Yours is to do as you are commanded
,” he was told.
“Not to question.”

“But if not President Grant, then who? Me? I cannot lead them, Lord.”

“
No, you shall not lead them
,” came his answer.

“But what of these people?”

“
They have given themselves over to the ruler of this world
,” he was told.
“Long have they forgotten who it is that brought them here and gave them this land. So I shall remove My hand from them for a time.”

“Please, Lord,” he wept. “Let me tell them. Let me tell them all. They can change. Please say we are not too far gone.”

“
It is not for you to speak to them anymore
,” he was told.
“You shall be silent until I call you to bring council to the one whom I have appointed.”

“Oh, Lord!” the Prophet sobbed. “Please, no. Please spare them.”

“
Weep for your people
,” he was told.
“Pray for them. For they shall need it.”

   CHAPTER 36   

A
lex Smith stepped off her plane and entered the waiting car. She was back. She had called Marianne to check in as the plane had taxied to the hangar. Though she could not fully discuss things with her over the phone, she knew it was not good. And this brought her a smile. Not because things were not good but because she knew ultimately what it meant. It meant she was about to have a new assignment.

When she was taken from the girls’ home by Joseph, it was the happiest day of her life. No more did she have to clean up after herself, do her own laundry, help cook the meals, and study her books. Weapons and stealth became her new studies. Joseph had told her that he was going to make her into something great. And he did.

Four years of intense physical training turned her into one of the world’s most deadly assassins. She had worked for many people. Some bad, some not so bad, but all very rich and willing to pay enormous amounts to have certain people removed. And so now she was rich. Very rich. But for her, it wasn’t all about the money. Joseph had told her long ago that doing this kind of work would birth something in her. He told her it would bring a fulfillment. A dark, satisfying fulfillment. And it was the power to wield life or death.

She felt the darkness take her soon after her fifteenth birthday. The day she did her first mark. He was a foreign dignitary who liked young girls. Joseph set it up. She would be the mark’s “date” for the evening, waiting for him in his room that night.

She had sat there, waiting patiently for the disgusting man to arrive. And when he did, it was exactly like Joseph had said. He had walked over to her, looked her over, and then ordered her to undress as he sat down on the bed.

Joseph had told her that she needed to take his life with her own hands. It would be more satisfying than just putting a bullet in his head. However, he allowed her to have a weapon, in case things went wrong. But they didn’t. The man was as predictable as his dossier. He waited for her to get undressed, and then he turned his back to her and asked her to rub his shoulders. That’s when it happened. She reached down and removed the short piece of wire she had stowed under the bed. And in one swift motion, she jammed her knee into his back as she wrapped the wire over the man’s head, forcing him to stay bent over. She pulled and twisted the wire cable as the fat man flailed and scratched at her arms. But she pulled harder and felt the man’s life leave his body.

Afterward, she got dressed and left the room. The excitement and exhilaration she felt was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Then the darkness came. And it took her. She realized she liked it. That was several years ago. There had been many more since. And there was about to be another. She was sure of it.

The driver of the car dropped her off at the main gate, as usual. She produced her badge, given to her by Marianne, and did the security thing. Once inside, she headed straight for the top floor and knocked on the director’s door.

“Come in.”

She closed the door behind her and took a seat. Marianne was sitting at her desk, her eyes closed and leaning back in her chair.

“You look comfortable,” Alex said.

Marianne opened her eyes and looked straight at her. She’d seen this look before. It was the one they all gave. Right before they asked her to do it. She loved that look.