The Labyrinth Campaign (9 page)

Carlos had a skeptical expression. “Won’t the acid leave some indication that the reactor was tampered with?”

“Actually, no,” Jorge quickly answered. “The minor explosion, along with the accompanying toxic steam, will eliminate the clues that would indicate any tampering took place.”

“Two down, two to go,” Carlos said, smiling. “I’m intrigued.”

“Nerve gas. We’ve identified a facility in Nebraska that is currently working with a new strain of sarin gas that will be the deadliest ever. The kicker is, the only way this gas can generate its deadly compounds is to be introduced to an outside force—for example, being dropped out of a plane or launched by a mortar. Our plan is to create this force by toppling a large storage tank in the laboratory, already having attached
a tiny vial of the sarin to the outside to ensure contact and the resulting release of the deadly gas. We’re still working on the appropriate insider to help us, but we’ve got three or four weeks until the execution of accident number three.”

“Sounds viable for now, but I will want an update prior to execution.”

“Got it.”

“And finally?”

“The grand finale: the Woodrow Wilson hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River in Washington state. We’re certain that a structural failure at this location will minimize loss of life while creating a huge media event. The hundred-foot wall of water will carve a path of destruction that will make a tidal wave look like a ripple on a pond. But the beauty is that the water will not interact with any significant population centers, except a few hard-core outsiders in their cabins, for about 150 miles. By then the wall of water will have subsided, and flooding of the magnitude of Vermont after Hurricane Irene would be the result. We’ve got structural engineers working on the best way to create a failure of this type, but they’ve assured me it’s very doable.”

“Jorge, once again, I applaud your efforts. I believe these accidents should achieve the desired effect, and our US friends will generate the groundswell of support necessary to propel their candidate into the Oval Office. Now, before you are completely engulfed by the next stages of your elaborate plans, let’s celebrate.”

With that, the two men adjourned to the south wing of Pendrill’s estate where Mexico City’s “beautiful people” were assembled to drink and dance the night away. When Carlos and Jorge entered the huge, Spanish-style ballroom, four dark-haired, dark-skinned Latin beauties approached. The men took a lady on each arm and walked toward the bar, smiling. Carlos considered the benefits of power in Mexico exquisite. He couldn’t wait for the exponential power surge associated with the Will Hawkins presidency that now seemed quite probable.

Will Hawkins, David Ellis, and Jack McCarthy met in the outer office of Will’s Dallas office. Ellis had just been escorted to the forty-first floor by Stephanie Wood. After a brief greeting and some handshakes, Will opened the door to his office and escorted the others in. David Ellis was momentarily stunned. This was not the type of setting in which his meetings with politicians usually took place.

Will Hawkins sensed Ellis’s hesitation and asked, “Is there anything wrong, David?”

“Not at all, Will. I’m just not accustomed to political meetings in Shangri-La.”

The three men laughed as Will motioned them to the couch and chairs at the far end of the office. Once settled, the men’s conversation almost immediately took on a more serious tone.

Will launched into the discussion by stating, “David, I am honored that you would take time out of your busy schedule to fly to Dallas and meet with us. So, in an effort to minimize your time away from the foundation’s important agenda, I would like to share with you my vision for the future of America and the reasons why I believe our alliance makes so much sense.”

David nodded affirmatively but thought to himself that Will Hawkins was playing him for a fool. Does he actually think I don’t know what he’s going to say? Hell, he practically stole his script from my organization!

Will began pontificating, which made Jack nervous. Will had refused Jack’s talk sheet for the meeting, telling Jack that he was very comfortable interacting with the likes of David Ellis without the benefit of preparation. Will spent the next fifteen minutes discussing his platforms. He covered taxes, the economy, healthcare, crime, and foreign policy. When Will paused, waiting for David Ellis’s reaction, Jack decided to interject some key omissions, namely the environment and drugs. But before a word had exited his lips, David Ellis spoke.

“Senator, your platforms are sound. But you have chosen to ignore one of the foundation’s primary reasons for existing: the environment.”

Jack cringed, and Will reacted as if he’d been slapped in the face. How could he have forgotten David Ellis’s favorite topic and the very agenda item on which he had risked everything? Will shot a look at Jack, implicating him in the omission, but was quick to realize that the look of disgust on Jack’s face was directly related to his unwillingness to spend more time preparing for this meeting.

Will sensed the ball was in his court and immediately countered with an expression of pure innocence and transparency. “I was saving the best for last, David.”

Ellis seemed to accept this, though everyone in the room knew it was bullshit. Will continued, “I am appalled at the Hughes administration’s complete lack of effort concerning America’s environment. They have let big business and industry write their own rules, and our children’s future is in jeopardy. The environment is my passion, and I will diligently put legislation in place that will manage and ultimately eliminate big business’s ability to put profits ahead of our country’s future.”

Jack smiled inwardly. Although Will had obviously forgotten this important agenda item, he had recovered with passion and conviction. David Ellis had to know that Will Hawkins could deliver the goods to the American people.

Ellis spoke first. “Senator, I like your style. You and I agree more than we disagree, and I believe in your stance on the environment … whether you actually believe it or not.”

Will made as if to respond, but Ellis held up his hand for silence and continued. “Based on our previous discussions as well as today’s meeting, I am ready to announce the foundation’s full support of your candidacy—based on one condition.”

Will and Jack leaned forward.

“I would like you to make me secretary of the interior. That way, I can continue to focus on the environmental issues confronting our country today, while you focus on all the other issues that face a twenty-first-century American president.”

The time it took for Will Hawkins to respond to the proposed deal was actually less than fifteen seconds, but it seemed like an eternity to Jack. When Will did say something, it was lacking the usual eloquence the senator from Texas was known for. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Ellis.”

Will Hawkins’s office was electrified with excitement. Will and David excitedly shook hands, and Will simultaneously put an arm around Jack. But the only thing on Jack’s mind was, “one down and one to go.” The next step in the campaign was to increase Will Hawkins’s focus on the war against drugs.

J
ack McCarthy was patiently waiting in Will Hawkins’s outer office for his early evening appointment. On the Hawkins campaign, early evening was defined as 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Jack was sitting in one of the soft, leather waiting room chairs absentmindedly watching Stephanie Wood gather her things.

“Jack, did you hear a word I said?” Stephanie asked.

“I’m sorry, Stephanie. I was thinking about something else. What’d you say?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “I was saying that Mr. Hawkins kept me late this evening, and I missed meeting a friend for dinner. I was just wondering if, after your meeting, you wanted to go out and get a bite to eat. I was thinking maybe Javier’s.”

Jack had done a good job to date of avoiding any interaction with Stephanie outside of the workplace. But he also knew that since she seemed to be attracted to him, he had easier access to Will Hawkins. She made it very difficult for the people who treated her disrespectfully or those whom she didn’t like to get on the candidate’s calendar. So Jack responded, “That sounds great, Stephanie, but I’m not sure how long this meeting is going to last.”

Stephanie appeared surprised but quickly regrouped. “That’s okay, Jack. I’ll get our name on the list and wait in the bar until you get there. I could actually use a large margarita.”

They both laughed as Stephanie’s hotline, the number Will Hawkins gave only to key individuals, began to ring. When Stephanie realized which line was ringing, she got very serious very quickly. Jack noticed the immediate change in her demeanor.

“Will Hawkins’s office, may I help you?”

The caller was Carl Peterson, the alias Will Hawkins and Carlos Pendrill had agreed upon for any calls Carlos would have to make to the candidate. Stephanie knew that any call from someone on the hotline list was to be treated extremely confidentially. Her normal routine was to ensure the line was on scramble and to be sure Hawkins’s door was closed. But at that moment, she looked at Jack, who was staring at her intently, and her mind wandered to what the evening might have in store.

She continued, “He’s currently on another line, Mr. Peterson, but I will let him know you are on hold.”

She quickly scribbled a note and entered Hawkins’s office to make him aware of the important caller. When she returned, she hurried directly back to her phone, leaving the office door open slightly, obviously in a rush to transfer the call from Mr. Peterson.

As soon as she transferred the call, she looked at Jack and smiled. “Mr. Hawkins said this call should take only a few minutes, and then he’ll be ready to see you. I’m going to go ahead and take off to get our name on the list. Thursday nights in Dallas can be a nightmare.”

“Sounds great,” Jack said, wondering who Mr. Peterson was. “I’ll see you there in an hour or so.”

Stephanie was obviously excited and bounced out of the office, having completely forgotten to scramble the important call—or close the senator’s office door.

“Carlos,” Will Hawkins answered in an uncertain tone, “I’m surprised to hear from you so soon.”

“I’m a man of action, Will,” Carlos said, laughing. “You requested an update once the plans were laid out, and I’m also a man of my word.”

The two men discussed the process Pendrill’s team had gone through to identify key accident sites while eliminating the possibility of significant loss of life. Will Hawkins was getting more and more nervous. He was wondering, once again, how he had gotten himself into a situation like this. But this is my plan. And it will get me into the White House.

Carlos began to explain the specifics surrounding the accidents: the toxic-waste truck that would plunge into the Colorado River, a nuclear power plant melting down in the rural midsection of South Carolina … Will interrupted Carlos, wanting to better understand the details of how the accidents would be achieved and especially the potential loss of life that would accompany them.

“Will, I am a perfectionist. I always achieve my objectives effectively and efficiently. I don’t have time to explain all the details that my team has spent countless hours perfecting. If you don’t trust our capabilities, maybe we should stop now.”

“No, I … I trust your judgment. It’s just that … Never mind, what else do you have?”

Carlos laid out the plan for replicating a nerve gas leak in a Nebraska facility. The accident would closely coincide with a House subcommittee report on the proliferation of biological weapons worldwide. It was Will’s turn to smile to himself. He had to admit; that was a nice touch.

Then Carlos outlined the final event, the structural collapse of a hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River in Washington.

Will was stunned. The thought of the destructive power of an accident of this type left him speechless. A small voice deep in his mind said that this was too much. When he regained his composure, he lashed out at Carlos. “This is unacceptable! The devastation and carnage associated with an accident of this type is way beyond what is necessary.”