Further interrogation of the boy yielded a confession, as follows: I was riding my bike and Bobbi kept following me. I told her to go away, but she wouldn’t. Finally, I told her that if she didn’t leave me alone, I was going to kill her. She wouldn’t listen, so I took off one of my socks and wrapped it around her neck and pulled. She was waving her arms around for a bit, but after a while, she just quit. I panicked, figuring I would get a hiding from mama, so I dragged her to the pond and pushed her in to make it look like she done wandered off and fell in.
“Case disposition: After extensive discussions with U.S. Senator Franklin Templeton Wheeler, the boy’s father, no charges were filed, and
Lynn Ames
the case was closed. All copies of any reports relating to the investigation have disappeared and are believed to have been destroyed.”
“All except this one,” Hawthorne smiled evilly. He had paid through the nose to procure the file through an old friend—a retired Mobile detective with whom he had served in the Army. The man, a green rookie on the squad when the child had died, had no trouble at all remembering the hefty sum the senior senator from Alabama had paid to make the case go away. The cop had taken the file as a souvenir of his indoctrination into the less-than-ethical practices of the Mobile police force.
Hawthorne pushed the button for the intercom. “Janice, has the vice president arrived yet?”
“Just coming through the door, sir.”
“Good. Please, send him in.”
Hawthorne stood as Al Wheeler strode confidently into the room.
“Mr. Vice President, so good of you to come.”
“I’ve got to tell you, Bob. That damn Yankee needs a good talking to.
Seems to think he can run the place all on his own and I should be some sort of lap dog. Well, he’s got another thing coming.”
Hawthorne grinned.
This might go better than I anticipated.
“I agree with you, Al. That’s why I’ve asked you here. I think you should be playing a larger policy role in this administration.”
“Damn straight I should. I thought that’s why you wanted me on the ticket.”
“It is, it is,” Hawthorne mollified the vice president.
Or it might have
been the bombshell of a skeleton in your closet.
“Please, Al, sit down.”
“Wants me to goddamn run it by him every time I blow my nose, for Christ’s sake.” The big man dropped gracelessly into the chair opposite Hawthorne’s desk.
“I see you having a major impact on foreign policy, Al. After all, you were the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. You’re an expert.”
“Yes, sir.” The vice president puffed out his chest.
“What do you think about democracy in China?”
The vice president laughed. “Sounds like a fine idea to me, Bob, but I think Deng Xiaoping might object.”
“No doubt.” Hawthorne leaned forward. “What if we could achieve democracy in China and engineer it so that it looked like an internal rebellion?”
The vice president narrowed his eyes and steepled his fingers under his chin. “You’re serious?”
“Deadly.”
“Where is this coming from, Bob? And why are you talking to me about it instead of the president?”
The Value of Valor
Hawthorne shrugged nonchalantly. “I want to help you make your mark, and Charlie’s vision is limited—he doesn’t have the balls for this one.” He moved in for the kill. “Imagine what your legacy could be, Al, if you could be remembered as the modern-day father of world democracy. You could overshadow the president.” He could see the vice president trying to puzzle through the idea.
“But if we made it look like an internal revolution, no one would know I was behind it.”
“Don’t worry—I’ll make sure they know. History will remember you as a great man.”
“What do I need to do?”
Hawthorne smiled, pushing a piece of paper across the desk. He had the mechanism he needed in Wheeler, and the covert action was about to be unofficially-officially sanctioned. The Commission would be pleased.
“Call this number, identify yourself as a tourist interested in seeing Tiananmen Square, and ask if there are guided tours available. The person on the other end will respond that there aren’t any now, but there might be some in a few months. Tell him you’ll look forward to checking back with him then. After that, hang up.”
“Who will I be talking to?”
“Our CIA head of operations in China. Your conversation will give him the signal to go ahead with the plan.” The CIA station chief had been in the Commission’s pocket for years, having been caught by them in a compromising position with a foreign agent—a male foreign agent. He’d laid all the ground work to make the rebellion appear to be the work of disgruntled students—all that was necessary was a “go” from someone in the upper echelons of the government.
“You’ve already got a plan in place?”
“Yes, it just needs your approval.”
“Shouldn’t I know more about the details?”
“Respectfully, Al, it’s better if you don’t at this point. That way if anything goes wrong, you can legitimately disavow any knowledge of the plan.”
“I don’t know, Bob.”
Hawthorne was beginning to lose patience. “Al, every great leader delegates. That’s all you’re doing here.”
The vice president chewed the edge of his moustache. “I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I am. You just leave the rest to me.”
“You’ll keep me posted?”
“Naturally.”
When he was gone, Hawthorne breathed a huge sigh of relief. The vice president was so wrapped up in his own ego it hadn’t occurred to
Lynn Ames
him to wonder why the chairman of the DNC, with no government position, would be involved up to his eyeballs in a plan to bring about a pro-democracy revolution all the way across the world. Not only that, but Hawthorne hadn’t even had to use the folder—yet.
“Come in, Kate.” The president waved her into his private dining room. “No need to stand on ceremony with me, as you well know.”
Kate could sympathize with her boss’s desire to be less formal in private. Still she couldn’t help but be mindful of the Secret Service agents standing a short, though discreet, distance away and the fact that most of the rooms in the White House, even in the residence, were monitored by recording equipment. “Good evening, sir.”
He appraised his press secretary critically. It had been close to a month since Jay’s death. Kate’s face looked drawn, and she’d lost weight. She was still one of the most attractive women the president knew, but it was clear that she wasn’t taking care of herself.
“Kate, it’s good to see you.” He took her hand in both of his, noting that she still wore the diamond and sapphire ring he’d seen Jay slip on her finger at the commitment ceremony.
“And you, sir.”
He stared hard into her eyes. “I have to be honest.” He motioned to one of the dining room chairs, pulling it out for Kate. “I’m worried about you.”
She stopped in mid-motion just as she was about to sit. “Sir, if you’re not pleased with the job I’ve been doing…”
“No. It isn’t that at all. I’m concerned about how you’re doing personally.”
“Oh.” She finished seating herself and looked down at the table. “You don’t need to worry about me, sir. I’m fine.”
“Kate, you and I have known each other for a few years, haven’t we?”
“Yes, sir, we have.”
“Have I ever given you a reason to believe that I’m either dense or non-observant?”
“Of course not, sir.”
“Right. So how about if you give me a little credit for being a sensitive guy here and let’s dispense with the need to put up a façade, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now then, Kate, how are you really doing?” He lowered his eyes until he reached her level, forcing her to make eye contact.
“I’m getting by, sir. Every day is a struggle, but I’m so busy I’m sometimes able to keep thoughts of Jay out of my head.” She paused and
The Value of Valor
took a deep breath. “Every night is unbearable, and I wonder if I’ll make it until morning.”
“I’m sure.” He patted her hand sympathetically. “Are you getting any sleep at all?”
Kate shrugged. “Some.”
“Are you eating? Because it looks to me like you’ve lost some weight.” He held up his hand. “I know that’s not any of my business and maybe it could even be considered inappropriate coming from your boss.
But I’d like to think our relationship goes beyond that and you consider me a friend. I want you to understand how much I care. Heck, if my wife asks me one more time when I’m going to have you to dinner, I’m going to scream.”
Kate laughed.
“She’s sorry, by the way, that she couldn’t be here tonight. She’s off touring an innovative new program for crack babies in New York.”
“Please tell her I’m sorry I missed her, as well. And no offense taken about the personal questions. I’m proud to call you a friend, sir, and I’m touched by your concern.”
“I note, Ms. Kyle, that you still haven’t answered the question.”
“Sir,” she gave him her best ingenuous look, “you pay me to be evasive.”
The president laughed. “Don’t go starting that rumor. I’m paying you to tell the truth—our version of it, to be sure, but the truth nonetheless.”
“Point taken.”
There was a pause in the conversation as several servers appeared with trays of food.
“Have you heard anything from Peter lately?”
“I talked to him this morning, sir. He’s been working with the boys at Quantico for weeks now, trying to sift through what little evidence there was.”
The president made a sympathetic noise. He could only imagine how he would feel if it had been his wife in the car and there had been next to nothing left. He shuddered.
Kate went on, oblivious to the president’s thoughts. “He says he’s come up with something solid, and he’s coming back tomorrow to tell me about it in person.”
“He wouldn’t tell you over the phone?”
“No, and believe me, I tried.” The only thing she knew for sure was that whatever it was, it wouldn’t bring Jay back.
The president silently noted the looked of abject sadness that crossed Kate’s face. “I hope you’ll keep me informed, Kate. I want to know.”
“Thank you, sir. I will.”
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“Sir, I hate to interrupt…” A Secret Service agent approached and whispered in the president’s ear.
“Will you excuse me for a moment?” he asked Kate.
“Of course, sir.”
The president left the dining room and walked across the hall to his study, accompanied by the agent. “You’re sure he said he was Anton Anobly?”
“Absolutely, sir. I asked him three times.”
“Very well, thank you,” the president said absently. The agent backed into the shadows as the president moved to the phone on the desk. He had never expected to hear that code name again. It was one he and his best friend Keith Keniston had made up in college in case they were ever in trouble and needed to be bailed out.
“President Hyland here.”
“Charlie? It’s Keith. Sorry for the cloak and dagger routine, but I wanted to be extra careful.”
“What is it, buddy? It must be pretty important for you to sniff me out.” Last he had heard from Keith, he was applying for a job with the CIA. They had laughed about it at the time—Keith had always liked the world of shadows.
“I think it is.”
Hyland heard his friend’s hesitation and wondered what could be making him that nervous. “Keith? This is a secure line. Whatever you have to say, it’s just you and me. Okay?”
“Yeah, thanks. Charlie, are you trying to start a war in China?”
“What?” The president was completely befuddled.
“Yeah, that’s kind of what I figured. Didn’t sound like something you’d do—at least not a month into your first term.”
“What are you talking about?” the president asked.
“You know I’m the number two spook in Asia now, right?”
“No, I didn’t. Congratulations, I guess. Sounds like it’s right up your alley.”
“It is. I got a strange order today from my station chief. He gave a green light to set in motion a ‘student-led rebellion.’ Said the order came right from the top. Maybe I’m getting cynical in my old age, Charlie, but it didn’t smell right to me; it’s not your style.”
“I’m glad to see your instincts are still sharp, my friend. I certainly didn’t give any such order, nor did I sanction any action whatsoever in China.”
“What do you want me to do here?”
The president weighed his options. He knew he could countermand the order right away, but then he might not get to the bottom of whatever was happening and whoever was behind it. “Don’t do anything for the
The Value of Valor
moment. Somebody gave that order, and I want to know who it was and why. I’ll try to get to the bottom of it on this end. What was the timetable for this little revolution?”
“We were supposed to start planting the seeds now, with the main event beginning in April.”
“Okay. If anything more comes up and you need to get in touch with me, use the same protocol. In the meantime, follow your orders, but take your time implementing them, if you know what I mean.”
Keith laughed. “Yeah, I always was good at dragging my feet.”
“As I recall, you majored in foot dragging.”
“Just because you were Mr. Motivated is no reason to go picking on us more deliberate types.”
“Sure it is.” There was a momentary silence on the line before the president spoke again. “Hey, Keith?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for coming to me on this one. I really appreciate it.”
“Well, if we’re going to start World War Three, I want to know that our commander in chief is the one who’s making the call.”
“Having me as your president must scare the living bejeebers out of you.”
“Seriously, Charlie, I find it very comforting. I couldn’t think of a better man to have at the helm, and I’m honored to serve under your command.”
“Thanks, buddy. Good luck and God speed.”
“You too, Mr. President.”
When he severed the connection, the president sat for a moment thinking. If someone inside his inner circle was giving orders that could change the balance of world power, he wanted to know about it. But he also didn’t want to tip his hand just yet. Suddenly, he remembered that he’d left Kate sitting in the dining room. He got up and crossed the hall again. If there was one single person in the administration he trusted above all others, it was Kate.