The 13: Fall (22 page)

“We have a big problem,” Marianne said.

“So you told me. What’s going on?”

“Well, for starters, I’m no longer in charge of everything.”

“How do you mean?” Alex said, genuinely confused.

“That hack has invoked section 1a of the EIA. He’s taken over this office and all intelligence and law enforcement.”

“How did he do that?”

“Well,” she said, “the provision’s there. All he had to do was show a credible threat.”

“You mean—”

“No. I don’t. He—they—don’t know anything. I’m sure of it.”

“Then what?”

“This is partly why I called you,” Marianne said standing up and then coming around her desk with her finger covering her mouth. The universal
shhh.
“Why don’t we go grab some coffee. We can talk then.”

“Sounds good. I could use a cup.”

The two women left the building, neither saying a word. Outside, a car came around and met them. The driver got out and opened the doors. Marianne told the driver where to take them as they got in and sped away.

The short drive was a silent one. Marianne had always told her that they should never speak inside the car. Though she had the entire system under her thumb, she never wanted to take any chance of someone somehow compromising one of her cars. Once there, they ordered their drinks and stepped back outside. There was a small park less than a block away with a walking path through it.

“It’s a pretty day,” Alex said. “Shall we take a walk?”

“I think so,” Marianne said. Then to the driver, “We’ll be right back. Going for a short walk. Wait here for us.”

The driver nodded and got back inside the car.

Once she was confident they were out of earshot of anyone and no one was paying either of them any mind, Alex picked back up the conversation.

“So, this problem …”

“Yes, it seems there is a man who calls himself a prophet. Some religious zealot, to say the least. Apparently he’s been in contact with the president, warning him to speak to the American people and tell them that God is angry with us all.”

“Good thing I don’t believe in God.” Alex laughed. “I might have to be frightened, otherwise.”

“I don’t care who believes in what,” Marianne said. “The fact is, with his warnings and this stock market thing, he’s got the man scared. And—unbeknownst to me—the president apparently had three agents working on trying to find this guy when he tried to blow them up in a warehouse in Chicago four days ago.”

“So he leveraged that to get you removed.”

“Exactly!”

“And what about Chin?”

“It has no effect on Chin. He’s ready to move whenever I give him the go-ahead.”

“Then what? What do you need me for?”

Here it was. She knew it was coming. But she wanted Marianne to say it. It was, perhaps, her favorite part. When they actually asked her to do it. And Marianne was ripe! The woman was consumed with it; Alex could see it all over her face.

“Two things,” Marianne said. “First, he’s giving a speech on the steps of the Capitol building this evening. I want you to be there.”

Marianne let that hang there, like Alex was supposed to read her mind. But that’s not how it worked. Marianne would have to say the words. This was Alex’s second-favorite part, making them squirm as they wrestled with actually saying it. It was one thing to think it. Or even want it. But to say it, that was a whole other thing.

“You want me to be there … why?” she prodded.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Marianne said, perhaps a little too loudly. Some people stopped to look their way.

They continued walking and remained quiet for a few moments. When it was evident no one was looking or paying attention, Marianne continued.

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” she said in an intense whisper.

Alex stopped walking and looked her dead in the eyes. “Yes, if you want me to do this, then I want you to say it.”

Marianne gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine, then yes. I want you to kill the president of the United States.”

And there it was. The payoff. She felt the tingle inside, the one that stirred the dark emotion in her. It had been awhile since she’d had a mark. This one was the pinnacle of the assassin’s world. But her life had been leading up to this, all along.

For it was Joseph who told her that one day she would be asked to do this. And when it happened, she needed to be ready. She had asked then how he could know that someone would ask this of her. “Because,” he had told her, “it is the very reason you were born.”

“You’ll need to be careful,” Marianne was saying. Alex had wandered off into her own thoughts for a moment. But she was back now. “With this being an outdoor speech, there will be snipers on the rooftops and Secret Service agents everywhere.”

“This isn’t my first rodeo, Marianne,” she said. “It’ll be done. You know my price.”

Marianne nodded. “Yes, no problem.”

“And the second thing?” she asked.

“Find this Prophet before they do. And then do the same to him.”

   CHAPTER 37   

K
eene, Boz, and Taylor all sat together in an office that Hardy found for them. He told them it was a catchall office for staffers and others who were there doing business for short periods of time. It was small but comfortable. There was a computer and a coffeemaker and a few pastries, but other than that, just a couple chairs and four walls. Keene put a fresh pot of coffee on and grabbed a frosted donut thing and shoved it in his mouth.

“Thoughts?” he said, wiping the frosting crumbs from his lips.

“I need to get back to the bureau and analyze this video,” Taylor said. “I need to be on my computer, with my gear.”

“I could take you back to see Artie,” Keene said.

Taylor gave him a sarcastic grin.

Keene poured himself a cup of the fresh brew and sat down facing them. He had already been trying to devise some kind of plan to use all three of them as effectively as they could. But he still had a few things to work out.

“Okay,” he said. “I think that’ll be good. Boz, why don’t you and I stay back and try to game plan where to go from here.”

Boz nodded in the affirmative. “That’s fine.”

“But,” Keene said quickly, “I want us all to be back here before President Grant gives his speech. I want to be on-site in case this nut job decides to show up here.”

“You think he will?” Taylor asked.

“Don’t know,” Keene said honestly. “But I don’t want to take any chances if he does. Secret Service will be taking care of protective detail. The three of us can be moving around the area looking for him.”

“We don’t even have a good description,” Taylor said. “Are we supposed to stop every person who kinda looks like this guy?”

“If we have to,” Keene said.

“Okay, then I’m going to go get started on this video. Maybe I can get something from it that will help us.”

“Okay,” Keene agreed. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already after three. “Why don’t we break from here and meet at the Capitol at six o’clock. Megan, that’ll give you a couple hours with the video. Boz and I can go get cleaned up and talk about what we need to do next.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “I’ll meet you at the east entrance. Give me a shout if anything comes up before then.”

Keene gave her a nod as she left. Then to Boz, “My place is about fifteen minutes away. We can go there. Get cleaned up.”

“Fine by me, but we should probably talk with Agent Greene first.”

“Who?”

“The head of Calvin’s detail.”

“Oh, yeah,” Keene said. “I guess we need to let him know we’ll be there.”

“If you don’t want to get your face shot off.”

Keene peeked his head out the door and grabbed the first person who came by. Some staffer or secretary. He didn’t know. Didn’t matter anyway. “Hey, you,” he said. “Tell me where I can find the head of Secret Service around here.”

“There’s an office down the way and to the right,” the young man said. “Someone should be in there who can help you.”

“Thanks.”

They found the office right where the staffer had said it would be. With a big presidential seal on the glass door. A young man sat behind the lone desk in the room.

“Agent Greene?” Keene asked, peeking his head inside the door.

“He’s with POTUS, sir.” The president of the United States.

“Special Agent Keene, CIA, on special assignment for
POTUS
,” Keene said. “Where are they?”

“Sit Room, sir. Meeting with the JCs and the DOD.”

The kid likes his acronyms
, Keene thought. “Thanks.” Keene backed out of the doorway and turned left down the hall. He knew where the Situation Room was. Then to Boz with a smirk, “POTUS is in the Sit Room with the JCs and the DOD.”

“I heard. He’s probably a former jarhead,” Boz joked.

“Hey, I resemble that remark.”

When they got there they were met by another two agents standing outside the door.

“May I help you two gentlemen?” the first agent asked.

Keene flashed his ID again and introduced himself.

“Need to see Agent Greene,” he said.

“He’s in with the president and the joint chiefs, sir.”

“It’s kind of important,” Keene said. “Can you get him?”

“One second.”

The agent lifted his wrist mic and spoke into it. Then placed his finger over his ear as he listened.

“He’ll be out in just a moment, sir. You can wait over there,” he said, pointing to a small alcove in the hall.

Agent Greene stepped out a moment later and stuck out his hand. “Agent Brian Greene. Nice to meet you, Mr. Keene.” Then to Boz, “Boz, good to see you again.”

“You, too, Brian,” Boz said.

Keene looked back and forth between the two men.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Keene?”

“You know anything about what the president has had me and Boz doing?”

“A little bit, sir. Just that you’re on special assignment for him and we’re to give you anything you need.”

“Good. Here’s the deal. I know you aren’t all that excited about a speech outside on short notice.”

“No, sir, I’m not,” Agent Greene interrupted matter-of-factly. “But he insisted. So we’re humping it to get it ready.”

“Right,” Keene continued, “so there’s a possibility that the guy we’re tracking may show up tonight. I just want you to be aware. I have a picture. Not a great one. We’re working on getting something better. But you need to pass it around to your guys. We’re going to be on-site, walking. I want Boz and Taylor and me to all be on comm.”

“Not a problem, sir. We can get you wired up.”

“Anyone sees this guy, they are to report to me. You got that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And unless President Grant is in immediate danger, you do not take a shot at him. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good. We’ll meet you at arrival.”

   CHAPTER 38