That got Ali crying again. And Bree too.

"We're a mess," I finally managed. "That's why she can't leave us."

They lifted Nana's tiny body onto a stretcher, and we followed them through the dining and living rooms, then out the front door. The familiarity of the surroundings seemed both sad and scary.

Bree had disappeared for a minute, and now she came up from behind, handing me my cell, a shirt, and a pair of shoes. Then she took Ali from me and put an arm around Jannie. Their faces were like mirrors of everything I was feeling.

"Go with Nana, Alex. We'll follow you in the car."

GABE REESE WAS pacing with his arms folded tightly, just inside the West Wing lobby doors. He wasn't used to this kind of uncertainty, the total lack of information, the fucking mystery of it all. He had plenty of resources at his disposal – he just couldn't use most of them on this. Not until he was sure what they were dealing with.

He was waiting for the vice president, and the subject was Zeus, of course, and what had been found out so far, and what kind of unprecedented scandal this could turn out to be. Tillman was scheduled to address the National Association of Small Business Owners from 12:30 to 1:00 at the Convention Center. It was less than a mile and a half away, which meant maybe five minutes in the car. Reese was going to need every second.

At exactly 12:20, the vice president strode into the lobby with the Secret Service's Dan Cormorant on one side and a deputy director of communications on the other.

Two scheduling assistants and another Secret Service agent trailed behind. The usual kind of entourage, trappings of power and arrogance.

Tillman looked surprised to see Reese standing there, holding his trademark fedora in one hand.

"Gabe, you're coming to this thing?"

"Yes, sir. Wouldn't miss it. Not a word. Not an arching eyebrow."

"Okay. Okay. Let's go, then."

They continued outside, where the vice president's Cadillac limo, two black Suburbans, and three motorcycle police waited with motors running. As the vice president stepped into his car, Reese put a hand on Cormorant's shoulder.

"We need some privacy, Dan."

"The senior agent squinted in annoyance, then turned to his number two. "Bender, take the staff car. I've got this covered."

"Yes, sir."

"You know that has to go into the log," Cormorant said as soon as the other agent was out of earshot.

"No, it doesn't," Reese told him. There was more than enough precedent for this kind of request, even from Reese himself. Once Reese and the vice president were in the car, Cormorant got in. Then he radioed the go-ahead, and the motorcade pulled out toward 15th Street.

WITH THE PARTITION up and tinted bullet- and soundproof glass on all sides, this was as private a meeting as they were going to get today, given the vice president's busy schedule.

Reese took a quick breath, then he started right in on what he'd found out. For one thing, the FBI and Metro police were both pursuing the case – at least as a murder investigation. Apparently prostitutes were involved, male and female. Zeus hadn't been indentified yet. If there actually was a Zeus.

"I just heard that we've got another problem." He turned to face the Secret Service agent on the jump seat. "Dan, do you know who Alex Cross is?"

"MPD detective, specializes in major cases – homicides, serials. He's working on a certain murder in question?" Cormorant hadn't missed a beat. "We're aware of Cross's involvement. We're watching him."

"And I'm finding out about this on my own, why?"

Cormorant ticked off the vice president's wishes on two fingers. "No phone, no e-mail, remember? I'll get information to you when I can get it to you, Gabe. We're talking about one homicide detective here."

"Hang on," the vice president cut in. "Where are we on Zeus, Dan?"

"Quickly, please," Reese added. They were already coming up on K Street, which was less crowded than usual – unfortunately.

"It's complicated. There are a lot of avenues to go down. We've had some SIGINT on a private club out in Virginia. Very discreet place for meetings. It's a sex club, sir. It's possible that Zeus has been there. It's likely he has. The White House, actually the Cabinet, keeps coming up, but that might be because of the code name, Zeus. I hope it's no more than that."

Tillman's expression darkened as he leaned in toward the Secret Service man. "And that's it? That's all you have?"

"This is a murder investigation. They usually don't solve themselves. The club is called Blacksmith Farms. We have the names of several clients. The owners are mob."

Tillman snapped. "Why can't we find out who Zeus is?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't turn over too many rocks without attracting more attention than we want. We're not even sure if Zeus actually used the club in question. There are all these swirling rumors but nothing solid."

Reese didn't like Cormorant's tone with the vice president any more than he did with himself. "Swirling rumors. Who else knows about this?" he asked.

"Two senior agents in the Joint Operations Center, one intelligence officer, but it's all being contained. No links to the OVP at all."

Cormorant gave Reese another one of his squints. "You need to calm down. It's not helping. We're moving as fast as we can and there's lots to check. The circumstances couldn't be worse."

The words fuck you ran through Reese's mind, but he was too savvy to lose it in front of Tillman. Still, this situation had the makings of one of the biggest bombshells to hit Washington in years. A serial killer involved with the Cabinet – or attached to the White House?

"Sir, I'm going to recommend you designate all Secret Service logs from your detail as sensitive compartmented information – until further notice."

"Sir, any SCI order puts your thumbprint right where you don't want it," Cormorant interjected.

"But simultaneously puts that information completely out of reach," Reese answered back. Tillman had the authority to bypass not just the White House Security Office on this one, but the Freedom of Information Act.

"Okay." Tillman nodded agreement with the chief of staff. It was done. Then he asked, "What about this detective, Cross? How worried do we need to be about him?"

Cormorant thought for a moment. "It's hard to know until he turns something up. If he does. I'm keeping my eye on it, and if anything changes at all, I'll update you -"

"Not me." Tillman said firmly. "Go through Gabe. Everything goes through Gabe from now on."

"Of course."

Reese found he was repeatedly running a hand through his hair without even realizing it. They were just arriving at the Convention Center; the pressure was on to wrap this discussion up somehow.

Quickly he said, "Anything else I should know? Anything else that you've been keeping to yourself? Like who the hell Zeus is?"

Cormorant's face reddened, but all he said was "We're here, sir."