14
(FIVE MINUTES BEFORE)
“All right, all right.” Secretary Rybicki jumped out of his chair and came between the president and his VP. “Let’s all cool down. We only have a few minutes left to make a very important decision. And we aren’t going to accomplish that with an alpha-male smackdown. Remember what Lincoln said: cool heads prevail in torrid times.”
“We need a show of strength,” Vice President Swinburne said. “The strength to make a tough call.”
“I don’t think most of the people I know would consider retreat a sign of strength,” Rybicki countered. “We can’t let this maniac go unchecked. I wonder if the president is doing enough. I think it’s time for scorched-earth tactics.”
“That’s crazy talk.”
“Forgive me, Mr. Vice President, but I don’t recall seeing you at the military academy. You went to Yale and studied geology, right? I’m sure that’s useful in some arenas. But I have studied military tactics, and I say we should go in with everything we’ve got, leave nothing intact. Scorched earth worked for the ancient Scythians. They put Persia in its place, back in their day. Maybe we should try the same thing. What do you think, Mr. President?”
“You’re right. You’re right.” The president fell back into his chair and pinched his nose. “I just wish… I wish…” His eyes seemed to detach, to lose their focus. His gaze drifted off to the side, somewhere vaguely in the direction of the presidential seal on the wall. “Here’s the story…”
Ben couldn’t quite hear what he was saying. Without making a show of it, he leaned in closer.
“… of a lovely lady…”
Ben glanced at Sarie. Sarie looked back at him, dumbfounded.
He wasn’t mistaken. The POTUS was singing the theme song from The Brady Bunch. In a time of crisis, with only a few minutes left till disaster, with the entire eastern seaboard facing possible destruction, he was singing the theme from a cheesy seventies sitcom.
Ben quickly scanned the room. Everyone else seemed just as incredulous as they were. He particularly scrutinized the vice president’s expression but found it very difficult to read.
To Ben’s amazement, the president played air guitar and made the sound of an electric fuzz during the song. “That’s the way we became the Brady Bunch.” He extended one arm across the table. “Yeah!”
Not a person in the room spoke. All eyes were focused on the leader of the free world-and then on the countdown on the wall.
“What’s the matter?” the president said, grinning. “No one has a sense of humor?”
Swinburne cleared his throat. “Um, Mr. President…”
“I don’t like that tone in your voice, mister. I don’t like it at all.” Abruptly the president looked at Ben. “You know what I wish, Ben?”
“Um, no…”
“I wish I could be a butterfly. Don’t you wish you could be a butterfly?”
Ben swallowed. “Well, I think you have to be a caterpillar first. I don’t think I’d care for all that slithering. And don’t they have short life spans?”
“But you could fly, Ben. Fly!” He shot to his feet and stretched out his arms. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Off to the side, Ben saw the vice president make a motion toward the doctor. A moment later, Dr. Albertson crossed the room to his patient.
“Sorry, Roland. Need to take a few readings.”
“Why?” he said petulantly. “There’s nothing wrong with me!”
“Just want to do a spot check.” He removed his stethoscope. “Check your heartbeat, make sure there’s no cardiac arrest. Check your blood pressure. Make sure there’s no aneurysm. I’d like to take some blood, too, but I couldn’t analyze it without going topside…”
He looked across to Zimmer. Zimmer gave him a firm no.
“Well, just let me see what I can do with what I have available.” He took out the inhaler. “Why don’t you take a hit from this? Might help. Maybe your airways are constricted. That can make a person… lightheaded.”
“I am not light-headed!” Kyler replied. “Leave me alone!”
“Sorry, but when it comes to your health, I’m the boss.” He took the better part of a minute-one of the few they had left-to complete his examination. “My friends,” he said when he was done, “I detect nothing overtly the matter with the president’s health.”
Ruiz sputtered, “Well, there’s obviously something wrong!”
Swinburne’s brow was creased. “Doctor, I don’t want to seem opportunistic. But we don’t have time for any nonsense. We are in a crisis situation. This nation needs to be led by someone who is in full control of his faculties.”
“The law is the law,” Dr. Albertson said firmly. “And Roland Kyler is the president, whether you like it or not.”
“I know you’ve read the Twenty-fifth Amendment, Doctor. If the president becomes incapacitated-”
“I see no evidence of that.”
“Open your eyes, man!”
“I won’t declare any man incapable based on a little odd behavior.”
“Be reasonable. This could cost thousands of American lives.”
“I’m aware of the possible consequences.”
“Then do something!”
Dr. Albertson shook his head. “Physiologically, so far as I can tell from the instruments available to me down here, the president is in perfect health. So he remains in charge.”
“Not if-”
The vice president never got to finish his sentence. Agent Zimmer cut in. “Sir, Colonel Zuko is back on the line.”
“Put him on.”
Ben looked up and, to his astonishment, saw that the president had snapped back to his normal state. He looked as strong and sturdy as ever.
What the hell was going on here?
Ben didn’t have much time to ponder. The colonel’s eerie, disembodied voice was soon back on the speakerphone.
“I greet you again, Mr. President. And your loyal second, Mr. Swinburne. I hope you are all comfortable down there.”
“Get to the damn point,” Kyler barked.
“As you wish. I’m sure you have noticed that you have one minute left on the clock. One minute to save countless lives. May I ask your decision?”
“There’s no decision to make, Colonel.”
“Roland!” Swinburne said, but the president shushed him.
“There will be blood on your hands, Mr. President. I have given you every possible opportunity to stop it, but you have chosen to take another path. The path of death and violence.”
“You’re the one threatening to kill people.”
“And you’re the one threatening my people.”
“You can stop it!”
The vice president whispered softly, “You can, too, Roland. Please do. Please!”
“The United States will not negotiate with terrorists, Zuko,” the president said firmly. “Not now. Not ever.”
Even over the phone line, Ben thought he heard Zuko sigh. “Then you have made your decision. I am sorry.” He paused a moment. “I will call you again. After you have had time to count the dead.”
The room was silent. Everyone stared straight ahead.
“He doesn’t mean it,” Rybicki said, breaking the silence. “It’s a threat. That’s all. We called his bluff.”
“You think so?” Admiral Cartwright asked.
“Of course. Even a crazy bastard like that must know that-”
He was interrupted by a loud beeping sound coming from the communications station.
They were all too afraid to ask.
“My God, no!”
Zimmer turned, suddenly aware that everyone present had heard what he just said.
“Are you sure?” Zimmer said into his mouthpiece. “Are you absolutely sure?”
A pause. Zimmer’s eyes closed.
“Continue all evacuation efforts. Shut down the subway system. Get people out of there as fast as you can. Everyone. Law enforcement, emergency rescue. Everyone! As fast as possible!”
“What’s going on?” the president asked in a quiet voice.
Zimmer rose slowly to his feet. His face was ashen. “I’m-I’m-” He choked. He swallowed, then tried again. “I’m afraid I have confirmation, sir.”