Ben stood outside the Lincoln Memorial, desperate to get inside. The authorities had cordoned off the building. Sirens were wailing. Any nonessential personnel were being hurriedly whisked away. Ben wasn’t sure who was in charge-the CIA, the FBI, the local police-and he didn’t really care. All he knew for certain was that he wanted in. And he also knew why he couldn’t get in.
He’d had enough experience to know what this was. A hostage scenario.
Christina was in there. He was certain of it.
“Mr. Kincaid?”
Ben turned and saw a tall, strong-looking middle-aged man with sun-baked skin and a turnip of a nose. He was wearing a padded flak jacket. The strap of a holster on his shoulder told Ben he was armed.
“Mr. Kincaid, I’m Seamus McKay. I’m with the CIA.”
“I know,” Ben said, taking his hand. “We’ve met. When I was a senator.”
“That’s right,” McKay said, arching one eyebrow. “I wasn’t sure you would remember.”
“The president mentioned you earlier today. Spurred my memory. I’m glad you’re involved. Looks like your people have responded quickly.”
“They’re trained to do just that. Ever since September eleventh. No choice, really. As soon as I notified my people of the target, they set up this containment operation.”
And that was enough of the pleasantries and small talk. “Is my wife in there?”
Seamus’s shoulders heaved. “Yes. I’m afraid she is. How did you know?”
“An educated hunch. Rybicki mentioned Lincoln twice today. He even quoted from the inscription above the statue of Lincoln. ‘In this temple as in the hearts of the people.’ It’s obvious the monument was weighing on his mind. He probably planned on using this as a backup target all along, in the event he couldn’t get the suitcase out of the country. No doubt he sees some vast symbolic reason for the selection-freeing Americans from the slavery of crude oil, or some such insane rationale.”
“But why take your wife?”
“That,” Ben said grimly, “was probably done out of revenge.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. We’ve got Rybicki in custody. Caught him leaving the building. The president called in an arrest order. Unfortunately, he had already triggered the countdown on the bomb. With your wife attached to it.”
“Can you get her out?”
“No. There’s a problem.”
“The nuclear suitcase.”
Seamus nodded grimly. “It’s set to explode in less than nineteen minutes. She’s handcuffed to it, and to the base of the statue.”
Ben’s lips parted. No. No!
“Can’t you get her out of there?”
“They tried without success. Then they were ordered out, along with everyone else. We have a bomb squad on the way. They haven’t arrived yet.”
“But can’t you cut her loose in the meantime?”
“No. Rybicki says the cuffs are made of titanium alloy.”
Ben’s brow creased. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re not going to cut through them with a blowtorch. And you’re not going to pick the lock with a paper clip. And to make matters worse, Rybicki says that if we detach her from the laptop control device, the bomb goes off immediately.”
“And you believe him?”
“I’m afraid so. I’ve seen this type of trigger mechanism before.”
“There must be something we can do.”
“We’ve been in contact with bomb squads across the country, but so far no one knows how to stop it from detonating. Apparently Rybicki rigged it so the countdown could be stopped by typing in a password-presumably as a safeguard in the event of premature detonation or his failure to escape. But no one knows the password.”
“And Rybicki isn’t talking.”
“He’s pretty damn stubborn. I tried some serious interrogation techniques.”
Ben didn’t ask what they were. He didn’t want to know.
“But he didn’t talk. And I didn’t have enough time with him.”
“Can’t you just type some stuff in?”
“We had some people trying that. They did all the obvious ones. Happily, there’s no penalty for a wrong guess. The countdown just continues. We’ve tried all his children’s names, his wife, his dog, his favorite college professor. So far we haven’t hit the right code word.”
“There must be something you can do.”
“Yes, but…” Seamus’s voice trailed off. “Not in nineteen minutes.” He glanced at his watch. “Seventeen now.”
“You have to try!”
“We’ve already begun emergency evacuation procedures. Happily, the Mall was cleared this morning. But this bomb has a much wider range. Radiation fallout could affect people for miles around.”
“You have to stop that bomb from exploding!”
“Believe me, Mr. Kincaid, I’m as frustrated as you. I’ve been chasing this suitcase all day. The good news is, in the process, I managed to stumble onto Colonel Zuko’s satellite control station and booted him out of our computer system.”
“You’re the reason the missiles didn’t launch!”
“Well, I had help. But the bad news is, I never found the suitcase. The operative I’ve been chasing since early morning left it at a predetermined location for Rybicki to pick up.”
Ben looked at the monument. “I want to go in there.”
“I can’t allow that. Not even for a little while. It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t care. That’s my wife in there. I have the right.”
“I’m sorry, Ben. No. We have interrogation specialists working on Rybicki. Maybe they’ll be successful.”
Ben clenched his hands into fists. “Can you at least take me in there? So I can hear what’s going on?”
“That much I can do. Follow me, please.”
Seamus winced as he took the first step. He inhaled deeply, then started over again, clutching his right side. “Sorry. It’s been a hell of a day. And I still haven’t had much time with the medics.”
Ben followed as Seamus led him through the cordon and into a makeshift headquarters at the base of the tall marble steps leading to the memorial. The interrogation area was just a concrete barricade and an impressive array of communications equipment. One agent was talking into a telephone. Two were huddled around what appeared to be a blueprint of the memorial and the surrounding areas. A video monitor showed the scene inside-Christina chained to the base of the statue of Lincoln.
“Christina,” he said breathlessly.
“I’m sorry,” Seamus said. “If I could do-”
“Can I talk to her?”
An African American woman dressed in a jacket like Seamus’s answered. “I’m sorry. Not at this time. We don’t have a communications device down there.”
Seamus explained. “This is Special Agent Beldon of the FBI. She’s the tactical commander for this operation.”
Ben shook her hand. “Good to meet you.”
“We have someone working on Rybicki. We’re optimistic.”
Ben pursed his lips. “I’ve heard the man rant. I’m not.”
“Well, give it a chance.”
Ben glanced at a nearby blackboard. “I see you’re still employing the same four steps for hostile negotiation. Trust, contain, reconcile, resolve.”
“We’re treating this like a hostage negotiation-even though technically the hostage is not currently within his control. He knows the password that can save her and everyone else in the area, so it amounts to the same thing. You’ve been involved with prior scenarios?”
“Once or twice. What does Rybicki want? His plan is finished.”
“He hasn’t made any demands. I think he just wants the bomb to explode. It’s possible he might change his mind, but…”
She didn’t have to finish the sentence. It was evident that she very much doubted he would. And Ben very much doubted it, too.
Ben and Seamus followed as Agent Beldon led him to the area where they were interrogating Rybicki. His eyes narrowed when he spotted Ben.
“Kincaid. So nice to see you again.”
Ben didn’t answer. This wasn’t his show. The interrogator, a tall, thin man with a badge that said Smithson, was talking from prepared notes. “Secretary Rybicki, I want to help you. I will consider any reasonable requests. And I won’t lie to you.”
Ben realized Smithson was trying to work his way through those key negotiation steps. But Rybicki wouldn’t even let him get to first base: trust.
“There’s only one person I want to hear from. Kincaid.”
Smithson kept trying. “Sir, I know what you’ve been going through.”
“No, you don’t. How dare you say that when you don’t. You couldn’t possibly!” His voice sounded crazed, bizarre. “You don’t know how desperate it is, how close we all are to the end. You can’t know how frustrating it is to have the answer but no one will listen!”
“Mr. Rybicki,” Smithson continued, “I want to help. I want to give you any reasonable thing you want or need to make sure no one else gets hurt by that bomb.”
“Tell Kincaid his wife is going to die!”
“Sir, I know you’re scared, confused. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You need someone you can trust. You can trust me. Make me your hostage. Let Ms. McCall go.”
“No deal.”
“Pointless,” Ben muttered to Seamus under his breath. “This is not going to end up well.”
Beldon’s fists balled up with frustration. “Can someone please explain to me what this guy’s problem is?”
“I can,” Ben said.
“Then would you please tell me what I’m supposed to do?”
“That’s the problem,” Ben said, eyes widening. “There’s nothing we can do. There’s nothing we can give him he wants. And pardon me for saying so, but your approach is not going to work.”
“Mr. Kincaid, I understand your frustration. But we have to play this by the book.”
“I don’t care about your book. I want Christina out of there.”
“We can’t-”
“And I want Mr. McKay here to take over the interrogation.”
“Why? So he can torture the secretary of defense?”
“I won’t use torture,” Seamus said. “Not that it wouldn’t be fun. But it wouldn’t work with this zealot.”
Ben didn’t care if he did. He didn’t care about anything except getting Christina out of there.
“Just tell us as much as you can,” Smithson said to Rybicki. He had already blown step two: contain. Presumably he was trying for some hope of reconciliation, step three.
“I won’t. Why should I?”
“Sir, innocent lives-”
“You have ten minutes left!” Rybicki screeched. “Then everyone will see that I was right!”
“Mr. Rybicki!”
Smithson continued to argue with the man, but Ben knew it would do no good. He wasn’t going to change Rybicki’s mind. The secretary of defense was way past reason.
“I can’t stand to watch this. I’m going for some air,” Ben told Seamus. He gave him his cell phone number. “Call me if anything changes.”
“I will.”
Ben walked a moment, made sure no one was looking. Then he quietly took one of the FBI flak jackets and slid it on.
He walked evenly, not too fast, not too slow, toward the monument. Seamus and the others were still watching the interrogation.
Ben reached the officers restricting access to the monument. “Change of assignment,” Ben said, mustering as much authority as he could manage. “Beldon says she wants to see you immediately.”
“Now? Who’ll maintain the cordon?”
“I will. Follow your orders.” The two men shrugged and started toward the interrogation area.
Ben skittered up the steps to the monument. The farther he got before he was spotted the better.
“Kincaid!” This was Seamus, about twenty feet below him, just before he made it to the top of the steps. “Freeze! Do not compromise this operation. We will use force if necessary to stop you.”
“Then you’ll have to shoot me in the back,” Ben muttered. “I’m going in.”
“Kincaid! I mean it!”
“I don’t think you do,” Ben said quietly. “At least I hope not.”
“This is your last warning!”
Ben closed his eyes, said a quick, silent prayer, and walked into the memorial.
He was inside.
“Damn!” Seamus swore, holstering his gun. “Why didn’t he listen to me?”
“Couldn’t you have just wounded him?” Beldon asked.
“I’m not going to shoot a man for wanting to see his wife before-” He stopped short. “How long can he stay in there and still have time to escape the detonation?”
“We’ve got emergency transport lined up to get everyone out of range, but the last shuttle will leave when there’s five minutes left on the clock. If he stays longer than that, he’s doomed.”
“He’ll come out. He’s not stupid.”
“But his wife is in danger. He’s not thinking rationally. I’ve heard he’s a little off.”
“Why?” Seamus snarled. “Because he cares about his wife? Because he doesn’t want to trust her fate to your incompetent pussyfooting interrogators?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary for you to engage in-”
Seamus whirled on her. “I’m really not interested in what you think. I don’t believe you do it often and you’re not very good at it. I want you to give me another crack at Rybicki. It’s what Kincaid wanted.”
Beldon pushed up on her tiptoes. “I’m running this operation. Not you. And not Kincaid.”
“And you’re accomplishing nothing. Let me back in there.”
“My team has been specially trained-”
“No, he’s right.” It was Smithson this time, standing behind them. He looked exhausted. “I’m not getting anywhere. And we’ve got so little time left. If he can do something, let him.”
Seamus grabbed Beldon by the shoulders. “At least let me try! What have you got to lose?”
Beldon pressed her lips together. Several seconds passed before she said, “All right. Go.”
Ben passed between the tall Doric columns and entered the monument.
He checked his watch. Not much time left. Not that it mattered.
His cell phone rang.
“Ben? Can you hear me?”
He recognized Seamus’s voice. “I can.”
“You have to give them at least five minutes to get you out safely.”
“Got it.”
“Do you? Do you understand there’s no point in staying longer? It won’t help your wife.”
“I understand.”
“I’m going to work on Rybicki. If I get any password ideas, I’ll contact you.”
“Please do. I’ll stay on the line.”
At the other end of the cavernous monument, Ben saw her. Her face was red and streaked. It looked as if she had been hit in the face. There was a dark bruise under her right eye. Of course she never would have let Rybicki chain her here without a fight, even if he had Agent Gioia’s gun.
Ben ran up and wrapped his arms around his wife.
“Thank God,” he said, hugging her tightly. “I love you so-”
She pushed him away with her unchained hand. “What the hell are you doing in here, you chowderhead?”
“I-I came to be with you.”
“Have you lost your mind? Did they not explain to you that this thing attached to me is a nuclear bomb?”
“Actually, I knew before they did.”
“Do you understand why Rybicki is doing this to me?”
“Yes. It’s, um, kinda my fault.”
“It is not.”
“Well, I screwed up his plan A. So now he’s executing plan B. With you in the middle.”
“Ben, don’t blame yourself. That man is clearly unbalanced. He’s become so obsessed with Middle Eastern politics he can’t think straight. He’s wants to detonate a bomb just to make his point.”
“I know,” Ben said quietly.
“And still you came in here? What did you think you could accomplish?”
“I… didn’t really know. And it didn’t really matter.” He paused. “I wanted to be with you.”
“Well, fine. You’ve seen me. Now march right back out of here.”
Ben shook his head.
“When do you have to leave to get away safely?”
“They need at least five minutes.”
“Fine.” She glanced at the countdown readout on the laptop. “You can stay till then. You can sing me a song. Tell me some of your inane elephant jokes. But after that you’re leaving. Do you understand?”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“You are so exasperating!”
“And still you married me.”
“You caught me at a weak moment.”
He smiled. “I love you, Christina.”
“So you came running in here to not save me?”
“No. I came running in to be with you.”
“Ben, it’s pointless!”
He took her hand. “Till death do us part.”
Rybicki stared across at Seamus, his jaw jutting. Now that his plan had been exposed, his nervousness seemed to be replaced by self-righteous defiance. “Can’t you see the beauty of it? No. Because people have always been blind to the realities out there. The evil that lurks outside, ready to cut off our head. You indulge yourself with talk about making peace, while ignoring the factors that are causing war over and over again.”
“Pal, I’ve spent more time in the Middle East than you’ve spent reading about it.”
“Then you know we have to do something! We’re at their mercy.”
“Because we need oil?”
“Yes, damn it, that’s exactly why. That’s the weakest link in our entire national defense. So what is the president doing about it? Nothing. He’s going to stand around collecting accolades for his nice words while the country is destroyed.”
“So you decided to take matters into your own hands.”
“What choice did I have? What choice?” He was waving his hands in the air, looking wild-eyed.
Seamus spoke slowly, trying to fit everything together. “You wanted the colonel to send his missiles into an American neighborhood. So you gave him the computer codes and kept him informed of everything that was happening here-because a Kuraqi attack on American soil would set the stage for retaliation.”
“Damn straight. After that, the American people would want Kuraqi blood. They would accept anything necessary, even a change in the way they consumed energy. Anything. And I wouldn’t have to wait for this weak-kneed president to act. In exchange for what I gave Zuko, I got a nuclear suitcase.”
“You’re stark raving mad.”
“I don’t want to hurt people, not any more than necessary. I didn’t want to explode the bomb here.” He leaned forward. “Don’t you understand? I wanted to set the bomb off in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Seamus stared at him as the full magnitude of his twisted plan became clear.
“Not that many people would die, but the entire region would be irradiated for years to come, not just the strait but also the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. I’m sure you’re aware that more than seventy percent of the world’s oil supply passes through that narrow strait on the way to market. What would happen to those oil suppliers if the strait were no longer passable because it was drenched in deadly radiation? They would either have to ship their oil out over land-which would raise the price dramatically-or they would have to give it up. And you know what that means?”
“Really good news for Venezuela?”
“Don’t be stupid. Venezuela can’t service the entire world, and they’ll jump at the excuse to increase prices once their primary competition is eliminated. Faced with less oil available, and even that at a dramatically increased price, Americans for the first time simply would have no choice but to start looking to alternative fuels.”
Seamus shook his head. “You’re wrong.”
“About the Middle East?”
“No, about your sanity. You are-to use a CIA technical term-totally fucked up.”
“You can belittle me all you want,” Rybicki said, “but it would’ve worked. Sure, there would be a cost. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. But it would be worth it. We would not only end our dependence on foreign oil, we would be able to secure our borders and stop involving ourselves in the ongoing troubles of the Middle Eastern region. It’s a win-win for us, man. Can you not see that?”
“It doesn’t matter. Your plan is done. So why explode a bomb in Washington?”
“Everyone will assume it was Colonel Zuko. The president may even prefer to let that be the cover story, rather than admit that it was done by a man he appointed to office. The American people will demand retaliation. The president will have to grow some balls. He’ll drop bombs. Maybe he’ll even have the sense to execute my plan and take out the strait.”
“Or maybe it will just lead to a lot of unnecessary bloodshed and death.”
“There is no such thing as unnecessary bloodshed,” Rybicki said. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
“The-” Seamus hesitated a moment. There was something about the way he said that. It was almost as if he were quoting something. Something very important to him.
He picked up his cell phone. “Ben? Are you there?”
“Still here.”
“I’ve been talking to this whack job, hoping he would spill something important. Type in ‘blood of the martyrs.’ See if it stops the countdown.”
“There’s not enough space. It will only take ten characters.”
“Then maybe ‘blood’?” He heard the clattering of a keyboard.
“No.”
“Martyrs.”
“No.”
“I think it’s a famous quotation…”
“Tertullian,” Ben said.
“I’m impressed,” Seamus said.
“I had a good rector. Well, till he went to prison.” More keyboard clicks. “Damn. I thought there was just a chance. But that isn’t it.”
Seamus turned his attention back to Rybicki. “Listen to me, you son of a bitch. I know we’re close. Tell me what the password is.”
“Are you going to hurt me?”
“I might!”
“I hope you will. My lawyers will be able to use that.”
Seamus felt his fists tightening. “Do you understand how many people are going to die if that bomb explodes?”
Rybicki only smiled. “Blood of the martyrs, my friend. Blood of the martyrs.”
Ben and Christina were laughing uproariously. Ben was holding his ribs. Tears streamed down Christina’s face.
“And-and then,” she said, trying to catch her breath, “do you remember when the Capitol police made you strip down to your boxers? What I would have done to have a camera on that!”
“That’s nothing!” Ben said, rolling on his side. “What about the time we were at the zoo and the birds attacked your hair?”
Her laughter slowed. “Well… maybe I did wear it a little big back then.”
“Big? You looked like Cromwell.”
“I did not.”
He wiped his eyes. “No, you did not. You looked gorgeous. You always do.”
“But the hair is better. Now that my hairdresser has it under control.”
He smiled. “Maybe a little better.”
She smiled back. “Why are we reminiscing like old people?”
He shrugged.
“It’s because you don’t think you’ll ever see me again, isn’t it?”
He glanced at the countdown.
“Hey,” Ben said, changing the subject, “I’ve got big news.”
“Really? So do I.”
“You are not going to do that to me again.”
“Perish the thought. What’s your news?”
“Well,” he said, his eyebrows dancing, “I’ve ferreted out the president’s deep, dark secret.”
“And?” she said.
“He’s been sneaking cigarettes when his wife isn’t looking.”
“Smoking in the boys’ room?”
“Exactly. In the White House.”
“Shame on him.”
“Well, it will probably be easier to quit once he’s not being dosed with LSD.”
“Whaaaat?”
“Long story. What’s your news? Not that there’s the slightest hope that you’re going to top mine.”
She grinned from ear to ear. “I decided to change my name. Already filed the paperwork.”
He stared at her uncomprehendingly. “But I like the name Christina.”
“Not my first name, you dunderhead. My last. I thought I’d take your name.”
“What? But I thought you said-”
“I know what I said. Keeping my professional reputation, blah, blah, blah. But you know what? We’re a team. We’re partners. We’re husband and wife. We’re a family.” She laid her hand on his. “I think it’s time we had the same last name.”
“Are you just saying this because-”
“No. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”
Ben looked back at her, his head bobbing. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say, ‘You’re right, Christina. Your news is better.’”
He sighed. “Okay. You win. Again.”
She squeezed his hand, then looked at the clock. Six minutes and counting. “Ben, I want you to go now.”
“But-”
“I know what you’re trying to do. I know what a-a noble soul you have. But you don’t have to die just because… you know. You’ve done so much with the time you’ve been given. You’ve helped so many people. It would be a shame to throw all that away. I want you to go.”
“But-”
“Don’t argue with me. I’m your wife. And you know I’m smarter than you are, at least when it comes to practical matters. So go.”
“But-”
“If you love me, you’ll go.”
Ben pressed his lips together, then slowly pushed himself to his feet. Eyes closed, he kissed her on the cheek, then turned and walked away.
“Hurry!”
He walked even faster, made his way across the monument floor, started toward the steps…
And stopped.
He came back to Christina, running all the way.
“I’m sorry. I won’t leave you here alone. I won’t. I can’t.”
She wrapped her free arm around him and sighed. “You are such an idiot.” She squeezed with all her might. “And I love you so much.”
“You know,” Rybicki said, “I will not tell you the password. No matter what you do to me.”
“I know,” Seamus grunted, rolling up his sleeves. He could see Agent Beldon watching him closely from a short distance. “But it would still be fun.”
“You would destroy your chances of convicting me.”
“Do I look like a cop? I could care less about convicting you.”
“The president might feel otherwise.”
“Well, he’s not here.”
“Fine. Amuse yourself with your violent games. Reveal the beast that you truly are. It will soon be over.”
“No, you will soon be over.”
“What?”
“You’re staying. After the last shuttle has left the station.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Who’s gonna stop me? It’s your damn bomb. Only right that you should be one of the first victims.” He leaned backward. “Have you read anything about what it’s like to die of radiation poisoning? A slow, painful death. Your body just melts, starting with the internal organs. Your skin peels away from the bone. It’s protracted agony.”
Rybicki smiled defiantly. “You think that if you scare me I’ll give you the password so you can stop the bomb. You are wrong.”
Seamus squinted. “You’re wrong, pal. You’ve been wrong all along. And your big master plan was stupid.”
Rybicki scoffed. “As if you know anything about it.”
“I’ve devoted years to knowing what people are like in the Middle Eastern region. And you know what I’ve learned? Whatever else they may be, they’re tough. Resilient. They’ve been through a lot. They live in the harshest environment outside of the Antarctic, but they’ve survived. I don’t think your little bomb would’ve changed that. If they couldn’t use the strait, they’d find another way to get the oil out. Without raising their prices so high they killed the market.”
“That would be impossible.”
“Those guys do the impossible six times before breakfast.”
“I understand that people like Colonel Zuko can be tough!” Rybicki shouted. “That’s why we can’t hold back! That’s why we can’t use half measures. Scorched earth! That’s the only thing that works with these people. That’s how the ancient Scythians took them out. We should do the same. Scorched earth!”
Seamus looked at the man’s face.
Rybicki looked back at him.
The corners of Seamus’s mouth turned up.
Fifty-five seconds left. “Ben! Are you there?”
Ben picked up his phone. “I’m still here, Seamus. Shouldn’t you have taken the last train out of town?”
“You should talk. Listen to me. Do you know anything about the scorched-earth policy?”
“My wife complains that I read too much history.”
“Just answer!”
“It’s a military strategy that involves destroying anything that might be of use to the enemy.”
“Just the sort of thing a secretary of defense might know about? And bring to modern use?”
“I suppose.”
Forty-five seconds.
Ben typed in first scorched and then earth. Neither was the password.
“He said something about the ancient Scythians.”
Ben typed in Scythians. No good.
Thirty-five seconds.
“That’s not it.”
“He said something about the Scythians using it to take these guys out. Like it was a history lesson.”
“That’s right,” Ben said, trying to retrieve the information from the far corners of his brain. “They were the first to use the scorched-earth technique and they did it in the ancient Middle East to battle a horrible dictator. They were nomads, and… and they had to retreat into the steppes, but before they left they burned all the food and poisoned the wells. The invading king moved in, but his troops started dying of starvation and dehydration.”
Twenty seconds.
“What was the king’s name, Ben? He’s the Colonel Zuko of his time. He’s the one Rybicki would obsess on. What was his name?”
Ben was thinking so hard it brought sweat to his temples. “I think it was… Darius. Darius the Great of Persia.”
“Type it in!”
Ben typed. D-A-R-I-A-S.
Not the password.
Ten seconds left.
“That wasn’t it.”
“Damn,” Seamus shouted. “I thought we had it.”
“You spelled it wrong!” Christina shouted. “You just can’t function at all without spell-check, can you? It’s D-A-R-I-U-S!”
“Are you sure?”
“Just type it!”
Five seconds.
Ben typed it in, hit a wrong key, started over again. His fingers were wet with sweat.
D-A-R-I-U-S. He hit enter.
The countdown stopped. With two seconds remaining.
“That was it!” Ben screamed. “That did it!”
Christina threw her free arm around him and hugged him tightly. “Oh, thank God. Oh thank you, God!”
Her arms were trembling. Ben knew that she had been putting on a brave front. Only now was she allowing her true feelings-and fear-to show.
“It’s okay,” he whispered.
“Thank you for not leaving me, Ben.”
He held her at arm’s length and gazed into her eyes. “I will never leave you, baby. Never.”
“Thank you,” she gasped. “And as long as you’re making promises, would you promise to stay away from crazed ideologues possessing nuclear weapons?”
“Deal.”
Rybicki was furious. And that fury was the happiest sight Seamus had seen all day.
“Ben?” Seamus shouted into his earpiece. “We’re going to call back the bomb people. They’ll get Christina out of there and make sure that bomb never goes off.”
“That’s great news. We’ll be right here waiting.”
“You’ll be happy to know that the secretary of defense is totally pissed off.”
“Well, that is a happy thought.”
“Congratulations, Ben. You showed a hell of a lot of-”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Seamus?”
“Still here.”
“Are you with Rybicki?”
“Sure am.”
“Would you do me a favor?”
“Anything you want, Ben. Just ask.”
“I don’t know how to put this… I don’t want to get you into any trouble…”
“Just ask, Ben.”
“I’d do it myself, but I’m staying with Christina…”
“Spit it out, Ben. What can I do for you?”
“Seamus… that man not only threatened to kill my wife-he hit her. Hard. On the face. He left a mark.”
“Say no more, Ben.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Seamus turned back to the man in the opposite chair. Agent Beldon was still observing. “Got something special for you, my friend.”
Rybicki looked at him, eyebrows pushed together. “What is it?”
Seamus smiled. “A special delivery. From my friend Ben Kincaid.”
The blow hit so hard that Rybicki was literally lifted up into the air. It wasn’t lethal, but Seamus was still certain the secretary of defense would remember it for the rest of his days.
Ben met Seamus as he was leaving the CIA office where everyone involved had been debriefed.
“I hope you didn’t hurt Rybicki too badly.”
Seamus shrugged. “Well, Beldon was watching. And I’m already in trouble for that sort of thing.” He smiled slightly. “It would’ve been a lot worse for him if you hadn’t stopped that bomb.”
“Good point. I just don’t want anything to undermine his prosecution.”
“Ben, the man gave security codes to the enemy, stole a nuclear device, and tried to explode it in the heart of Washington. There is no legal technicality on earth that could save him. He’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. Or a mental institution.”
“I’ll sleep better knowing he’s someplace safe.”
“As will we all.”
They fell silent for a moment.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ben asked.
“I’m sure. I don’t know about you, but for me, April fourteenth was a hell of a long day.”
“Wasn’t exactly a vacation for me, either.”
“Right. But you’re a lot younger than I am. I’ve been doing this for way too long. I’ve served my country abroad, domestically, and what have I got to show for it? My wife left. My pension dried up when the stock market crashed. And all these supervisors who have a tenth as much experience as I do think I’m too mean to the bad guys. Enough already.”
“The stock market will come back.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I won’t. I’m just too old to run around getting shot at all day long. I got the hell beaten out of me today. This is a younger man’s game.”
“But you’re so good at it.”
“I’m not going to give it up altogether. I’m taking a position with the NCTC. Counterterrorism work.”
“You’re taking a desk job?”
“Why not? It’ll give me some time to, um, you know… pursue my hobbies. Something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Ben held out his hand. “Well, you deserve it. Thank you for everything. And thank you for saving my wife.”
Seamus shook his hand vigorously. “Aw, you did all the hard stuff.”
“It was a team effort. Which is why I hate to see you go.”
“Come visit me in Hawaii, Ben. Live a little.”
Ben grinned. “I’m really not the luau type.”
“The sun shines every day, it rains almost every afternoon-but not for long. There are endless beaches, and one woman in five dances the hula. What’s not to like?”
“Pretty much everything you just mentioned.”
“Worse things out there than watching the sunset and drinking rum out of a pineapple, Ben. Beats the heck out of chasing terrorists and getting beaten up by enemy agents.”
Ben shook his head. “You won’t be gone long. You’ll be bored to tears out there. You’ll be back in the field in no time.”
“Not a chance.”
“You will.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Ben tilted his head. “I just feel certain we’re going to hear from you again.”
Ben and Christina were finally having their meal together, back at their own apartment, wearing their pajamas. There was much work to be done. The Kyler presidency had to be stitched back together again. Vice President Swinburne had already resigned, so the president had to select a new VP. The rubble in the Mall had to be cleared. But Ben knew it would all be done, and Washington would soon be back in business as if nothing had ever happened. Democracy was nothing if not resilient. And April 14 had turned out to be a very interesting day.
Ben fixed their very late dinner. Tuna fish sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, Diet Cokes. No time for Jeopardy tonight, and Ben wanted to spend some time talking to his wife before he inevitably fell asleep. It had been a long and remarkable day.
“You think Rybicki will be convicted?” Christina asked later as they lay together in bed, gazing into the darkness.
“The president will want to avoid a trial if possible. But he’ll be put away for good, one way or another.”
“The president must be very grateful to you.”
“Well, I’m very grateful to him, for-you know.”
“Getting my sister out of trouble with the IRS?”
“All he did was make a few phone calls, but-”
“That stupid ex of hers was the one who didn’t pay the taxes, not Chloe. But the president saved her a lot of legal hassles. And now she’s free to move to Washington. Near us!”
“Really.” Ben cleared his throat. “And that’s a good thing? She is a little…”
“Benjamin J. Kincaid, you be careful.”
“… wacky?”
“Well, all us McCall girls are loaded with personality. Ben-can I ask a favor?”
“Always.”
“Entre nous, I’m not sure I want you working in the White House anymore.”
“You have something against the president?”
“No, I have something against you throwing yourself at bombs and interfering with the plans of dangerous madmen.”
“I doubt if that will happen every six months. But since you mentioned the job, I have news for you.”
She nestled in closer, burying her face against his chest. “Me too.”
“No! This is my turn!”
“Oh, grow up. My hero. What’s your news?”
“The president is saying that because he’s so grateful to me and all, he might appoint me to work at the International Court. In the Hague! In time I might even be appointed to a foreign embassy. He thinks I’m not only qualified but that Congress would approve me without blinking. Isn’t that fantastic?”
She smiled. “I want to go to France.”
“Well, duh.”
“I’d settle for Belgium.”
“I think we’ll be lucky to get Liechtenstein.”
She kissed his chest. “You know I’ll go anywhere with you.”
“I like the sound of that. Okay, so what’s your news?”
“Oh, honestly, Ben. Have you really not already guessed?”
“How could I?”
“I’ve been giving you clues all day!”
“You have?”
She rolled her eyes. “And you’re such a great detective. Except, it seems, in your own home.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ben, have you not been listening to me? I’m hiring an associate to help out in the office. Your mother is redecorating the spare room. I’m taking your name. Chloe is moving nearby.”
“Ye-es?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Why do I feel so stupid?”
“Because you are!” She leaned up on one elbow. “Ben, when you stopped that bomb, you didn’t just save one life… you saved two.”
“Actually, I think I saved thousands.”
She blew air upward, making her bangs flutter. “Ben-you’re going to be a daddy.”
His eyes expanded like balloons. “You’re-you’re joking!”
“Nope.”
He grabbed her arms. “You’re sure?”
“Got the ultrasound photo to prove it. So I’ll need more help at the office, and your mother is turning the spare room into a nursery, and Chloe can be our nanny.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“You’re ready. I can’t think of anyone better to raise my children.”
“If I’m going to be the father of your children, does this mean you’ll stop calling me a chowderhead?”
“No.”
“Well, it was worth a shot.”
He pulled her closer to him, feeling her warmth. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you back.”
“So… is it a boy or a girl?”
She grinned so broadly the freckles danced on her cheeks. “Yes.”