Removal (51 page)

‘If I understand you, Sir,’ he began, ‘your reason for wanting to remain in power is because that’s what the people want. You’re popular, you were elected to a second term in office, you should be allowed to finish it. Am I correct? I mean, is that what we should report to Ellen Trevathan?’

Kelly looked closely at Wade, and saw him connect with Jeff. ‘Attaboy, Jeff,’ she said to herself.

‘That, plus the fact that I did nothing wrong,’ Wade replied.

‘And all those people out there at the Capitol? I don’t mean General Hessler’s Marines, but all those people who are out there protesting? That’s a spontaneous demonstration by the people, to show how much they care, to show that they want to keep you in power?’

‘Certainly. What else?’

Kelly looked at Linda, who was suddenly looking pale.

‘The Director was claiming, Mr. President,’ Linda said, ‘that…’

Wade turned to face her.

‘Who was claiming?’ he demanded.

‘The… I’m sorry, Agent Smith,’ Linda replied nervously. ‘Agent Smith was claiming that the people supporting you at the Capitol are thugs organized by a white supremacist group. I pointed out that she was wrong, of course. But it might help to move things along if you would confirm that personally, you know, just so that we can get past it and move on.’

Wade laughed again.

‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ he said. ‘You see how much you people need me? You see how naïve you’re being? What does it matter who they are? What does it matter what groups they may be members of? They are the people, and they are about to ensure that the will of the people is carried out.’

‘You mean, they’re there to intimidate the Senate into taking another vote, this time to keep you in office?’ Kelly interposed.

‘That would not be my choice of language,’ Wade said, with a nod in Kelly’s direction. ‘But essentially, that’s what the people seem to have set out to achieve. And I’m sure you will agree that whatever agents the people may choose to act in this matter, those agents are acting on behalf of the people. The people want me, Miss Smith, and the people need me. That is why I cannot leave. The people will not allow me to leave.’

Wade began to laugh quietly. Everyone else remained silent.

‘Mr. President,’ Linda said. ‘Before I go on with the negotiation, there’s one thing I need to know. Can you deny for us that you played any role in bringing white supremacists to Washington in advance of your impeachment?’

Wade did not respond immediately, but continued to laugh to himself. Linda looked anxiously at Gary Mills, but he did not seem to want to make eye-contact. Eventually, Wade appeared to consider the question.

‘I wanted to make sure that the people were heard,’ he replied. ‘That’s all. I don’t handle the details. That’s up to Hessler. I’m the President of the United States, for God’s sake.’

Linda had risen slowly to her feet. Her manner was serious and intense.

‘And is it also true that these white supremacists are the same people who were involved with the Lebanese agent, Hamid Marfrela?’

Steve Wade threw his hands in the air in apparent exasperation.

‘Whoever the fuck Hamid Marfrela was,’ he replied to the room at large. ‘I keep telling you I didn’t know him. Why won’t anybody believe me?’

‘Yeah, imagine that,’ Jeff Morris muttered.

Kelly took a deep breath. It was time to roll the dice.

‘All right,’ she said, as authoritatively as she could. ‘Before we go any further, Mr. Wade, I have to advise you that I have a warrant for your arrest…’

Jeff’s eyes opened wide as he turned to face her.

‘What?’ Gary Mills shouted, in disbelief.

‘The charge is one of treason. I have a duty to advise you that you have certain rights. You have the right to remain silent…’

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Gary shouted.

‘If you give up that right, anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law.’

Steve Wade threw his head back, laughing hysterically. Linda remained completely silent.

‘You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney…’

Abruptly, Wade stopped laughing.

‘I have a goddamned attorney,’ he shouted, ‘and much good it’s done me. You want me to answer your question, Agent Smith? OK, I’ll answer it.’

‘Mr. President,’ Gary Mills interrupted, ‘perhaps you should…’

Wade brought his fist crashing down on to the table.

‘I’ll answer,’ Wade repeated. Suddenly, he dropped his voice, appearing calmer. ‘After all, it’s not going to make any difference.’

Kelly suddenly became very cold again. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

Wade snorted. ‘You’re not going to be able to execute your warrant, Agent Smith, and you’re not going to be in any position to repeat anything I might say to any court.’

Kelly felt Linda look across at her.

‘I’m sorry, what exactly do you mean, Mr. President?’ Linda asked.

Wade shifted a little in his seat.

‘It wasn’t my choice,’ he ventured, almost sounding apologetic. ‘It was Hessler’s decision. He said it would be insecure to let the two of you leave. It’s an operational matter. I have to leave that kind of decision to him. It’s nothing personal, you understand.’

Instinctively, Kelly’s hand moved to where her side-arm should have been. She tried to withdraw it without being noticed. As she did so, she noticed that Linda’s face had turned from pale to deathly white.

‘Kelly,’ Linda said, ‘I swear to you by all I hold sacred, I had no idea…’

‘I know,’ Kelly replied.

Linda turned back to face Steve Wade.

‘It’s true, isn’t it?’ Linda asked quietly. ‘You used those people, those white supremacists or whatever the hell they are, to try to stay in power. You and Hessler.’

‘I don’t care who I have to use,’ Wade shouted. ‘Why can’t you people understand that? Who cares whether it’s the Lebanese, or the Sons of the Flag, or the Lions Club of America? If they can help do the will of the people, yes, I will use them.’

‘You’ve lost your mind.’

‘Perhaps I have, Agent Samuels. But I’m still the President.’

Linda had stopped listening to him. ‘You bastard,’ she continued in the same quiet voice. ‘I went to prison for you.’

‘For which I was appropriately grateful.’

‘And now it looks like I’ve committed treason for you.’

‘Words, Agent Samuels. Hot air. By this time tomorrow, none of this will matter.’

‘And, on top of everything else, you’re telling me that you’re going to kill my best friend. Is that what you’re telling me?’

Steve Wade smiled a smile of pure contempt.

‘Some people are expendable, Agent Samuels. Including, I’m afraid, you and your best friend, the would-be Director. I’m afraid that’s just the way power works. By this time tomorrow, this whole affair will be over, and none of these little distractions you’re talking about will matter a damn. Not to me, not to anyone else. And if a couple of people had to die along the way because they were foolish enough to become involved in a conspiracy to overthrow me, well, that’s how these things go sometimes.’

In the terrible silence which followed the final revelation of Steve Wade’s insanity, Kelly saw the whole thing in her mind’s eye before it happened. She made a hopeless effort to push herself up out of her chair. But there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Both Linda Samuels and Gary Mills were far too fast, far too well trained, for anything to be averted. All Kelly could do was watch the events which followed, as if in an endless slow-motion sequence, events which, in actuality, could have taken no more than a couple of seconds. Watch, and uselessly scream Linda’s name. With practiced ease, Linda drew her service weapon and, from a range of just a few feet, placed two shots with clinical accuracy side by side in the middle of Steve Wade’s forehead. Without a sound, Wade slumped backwards in his chair, instantly dead, the force of the bullets not quite enough to topple him out of the chair, but more than enough to detach substantial parts of the back of his head. A mere instant later, true to his training, and without independent thought, Gary Mills drew his own weapon and shot Linda twice in the region of the heart. The gun fell from her hand and, after snatching briefly at the edge of the table, Linda collapsed on to the floor. Kelly at last came out of her chair and fell to her knees, her breath gone, and her eyes beginning to glaze over. Vaguely, she saw Jeff walk over to Gary, who seemed to be standing frozen, as if in shock, and disarm him. Climbing unsteadily to her feet, and holding on to the table for support, she slowly maneuvered herself past the chair containing the body of Steve Wade, to where Linda lay slumped on the floor. Slowly, Kelly lowered herself to kneel by her friend. Shocked and disoriented as she was, one look was enough to tell Kelly that Linda was almost gone. For the last time, Linda opened her eyes. Kelly took her hand and, just for a moment, experienced the false hope of a look of recognition.

‘Kelly,’ Linda whispered, fighting for breath through the trickle of blood which had begun to emerge from the corner of her mouth, ‘I have to go. If you see Bob…’

‘Linda, hang in there with me, please…’

‘No, Kelly, listen. Listen. It’s too late. Tell him I’m not taking him back this time. Tell him, this time, it’s over. Kelly, I love you.’

‘I love you too, Linda,’ Kelly replied. But, as she spoke the words, realized she would never know whether Linda had heard her or not.

* * *

A few seconds, or hours, or weeks later, Kelly hardly knew which, she heard Jeff’s voice shouting across the room to her, telling her to pick up Linda’s gun. Mechanically, she obeyed. She was still on her knees by Linda’s body. Turning in the direction of Jeff’s voice, she saw that he was holding Gary Mills’ weapon and pointing it at the same door by which the President had entered, however long ago that had been. Gary was sitting motionless in a chair by Jeff’s side. Looking up at the door, Kelly saw in its frame the figure of General Hessler. He had a nine-millimeter Glock pointed directly at Jeff. She knew that she somehow had to put her grief and shock aside, she needed to make the most massive effort of her life. Standing slowly, she forced her hands to point Linda’s gun at Hessler. But, despite her determination, her hands were shaking, and her eyes were wet with tears. Hessler smiled at her grimly, then looked across to the chair which contained the body of Steve Wade. He stared at the body for a few seconds, before shaking his head dismissively.

‘Useless fuck,’ he muttered. ‘All talk and no balls. You know, he actually thought he was still going to be in charge when all this is over. Well, at least now we’re through negotiating.’

‘That’s correct, General,’ Jeff said. ‘It doesn’t matter what the Senate does now, does it? Ellen Trevathan is President of the United States, and you’re under arrest for treason. Take two long steps further into the room, place your weapon on the ground, and take two steps back again.’

Hessler laughed. ‘Well, you do seem to have me outnumbered,’ he said. ‘Two to one. Depending, of course, on whether the lady could actually use that weapon she’s holding.’

As she stared into Hessler’s eyes, Kelly relived the moment when Linda fell, mortally wounded. And then, unable to control her thoughts, she began to relive another occasion when she had seen friends die. She saw herself back in that godforsaken factory in the Bronx. She saw the storage room near the main gate. She saw herself dive for cover with Joe and Tina, as the bullets flew all around them. She relived the endless waiting for the sound of the sirens that meant back-up was on the way. She relived the sound and the fury of that terrible night, the sharp crack as the bullet entered Joe’s skull, Tina’s imploring screams as she waited to die, lying on the ground by Kelly’s side. There had to have been something she could have done differently. This time she would do it right.

‘You’d better believe she can, and will, General,’ Kelly replied. ‘Without a second thought.’ Her hands were steady now, and her voice held a deadly calm.

‘Well, then, I am outnumbered,’ Hessler said, with a smile. ‘But not for long, I think. In fact, here come my reinforcements now. Now it’s my turn. And, since I’m not in a patient mood, let me advise you both strongly to drop your weapons, and do it now.’

Half turning to the entrance leading to the garden, Kelly saw that Captain Manning had entered the room. He had drawn his own side-arm, but he had also seen Steve Wade’s body, and seemed shocked, and uncertain what to do. Behind him stood a lance-corporal and four Marines, all holding assault rifles. Manning looked at Hessler.

‘With your permission, General, what is going on here?’

Hessler nodded towards Kelly and Jeff in turn.

‘These traitors shot President Wade, Captain. Have your men disarm them and take them into custody.’

Manning looked at Kelly questioningly. But it was Gary Mills who spoke.

‘No, they didn’t,’ he said quietly, turning towards Manning. ‘Agent Samuels shot him. And I shot her. I’m sorry.’

‘You shut your mouth,’ Hessler said. ‘Don’t listen to this moron. I’m telling you, these people came in here under cover of negotiating, and they shot President Wade.’

Manning looked around the room and took a deep breath. ‘With all due respect, I don’t think so, Sir.’

Hessler turned his weapon and took aim at Manning.

‘What did you say?’ he demanded.

‘I disarmed Director Smith and Agent Morris myself when they arrived, Sir. They didn’t have anything to shoot the President with.’

Hessler swallowed hard.

‘It’s obvious what happened then. They took Agent Samuels’ gun, and they used that to shoot the President,’ he offered lamely. ‘They shot her, they disarmed Agent Mills, and then they shot the President.’

Without turning Linda’s gun away from Hessler, Kelly addressed Manning.

‘Captain Manning, what Agent Mills told you is correct.’

Manning nodded. ‘Yes, Ma’am. I know.’

‘Good,’ Kelly said. ‘Then I need your help. I am the Acting Director of the FBI. I have a warrant for the arrest of General Hessler on a charge of treason. I need your help to execute it.’

Hessler snarled in Kelly’s direction. ‘She’s crazy. Obey my order without delay, Captain. Detain these people and take them into custody.’