This week: True Loyalty.
48 States: Chapters 30 & 31
THIRTY
AS RED’S car sped along the highway towards his new compound in Virginia, he reflected on how easily he’d managed to escape from the rail yard in Pennsylvania. Marveled at how, despite all of the bloodshed, he’d walked away without a scratch. It was truly a mark of his genius, a sign that the gods were on his side. He was incontrovertibly invincible and fully expected the spoils of war to flow to him in the end.
A small part of him did regret the death of the FBI director, but it was an accident; Russian mercenaries could only be managed so much, given the language barrier. In the end, though, he was not the catalyst for these events. It was the President’s fault that a man was dead. If she had been a stronger leader, the entire tragedy could have been avoided. Weakness. It was a plague upon the nation. And none exhibited weakness more than his chief of security. It was damn sad to see a Marine go soft. Cooper had clearly gone over to Elizabeth Cunningham’s side. Red had made peace with the fact that his second in command had proven to be a coward; it was better to know of it sooner rather than later. Better to know now, before they were in the middle of a war.
Finding loyalty, true loyalty, in people was tough these days. In another time, he would have found folks who’d have laid down their life for him without a second thought. Now, everyone had their own angle to manage. The only reason Red didn’t have Cooper killed immediately was because he knew he’d have another opportunity in Denver, and it would be better there, more dramatic or poetic, depending on how you looked at it. Cooper, the decorated Marine, dying alongside the C Team–all of them expelling their last breaths to protect a failing way of life. God, it was tiring to be the best and smartest all the time. When, Red wondered, would someone finally surprise him by being one step ahead?
Red’s car arrived at the new training facilities, which, given more time, would have been a gleaming campus of warfare with the latest in technology. But this was a rush situation, so they’d merely rehabbed an abandoned manufacturing complex, pulling out machinery on the factory floors to make room for storage and training. Two warehouses had been converted into dormitories for the all-male force.
The idea of women in combat always bothered Red, and after the incident with the truck driver in the Territory, he’d decided to exclude females from his units. Females were untrustworthy and unstable. It was best to leave them to what they were created for: to carry children and serve their husbands. Obedience was a woman’s greatest gift to a man, in his humble opinion. In any case, it wasn’t a grand compound in the way he would’ve wished it to be, but it was functional. They were almost ready to commence their objectives. He’d written a note to his wife saying goodbye. He doubted he would ever see the poor thing again.
Red exited the vehicle and walked briskly towards Building A, where the bulk of his troops were waiting for him, along with the Russian specialists he’d acquired. His shoes made a slight squeak on the cement floor as he entered the cavernous space, thousands of faces staring back at him. The men had been waiting more than an hour to hear him speak. He stepped up to the podium, adjusted the microphone, and took his remarks out of the inner pocket of his suit coat. He unfolded the papers, smoothing them out as he prepared for what he knew would be one of the most important speeches of his life. He looked out at the sea of faces before him, young and fresh, soaking in their adoration.
“My fellow patriots,” Red said. A thunderous wave of applause and catcalls erupted as he began to speak. “Turn and look at what you have built in just a few weeks’ time. Is it not an impressive undertaking? Are we not a force to be reckoned with? You are the chosen, an elite group of soldiers selected to carry this great nation into its next chapter, and in doing so, protect its future from all manner of savages and terrorists who would seek to end our way of life. It is a sad day to say that our government has failed us. It is a serious thing to challenge its authority, its very existence, and the rule of law. At the moment, I’m nothing but a fugitive, a man wanted for treason. But I’m at peace with this, just as our forefathers were in the face of an unjust system. It’s times like these that I look to men like Patrick Henry for solace, a man who once uttered this call to action: ‘Is life so dear or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!’”
The audience exploded into a frenzy of whistles and hooting. Red paused to let them settle down.
“I tell you now…I tell you now that we face the same stark choice. We must tear ourselves from the comfort of our lives and fight for what is right. I’m honored that you have signed on to take this journey with me. Together, we will restore the United States to its former glory and allow it to be the force in the world it deserves to be. Now is the time to draw a line in the sand, to stop the impending carnage of our people and their false sense of security and peace. Without sacrifice, there can be no victory. And victory will be ours!”
More applause followed as Red stepped away from the podium. He raised his hand in salute to his troops, and in response, the men began to stomp their boots in unison, filling the space with the steady drumbeat of war. Red smiled as he moved towards the exit; he had his well-run militia and would see his destiny fulfilled.
THIRTY ONE
ELIZABETH STOOD next to the technician, waiting for her speech to load onto the teleprompter, her anxiety growing. While no one on her staff had said it aloud to her, she knew the speech in Denver would be the most important of her life. Although it was not the annual State of the Union, in thirty-five minutes, she had to succinctly convey the condition of the nation. She would not be addressing Congress in the grand hall of the Capitol Building. There would be no pomp and circumstance, and that was, in many ways, the crux of the problem.
Becoming president through succession, she’d had the enviable political luxury of upending the American public’s comfort level without immediate repercussions or oversight. When she walked on stage in a day’s time, she would finally face her employers and learn whether the job she’d done had been sufficient to the cause.
Nevertheless, looking for inspiration, she’d reviewed previous State of the Union speeches. What tone to take? Whose voice to borrow? Should it be Roosevelt, who had earnestly told the American public that “Everything we are and have is at stake. Everything we are and have will be given.” No, she decided, it would be Lincoln whose words she would carry with her. She chose him because he was a president who knew the pain of a deeply wounded nation, forced to reconcile its traumas and injustices.
Elizabeth had no Civil War to contend with, but her country was divided nevertheless. Combing through the White House’s vast library, she’d found one of Lincoln’s inaugural speeches, given, ironically, as he traveled by train after his election. Having retraced his steps to Philadelphia, she took an interest in his telling the audience, “You have kindly suggested to me that in my hands is the task of restoring peace to the present distracted condition of the country.”
Later, she combed through a copy of the Gettysburg Address, drawn in as Lincoln contemplated the task of “testing whether… a nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” Despite the hours of work she’d put into her remarks, Elizabeth’s greatest worry was that she would not sufficiently answer the question she knew was on the minds of everyone that would enter the arena to hear her speak: Who are we as a nation? Like a lover who delivers assurances in whispered tones, it was her job to proclaim the country safe and stable. Every fiber of her being ached with the hope that she would be able to fulfill her responsibility as others had before her.
A stagehand, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, stood with his back to her, tapping a handheld microphone. “Check, check, check…Hey man, I don’t think this thing is on,” he yelled to a distant figure sitting at a mixing board. Elizabeth would have remained on stage indefinitely— ignored by the cadre of indifferent roadies and technicians—as she second-guessed her remarks, had her phone not begun to ring. She fished it out of her jacket, excited to see Finn’s number appear.
“Is that you?” she asked.
“That depends,” replied a familiar voice. “Who were you expecting?”
“Richard?”
“Yes, it’s me,” he said. “I…umm. Look, we’re together, Elizabeth, all of us. We’re just outside Denver. Where are you?”
“I’m at the Convention Center with my advance team,” she said, her words coming out in an excited jumble. “Come to the rear doors of the main auditorium near the loading docks. My security detail will let you in.”
“We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said and hung up.
Elizabeth slipped her phone back in her pocket. She could barely concentrate as she ran towards the exit, the sound tech finally calling her name as she sped away from the teleprompter. She raced towards a set of double doors where the Secret Service was stationed, whispering the news to a senior member of her detail. Even as she said the words, she was in a state of disbelief. Somehow, the impossible had happened. After two years of silence, Richard was on his way to her with Finn. Their family would be reunited. It qualified as a miracle, but it also opened a whole other set of issues. How had Richard changed while he was away? Should she forgive him? Would he apologize?
Time slowed to a crawl as Elizabeth waited with her tangle of thoughts. She used the minutes to prepare to see Richard. She was undecided about whether to reveal that she knew his whereabouts during his absence. On the one hand, it seemed important to clear the air and confess all that had happened. On the other hand, it seemed petty and somewhat cruel: an easy way to destroy any illusion of independence he might have felt he had. Try as she might, she couldn’t summon any rage or fury. What she felt was an overwhelming sense of sadness. Regardless of how it started, for two years, they suffered alone. As far as she was concerned, it was time for a fresh start, even if they had to work towards reconciliation.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, smartphones began to vibrate, and her secret service agents smiled. The double doors opened, and Richard walked through, immediately catching her gaze as he stood stock still while the Secret Service patted him down. Finn followed, holding hands with a young woman she assumed was River. Her green eyes were fixed on the guards as they searched her, her wary gaze seemingly recording every detail as she waited for them to finish. After they’d completed their inspections, Richard stayed back, standing some distance from Elizabeth. Finn needed no encouragement and ran straight into her arms.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said. “Let me take a look at you.” Finn took a step back to scrutinize his mother, the way grown children do, to look for assurances of their parents’ dependability. “You look worn out,” he said, frowning.
“It’s been a long few days,” she said. “There’s a lot to tell you.”
Finn nodded, knowing from her expression that something terrible had happened. “Let me introduce you to River,” he said.
And I love her…Elizabeth thought to herself, watching the way her son gazed at the young woman standing off to the side. Poor River. Meeting your boyfriend’s mother ranked up there as a challenging experience, regardless of the person. When said mother was also the President of the United States, and you’d been on the run because your life was in danger, that certainly raised the level of awkwardness into the stratosphere. Elizabeth walked over to River, determined to defuse the situation.
“I know this is all probably too much to process,” Elizabeth whispered in River’s ear while wrapping her in a warm embrace. “For now, please try to think of me as a mother who is very grateful you helped bring her son home safe.”
“I’ll try,” River said, feeling slightly disoriented at being hugged by the President of the United States.
The only person left to greet was Richard, who continued to keep his distance. Elizabeth, remembering her thoughts earlier, took the initiative and quickly closed the gap, enveloping him as she would have in their better days.
“Hello, stranger,” she said. “I know we have much to discuss, but God, I’ve missed you. It’s good to see your face.”
River thought she caught a hint of moisture in Richard’s eyes as he met Elizabeth’s gaze. “I’ve been a damn fool,” he said.
“Yes, you have,” Elizabeth replied. “But today is a new day, Richard. Let’s see if we can find a way forward.”
A sense of relief enveloped Finn as he watched his father nod somberly and then lean in to say something for Elizabeth’s ears only. Whatever it was, it caused her to reach out and squeeze his hand. Although he was a grown man living on his own, his parents’ separation had been painful. In the blink of an eye, their family had been pulled apart, and it had, he realized, left a gaping hole in his heart that he’d tried desperately to ignore by hiding out in the wilderness. But solitude can’t always heal an emotional wound, no matter how beautiful the setting.
River watched Finn’s expression as his parents embraced. She gave his hand a squeeze in support and to catch his attention. She was doing her best to act normal, whatever that meant, but now that they were back in civilization, she was anxious for some answers and a proper explanation for their predicament.
“We should find a place to talk,” she said, catching Elizabeth’s eye.
“Absolutely. I have a set of private rooms we can use,” Elizabeth said. An agent led them a short distance down a hallway. They came to a door and paused as the agent conducted a sweep.
“All clear,” he said.
The four walked in and sat down on a couch. A tray of water and four glasses sat on a small coffee table in front of them. They stared at one another in polite silence, perhaps unsure who should go first. River, never very good at waiting, was about to seize the initiative and fire off a barrage of questions when there was a knock at the door.
The acting FBI director entered the room with a contingent of his agents, looking even grimmer than he had the day his boss had been assassinated. He was under six feet tall and blessed with a youthful appearance. Combined with his penchant for wearing suits that were a tad too big, he looked like a teenager playing dress-up. He was coming into his job years earlier than he would have otherwise. His boss had not been expected to retire for some time. Like Elizabeth, he now found himself thrust into a volatile situation with little warning.
“Madam President, I wish there was more time for you to exchange pleasantries with your guests,” he said. “But we have a major security situation on our hands and need to brief you as quickly as possible.”
“Understood. But I want them to stay,” Elizabeth said. “They are a part of this and should know what’s happening.”
The director agreed and explained that he wanted to question Finn and River before delivering his report.
“Bear with me,” he said. “It will all make sense when we’re through.”
At the assistant director’s request, Finn recounted the night he was shot and their backpacking trek into Wyoming.
“It sounds crazy when I describe it,” Finn said. “This all started because of the data I was collecting. There is no question the streams and river segments in the northern part of the state are getting warmer.”
“Can you explain it?” the acting director asked.
“I can’t,” Finn said. “Not yet. The problem is that was only one of the anomalies. The other is that in some places the water simply does not freeze, even in the most extreme temperatures.”
“That’s impossible,” the acting director said.
Finn smiled. “Yes, you’re not the first to tell me that, but I assure you, it’s happening. I was documenting the situation for a field report, believing I had safe passage to visit the Territory…”
“I’ve spoken with Cooper Smith,” the acting director said. “He told me Red ordered him to kill you as soon as he learned you’d requested permission to visit. Cooper established an elaborate ruse with his men to make it look like they’d tried and failed. He was about to help you escape from the Territory when River stepped in.”
“It sure didn’t feel like a ruse when I was floating down the river bleeding from a gunshot wound,” Finn said. “Or when the security team pulled me out of River’s apartment with an assault rifle aimed at my head. We both thought we were going to die.”
River fought to maintain her composure upon learning about Cooper’s subterfuge. It didn’t feel like a hoax when the guards came banging on her door. These were the machinations of people whose lives were far more complicated than hers. How was she ever going to survive being with someone caught up in this kind of dangerous intrigue? A swirl of regret started to form in her belly. Maybe her first instinct with Finn had been right; maybe she should have just run in the opposite direction and gone home to her family when her contract ended.
“River,” the assistant director said, pulling her out of her thoughts. “You were a hauler inside the Territory? That’s how you came to meet Finn?”
“I came to meet Finn when he stumbled onto the road, bleeding, at the end of my shift,” River said. “He asked me to help him.”
“And you did?”
“She did,” Finn said. “She brought me back to her room and patched up my wound. She was amazingly brave.”
Elizabeth grabbed Richard’s hand. “I created a monster,” she said. “I would never have forgiven myself if Finn died inside the Territory.”
“You didn’t create this mess,” River said. “That man did.”
“And before the Territory,” the director said, bringing the conversation back to his investigation. “You served in the Army as a field interpreter?”
“You know all of this,” River said, her exasperation coming through. “Why ask again?”
“Be patient, I’m getting there,” the director said. “While you were in the Territory, did you ever see any troops bearing unusual or foreign insignia, or witness any movement of military equipment?”
Now he had River’s attention. “No, sir,” she said. “The Territory is full of ex-military acting as security. They have cameras and surveillance, and use military grade weapons, but the rest of the operation is strictly industrial.”
“And the guards that confronted you, Finn, did they speak English?”
“Yes,” Finn replied. “They were American without a doubt.”
“What does this have to do with us?” River asked.
The director looked at Elizabeth, checking one more time for permission to speak frankly, and received it.
“You are no longer the target of Red’s anger,” the director said. “While you two were incommunicado, his behavior rapidly escalated in another direction.”
“Please tell me what could make the attempted murder of two people seem unimportant now?” River asked. “Do you have any idea how absurd this all seems? This wasn’t a game to me. I thought I might not see my daughter again.”
“I understand your anger, but it’s worse than you think,” Elizabeth replied. “The CEO of Universal is planning to overthrow the government. I know of his plans firsthand. A few days ago, he killed the FBI director as we tried to arrest him for treason. He’s building an army of his own using his existing security forces, sympathetic veterans, and Russian mercenaries.”
“He’s preparing to go to war against his own country,” the assistant director said. “Our sources tell us he’s prepared to kill civilians to make his point.”
“The good of the many at the expense of a few,” Richard said. “It’s his modus operandi.”
“What about us?” River asked. “How can you be certain we’re no longer in danger? I haven’t contacted my mother or daughter for days, fearing that it might put them at risk.”
“You were wise to take precautions,” the director said. “We don’t have a profile model for this kind of behavior. This man is unstable and prefers to keep his perceived enemies guessing. He only cares about himself and his authority. We’ll never know, but you might very well have saved your daughter’s life before Red became distracted by his greater plans.”
“I don’t know whether to be relieved or appalled,” River said. “After everything he put us through. How can one man have so much power?”
“Elizabeth, you’ve got to cancel your speech tomorrow night,” Richard said. “Red is too unpredictable. You’ll be a sitting duck out there on that stage.”
“Impossible,” Elizabeth said. “Too much work has been done by too many people to restart national elections. If I don’t appear on television, it will send the country into a tailspin. I have to be on that stage tomorrow night.”
Finn watched his father out of the corner of his eye. The old Richard would have protested and cajoled until he’d whittled away all opposition.
“I don’t like it, but I understand,” Richard said, knowing full well he was a pheasant under glass. “You’re the President of the United States, and people will be looking to you for leadership. But that doesn’t make it any easier, knowing you’ll be in danger.”
Elizabeth caught Finn’s eye, surprised at her husband’s less strident tone. Perhaps his time away from her had done him some good. “We’ll speak with the Secret Service,” she said. “They’ve got a plan to secure the convention center.”
“Don’t forget the FBI,” the acting director added. “We’ll make sure things are locked down tight.”
“I have a weapon,” River said. “I left it in the car to avoid any trouble with the Secret Service, but if they’ll allow it, I can help protect you, too.”
“Let’s hope that won’t be necessary, but thank you,” Elizabeth said. “It’s very humbling to have someone make that kind of offer. I’m grateful.”
River blushed, realizing that much of what she’d assumed about the most powerful woman in the country was wrong. In her mind, she’d conjured up an image of the President as a formal person, a stern woman with little warmth or charm because of her job. Up close, Elizabeth Cunningham was kind and patient with her staff. Her clothing was expensive but understated, and she wore no makeup, or at least very little, making it easy to see she hadn’t slept well in months. But it was her strength that caught River’s attention. It radiated from her, like you could knock her down and she’d get back up. As corny as it seemed, River felt they might be kindred spirits. River knew what it was like to face one calamity after another and have no choice but to go on, and she understood the pain of being separated from the people you loved because there was no other choice.
“I think we should go back to the train where we can all get some rest,” the President said. “The car adjacent to mine has been made up as guest quarters for visitors. Finn, you and River can stay there.”
“If you don’t mind me saying so, you look like you could use some sleep, Elizabeth,” Richard said. “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown?”
Elizabeth nodded, giving her husband a knowing glance. There was so much to say, but at the moment, just the thought of lying beside him was enough. “To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,” she replied. “But I have a feeling tonight will be different.”