Hood said, "The evidence Matt dug up on the Demain computers is safe with French prosecutors. Since there were international elements to the crime, representatives of the U.S., Germany, and other nations will be on hand to make sure that Dominique doesn't wriggle away. I would also like to congratulate Matt and his team. Yesterday, they traced the launch site of the hate games here in the U.S. to a bank computer in Montgomery, Alabama. They were planted there over the Internet so they could be launched as close as possible to the place where Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white man in 1955. Dominque believed in history. Too bad he didn't learn a damn thing from it." Rodgers said solemnly, "As Samuel Taylor Coleridge said, 'If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us. But passion and party blind our eyes.' " Hood said, "I think we opened a few eyes in Europe, especially thanks to Bob." "And Jody Thompson," Herbert said. "I'd be under a pile of rocks if it weren't for her." "Yes, and Jody," said Hood. "We've been told that the Chaos Days celebration in Germany fizzled after what happened. A lot of the younger people became disillusioned and went home early." "Poor babies," said Martha. "Wanna bet they'll be back?" "You're right," said Hood. "We didn't put an end to hate. But we did put them on notice. At ten o'clock, I'm meeting with Senator Barbara Fox—" There were scattered boos.
Hood held up his hands. "I promise you that she won't leave here without rescinding the budget cuts she's threatened. Actually, over the weekend I was thinking about how we could use additional money for a new division operating either as part of Op-Center or independently. A Web Patrol or Net Force to watch over the information highway." "Why not call it Computer CHiPs?" Stoll asked. "Or how about Information Highway Patrol?" There were several loud groans.
"What?" he said: "Net Force is better?" "It'll get taken seriously by Congress and the press," John Benn said, "and that's what counts." "Speaking of Congress," Hood said, "I don't want to keep Senator Fox waiting. I want to thank everyone for this welcome home, and I especially want to thank General Rodgers for the support you gave us overseas." Hood left then, followed by respectful applause and a few cheers. On the way out, he patted Rodgers's shoulder and asked him to join him. They left the Tank together.
"Is there anything we can do to make Colonel August feel welcome?" Hood asked as they walked back toward his office.
"Only one thing I can think of," Rodgers said. "I'm going to head into D.C. at lunchtime to see if I can find a model of Revell's Messerschmitt Bf 109. We used to build kits as kids and that was the big one we missed." "Expense-account it," Hood said.
Rodgers shook his head. "This one's on me. I owe it to Brett." Hood said he understood, then asked Rodgers if he wanted to attend the meeting with Senator Fox.
Rodgers declined. "Once a week is enough. Besides, you've always handled her better than I have. I just don't have the touch." Hood said, "I just tried doing what you do for a living, Mike. You've got the touch all right." "Then it's settled," Rodgers said. "If we can't persuade her, we put her in a helicopter in cuffs." "It works for me," Hood said as his assistant, "Bugs" Benet, poked his head from his office down the hall. He informed the director that the Senator had just arrived.
With Rodgers's good wishes following him down the hall, Hood hurried to meet Senator Fox at the elevator.
The woman arrived with her two assistants and a sly expression.
"Good morning, Paul," the Senator said as she stepped out. "Have a restful weekend?" "When my wife wasn't yelling at me for nearly getting killed, yes." "Good." They began walking down the hall. The Senator said, "As for me, I wasn't resting. I was trying to figure out how I'm going to lop off heads working for the man who just saved the free world. Did you plan that, Paul? Just to make my life difficult?" "I can't sneak anything past you, can I?" he replied.
"It'll sure play on Larry King Live," Senator Fox said.
"Especially a man in a wheelchair saving Ms. Thompson.
That was not only miraculous, it was a PR dream. And the press is positively loving her. Especially since she's been turning down offers to sell movie rights to her ordeal unless she can direct it. Smart cookie." The group reached Hood's office. They stopped outside.
"Helping Ms. Thompson was Bob's and Mike's doing," Hood said. "Not mine." "That's right," she responded. "Preserving the melting pot, stopping our cities from being torn apart by riots, ending the career of the world's next great despot. That was all you did. Well, I'm still determined to make cuts, Paul. I owe that to the taxpayer." Hood said, "We should talk about this in my office. But we should really talk about it alone. There's something I want to tell you." Fox said, "I have no secrets from my associates. They may not be high-maintenance like your team, but they're mine." "I understand that," Hood said. "Still, I'd like to have a moment or two alone with you." Senior Fox said without looking at her aides, ""Would you mind waiting here? I'll be right back." Neil Lippes and Bobby Winter declined Hood's offer to wait in an office. After Senator Fox stepped inside, Hood shut the door.
"Have a seat," Hood said as he walked to his desk.
"I'll stand, thank you," she replied. "This won't take long." Hood decided to remain in front of the desk, not behind it. He had a personal loathing for theatrics and wanted to make this as clean and direct as possible. But he knew he had better be close to her.
He picked up a manila envelope from the desk. He held it toward her but didn't let go.
"This was delivered over the weekend via the German diplomatic pouch," Hood said. "It's from Deputy Foreign Minister Hausen." Hood waited. He'd gone to Matt's condo on Sunday and had him run a computer analysis to make sure. There was no doubt. Though he'd been dreading this moment since the package arrived, he had to go through with it.
"I'm listening," Fox said.
Hood said, "Years ago, Gerard Dominique and Richard Hausen were students together in Paris. They were out one night. They'd been drinking." Fox's naturally ruddy cheeks lost some of their color.
Her dark eyes fell to the package.
"May I?" she asked, holding out her hand.
Hood gave it to her. She brought it toward her, holding it in both hands. She pressed it between her thumbs and index fingers, moved them from side to side trying to feel what was inside.
"Photographs," she said.
Hood came closer. He said gently, "Senator, please sit down." She shook her head and put a hand into the envelope.
She selected a photograph without looking. She looked at it.
The color snapshot showed a girl standing on the top of the Eiffel Tower, hazy Paris spread behind her.
"Lucy," the Senator said. Her voice was choked, barely audible. She put it back and then hugged the envelope to her breast. "What happened, Paul?" Hood watched as tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away and crushed the envelope tighter.
"Dominique attacked them," Hood said. "Hausen tried to stop him. We found these photographs in Dominique's office at Demain." The Senator's eyes were shut. Her breath was shallow.
"My baby," she said. "My Lucy." Hood wanted to put his arms around her. Instead he just watched her, aware of the inadequacy of any words or gestures he might offer. He was also aware of the political icon becoming flesh. And he knew then that whatever might come between them in the future, she could never entirely retreat from him. Not after what they'd just shared.