“Excuse me, Colonel, but this is not the time for a sermon or a call to arms,” Wilkes said, smiling benignly as if Vincenti had cracked a joke or was a streetcomer preacher. “The FBI can handle Henri Cazaux—that I promise.
“I think that concludes this press conference,” Wilkes said into the microphone. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming.” Wilkes’ security team appeared in front of the podium as if by magic, and except for a few questions shouted out by reporters, the briefing was over. But Wilkes was not through. She stepped away from the microphone, turned her back on the cameras and reporters, and seethed at Vincenti, “I strongly advise you, Colonel, to keep your mouth shut and to cooperate in every way possible with this investigation. This is not the time to be mouthing off about things you know nothing about. Do you understand me, Colonel?”
Vincenti was going to reply, but a sudden motion got his attention. He saw an Air Force C-20B, a military version of the Gulfstream III business jet, roll up to the parking ramp, aiming directly at the podium — and it kept on coming. Just as it appeared as if it was going to hit the red rope at the edge of the ramp, and just as the FBI security agents started to reach for their concealed weapons, the jet turned away, came to a stop, and shut down engines. As it was obviously intended, the members of the press stopped and turned their full attention to the jet as the airstair opened up and the C- 20’s passengers emerged.
Vincenti was surprised — no, shocked — not by the look of the man who came down out of the C-20, but by Lani Wilkes’ reaction to seeing him. The tall, wiry, gray-haired man that stepped out of the Air Force VIP jet commanded instant attention.
The other men and women that followed the first man were well-known national figures as well — including the former Vice President of the United States, Kevin Martin- dale; the junior U.S. senator from Texas, Georgette Heyerdahl; the U.S. House of Representatives’ Minority Leader from Georgia, Paul Wescott; and a congressman from the San Francisco Bay Area, Samuel Leyland — and it was Martindale who took the lead and headed toward Director Wilkes and the podium, but the press was riveted on the tall, imposing man beside him.
“I sincerely apologize for this late arrival and our intrusion,” Kevin Martindale said into the microphone as the members of the press hurriedly assembled back at the podium. “We were watching Judge Wilkes’ press conference on the TV, and when we saw it was over I didn’t think anyone would mind if we parked here. Sorry for the lousy parking job, but it was my first time at the controls of one of these babies. It’s hard to drive and read the instruction booklet at the same time.”
He waited for the laughter to die down, then continued: “I’m sure you all know my colleagues here. Mr. Wescott is of course the House Minority Leader, and our gracious host for this fact-finding trip. Senator Heyerdahl is the new cochairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Future of the Military and National Defense, part of the Senate Military Affairs Committee, the group which is trying to design a framework for the U.S. military in the next fifteen to fifty years. And I believe you all know retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral Ian Hardcastle, former commander of the U.S. Border Security Force, the antismuggling and border security group, also known as the Hammerheads. Paul Wescott was kind enough to notify me that Congressman Leyland from San Jose was heading a congressional investigation on the incident last night, and he invited myself, Senator Heyerdahl, and Admiral Hardcastle to come along as his guests and advisers.”
Wilkes tried hard not to show it, but the appearance of these four persons, and especially Ian Hardcastle, was precisely the last thing she needed right now, and her stomach was doing exasperated backflips.
Since the Cabinet-level Department of Border Security was disbanded in 1993 after the new Administration took office, Ian Hardcastle, who founded the paramilitary group called the Border Security Force back around 1990, was regularly on every TV and radio talk show in the country, talking about the decay of the U.S. military in general and of home defense in particular. Every move the Administration made in terms of the military — efforts in Somalia, policies regarding Bosnia, defense cutbacks, gays in the military, base closures, and a hundred other topics — was routinely criticized by Hardcastle, seemingly minutes after a decision was made by the President or his Cabinet, oftentimes even before they made a move. Hardcastle, who was articulate, handsome as hell, well-read, and knowledgeable about every military program, was a formidable opponent.
“I would first like to extend my sincere condolences to the families and colleagues of California Air National Guard Major Linda McKenzie; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Special Agents Russo, Foreman, Wickers, Kritchek, and Bowman, and all those who lost a loved one in San Francisco,” former Vice President Martindale continued. “It was a tragedy of simply shocking proportions that has outraged this nation. It is absolutely imperative that Henri Cazaux and all those who were responsible for this insane and ruthless attack be brought to justice immediately.
“But it is also in our best interests to do something to ensure that a tragedy like this never is allowed to happen again in the future,” Martindale went on. “As you all know, Admiral Hardcastle has been very actively speaking out against some of the current Administration’s policies regarding the military and national security and defense issues. Up until now, his has been largely a lone voice shouting as it were against the winds of change. Since our defeat in the last election, Admiral Hardcastle has been encouraging me to give up my self-imposed exile from the national debates of the issues of the times and get involved in shaping policies for the future. Unwisely, I resisted.” He half-turned to Ian Hardcastle, gave him a wry smile, and added, “Frankly, Ian, you old sea dog, you sometimes come on as quietly as a tidal wave.
“But last week, in a speech to the National Press Club, Admiral Hardcastle talked about the threat of terrorism here in the United States. After reading the text of his speech, I made a few inquiries into some of the issues he raised and the accuracy of the facts he presented. In short, Admiral Hardcastle knows what he’s talking about. He virtually predicted this very incident. That’s when I decided to join forces with him, the American Congressional Citizens Alliance, and the Project 2000 Task Force, and accept an invitation by members of Congress to investigate this tragedy and make some observations about the threat that faces us and what we can do to stop it.”
It was a thinly disguised reason for being here, and Lani Wilkes and most of the members of the national press knew it. The Project 2000 Task Force was a group of right-of- center moderates and conservatives who would in all likelihood form the basis for a major run on the White House in 1996. Formed after the 1992 elections, the American Congressional Citizens Alliance was a mirror image of the Project 2000 Task Force, composed of present and past members of Congress, including one-fourth of the U.S. Senate and about one hundred members of the House of Representatives. After its inception, Project 2000 was most noteworthy for who was not in it, namely, the former Vice President, Kevin Martindale, who had always been considered a major front-runner in the next presidential elections. Obviously, with this surprise appearance as a major player in the Task Force, he was now out of seclusion and back in the White House hunt. It was a very unexpected and dramatic coming-out for the former Vice President to take on one of the Administration’s toughest and most influential personalities. Worse for her, right in the middle of her own press conference.