“Truman started the Cellar because he actually did have the bomb dropped. Twice. It all comes down to a simple truth that dates back to this quill.” She waved it. “Jefferson realized, after he had completed the Louisiana Purchase, that he had exceeded his constitutional powers. And he finally understood that one man can’t have ultimate power because eventually he will use it.”
The president got out of his chair and went over to a counter. He poured himself a stiff drink. He’d had the bottle and glass put there the previous day. He’d learned from his last meeting with the Keep to be prepared. He downed the glass, then poured another.
“I’m not buying it.” He downed the second glass and poured a third. “We’re not the only ones with nukes now. Truman had the power exclusive. But that changed.”
“Oh,” the Keep said. “There is a Russian version of Hannah. Sitting near the Kremlin.”
“And a Keep there too?”
“I hope, but that’s not within my need to know, sir. However, if you study history, you will see that many brave Russians have died keeping the world from destroying itself. One spy kept the Cold War balanced by keeping both sides up to date on the true balance of power. He was killed by the KGB as a traitor when they inserted him, still alive, into a crematorium inch by inch and filmed it to show to others as an object lesson. That man deserves a star on the wall at Langley. More so than the last two stars that went up on that wall.”
The president walked to the window and gazed out at a wintry Washington, DC. He took a sip from his glass. “You should have told me.”
“Then it wouldn’t have mattered, sir,” the Keep said. “You’re a politician. That personality type is the complete opposite of the person we need to have their finger over that button. Reagan could have signed that treaty in Iceland and rid the world of nuclear weapons, but he put politics first. They all do. Then some go in that room and push the button and they learn. Why do you think their hair goes white?”
The president ran a hand through his hair without even realizing it. “I didn’t go into that room. I never pushed that button.”
The Keep stood. She shut the Book of Truths with a solid thud. “I know, sir.”
He looked at her. “Is that why I wasn’t reelected? Why you shut the book and don’t want my last lessons learned?”
The Keep smiled sadly. She picked up the book and tucked it tight to her chest. “It’s not a bad thing to be a good man, Mister President. It’s just not enough.”
“Like I said before, they shouldn’t call that the Book of Truths,” Templeton called to her as she headed for the door. “They should call it the Book of Secrets. And maybe, just maybe, all of this has taught us we shouldn’t have secrets anymore.”
The Keep paused at the door and looked over her shoulder. “That would be a very fine world indeed, Mister President.”
Author's Note
I write factual fiction. I gather real events and add in a fictional premise and characters.
Yes: There was a marine named Smedley Butler and he was awarded two Medals of Honor.
Yes: Churchill did say that truth must be attended by a bodyguard of lies.
Yes: The officially acknowledged first nuclear weapon ever “lost” by the US was in 1950 over Canada. Sorry, Canadians. Our bad.
Yes: When Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara instituted technical launch codes on nuclear weapons to prevent unauthorized deployment, the Strategic Air Command, on its own, decided to override that by setting all the codes to 00000000 and they stayed that way for a while before anyone caught on.
Yes: The Pentagon did secretly remove President Nixon’s ability to launch nuclear weapons in his erratic, waning days before he resigned.
Yes: President Jimmy Carter did send the nuclear launch authorization codes out with his laundry.
Yes: President Ronald Reagan had the codes in his pocket when he was shot and they ended up on the emergency room floor, forgotten about.
Yes: General Curtis LeMay strongly believed in a preemptive first strike against the Soviet Union.
Yes: The Russians did open their nuclear “football” in reaction to a satellite launch by the Norwegians.
Yes: The scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project did have a betting pool as to the yield of the Trinity Test, with the low end being a dud and the high end igniting the sky on fire and incinerating Earth.
Which leads us to today where…
About the Author
New York Times best-selling author, West Point graduate, and former Green Beret Bob Mayer weaves military, historical, and scientific fact through his gripping works of fiction. His books span numerous genres — suspense, science fiction, military, historical, and more — and Mayer holds the distinction of being the only male author listed on the Romance Writers of America Honor Roll. As one of today’s top-performing independent authors, Mayer has drawn on his digital publishing expertise and military exploits to craft more than fifty novels that have sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. These include his best-selling Atlantis, Area 51, and Green Beret series. Alongside his writing, Mayer is an international keynote speaker, teacher, and CEO. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.