Shield crossed her arms. “What’s changed, Elizabeth?” she asked slowly and with deliberate sarcasm, reminding Thomas how she’d insisted Shield drop the formality. “A few days ago, you wanted to jump me. Am I too close to the truth for comfort? Or am I supposed to believe you’re over the distraction and confusion that is me?”
“The second, believe it or not,” Thomas replied casually. “Everybody uses everybody.”
“That’s damn clear.”
“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to work.” Thomas headed toward the door that led to her secretary’s office.
Shield followed, as always two steps behind, but in reality a world apart.
*
Southwest of Baltimore, Maryland
Elizabeth Thomas stared at the screen, unable to believe what she was hearing, although the reporter was confirming everything her double had just announced from the White House Press Briefing Room. Her illegal-arms agenda was dead. That certainly answered at least part of the question about why all this had happened. Now she knew why they’d told her at lunch that it would be in her best interest to keep tuned to one of the 24-hour news networks today. They wanted her to see this.
One of the things that most surprised her, however, was that the reversal on the bill had come not from the imposter president, but from Senate Majority Leader Andrew Schuster. She’d considered him not only a reliable party stalwart, but a personal friend as well, someone who’d been with her in the battle against illegal weapons from the beginning. What could have compelled him to change his mind? Was it possible he had a double, too, who was doing the bidding of whoever was behind this?
The news report switched live to Schuster on the steps of the Capitol, giving his own press conference. She turned up the volume. The man certainly looked and sounded like Schuster, but then again, she could scarcely distinguish her own double from herself.
“After due consideration,” the senator was saying, “I’ve decided to withdraw my support for the president’s plan to pump millions of dollars into a new initiative to curtail the illegal-weapons trade. At this vulnerable stage in America’s economic recovery, we should focus our resources and attention on more immediate and grave concerns closer to home, like efforts to create more jobs and maintain our country’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.”
Thomas muted the volume when she heard noises from outside her room. She was rarely disturbed between meals, and dinner wasn’t due for hours.
The door opened and a man came in, someone she didn’t recognize. She could tell without even looking now whether it was Beard or Cleanshaven delivering her meals, based solely on their smell and the sound of their breathing. Cleanshaven always had a lingering scent of sweat about him, and Beard had the raspy exhalations of a heavy smoker. This new arrival wore a mask to hide his identity, as the other men did, but in every other respect he didn’t resemble them at all. He was dressed in a tailored navy suit, and his starched shirt and expensive shoes and watch confirmed that he had money. He was not a hired thug or guard like the others, but evidently a man of some importance.
“Good afternoon, Madam President. I hope you have been treated well.”
“And I hope you’re here to provide me with some answers,” she replied, standing to look him squarely in the eye.
“I am, indeed.” He gestured for her to return to her chair in front of the television. “Please, have a seat. And hear me out completely before you ask any questions.”
“All right.” She went back to the big armchair, and he took its twin, a few feet away.
“I represent the person who had you brought here.” He glanced at the muted television as he undid the button of his suit jacket. “I presume you saw the announcement a short time ago at the White House?”
“How can…whoever sent you…possibly think they’re going to get away with all this? What’s next in your sights—the alternative-energy initiative? Health-care agenda?”
He held up one hand condescendingly. “Please save your questions and just offer a yes or no, please.”
“Yes. I saw it,” she replied in a clipped tone.
“My client’s objective has been met today, with the official abandonment of the illegal-weapons plan,” he said. “So we will be returning you to the Oval Office very soon, probably tomorrow.”
Elizabeth couldn’t believe she’d heard correctly. “You’re…returning me? You’re going to just set me free…like that?”
“We never intended to harm you, Madam President. Only to ensure that this arms plan of yours never happens. Now…” He leaned forward and looked at her seriously. He had blue-green eyes, and she could see a smattering of crow’s feet beside them that disappeared under his mask. He had to be in his fifties, at least. “If you do as instructed, you will soon be back in the White House and able to pursue everything else you wish to accomplish.”
“What does ‘do as instructed’ mean?”
“We must ensure you never resurrect this arms agenda,” he said. “And, of course, you’ll never let on to anyone—ever—that it hasn’t been you all along calling the shots. If you’re even contemplating that, I’d advise you to think hard about it. First, no one would believe you. Our double has successfully fooled everyone…your cabinet, your vice president, even your family. And you can be sure that nothing will be left behind that would in any way confirm what you know. No fingerprints, stray hairs for DNA, or anything like that. We run a very clean operation, with no loose ends, as you witnessed yourself in the switch. You’d only damage what remaining credibility you have at this point if you say anything. Everyone would see you as a fragile, hysterical woman who couldn’t handle the stressful demands of the job. You’d go right from the White House to the crazy house.”
Before she could respond, he added in a threatening tone, “And of course, much more is at stake than your reputation if you do anything to alert authorities to what’s happened. The repercussions would be swift and severe, and keep in mind the target won’t necessarily be you next time, but those closest to you—like your sister and her family. Or your father. Oh, sure, you could assign them bodyguards or try to keep them in protective custody somewhere for a while. But you must know by now we have very highly placed resources and the ability to penetrate whatever security necessary to achieve our objectives. Nancy has two children, I believe?”
Elizabeth pictured the faces of her niece and nephew. While she might be willing to put her own credibility and life at stake to expose the conspiracy, she could never do anything to jeopardize them. If she had to choose between her arms bill and her family, the decision was easy. She would have to keep quiet; they’d proven what they were capable of. “I understand what’s expected of me.”
“Excellent. Your guards will be in very soon with some newspapers from the past several days and computer printouts so you can catch up on what’s been happening in the outside world while you’ve been our guest. We want you to be able to pick up your duties without alerting anyone that something’s amiss. You’ll also be provided with what we need you to wear to make the switch back.”
He got to his feet. “Questions?”
“How do you plan to reinstall me in the White House without anyone knowing?” she asked.
“You’ll find that out in due time,” he said, and went to the door. “Be patient, Madam President. This whole ordeal will be over in a day or two at most.”
*
Southwestern Colorado
“You’re not going anywhere, Cassady,” Monty said, getting up from his desk. “Running off half-cocked when you have no idea where to start looking won’t help. You know her best. We need you here.” As soon as he’d finished briefing her on what he’d learned from Dratshev, Cassady headed for the door.