“Defendants,” she says, as the door to the suite opens.
CHAPTER 31
NOA IS JUST slightly amused at Liam Grey’s earlier comment about visiting the dentist, for one rear molar is indeed giving her a dull ache today, but she forgets the discomfort as the president strides in, dressed in a crisp two-piece gray suit, white shirt, and red-and-blue tie, upbeat and positive-looking, carrying two thick, sealed manila envelopes in his hands.
She and Liam stand up when he comes in, and he gently gestures them both to take a seat in their respective chairs.
“Sorry I’m late,” the president says, sitting down on the couch across from them. “I was just on the phone with the speaker. She’s having a tough day.”
“Sir?” Noa asks.
He spreads the two sealed envelopes on the coffee table and says, “Something from her late husband has come up from the grave to bite her in the butt. Loans, payoffs, shell companies in his or her names … looks rough. Times like that make me glad that I never married. Too many chances of something popping up from various family members and hangers-on to take you down.”
Liam says, “That sounds serious.”
“Yes, poor Speaker Washington,” he says. “It may be bullshit but right now it looks like convincing bullshit. You’ll see, in the weeks and months ahead, she’ll be trying to explain what’s going on, while also beating back a leadership fight with her majority leader, who wants her job. Not much will get done on her watch, but truth be told, no matter how clean they are, our congressional representatives are their own worst enemies.”
Noa says, “Sounds cynical, sir.”
“You know the average yearly salary for a congressman?” Barrett says. “About $174,000 a year. And the average net worth of an American congressman? Nearly eight million dollars. That’s some fine financial planning, don’t you think? Or lots of luck?”
Liam seems to want to change the subject and says, “Any news about the vice president’s condition?”
“Stable and doing fine, except that she’s still in a coma.” Barrett sighs. “Not to leave this room but the feeling is that some trace poison, perhaps from the Russians, may have gotten onto her silverware or drinking glass. Two physicians from Germany are en route from the Charité University Hospital in Berlin. They have experience in dealing with such toxins.”
Liam’s face seems to pale. “Russia, sir? I mean …”
“Retaliation?” Barrett says. “Don’t worry about it. They’re still blaming that action on their Belarus friends, and we expect some border incidents between the two of them in the days ahead. In the meantime …”
Liam and Noa stay quiet as the president goes on. “I want to start off by saying how pleased I am with your initial work. You both have completed four operations with excellent results and no collateral damage, and no extensive interest from our alleged friends in the Fourth Estate.”
Barrett smiles. “But as has been said before, ‘what have you done for me lately?’ Noa, this is yours, and Liam, this is yours.” He hands the sealed envelopes to the two of them. “Questions?”
Noa says, “It’s been nearly a month, sir. Again, with all due respect, have you made the necessary notifications to the congressional committees? Under the Intelligence Authorization Act?”
“Soon,” he says. “I want a few more checkmarks in the win column before I give them a briefing. You know what they say, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than seek permission.”
He taps his thick fingers on the envelopes. “Liam, you’re off to France. Noa, I’m afraid you’re off to Virginia again. But at least you’ll have no jet leg.”
Noa takes her envelope and so does Liam, and the president says, “I need to ask you both something.”
Noa takes a view of Liam, who nods, as does she.
He says, “You two ever hear of Stewart Brand?” he asks.
Liam says, “No, sir,” and Noa echoes him.
Barrett says, “Stewart Brand was a futurist and environmentalist. He produced books back in the 1960s and the 1970s that he called Whole Earth Catalogues, which were a book form of the internet. Lots of information and technology available between the covers. He once said, ‘We are as gods, we might as well get good at it.’ Don’t you see what he means?”
Noa doesn’t know what to say, and it pleases her that Liam is speechless as well.
“Don’t you see?” Barrett asks. “What you’re doing for me and the nation is vital. We’re not engaged in a large-scale war, or fighting to secure trade agreements in our favor, or crushing smaller nations. We are an empire unlike any other that has existed in this world, and I mean to preserve it. We are locating our enemies, foreign or domestic, ones fighting against me and our nation, and removing them, making our nation and our people so much safer.”
He stops for a moment. “To misquote Mr. Brand, ‘We are an empire, we might as well be good at it.’ And I’m counting on the two of you to preserve our empire.”
Noa sits still.
As does Liam.