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Once she was gone, Trout leaned against the doorframe and stared at the empty hallway.
“I love you,” he said to the shadows. “And I’m pretty damn sorry, too.”
CHAPTER TEN
THE SITUATION ROOM
THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D.C.
No one spoke while Billy Trout talked about the slaughter of the infected, the devil’s bargain made with General Zetter, and the death of JT Hammond. When it was over, the president rubbed his hands over his face.
“Well, that should pretty much bury all of us,” he said.
“Actually,” said Scott Blair, “we’re the only people who have seen that video. The only ones who ever will.”
The president stared at him. “What?”
Blair cleared his throat. “We shut down the cell and landlines and are doing focused jamming operations on satellite phone service. Our guerrilla newsman isn’t talking to anyone anymore.”
“Did I authorize that?”
Blair spread his hands. “I believe it falls under the umbrella of national security, sir.”
The chief of staff, Sylvia Ruddy, leaned close to the president. “We’d better run this past the attorney general. We may be on thin constitutional ice here.”
“National security,” repeated Blair very slowly, focusing it on Ruddy so even she could grasp the concept.
“Cutting Trout off could backfire on us,” said Ruddy. “The public already thinks we’re killing citizens—”
“We are,” said the president.
“—but a blackout would heighten paranoia and throw gasoline on the public outcry.”
“Let it,” said Blair. “We’ve already been vilified. That damage is done and when the president addresses the nation we’ll be able to manage a great deal of what the public perceives. Without Trout being able to release fresh messages his veracity will collapse. We’ll make sure that happens. What we have to do now is manage the official information we need to release regarding Stebbins and regain the public’s trust.”
“There’s no trust left,” said Ruddy. “Trout pretty much killed it with his first ‘live from the apocalypse’ speech. And he has Dietrich on tape making threats.”
“Trust is fickle, Sylvia,” said Blair dismissively. “We’re in a crisis. We need control not friendly smiles.”
Ruddy leaned close to the president again. “A blackout now would drive the last nail into your credibility.”
The president drummed his fingers very slowly, one fingertip at a time, on the table. His presidency already teetered on the edge, and he doubted there was enough spin control left in the world to repair the damage done. If that was the case, then all he had left was his legacy. So, how did he want to be remembered?
He cleared his throat and glanced at Scott. “It’s my understanding that Trout was using a satellite to get his messages out.”
“Yes, sir.”
“To whom? Was he streaming directly to the Net or—”
“We believe he had outside help. Someone on the other side of the Q-zone. Whoever that person is, he’s very clever, and it’s likely he has either background as a hacker or has hacker friends.”
“What are we doing to find this person?”
Blair smiled. “Every agency in the alphabet is looking. We will find him. Or them.”
“And what about Dr. Volker? Trout mentioned that the doctor gave him the research notes.”
“Yes, sir. Dr. Volker confirmed that when he spoke with Oscar Price, his CIA handler. He put everything on a set of flash drives and gave them to Trout.”
