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General Flood liked the idea and added, “It’s a sound plan, Mr. President. We divide their forces at a time when you are still safe in your bunker, and our main concern is saving the hostages over in the West Wing. Instead of having to deal with eight Tangos, we’ll only have to worry about five or six.”
“So you’re telling me it will increase our chances of saving hostages.”
“Yes.”
Hayes didn’t pause for a second. “Then let’s do it.”
There was a knock on the conference room door, and then one of General Flood’s aides entered. “Excuse me, General. The vice president is on the line and he wishes to speak to you and Director Stansfield immediately. If you’d like, I can have the call patched through to you here.”
President Hayes’s voice floated down from the overhead speaker system. “I think it’s time we let Vice President Baxter know that he’s no longer running the show.”
Flood turned to his aide. “Patch the call through.”
Ten seconds later one of the lines on the main telecommunications console started to ring. Irene Kennedy punched the proper buttons and brought the newest party into the teleconference. She nodded to her boss and Flood to let them know the line was up.
Flood called out in his deep voice, “Vice President Baxter?”
A woman’s voice answered and told them to hold the line while she got the vice president. For more than a minute the group sat in silence, waiting for the man who had initiated the call to join them. No one spoke. They all waited with anticipation to witness the ensuing confrontation between the two biggest players in American politics.
When Baxter finally came on the line, he said, “General Flood, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here with Director Stansfield.”
“Good,” replied Baxter in voice that implied anything but. “I just received some troubling information.” Baxter paused, waiting for them to ask him what it was. No one bit on his lead, so Baxter expanded. “My national security adviser just informed
me that Israel has been making certain threats.”
Baxter stopped again, waiting for Stansfield or Flood to respond. The two men looked at each other and said nothing. If it weren’t for the tense situation, they probably would have been smiling, taking the time to enjoy the impending moment.
Baxter started again, frustration showing in his voice. “Have either of you heard any of these rumors?”
“Yes,” replied General Flood. “We have.”
“Well, why haven’t you bothered to tell me?”
Flood looked up at the speakers, wondering when the president would decide to join the conversation. “We’ve been busy, sir.”
“Busy.” Baxter mocked General Flood. “Too busy to pick up the phone and inform the commander-in-chief of a crucial development.”
“Commander-in-chief.” President Hayes’s voice floated down, neither angry nor calm, just supremely confident. “I don’t think so, Sherman.”
Only Stansfield kept a straight face. Flood, Campbell, and Kennedy all grinned with satisfaction. There was a long moment of silence before Baxter responded. When he did, it came forth with a combination of insincere relief and fear.
“Robert, is that you?”
“Yes, it is, Sherman.”
“How did . . . What happened . . . How did we get ahold of you?”
“Never mind, Sherman. I hear you’ve done a super job setting our foreign policy and national security back a half a century.”
“I don’t know what you’ve been hearing”—Baxter sounded panicked—“but this has been no easy task, trying to save American lives and balance our foreign-policy concerns. We have been working very hard to ensure—”
President Hayes cut him off by saying, “I have been fully briefed on what you, Marge Tutwiler, and your lapdog Dallas King have been up to, and I don’t like one bit of it. I don’t have the time, the patience, or the energy to deal with you right now, but when I get out of here, you are going to have some explaining to do.”
“But, Robert”—Baxter’s voice was cracking from the tension—“I think you have it all wrong. I don’t know what General Flood and Director Stansfield have been telling you, but I’m sure I can explain. I have had the best of intentions in every decision I have made during this crisis.”
“I’m sure you have,” replied a skeptical President Hayes. “You’ve had your chance to sit on the throne, and you’ve screwed things up miserably. Now it’s time to get the hell out of the way and let the professionals handle things.”
