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Haik pulled the director of National Intelligence aside and began speaking in hushed tones. The president was gone before anyone noticed, ducking out through the door that led to his personal secretary’s office. Kennedy took one last look at Secretary Berg, Attorney General Stokes, and Vice President Baxter and then left the room in disgust.

43

THE WHITE HOUSE

K ennedy went straight for the situation room. In her twenty plus years at the CIA she had never sat through a bigger cover-your-ass meeting. It was not her boss or the attorney general or the secretary of state who she was upset with, though. She had expected them to protect their fiefdoms, just not so soon. Her ire was directed at the president. She’d never seen him so ineffectual before and especially on an issue where she thought he would be every bit as upset as she was. None of it made sense.

She reached the outer door to the situation room and punched her cod

e into the cipher lock. She opened the heavy door and ignored the duty officer who was sitting behind a desk a few paces ahead. Kennedy turned to her left and entered the soundproof conference room, where she was surprised to see two individuals sitting at the far end of the long, shiny, wood table. Before she had a chance to address them, the president entered the room and closed the door. The two men attempted to stand, but the president told them not to bother.

Kennedy assumed Senators Walsh and Hartsburg had been asked by the president to come to this meeting. As to why, she hadn’t a clue. Instead of sitting in his normal chair at the head of the table nearest the door, Hayes walked to the other end of the room and grabbed the chair next to Senator Hartsburg, “Irene, have a seat.”

Kennedy took her place and the president walked around the table and sat next to Senator Walsh. Hayes leaned forward and placed his forearms on the table. “Irene, I’m sorry you had to sit through that.”

Kennedy was rarely caught off guard, and she rarely allowed anger to get the best of her, but today was a day of firsts. “Mr. President, would you mind telling me just what in the hell is going on?”

“Irene, there isn’t a proverbial snowball’s chance in hell that the explosion was an accident. You know it, I know it, and they know it.”

“Then why are you allowing them to put Mitch on ice and cut the CIA out of this?”

“I’m not.”

“That’s not what I just heard upstairs.”

“Irene, what do you think Mitch is going to do when he’s well enough to get out of bed?” the president asked.

Kennedy knew the answer, but was reluctant to respond to the question.

Senator Hartsburg coughed and said, “He’s going to kill anyone who had anything to do with his wife’s death.”

“That’s right,” said the president, “and I can’t say I blame him.”

“Then what’s this nonsense about revoking his passport and putting him under protective custody?”

“Not my idea.” Hayes shook his head. “And what does it really matter? You and I both know there’s no stopping him. Passport or not…he’s going to leave the country and go wherever he damn well pleases.”

“Mr. President, I’m confused. Mitch has sacrificed a great deal for this country. I think there is a better way to handle this than treating him like a criminal.” Kennedy shook her head in disgust. “To be honest, sir, after all Mitch has done for you, I would have expected you to stand by him when he needs you most. Not cave into the demands of a few cabinet members.”

Hayes took the rebuke surprisingly well. He sat back and looked at his two former colleagues from the Senate and then slowly returned his gaze to Kennedy. “I’m going to let you in on something that only a handful of people know, but first I need your word that you will not discuss this with anyone.”

Kennedy looked at him intently. “Of course.”

“I’ve decided not to seek reelection.”

Kennedy’s eyes opened a bit wider upon hearing the shocking news. With a little more than a year left in his first term, and a solid approval rating, there wasn’t a person in town who had even mentioned the possibility of Hayes not seeking a second term. “Do you mind my asking why, sir?”

“I have some health issues that I think preclude me from serving as president.”

Kennedy wanted to ask what those health issues were, but knew it could be personal. “I’m sorry, Mr. President.”

Hayes glanced up at the clocks on the far wall and then said, “Parkinson’s. It runs in my family. My mother’s side.”

“But I haven’t noticed any signs.”

“They’re there. Trust me. I’ve been taking medication for five months. At first the results were good, but over the last few weeks things have gotten worse. My doctor tells me I should have no problem serving out my first term, but any hope of a second term would be purely selfish.”

“But Parkinson’s…”

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