Quantum Touch Collection - Books 4-6

Chapter 8

IN A GREEN leather recliner, the man glanced at his watch and returned to the annual report on his lap. It was just past nine. It had been a great year, and his greeting proclaimed it when the phone rang.

IN A GREEN“They sank four missile cruisers. You were right. They also have the Bush listing. I don"t think she"ll go down, but they"ll have a problem moving her.”

Bush“Make sure we get the pictures to the right people.” He hung up. He raised his glass in a toast to the empty room, “Happy New Year.” He left his report, went up a fifteen-foot-wide staircase, and began dressing for his guests. The steps heard “Auld Lang Syne” as he climbed.

* * *

“HAPPY NEW YEAR. NOT,” Fritz said. Linda frowned in response. Fritz turned on the TV as soon as they got in. Linda put TJ to bed and showed Mary the guest room.

“Fritz, this smells like the fall all over again.” He scanned for reports, but all the stations were carrying New Year"s shows. Anderson Cooper was still in Times Square. There was no crawler. The news hadn"t yet become public.

He said, “Let"s go to bed. We"ll have all day to watch.”

“THANK GOD FOR coffee makers.” Fritz yawned. Linda was booting her laptop, her coffee at arm"s length. She glanced up at his slurp. “Sorry. It"s hot.”

“Fritz, start scrambling eggs, and I"ll look for news.” As he went to the refrigerator, Ashley and Jane walked in wearing their previous evening"s clothes and with dark circles under their eyes. They grunted their greetings and went straight to the coffee. A wide-awake TJ gurgled in Mary"s arms. Jane told them about the damage.

“What time did you get home?” Fritz asked.

“A little after the sky was bright enough to see,” answered Ashley, taking a sip. “They got a carrier. And an eyewitness filmed it again.”

Jane rubbed her eyes. She said she had talked to the president at seven. Once more, NBC had the pictures. Another exclusive. “This is all wrong.”

“NBC. Not the others?” asked Fritz. “Are they going to give up the film?”

“I don"t know yet. A cabinet meeting is starting at 11:30. The president ordered all nearby videos to be confiscated. The Navy probably won"t have all of them until tomorrow.”

Jane watched the TV with her usual intensity. In the NBC film, the underwater explosions were loud thumps, but no significant fireworks were visible until the USS Bush. That explosion was at water level.

USS BushThinking aloud, Jane asked, “Why did they only have one device?” She took out her phone. “Good morning, Lily. And you, too. Is he available?

“Mr. President, we may have spotted something on the Bush. We need to look at the shore videos as soon as they come in. I think we"ll see the divers again.” She listened and then said, “I can if you want. Tony"s up.” She asked Fritz if he could get her to the Oval Office.

BushFritz shrugged. “I"ll go get ready.”

* * *

TONY PACED by the school door. Jane said, “Fritz, I won"t be back until later. Maybe not until tomorrow. Tell Ash I"ll call.” Before the classroom door closed, the president, in shirt sleeves and wrinkled pants, called out. His eyes revealed a weariness that came from more than just lack of sleep.

“Fritz, are you going to be home?”

“I expect so.”

“I may need to visit New York. NBC"s still giving me a hard time.”

“Call me. We"ll be there.”

“Why don"t you come for dinner?”

“Thanks, Mr. President, I"ll ask Linda.”

“I know. You don"t want to come, so you are setting up to blame her.” He laughed. “Talk to you later.”

WHEN FRITZ ARRIVED home, he told Linda they had been invited to dinner.

“I haven"t made anything. Jane will be there.”

“So, you want to go?”

“Might as well.”

Fritz asked if any new stories had been reported.

“Not yet,” she said. “Call about dinner.”

They watched planes removed by crane from the aircraft carrier, which was listing to starboard. The NBC film of the explosions, complete with audio, showed rescue boats shuttling around the harbor in the aftermath. After the explosions, searchlights combing the water furnished no new information.

* * *

THE PRESIDENT was waiting when they crossed the threshold at dinner time and flashed a knowing smile at Fritz. “Glad you could make it,” he said. “Nothing fancy. Some of the stuff that was left from last night and a casserole of something. Jane"s upstairs.” They ate in the residence with the First Lady, the girls, and James. The crib and swing had been moved to the family dining room, and TJ napped while they ate. The president bantered back and forth with Ashley about the bowl games. Heads swiveled as the debate continued. Fritz thought that it was incredible that the president could be so engrossed given all the problems confronting him. He shook his head. The president noticed. As if he had sucked the thought out of the air, he said, “Compartments, Fritz.”

“You really can do it.” Fritz recounted their November conversation about compartmentalization. It seemed so long ago. “It"s magic.”

By the end of the meal, Ashley and the president had made a ten-dollar bet.

Once dessert was served, Linda asked, “Are you planning to use the portal tonight?” The president shook his head. She was touched they had been asked to the White House just to socialize.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, Ashley and Jane arrived with five bags of groceries. Fritz jumped to hold the door. “What"s all this?”

“Good morning to you, too,” said Ashley.

Ashley and Fritz made eggs, bacon, and toast. Jane and Mary joined them in the kitchen. “Time to fill you in.” Jane said. “The president spoke to the president of NBC. In light of the second attack, the network agreed to release the film from San Diego. The eyewitness was taken into custody early this morning. They checked her out, and she was in Washington on New Year"s Eve. She"s not talking.”

* * *

“WHAT?” HE WALKED around his office, listening. “OK, where is she?” He looked out at the Mall, a bleak gray etching. “She works for you. Is there any trail?” He listened again. “If they find out she was in Norfolk…” He stopped and leaned on the door jamb. “I"ll take care of this.”

* * *

“COME QUICK!” Ashley was pointing at the screen crawler. It said the eyewitness who had filmed the San Diego ship attacks had been found dead in her home.

“I thought she was in custody,” said Fritz.

“How does the news have it already?” Jane asked. Her hard stare reminded Fritz of aiming at a target when he had gone shooting with Jim Shaw.

“A leaker?” asked Ashley. Jane nodded. She was lifting her phone.

“Do you know anything else?” asked Ashley when Jane put her phone down. Jane told them that the FBI still had the eyewitness in custody. “Someone"s playing games.”