William Bernhardt - Capitol Betrayal

“Are you sure?”

“Just type it!”

Five seconds.

Ben typed it in, hit a wrong key, started over again. His fingers were wet with sweat.

D-A-R-I-U-S . He hit enter.

The countdown stopped. With two seconds remaining.

“That was it!” Ben screamed. “That did it!”

Christina threw her free arm around him and hugged him tightly. “Oh, thank God. Oh thank you, God!”

Her arms were trembling. Ben knew that she had been putting on a brave front. Only now was she allowing her true feelings-and fear-to show.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

“Thank you for not leaving me, Ben.”

He held her at arm’s length and gazed into her eyes. “I will never leave you, baby. Never.”

“Thank you,” she gasped. “And as long as you’re making promises, would you promise to stay away from crazed ideologues possessing nuclear weapons?”

“Deal.”

Rybicki was furious. And that fury was the happiest sight Seamus had seen all day.

“Ben?” Seamus shouted into his earpiece. “We’re going to call back the bomb people. They’ll get Christina out of there and make sure that bomb never goes off.”

“That’s great news. We’ll be right here waiting.”

“You’ll be happy to know that the secretary of defense is totally pissed off.”

“Well, that is a happy thought.”

“Congratulations, Ben. You showed a hell of a lot of-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Seamus?”

“Still here.”

“Are you with Rybicki?”

“Sure am.”

“Would you do me a favor?”

“Anything you want, Ben. Just ask.”

“I don’t know how to put this… I don’t want to get you into any trouble…”

“Just ask, Ben.”

“I’d do it myself, but I’m staying with Christina…”

“Spit it out, Ben. What can I do for you?”

“Seamus… that man not only threatened to kill my wife-he hit her. Hard. On the face. He left a mark.”

“Say no more, Ben.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Seamus turned back to the man in the opposite chair. Agent Beldon was still observing. “Got something special for you, my friend.”

Rybicki looked at him, eyebrows pushed together. “What is it?”

Seamus smiled. “A special delivery. From my friend Ben Kincaid.”

The blow hit so hard that Rybicki was literally lifted up into the air. It wasn’t lethal, but Seamus was still certain the secretary of defense would remember it for the rest of his days.

Ben met Seamus as he was leaving the CIA office where everyone involved had been debriefed.

“I hope you didn’t hurt Rybicki too badly.”

Seamus shrugged. “Well, Beldon was watching. And I’m already in trouble for that sort of thing.” He smiled slightly. “It would’ve been a lot worse for him if you hadn’t stopped that bomb.”

“Good point. I just don’t want anything to undermine his prosecution.”

“Ben, the man gave security codes to the enemy, stole a nuclear device, and tried to explode it in the heart of Washington. There is no legal technicality on earth that could save him. He’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. Or a mental institution.”

“I’ll sleep better knowing he’s someplace safe.”

“As will we all.”

They fell silent for a moment.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ben asked.

“I’m sure. I don’t know about you, but for me, April fourteenth was a hell of a long day.”

“Wasn’t exactly a vacation for me, either.”

“Right. But you’re a lot younger than I am. I’ve been doing this for way too long. I’ve served my country abroad, domestically, and what have I got to show for it? My wife left. My pension dried up when the stock market crashed. And all these supervisors who have a tenth as much experience as I do think I’m too mean to the bad guys. Enough already.”

“The stock market will come back.”

“Yeah, maybe. But I won’t. I’m just too old to run around getting shot at all day long. I got the hell beaten out of me today. This is a younger man’s game.”

“But you’re so good at it.”

“I’m not going to give it up altogether. I’m taking a position with the NCTC. Counterterrorism work.”

“You’re taking a desk job?”

“Why not? It’ll give me some time to, um, you know… pursue my hobbies. Something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Ben held out his hand. “Well, you deserve it. Thank you for everything. And thank you for saving my wife.”

Seamus shook his hand vigorously. “Aw, you did all the hard stuff.”

“It was a team effort. Which is why I hate to see you go.”

“Come visit me in Hawaii, Ben. Live a little.”

Ben grinned. “I’m really not the luau type.”

“The sun shines every day, it rains almost every afternoon-but not for long. There are endless beaches, and one woman in five dances the hula. What’s not to like?”

“Pretty much everything you just mentioned.”

“Worse things out there than watching the sunset and drinking rum out of a pineapple, Ben. Beats the heck out of chasing terrorists and getting beaten up by enemy agents.”

Ben shook his head. “You won’t be gone long. You’ll be bored to tears out there. You’ll be back in the field in no time.”

“Not a chance.”

“You will.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Ben tilted his head. “I just feel certain we’re going to hear from you again.”

Ben and Christina were finally having their meal together, back at their own apartment, wearing their pajamas. There was much work to be done. The Kyler presidency had to be stitched back together again. Vice President Swinburne had already resigned, so the president had to select a new VP. The rubble in the Mall had to be cleared. But Ben knew it would all be done, and Washington would soon be back in business as if nothing had ever happened. Democracy was nothing if not resilient. And April 14 had turned out to be a very interesting day.

Ben fixed their very late dinner. Tuna fish sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, Diet Cokes. No time for Jeopardy tonight, and Ben wanted to spend some time talking to his wife before he inevitably fell asleep. It had been a long and remarkable day.

“You think Rybicki will be convicted?” Christina asked later as they lay together in bed, gazing into the darkness.

“The president will want to avoid a trial if possible. But he’ll be put away for good, one way or another.”

“The president must be very grateful to you.”

“Well, I’m very grateful to him, for-you know.”

“Getting my sister out of trouble with the IRS?”

“All he did was make a few phone calls, but-”

“That stupid ex of hers was the one who didn’t pay the taxes, not Chloe. But the president saved her a lot of legal hassles. And now she’s free to move to Washington. Near us!”

“Really.” Ben cleared his throat. “And that’s a good thing? She is a little…”

“Benjamin J. Kincaid, you be careful.”

“… wacky?”

“Well, all us McCall girls are loaded with personality. Ben-can I ask a favor?”

“Always.”

“Entre nous , I’m not sure I want you working in the White House anymore.”

“You have something against the president?”

“No, I have something against you throwing yourself at bombs and interfering with the plans of dangerous madmen.”

“I doubt if that will happen every six months. But since you mentioned the job, I have news for you.”

She nestled in closer, burying her face against his chest. “Me too.”