Iris Johansen - Dead Aim

"No, after Arapahoe Dam. Z-3 was the stronger facility and more secure than Plummock Falls." Keller paused. "But Danley agreed it would be safer for the Vice President."

"Interesting."

"And Shepard did come to me and suggest that he'd feel better about a change to our strongest facility." He paused again. "Which might mean nothing, sir."

"And it could mean a hell of a lot," Logan said. "Where's

Shepard now?"

"I'll find out." Keller pulled out his phone.

"It would fill in the missing blank," Logan said. "The rea son why Betworth would instigate a chancy conspiracy like this."

"Don't push, Logan. I have to think about it." Andreas moved across the room to the window. It had been a bitter cold night and the glass was frosted. He felt cold and hollow himself. It wasn't every day a man found out he was scheduled to die in a little more than twenty-four hours. "You say this man, Morgan, is at Z-3?"

"So I understand from Galen."

"And is he good at what he does?"

"Yes, the best," Logan said. "No one can say he's a team player, but Galen trusts him."

"Mr. President."

Andreas turned to see that Keller was off the phone. "Well?"

"Vice President Shepard is presently at Z-3. It's his sched uled time to spend a few days at the bunker." "How convenient. Safe and sound and away from nasty suspicions."

"You believe Shepard is involved in the conspiracy?" "If there is a conspiracy."

"What can I do to convince you?" Logan asked. "There's not much time. Any number of things could set Betworth off. Hell, if they discover we knocked out that tech van, that may escalate-"

"I told you not to push," Andreas said. "Okay, Shepard is a possibility. He's been grabbing the limelight frequently, taking my place at functions and acting more aggressively than I've ever seen him. That doesn't necessarily link him to-"

"The Homeland Infrastructure bill," Keller said suddenly. "What's that?" Logan said.

"It's a bill Shepard's been pushing for the last year," Andreas said. "It's aimed at improving and shoring up vulnerable areas and infrastructure that might be targeted for sabotage or in danger from natural disasters. It's a general bill, nothing to send up any red flags, but the Arapahoe Dam disaster made Shepard look very smart."

"And presidential?" Galen asked. "You're probably the most popular President we've ever had. Shepard had some work to do to make himself over into your image. Betworth not only stocked Z-3 with his own crew and planned to destroy the rest of the bunkers, but he used their destruction to set up Shepard."

"You say the bomb was supposed to have been smuggled into the White House, Logan." Andreas shook his head. "That's almost unbelievable. Everyone who enters is searched thoroughly."

"Except you, Mr. President." Logan turned to Keller. "And you wouldn't insult the Vice President either, would you?" "It's possible he could do it," Keller said cautiously.

"And if he brought it in piece by piece and Betworth sent a man in to assemble it later…"

"It's also possible he could have been instrumental in the other two attempts on my life," Andreas murmured. "Talk about an inside man. But you were too good, Keller. You made sure that every aspect of my life was impossible to penetrate without detection. They must have gotten nervous about getting caught and decided to go a different route."

"You believe us?" Logan asked.

"Shepard would take over the presidency if I was killed,"

Andreas said. "The presidency is the ultimate power, and Betworth has wanted it for years. And I'd judge Shepard a man who can be controlled by someone as clever as Betworth. Shepard takes over the presidency, has Matanza to blame for the assassination, and initiates a crusade against terrorism that immediately sends his approval rate soaring. In the meantime, Betworth is behind him pulling all the strings, with a nice little pocket of puppets in the FBI and CIA already in place. Matanza gets the glory, Shepard gets the presidency, Betworth gets the power." He grimaced. "And I get dead. I can't say I regard that as an acceptable scenario."

"It's supposition, sir," Keller said.

"Then I suggest you get on the phone and call your Secret

Service people in charge of protecting Shepard and see if there's been any increase in contact between Betworth and Shepard in the last six months. I want a tap on Betworth's and Shepard's phones immediately. And get a tech van out to Betworth's place on the double to monitor and record any calls."

"The bomb first," Logan said, and then added politely, "sir."

Arrogant bastard. He did like him. "Start a search, Keller. But discreetly. Very discreetly. We don't want the son of a bitch to get suspicious and set it off ahead of schedule." He turned to Logan. "Satisfactory?"

"Splendid. Caution is good."

"I'm glad you approve. But it's what I'd have done anyway.

What you've told me may be bull, and I'm certainly not disturbing the people of the United States with as little proof as you've given me. They've gone through too much already during these last years." He shook his head wearily. "And if we have to arrest Betworth and Shepard for this crime, it will be one more horror for them. They don't need their trust in their own government shaken."

"They don't need a bomb going off in the White House ei ther," Logan said dryly.

"Anything else, sir?" Keller asked.

"Hell, yes, make sure you tell your men in the field to get my wife and children to a secure place." He headed for the door. "Now."

She could hear him behind her. Alex shinnied up the tree and crawled to a nook cloaked in pine branches. It was daylight now, and she needed all the cover she could get. Pray that no bird or animal would fly out of the tree and give her position away. Don't make a sound.

Don't even breathe.

He was right below her.

No, he had moved on down the hill.

She was afraid to let out a sigh of relief. Stay here for a little while until she was sure she'd lost him.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Twenty minutes.

Twenty-five.

She climbed down from the tree.

Runne smiled.

The woman had turned and was circling back toward the bluff.

Perhaps she was in a panic and trying to reach the road. Or perhaps she was trying to meet with Morgan.

Where the hell was he?

The anger and frustration had been growing in him for the last hour. He didn't know if he could wait for Morgan to show after he caught the woman. She'd hurt his pride, and that couldn't be tolerated. She needed a lesson, and he would give it to her.

He would slit her from belly to throat.

She couldn't hear him, but she knew he was close. Her heart was beating hard, painfully, as she ran. No use trying to be quiet now.

Run.

Too tired…

Keep running.

Her hand tightened on the branch she'd picked up after she climbed down from that last tree. It wasn't much of a weapon, but she was getting too exhausted. Soon she'd have no choice but to face him.

Not yet. The path that led up the bluff was just ahead. Morgan might be

Her legs went out from under her.

Tackled!

He was on top of her, his hands on her throat, her mouth. "Shh."

She bit his hand and tried to swing the branch. "Alex, dammit," he whispered.

Morgan.

She went limp.

"Are you okay?"

"No." The tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I'm tired and cold and scared and that son of a bitch wouldn't give up. You took your time getting here."

He touched her cheek gently. "No supersonic jets from

Guatemala City. I'm sorry." "You should be." She tried to sit up. "Get off me. We have to hide. I don't know how far he is behind me." "I do. We have a little time." He got off her but stayed on his knees beside her, his hands running over her body.