Vince Flynn - Act of Treason

Kennedy feigned surprise. “Me?”

“Yes. He claims he may have been wrong about you.”

“That’s interesting.” Kennedy knew all about the meeting, knew that Ross and Stokes were going to ask for a pardon, but she didn’t know that she was going to be dragged into it so directly.

“Yes,” Hayes said skeptically. “I think he’s up to something.”

“Probably. Would you like me to join you?”

Hayes thought about it and nodded. “I don’t want any backstabbing on my last day. If he has anything he’d like to say, he can say it with you in the room.”

“Good.”

Kennedy’s omelet arrived browned to perfection. Hayes was a fast eater, and Kennedy was a light eater. Kennedy had made the decision not to tell Hayes what they had learned. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, it was that he had given so much, seen so much, that he deserved to leave office unburdened by what they were about to do.

Kennedy heard footfalls coming from the Oval Office behind her and turned to see Jack Warch, the deputy director of the United States Secret Service, entering the dining room.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Hayes said.

“Good morning, Mr. President, Director Kennedy.” Warch stopped at the side of the table. “How are you feeling on your last day?”

“I still have tomorrow.”

“Last full day?” Warch had served as the special agent in charge of Hayes’s detail for the first three years.

“I feel good.”

“Fantastic.” Warch clapped his hands together. “With your permission, I’d like to accompany you and the First Lady back to your home in Ohio tomorrow.”

Hayes looked touched. “You don’t have to do that, Jack.”

“I know I don’t, sir. I want to.”

“That would be great. I’d really like that, and I know the First Lady will appreciate it.”

“It’ll be my pleasure. Now I hate to break up your breakfast, but Lorie asked me to tell you that the attorney general and vice president-elect are ready when you are, though before you meet with them, I need to go over a few things with you.”

Kennedy set her napkin on the table. “I’ll leave you two alone and ask Lorie to send in the attorney general and V.P. Ross.”

“Are you sure?” the president asked.

“Absolutely. We don’t want you playing catch-up on your last full day.”

“Thank you,” Hayes smiled.

Kennedy grabbed her purse and her cup of tea and started down the short hallway from the president’s private dining room to the Oval Office. On the left was the pantry. Kennedy stopped and said, “Carl, the omelet was fantastic. Thank you.”

“Oh…you are always welcome.”

“Would you please do me a favor and set up coffee service for two and maybe some water in the Oval?”

“Absolutely.”

Kennedy continued down the hallway through the Oval Office and into the outer office where the president’s administrative assistants were located.

“Good morning, Lorie.”

“Good morning, Director Kennedy.”

“Would you please send the attorney general and Vice President-elect Ross in.”

Kennedy went back into the Oval Office. The setup was always the same. Two arm chairs were in front of the fireplace and two long sofas stretched out taking up the majority of that side of the room. In between the sofas was a fairly large glass coffee table. There was a pecking order when it came to the seating arrangement in the Oval Office. The president always sat in the chair to the right of the fireplace. The chair to the left was reserved for the vice president, a visiting head of state, or in a less formal setting, anyone the president offered the chair to. Kennedy doubted the president would offer the chair to Ross. He simply didn’t like the man well enough. That meant Ross would sit on the couch closest to the president. Stokes would likely sit next to him.

Carl appeared with the coffee service and set it in the middle of the glass table.

“I’ll be back with the water in a moment.”

“Thank you.” Kennedy was wearing a black pant suit. The jacket had three buttons down the front and two small pockets on either side. Kennedy tugged on the bottom of the jacket to straighten it and patted each pocket for a last check.

Ross entered the office first. There was a flash of surprise on his face, but he quickly covered it up with a phony smile.

“Irene,” he said as he walked across the room, “what a pleasant surprise.” The vice president-elect extended his hand across the coffee table.

Kennedy took it. “Good morning, Mr. Vice President.”

“Not for another day.” Ross wagged his finger playfully at Kennedy.

“Irene,” Attorney General Stokes said.

“Good morning, Martin.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here this morning,” Ross said, his voice void of any obvious malice.

“I was having breakfast with the president. He got hung up with something, so he asked me to keep you two company for a few minutes.” Kennedy pointed at the couch behind the two men. “Sit. May I get either of you coffee?” Kennedy had sat through countless meetings with both men and she couldn’t remember a time where either had said no.

“Sure,” said Ross as he lowered himself into the spot closest to the president’s chair.

Stokes set his briefcase on the floor and said, “Please.”

Kennedy reached out to grab a cup, her hand hovering over the top of it for a second. Looking across at Ross she said, “Cream and sugar, right?”

“Yes.”

Kennedy placed the cup on top of a saucer and filled it three quarters to the top with coffee. She then added cream and a cube of sugar before stirring it thoroughly. She set the spoon on the tray and placed the cup and saucer directly into Ross’s hands.

“Thank you.” Ross blew on the coffee for a second and then took a sip.

Kennedy poured Stokes a cup and slid it across as Carl returned with a crystal pitcher of water and four glasses. He set them on the table next to the coffee service and left.

Kennedy looked at Stokes and said, “I assume your people are happy with the information we put together on Gazich?” She took an empty glass of water and filled it to the top.

“Are you kidding me? The guy is as good as fried.”

“Good.”

Ross took another drink of coffee and said, “Any luck running down the financial leads?”

“No.” Kennedy frowned. “I’m afraid we ran into a wall there.”

“I thought you were pretty confident that you were going to make a connection?” Ross sounded a bit let down.

It took all the composure Kennedy could marshal just to sit in the same room with the man. To have to watch him fake concern was nearly unbearable. “More than anything, we floated that to see if we could spook some potential suspects into making a stupid move.” She took another sip of her water and then placed it on the table with both hands.

“That’s too bad,” Ross said with a disappointed voice. “But great work on tracking that other guy down.”

President Hayes entered the room with his suit jacket on. Carl closed the door behind him, and the other door to where the administrative assistants sat was also closed. “Sorry I’m late, gentlemen.”

Ross, Stokes, and Kennedy stood. Hayes marched over with his large coffee mug in hand.

“So how is everyone feeling today?” Hayes asked in an upbeat voice.

“Fine, sir,” Ross answered.

Kennedy kept her focus on Ross as the president and Stokes exchanged pleasantries. Hayes extended his coffee mug and asked Kennedy to top him off. She picked up the pot and filled his mug.

“Sit,” Hayes said. “So what can I help you gentlemen with this morning? Let me guess. Someone wants a pardon.”