Kim Baldwin - The Gemini Deception

She knew the president’s arms agenda was highly controversial, but as a professional, Shield was well aware that too many people took the ownership of weapons lightly. They figured it was normal to point one in someone’s face and shoot and call it their constitutional right. Like Thomas, she believed that only the police and military—not thugs, yahoos, and civilians with a few rounds at the shooting range—should own guns. Never mind those small-penis idiots who considered shooting animals a sport.

They escaped the noisy chaos of the Press Room, and Shield followed Thomas across the hall into the deserted Cabinet Room, where the president paused and let out a deep breath.

“I didn’t see that coming,” Shield said. “I was frankly pleased with where you stood on weapons.”

“Yes, well, Schuster pulled back.” Thomas started to continue toward the Oval Office.

“Why?”

The president stopped but didn’t turn around. “You sound like a reporter and I’m done answering questions. Also, I don’t remember asking for your opinion on the subject, so please refrain from offering one. See me to my office and I’ll let you know when I will need your services again.”

Shield’s job was going to become very unpleasant, to say the least, if the president insisted on dismissing and ignoring her. “Elizabeth.”

Thomas turned to look at her. “Was I not clear?”

“Crystal, but…”

Thomas approached her. “You’re skating on thin ice as it is, Kennedy. Remember who you are. Contrary to what you may believe, I can have you fired any time I please.”

“Then why haven’t you?” she asked. “It would appear I’ve given you plenty of reasons, and it’s become abundantly clear you can’t stand me.”

“Because I don’t have the time to busy myself with trivial topics,” the president replied. “But stop pushing it, because if pressed, I can make the time.”

“With all due respect, that’s a lie. Although I’m sure my organization will arrange a replacement if asked to, I’m still here only because you know I’m on your side. And I am the only person in this prison that gives a damn about what happens to you.”

“You only care because you think there’s some plot to destroy the world and you’re looking to prove yourself right. Both of us know you give about as much of a damn about me as the National Enquirer .”

“You’re wrong. I never said you’re out to destroy the world, and I also have no interest in proving anything.”

“Bullshit,” Thomas said calmly and with a hint of a smile. “Either way, you have absolutely no proof of that. Now, you can either waste your time with useless and tiring conversation or do what you were hired for and stop harassing me before I have you arrested for defamation.”

Shield crossed her arms. “What’s changed, Elizabeth?” she asked slowly and with deliberate sarcasm, reminding Thomas how she’d insisted Shield drop the formality. “A few days ago, you wanted to jump me. Am I too close to the truth for comfort? Or am I supposed to believe you’re over the distraction and confusion that is me?”

“The second, believe it or not,” Thomas replied casually. “Everybody uses everybody.”

“That’s damn clear.”

“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to work.” Thomas headed toward the door that led to her secretary’s office.

Shield followed, as always two steps behind, but in reality a world apart.

*

Southwest of Baltimore, Maryland

Elizabeth Thomas stared at the screen, unable to believe what she was hearing, although the reporter was confirming everything her double had just announced from the White House Press Briefing Room. Her illegal-arms agenda was dead. That certainly answered at least part of the question about why all this had happened. Now she knew why they’d told her at lunch that it would be in her best interest to keep tuned to one of the 24-hour news networks today. They wanted her to see this.

One of the things that most surprised her, however, was that the reversal on the bill had come not from the imposter president, but from Senate Majority Leader Andrew Schuster. She’d considered him not only a reliable party stalwart, but a personal friend as well, someone who’d been with her in the battle against illegal weapons from the beginning. What could have compelled him to change his mind? Was it possible he had a double, too, who was doing the bidding of whoever was behind this?

The news report switched live to Schuster on the steps of the Capitol, giving his own press conference. She turned up the volume. The man certainly looked and sounded like Schuster, but then again, she could scarcely distinguish her own double from herself.

“After due consideration,” the senator was saying, “I’ve decided to withdraw my support for the president’s plan to pump millions of dollars into a new initiative to curtail the illegal-weapons trade. At this vulnerable stage in America’s economic recovery, we should focus our resources and attention on more immediate and grave concerns closer to home, like efforts to create more jobs and maintain our country’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.”

Thomas muted the volume when she heard noises from outside her room. She was rarely disturbed between meals, and dinner wasn’t due for hours.

The door opened and a man came in, someone she didn’t recognize. She could tell without even looking now whether it was Beard or Cleanshaven delivering her meals, based solely on their smell and the sound of their breathing. Cleanshaven always had a lingering scent of sweat about him, and Beard had the raspy exhalations of a heavy smoker. This new arrival wore a mask to hide his identity, as the other men did, but in every other respect he didn’t resemble them at all. He was dressed in a tailored navy suit, and his starched shirt and expensive shoes and watch confirmed that he had money. He was not a hired thug or guard like the others, but evidently a man of some importance.

“Good afternoon, Madam President. I hope you have been treated well.”

“And I hope you’re here to provide me with some answers,” she replied, standing to look him squarely in the eye.

“I am, indeed.” He gestured for her to return to her chair in front of the television. “Please, have a seat. And hear me out completely before you ask any questions.”

“All right.” She went back to the big armchair, and he took its twin, a few feet away.

“I represent the person who had you brought here.” He glanced at the muted television as he undid the button of his suit jacket. “I presume you saw the announcement a short time ago at the White House?”

“How can…whoever sent you…possibly think they’re going to get away with all this? What’s next in your sights—the alternative-energy initiative? Health-care agenda?”

He held up one hand condescendingly. “Please save your questions and just offer a yes or no, please.”

“Yes. I saw it,” she replied in a clipped tone.

“My client’s objective has been met today, with the official abandonment of the illegal-weapons plan,” he said. “So we will be returning you to the Oval Office very soon, probably tomorrow.”

Elizabeth couldn’t believe she’d heard correctly. “You’re…returning me? You’re going to just set me free…like that?”

“We never intended to harm you, Madam President. Only to ensure that this arms plan of yours never happens. Now…” He leaned forward and looked at her seriously. He had blue-green eyes, and she could see a smattering of crow’s feet beside them that disappeared under his mask. He had to be in his fifties, at least. “If you do as instructed, you will soon be back in the White House and able to pursue everything else you wish to accomplish.”