Schism

blue robe while trying to suppress a yawn. She squinted and, when seeing a soldier, asked in a voice one part annoyance and one part fear: 'What is this, Jim?'

Brock stared at the blue eyes he had once found very mysterious. Yet what surprised him most of all was not her appearance at his front door, but how her shoulders slumped and how those mysterious blue eyes struggled to stay awake. He recalled her to be a confident, strong woman but on that morning in the rain at his door step she appeared anything but. 'Nina?' The woman at the door muttered humbly, 'Hello, Jim.'

23. Schism

Jon Brewer stood behind the desk staring out the closed balcony doors down at the front lawn. He saw a pair of K9 sentries walking the fence, one of his wife's assistants driving out the main gate, and a hot July sun reflecting off the lake

He spoke into the phone, 'Dante, I'm in the dark out here. Maple's dead, Gordon was dead and now he might not be? You want me to report any contact with Captain Nina Forest because you think she's up to something and two of her team are under arrest on suspicion of anti-government activities? Things are going on and you're not filling me in. I don't like it.'

Dante's voice wavered across the long connection stretching from Washington D.C., to the lakeside estate in northeast Pennsylvania.

'Jon, man, relax. You know as much as I do.'

'Really? Do I? Wow. That's a real pile you're trying to shovel at me. The newspapers seem to know something. Half of them are talking about some kind of military coup in the works. Well let me tell you, I am the military and there's no such thing going on. Something stinks. And I'm getting pissed off at sitting out here all alone. I'm getting pissed off with having nothing but paperwork getting thrown at me.'

'Hey, whoa, easy Jon. Here are the facts. Someone kidnapped Maple down here in D.C., back on the first. Three days later he turns up dead outside of Trevor's tomb up there in your neck of the woods. Those two guys from Nina's team were a part of that. They aren't saying' much.' 'I want to talk to them.' That took Dante off guard. He stumbled. 'No, hey, I mean Roos has got them in a high-security spot interrogating them.' 'Those two men are military. Ultimately they're under my command.' 'I'll talk to Evan.'

'What's he got to do with it?' Jon's anger-his first real wave of anger since long before Trevor's death-grew. He could almost hear his wife suggesting he watch his temper.

No, this is one case where she would want me to lose my temper.

Jon went on, 'I thought this was about not having one man in charge? You’re telling me that I can't talk to my soldiers without Evan's approval?'

'Hey, easy does it, Jon. I understand, man. I hear you. But there are a lot of people talking a lot of shit. Some folks say they saw Gordon Knox alive again, that he was with Nina Forest. What's that make you think, Jon? What do you think Evan thinks about all this? He sees Knox still alive, maybe, and running with military people who were close to Trevor and then one of Evan's Secretaries ends up dead. Don't know about you, but I'm starting to wonder if there aren't some people cooking something up.'

'I'm coming to Washington,' Jon said. 'Out here I'm no good. There's no one left except me and my wife and a couple of paper-pushers.'

Paper weights.

'I'll talk to E-' Dante caught himself. 'Okay, look, we'll set something up. If you come bursting in here out of the blue that could send the wrong signal. Let me set something up and I'll get back to you in a few days. Just sit tight, Jon. It hasn't been that long. Things have to, you know, settle down.'

'Yeah, right,' Jon's tone suggested he knew no such thing.

'Look, I'll talk to you in a day or two. Might be a good idea for the President to meet with all of us again, especially you and some of the other commanders. You know, to show we're all on the same team.'

'Are we, Dante? I'm starting to wonder if I did the right thing.'

'Yeah, man, you did the right thing,' the Secretary of Defense said. 'Just relax.'

Click.

Jon stared at the dead receiver for a moment before hanging up. He then kicked a small garbage can, sending it tumbling across the room. The metallic clang echoed through the empty halls of the mansion.

– Dante stormed into the West Wing arriving at the Oval Office at the same time the door to that office opened. The President stood there, ushering out two gentlemen, one portly the other tall and thin.

'I don't understand how you can do this,' the portly man complained. 'I was the legally appointed Governor.'

'Appointed by Trevor Stone,' the President clarified while maintaining a smile. 'He is gone, and all of his edicts are null and void. On behalf of our new nation and on behalf of the people I can rescind any unilateral decisions he made.'

'But you have no right!'

'I have every right. We are in a transitional period. You will find that my decision on this will be enforced by both Internal Security and the military. It would be best if you accept this change quietly, for the good of the nation. Now I expect you to vacate the Governor's residence by tomorrow afternoon or you will be arrested for trespassing.'

The tall, thin and newly-appointed Governor tried to suppress his emotions but a cocky grin tugged at the sides of his mouth. Conversely, the portly man grew a darker shade of red.

'You can't do this. You have no legal grounds!'

Evan's smile turned to a scowl. 'I have the authority and power to enforce this decision. It would be best for you and your family not to make this into an incident.'

The dismissed politician huffed and barged away.

President Godfrey turned to the tall, thin man and said, 'If he gives you any problems, call Director Roos at I.S. In the meantime, congratulations. I know I can count on you.'

The new appointee grinned and walked off with a bounce in his step.

Evan noticed Dante and frowned, but in the span of a half-second caught himself and turned that frown into a welcoming smile.

'Mister Secretary, what can I do for you?'

'We need to talk.'

'Yes, we always seem to need to talk. Well, come in, Dante. I have a few minutes.'

Evan led them into the Oval Office. As soon as the door shut behind them, Dante jumped on Evan in a panicked voice, 'Things are coming apart!'

'What? Wait a second, Dante. Relax. Take a deep breath.'

'I can't relax! I just got off the phone with Jon Brewer. He knows something is up. He's starting to think he shouldn't have handed it all over to you. I'm starting to wonder that myself.'

'Easy, easy. Things are not coming apart. Things are under control.'

'How can you say that? You sit here in the White House like it's some kind of bunker or something. When is the last time you went out there to see what's going on? Do you know there are Senators who are talking about impeachment because you haven't put together that Constitutional committee yet?'

'There are always malcontents. But listen, Dante, it hasn't even been a month since I took power. People have to be patient.'

Jones pleaded, 'But you haven't done anything! No movement on elections. You haven't appointed anyone to work on a new constitution. And now you’re appointing Governors; the same type of thing Trevor was doing that we were against!'

Evan did not appear to hear. He took Dante by surprise as he redirected: 'I know why you're so worried. It's because Knox and Forest are out there running around still. I admit Roos has not done nearly as good a job as I had hoped. He's a bit of a disappointment. Still, I think I can solve this. We need to bring this to an end. Captain Forest has a daughter, does she not?'

'W-what? Huh?'