Hearing their voices, the young airman standing near the hangar entrance called out again. Only then did Sable realize Tony’s wasn’t the voice he’d heard call out his name. A split second later it dawned on Sable that Tony had most likely seen the phone, and was maybe even eavesdropping on the conversation.
“Listen, Tony,” Sable said in a whispered hiss. “You won’t tell anybody about the cell, will you?”
Tony moved out of the shadows to face the man. Sable stepped closer, leaned into his ear.
“See, I got this girl in Vegas,” he said. “She’s a showgirl. A real hottie. But she kind of takes advantage, you know? This morning she totaled the tranny in her new Mercedes convertible and expects me to pay for a new one.”
Sable flashed Tony a conspiratorial wink. “’Course, I’ll ante up and she knows it. I mean, I’m not married, divorced, or responsible for any brats — that I know of, anyway. So what else am I gonna spend my money on, right?”
Abruptly, a young airman appeared between two mounds of electronic equipment. He halted in surprise when he saw them.
“Dr. Sable, Dr. Alvarez… Dr. Reed’s been asking for you,” he said.
“Yeah, well, Tony and I were just grabbing some cable,” Dr. Sable replied, tucking a coil of thick, insulated wire under his arm.
“That’s right,” grunted Tony, grabbing another bundle and looping it over his shoulder. “Some of those old generator wires are frayed. Better to replace them all.”
“Maybe I can help,” the airman offered. The earnest young man grabbed two coils, each representing several hundred feet of wire — more than they would ever need. Spinning on his polished heels, the airman headed back to the hangar door.
Sable grinned, shot Tony a conspiratorial wink. Then he dropped his own coil and, whistling tunelessly, followed the soldier to the exit.
Meanwhile, Tony shouldered his own burden, while he pondered how he was going to get hold of Sable’s cell phone in the next several hours, without the man knowing about it.
“This suite is certainly impressive.” Sherry Palmer ran her hand across the sleek steel frame of an ultramodern armchair.
Senator Palmer appraised the stark sandstone walls, glass partitions, black leather furnishings, and splashes of primary-colored pop art.
“It’s nice,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “But I still prefer the Venetian.”
Sherry crossed the floor and threw open the balcony’s glass doors. A blast of hot desert air filled the room — but only for a moment, until the suite’s computer brain increased the air conditioning by forty percent.
“Just think, David. The last time we were in Las Vegas this place hadn’t even been built yet.”
“Casinos grow like weeds out here.”
“You can’t deny the view is impressive. The hotel’s Hanging Gardens start right below us. I can smell the honeysuckle all the way up here…”
The senator had already removed his jacket. Now he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, loosened his tie, and placed his hands on his hips. “The view is magnificent, no doubt about it. From forty stories up, even Las Vegas is a handsome city…”
“But you disapprove,” Sherry observed from the edge of the balcony. “Because you really are a Puritan.”
David smiled. “I prefer to think of myself as a Boy Scout.”
Sherry laughed, walked back to her husband. “You’re tense,” she said, reaching up to massage his broad shoulders. “Are you still fretting about your performance downstairs? Well, don’t. You were wonderful, David! Your words, your answers… they set just the right tone.”
Senator Palmer shook his head.
“You didn’t let Larry Bell get under your skin?” Sherry pressed. “I know he’s a conniving dog, but you should be used to that—”
“It’s nothing, Sherry, really,” David replied, wrapping her in his arms.
“I know you too well,” Sherry said, returning his embrace. “You’re holding something back.”
But Palmer refused to respond to her question. Instead, he changed the subject. “This is nice,” he whispered, nuzzling his wife’s hair. Sherry closed her eyes and leaned closer.
A gentle knock interrupted them.
“Ignore it,” Sherry whispered, pulling him closer. But David Palmer frowned and stepped back.
“I… can’t,” he told her. His tone and his expression were brimming with regret.
Sherry nodded. “Now I know what’s been bothering you. You’re not only here for the drug conference… You’ve got some kind of committee business going on.” Her expression shifted suddenly, from suspicion to alarm. “You’re not doing something that would jeopardize your bid for the White House?”
“I can’t discuss this right now,” he replied.
“You don’t have to. I know I’m right.”
The knock came again. They stared at one another for a moment.
“You know that you can’t shut me out… not even from policy decisions. When everything’s said and done, I’m your only ally, David,” Sherry said, then turned to call loudly towards the door. “Let yourself in, Lev! You have a keycard!”
The door opened. “Hey.” Lev’s gaze nervously darted between Sherry and David.
“Sherry was just leaving,” the senator said.
“That’s right, I’m leaving,” Sherry repeated coolly. She snatched her bag from the glass and steel table. “I have a full schedule, too.”
As she passed Lev Cohen, their eyes met. “I’ll see you later,” Sherry promised softly before closing the door behind her.
“Come in, sit down, Lev.” Palmer sank into the leather couch and stretched his long legs. Cohen sat in the steel framed chair across from him.
“Before we begin, Senator, I want to apologize for what happened in the lobby. I… I should have been on top of that.”
David raised his hand. “No apologies, Lev, or I’ll have to apologize, too, for my initial reaction. My impatience was out of line, so let’s just drop the subject.”
Lev Cohen nodded, visibly relieved.
“Now, about this other matter,” Palmer prodded.
“All the arrangements have been made, Senator. A representative from the Air Force Systems Command will arrive in—” Cohen checked his watch. “—a little less than two hours.”
Palmer nodded, his expression a thousand miles away.
“Senator?”
He blinked. “Sorry, Lev. I guess I zoned out for a minute there.”
“Yes, well, as I was saying… Your escort will be a Colonel Vincent DeBlasio, accompanied by a security staff. He’s bringing a car that will take you to the airport.”
Palmer sighed. “Thank you, Lev.”
“Since I won’t be going with you, I thought I’d assist Sherry with her afternoon schedule. She’s meeting the Mayor’s wife at four, then there’s…”
Lev’s voice petered out when he realized David Palmer was, once again, distracted by something. He cleared his throat and the Senator looked up.
“You’re a wise man, Lev,” Palmer said. “I trust your counsel as much as I trust anyone’s.”
“Thank you sir…”
“You know I’d take you with me today… if I could.”
This time it was Lev who raised his hand. “What you’re doing today is classified, sir. Part of your duty as the chairman of the Senate Special Defense Appropriations Committee. It’s obviously beyond my security clearance level, and I completely understand.”
Palmer offered his chief of staff a half smile. “Nicely put. Still, I could use some of your sage advice. I’m forced to make a very difficult decision today. It’s a decision I’ll make alone, and it’s weighing heavily.”
Lev nodded sympathetically. “The burden of command, David. It will only get heavier after you get to the
