been set in motion because of a leaked mission that had taken place almost a year prior. No one needed to ask Michael why he had told Coleman.
They had read his file and knew that he was a Marine. Soldiers weren’t the only people who held animosity toward politicians-spies and law enforcement officers did, too. Stansfield said, “Thank you for your honesty.” Liz turned to Roach and asked, “What’s going to happen to Garret?” The director of the FBI crossed his legs. “He is going to disappear from public life, and we’re going to keep a very close eye on him.”
“What about the President?” Both directors shrugged their shoulders and then
Stansfield said, “That is one of the things I would like to talk to Commander Coleman about.” Michael wondered what type of leverage Stansfield and Coleman would be able to exert on the President. Michael looked at the four people sitting around him and then at Liz. “If that’s all the questions you have, we should probably get going.” Nobody said anything so Michael and Liz stood. The other four attendees stood and Kennedy said, “Congressman O’Rourke, I have one last question.” Kennedy clutched her purse. “Did you have any idea, when this whole thing started, that Commander Coleman was involved?”
“I had my suspicions.”
Michael grabbed Liz’s arm. “If that’s all, we should be going.”
Director Stansfield nodded and said, “Thank you for your time. Call me when you get back in town.” Michael and Liz left the room. As they walked through the busy terminal, he felt at ease for the first time in weeks. Things could finally get back to normal. As they approached the gate area, they noticed a group of people staring up at a TV. Liz led the way to the TV, and when they stopped, Michael placed his hands on her shoulders. The words “News Flash” appeared in yellow across the bottom of the screen. A reporter from
CNN was standing in front of the Bethesda Naval Hospital giving a live report. “Hospital administrators and White House officials have just announced that National Security
Adviser Mike Nance was killed this morning when he was thrown from a horse at his rural Maryland ranch. He was med-evacked to the trauma unit here at Bethesda and was pronounced dead on arrival at approximately eleven-thirty A.M. The unofficial cause of death has been listed as a broken neck. Those are all the details we have for now.
337
Again, National Security Adviser Mike Nance …” As the reporter continued talking, Liz looked up at Michael and shook her head. “I can’t believe this. How did they fake—”
Michael put his finger over Liz’s lips and pulled her away from the group. He led her back toward the gate and looked over his shoulder at the people staring intently at the
TV. O’Rourke kissed the top of her head and said, “Remember, we know nothing.”
