Michaels nodded toward one of the Secret Service agents standing off stage to his left. He hustled onto stage and walked off with Michaels.
However, the applause was somewhat muted, which confused Michaels. He’d never considered that his topic might create a backlash at worst or even just a lukewarm reception at best. He fully expected to hear a triumphant standing ovation.
“Why aren’t they standing?” he asked the agent.
“Perhaps the translation is still being processed. Sometimes it can take up to thirty seconds before the words are translated.”
Michaels nodded. “That must be what it is.”
They disappeared offstage where Michaels met David Kriegel.
“So, how did I do?” Michaels asked with a wide grin.
“Why the hell did you go off script? You were supposed to talk about green technologies—that was it.”
“Never let a rapt audience go to waste,” Michaels said. “I couldn’t care less what those bureaucratic bozos out there think of me. That was for the American people. That was for my campaign.”
“You’re already ahead in the polls. Why do something that’s not going to engender goodwill across the board?”
“Vying for voters across the board doesn’t get you elected,” Michaels said. “But pandering to the majority opinion is one way to divide and conquer.”
“But everyone thinks we should fight terrorism,” Kriegel said. “Even your opponent is a staunch believer in that.”
“He can’t demonstrate action, but I can.”
“Heaven forbid you have something planned.”
Michaels smiled. “Heaven won’t be able to stop the hell I have planned for a certain group of terrorists in the Middle East. It’s going to make for terrific television.”
“I don’t even want to ask.”
“Good, then don’t. I just know that voters will definitely pull the lever for me on Election Day if they feel like they’re going to be safer with me as their commander in chief.”
“This is absurd. I didn’t agree to stay on another term so you could retain the White House with bullshit fear-mongering tactics.”
“The only thing that matters about political tactics are if they work or not. Besides, no one ever claimed that politics was a sanitized profession.”
Kriegel sighed as he hung his head. “We might be through here.”
“You gonna quit on me now?” Michaels said. “You’ve done a fantastic job, David. All I did out there today was seal the deal—Well, it’ll be sealed in a few days after I back up my talk with action.”
“And how exactly are you going to do that?”
Michaels wagged his finger. “No, no, no. You said you weren’t going to ask.”
“You’re right. I did. Forget I ever said anything.”
“So you’re still on board, right? I am going to be president again—and you’ll be justly rewarded for your allegiance. At the end of the day, I’m a far better ally than I am an enemy.”
One of Michaels’ aides approached the two men and held out a cell phone.
“It’s for you, sir,” the man said as he handed the phone to Michaels. “The caller said it’s urgent.”
“Yes,” Michaels said.
“That was a nice speech, sir.”
“Ollie, so nice of you to give me a call.”
“I watched your speech online. It was a thing of beauty, sir.”
“So, what do you need? I’m presuming you didn’t just call me to heap praises on my speech-making ability.”
“No, I wanted to talk about the delivery you want me to make.”
“What about it?”
“I’m getting nervous, sir.”
“About what?”
“That this might be a setup of some sort.”
Michaels chuckled. “A setup? By who?”
“I don’t want to deliver the weapons—uh, package, if we’re going to be placed in a compromising position.”
“Did you read the message I sent you from my secure phone?”
“Yes, sir. I just—”
“Stop wasting my time. Make the tough call. That’s what leaders do.”
“I understand, sir. However, I wanted to let you know that everything is ready to go. All I need is the green light for the mission.”
“I feel like we’ve already had this conversation. I told you that I’ll send you the orders to move forward when it’s time. Are we clear?”
“Crystal, sir.”
“Good. Now stay safe out there.”
Michaels hung up and walked across the room before handing the phone back to his aide.
“Everything all right?” Kriegel asked as he approached Michaels.
“Just a few more days, David, and everything will be more than all right. Just a few more days.”
CHAPTER 9
Brighton, England
ALEX RUBBED HER HANDS together, her eyes wide with excitement. She couldn’t remove the grin from her face if she wanted to. Utilizing her powerful software, she managed to transform her voice into Oliver Ackerman’s—and President Michaels remained oblivious throughout the entire conversation. For a moment, she started to wonder if he had caught on to her ruse. But then she considered that Michaels’ arrogance would likely never allow him to admit he’d been duped.
Pride cometh before a fall.
She smiled as she tightened up the audio file and made copies. After dropping several versions of the recording in various folders located in clouds around the Internet, she saved one onto a thumb drive and contemplated her next move. Ever since she hatched the plot, she was convinced it would work. But to be sitting at her computer with the power she’d been trying to attain in her hands—the moment felt somewhat surreal to her.
Part of her wanted to blast the story to all of the media from an anonymous account and be done with it. She considered sending it to Wikileaks and letting the media fight over the crumbs of the story. Despite her desire to move on to other issues that demanded her attention, this story needed to be walked into a news outlet and told by a journalist respected by everyone.
However, there was one portion of the recorded phone call that bothered her, the part about Michaels claiming to have already sent a message.
What did Michaels say?
That was the question she wanted answered at the moment, though she believed there was enough incriminating evidence to bring about public ire. Once a journalist linked “Ollie” to Oliver Ackerman, the questions would mount faster than an avalanche
