“Perhaps you should stop asking questions and do your job. Find out who’s trying to make a run at me, and let’s cut them off at the knees so you and I won’t have to worry.”
Kriegel nodded. “You really think this is a political opponent?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? Probably one of those super pacs from the coal industry. They will do anything to hold onto their fleeting power.”
Kriegel nervously clicked his pen. “What if it’s someone else trying to take you down for other reasons?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if this has nothing to do with politics per se and everything to do with getting you out of office?”
“Aren’t those things two in the same?”
“Yes, but suppose someone who has a strong reason to see you gone used this moment as a diversion. What if it’s someone you would never even consider right now?”
Michaels leaned back in his chair and spun around to face the window. He stared pensively outside for a moment before responding.
“There’s only one person who would not only have the resources to pull this off but would also have the gall to make a run at me.”
“And who would that be?”
“The one and only Brady Hawk.”
CHAPTER 14
Brighton, England
ALEX SLAMMED HER LAPTOP closed and stood up abruptly, knocking her chair backward with a kick. She growled as she paced around her kitchen. Despite her hatred for Michaels, she begrudgingly had to admit that he put on quite a show during the press conference, deflecting and redirecting the accusations that hadn’t even had time to rise to the top of trending subjects on social media. Michaels was a master at getting out in front of public relations nightmares—and she loathed him for it.
“The Teflon Man,” she muttered. “Is there anything that will ever stick to you?”
With Michaels swatting down her plan with a press conference, he endured no more than a few hours of scrutiny before the entire narrative was turned on its head. Instead of journalists getting their hands dirty and digging into why Michaels would be engaged in such a conversation in the first place—real or contrived—every reporter from New York to L.A. would be doing the president’s dirty work for him. All political rivals would have their closets opened, where past sins would be paraded out into the open. Those reports would likely dominate the media’s offering to the public in the coming days, while Michaels reaps the benefit of appearing like a victim. Alex had underestimated the president’s political genius once again.
She dialed Mallory’s number.
“I thought I might be hearing from you,” Mallory said once she answered the phone.
“I swear he’s made of Teflon,” Alex said. “I’m going to have to wait four more years to get my life back, if I can stay hidden that long. Meanwhile, he continues his mission of ruining the country all for his personal gain.”
“That’s kind of what most presidents do these days. It’s not like he’s all that unique in that department.”
“Well, I’m tired of it. This is absolutely ridiculous. He made a mockery of the press today with that stunt he pulled. Now all of a sudden he’s the victim of some politically-minded attack, distracting the American people from what they really need to know about their leader.”
“I’m sure something will come out soon enough.”
“But what? And when? It’ll probably be too late. In a few weeks, voters will hit the reset button with him and give him another four years. I don’t see that changing unless something drastic occurs.”
“Hmmm,” Mallory said before a long pregnant pause.
“What is it?”
“Just promise me you won’t do anything rash, will you? I don’t want to have to testify against you if called.”
Alex chuckled. “I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of stooping to his level. I’m going to stay above the fray. I just don’t know what to do to bring him down.”
“From a political perspective, I don’t think there’s much you can do. He has insulated himself well. Now, I’m not advocating any of this, but if you really want to put a dent in his political aspirations, you need to force him into a corner so he makes a mistake. And then you need to be there to document it in a way that he can’t spin it against you.”
“I’ve tried that before, believe me. But he always manages to somehow pull his Houdini act and vanish when it comes time to suffer the consequences.”
“Then you need to do a better job of it. Put his back against the wall and push. He’s still human. He’ll cave at some point. But you’re probably not going to be able to do that on your own. You’re going to need some help.”
“Are you volunteering?” Alex asked.
Mallory sighed. “Not in the least. I work at the NSA, remember? But I will be rooting for you to bring the truth to light. Good luck.”
Alex hung up and circled the kitchen several times before adding the living room to her route.
Think, Alex. Think. There has to be some way.
When an idea finally struck her, she rushed over to her computer and opened it up. Pounding on the keyboard, she hacked into several offshore bank accounts in search of a name.
Less than an hour later, she’d found what she was looking for.
“There you are,” she said with a wry smile. “And my, what a large number. We’ll have to do something about that, won’t we.”
CHAPTER 15
Muscat, Oman
THE GUARD AT THE GATE flinched when he saw Hawk. With his hands held in the air in a posture of surrender, Hawk eyed the guard closely, studying his neck. A large red mark on the man’s neck served as a reminder of Hawk’s siege from just a few days earlier. The guard’s nostrils flared as he glanced at Hawk before calling the main office.
“I’m not here to hurt anybody,” Hawk said.
The man
