“Funny,” said Harry. “In this world of information overload, we think we know everything about our leaders. But still we don’t
“You’re talking as if this is an obvious thing. It’s not. Do your homework. Before the laws changed in 1961, you could even do an adoption by proxy from places like Cyprus. International adoptions in this country were a mess.”
“Was yours one of the messy ones?”
“It was 1960, Harry. Imagine a woman knows her life would be better without the man she’s married to, but she doesn’t have the courage to leave him. She tells her husband that the father of their child was the man who raped her, but she wants to keep the baby anyway. What do you think she expects a thug like Demetri to do?”
“Leave, I’m sure.”
“But maybe he surprises her. Maybe he loves her so much in his own twisted and controlling way that he thinks he can fix things-if he can just get rid of the kid. So he convinces Cypriot officials to look the other way as the child is smuggled out of the country, no paper trail. The baby is sold on the black market to an unmarried woman in Philadelphia who, for a fee, falsifies the birth records and pretends that the baby is hers. A nice couple then makes a perfectly legal adoption, knowing nothing about the smuggling or supposed rape that took place halfway around the world.”
“Are you saying that’s what happened?”
The ensuing silence was profound, not even the drone of rubber tires on the interstate audible in the fortified limousine.
“What are you going to do now?” said Harry.
He shot Harry a puzzled look. “You said it yourself, this natural-born-citizen rule is just plain dumb. I’m going to fight it.”
“How?”
“With guns blazing. You have to stay with me on this.”
“What do you mean?”
The president leaned forward, suddenly energized. “Stick with the plan, Harry. Be my vice president.”
“And do what? Pretend I don’t know your situation?”
“You don’t know it.”
“You just told me.”
“Forget what I just told you.”
“You can’t hide this,” said Harry. “They’ll do DNA tests on you, Sofia, and Demetri.”
“My lawyers can tie that up.”
“Somebody is probably pulling copies of your phony birth certificate even as we speak.”
“The birth certificate says I was born at home to an unmarried woman in Philadelphia who died thirty years ago. Both my adoptive parents are deceased. Demetri’s dead. To this day, Sofia doesn’t want to say or do anything to hurt her son. Who’s to say that the fingerprints and footprints on the birth certificate were made when I was eight weeks instead of eight hours old? I’ve had a social security number since I was three months old. There’s no paper trail back to Cyprus, and the records here are airtight.”
“You can’t keep this up forever.”
“I don’t have to. There are only two years left on my term. You step in as my vice president now, and you’re the heir apparent to the Oval Office.”
“I can’t do that,” said Harry.
“Sure you can.”
“No. I really can’t.”
“You’re being a fool.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Do you realize that if I’m forced to resign before you’re confirmed, you’ll never be vice president?”
“I do understand that.”
“Your only way to the White House is through the vice presidency-through
“That looks like a pretty tough road right now, Mr. President.”
“Harry, get a grip. You’re not negotiating from a position of power.”
“Negotiating?”
“Listen to what I’m saying. Either you stand behind me, or I’m pulling your nomination.”
“Do what you have to do, sir.”
“Are you crazy?” he said, his voice turning shrill. “What’s wrong with you? You have nothing right now, do you understand? You have no power over me. You are not the sitting vice president. You do not rise to the presidency if I’m forced out. You are
A chilling silence filled the vehicle. Their eyes locked, as if neither man could believe what President Keyes had just said.
Harry turned very serious. “Phil knew your secret, didn’t he?”
“From a little whore named Chloe Sparks.”
“You gave Madera the green light to eliminate him.”
“I offered Phil the same deal I just offered you. Phil had to be a pain in the ass, wanted to be president right now.”
“You killed him.”
“I told Frank to deal with it. I didn’t think he’d pump him so full of ED medication that he’d literally explode.”
The limo stopped. Harry checked out the window. They were still on the interstate, at least a mile away from the
“Why are we stopping?” said the president, though the question wasn’t really addressed to Harry.
His door opened.
“What’s going on?”
Agent Schwartz was standing outside the limousine. He flashed his badge, his demeanor all business.
“Sir, could you please step out of the vehicle.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“Sir, don’t make this worse than it already is. Please step out of the vehicle.”
The president chuckled nervously, but he was the only one laughing.
“Harry, do you know anything about this?”
Harry didn’t answer.
Agent Schwartz said, “Sir, could you please-”
“Yes, yes,” he said as he climbed out of the limousine. “But this is totally outrageous and insulting beyond belief. In fact, it’s inexcusable. I want your badge number.”
Schwartz showed him his shield. “You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
“Surely you jest,” said the president.
“You have the right to an attorney…”
“I don’t need to hear this,” he said. But the recitation of his rights continued, and the president only became more agitated. Two other agents from the motorcade approached the limousine, one of them with handcuffs.
The president was red in the face with anger. Media helicopters were hovering overhead.
“Do you actually think you can arrest me?”
“Can I have your wrists, sir?” said Schwartz.
“I won’t stand for this.”
“Sir, your wrists.”
“Is this some kind of political power play? This is-”
He stopped himself, turned, and peered into the backseat of the limo. The door was still open, and Harry looked back at him.
“You’re wired, aren’t you?” said the president.
Harry said nothing.
