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“Definitely a mafia connection with the flowers,” he said. “It reinforces the revenge theory.”

“Perhaps,” said Frau Gerste, sighing just a little.

7

Washington, D.C.

“Senator, I hate to say this, but you’re going to be late for the White House. Again. I know you’re only going in Senator Tompkins’s place, but—”

“I’m on my way, Clarissa.” Senator Jeffrey “Zen” Stockard smiled at his appointments secretary, Clarissa Tomey. “But I have a reputation to maintain.”

“For being late?”

“You got it.”

“They blame me, you know,” said the secretary. “I’m sure they hate me.”

“Broad shoulders,” said Zen, wheeling himself past her desk. “Jason? Where the hell are you?” he said in mock anger. “You’re late. Late again.”

“Uh, Senator, I’m right here, sir,” said Jason Black, who was standing at the door. “I’ve been, uh, waiting.”

“No alibis, Jay. We all know it’s your fault.”

“Um, yes sir.”

Zen laughed. He loved teasing his staff, especially Black, who was only a year removed from college.

“Can I trust you at the White House?” Zen asked as he rolled his wheelchair down the hall. “Coming in with me?”

“Um, uh, yes, Senator. I, uh — my tie’s clean.”

“You like seeing the President, don’t you? Or at least that cute intern they have from the NSC that’s always winking at you when we go over there.”

Zen glanced up at Black, who was turning beet red.

“Hey, Zen,” said Senator Dirks, approaching down the hall. “Got a minute?”

“Damned if I don’t, but take it anyway,” said Zen. Dirks was from the other party, but the two got along personally and even on occasion voted the same way. In fact, Dirks had been one of the early supporters of Zen’s bill to establish a scholarship program reimbursing college graduates who joined the service as officers after graduation. The bill had just passed the Senate that morning.

“Have you heard what happened to Senator Osten?” asked Dirks.

“No,” said Zen. Al Osten was the ranking senator on the Foreign Relations Committee. “I’m on my way to the White House. He’s going to be there.”

“No,” said Dirks. “They just took him in an ambulance. I was right there. They think he was having a heart attack.”

“Wow.”

“The paramedics were here right away. Still, you don’t know at his age.”

“That’s terrible.”

Both men frowned. Even though Dirks and Osten were from different parties, as senators they were fellow members of the most exclusive club in the world.

“I was hoping we could grab lunch at some point,” said Dirks. “I wanted to talk about the Air Force appropriations for their new jets. Maybe sometime this week?”

“Sure. Have your staff set it up with Clarissa,” said Zen. “Better yet — the Nationals are in town. What do you say about a game?”

“Now we’re talking,” said Dirks. “I’ll check the calendar.”

“Don’t check too hard,” said Zen. “Thanks for your vote today, by the way.”

“It’s a good bill. Now all you need is House support. And your President.”

“I’m working on it,” said Zen. The President was anything but his President. Even though they were from the same party, Christine Mary Todd and Zen often found themselves at loggerheads.

Which made him a little suspicious an hour later, when she seemed overly profuse as he entered the Oval Office with Jason Black in tow.

“Here is Senator Stockard,” she said, without a trace of sarcasm. “Fresh from his victory on the floor.”

“Congratulations, Zen,” said Secretary of Defense Charles Lovel. “It’s a good bill.”

“Thank you,” said Zen. “Thank you, Ms. President.”

Zen nodded at Secretary of State Alistair Newhaven and National Security Advisor Michael Blitz, who were seated in a semicircle in front of the President’s desk. Zen wheeled himself next to Newhaven, while Black joined the aides near the side of the room.

“Have you heard anything about Senator Osten?” asked the President. “His staff told us he was taken to the hospital as a precaution.”

“That’s more information than I have,” said Zen. “I only just heard that he had a heart attack.”

Todd nodded grimly. Before she could say anything else, her phone buzzed.

“That should be General Danker,” said the President. “I’ll put him on speaker.”

Danker was the American representative to NATO. He was currently in Germany, touring facilities there. Zen had met the Army general when he was an aide to the Joint Chiefs of Staff a decade and a half before. Danker was more a politician than a tactician, which made him perfect for the NATO post.

Zen watched the others as they exchanged small talk with the general. Each had a different style and personality. Blitz leaned forward in his chair, eyes squinting slightly, a very serious look on his face even as he asked the general how his wife was. Newhaven fidgeted — he always fidgeted. Lovel was his usual easygoing self, making a joke about German beer.

President Todd, meanwhile, seemed impatient — also completely in character.

“So — the NATO meeting in Kiev,” she said, bringing the brief how-are-ya session to an end. “Can we have an update on it?”

“The Russians oppose it, of course,” said Newhaven, launching into a brief recap of the political situation.

Russia had long opposed Ukraine’s addition to NATO. They were not politically in a position to do much about it — with the drop in energy prices, the Russian economy had slumped to its lowest state since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But they certainly weren’t happy about it.

“There’s intelligence that they might attempt to disrupt the sessions,” said Newhaven. “Very good intelligence.”

“I would say that physical threats to the participants cannot be ruled out,” said Blitz. “They should be expected.”

“I concur,” said General Danker over the speakerphone.

They discussed the threats briefly. Such intelligence reports and warnings were much more common than people thought, but the fact that this had been connected to a legitimate government made it unusual. Still, there was no chance that NATO would call off the meeting, or that any of the members, including the U.S., would decline to attend. Terrorist-type threats had become an unfortunate fact of life in the post–9/11 era.

President Todd moved the discussion back to the importance of having Ukraine join NATO. She saw Russia’s objections as a sign that the policy was a good one, though not everyone in Congress agreed. That was an important issue, since the new NATO membership would be part of a revision to the NATO charter and subject to Senate ratification.

“Senator Osten’s illness could be a major problem for us,” she said. “He was scheduled to be at the conference. If he’s had a heart attack, I’m afraid that will complicate matters.”

“Someone from the committee will go,” said Zen. “It may even be me.”

Todd pressed her lips together. “Senator?”

“I’m next in line. And I’m the only other one who supports the measure on the committee. In our party, anyway.”

“It would be helpful if you attended, and then were able to persuade your colleagues upon your return,” said the President.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to Kiev,” said Zen.

“There will be impeccable security,” said Danker over the phone.

“I’m not worried,” said Zen.

8