And what would be the point of Espinosa saying anything? Bolger was dead. Nothing would change that. And now Espinosa was chief justice. He’d reached the pinnacle of the judicial system in the United States. He’d achieved his lifelong goal. Wasn’t that the real point?
Even more critical to Espinosa, Baxter had the video and all of its terrible, telltale pixels.
What infuriated Baxter was that, even in the face of the video coming out and being promoted by Dorn to chief justice, Espinosa still had the balls and the arrogance to ask these questions.
Well, there would be no more of them after this back-and-forth. If Espinosa needed a sledgehammer to the forehead, so be it.
“One more goddamn question out of you, Henry,” Baxter said angrily, “and I send that video to the press while you watch me do it. You got me?”
Espinosa stared at Baxter defiantly for several moments. Then his gaze dropped to the floor. “Yes, sir,” he answered obediently.
“It’s time to put an end to Red Cell Seven once and for all,” Baxter announced as he rose from the chair, handed Espinosa the papers he’d removed from the envelope, and then returned to his seat.
Commander McCoy had gone radio silent, and it was time to give up on the president’s “civil war” idea as well as on Kodiak Four. Baxter hadn’t even bothered to discuss it with Dorn. He’d made the executive decision himself when Dorn still wasn’t out of bed by noon.
“In your hands,” Baxter explained, “you have a directive, which you will sign and stamp with your seal as chief justice of the United States of America. That action will officially, finally, and for all time end the existence of Red Cell Seven.”
“I haven’t even been confirmed yet,” Espinosa pointed out.
Baxter removed his cell phone from his pocket and put it down conspicuously on the small table beside his chair. “I don’t care.” He pointed at the papers Espinosa was holding. “In your hands are also the two original Orders that President Nixon signed in 1973 to create Red Cell Seven. Today, more than four decades later, you and I will put an end to the insanity of protecting this unit at any cost. You will sign the directive I just presented you, and you won’t even tell the other justices what you’ve done.” Baxter pointed at his phone. “Otherwise, you know what will happen.”
“You have the second original Order?” Espinosa asked in a hushed voice as he glanced down at the papers he was clutching. “It’s here, too?”
“Yes.”
“How did you get it?”
Baxter enjoyed the shock registering in Espinosa’s expression. “Don’t worry about it, Henry,” he snapped. “Now that you’ve seen them both, I want you to—”
Baxter was interrupted by a commotion outside the study.
“You can’t come in here like this,” a woman yelled shrilly. “My God, I’m calling the police!”
Dear Mr. Jensen, you are now in possession of interferon zeta-A, an antidote I have developed for the deadly Ebola virus. The antidote is powerful, incredibly powerful, and it will work. There is absolutely no doubt of it. However, you have only enough of it, in the vial you are most likely holding right now, to save one life. At this time both President Dorn and Karen Jensen have contracted the virus and are quite sick. Good luck with your decision on who to save. I’m glad I don’t have to make that choice. Sincerely, Daniel Gadanz
“Jesus,” Troy whispered as he finished the short letter and the weight of everything cascaded down on him. He brought the tiny vial up in front of his face as he lay in the hospital bed. “I need to call Jack,” he murmured to himself, swallowing hard. He was still very weak. “Right now.”
CHAPTER 39
“Hello, Stewart,” Jack said as he moved into the study as if on a mission, right up to where Baxter was standing, with a shell-shocked expression. “It’s been a while since I met you at Walter Reed after the assassination attempt on President Dorn in LA. Almost a year, isn’t it?” Jack turned toward Espinosa, who had stood up as well. “Hello, Justice Espinosa, I’m Jack Jensen. I’m Bill Jensen’s son. I’m sure you know who he is.” He pointed at the doorway. “And that is Commander Skylar McCoy.”
Baxter’s eyes opened even wider as he followed Jack’s gesture and for a moment locked eyes with Skylar when she entered the study as well. “What are you two doing here?” he snapped as he glanced back at Jack. “I’ll have both of you arrested.”
“I believe pressing charges would be up to Justice Espinosa, since this is his home,” Jack answered. “And if I heard his wife correctly a few moments ago, and I think I did, he’ll certainly have the chance, because it sounded to me an awful lot like she was going to call the police.” Jack handed Espinosa a manila envelope resembling the one Baxter had brought with him. “I don’t know what Mr. Baxter’s tried to convince you of, sir, but in that envelope I just gave you is one of two original Executive Orders signed by President Nixon to establish and protect Red Cell Seven.”
“How the hell did you two make it here?” Baxter whispered.
“That woman,” Jack said, gesturing at Skylar. “As I believe you know, her survival and kill skills are impressive, and that’s the understatement of the century.”
Skylar had appeared out of nowhere in the cabin hallway, behind the man who was aiming the shotgun at Jack. She’d put the man down fast with two wicked punches to the head and a vicious body kick. He’d screamed for mercy as she’d inflicted terrible pain, so the other members of his team, who were still shooting as they closed in, stopped their barrage. She’d yelled that she’d kill the man immediately if they kept shooting.
The short standoff had given the men who’d accompanied Skylar to Harpers Ferry just enough time to reach the cabin. As she’d made clear on that hillside overlooking Route 340 in West Virginia, the men in the black shirts and camouflage pants were serious people. None of Baxter’s men had survived, and their bodies were now at the bottom of Seneca Lake, secured to heavy rocks.
Jack pointed at Espinosa. “You know all about Red Cell Seven.”
Espinosa nodded. “Yes, I—”
“Jack is lying.” Baxter spoke up confidently. “The two Orders I gave you are the originals.”
“Mr. Baxter is the liar,” Jack retorted. “He’s also an accessory to murder. He had Chief Justice Bolger killed a few mornings ago on Constitution Avenue. We have a record of a wire transfer from an account Mr. Baxter controls, which was sent to the brother of the man who drove the truck that killed Chief Justice Bolger.”
Espinosa glanced over at Baxter, then held up the two pieces of paper Baxter had given him to the light, one after the other. “This one is a forgery,” he said firmly as he brought the second piece of paper down from the light. “There is no 3-D marking on this piece of paper, Stewart.”
Baxter clenched his jaw. “Remember what I have,” he sputtered, pointing at the cell phone lying on the table. “Now, Henry,” he said after a few moments, “I suggest you give me all three copies of the Order you are now holding.”
Espinosa stared at Baxter for a long time. Finally he shook his head. “I’m not giving you anything, Stewart,” he said. “I don’t give a damn about that video anymore. You do what you want with it.”
“Very well,” Baxter said, grabbing it off the table, “I will.”