by David Archer
There was another murmur in the gallery, since most of the politicians sitting there had heard of Noah at some point in the past.
“And where is Mr. Wolf today?”
“I have no knowledge of his current whereabouts,” Paulson said. “I did find out where he was, but he somehow became aware of my involvement and has relocated once again. As far as I can tell, he has left no trail that can be followed this time.”
“Can you tell the members of the committee how you came into possession of that knowledge, of his whereabouts?”
“I had heard rumors that led me in a certain direction,” Paulson said.
“Mr. Paulson, what prompted you to set out to confirm those rumors?”
“I received a telephone call from Senator Andrews,” Paulson said. “She specifically asked me to locate them for her.”
“And did you do so?”
“I did. I returned her call the following day to let her know that I had indeed found the people from that organization.”
“And were you then asked to take any further actions?”
“Yes. Senator Andrews asked me if I could make arrangements to have them killed.”
The uproar this time could not be silenced by a banging gavel. Andrews was on her feet screaming directly at Paulson, calling him a liar and insisting that she was being set up. The rest of the crowd was talking loudly amongst themselves, shocked at what they were hearing. Getting the noise back down to a manageable level took more than a minute, but finally Senator Dunning nodded to Macy to continue.
“Mr. Paulson,” Macy said, “do you expect us to believe that a respected member of the United States Senate actually attempted to have you arrange for the murder of these people?”
“That is the truth,” Paulson said. “If you don’t believe me, I understand the conversation was recorded.”
Another rumble went through the crowd, but this time they kept it under control. Macy opened the briefcase that he’d laid on the table and took out a CD. He stood up and carried it up to Senator Dunning, passing it across the bench.
“Senator, this is a copy of the recording to which Mr. Paulson just referred. With your permission, I would request that it be played for the panel.”
Dunning looked at the disc for a moment, then nodded and handed it back. Macy carried it back to the table where Ms. Duncan was holding a small portable CD player. He passed the disc to her and she loaded it into the player, then pressed a button on the front of the machine. A moment later, the voice of Senator Teresa Andrews came out of the speakers.
“Alex? Is that you?”
Paulson: “It’s me. I told you I would find them, and I have. My only question is what you want to do about it.”
Andrews: “Alex, would it be possible for you to eliminate them? All of them?”
Paulson: “Possible? Yes, but it’s not going to be either easy or inexpensive. I would need help, but I know where to get it. Do you want to know where to find them?”
Andrews: “No! Goodness, no. I don’t want to know anything about this beyond what you’ve already told me. As for expense, how much are we talking about?”
Paulson: “I’m thinking about three hundred thousand American. It’s rather obvious that these people are capable fighters, so I’m going to need some of the best. Send the money through the normal channels, and I’ll take care of it.”
Andrews: “You’ll have it before the end of the day. And, Alex, when it’s done, I want photographs. I need proof that they are all dead. You understand?”
Paulson: “Of course. I guarantee you will be happy with the results.”
The rumble in the gallery was just low enough to keep Dunning from erupting, and almost all eyes were on Teresa Andrews, who looked as if she were about to have a heart attack. Wellborn, Lewiston and Hester were all sitting beside her, their own faces ashen.
Macy turned to Paulson again. “Mr. Paulson, is that recording accurate and complete?”
“It is,” Paulson said. The recording had of course been edited, removing any mention of Allison Peterson.
“And did you have any other conversations with Senator Andrews regarding this organization?”
“I did. In another conversation, I asked her if she expected to find their former director, Ms. Peterson, working in league with them. She laughed and assured me that there was no possibility of that happening, because she had arranged for Ms. Peterson’s disappearance and final disposition.”
“And did she explain what she meant by ‘final disposition’?”
“Yes,” Paulson said. “She said that Ms. Peterson’s body was somewhere at the bottom of the Potomac, assuming it had not washed out to sea.”
“That’s a lie!” Andrews screamed. “I never said any such thing! You told me Peterson was with them, you said you were going to take care of her for me…”
The gallery fell silent. Teresa Andrews’ eyes suddenly went wide as she realized what she had said, and she slowly sank back into her seat.
Senator Dunning stared at her for a moment, then motioned toward the marshal. “Marshal, would you take Senators Andrews, Lewiston, Wellborn and Hester into custody? Mr. Macy, is there any further testimony that needs to be presented today?”
Macy rose to his feet. “I believe that concludes Mr. Paulson’s testimony, Senator Dunning.”
Dunning looked at his colleagues on the bench, and they all nodded to him. “In that case,” he said, “I’m going to declare this hearing adjourned. A full investigation into the actions of these senators is hereby ordered, the results of which will be remanded to the Department of Justice.” He banged his gavel, then got up and let the other senators out of the room.
Macy looked at Paulson. “You did very well,” he said. “Thank you for your service.”
Paulson grinned at him. “Least I could do,” he said.
A couple of minutes later, Paulson was led out of the room, followed by Noah and the others. They had all sat quietly in the gallery, their simple disguises sufficient to keep them from being recognized, but now they followed Paulson and Team Aladdin back to the van that had brought them to the Capitol Building and climbed inside.
It stopped again a short time later at the back entrance of the White House, and they were escorted by Secret Service agents into the building and directly to the Oval Office. The agent on the door nodded once, then opened the door and allowed them to enter.
The president got to his feet and came around his desk. He walked directly up to Noah and shook hands with him, then turned to look at the rest of them.
“I’ve already had the call,” he said. “I’ve been assured that the witch hunt for Allison is over, and that there will be no further trouble regarding E & E. You folks can all come home, if you want to.”
“Thank you, Mr. President,” Noah said. “However, I personally believe that we can be of greater service by remaining where we are, at least for the time being.”
POTUS nodded. “I understand,” he said. “She called me a little while ago, by the way, and told me what happened yesterday. Your girl is going to be okay?”
“Yes, sir,” Noah said. “The cut on her leg was deep, but she got to the hospital in time to save her from bleeding to death.”
“But your witness died while they were trying to save him, right?” the president asked, his eyes turning to Paulson.
“That’s correct,” Noah said. “The person you are looking at is a double.”
“Double, my ass,” POTUS said. “Do you think Allison wouldn’t tell me?” He looked closely at Paulson again. “I understand you are the result of Mr. Lawson and his team of mad scientists, is that right?”
Paulson grinned, and a moment later his face had transformed into the one Esmeralda usually wore.
“I am proud to say that is true, Mr. President,” she said.
“That is awesome,” the president said. “So, you’re a robot?”
“Yes, sir,” Esmeralda said. “Among the features of my design are
the ability to transform my appearance. When Noah learned that Mr. Paulson had passed away in the emergency room, he asked me if I could extend those abilities to the point of making myself a doppelgänger for Paulson. I had to experiment with it, but you have just seen the result.”
POTUS burst out laughing. “I’m not surprised,” he said. “You tell Mad Wally Lawson I said he’s an absolute genius, will you do that?”
“I’ll be delighted to deliver the message, Mr. President,” Esmeralda said.
The president turned back to Noah. “Okay, no problem, you can stay where you are, and we’ll leave it at that for now. Tell Allie that we’ll set up a new line of communication for sanction requests, and she can have her old job back.” He patted Noah on the shoulder. “And while I’m thinking about it, I heard a rumor that congratulations are in order. It was a girl, I heard?”
Noah nodded. “Yes, sir, a baby girl.”
“Then my orders to you, Noah, are to get your ass home and take care of that baby. If Allison wants to run the outfit, that’s fine, but I want you as her number two. Understood?”
“Understood, Mr. President.” Noah nodded. “And thank you.”
EPILOGUE
Tom Winston smiled into the camera. “Today, we are finally able to put to bed a series of rumors that have been rocking Washington, DC for the last several months. Those rumors, of course, are the conspiracy theories regarding the organization that was allegedly formed by a previous president for the purpose of carrying out assassinations both within and without the United States. For months we have been hearing from the organization known as Government Watch about this shadow outfit whose sole purpose was to eliminate enemies of the United States government.
“Although assassination is certainly used by every nation at different times, when it is deemed necessary, an organization whose only function is to carry out such missions is proscribed by the Geneva Convention and numerous other treaties. Had it been confirmed that such an organization was created by a sitting president, that president would almost certainly have been guilty of treason. We are fortunate, then, that the truth has finally come to light. This government-sanctioned ‘Murder for Hire’ outfit did in fact exist, but it was not the creation of the Executive Office. Instead, we now know that it was established by a rogue group of senators who employed it for their own personal gain, only permitted by one of our former presidents as his duty in preventing these people from doing great harm to our national security.”
An image from the hearing that exposed Andrews and her co-conspirators appeared in a box over his shoulder. “After they were exposed by a surprise witness at a special Senate Investigations Committee hearing three days ago, it has been established that almost all of the deaths they caused were related to political motives and ambitions of four separate senators. Those are Senator Teresa Andrews, Republican, from Illinois; Senator James Wellborn, Democrat, from Michigan; Senator Brandon Lewiston, Democrat, from Florida; and Senator Eric Hester, Republican, from Texas. After hearing the testimony of the witness that exposed them, all four senators have agreed to plea bargains that will allow them to escape facing charges of treason, thereby avoiding the death penalty.
“The president, when issuing a statement regarding this matter, said only that he was glad to find that his predecessor was exonerated. He reiterated his commitment to the rule of law, and assured the American people that the United States does not engage in assassination as part of its foreign policy.
“And with that, we are delighted to bring another sordid chapter of history to a close. This is Tom Winston, wishing you all a brighter day tomorrow.”
* * *
In the special holding facility that was attached to the Washington DC jail, Senators Andrews, Lewiston, Wellborn and Hester sat quietly in their cells. The three men were reading, paperback novels in their hands as they sat on the hard, thin mattresses on their bunks. Teresa Andrews was pacing around her cell, muttering under her breath.
Lewiston, whose cell was right next to hers, let out a sigh. “Teresa, give it up, will you? We already took the deal, there’s no way anybody is going to believe anything we’ve got to say now. Just relax and be glad they’re not going to strap you to a table and stick a needle in your arm.”
“Screw you, Lewiston,” Andrews said. “This isn’t over, not by a long shot. I may have to wait until we actually get to prison, but if they think I’m not going to take them all down with me, they’d better think again. I have people that are loyal to me, powerful people. This isn’t over.”
Lewiston sighed once more, then went back to reading his book. He ignored her for the next few minutes, until he heard the door at the end of the block open up. That would mean it was getting close to time for dinner, so he laid the book down on the small table and got up to wash his hands in the little sink that was attached to the back of his toilet.
The trusty brought the trays around and passed them through the slots in the cell doors, and each of them picked up their tray and sat down at their small tables to eat. Lewiston took a couple of bites, then grinned.
“At least the food isn’t quite as bad as you would expect,” he said aloud. “I always figured jail food was going to be terrible, didn’t you guys?”
“You’d think so,” Wellborn said. “Maybe we’re getting a special diet, being celebrities and all that.”
Hester chuckled. “Celebrities?” he asked. “I don’t think that’s exactly the term I would use to describe us.”
“The food is good because some people know which side of the bread has the butter,” Andrews said. “You can bet on it. Somebody is watching out for us, even if things do look bad at the moment.”
“Maybe so,” Wellborn said. “I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, no matter where it comes from. At least we aren’t being treated like common prisoners, right?”
Hester stifled a yawn. “Here’s to that,” he said. He yawned again. “Man, I didn’t realize I was so tired. I guess I’m just not getting enough…” His voice trailed off.
“Not getting enough sleep?” Wellborn asked, and then he also yawned. “Eric? Eric, you there?”
In the next cell, Lewiston also yawned. “Wow, I’m just about falling asleep, myself,” he said. “I thought I slept pretty good last night, but I’m really…” There was a slapping sound as he fell off the little bench seat beside the table and landed on the concrete floor.
In the last cell, Teresa Andrews stared at the tray in front of her. She stifled a yawn of her own, doing her best not to let it out, and then shouted a curse word. She shoved the tray off the table and let it clatter onto the floor, got to her feet and tried to make it to the bars at the front of the cell, but her legs gave out. She collapsed onto her bunk, leaning back on the wall and gasping for breath.
The trusty passed along the row of cells once more, stopping to look at each of them as they lay on their floors or bunks. It was rather obvious that none of them were breathing, and a moment later he made his way out of the cellblock and went back to his duties. There was a lightness in his step as he went, because he was promised a reduction of his sentence in return for keeping his mouth shut about what he had seen.
A couple of hours later, it was reported on Triple-N News that all four of the so-called Hemlock Committee had committed suicide in their cells. Everyone was shocked, considering the plea bargains they had already taken, but the commentator speculated that perhaps death was preferable to the lifetime incarceration that a maximum-security prison would afford them.
At Feeney Manor, Noah and his friends watched it all on the big-screen TV in the Great Hall.
“Well, that came to a satisfactory ending,” Jenny said. Her leg was healing nicely, but she was still walking with a cane. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of people.”
“Of course,” Marco said, “we all know it wasn’t really suicide. I wonder who got the sanction on them?”
“I understand,” Allison said, “it was actu
ally a private arrangement by Charles Maybury at DHS. He set up a way to get the poison into the jail, and one of the top security officers assigned a trusty who would agree to do the job as their meal porter.”
“Quick and easy,” Neil said. “That’s the way it should be, you ask me.”
“But I don’t get it,” Sarah said. “Why did they offer them plea bargains if they were simply going to kill them anyway?”
“Probably just for appearances,” Allison said. “This way, nobody can say the government did anything wrong in the way the case was handled.”
“But why would they even take plea bargains, anyway?” Sarah asked. “Why weren’t they trying to convince people that they were innocent?”
“Because they weren’t,” Noah said. “While they weren’t really the people behind the creation of E & E, they were trying to use GW’s exposure of it for political gain. In order to use it most effectively, the last thing they wanted was for any of us to ever be caught and able to testify. That’s why Andrews wanted us killed, to make sure we could never come back and contest the narrative that she and her compatriots were trying to foist on the American people.”
“So, now we’re back to doing what we do, with Allison running the show again. My only worry is that that’s going to mean you going back out on missions more often.”
“The president was rather specific about that,” Noah said. “He has appointed me to be Allison’s second-in-command, which means I’m not actually on the field roster. Just as we had planned before, I will only be going into the field when it’s absolutely necessary.”
Little Norah, sitting on her mother’s lap, waved her tiny hand in Noah’s direction.
“Look at that,” Sarah said. “Your daughter is telling you she doesn’t want you going, either.”
“Well,” Noah said, a rare genuine smile on his face as he reached out to take the baby from Sarah, “I guess I’ll have to obey, then. We all know good and well that she’s the real boss around here nowadays.”
LET ME DO THE WORK
