A Powerful Secret

by Dr. Kevin Leman

  The man watched the arrest of Eric Sandstrom. He nodded to himself, then walked away into the throng of people that crowded New York City.

  So the White House thought they’d distract Sarah Worthington by throwing her into the pool of AG vetting, he thought. And by falsely framing Sean, to take both Sean and Will down.

  He chuckled. They don’t know the Worthingtons at all.

  Bill Worthington had trained his kids well.

  67

  Will was almost amused. Almost.

  “Will? Frank Stapleton. Wondering if you’d have a minute today for coffee,” the GOP kingmaker said in a friendly tone.

  Will wanted to reply, “It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Sandstrom was arrested, would it?” but he didn’t. He’d learned a long time ago from Drew and his father that it was smart to keep your enemies close, especially if they were old friends.

  “Sure,” he answered in an upbeat tone he didn’t feel. What are you up to, you wily old fox?

  They set up the time, in an hour, for a local diner.

  Will called Drew.

  “You know what this is about, don’t you, Will?” his trusted mentor asked.

  “Search and rescue.”

  EN ROUTE TO SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

  An hour into his flight to Seattle, Sean stopped wrestling with what he would say to Elizabeth. He had to trust in the plan. So he tackled his other concern. How would Sarah respond when she found out Sean was her half brother? Was Bill right in wanting to protect her from that knowledge, even when the rest of the family now knew?

  Would that knowledge really change anything for Sarah? She and Will had still backed him even when faced with “proof” that he’d met with the Polar Bear Bomber.

  Now is not the time, the gentle voice said.

  On Corvo, he’d learned to trust that voice, even though he hated to wait.

  For now, he would follow his heart in a different direction—toward a leggy, opinionated blonde.

  NEW YORK CITY

  “So what do you think, Will?” Frank Stapleton spread his arms wide, dwarfing the small diner booth where the two of them sat.

  Stapleton, the acting chairman of the AF board, had just offered Will the CEO position on a silver platter.

  “You’re the obvious choice,” Stapleton proclaimed. “No doubt about it.” He was in his usual kingmaker mode, relaxed and confident that his offer wouldn’t be turned down.

  “I’ll think about it,” Will replied.

  Stapleton stiffened. “What do you mean, you’ll think about it?” He leaned forward. “Will, this is what you’ve been working toward, what you’ve wanted all these years—to be CEO of the most powerful company in the world. What’s there to think about?”

  “Still, I’ll think about it and let you know.” Will’s voice was firm. When his eyes met Stapleton’s, he saw a flash of concern before the man composed himself.

  “Okay then. I’ll hear from you . . .” Stapleton’s brows raised in question.

  “When I’m ready,” Will announced.

  The two shook hands. As soon as Will was around the corner of the building, he phoned Drew.

  “Was it what we thought?” Drew asked.

  “Indeed.”

  The timing of the offer wasn’t a surprise. The CEO position had been suddenly vacated. Stapleton was correct—Will was the obvious choice. However, was this the moment he’d been created for? To lead a powerful company through its worst imaginable crisis and onto the right path? Or was it a distraction from another path that would be revealed?

  “Your dad’s flight will be at JFK in less than an hour,” Drew said.

  “You called him.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I did. I was pretty sure how your conversation would run. I knew the two of you would want to discuss it in person.”

  Good old Drew, always a step ahead, Will thought.

  So it’s Frank Stapleton, the old snake charmer, the man thought. He’s the real force behind trying to take the Worthingtons down. But why, besides the obvious?

  He tugged his cap lower over his face when Will Worthington and Frank Stapleton exited the small diner. Seeing the pair together wasn’t unusual. For years, Stapleton had been grooming Will to become the next GOP candidate for president of the United States.

  The problem had come when Will had decided to run for Senate as a Democrat, thus threatening not only the Republican Party but also the long-standing New York senator James Loughlin, who was beholden to Stapleton and Spencer. With Worthington muscle and financial backing, Will was a shoo-in to win, especially as New York tired of Loughlin.

  With Will as senator, it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch for him to decide to run for president. That would put him in direct competition with Spencer’s reelection campaign. That threat in itself would be enough to get Spencer to back anything Stapleton wanted to make happen. With rumors of tantrums in the Oval Office, plus his backing of AF, a company now buried in scandal and criminal negligence, the president’s ratings had dipped.

  Was Will Worthington aware of how much Stapleton was pulling the strings behind the curtain? If so, Will was even smarter than the man thought, to play it cool and keep his now-enemy guessing.

  So Stapleton and Spencer had teamed up to promote Sarah, to distract her with the glitz of the AG job, to keep her from going after AF with guns blazing. The man shook his head. Clearly that hadn’t worked.

  That meant Stapleton also likely had something to do with the photos of Sean and the bomber—or at least had been looped in that Sean would be taken down. Sean had been the one single link that could break the Worthington resolve. The man knew from his history with Bill that the Worthingtons would protect their own.

  Disgust spewed from his lips in a long exhale. And Spencer was weak enough to allow himself to be manipulated into trying to destroy a blue-blood family, all over reelection money.

  Greed had made people and kingdoms fall throughout history. It was an old, well-trod story.

  The story would replay again when Stapleton and Carson were taken down. The man wouldn’t rest until that happened. Spencer? That would be more difficult.

  But nothing was impossible.

  68

  Sarah finally had the chance to call Jon a little before noon. “Great story. Well done,” she told him.

  Jon’s exclusive online interview was now being parroted by every television network and news agency around the country. The media was scrambling to present any angle they could. One network revealed a photo of Sandstrom’s disgruntled wife, waving off the cameras to get in her Jag. Sarah had seen the pattern before. The woman would file for divorce, hoping to get her share of their nest egg but not realizing their funds had already been frozen.

  “I especially loved the part where you hinted that the investigation about the Polar Bear Bomber was still under way since questions have been raised.” She laughed. “That frosted Darcy’s boss, but it also kick-started him to reopen the investigation an hour ago. That ought to bring Carson, Sandstrom, and the president some sleepless nights.”

  “We’ll put the pieces together somehow,” Jon said.

  “I have no doubt.”

  American Frontier was being bombarded from all sides. Their stock price had plummeted within minutes of the breaking news. Ecology-minded picketers already clustered outside the headquarters. Frank Stapleton was surrounded with microphones and news cameras, disavowing knowledge of Sandstrom’s criminal activities and stating that American Frontier would assist the authorities in getting to the bottom of what had happened.

  “There’s one sad thing about all of this, though,” Jon added. “The oil washing up on the shores can never fully be cleaned up.”

  “I know. And it didn’t need to happen.”

  Mistakes were sometimes unavoidable. Oil leaks happened. Equipment failed. Nothing was 100 percent foolproof. But criminal negligence? That was something different.

  EN ROUTE TO SEATTLE, WASHINGTON />
  Mid-flight, Sean realized how much had changed in his life in less than a month. Learning about his past had freed him to step into the present with confidence. His relationship with his father had changed. Sean no longer had to please him, avoid him, or fear being a failure in his eyes. That meant the sky was the limit on the NGOs and start-ups, Sean’s true passion. But his focus had changed—people first and money second. When the two went hand in hand, even better.

  He thought back to the day when Drew had said, “Maybe it’s time to stop trying to be your brother and just be yourself. The man I know you are. The man I know you can be.”

  Sean owed the sage Drew an apology. Their beloved mentor had been right, as always.

  But even better, now Sean knew who he was, and he would passionately pursue that destiny.

  He also knew he had to end the speculation in the media about him running for governor of New York. A political run was not for him, at least not right now. With the recent revelation about his birth father, this was not a good time for the Worthington family to face the digging and mudslinging that dogged every political campaign. They had already been hurt enough.

  His father’s dream of a Worthington running for the top office of the United States might come true someday, but not right now. Not through Sean. Maybe someday Will would choose to run again. If so, and if Will asked, Sean would be by his side again as campaign manager. After all, they were brothers and would watch each other’s backs.

  As soon as Sean’s plane was on the tarmac, waiting to taxi to the arrival gate, he took advantage of the few minutes to make another call.

  Jon picked up immediately. “You in Seattle?”

  “Just landed,” Sean answered. “But how did you know? Oh, of course. Elizabeth.”

  “Yup. She’s pretty happy you’re coming to see her. You are coming to see her, right?” Jon teased. “To say what you should have said a long time ago?”

  “Hoping to,” he admitted. “Guess I’ll know soon. But that isn’t why I called. I thought you might like another exclusive.”

  NEW YORK CITY

  “What do you think, son?” Bill Worthington asked Will.

  The two men were sitting on the couch in Bill and Ava’s New York penthouse.

  “About the opportunity?” Will asked. “I don’t know. Drew told me I should think about it awhile back, in case the possibility came up. I have been. But I can’t seem to get past a big bump in the road. I keep asking myself, ‘What could I have done differently to keep American Frontier from getting to this point?’” He shrugged. “If I can’t figure that out, will I make a good leader for the company?”

  His father nodded, understanding the quandary. “I have often asked myself the same question in different business ventures. In this case, though, you followed the path of integrity. You pushed for research, for more time before drilling in the Arctic. Sandstrom and the board didn’t listen.”

  “What could I have done to make them listen?” Will asked.

  His father shook his head. “You can’t always change people’s minds. They can be pigheaded sometimes. Look at me. Took me over three decades to come to terms with who Sean might be. I never asked Ava the question I should have—is he really my son? And you know why I didn’t?” Bill didn’t wait for an answer. “Because I was afraid. I was afraid of knowing the truth, of losing her.” He looked fiercely at Will. “Fear can keep you from asking questions you should, from doing things you should. You, son, were far more of a father to Sean than I ever was. I sacrificed my family to build an empire.”

  “But Dad—”

  “Let me finish. I thought I was doing the right thing for you kids—ensuring a solid future so our family would endure many more generations. But along the way I didn’t learn the lessons I should have from my father. I remember often feeling lonely and fatherless as I grew up. My father wasn’t one to give me time or affection. I followed the same path, leaving Ava and you kids alone far too much. When I think . . .” He choked up. “Will, you have what I never had.”

  Will frowned. “What’s that?”

  “Balance. I see the time you spend with Laura and the kids, the way you put them first, the decisions you make as a result. I think you learned the hard way about being lonely, because I was gone a lot of your growing-up years too.” He held up a hand. “And don’t deny it. Ava and I have talked about it. She’s set me straight, as hard as it was to hear. But you? You’ve watched what I’ve done right and what I’ve done wrong, and you’re a better man for it.”

  His father was right. Will couldn’t deny he’d made some decisions about his own priorities because he’d wanted things to be different for him, for Laura, for his kids. “That’s one of my concerns,” he admitted. “Running Worthington Shares and also juggling CEO of AF. I’m not certain I can do both. And do both well.”

  “But you don’t have to do both by yourself. You’ve already surrounded yourself with capable people—people you can trust, like Drew, like Sean. But do things differently than I did. Learn to let go. Will, you’ve seen the upside and the downside of me being off balance. And you have something else too—Laura on your side. She’s a different generation than Ava, and a different temperament.” He chuckled. “She won’t let you get off balance.”

  Will laughed, thinking of this week, when she’d reined in his business schedule because it overlapped with an event of Andrew’s. “You’re right.”

  “Will, you’re on the right path. And now I think Sean is too. He’s run some ideas by me for fine-tuning his role at Worthington Shares that he wants to talk with you about. Making that side of the business his own, and even better.” Pride glimmered in his father’s eyes. “Both of you have chosen to do what’s right, as hard as that is sometimes. There’s no greater legacy I can leave my sons or my daughter. God knows I haven’t been perfect. I’ve made some big mistakes along the way. There’s a lot I have to make up for—with Ava especially.” Bill straightened, his stance once again that of a business titan. “I had to make a decision. To no longer be held back by the fear of what might happen. I need to live by my own creed. The only failure is in not trying, in not giving something your all.”

  “So, Dad, what would you do? Would you take on AF? Now?”

  His father studied him. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”

  Will leaned back against the couch. This time there was no pushing. No “Will, you can save the world, and you’re the only one who can do it” speech. Only a few words that showed his father believed in him and in what he could do.

  69

  SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

  Sean exited the flight with only his carry-on. He loved traveling light, never waiting for baggage when he got to his destination. When he was almost at baggage claim, he phoned Elizabeth. It would only take him a couple of minutes after that to walk out the doors to where she could pick him up.

  Her line rang and rang. She didn’t pick up. Assuming she was stuck in traffic, he turned toward the outside doors.

  There Elizabeth stood, only feet away. She was dressed simply in jeans, a khaki shirt, and boots. Very Elizabeth. Comfortable, never caring about any fashion trend.

  “Surprise!” she called and dangled her car keys.

  She’d never looked more beautiful.

  He hurried toward her, dropped his bag, and hugged her. They stood unmoving, surrounded by the maze of people and baggage at Sea-Tac.

  At last she drew back. Her brown eyes flashed warmth. “Come on. The Space Needle awaits.”

  “Huh?”

  “Your suggestion. Remember?” she teased.

  “Well, aren’t you full of surprises?” he teased back.

  “Every day.” She grinned.

  He paused. “For the rest of my life?” His gaze lingered on her.

  She stilled. The car keys trembled in her hand. “If that’s what you want,” she whispered.

  He reached for her. “It is.”

  Her smile was radiant.<
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  LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

  The man removed the bulky package from his desk and eased it open. Time had worn the brown paper of the packet thin and made it crackly, but he still kept it.

  He drew out the first object—a white baby shoe, scuffed from a child’s learning to walk—and ran his fingers over the toes. He turned the shoe over and traced the delicate lettering that said “Thomas,” and beneath it, “Of Love.” Someday, perhaps, he would return this shoe to its rightful owner.

  The next item was even more familiar—a tiny white shirt, embroidered with the fuchsia flowers that grew wild along the roadsides in Ireland. He held it up to his nose and inhaled. It still had the slight scent of baby powder.

  The third item, a photo of a happy red-haired baby revealing a first tooth, always made him smile before heartache descended.

  This time, though, the heartache was swift and intense.

  One photo was missing from the packet—a university photo of three best friends, heads together, laughing. He vividly remembered the night it was taken, over four decades ago now, when they shared their heartfelt dreams about changing the world with each other.

  What had happened in between? Real life. One night of moral weakness had altered their friendship. That was why he’d let the photo go, let the waters of Chautauqua Lake blur the faces until they were unrecognizable.

  He sighed. He’d missed so many years, years he might have had if he’d gained the courage to act, to do things differently. He had spent years of regret tracking the red-haired baby’s progress. The baby had grown into a man to be respected, a true Worthington in character.

  The man had lived continually with the fear and the secret hope that once Bill Worthington knew, he would reject the boy, reject Ava. That day in Chautauqua he’d almost made his move—driven the boat up to the Worthington summer home. Then Bill had arrived. The reunion scene the man had viewed from the lake had closed off any possibilities of his own dream. Once again, Bill Worthington had revealed his sterling character, the loyalty he was known for. But this time, the man had glimpsed something new in Bill’s face—an understanding of what love really was, what it could cost.