(1976) The R Document

by Irving Wallace

  Tynan’s own voice had been captured on this tape, we had a voiceprint made of Tynan’s speech on the tape and Tynan’s speech during a recent network interview. You will see that they are one and the same.’

  Collins bent over, pulled the sheaf of voiceprints and Dr Lenart’s certificate of authentication from his attache case, and handed them over to Duffield.

  The Lieutenant Governor gravely examined the materials, then passed them to Senator Glass.

  ‘Are you both satisfied you will be hearing the voice of Director Tynan?’ Collins asked.

  Both Senate leaders nodded.

  Collins bent over again and brought his portable tape machine out of the attache case. He adjusted the volume to High. With deliberation he set the machine down in the middle of the table.

  ‘We can proceed then,’ he said. ‘You will hear Tynan’s voice first, then Baxter’s. Listen closely. This is the secret known as The R Document. Now, listen.’

  Collins reached out, pressed down the Play button, and then, elbows on the table, chin in his hands, he fixed his eyes on the president and the president pro tempore of the California State Senate.

  The casette in the machine was rolling. The speaker came to life.

  Tynan’s voice: ‘We’re alone, aren’t we, Noah?’

  Baxter’s voice: ‘You wanted to see me in private, Vernon. Well, I guess my living room here is about as safe a place as there is in town.’

  Tynan’s voice: ‘It should be. We’ve spent thousands of dollars having your house debugged. I’m sure it’s safe enough for what we have to discuss.’

  Baxter’s voice: ‘What do we have to discuss, Vernon? What’s on your mind?’

  Tynan’s voice: ‘Okay, it’s this. I think I have the last element of The R Document figured out. Harry and I think it’s foolproof. Just one thing, Noah. Don’t go squeamish on me at the last minute. Remember, we agreed we must sacrifice anything - and might I add, anyone - if we are to save

  this nation. Now, you’ve been with us all along, Noah. You’ve agreed the Amendment is the best idea yet, the only real hope, no matter what obstacles had to be overcome to get it through. Well, there’s only one more step. Remember, you’ve been in it with us up to now. You’re in too far to back out. You couldn’t back out if you wanted to.’

  Baxter’s voice: ‘Back out of what? What are you talking about, Vernon?’

  Tynan’s voice: ‘It simply amounts to doing something for the people that they can’t do for themselves. Bringing security to their lives. The moment the 35th Amendment becomes part of the Constitution, We put The R Document into effect - the reconstruction of the country. We put into motion all our legal prerogatives under the 35th -‘

  Baxter’s voice: ‘But you can’t, Vernon - you can’t invoke the 35th. There has to be a real, a legitimate national emergency. Under the Constitution, with the 35th, there will have to be an actual crisis - emergency - conspiracy - before we can move. If there is none, you can’t -‘

  Tynan’s voice: ‘But we can, Noah. Because we will have our emergency, our crisis. That’s been arranged, Noah. I’ve taken care of it myself. Often one person has to be sacrificed for the survival of the rest. One of us - you or me -probably you - will invoke the emergency in a television speech. You will address the nation. That’s the essence of The R Document. I’ve got the essentials of the speech worked out. You’ll address the nation, beginning something like this: “Fellow Americans, I have come to speak to you in this hour of mourning. We are all equally bereaved, all suffering the deepest grief together, over the shocking assassination of our beloved President Wadsworth yesterday His terrible death by an assassin’s hand - a hand directed by a conspiracy to overturn the nation - has cost us the person of our greatest leader. But perhaps his death will serve us all in life, and will serve the life of the nation. By uniting together, we must see that such violence is never repeated again inside our borders. To this end, by the order of our new President, I am taking direct steps to curb the reign of lawlessness and terror that now exists. I am now proclaiming suspension of the Bill of Rights, as provided for in the 35th Amendment.

  and announcing that hereafter the Committee on National Safety - ”’

  Baxter’s voice: ‘My God, Vernon! Did I hear you right? President Wadsworth assassinated - by your orders?’

  Tynan’s voice: ‘Don’t be a sentimental slob, Noah. There’s no time for that. We sacrifice one two-bit politician to save an entire nation. Do you understand, Noah? We’ll save - ’

  Baxter’s voice: ‘Oh, God, God, God - ohhh -‘

  Tynan’s voice: ‘Noah, we - Noah - Noah! What is it? What’s wrong with you? What is it, Harry - is he having some kind of stroke, or what? Try to hold him up. Let me get Hannah…’

  End of tape.

  Collins studied the faces of Duffield, Glass, and Keefe. They all sat frozen in shock.

  ‘Well, gentlemen,’ said Collins, ‘does justice have its day in court?’

  Duffield came heavily to his feet.

  ‘Justice has its day,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ll go summon the Senators.’

  *

  It was night in Washington, D.C., when the sleek Boeing jet dipped earthward, floating lower and lower toward the landing strip of National Airport.

  From his window seat, Chris Collins watched the lights dance toward him, rise swiftly, and then the plane touched down, and he braced himself for the jolt of homecoming.

  Minutes later, he followed the line of passengers out of the plane and into the air terminal.

  It was Hogan he saw first, and his bodyguard was wearing an uncharacteristic broad smile. ‘Congratulations, Mr Attorney General,’ Hogan said, taking over Collins’ attache case. ‘I was upset when you got away without me. But I’d say it was worth the risk.’

  ‘It was worth anything,’ said Collins. ‘I have no luggage. The attache case was all I needed.’

  ‘Chris

  He realized Tony Pierce was also on hand to greet him. A smiling Pierce pumped his hand as they moved toward the escalator, then pulled a newspaper out of his pocket and unfolded it before him. The big black headline read:

  PLOI AGAINSI PRESIDENT, NATION EXPOSED

  TYNAN IMPLICATED

  THE 35TH AMENDMENI DEFEATED

  ‘Chris, you pulled it off,’ Pierce exulted. ‘Did you see it? The California Senate vote was on television. Forty to zero, the 35th turned down. Unanimous.’

  ‘I saw it,’ said Collins. I was in the gallery.’

  ‘Then the news conference. All the major networks broke in on their programming to show it. Duffield and Glass held a joint news conference. Told how the turnabout happened. Told of your role. Told what was in The R Document.’

  ‘I didn’t see that,’ said Collins. ‘The fog lifted, and I caught the first plane for home.’

  ‘Well, Chris, you really did it.’

  Collins shook his head. ‘No, Tony. We all did it - including Colonel Baxter, Father Dubinski, my son, Josh, Olin Keefe, Donald Radenbaugh, John Maynard, Rick Baxter, Ishmael Young, and you yourself. It was everyone.’

  They had reached the car, which was not the one Collins used, but the President’s own bulletproof limousine. The President’s chauffeur, at the open rear door, offered him a proud salute.

  Collins looked at Pierce questioningly.

  ‘The President wants to see you. He asked to see you the minute you came in.’

  ‘Very well.’

  Collins had started into the car when Pierce’s hand on his shoulder restrained him.

  ‘Chris

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Do you know Vernon Tynan is dead?’

  ‘I didn’t know.’

  ‘Two hours ago. He committed suicide. He shot himself in the mouth.’

  Collins thought about it. ‘Like Hitler,’ he said.

  ‘Adcock disappeared.’

  Collins nodded. ‘Like Bormann,’ he said.

  They got into the car. As the driver settled behind t
he wheel, Pierce spoke to him.

  ‘To the White House.’

  When they arrived at the South Portico of the White House, McKnight, the President’s chief aide, was waiting to welcome them heartily. Collins and Pierce were led through the Diplomatic Reception Room to the elevator on the ground floor. They took the elevator to the second floor, and followed McKnight to the Yellow Oval Room.

  Collins had not expected a party, but one was in progress. He could make out Vice-President Loomis; Senator Hilliard and his wife; the President’s secretary, Miss Ledger; and Appointments Secretary Nichols. Then, next to the Louis XVI chairs flanking the fireplace, he saw Karen chatting with President Wadsworth.

  That instant, Karen became aware of him, and she broke away from the President and came running across the room. She fell into his arms, and he kissed away her tears. ‘I love you, I love you,’ she cried. ‘Oh, Chris…’

  Over her shoulder he saw that the President was coming toward him. He released Karen, and went to meet the President. There was an odd expression on the President’s face. Collins decided he looked as Lazarus must have looked.

  ‘Chris,’ the President said solemnly, clasping his hand with genuine warmth, I don’t have words to thank you enough - for preserving my life, and that of the country as well’ The President wagged his head. I was an awful ass. I can say it now. Forgive me. I’d lost my sense of direction. I guess when you’re afraid of Little Big Horn, you grasp at any expediency. You don’t know that you’re already in Little Big Horn.’ He smiled. ‘But it wasn’t Little Big Horn after all, because the cavalry came in time.’ He searched Collins’ face. ‘You heard about Vernon Tynan?’

  ‘I did. I’m sorry he brought himself to such a pass.’

  ‘He must have been unhinged, these past months, to have

  hatched anything like that. Thank God you persisted. My debt to you can never be paid. If there’s anything I can do for you’

  ‘There are two things you can do for me,’ Collins said bluntly. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘There’s a man who, like yourself, must be resurrected from the dead. He played a major role in helping you. I want you to help him. I want you to give him a full Presidential pardon and restore his name.’

  ‘Just prepare the pardon. I’ll sign it. And the other thing?’ ‘The worst is over,’ said Collins, ‘but we still face the problem that gave rise to this insane plot. The problem of crime. Repression won’t solve it. As a wise man once remarked, burning stakes do not lighten the darkness. There has to be a better solution -‘

  ‘There will be,’ interrupted the President. ‘We’re going to do it right this time. Instead of tampering with the Bill of Rights to solve our problems, we’re going to use the Bill of Rights and use it properly. Tomorrow, early, I’m going to appoint a special blue-ribbon commission - you and Pierce will be on it - to investigate the FBI, clean out all Tynan influence, make recommendations toward overhauling the Bureau and setting up new guidelines for it. After that, first order of business, Chris, I want to sit down with you and discuss a new program of economic and social legislation that will bring an end to the lawlessness and crime in our cities. We’re going to do something about it at last. We had a dangerous moment. But now we’re going to hold on to our democracy.’

  Collins nodded. ‘Thank you, Mr President.’ He hesitated. ‘You know, I was thinking all the way home - in Argo City, a friend of mine said that when fascism comes to the United States, it’ll be because the people voted it in. Well, the people almost did this time. Now that they know what they know, maybe they’ll never come that close again. And maybe we can help them remember this lesson.’

  ‘We will. That I promise. We’re going to solve what it is humanly possible to solve.’ He took Collins by the arm. ‘But not tonight.’ He beckoned Karen to join them. ‘Tonight

  we’re going to have a drink to the future. Possibly two drinks, even three. And we’re going to watch the late-night movie. Let’s relax an hour or so - we can afford to, at last -before we begin again.’

  THE END