Page 86 of State of Alert

Freddie shut off the TV and took a seat across from Sam. “I keep going back to the way Elaine controlled her kids with an iron fist. I don’t know anything about being a mother to teens, but listening to Zoe describe her life under Elaine’s regime made me really uncomfortable.”

“Me, too,” Sam said. “There was something seriously unhealthy about it. That she wouldn’t even let Zoe have a job is so bizarre. My parents were kicking my ass out to go to work from the time I was old enough to babysit for the neighbors.”

“Same,” Gonzo said. “I had a paper route at ten, which is kind of bonkers when you think about it now. I’d never let Alex run around by himself at ten.”

“Different times,” Cameron said. “I worked in the funeral homes from the time I was thirteen and old enough to print memorial cards and programs and stuff.”

“I was twelve the first time I made babysitting money,” Neveah said. “I got hooked on having my own money after that. I worked as much as I could.”

“We need to take a closer look at the sister’s murder,” Sam said.

“I have the lowdown on that,” Cam said. “Sarah Corrigan, age seventeen, was kidnapped off a residential street in Manassas twenty-six years ago this June. She’d been at a friend’s home to study and was walking the six blocks home. Her backpack was found on the sidewalk, but despite a massive manhunt, no other sign of her was found until about six weeks later when her naked body was located in a ravine. The murderer was never caught, and the case remains open. I spoke with a Lieutenant Kirkland at the City of Manassas PoliceDepartment, and he told me the detective who originally caught the case is still working on it. He asked us to share our info on the Myerson case with them.

“Are we thinking there’s a connection?” Freddie asked.

“I don’t know,” Cam said. “Two sisters murdered twenty-six years apart would be a stretch to pin on the same person. Wouldn’t it?”

“I think so,” Sam said. “Are the parents still around?”

“The mother died ten years ago and the father six years ago.”

“Those poor people died without ever knowing who did that to their child,” Sam said.

“I can’t even imagine that,” Gonzo said.

“Any other siblings, Cam?”

“There’s an older brother, Charles, goes by Chuck, who still lives in Manassas.”

“I’d like to see him,” Sam said. “Let’s find out where he is today.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Goldstein’s arrest unleashed an all-new nightmare for Nick and his team. Having the story of the Joint Chiefs’ treachery resurrected was the last thing he needed, even if he was glad to see charges filed against the officers who’d plotted to overthrow his administration. Nick’s team had been briefed by the acting AG minutes before the news conference, which was the only heads-up they’d received that a new shitstorm was headed their way.

They’d learned that Michael Wilson, disgraced Army general and former chair of the Joint Chiefs, had accepted a plea deal that would lead to lesser prison time in exchange for his testimony against the ringleader, Goldstein. The briefing revealed that the former chief of staff for the Army was also involved in the plot, as was the now-former commandant of the Marine Corps. Both had also accepted plea deals in exchange for testimony against Goldstein. The former chief of staff of the Air Force, the former chief of the National Guard Bureau and the former chief of Space Operations had been cleared of criminal involvement.

Nick had inherited the former Joint Chiefs from President Nelson and had kept them in place after he assumed office,believing they would remain faithful to their oaths of office and the Constitution. Like several other now-former members of Nelson’s team, they’d shocked and disappointed him profoundly.

He’d watched Agent Truver’s press conference in the personal sitting room that adjoined the Oval Office. It still took his breath away to consider how close he’d come to being removed from office in a military coup, the likes of which normally occurred in unsettled countries known for violent uprisings, not the United States of America.

Thank God for Juan Rodriguez and the enormous risk he’d taken to inform Nick of the plot. Otherwise, he’d have been caught unprepared, possibly giving the traitors the opening they would’ve needed to see their plan through to fruition. Honestly, he had no idea how it would’ve gone down. Would the Secret Service have drawn weapons against the military officials? Or would they have ceded to the demands of Goldstein, Wilson and the others who’d been involved?

Nick wasn’t sure. He’d never imagined asking such questions when he became president, but he’d really like to know. He got up and went to the door that separated the sitting room from the Oval Office and asked Brant to come in. His lead agent was always close by.

“Close the door, will you?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. President.”

“Have you heard the news about charges being filed against Goldstein, Wilson and two other former members of the Joint Chiefs?”

“I have, sir.”

“I want to ask you something, and I’d like you to be honest with me, even if it’s not the official Secret Service party line. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If Juan Rodriguez hadn’t warned me about the plot and the Joint Chiefs had gone forward with their effort to removeme from office, what would the Secret Service’s response to that have been?”

---