A Heartbeat Away - Michael Palmer [14]
“Got it,” Tilden said, seeming actually buoyed to have been given the responsibility.
Allaire watched as the man furiously wrote down notes.
“Work with Megan on this, Henry. Let me read what you have when you’re ready. We’ll use Connie Lawson from NBC to break the story. She’s got the right demeanor to keep facts ahead of emotions.”
Admiral Jakes raised his hand.
“Mr. President, I will mobilize—” He stopped to cough—deep and wet.
“—mobilize the military,” Allaire finished for him.
Jakes, in his mid-sixties, looked gray and almost glassy-eyed. Broussard and McAndrew, seated on either side, subconsciously slid their chairs away an inch or two, and glanced over at him with mixtures of apprehension and revulsion. Allaire nodded at Salitas, who ended a phone call and brought the admiral a cup of water.
“I want to divide everybody out there into three groups. Each group will be relocated to a different room within the Capitol complex to facilitate resource distribution. Admiral, I would like you to be the leader for the C Group. You’ll mobilize in the Senate Chamber and set up operations there. Assign the other chiefs to help with each group, and also the Capitol Police.”
“Who will be in my group?” Jakes asked.
“Gary and I will personally oversee the group designations. We’ll need a little time to complete the list.”
Uneasy looks were exchanged. Allaire sensed the team thought his chosen task was unbefitting a president in the midst of a crisis situation. But they could not know that at the moment, the assignment he had given to himself and Salitas was the most important of all.
“What should we do in the interim?” the admiral managed.
He coughed again. A sheen of perspiration had materialized across his forehead.
“Make a list of supplies you think you will need,” Allaire went on. “Kate, I’d like you to lead Group B and Henry will take the A Group. A Group can stay in the House Chamber, and we’ll move people assigned to Group B into Statuary Hall. Confer among yourselves as to what you think we’ll need for a twenty-four to forty-eight-hour stay. Enlist help from the rest of the Cabinet and anyone else you wish. Megan will act as my liaison. I’ll leave it up to you to work out bathroom usage, but it’s important that we don’t mix the groups as we move people around.”
“Why is that?” Broussard asked.
“For inventory control, Kate. We’ll manage our supplies by group size and we don’t want people thinking they can freely migrate between them.”
The Health and Human Services secretary did not look as if she were buying Allaire’s plan any more than his explanation of what they were up against.
“Yes, Jim,” she said through nearly closed lips.
Sean O’Neil was instructed to mobilize the Secret Service agents to maintain security.
“Report back to me as you make progress. Megan, please make an announcement that in twenty minutes I’ll address the House Chamber. At that time I’ll give an update on our status and share our plans to take care of everyone while we’re sorting things out.”
The White House chief of staff nodded.
“Jordan and Hank, stay here for a few minutes. You, too, Doc. The rest of you have your assignments. Stay calm, delegate to others, and remain in control of the situation. You are the leaders here. I expect you to lead. Good luck.”
With the press of a button, the hydraulics concealing the Hard Room kicked in and opened the wall.
Gary Salitas remained behind as well, though he had not been asked. The room emptied out, and the hydraulic doors closed. Those asked to remain took their seats again.
The president sighed, then inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.
“Well, my friends,” he began, “I need to start by saying that what I just shared in this room is not exactly the truth.”
CHAPTER 6
DAY 1
10:05 P.M. (EST)
Angela Fletcher had ridden only half of her daily ten miles on the stationary bike when the high-def broadcast of the State of the Union Address