asked.
“The kind that could expose our plans to destabilize the previous administration, not to mention our involvement in the killing of hundreds of US Marshals.”
The president turned to him.
“Yes, sir,” said Hood. “That kind of problem.”
“How could he know all this?”
“I suppose he pieced most of it together. Lenny’s a clever man. He started asking questions and didn’t stop until he figured out what was what. He now believes that we were behind the attack at Glynco and that we intended to have him use the stolen weapons to remove President Glass from office.”
“That’s a hell of a lot of piecing together.”
“Maybe so, but how he got to where he is doesn’t really matter. What matters is that he’s right, and if his allegations are made public, something could stick to us.”
“This one’s easy,” said Yumi. “Get rid of Lenny, and you’ve gotten rid of the problem.”
“Can we get rid of him?” asked Pike.
“Sir, Lenny’s a sewer rat. His entire life he’s been dodging people trying to kill him.”
“You’re saying he would be hard to get to.”
“I’m saying he would be damn near impossible to get to. He’s surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands, of loyal followers.”
“Okay, so we send in a few gunships and blow them all to hell and back. I’m the president, remember?”
“I wish it were that easy. Lenny knew he would become a target, so he’s already gone underground. We’re sure he’s in Lexington, but no one we have operating in the area seems to know exactly where.”
“All right, so pay the SOB off. What could it possibly cost?”
“Sir, you don’t understand. Lenny’s worse than an SOB. He’s a true believer. He’s convinced that the country has been given a second chance to build a more puritanical society.”
“With him serving as the Grand Poobah indoctrinating all the young virgins, no doubt,” sneered Yumi.
“If he only wants to harm us,” asked Pike, “why tip his hand and come forward with a threat?”
“That’s the damnedest part of it all,” Hood said with a nervous laugh. “Apparently, he wanted to give us a chance to come clean. To throw ourselves on our own swords, as it were.”
Pike thought for a moment.
“What if we let the bastard go public? What harm would it really cause?”
General Hood stepped a little closer.
“Sir, I don’t think you fully appreciate the… the delicacy of the situation.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your relationship with President Glass’s murderer was not as secret as you might have believed.”
“Uh-oh,” Yumi said, playfully.
President Pike stepped away from Hood, surprised by the revelation.
“Who knew?”
The general shrugged. “I knew. Others surely did as well.”
“What are you saying? That I asked Yumi to kill her?”
“No, sir, I’m not saying that at all. But if someone were to come forward with allegations about your intentions to undermine President Glass, coupled with rumors of a relationship with her killer… well, it could lead to complications.”
“I had nothing to do with her murder.”
“That’s true,” Yumi said, raising her hand. “That one was on me.”
“Even so, you wouldn’t be the first man to be hanged for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Pike shooed Yumi out of his chair and flopped down. She moved around to stand behind him, her hands running through his hair.
“You need to do something,” she said. “General Hood is right. Lenny could ruin everything.”
“We need to do something,” said Pike.
General Hood nodded. “Yes, sir, but what?”
“We could drop a couple of those sarin bombs. They certainly did the trick in Glynco.”
Hood shook his head. “The area is too large. Besides, knowing what he does, Lenny’s almost certainly prepared for such an attack.”
“What then? Give me something.”
The general stood at attention, saying nothing as he pondered options.
Yumi whispered in Pike’s ear.
“You’re
“The kind that could expose our plans to destabilize the previous administration, not to mention our involvement in the killing of hundreds of US Marshals.”
The president turned to him.
“Yes, sir,” said Hood. “That kind of problem.”
“How could he know all this?”
“I suppose he pieced most of it together. Lenny’s a clever man. He started asking questions and didn’t stop until he figured out what was what. He now believes that we were behind the attack at Glynco and that we intended to have him use the stolen weapons to remove President Glass from office.”
“That’s a hell of a lot of piecing together.”
“Maybe so, but how he got to where he is doesn’t really matter. What matters is that he’s right, and if his allegations are made public, something could stick to us.”
“This one’s easy,” said Yumi. “Get rid of Lenny, and you’ve gotten rid of the problem.”
“Can we get rid of him?” asked Pike.
“Sir, Lenny’s a sewer rat. His entire life he’s been dodging people trying to kill him.”
“You’re saying he would be hard to get to.”
“I’m saying he would be damn near impossible to get to. He’s surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands, of loyal followers.”
“Okay, so we send in a few gunships and blow them all to hell and back. I’m the president, remember?”
“I wish it were that easy. Lenny knew he would become a target, so he’s already gone underground. We’re sure he’s in Lexington, but no one we have operating in the area seems to know exactly where.”
“All right, so pay the SOB off. What could it possibly cost?”
“Sir, you don’t understand. Lenny’s worse than an SOB. He’s a true believer. He’s convinced that the country has been given a second chance to build a more puritanical society.”
“With him serving as the Grand Poobah indoctrinating all the young virgins, no doubt,” sneered Yumi.
“If he only wants to harm us,” asked Pike, “why tip his hand and come forward with a threat?”
“That’s the damnedest part of it all,” Hood said with a nervous laugh. “Apparently, he wanted to give us a chance to come clean. To throw ourselves on our own swords, as it were.”
Pike thought for a moment.
“What if we let the bastard go public? What harm would it really cause?”
General Hood stepped a little closer.
“Sir, I don’t think you fully appreciate the… the delicacy of the situation.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your relationship with President Glass’s murderer was not as secret as you might have believed.”
“Uh-oh,” Yumi said, playfully.
President Pike stepped away from Hood, surprised by the revelation.
“Who knew?”
The general shrugged. “I knew. Others surely did as well.”
“What are you saying? That I asked Yumi to kill her?”
“No, sir, I’m not saying that at all. But if someone were to come forward with allegations about your intentions to undermine President Glass, coupled with rumors of a relationship with her killer… well, it could lead to complications.”
“I had nothing to do with her murder.”
“That’s true,” Yumi said, raising her hand. “That one was on me.”
“Even so, you wouldn’t be the first man to be hanged for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Pike shooed Yumi out of his chair and flopped down. She moved around to stand behind him, her hands running through his hair.
“You need to do something,” she said. “General Hood is right. Lenny could ruin everything.”
“We need to do something,” said Pike.
General Hood nodded. “Yes, sir, but what?”
“We could drop a couple of those sarin bombs. They certainly did the trick in Glynco.”
Hood shook his head. “The area is too large. Besides, knowing what he does, Lenny’s almost certainly prepared for such an attack.”
“What then? Give me something.”
The general stood at attention, saying nothing as he pondered options.
Yumi whispered in Pike’s ear.
“You’re
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