Transfer of Power

THE TECHNICIANS IN the first row of the control room at Langley had faintly heard Rapp’s original signal. They had been working diligently for five minutes to clear up the link as Irene Kennedy and General Campbell watched from one row back. The two knew enough to let their people work and stay out of their way.

With the help of Marcus Dumond, who was manning the control panel of the Cia’s communications van parked outside the White House fence, they were making progress. The telescoping boom on the back of the van was helping penetrate the electronic interference the terrorists were using.

When Rapp began to transmit on the powerful secure field radio, there was a collective sigh of relief in the control room as forty-plus minutes of tense radio silence came to an end. General Campbell was the first to speak.

“Give me a sit rep. Iron Man.”

Rapp’s reply came back slightly garbled but audible. He recounted how the insertion had progressed and the device he had discovered in the president’s bedroom. After Rapp had given as much detail as possible about the explosive device, he asked Campbell and Kennedy what they wanted him to do.

Campbell thought about it for only a second and replied, “Continue your reconnaissance, and we’ll figure out what to do about the bomb.”

“Roger that,” replied Rapp.

“I’ll get to work.”

Back in the control room at Langley one of the technicians in the front row raised his hand up and snapped his fingers.

Kennedy leaned forward and listened to what the technician had to say, then spoke into her headset.

“Iron Man, we need you to conduct a radio check on your portable. Over.”

Rapp was holding the handset to the secure field radio to his ear and replied, “Roger.” He put his headset back on and adjusted the lip mike.

“Testing, one, two, three, four. Do you read? Over.”

They could hear Rapp well enough to understand what he was saying but not as clearly as when he used the field radio.

The larger problem was that Rapp was having a hard time receiving signals. After several tries Rapp lifted the lip mike of his headset and picked up the handset to the field radio.

“My radio isn’t working. Over.”

“We can hear you on our end, Iron Man,” replied Kennedy.

“Are you saying you can’t receive us?”

“That’s correct.”

Kennedy looked to one of the technicians to see if there were any answers. All she got was an unknowing shrug. Into her headset, she said, “Iron Man, we’ll work on that. For now, why don’t you check out the rest of the second floor and then check in on the field radio in thirty minutes?”

“Roger that. I’ll start to set up the surveillance cameras.

Over and out.” Rapp placed the handset back in its cradle and started to organize his gear. Taking the fanny pack of miniature surveillance units, Rapp extracted five of the devices and placed them in his web vest.

“Staircases first?” asked Adams.

“Yep.” Rapp grabbed his gun.

“Just like before. Milt. Keep your eyes peeled, and don’t walk anywhere where I haven’t walked first. All right?” Adams nodded.

“Any questions before we get going?”

“Yeah.” Adams looked slightly embarrassed.

“I gotta take a piss.”

Rapp grinned, appreciating the much needed levity.

“We can take care of that. In fact we’ll make it our first stop. All right, let’s move out.”

Adams pulled the bolt back, and he and Rapp quietly walked out into the large closet. Adams pushed the bookcase like organizer back into place, and it stopped with a soft click.

With his gun at the ready Rapp stood outside the bathroom while Adams went in and took care of business. Rapp took the time to look around the room and noticed something he had missed earlier. Something odd. The president’s bed was in disarray.

Rapp walked over to the bed, and on closer examination he saw something startling, something that made his blood boil. There was a substantial splotch of blood on the white sheets and dangling off the side of the bed was a woman’s bra.

Rapp shook his head in disgust at the scene. When Adams came out of the bathroom a moment later, Rapp pointed at the disturbing evidence.

Neither man said a word. After a long moment Rapp walked across the room to a small end table situated near the door that led to the Truman Balcony. Taking one of the small surveillance units from his pocket, he attached one of the Velcro patches to the underside of the table and secured the tiny device.

Rapp motioned to Adams.

“Let’s go.” He moved for the main door and stopped when he reached it.

Adams stuck the tiny black snake under the door and checked the hallway.

The lights were on, and the picture was very clear.

The cross hall on the second floor of the family residence was wide, about fifteen feet. It was brightly lit and the walls were adorned with built-in bookcases and several oil portraits of past presidents. Various groupings of couches, chairs, tables, and lamps gave the space the dual role of informal living room and hallway.

Adams manipulated the snake back and forth and whispered, “It looks clear.” Rapp nodded and said, “Let me take a look first, and then I’ll wave you out.” Rapp looked at the camera one more time and checked the hallway. Slowly, Rapp turned the knob and opened the door, taking the first step into the brightly lit hallway.