Termination Orders(41)

“This is an intolerable situation! Something needs to be done, and I’m going to do this with or without your support.”

“Are you certain about that, Lana? I have significant influence in the Senate. How far do you really think this can go without me by your side? You can’t do it without me. Right now, your choice is to have it die in committee or on the floor.”

“I will not abandon this issue,” she said.

He smiled gently. “I understand that you’ve committed yourself to this already and that there is a political cost to abandoning it altogether. But I believe we can come to a compromise on a . . . more moderate bill, one that will satisfy your constituency without causing potentially disastrous interference in the war effort.”

She jumped out of her chair. “I will not defang this bill for the sake of political expediency!”

“Lana, please calm down and listen to me. I know you are passionate and idealistic, and I know you feel strongly about this. But our legislative body is built on compromise.” He cleared his throat. “As you know, we’re going to pass an energy bill later this year. I know how important the coal industry is in your state. This is going to be a major issue with your constituents. Work with me on this, and I can guarantee that whatever bill gets passed will protect your interests.”

She laughed wryly. “I guess it’s true what they say about laws and sausages.”

“Why don’t you take a couple of days to think it over . . .”

“I don’t need to,” she said curtly. “The answer is no.”

“Lana . . .”

“I am not interested in compromising my principles for the sake of votes, Senator.” She got up to leave.

“I admire your moral courage,” he said, standing up as well. “Just remember, that can be a dangerous thing in this town.”

“I know what I signed up for. Good-bye, Senator.”

You have no idea, he thought to himself, smiling as she stormed out of his office.





CHAPTER 19


As she drove home, Jenny Morgan reached into her purse and cursed herself for forgetting her cell phone again. She had just spent hours going over swatches and fabrics with a client who had rejected option after option Jenny showed her with a slight, snobbish flick of the hand. To keep herself from saying something outright rude, Jenny had promised to come back with more samples the next day. And still, she would likely lose the client, anyway. But worst of all, another day had passed and she still had not heard from Dan.

Her instinct was to trust him, but his story about having to stay in DC was more than a little fishy and alarming even on the face of it. Jenny was not stupid. There was obviously more going on than her husband had told her. But as she neared home, she tried to push it out of her mind. She knew there was nothing she could do once Dan had decided something.

As she turned into their street, her eyes were drawn to a white van parked across from their house, marked BALD EAGLE PLUMBING. Strange, she thought. She seemed to remember seeing that van there that morning. Jenny looked at it suspiciously, then, in a moment of self-consciousness, laughed and shook her head. Living with Dan over the years had really made her paranoid. They were there for a big plumbing job, and that’s all; perfectly normal, nothing to be concerned about.

She parked in the driveway and went inside. Neika ran to greet her, panting and licking her hand. Jenny said hello to Alex, who was sitting cross-legged on the living-room couch, sullenly staring down at a book, her short hair concealing her eyes. Jenny wished she could tell her daughter that Dan hadn’t just gone away on business, that he was doing things of serious consequence. But it wasn’t her place. Dan would have to be the one to tell her. What’s more, Jenny knew about Alex’s new political inclinations and that, if anything, her daughter would probably be appalled if she found out. Dan at least deserved a chance to be there to explain his own side of things.

“Did your father call?” she asked Alex, who shrugged in response. Jenny walked to the kitchen counter and found her cell phone there, still attached to the power cord. Seven missed calls; three new messages. She flipped it open and clicked through to voice mail. One message was from a client who wanted a consultation, and there was another from her sister, who had just called to say hello.

The third was from Dan: “Hi, Jen, it’s me. I’m calling to tell you that everything’s fine here. I’ve been held up at the auction, and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call again. I’ll probably be home in a couple of days. I can’t wait to see you and Alex again. I hope your friend Clara’s surgery went well. I know how worried you were about her. Oh, and make sure you take the GTO out for a spin. You know how it needs a little air now and then. I love you.”