The Invitation(23)
Hours later, and, hundreds of miles to the south, in a small town in north central Florida, morning rouses its inhabitants to another day. One of them is Ron Cushman. Mr. Cushman is retired, and lives a quiet life with his wife Doris. His working life was spent in the realm of politics, serving as a Democratic state representative for twelve years. His skills for consensus building and intelligent compromise were widely acknowledged during his tenure in the Florida legislature. When Ken Myers was elected governor of Florida twelve years ago, Ron Cushman was quickly asked to serve as his Chief of Staff. Holding that post for the entire eight years of Ken Myers’ governorship, he worked closely with Myers, and was a prominent member of the governor’s staff. When Ken Myers moved from the governor’s mansion in Florida to the White House in Washington, Ron Cushman was asked to come along. Instead he chose to retire, moving back to the small town of his childhood, and the quiet life he shares with his wife.
Today he is expecting a visitor. Mr. Cushman received a phone call last night from FBI agent Tim Colby. Mr. Colby is keen to ask Ron Cushman in person about something that Mr. Cushman mentioned in that phone conversation, having to do with a trip to China that Ken Myers made six years ago when he was governor of Florida. Mr. Colby heard something in that phone conversation that he wants to know more about, that being the fact that Ken Myers may have visited a medical facility while in Beijing.
Keeping Mr. Cushman in the dark about his questions regarding what Ken Myers did in China, Agent Colby has told Ron Cushman that the FBI is gathering information to build a case against China for trade violations, and intellectual property theft, an ostensible reason that Mr. Cushman has no reason to suspect. As Mr. Cushman, and his wife are finishing their breakfast, Agent Colby’s flight has already left Washington, and is well on its way to Florida.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, Senator Jack Fields is just arriving at FBI headquarters to be given the strange information about the President. The conservative senator from Oklahoma, generally known as a stalwart opponent of Ken Myers, will shortly be joined by Senator Walter Merrick of Maryland, an ardent supporter of the President. In an attempt to be scrupulously impartial, FBI Director Slaughter has chosen two Senators from opposite ends of the political spectrum, requesting that they come in, and be briefed on what the Director described as a “matter of national importance.” First to arrive is Senator Fields, who is quickly ushered in, and seated by Director Slaughter.
“Senator Fields, thank you for coming in. Please sit down. Senator I have something very sensitive that I feel compelled to share with members of the senate. To keep things bicameral, I’ve asked one other senator to come in this morning.”
“Who’s that?”
“Senator Merrick. He should be here any minute. If you’ll bear with me, I like to wait until he gets here”
“Well, I’m not in the habit of waiting on Democrats, but I’ll make an exception in this case,” Senator Fields says.
“I appreciate your patience, Senator.”
“Oh I know about patience. You ever go fishin̓, Mr. Slaughter?”
“No, I never do.”
“That’ll teach ya about patience.”
“Do you fish a lot, Senator Fields?”
“When I get a chance. Senator Miles, and I went last weekend, did pretty good.”
A moment later the door swings open. Senator Merrick enters unannounced, and is greeted by Director Slaughter.
“Senator Merrick, please come in. Have a seat.”
“Thank you, your secretary told me to come straight in, so-”
“Absolutely, I’m glad you’re here. Please sit down.”
Taking his seat, Senator Merrick is surprised to see Senator Fields, who greets him.
“Morning, Senator Merrick.”
“Senator Fields, good morning. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m responsible for that, Senator Merrick. I asked both of you to come here this morning for a good reason.”
“I’m sure it is,” Senator Merrick says.
“Gentlemen, what I’m going to show you is something that I can’t explain, and it has to do with the President of the United States.”
Chapter Nine
As the director of the FBI recounts the cryptic story about the President with all its improbable details to Senators Fields and Merrick, on a small farm in western North Carolina a man is sitting on his front porch waiting for the mail. His name is Todd Keniston, and at thirty-four years old his life has reached a point of personal crises.
After nine years of marriage his wife has left him, taking their two children with her. The former Marine had just returned home less than a week ago, after an extended tour of duty overseas working as a freelance security contractor. Instead of seeing his family in their home, he was informed several weeks before, in a letter from his wife, of her intention to leave him, and though the news was not entirely unexpected, he never thought she would actually go through with it. But the unnaturally quiet house once alive with activity that now surrounds and engulfs his entire being is a stinging, silent rebuttal. Looking at the swing set in the front yard, he painfully remembers the joyful enthusiasm that filled the air when his children used it for the first time. Everything around him that was once familiar now seems disjointed and out of place.