Page 40 of Hawk on the Hunt

Dylan crouched down to inspect the bomb closely, but this wasn’t his field of expertise.

“How did you know there was a bomb in my office?” the Speaker asked.

“I didn’t. I thought you had a trigger to the bomb that’s meant to kill the president and the vice president.”

“Me? I would never! Who the hell would make such an allegation?” Johnson’s voice broke. “Did you plant this? Who did this? Who wants me dead?”

Dylan rose. “I can’t diffuse the bomb. I think it has a remote detonator.” He nodded at the Speaker. “I was wrong about you. You’re not the man I thought you were. But you’re in danger. I advise you to leave with your staff right now. You need to be in a bunker in case the bomb squad can’t diffuse this bomb. Go!”

The Speaker hurried into the other room, yelling orders at his staff. Everybody was scrambling to get their phones, handbags, and briefcases as they rushed to the door.

Zara stood next to Tiger, trembling. Their eyes met. He knew what she was thinking. This was what he’d seen. But he wouldn’t let it come to that.

“Speaker Johnson isn’t Polo. We’ve got the wrong guy.”

“The wrong James Johnson? Fuck!” Tiger cursed. “And somebody plants a bomb in his office? That can only mean one thing.”

Dylan nodded. By now, all staff members had emptied out of the office suite. He pointed to the door, indicating that they should be leaving too. “Somebody wants him dead too.” He looked at Zara, whose forehead was furrowed. “Zara, tell me: who will be president if the Speaker dies too?”

Her eyes widened. “The president pro tempore of the Senate.”

“And who’s that?” Dylan asked as he took her arm and they exited into the hallway, Tiger flanking them.

“James Johnson.”

Dylan cast her a sideways look while he steered Zara down the corridor to where they’d come from. “No. Can’t be. He’s the Speaker. And we’ve already established that he’s not Polo. He’s not a precognitive.”

Zara stopped and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop too and turn to her. “What?”

“Senator James Johnson is the president pro tempore. He’s the senator I work for.”

“There is another James Johnson in the Capitol?” Dylan asked, stunned.

“Yes. He’s been a senator for only a month. He was appointed by the Governor of Idaho after his father, the older Senator Johnson died suddenly.”

Dylan exchanged a look with Tiger. “Is it possible?”

Tiger addressed Zara directly, “I thought the president pro tempore is generally the oldest serving member of the Senate. So if he’s only been in office for a month… You must be wrong.”

She shook her head. “His father was president pro tempore. He basically inherited the position, and because it’s so close to summer recess, and a couple of the senators of the majority party were out sick, they haven’t been able to hold a vote for it yet, or there would have been a danger of the minority party electing their own candidate to the position.” Zara spoke fast, rushing to get the information across.

“Fuck!” Dylan cursed. “It all fits! Why didn’t you tell me that there was another James Johnson here?”

Zara huffed. “Because I had no idea that your suspect was a James Johnson. You only ever called him Polo. How was I supposed to know?”

Dylan squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. But we have to act fast now. Where is Senator Johnson?”

She looked at her watch. “I’m not sure. He might still be in the office in the Dirkson building.” She pulled out her cell phone. “I’m gonna ask my colleagues.” She tapped on a contact, and let it ring.

Simultaneously, a deafening alarm sounded in the Capitol. Moments later, a voice coming through the loudspeaker made an announcement. “This is not a test. Please evacuate the Capitol. This is not a test. Please evacuate the Capitol.”

He couldn’t hear Zara’s conversation with her colleague. More and more people were coming out of their offices and rushing toward the exits, while the announcement was repeated over and over. Finally, Zara ended her call and shoved her cell phone into her handbag.

“He’s not in the Senate building anymore. He told them that he’d forgotten a private appointment, and had to run out maybe fifteen minutes after I left the office.”

Dylan exchanged a look with Tiger. “He figured out that we foiled his plan to kill the president and the VP. I saw on the TV in the Speaker’s office that the news reports were already in that Marine One was disabled, and that the president and the VP were taken to the bunker underneath the White House. He must have realized that we’re on his tail.”

“Makes sense,” Tiger agreed. “So where would he go? Is he gonna hide somewhere, or is he gonna run?”