The 4 Phase Man Part 24

"What d'you mean?"

They started down the corridor together.

"Well," the first doctor said, "I'm covering for Singh, who got his knee broken in a mugging last week."

"s.h.i.t," the second doctor said. "They got to do something about security out here. It's like a war zone."

"You're talking about Darlene."

"Yeah. I mean when the senior scrub nurse gets raped and beaten in our own parking lot, you know things are getting out of control."

They shook their heads and began to discuss the latest hospital gossip as they entered the emergency room.

35 Minutes to Zero

A Bed-and-Breakfast

The renovation work had been going on for over ten days.

There was the usual jumble of pickup trucks, vans, concrete mixers, and tools spread across the front lawn. An eyesore, but the people of the neighborhood didn't mind really.

A reopened Pleasantry B&B could only mean fresh business for their arts and crafts shops.

So a little inconvenience of workmen and their lewd comments or slovenly habits could be put up with.

And besides, none seem to be around right now.

Other than two men, bent over the open hood of the truck, mostly hidden from view.

15 Minutes to Zero

John d.i.c.kinson Elementary School

"G.o.ddammit, get those doors open!"

The men leaned against the double doors, kicked at them, but they refused to move.

"Sonofab.i.t.c.h!" one yelled as he began to choke on the growing black smoke. "There's no way out!"

A woman came running up. Slapping at her blouse, trying to put out flames, she screamed out at the men.

"Fire's worse back there! G.o.d in Heaven," she cried as children's screams could be heard over the ringing alarms and approaching sirens, "what are we going to do!"

"Everybody to the roof, the princ.i.p.al ordered, praying they had time and no one would be left behind."

5 Minutes to Zero

The Safe House

Canvas turned down the television, answering his cell phone on the second ring. "Candle."

"Proceed. The line went dead."

He brought the microphone, already in his other hand, up to his lips.

"Kai men," he said clearly. "Kai men."

He put down the radio, started to leave, then stopped, turning up the TV for one last look.

"Reports are still sketchy, details still coming in," the announcer was saying as he shuffled several papers in his hands, "but this much, at least, is clear. About twenty minutes ago there was an explosion at the factory of American Banners in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The factory-which makes U.S. flags and sports pennants-is said to be fully engulfed in flames, with the bulk of its workforce trapped inside."

"An anonymous call to WIN's Taipei Bureau claimed that the bombing was, and I quote here, 'the first blow, of many yet to come, against America for its gradual sellout of her Nationalist Chinese allies.' We go now to..."

Canvas shut the set, studied the blank tube for a moment, then moved into another room.

Five minutes later he was gone, the house an inferno-accelerated by solid rocket fuel spread throughout. The most that would ever be found was a soft, white ash.

Zero Plus 9 Minutes

Chevy Chase, Maryland

"My point is, Mr. Attorney General, that your generation just has never appreciated the sacrifices those of my generation made in order to give you the chance to turn on and drop out."

DeWitt laughed easily. "I'd hardly say we've dropped out, Mr. Williams. Three-quarters of the president's cabinet is made up of men and women of my generation. At the polls, we voted in greater numbers than did yours, in business we have become CEOs and COOs of half the Fortune 500 companies."

"Still, y'all never seem to get it right! You may have the numbers for the moment, sir, but..."

"Well," Kingston added between bites, "let's just say our generation and yours don't see things the same way, although our motivations are the same. A better, stronger America."

The lunch with senior members of the Democratic National Committee had been going on for about half an hour. The committee members challenging, testing, evaluating the three men who were the leading candidates-if undeclared-to replace the lame duck inc.u.mbent.

"Motivations by whose definition, gentlemen?" another committeeman interrupted. "The hippies or the fogies?"

Buckley laughed. "I vote with the hippies, Robert, but deeply respect my fogy const.i.tuency."

"Excuse me, Mr. Attorney General." His aide-Michael-hurried up to him, a concerned look on his face."It's FBI Director Hayes for you. Quite urgent." He handed him a cell phone as the table moved onto another argument.

Zero Plus 18 Minutes

The Hospital

"G.o.ddammit, I am not going to lose this man!" the first doctor shouted.

"Pulse is too fast to count," the scrub nurse called out as she gave the horribly wounded man an injection. "He's shutting down!"

"I got eight holes in his back and chest." Maybe five of them entries, the second doctor called out. "Hang two more units of whole blood and push em! Also all the Ringers you can get!"

"V-fib," a nurse called out.

The first doctor grabbed a cardiac needle and plunged it straight into the man's heart. "Dammit, what next?"

Zero Plus 29 Minutes

Chevy Chase, Maryland

The table was hushed, stilled. All eyes stared at the attorney general, silently begging not to hear the news they'd all heard before-too often-in their lifetimes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said in a voice choked with emotion as he handed the phone back to Michael. "Director Hayes informs me that the vice president died of his wounds approximately five minutes ago."

"Sweet Jesus, someone gasped."

DeWitt shook his head-stunned-as he stood up. "I have to get back to Washington."

Zero Plus 4 Hours 15 Minutes

Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C.

In his life, the German would never face more danger than he would in the next few minutes. He'd hoped to have more time, more practice, a closer relationship with the old man he must now move into place. But orders were orders, so recriminations and doubts were for another time.

With a sigh, he straightened his suit and crossed the street.

Zero Plus 7 Hours 30 Minutes

The White House

The two men sat in front of the television, comparing their private notes to what they were hearing.

"Let me repeat that," the anchor was saying. "There are now confirmed eyewitness reports that three to five Asian men were seen leaving the area of the shooting at a high rate of speed. One of them was described as having-and I'm quoting from the wire-service copy here-a tattoo of a green tiger on his left forearm."

"We turn now to our expert on Asian terrorism, retired Army Special Forces Colonel Clay Merit. Colonel, is there anything you can tell us from this new information?"

The camera pushed in on a middle-aged, paunchy man who quickly looked up from the printouts in his hand.

"Well, Bernie," he said, shaking his head, "it is difficult to say this out loud, but the green tiger has always been a symbol for the covert operations wing of the Dan J. Taiwan's secret intelligence service."