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Dr. DaSilva begins the conversation.

“I prayed for your safety,” she says.

“The prayers worked,” I say.

“You know the old saying,” says Anna. “The prayers of great sinners can work miracles.”

Clever banter. Witty dialogue. Neither one of us is good at it. But more than that, I need an update on the status of Newbola. Has the vaccine she tried on us been tested more widely? Has good progress been made? Could our optimistic test results be incorrect?

“I have some important questions for you, Doctor,” I say.

“I’m sure you do,” she says. Her voice is calm, pleasant, confident. “Ask away. I’m sure I’ll have some helpful answers. Dealing with—and destroying—Newbola is now the most important thing in my life.”

“Me, too, Doctor,” I say, and then I begin.

“I need to let you know something. Margo administered the vaccine—”

It is at this precise moment that Margo madly waves her arms at me and then makes the football referee signal calling for a time out.

“Hold on a minute, Doctor,” I say to Anna DaSilva.

“President Townsend is calling,” says Margo. “I think you should talk to him.”

I begin my angry response. “Why would you say that, after everything that has—”

Margo interrupts loudly. “He said it was urgent.”

It’s then that I deliver to Dr. Anna DaSilva one of the most annoying phrases in the English language.

“I’ve got to take this call,” I say.

I click off Dr. DaSilva. I click on President Townsend.

CHAPTER 97

I KNOW I’VE made this very clear, but let me state it one more time—I believe that President Townsend is the most reprehensible world leader alive today. But at this moment I force myself to take Townsend’s call, mostly because I am bursting to confront him about his massive treachery.

My first words to him? I immediately explode. “You betrayed me, Townsend! You are a liar and a devil.”

“Control yourself, Cranston,” he says, his own voice relaxed, pleasant.

“Damn control! Damn you! Damn your lies!” I reply. Yes, I am absolutely off the rails with no intention of getting back on. “You promised protection. You promised help. Support.”

“And that’s what I delivered,” Townsend says.

I angrily but briefly recap the missile attack for him. I detail our horrendous, frightening near-death experience aboard an aircraft that he provided to us.

Townsend puts forth his point of view.

“You’ve been misinformed and misled, Cranston. Or maybe you’re simply a damned fool. As promised, my people destroyed the Ambrose missile as soon as we saw it advancing toward your airship,” he says.

“You’re lying, Townsend. It was because of the quick response of Margo that we were able to disengage and destroy the attacking missile. You aided and abetted the enemy.”

“Believe what you want to believe,” he says. “I am certain that we destroyed the weapon when it was launched, with your team as the target.”

All my anger spent, I find that I have to consider the situation at hand, not dismiss alternatives simply because of my personal beliefs concerning Townsend’s character.

What if Townsend is actually telling the truth? What if Ambrose has circumvented the plan both Townsend and I put into place? Yes, that might have happened.