Page 123 of Enemy Within

“Fuck,” Welby breathed. It was too early for this. He waited, listening to the sounds in the hallway. Any moment, Levi would give Senator Stephen Allen a piece of his mind. Senator Allen might find himself banned from the White House if he wasn’t careful.

Instead of Levi’s firm voice, Agent Walsh’s stammer filtered through the door. Walsh was a junior agent, a young guy fresh from the academy. He’d joined the White House when Scott had staffed up the force after Ethan moved into the Residence.

“Sir, I-I don’t know what to tell you, Senator, sir. You’re not on the president’s schedule—”

“I don’tneedto be on the president’s schedule!” As he strode to the door, Welby heard Senator Allen sigh. “Son, do you know who I am?”

Welby burst into the hall. Walsh whirled, his wide eyes pleading with Welby to take over. “Senator Allen. We do know who you are.” He spread his legs and squared his shoulders, making himself a physical barrier to the West Wing.

It was hard not to know who Senator Allen was. The main Republican leading the charge against President Spiers, Senator Allen’s remarks after the attack on Langley had been somewhat less than respectful. Not a man in the Secret Service hadn’t bristled at his words. Gossip from the agents at the Capitol was that they had stripped him of all his usual Secret Service perks. No heated SUV, warm coffee, morning paper, or even a hello for him from his detail.

“And you are?” Senator Allen’s eyebrows arched high.

“Special Agent Welby, second-in-command of the White House Secret Service.”

“Finally, someone useful. Could you radio someone in charge, please?” Senator Allen sighed again, shaking his head. “Unbelievable,” he hissed.

Welby ran his tongue over his teeth as he drew himself to his full height. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. “Senator, there are procedures for visiting the White House and the president. You will need to go back to the Capitol—”

“There are procedures for running this country, too!” Senator Allen snapped. “Procedures that this president has refused to follow! We are on the brink of war with both Russia and China, and President Wall is stonewalling Congress and our committee! She has completely abrogated her responsibilities, and I’m here to find out what is going on. Get to the bottom of thisinsaneadministration.”

“Senator—”

“Son, you donotunderstand.” Senator Allen stepped forward, crowding Welby. His voice dropped, and he spoke to Welby like he was sharing state secrets. “Ihaveto see the president. If I do not, then we’re going to remove her from office.” He pulled a folded sheet from his jacket pocket. “I have the signatures of a majority of the House of Representatives here, ready to invoke the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.”

Welby’s jaw clenched. “You don’t have the authority.”

“We haveeveryauthority. It’s sponsored by the Speaker of the House.” He arched his eyebrows again. “Do you really want to fight me on this? Explain toformerPresident Wall why she’s being escorted from the West Wing? Tell her that you refused her the opportunity to save her job?”

Behind Welby, the door to the Roosevelt Room slowly creaked open. General Bell stood there, staring at Senator Allen, his chin raised. He said nothing.

Welby fumed, quietly steaming on the inside. He couldn’t show it, though. He’d never give the senator the satisfaction. He spoke into the microphone clipped to his sleeve. “Watchman requests ten-twenty on Intrepid.” They’d kept Wall’s code name from when she was Secretary of State.

The comms officer in Horsepower came over the line. “Uhh, Watchman, Horsepower. We don’t have a ten-twenty on Intrepid.”

He turned away before Senator Allen saw the naked shock that he couldn’t hide. “Say again?”

“We don’t have a ten-twenty on Intrepid. Intrepid was in Crown last night.” Crown, the Residence. “This morning, there’s no location data. We thought it was a bad receptor, and we were going to check on it after Intrepid came down to the West Wing, but—”

His stomach plummeted as if he’d leaped from the top of the Washington Monument. “But?”

“Sir, she hasn’t come down. She’s late.”

“Excuse me,” he said, shoving past Senator Allen.

“Hey!” Senator Allen bellowed. “Hey! I am talking to you!”

General Bell’s voice rose behind him as he ran. “Senator. General Bell, commander of SOCOM. Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?”

He couldn’t think about that right now, about General Bell and Senator Allen together. Welby kept going, walking at a steady pace until he turned the corner, out of Senator Allen’s sight. Then, he took off, sprinting for the Residence, shouting into his wrist mic. “QRT to Crown! QRT to Crown, now!” Heart hammering, he drew his handgun, shoved through the double doors of the West Colonnade, and sprinted across the Cross Hall. He took the red-carpeted grand staircase steps two at a time, flinging himself around the U-bend.

“What’s Agent Daniels’s ten-twenty?”

“Uhh… we don’t have a ten-twenty on Agent Daniels, sir.”

Behind him, feet pounded on the marble, agents in body armor wielding assault rifles following him up the stairs.

He ran down the Residence’s central hallway, banging doors open and clearing rooms one by one. His chest grew tight, his breath rapid, as each one came up empty. His palms slicked with cold sweat, and he almost lost his grip on his weapon.No, no, God, not again. We can’t have failed again.