Page 40 of The Presidents Shadow

THE SAME PLANE that brought Burbank, Tapper, Hawkeye, Jericho, and me to that hellhole of a village in Western Australia takes us back home, at least temporarily. At least until we get organized. And the sooner the better.

I’m a perfectly capable manager, but I really don’t enjoy organizing and leading a team. Being the Shadow and destroying evil is a great privilege. But people management? Not so much.

That’s where my mind is as the plane takes off. My team and I are sitting at the airplane conference table, which is covered in papers and computers and sandwiches and cookies.

“Here’s the situation,” I say to my gang. “The two phenomena—the ongoing natural disasters and the strange, novel Austravid virus—may be related. I have no powers that allow me to predict the future, so we have to rely on old-fashioned groundwork.

“I’d like to hear what experts from other parts of the world are saying, not just those from the Americas,” I say.

“The Biomedical Engineering and Healthcare Technology Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg is the top biomedical research institute in the Southern Hemisphere. Hawkeye, immediately after we land at Andrews Air Force Base, you will travel to South Africa on our behalf. Speak to as many specialists there as you can, and learn as much as you can—fast.”

“Great,” Hawkeye says. “Nine more hours on an airplane. Looks like I’ll be destroying evil and defending the good by drinking seltzer and eating chicken salad sandwiches.”

Everyone laughs. Then I address the general group.

“As frightening as the virus is, I fear it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a worldwide plague. But in my opinion the natural disasters are an even more imminent and dangerous threat.”

Jericho asks, “How can you even differentiate which one of these horror stories is the scariest?”

“I cannot make a truly informed judgment,” I say.

“But I am smart enough to know that we have to dive in now. And you, Jericho, are the most qualified member of our team when it comes to earth science. So I’m sending you to join an ad hoc committee of amateur environmentalists meeting at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. ”

Jericho grits his teeth to form a sort of I-should’ve-kept-my-mouth-shut expression as I continue to speak.

“To be perfectly frank, I have some information that indicates that earth-formation testing near the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina is showing signs of core soil erosion. So it’s a good and dangerous place to be. ”

Burbank, the wise guy of the group, can’t restrain himself. He looks straight at Jericho and says, “Ah, both good and dangerous. You should fit right in.”

I let the laughter subside before I take the perfect opening to tell Burbank his assignment.

“Burbank, you will be headed to the Kyoto destruction site to sift through the rubble. Take multiple samples and calculate causes as to what—or who—is behind the geological disaster of the ages.”

“With honor,” says Burbank, who seems to know that the time for jokes is over.

“Excellent,” I say. “And you, Tapper, will do the same with the sea around Copenhagen.”

But Burbank’s personality can be held at bay for only so long. Before Tapper can respond to his assignment, Burbank interjects with, “I just want to say that surveying an entire city sounds like a very big job for just one person… even if that person is me.”

“Don’t worry,” I tell him. “Margo and I will be there with you.”

“But I’m going to handle an entire sea on my own?” asks Tapper.

“You won’t be alone for long. After we finish our work in Kyoto, we’ll all join you as soon as we can.”