Shadow of Eden (60 page)

Beyond the cars, teams of men combed the woods nearby, their flashlight beams moving side to side. As Steve’s eyes adjusted, he saw that the area was full of searchers. A dark blue Ford van pulled up and two men opened the rear doors, releasing four bloodhounds. They, too, headed for the brush and undergrowth, with the dogs baying and pulling at their leashes.

“Holy shit, Valenti,” Steve couldn’t help remarking. “They really don’t know where he is.”

Valenti shook his head in disbelief. “In Washington, yet. Heads will roll.”

“So what will the FBI do to find him?”

“They’re here. Those dogs are part of the S and R squad.”

“S and R?”

“Search and rescue. And some of those choppers are ours. They’re equipped with infrared, but the area is crawling with men. They can’t tell the goddamn President from anyone else. They’ll be skirting around the periphery trying to pick up some hint of a signal.”

Dr. Green looked forlorn. “I guess we stay put until they find him.” He pulled his overcoat more tightly around him.

Chapter 134

“S
ecretary Resnick, call for you.” An aide waved her hand to catch Resnick’s eye. “Ambassador Zhou. Line eight.”

Resnick picked up the phone, holding her finger in the other ear to hear over the busy din of the situation room. “Secretary Resnick.”

“Madam Secretary, I am calling you back. I wish to convey the decision of our government.” His voice sounded tight and his English more clipped and precise than normal.

“Yes, Mr. Ambassador.” There was no doubt in her mind what their answer would be. In all her desires for Taiwan to retract its claim of independence, psychologically the Chinese could not. They would rather risk a military defeat than back down, particularly in the face of a hostile antagonist. She watched a Secret Service agent walk up and speak quietly to Sullivan.

“Our government and its intelligence service do not agree with your assessment of the danger of an invasion. Not as long as your commitment to defend us is in place. Certainly, without your support, it could very well succeed. It is my government’s intention to pursue independence.”

Resnick sighed inwardly. She wished the decision had been different. “I see, Mr. Ambassador.” The Ambassador’s reply was lost as John Sullivan held up his hands to quiet the room.

“The President is missing in Rock Creek Park.”

Chapter 135

R
hodes walked over to Steve, Valenti, and Dr. Green. “No luck,” Rhodes admitted. “He’s just vanished. We’ve expanded the search perimeter, but frankly, we don’t know where he’s gone.” Rhodes looked defeated. “We’ve got infrared, dogs, search lights, search teams . . .” He shrugged. “We know the President’s not in Rock Creek Park or in any of the nearby streets. It’s going to be house to house, now.”

Steve glanced at the clearing sky. Dawn was fast approaching and time was running out.

“Mr. Rhodes,” Tom asked, “was he wearing any warm clothing?”

Rhodes shook his head. “That’s another thing. If he’s out in this, he may be freezing. It’s thirty-six degrees.” Steve watched Rhodes swallow his chagrin and turn away.

“I guess we just wait,” Dr. Green said, trying to bury his hands into his pockets even deeper. “There’s nothing we can do.”

Steve shivered, his cold body resisted thinking. He began to pace and the movement helped throw off some of the fatigue that had seeped into his cold bones. What would the President be thinking when he jumped out of the car? It had to be related to his delusions. Was he a war veteran? Maybe he had similar flashbacks to Captain Palmer. Maybe he had some childhood anxieties like nightmares or insects. Considering that each patient he knew had exhibited a consistent delusional pattern, Steve wondered if President Dixon harbored a similar pattern. “Tom, can you call Elise Dixon for me?”

“Huh?” Dr. Green asked, puzzled.

Steve rubbed his wrists where his handcuffs chafed. “I need to talk to the First Lady, Tom. Do you know how to arrange that? It’s been over an hour since he disappeared. I think he must have known where he wanted to go.”

Dr. Green looked at Steve with a quizzical expression.

“Look,” Steve continued. “A sick man wandering around would have been picked up by now. I think he had a destination and bee-lined for it. I just don’t know where.”

Valenti grinned at Dr. Green. “Our boy has a theory. Perhaps we should humor him.”

Dr. Green shrugged. “Can’t do worse than us freezing our butts out here. Okay.”

Dr. Green pulled out his cell phone and punched a couple of numbers. He briefly announced why he was calling and handed the phone to Steve. “It’s the First Lady.”

“Mrs. Dixon, this is Dr. Steve James. You saw us leave the White House with Dr. Green.”

“Yes. What is it?” She sounded impatient and worried.

“I don’t think your husband is still in the Park.”

“Why not?”

“I think your husband had a specific destination in mind when he jumped out of the car.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Each Eden patient that I know has experienced a consistent pattern of symptoms. They all had their own unique, but consistent, thought disorder or delusion. You understand?”

“Yes, sort of.”

“One thought he was back in Vietnam, another had recurrence of her childhood nightmares. I’m guessing the President has something similar to that. If he does, perhaps his behaviors and comments over the last couple of weeks will give us a clue as to where he is.”

“Well, if you think it will help . . .” She paused. “He’s been praying all the time. He’s always been a man of faith, Dr. James, but now he’s . . . obsessed with it. He’s convinced he’s going to hell.”

“Was it worse when he had his shakes?”

Elise Dixon’s voice quavered. “Much worse. I could hardly get him to speak to me.”

“I understand. Believe me.”

“Dr. James, it’s horrible. Do you know what he’s got?”

I think so, Mrs. Dixon. I’d like to talk with you later after the President has been located and cared for. I can answer your questions then. Right now, I need to go.”

“Please find him and bring him back to me, Dr. James.”

Steve had his clue. He walked over to the huddled agents pouring over the Washington street map and leaned over to look. He studied it and after a minute, he walked over to the cluster of parked Agency vehicles.

“What did you find out?” Valenti asked, following Steve.

Steve found an empty sedan with the keys still in it and jumped in.

“Hey!” Valenti said. “Where are you going? Don’t you need to be here when they find him?”

“But he’s not here.” Steve started the car and awkwardly backed out with his hands still cuffed. “I think he’s at the National Cathedral. Just a hunch.”

“I’m coming, too.”

“I’ll call you. Right now you’re my link to the Secret Service.”

“Wait!” Valenti yelled as Steve spun his tires. Valenti kicked the pavement in disgust. “How can I save your reckless butt if I’m here?”

Behind the police barricades, Mallis lowered his binoculars. Seeing Dr. James dash out in the car aroused Mallis’s hunting instincts.

“Let’s go.”

Chapter 136

T
he cloud cover had blown over leaving a cold, clear sky. Steve barely noticed the lightening horizon as he pulled the car into the National Cathedral’s north parking lot. He jumped out and ran to the north transept door and pulled the ornate handle. It was locked tight.

He ran around to the front doors, but they were also locked.
Could he have been wrong?
He ran around to the south transept entrance where he saw footprints on the sleet-covered grass leading to the south side. Steve flew up the six steps and with both cuffed hands, he grabbed the handle and pulled on the heavy wooden door. It swung open. Inside, it was dark and cold, like a cave. Steve took a breath and walked in, the door slowly closing behind him.

He did not see the Camry pull into the Cathedral parking lot.

Inside, the transept led to the vast arched nave. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he could see the massive stained glass windows and the beautiful Gothic ribbed pillars that vanished into the darkness above.

Laid out in the traditional cathedral cruciform floor plan, the nave formed the long part of a cross with the transepts its cross member. A tall, ornately carved stone pulpit dominated the junction of the nave and transept. Steve listened, but heard no sound. He walked down the south aisle of the nave, but didn’t see anyone. He ran back up the center aisle, past the crossing of the transepts and through the wood-veneered Great Choir, to the alter—still no one. He whirled around, searching. There! Sitting in the Children’s Chapel, a small ornate room just off the south transept, sat a slumped figure.

He walked into the chapel and saw President Dixon shivering and with his head bowed in prayer. Struck by the vulnerability of the man, he sat down next to him on one of the small child-size chairs. “Mr. President?”

President Dixon jerked in surprise. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I’m Dr. James. I came to talk to you.” In the growing daylight, he observed with a shock how haggard and exhausted the President’s face had become.

“I figured someone would come to fetch me sooner or later.”

“How are you feeling, Sir?”

“Been better.” The President looked at him keenly. “You said you’re a doctor? Do you know what I’ve got?”

“I think so.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Sir.”

The President shook his head sadly at the news. Several spasms jerked his face and shoulders followed by a look of confusion. After a minute, he found his voice. “I tried to see this thing out. I wanted to do the right thing, but . . . I don’t know anymore.”

“You’re human, Mr. President.”

Kirk Mallis sat down next to Steve. “So sorry to break up this tête-à-tête, gentlemen.”

Steve looked at him a moment before recognizing him.
Shit!
How—?

“Surprised, Dr. James?” He grinned. “We have unfinished business. See?” He pointed to his burned face.

“Friend of yours?” the President asked politely, somewhat puzzled.

Steve found his voice. “He’s tried to
—
”