Sigma Rising. John Randolph Price
hope I covered the bases quickly enough. That same day, Attorney General Ames received a call on his cell phone while having lunch at the Round Robin. The people with him said he listened for a minute, put the phone back in his pocket and excused himself, said he was going to the men's room. He never came back. His wife is also missing. That afternoon Admiral Jessops of the Joint Chiefs was supposed to board a flight at Andrews. He didn't show and hasn't been seen since. I figured we might be involved in a far-reaching conspiracy, so I alerted the Secret Service and beefed up security on the Hill and other appropriate spots. Also closed down the media pipelines. There's probably a lot of rumors going around, but at least we've got a handle on it for now."
The president stood and walked to the window. Light rain had turned to snow. He watched as the lawn and gardens were slowly camouflaged, a patchwork quilt of colors soon to be an unblemished blanket of white feathery crystals.
As a forty-four year old Miami lawyer he had won his first political race and came to Washington as a congressman. Ten years later he was tapped as the ideal number two man in Governor Morris' run for the presidency. Morris had said with Underwood's centrist philosophy, his charisma and Hollywood-handsome looks, he would be the media's darling. Of course Underwood had no idea James Morris would drop dead after only six months in office. Samual Underwood didn't enjoy being the President of the United States, not at this moment. He took a deep breath and turned around to speak to the director.
"Wallace, according to Evans' briefing, the next one to disappear after Admiral Jessops was Senator Obrey, and you say he was having dinner with friends in Georgetown?"
“Yes, the Albrights. That was night before last. Senator Obrey practiced law with Joseph Albright before entering politics. Since Obrey is majority leader, an agent was assigned to go with him and waited outside in the car. Mrs. Albright said she left the senator and Mrs. Obrey alone in the kitchen for a few minutes and when she returned they were gone. The agent saw no one enter or leave the house. We checked the Obrey home--empty--and his office hasn't heard from him."
The president returned to his chair behind the large desk. "And even with the increased security, Secretary of State Matthews, General Craig, and Justice Ellenberg are also missing."
"Yes, since yesterday afternoon. I thought we had a damn good net in and around State, Justice, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building and the Pentagon. But it's as though the three of them were seen one moment and gone the next. Vanished. And while I hate to say this, I think we have to consider the possibility that all seven are dead."
The president closed his eyes. "I'd rather think otherwise. Now, other than a government or military connection, what are the common denominators?"
"Our computer analysis came up with four. One, all are what you might consider middle-readers, political moderates and fairly liberal in their religious beliefs. No extremism."
"That would seem to eliminate foreign terrorists. It doesn't seem these people would draw a zealot's attention."
"You may be right, but their mainstream approach could be anathema to hardcore militias and those who might be angered by people perceived as too judicious, too normal. To them, if you are not a radical righter you're suspected of treason. You know how they feel about you, particularly after you spoke of freedom as being a higher priority than security. Then your ardent reliance and cooperation with the U.N. to solve international problems caused some negative reactions."
President Underwood nodded. "There are still a few pockets of resistance, some discontents, but Americans are enjoying a sense of peace and plenty once again." He paused, thought for a moment. “Wallace, since the turn of the century this nation--and the world I might add-has gone through difficult times, and we still have much work to do. But we've turned the corner with our focus on government obedience to the people rather than passing more laws to suppress their rights. Believe me when I say that my reorganization of the government has nothing to do with the missing people. Now, what are the other similarities?"
"All are happily married with no children, and in every case the spouse is also missing. And the third coincidence, if there is such a thing, is that four of the seven were adopted."
"I'm assuming you're following through to see if there is any significance to that element."
"Yes sir, we are. Of course, background checks for security clearances don't always make the distinction between natural and legal parents. In the case of the four, the information was volunteered in early bio sketches. But we are initiating new probes into the backgrounds of the others to see if anything turns up."
"Have you found any other top people who were adopted as children?”
"Only one so far, House Speaker Andrews, but we're checking the records of essentially all elected and appointed officials."
"And the other common denominator?”
"Each one came up from nowhere. Obscure one day, bright young stars the next. The latter point is an exaggeration, but I think you know what I mean.”
The president nodded. "Secretary Matthews immediately comes to mind. He taught history at a small college in the Northeast, wrote a book on the Arab-Israeli peace process and was recruited by State to serve as a consultant on Middle East affairs. There were a lot of moans in the inner circles when President Morris called him to fill the secretary of state post in the new cabinet, but he's served his country well."
The president shifted in his chair, looked again at his watch. "The others should be arriving shortly. We'll see what we can do to make sense out of this and avoid a national panic."
***
Megan Andrews, wife of House Speaker Julius Andrews, paused in the large living room and looked around. "Up to the bedroom,” a voice said, "let's go.”
She frowned. More time, she wanted to say, to stretch the seconds and relish the moments of their lives in the lovely old Georgetown house. She saw the flowers on the side table by the couch, the camellias laced with baby's breath she had brought home from the florist only the day before. She lifted her eyes to the painting above the fireplace, a print of Monet's Old St. Lazare Station, Paris. Was the train arriving or departing? Probably the latter, she thought, like me and Julius. Not yet, please. Megan was feeling tender, nostalgia sweeping over her. She and Julius had lived in this home for twenty years. Now it was about to be over. No time for regrets. She felt a hand on her arm, leading her up the stairs.
***
It was almost noon when the meeting with the president and his advisors was concluded. There had been one interruption. An incoming call reported that four additional senators and the Speaker of the House had suddenly vanished. The president said he would consider all recommendations and that the media blackout would continue. He spent the rest of the day in the residency with his wife Julia.
***
Ambassador Merriam Livingston-Vance paced the small windowless enclosure, counting the stone inlays from one end of the room to the other. She was remembering her first day at school in this country.
Chapter 2
The Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights,
September, 1954
The blue-eyed girl with the flaming red hair and milk-white complexion looked at herself in the full length mirror and sighed. "I do not know what to do with this hair. And these clothes do not feel right. Do you have any suggestions?"
The stocky man in his mid-forties standing beside her said, "You look fine." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're a bit taller than average for your age, and clothes won't hide that." He laughed. "Which means all the boys will look up to you." Seeing she wasn't amused, he said, "As for the hair, try a pony tail."
Seven year old Merriam Livingston pulled her hair back and fastened it with a clasp, then turned around and flashed a brief smile. "Shall I call you father?"
"Too formal. Let's use mommy and daddy, and pronounce your words carefully to veil the accent."
"Do not worry.