I, Alex Cross (Alex Cross 16)

“Right,” Tillman said. “Never mind. Go on, please. Sorry I interrupted you.”

“It’s actually the attorney general who might be able to do something about this. If there were any manageable pretense for sidelining the investigation or even slowing it down—”

Suddenly Tillman seemed angry, but it was always hard to tell with him.

“Hang on right there. You want the president to lean on the AG? Do you even know what you’re suggesting? A Cabinet member could be involved.”

“It’s not about what I want, sir. This has always been about protecting President Vance and this administration.”

A burst of laughter came from just beyond the foyer-side door. Cormorant didn’t waver, except to lower his voice a notch.

“I’m not suggesting we try to bury this scandal. I just need a little space to see if we can find out who Zeus is. If I can do that, then the White House will be in a better position to control the information when it comes out—and it is going to come out, sir, one way or another, sooner or later.”

“What does Reese have to say about this?” Tillman asked. “You ask him? Does he know about the cameras?”

“I briefed the chief of staff this afternoon, but nothing was said about bringing everything to the president. I wanted to speak with you first.”

“Don’t play me against him, Dan. And don’t play me against President Vance. The president has my complete loyalty.”

“I’m not trying to, sir—”

“No. All right. Here’s what you’re going to do.” Tillman had a way of shifting from inquiry to decision without warning, and it had just happened. “Talk to Gabe about this, and speak your mind with him. If he wants to bring it back to me, we’ll go from there. Otherwise, you and I never had this conversation.”

The vice president was already halfway to the door when Cormorant’s voice rose for the first time.

“Walter!” It was the kind of protocol breach that could send an agent down the ranks fast, under most circumstances, anyway. “I can find him. Zeus. Just give me the time to do it.”

Tillman stopped, but he didn’t turn around. “Talk to Gabe” was all he would say, and when he continued out of the room, Agent Cormorant had no choice but to f

ollow.

The conversation was over, and the crab was getting cold in the other room.

Chapter 60

I RAN MY siren all the way across the Potomac and into the city until I was parked in the lot outside St. Anthony’s Hospital. My mind hadn’t stopped racing since I’d heard Bree’s voice mails. How could this have happened? Just this morning, Nana had been sitting up; she’d been talking to us; she’d been getting better.

When I got off the elevator on six, the first familiar face I saw was Jannie’s. She was parked on the edge of one of the molded plastic chairs just outside the ICU. When she saw me, she ran into my arms and held me tight.

“Nana’s in a coma, Daddy. They don’t know if she’s going to wake up or not.”

“Shhh. I know, I know. I’m here now.” I felt her go from stiff to limp as the tears started. Jannie was so strong and so fragile at the same time. Just like Nana, I couldn’t help thinking as I held her. “Have you seen her?” I asked.

She nodded against my chest. “Only for a minute or so. The nurse told me I had to wait out here.”

“Come on,” I said, taking her hand. “I think I need you for this.”

We found Bree sitting next to Nana’s bed, in the same chair I’d slept in the night before. She got up and put her arms around both of us.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered.

“What happened?” I whispered back. In case Nana could hear, I suppose.

“Her kidney function just spiraled, Alex. They have her on dialysis now, and she’s back on the hydralazine, the beta blockers…”

I could barely hear Bree’s words, or sort out their meaning. My legs were weak, my head spinning in fast little circles.

Nothing could have prepared me for how much worse Nana looked.