Hagen felt pleased with himself。 He would be through the main gate and halfway to the Colorado Springs airport before the Air Police realized what had happened。
An early snow started to fall over southern Colorado shortly after midnight。 At first it melted when it met the ground； but soon an icy sheet formed； and then a white blanket began to build。 Farther east the winds kicked up； and the Colorado Highway Patrol closed off the smaller county roads due to blizzard conditions。
Inside a small； unmarked Lear jet parked at the far end of the airport terminal； Hagen sat at a desk and studied the contents of General Fisher's briefcase。 Most of it was highly classified material concerning day…to…day operations of the space center。 One file of papers concerned the flight of the space shuttle Gettysburg； which had been launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California only two days before。 He was amused to find amid the slots of the briefcase a pornographic magazine。 But the champion prize was a black leather book that contained a total of thirty…nine names and phone numbers。 No addresses or notations； only names and numbers segregated in three sections。 The first section gave fourteen； the second； seventeen； and the third； eight。
None of them struck a chord with Hagen。 It was possible they were simply friends and associates of Fisher's。 He stared at the third list； the printing beginning to blur before his eyes from weariness。
Abruptly the top name leaped out at him。 Not the surname； but the first name。
Startled； shocked that he had missed something so simple； a code so obvious that no one would consider it； he copied the list on his legal pad and matched up three of the names by adding the correct ones。
Gunnar Monroe/Eriksen
Irwin Dupuy
Leonard Murphy/Hudson
Daniel Klein
Steve Larson
Ray Sampson/LeBaron
Dean Beagle
Clyde Ward
Eight names instead of nine。 Then Hagen shook his head； marveling at his slow grasp of the conspicuous fact that General Clark Fisher would hardly have included his own name on a telephone list。
He was almost home； but his elation was muted by fatigue。 He'd had no sleep in the past twenty…two hours。 The gamble to snatch General Fisher's briefcase had paid off with unexpected dividends。 Instead of one thread； he held five； all the remaining members of the 〃inner core。〃 Now all he had to do was match up the first names with the phone numbers and he would have a neat and tidy package。
All this was wishful thinking。 He had made an amateur's error by mouthing off to General Clark Fisher； alias Anson Jones； over the telephone from Pattenden Lab。 He'd tried to write it off as a shrewd move designed to goad the conspirators into making a mistake and give him an opening。 But now he realized it was nothing but cockiness mixed with a healthy dose of stupidity。
Fisher would alert the 〃inner core；〃 if he hadn't already done so。 There was nothing Hagen could do now。 The damage was done。 He was left with no choice but to plunge ahead。
He was staring blankly into the distance when the aircraft pilot entered the main partment from the cockpit。 〃Excuse me for interrupting； Mr。 Hagen； but the snowstorm is expected to get worse。 The control tower just informed me they're going to close down the airport。 If we don't take off now； we may not get clearance till tomorrow afternoon。〃
Hagen nodded。 〃No sense in hanging around。〃
〃Can you give me a destination？〃
There was a short pause as Hagen looked down at his handwritten notes on the legal pad。 He decided to leave Hudson until last。 Besides； Eriksen； Hudson； and Daniel Klein or whoever； all had the same telephone area code。 He recognized the code after Clyde Ward's name and settled on it simply because the location was only a few hundred miles south of Colorado Springs。
〃Albuquerque；〃 he said finally。
〃Yes； sir；〃 replied the pilot。 〃If you'll strap yourself in； I'll have us off the ground in five minutes。〃
As soon as the pilot disappeared into the control cabin； Hagen stripped to his shorts and dropped into a soft berth。 He was dead asleep before the wheels left the snow…carpeted runway。
The fear that the President's chief of staff； Dan Fawcett； inspired inside the White House was immense。 His was one of the most powerful positions in Washington。 He was the keeper of the sanctum sanctorum。 Virtually every document or memo sent to the President had to go through him。 And no one； including members of the cabinet and the leaders of Congress； gained entry to the Oval Office unless Fawcett approved it。
The times that someone； high…ranking or low； refused to take no for an answer were nonexistent。 So he was uncertain how to react as he looked up from his desk into the smoldering eyes of Admiral Sandecker。 Fawcett couldn't remember when he had seen a man seething with so much anger； and he sensed that the admiral was exerting every disciplined resource to hold it under control。
〃I'm sorry； Admiral；〃 said Fawcett； 〃but the President's schedule is airtight。 There is no way I can squeeze you in。〃
〃Get me in；〃 Sandecker demanded through tight lips。
〃Not possible；〃 replied Fawcett firmly。
Sandecker slowly braced his arms and hands sacrilegiously on the paperwork strewn on Fawcett's desk and leaned over until only a few inches separated their noses。
〃You tell the son of a bitch；〃 he snarled； 〃that he just killed three of my best friends。 And unless he gives me a damned good reason why； I'm going to walk out of here； hold a press conference； and reveal enough dirty secrets to scar his precious administration for the rest of his term。 Am I getting through to you； Dan？〃
Fawcett sat there； rising anger unable to overe shock。 〃You'll only destroy your own career。 What would be the sense？〃
〃You're not paying attention。 I'll run it by you again。 The President is responsible for the deaths of three of my dearest friends。 One of them you knew。 His name was Dirk Pitt。 If it wasn't for Pitt； the President would be resting on the bottom of the sea instead of sitting in the White House。 Now； I demand to know for what purpose Pitt died。 And if it costs me my career as chief of NUMA； then you can damn well let it。〃
Sandecker's face was so close that Fawcett could have sworn the admiral's red beard had a life force all its own。 〃Pitt's dead？〃 he said dumbly。 〃I haven't heard=
〃Just tell the President I'm here；〃 Sandecker cut in； his voice turned to steel。 〃He'll see me。〃
The news came so abruptly； so coldly； that Fawcett was startled。 〃I'll inform the President about Pitt；〃 he said slowly。
〃Don't bother。 If I know； he knows。 We're tuned into the same intelligence sources。〃
〃I need time to find out what this is all about；〃 Fawcett said。
〃You don't have time；〃 said Sandecker stonily。 〃The President's nuclear energy bill is ing up for a vote before the Senate tomorrow。 Think what might happen if Senator George Pitt is told the President had a hand in murdering his son。 I don't have to paint you a picture of what will happen when the senator stops throwing his weight in support of presidential policies and starts opposing them。〃
Fawcett was shrewd enough to recognize an ambush looming in the distance。 He pushed himself back from the desk； clasped his hands and stared at them for a few moments。 Then he stood and walked toward the hallway。
〃e with me； Admiral。 The President is in a meeting with Defense Secretary Jess Simmons。 They should be wrapping up about now。〃
Sandecker waited outside the Oval Office while Fawcett entered； pardoned himself； and spoke a few whispered words to the President。 Two minutes later Jess Simmons came out and exchanged a friendly greeting with the admiral； followed by Fawcett； who motioned for him to e in。
The President came from behind his desk and shook Sandecker's hand。 His face was expressionless； his body loose and posed； and his intelligent eyes locked on the hard； burning stare of his visitor。
He turned to Fawcett。 〃Would you please excuse us； Dan？ I'd like to speak with Admiral Sandecker privately。〃
Wordlessly Fawcett stepped out and closed the door behind him。 The President gestured toward a chair and smiled。 〃Why don't we sit down and relax。〃
〃I'd rather stand；〃 Sandecker said flatly。
〃As you wish。〃 The President eased into an overstuffed armchair and crossed his legs。 〃I'm sorry about Pitt and the others；〃 he said without preamble。 〃No one meant for it to happen。〃
〃May I respectfully ask what in hell is going on？〃
〃Tell me something； Admiral。 Would you believe that when I asked for your cooperation in sending out a crew on the blimp it went far beyond a mere hunt for a missing person？〃
〃Only if there was a solid explanation to back you up。〃
〃And would you also believe that besides looking for her husband； Mrs。 LeBaron was part of an elaborate deception to open a direct line of munication between myself and Fidel Castro？〃
Sandecker stared at the President； his anger momentarily placed on hold。 The admiral was not awed in the least by the nation's leader。 He had seen too many Presiden