danbrown.deceptionpoint-第76部分

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　floundering　campaign。
　Employing　NRO　assets；　Pickering　had　discreetly　obtained　enough　dirt　on　Senator　Sexton　to　sink　his　campaign…scandalous　sexual　photos　of　the　senator　with　his　aide　Gabrielle　Ashe；　incriminating　financial　records　proving　Sexton　was　taking　bribes　from　private　space　panies。　Pickering　anonymously　sent　all　the　evidence　to　Marjorie　Tench；　assuming　the　White　House　would　use　it　wisely。　But　Herney；　upon　seeing　the　data；　had　forbidden　Tench　to　use　it。　Sex　scandals　and　bribery　were　cancers　in　Washington；　and　waving　another　one　in　front　of　the　public　only　added　to　their　distrust　of　government。
　Cynicism　is　killing　this　country。
　Although　Herney　knew　he　could　destroy　Sexton　with　scandal；　the　cost　would　be　besmirching　the　dignity　of　the　U。S。　Senate；　something　Herney　refused　to　do。
　No　more　negatives。　Herney　would　beat　Senator　Sexton　on　the　issues。
　Pickering；　angered　by　the　White　House's　refusal　to　use　the　evidence　he　had　provided；　tried　to　jump…start　the　scandal　by　leaking　a　rumor　that　Sexton　had　slept　with　Gabrielle　Ashe。　Unfortunately；　Sexton　declared　his　innocence　with　such　convincing　indignation　that　the　President　ended　up　having　to　apologize　for　the　leak　personally。　In　the　end　William　Pickering　had　done　more　damage　than　good。　Herney　told　Pickering　that　if　he　ever　interfered　in　the　campaign　again；　he　would　be　indicted。　The　grand　irony；　of　course；　was　that　Pickering　did　not　even　like　President　Herney。　The　NRO　director's　attempts　to　help　Herney's　campaign　were　simply　fears　over　the　fate　of　NASA。　Zach　Herney　was　the　lesser　of　two　evils。
　Now　has　someone　killed　Pickering？
　Herney　could　not　imagine。
　〃Mr。　President？〃　an　aide　said。　〃As　you　requested；　I　called　Lawrence　Ekstrom　and　told　him　about　Marjorie　Tench。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃He　would　like　to　speak　to　you；　sir。〃
　Herney　was　still　furious　with　Ekstrom　for　lying　about　PODS。　〃Tell　him　I'll　talk　to　him　in　the　morning。〃
　〃Mr。　Ekstrom　wants　to　talk　to　you　right　away；　sir。〃　The　aide　looked　uneasy。　〃He's　very　upset。〃
　HE'S　upset？　Herney　could　feel　his　temper　fraying　around　the　edges。　As　he　stalked　off　to　take　Ekstrom's　call；　the　President　wondered　what　the　hell　else　could　possibly　go　wrong　tonight。
　
　　
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　Onboard　the　Goya；　Rachel　felt　lightheaded。　The　mystification　that　had　settled　around　her　like　a　heavy　fog　was　lifting　now。　The　stark　reality　that　came　into　focus　left　her　feeling　naked　and　disgusted。　She　looked　at　the　stranger　before　her　and　could　barely　hear　his　voice。
　〃We　needed　to　rebuild　NASA's　image；〃　Pickering　was　saying。　〃Their　declining　popularity　and　funding　had　bee　dangerous　on　so　many　levels。〃　Pickering　paused；　his　gray　eyes　locking　on　hers。　〃Rachel；　NASA　was　desperate　for　a　triumph。　Someone　had　to　make　it　happen。〃
　？　　　　？　　　　？
　Something　had　to　be　done；　Pickering　thought。
　The　meteorite　had　been　a　final　act　of　desperation。　Pickering　and　others　had　tried　to　save　NASA　by　lobbying　to　incorporate　the　space　agency　into　the　intelligence　munity　where　it　would　enjoy　increased　funding　and　better　security；　but　the　White　House　continuously　rebuffed　the　idea　as　an　assault　on　pure　science。　Shortsighted　idealism。　With　the　rising　popularity　of　Sexton's　anti…NASA　rhetoric；　Pickering　and　his　band　of　military　powerbrokers　knew　time　was　running　short。　They　decided　that　capturing　the　imagination　of　taxpayers　and　Congress　was　the　only　remaining　way　to　salvage　NASA's　image　and　save　it　from　the　auction　block。　If　the　space　agency　was　to　survive；　it　would　need　an　infusion　of　grandeur…something　to　remind　the　taxpayers　of　NASA's　Apollo　glory　days。　And　if　Zach　Herney　was　going　to　defeat　Senator　Sexton；　he　was　going　to　need　help。
　I　tried　to　help　him；　Pickering　told　himself；　recalling　all　the　damaging　evidence　he　had　sent　Marjorie　Tench。　Unfortunately；　Herney　had　forbidden　its　use；　leaving　Pickering　no　choice　but　to　take　drastic　measures。
　〃Rachel；〃　Pickering　said；　〃the　information　you　just　faxed　off　this　ship　is　dangerous。　You　must　understand　that。　If　it　gets　out；　the　White　House　and　NASA　will　look　plicit。　The　backlash　against　the　President　and　NASA　will　be　enormous。　The　President　and　NASA　know　nothing；　Rachel。　They　are　innocent。　They　believe　the　meteorite　is　authentic。〃
　Pickering　had　not　even　tried　to　bring　Herney　or　Ekstrom　into　the　fold　because　both　were　far　too　idealistic　to　have　agreed　to　any　deceit；　regardless　of　its　potential　to　save　the　presidency　or　space　agency。　Administrator　Ekstrom's　only　crime　had　been　persuading　the　PODS　mission　supervisor　to　lie　about　the　anomaly　software；　a　move　Ekstrom　no　doubt　regretted　the　moment　he　realized　how　scrutinized　this　particular　meteorite　would　bee。
　Marjorie　Tench；　frustrated　by　Herney's　insistence　on　fighting　a　clean　campaign；　conspired　with　Ekstrom　on　the　PODS　lie；　hoping　a　small　PODS　success　might　help　the　President　fend　off　the　rising　Sexton　tide。
　If　Tench　had　used　the　photos　and　bribery　data　I　gave　her；　none　of　this　would　have　happened！
　Tench's　murder；　though　deeply　regrettable；　had　been　destined　as　soon　as　Rachel　called　Tench　and　made　accusations　of　fraud。　Pickering　knew　Tench　would　investigate　ruthlessly　until　she　got　to　the　bottom　of　Rachel's　motives　for　the　outrageous　claims；　and　this　was　one　investigation　Pickering　obviously　could　never　let　happen。　Ironically；　Tench　would　serve　her　president　best　in　death；　her　violent　end　helping　cement　a　sympathy　vote　for　the　White　House　as　well　as　cast　vague　suspicions　of　foul　play　on　a　desperate　Sexton　campaign　which　had　been　so　publicly　humiliated　by　Marjorie　Tench　on　CNN。
　Rachel　stood　her　ground；　glaring　at　her　boss。
　〃Understand；〃　Pickering　said；　〃if　news　of　this　meteorite　fraud　gets　out；　you　will　destroy　an　innocent　president　and　an　innocent　space　agency。　You　will　also　put　a　very　dangerous　man　in　the　Oval　Office。　I　need　to　know　where　you　faxed　the　data。〃
　As　he　spoke　those　words；　a　strange　look　came　across　Rachel's　face。　It　was　the　pained　expression　of　horror　of　someone　who　had　just　realized　they　may　have　made　a　grave　mistake。
　　
　Having　circled　the　bow　and　e　back　down　the　port　side；　Delta…One　now　stood　in　the　hydrolab　from　which　he　had　seen　Rachel　emerge　as　the　chopper　had　flown　in。　A　puter　in　the　lab　displayed　an　unsettling　image…a　polychromatic　rendering　of　the　pulsating；　deepwater　vortex　that　was　apparently　hovering　over　the　ocean　floor　somewhere　beneath　the　Goya。
　Another　reason　to　get　the　hell　out　of　here；　he　thought；　moving　now　toward　his　target。
　The　fax　machine　was　on　a　counter　on　the　far　side　of　the　wall。　The　tray　was　filled　with　a　stack　of　papers；　exactly　as　Pickering　had　guessed　it　would　be。　Delta…One　picked　up　the　stack。　A　note　from　Rachel　was　on　top。　Only　two　lines。　He　read　it。
　To　the　point；　he　thought。
　As　he　flipped　through　the　pages；　he　was　both　amazed　and　dismayed　by　the　extent　to　which　Tolland　and　Rachel　had　uncovered　the　meteorite　deception。　Whoever　saw　these　printouts　would　have　no　doubt　what　they　meant。　Fortunately；　Delta…One　would　not　even　need　to　hit　〃redial〃　to　find　out　where　the　printouts　had　gone。　The　last　fax　number　was　still　displayed　in　the　LCD　window。
　A　Washington；　D。C。；　prefix。
　He　carefully　copied　the　fax　number　down；　grabbed　all　the　papers；　and　exited　the　lab。
　　
　Tolland's　hands　felt　sweaty　on　the　machine　gun　as　he　gripped　it；　aiming　the　muzzle　at　William　Pickering's　chest。　The　NRO　director　was　still　pressuring　Rachel　to　tell　him　where　the　data　had　been　sent；　and　Tolland　was　starting　to　get　the　uneasy　feeling　that　Pickering　was　simply　trying　to　buy　time。　For　what？
　〃The　White　House　and　NASA　are　innocent；〃　Pickering　repeated。　〃Work　with　me。　Don't　let　my　mistakes　destroy　what　little　credibility　NASA　has　left。　NASA　will　look　guilty　if　this　gets　out。　You　and　I　can　e　to　an　arrangement。　The　country　needs　this　meteorite。　Tell　me　where　you　faxed　the　data　before　it's　too　late。〃
　〃So　you　can　kill　someone　else？〃　Rachel　said。　〃You　make　me　sick。〃
　Tolland　was　amazed　with　Rachel's　fortitude。　She　despised　her　father；　but　she　clearly　had　no　intention　of　putting　the　senator　in　any　danger　whatsoever。　Unfortunately；　Rachel's　plan　to　fax　her　father　for　help　had　backfired。　Even　if　the　senator　came　into　his　office；　saw　the　fax；　and　called　the　President　with　news　of　the　meteorite　fraud　and　told　him　to　call　off　the　attack；　nobody　at　the　White　House　would　have　any　idea　what　Sexton　was　talking　about；　or　even　where　they　were。
　〃I　will　only　say　this　one　more　time；〃　Pickering　said；　fixing　Rachel　with　a　menacing　glare。　〃This　situation　is　too　plex　for　you　to　fully　understand。　You've　made　an　enormous　mistake　by　sending　that　data　off　this　ship。　You've　put　your　country　at　risk。〃
　William　Pickering　was　indeed　buying　time；　Tolland　now　realized。　And　the　reason　was　striding　calmly　toward　them　up　the　starboard　side　of　the　boat。　Tolland　felt　a　flash　of　fear　when　he　saw　the　soldier　sauntering　toward　them　carrying　a　stack　of　papers　and　a　machine　gun。
　Tolland　reacted　with　a　decisiveness　that　shocked　even　himself。　Gripping　the　machine　gun；　he　wheeled；　aimed　at　the　soldier；　and　pulled　the　trigger。
　The　gun　made　an　innocuous　click。
　〃I　found　the　fax　number；〃　the　soldier　said；　handing　Pickering　a　slip　of　paper。　〃And　Mr。　Tolland　is　out　of　ammunition。〃
　
　　
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　Sedgewick　Sexton　stormed　up　the　hallway　of　the　PhilipA。　Hart　Senate　Office　Building。　He　had　no　idea　how　Gabrielle　had　done　it；　but　she　had　obviously　gotten　into　his　office。　While　they　were　speaking　on　the　phone；　Sexton　had　clearly　heard　the　distinctive　triple…click　of　his　Jourdain　clock　in　the　background。　All　he　could　imagine　was　that　Gabrielle's　eavesdropping　on　the　SFF　meeting　had　undermined　her　trust　in　him　and　she　had　gone　digging　for　evidence。
　How　the　hell　did　she　get　into　my　office！
　Sexton　was　glad　he'd　changed　his　puter　password。
　When　he　arrived　at　his　private　office；　Sexton　typed　in　his　code　to　deactivate　the　alarm。　Then　he　fumbled　for　his　keys；　unlocked　the　heavy　doors；　threw　them　open；　and　burst　in；　intent　on　catching　Gabrielle　in　the　act。
　But　the　office　was　empty　and　dark；　lit　only　by　the　glow　of　his　puter　screensaver。　He　turned　on　the　lights；　his　eyes　scanning。　Everything　looked　in　place。　Dead　silence　except　for　the　triple…tick　of　his　clock。
　Where　the　hell　is　she？
　He　heard　something　rustle　in　his　private　bathroom　and　raced