you bought for her . . .” Alex had pleaded with him for a motorcycle for the better part of a year. A month ago, Morgan relented and took her into town to the dealerships. She spent the better part of the day test-driving every model, but finally settled on the Ducati Streetfighter. Morgan had never seen her so happy in his life as when she was tearing out of the lot on her new bike, leaving him to trail behind in his car. Jenny, on the other hand, had not been pleased. “I’m afraid she’s taking after you in the worst way, Dan. All this risk-taking. Thrill-seeking, even. It makes me sick with worry.”
“The girl is fine, ” he said, toweling off as he walked back into the room. “She’s tough. She can take care of herself.”
“She’s saying she doesn’t want to go to college now.” Jenny said it as if Alex were running off to join the Hell’s Angels.
“Is that right?” he asked.
“Dan . . .”
“What?” he asked. “She doesn’t need to go to college if she doesn’t want to. Plenty of people don’t, and they do just fine.”
“They end up unemployed or at dead-end jobs.”
“Or they end up owning their own companies and becoming millionaires,” said Morgan. “Let her find her thing. A girl like that? Not having a college degree isn’t going to hold her back from anything she wants to do. And if she ends up wanting to become a doctor or something, she can always go back.”
Jenny looked miffed. “I don’t want you encouraging this sort of thing. It won’t end well, I know it.”
“Let her learn that her actions have consequences, then,” said Morgan. “That’s a more important lesson than anything she’ll learn in college.”
“She’s not you, Dan. I think sometimes you forget how young she is. And how sensitive, deep down. I’m glad you two are bonding and having fun together, I really am. But couldn’t you go fishing or something, for once?”
“She’s old enough to make her own decisions, Jen.”
“Is she? She’s eighteen. I’m not saying she’s not mature. But you don’t have to encourage this kind of thing.”
“Why not, if that’s what makes her happy?” asked Morgan. “I always did, and look where it got me.”
She cast him a sharp sidelong glance. “That’s exactly it, Dan. It’s hard enough having one of you in my life. All I need right now is another member of this family to worry myself sick over. But let’s not talk about it, okay? I just want to be near you.”
Morgan fell asleep with his wife in his arms. For that moment, at least, everything was right in the world. In the morning, he would rejoin the fray.
Chapter 11
May 28
Andover
A lex Morgan had set her alarm for 3:30 in the morning. Her eyes opened when it rang, and she deactivated before it had rung twice. Getting out of bed, she pulled on the sweatpants and T-shirt she had laid out the night before. She didn’t know when her father would leave, so she lay in her bed, listening for signs of stirring in the house. She took the opportunity to browse the news on her phone. Every outlet was blowing up with stories about the abduction of the Secretary of State. Alex hadn’t known much about the man before, but there was no lack of information now.
Secretary of State Lee Erwin Wolfe had been a hero of the Gulf War, collecting medals and, more important, the respect of his men and of his superiors. He’d been conducting his duties as Secretary of State with his characteristic boldness and self-assuredness. His tenure had so far been effective in garnering cooperation from many countries to hunt terrorists and other enemies of the United States. He was friendly when possible, tough when necessary. He was one of those rare figures who was admired on both sides of the aisle.
Alex remained under the covers reading the news until her father got up at five. She heard the sounds of the shower first, then of him going downstairs. After a few minutes she heard the rumble of his car’s engine
“The girl is fine, ” he said, toweling off as he walked back into the room. “She’s tough. She can take care of herself.”
“She’s saying she doesn’t want to go to college now.” Jenny said it as if Alex were running off to join the Hell’s Angels.
“Is that right?” he asked.
“Dan . . .”
“What?” he asked. “She doesn’t need to go to college if she doesn’t want to. Plenty of people don’t, and they do just fine.”
“They end up unemployed or at dead-end jobs.”
“Or they end up owning their own companies and becoming millionaires,” said Morgan. “Let her find her thing. A girl like that? Not having a college degree isn’t going to hold her back from anything she wants to do. And if she ends up wanting to become a doctor or something, she can always go back.”
Jenny looked miffed. “I don’t want you encouraging this sort of thing. It won’t end well, I know it.”
“Let her learn that her actions have consequences, then,” said Morgan. “That’s a more important lesson than anything she’ll learn in college.”
“She’s not you, Dan. I think sometimes you forget how young she is. And how sensitive, deep down. I’m glad you two are bonding and having fun together, I really am. But couldn’t you go fishing or something, for once?”
“She’s old enough to make her own decisions, Jen.”
“Is she? She’s eighteen. I’m not saying she’s not mature. But you don’t have to encourage this kind of thing.”
“Why not, if that’s what makes her happy?” asked Morgan. “I always did, and look where it got me.”
She cast him a sharp sidelong glance. “That’s exactly it, Dan. It’s hard enough having one of you in my life. All I need right now is another member of this family to worry myself sick over. But let’s not talk about it, okay? I just want to be near you.”
Morgan fell asleep with his wife in his arms. For that moment, at least, everything was right in the world. In the morning, he would rejoin the fray.
Chapter 11
May 28
Andover
A lex Morgan had set her alarm for 3:30 in the morning. Her eyes opened when it rang, and she deactivated before it had rung twice. Getting out of bed, she pulled on the sweatpants and T-shirt she had laid out the night before. She didn’t know when her father would leave, so she lay in her bed, listening for signs of stirring in the house. She took the opportunity to browse the news on her phone. Every outlet was blowing up with stories about the abduction of the Secretary of State. Alex hadn’t known much about the man before, but there was no lack of information now.
Secretary of State Lee Erwin Wolfe had been a hero of the Gulf War, collecting medals and, more important, the respect of his men and of his superiors. He’d been conducting his duties as Secretary of State with his characteristic boldness and self-assuredness. His tenure had so far been effective in garnering cooperation from many countries to hunt terrorists and other enemies of the United States. He was friendly when possible, tough when necessary. He was one of those rare figures who was admired on both sides of the aisle.
Alex remained under the covers reading the news until her father got up at five. She heard the sounds of the shower first, then of him going downstairs. After a few minutes she heard the rumble of his car’s engine
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