Read Online Empire by Orson Scott Card - Free Book Online Page A

by that time, whoever’s trying to screw me will have me fully screwed. So I need to climb the screw and find out who’s driving it. Before I get locked in a room somewhere.”
    Cole got it. “So let’s go.”
    Cole dropped his borrowed weapon and Malich did likewise. They began jogging up the hill. When they neared the crest, they broke into a full run, though with Malich in a suit and Cole in uniform, they weren’t in the right clothes for running—especially the shoes.
    Military and emergency vehicles crowded all the available streets around the White House, and survivors were gathering and being triaged and treated on the south lawn. But to get there, there was thelittle matter of a huge crowd of stunned tourists being held at bay by a cordon of soldiers, none of whom would have either the authority or the inclination to decide to let a couple of midlevel officers come prancing through.
    Near the bottom of the hill, Malich veered left to angle toward Constitution Avenue, heading away from the mess just south of the White House grounds. Cole caught up with him and as they ran side by side, Malich explained. “If we go around by way of New York Avenue and State Place, we can try to get in at the southwest gate.”
    As it was, they had to flash ID and do a little bullying even to get
to
the southwest gate, and when they got there the MPs on duty weren’t inclined to converse.
    â€œGet the hell away from here, sirs,” they were told politely.
    Major Malich took a step back and saluted. Confused, the MP saluted back.
    â€œSoldier,” said Malich, “you’re doing your job. But my job is counterterrorism, and somewhere in that wreckage is the man to whom my information about the terrorists who did this must be reported. If he’s dead, I need to know that so I can take this information elsewhere. If he’s alive, then he needs to have it and he needs it now. And I can’t tell you that information, soldier, because I would then be court-martialed, which would be the end of a glorious career.” Then he smiled.
    â€œYeah, well what about
my
career if I get my ass kicked for letting you in after I was told
nobody
gets in?”
    â€œBut they didn’t mean it,” said Cole. “You know if one of the Joint Chiefs showed up he’d tell you to let him through the damn gate and you’d do it.”
    The MP sighed. “I have a feeling this was only the first of many urgent stories I’m going to be told today.” But he let them through.
    Which was when the real chaos began. The policy to admit no one was a good one, Cole saw at once. There were quite a few injuries, and even more weeping and hysteria and catatonia and pacing and panicky conversations and people just standing there clutching briefcases or stacks of file folders, and nobody seemed to be in charge.
    â€œMaybe if you call his name,” suggested Cole.
    â€œNot a chance,” said Malich.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI don’t know his name.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œWe didn’t meet here,” said Malich. “And he told me
a
name, but I have to assume that it wasn’t real.”
    â€œThen how do you know he even worked here?”
    â€œBecause he arranged for me to meet the National Security Adviser at another location and the NSA confirmed that I was, indeed, working for someone who reported to the President.”
    â€œOkay, that would be convincing enough for me,” said Cole.
    â€œI’m not actually an idiot,” said Malich. “You have to go to a little trouble to get me dancing on the end of a string.”
    â€œYou think this guy is the one set you up?”
    â€œIf he didn’t come in to the White House today, then I’ll know something,” said Malich. “If he is but he won’t talk to me, then I’ll know something else.”
    â€œWhat would it mean if he isn’t here? That