Read Online The Hammer of God by Tom Avitabile - Free Book Online Page B

from Queens. This was all happening because Bill confided to the agent, who was assigned to protect him, that he didn’t want to be seen as a weenie by the men and women of the various law enforcement agencies over which he now held sway.
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    By the time Bill got to his office that Monday there were just two bioterrorists left at large: one known, one unknown. It seemed that America got lucky this time. But there were a million more bugs out there and millions more fanatics willing to infect themselves as bioterrorists in a slow-motion version of suicide bombing.
    The news that Janice was pregnant made that normally worrisome prospect utterly terrifying to Bill now. Is that what impending fatherhood does to a person: magnify all the sharp edges and pointy things in the world? he pondered as he signed on to his SCIAD net. The top three messages were about Edward Ensiling, a scientist found dead in Vienna. He was a member of many teams that brought about a good deal of innovation and discovery. As the science advisor to the President, Bill sent a memo to the Office of Protocol for the appropriate response or letter to be issued from the President. The office would first run an FBI and CIA background check, because Ensiling was a foreign national, Hungarian, if Bill remembered correctly.
    In the afternoon, Bill came back from a meeting to find an older staffer awaiting him in his office.
    â€œMr. Hiccock, Dave Dwyer from the Office of Protocol. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Dwyer. What can I do for you?”
    â€œYou alerted this office to the demise of one Professor Ensiling and suggested a presidential commendation or letter of sympathy. Your request has been denied.”
    â€œReally? Why?”
    â€œIt seems during the ’60s, the good professor made some enemies within the Air Force and NASA. Those letters in his file are a red flag against any presidential recognition. I am sure you understand.”
    â€œCertainly, although I am amazed. He was a top scientific mind of the last century. But if it’s red flagged it’s red flagged. Thank you for coming over to tell me personally.”
    â€œNo problem, really. I actually wanted to meet you.”
    â€œMe?”
    â€œYes. I followed your college career and, well, let’s just say it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hiccock.”
    â€œIt’s Bill, please, and the pleasure’s all mine, Dave.”
    â€œYour two-minute shootouts, well, they were the most exciting thing in college ball. Still, to this day.”
    â€œWell, thanks, Dave. But you know I had an excellent offensive line. I could have washed my socks, trimmed my nails, and still had time to throw.”
    â€œWell, I’ll be going. Again, a thrill to meet you.”
    â€œHave a good day,” Bill said as Dwyer left.
    Twenty minutes later, Bill was sitting at his desk, deep in analysis of how to defend against the next bio-terror plot. As he sat, he absentmindedly spun and caught a football in one hand, something that he first perfected on the sidelines, as a backup quarterback his sophomore year at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. Using his thumb to pivot the ball in his palm, at regular intervals he would swoop his 3x-size hand over the top and catch the ball in a perfect fingertips-on-the-laces grip. Eight out of ten times, he got it without looking. So inured was his muscle memory and acuity at finding the laces that he actually was able to focus his mind on something else, while performing this mindless feat.
    Ray Reynolds, the President’s chief of staff stood in the doorway hypnotically watching Bill perform this one-handed trick. Eventually, he knocked on the jamb. “Got a minute, Bill?”
    Bill caught the ball mid-twirl and placed it back on the wooden stand on the credenza behind his desk.
    Ray sat down in the chair across from him. “Bill, the boss was very pleased with the way