Detective Danny Cavanaugh 01 - The Brink

helped by a police officer who has talents and abilities, but who cannot go to his brethren for help. He is a wanted man, a fugitive. What do I do next?
    Brinngg! Brinngg!
    The phone yanked Fantroy from his tea-induced trance. He glared at it and then at the door, past which his secretary was stationed. She knew very well that this was his hour. There were to be no interruptions unless another country was declaring war on England or the King himself had dropped dead.
    Fantroy pressed the speakerphone button. “What is it?” he hissed.
    His secretary offered no apologies but replied with the one phrase that reminded him of his unrelenting duties.
    “Mr. Prime Minister, the president of the United States is holding on line one.”

Chapter 48
    Simon Shilling cracked open the PEOC conference room door. Charlie Jacoby and Rita Rodriguez each had somehow managed to smuggle fresh Starbucks coffees into the secured area. They were both in mid-sip when the door opened. Blake Conway was writing notes on his legal pad while he spun a bottle of water in his hand. Harry Tharp leaned against the wall in the corner, eating sunflower seeds and spitting the shells into a nearby trash can. Benjamin Speakes sat as he had inside the PEOC, motionless with the power of God resting on his lap.
    “He’s ready for you guys to come back in,” Simon informed them. He looked at Speakes. “Ben, could you wait out here for a little while longer?”
    Speakes cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes sir, Mr. Shilling.”
    As soon as everyone had taken their old seats around the conference table, Jack stood up from his chair and tried to sound as official as possible.
    “I just got off the phone with Tony Fantroy. I informed him that we have discovered two suitcase nuclear devices within the District of Columbia and that the plutonium contained within these devices has been traced back to Great Britain. Prime Minister Fantroy has denied any knowledge of these devices but has pledged to conduct a full investigation into the matter.”
    Harry Tharp warmed his vocal cords with an obnoxious grunt. “Mr. President, did you disclose the exact locations of the bombs?”
    “No, Harry. I just ballparked them for him. If Tony does know something about these bombs, he might slip and say something about their locations.”
    Blake interjected. “Mr. President, why would Prime Minister Fantroy have any knowledge of the bombs?”
    Jack turned to Simon and nodded. He sat down and let his chief of staff take over.
    Simon swiveled to face his audience. “You all remember the attempted robbery at the Library of Congress and the break-in at Monticello?” They all nodded. “What you do not know is that the library attempt was not about the rare book that got reported in the news.”
    “The Henry Harrisse manuscript,” Blake clarified. Simon nodded. “Then what were they after?”
    “That’s what we need to talk about—”
    A knock on the door interrupted Simon. Jack stood up and answered it. He opened the door just enough to retrieve the folder that he had sent Agent Peter Devon to the Oval Office to retrieve. Jack closed the door and turned around, clutching an oversized, army-green file folder in his hand. It was sealed shut with three thick bands, each embossed with the presidential seal. Jack returned to his seat and began tearing through each seal.
    Simon waited his thirty seconds after the door was shut and continued, saying, “The thief at the Library of Congress attempted to steal documents originally drafted by the Founding Fathers. We believe the thieves at Monticello stole copies of those same documents.”
    Jack placed the folder on the table and rested his hands on top of it. He eyed every person before speaking. “Let me be crystal clear here, folks. What I am about to show you has been verified by Director of National Intelligence Howard Fielding as pertinent to our national security and is therefore classified information. You are forbidden by law to disclose any part of this conversation to any persons. If you do, be ready to spend the rest of your days confined to a prison cell.”
    Jack went back over everyone in the room. They each gave their own look of understanding. He opened the folder and retrieved the two documents sealed in separate plastic sheets. “Simon and I have met with several experts, including a conservator from the National Archives, who put the documents through a thorough examination. They have all concluded