“Well,” Angela added, “if it was a bold political statement he was trying to make, he seems to have succeeded.”

“Calling this a bold political statement,” Ito quipped, “is like saying the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor was simply an expression of their displeasure over American foreign policy.”

“Oh, come on. What happened this morning was not a declaration of war,” Angela chided her coworker. “While I think it’s more than a stunt, I doubt if this will go any further than an exchange of tersely worded phone calls and the usual exchange of political bombast and heated rhetoric. Within two weeks all the talk show hosts will be back to talking about the O.J. trial and who killed JonBenét.”

“Well, let’s hope you’re right,” Jan stated as she forced herself to put a check on her imagination. After all, she told herself as she turned back to watch the TV monitor and await instructions from the World News Network center, I now have two people that I need to worry about if things get really stupid.

THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION, BOISE, IDAHO • MORNING, OCTOBER 30

After mashing the button on the remote that controlled the small TV he kept in his office and chucking the remote onto his desk, GO Thomas spun about in his seat to face his Attorney General. “Tell me again how it is that you somehow got it into your head that you didn’t need to call me before you staged this little disaster?”

From his seat Attorney General Thomas Jefferson Osborn shrugged. “There wasn’t much time from when we received confirmation that the transfer was about to go down and the arrival of the FBI team from Quantico. As it was we barely had enough time to scrape up the units we needed in order to cover all the bases.”

Thomas made no effort to hide the incredulity he felt over this lame excuse. “Tom, how many times have I told you that you can’t bullshit a bullshitter.”

Mustering up his best righteous indignation, Osborn shot back without hesitation. “We had no choice, GO. The only thing we would have accomplished by contacting you before this went down would have been to destroy your ability to deny that you were part of it.”

Jumping out of his seat, Thomas slammed his hand down on the surface of his desk. “For Christ sake! I’m the governor of this state! I’m suppose to be in charge here!”

In response Osborn also came to his feet. “Then start acting like it, by God.”

For a long, tense moment the two men glared at each other. Only after the heat of the moment had passed did Thomas look away. “You’re right, Tom. As always, you’re right.”