“I’m just a grunt with a job to do, sir. The fact of CRIMSON PHOENIX is all that matters to me. It could be a practice exercise for all I know—and for all I care. The protocol is active, so therefore the rules apply. I wish someone had prepared your colleagues better.”

Penn recoiled. That felt like a shot. “What does that mean?”

Johnson piffed. “Oh, nothing. We just have a lot of angst brewing outside. The business of not allowing families is turning out to be controversial. You should know that some of your folks are quitting. One in particular”—he pulled a notebook out of one of the huge pouch pockets in his trousers—“Representative Victoria Emerson, of Virginia—”

“West Virginia,” Penn corrected. “Third District.”

“Yeah, okay. Well, she made me promise to tell you that she hereby has resigned her seat.”

Penn’s heart skipped. “Resigned?”

“Yes, sir. She tried to convince the sentries out front that she should be able to bring her children in with her, but when she was informed that that was impossible—”

Penn had stopped listening to him. He turned to Strasky. “What the hell is Vicky thinking? She knows how slim our majority is.”

Strasky looked bothered. “Come on, Mr. Speaker. She’s a single mom.”

“She’s a member of Congress,” Glendale countered. “She has responsibilities, and those responsibilities require occasional sacrifice.”

“Penn,” Strasky said. “Are you hearing yourself? Be reasonable.”

“Tomorrow I’ll be reasonable,” Penn said. “Today you’ll have to settle for pissed.”

Johnson started to wander off, then stopped himself. “One more thing,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is get in your business, but while you’re discussing this, understand that decisions like hers impact others. For example, I have to find her chief of staff, Oliver Somebody—”

“Mulroney,” Penn prompted.

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I need to find him and tell him to leave. According to Ms. Emerson, I am to tell him to go back to his family.”

Penn cocked his head. “Would you like me to be with you?”

“No, sir, I would not. But generally speaking, I expect people to react badly when they find out that they’ve been demoted from bunker status to radiation catcher. There’s also the security issue.”

Penn and Strasky exchanged looks. “Which security issue is that?”

“He knows about this place,” Johnson said. “He knows what’s going on here, and he knows the kind of details that can’t get out to the world.”

“What are you suggesting?” Penn asked. He had a bad feeling about the way this conversation was headed.

“I’m suggesting nothing beyond the fact that I need dispensation from someone before allowing security protocols to be violated. I must move on now.” He continued his walk in the other direction.

“Wait!” Penn called after him.

“Actions have consequences, Mr. Speaker,” Johnson called over his shoulder. “Actions have consequences.”