Rodgers shook his head. "This one's on me. I owe it to Brett."

Hood said he understood, then asked Rodgers if he wanted to attend the meeting with Senator Fox.

Rodgers declined. "Once a week is enough. Besides, you've always handled her better than I have. I just don't have the touch."

Hood said, "I just tried doing what you do for a living, Mike. You've got the touch all right."

"Then it's settled," Rodgers said. "If we can't persuade her, we put her in a helicopter in cuffs."

"It works for me," Hood said as his assistant, "Bugs" Benet, poked his head from his office down the hall. He informed the director that the Senator had just arrived.

With Rodgers's good wishes following him down the hall, Hood hurried to meet Senator Fox at the elevator.

The woman arrived with her two assistants and a sly expression.

"Good morning, Paul," the Senator said as she stepped out. "Have a restful weekend?"

"When my wife wasn't yelling at me for nearly getting killed, yes."

"Good." They began walking down the hall. The Senator said, "As for me, I wasn't resting. I was trying to figure out how I'm going to lop off heads working for the man who just saved the free world. Did you plan that, Paul? Just to make my life difficult?"

"I can't sneak anything past you, can I?" he replied.

"It'll sure play on Larry King Live," Senator Fox said. "Especially a man in a wheelchair saving Ms. Thompson. That was not only miraculous, it was a PR dream. And the press is positively loving her. Especially since she's been turning down offers to sell movie rights to her ordeal unless she can direct it. Smart cookie."

The group reached Hood's office. They stopped outside.

"Helping Ms. Thompson was Bob's and Mike's doing," Hood said. "Not mine."

"That's right," she responded. "Preserving the melting pot, stopping our cities from being torn apart by riots, ending the career of the world's next great despot. That was all you did. Well, I'm still determined to make cuts, Paul. I owe that to the taxpayer."

Hood said, "We should talk about this in my office. But we should really talk about it alone. There's something I want to tell you."

Fox said, "I have no secrets from my associates. They may not be high-maintenance like your team, but they're mine."

"I understand that," Hood said. "Still, I'd like to have a moment or two alone with you."

Senior Fox said without looking at her aides, "Would you mind waiting here? I'll be right back."

Neil Lippes and Bobby Winter declined Hood's offer to wait in an office. After Senator Fox stepped inside, Hood shut the door.

"Have a seat," Hood said as he walked to his desk.

"I'll stand, thank you," she replied. "This won't take long."