“When I found out about the deal with China, I pushed and shouted for that train to be stopped. I spoke about what you and I had learned about Kings Ridge. I even pleaded with Marty that there were more important things in life than being president if it came to that. For the first time, he didn’t simply dismiss me out of hand. He just got real quiet and still, and then asked to be alone. When he called me back into his office, he told me he had spoken with William Chester and told him he was going to cancel the deal with the Chinese. He demanded the train be stopped immediately.”

“But Chester refused.”

“Exactly. There was a lot of money at stake, not just for the corn, but for the technology. Billions, I think.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Lou said.

“Chester said the cargo ships and planes were waiting, and the shipments were going to happen no matter what. He also said that you were totally wrong and the corn had been proved safe through thousands of trials in humans. Martin mentioned the communication you and I had with Edwin, and Chester went ballistic. If he had to, he said, he would divert one of the trains to one of his distribution centers here in the States and give the corn away. Then he would just make a deal with the Chinese himself. Martin decided that Chester had gone over the edge. He sent in a reconnaissance flight and got the report that there were armed guards and that men were being held at gunpoint beside the train.”

“Guess who,” Lou said.

“I know. Well, Martin tried one last time to reason with Chester, but apparently the guy actually hung up on him. That’s when Martin sent in the Rangers. Their instructions were to avoid bloodshed at all costs and take Chester and his men prisoner. But before they could do that, some of Chester’s goons started shooting. You know the rest.”

“I’d like to say I’m sorry, but you, your husband, and the Rangers saved our lives.” Lou chewed on his lip for a time, then reluctantly asked, “So what happens next?”

He could see the answer in her eyes.

“Martin met with his people and discussed if there was a spin they could put on things that would at least get him through to the election. If he just stayed in the race, there was no predicting what might happen. They considered telling the world that a large shipment of drugs was involved, but in the end they decided that there were too many ways things could break down, and they would end up with another Watergate on their hands.”

“So he’s just going to go with the truth.”

“It came down to being guilty of a colossal lapse of judgment, or trying to get away with an equally grand lie.”