The woman had already heard enough. She fixed a glare on her son.

"Louis, it's five thirty in the morning and you haven't finished your route. And how many times have I told you—?"

"Never to talk to strangers. I know. I know. But he was lying by the fence in the lot down the street and . . . and I thought he was dead or at least drunk. He's neither, just someone who throws up and needs help to call his boss."

"In the White House."

Gabe could see the woman softening and knew that she had probably never stayed angry at her son for very long.

"In the White House," Gabe echoed. "Can I explain?"

The woman studied him for a few moments; then, without a word, she turned and walked back down the hall, returning with a pair of sweatpants, a towel, and a black long-sleeved T.

"These belong to Louis's brother, Shaun," she said. "He's working nights stocking shelves until he goes away to school in the fall. They should fit, even though Shaun's taller. Sorry, we got no extra shoes. You can change down the hall in the bathroom. Put your clothes into this plastic bag. Then we'll talk about just who you are and how we might be able to help you."

Once in the bathroom, Gabe headed to the sink, then took a quick look at himself in the mirror and chose to shower instead. He absolutely had to connect with Drew. It seemed clear that at some point Lily Sexton or whoever she worked with, employing scientific techniques that Drew was planning on placing under strict government controls, was going to either end the president's life or ruin his career.

Ironic.

The question now was whether or not Ferendelli's death and Gabe's escape would alter some sort of timetable. If so, Drew might be in immediate danger, quite possibly from someone close to him, and Gabe, having exchanged information with Ferendelli before his murder, was now undoubtedly considered a serious threat.

He toweled off and put on Shaun's clothes, which weren't at all the mismatch his mother had predicted. Probably unkempt, filthy, and sodden Gabe was unimposing enough to appear smaller than he was.

"Now that's better," Louis's mother said, surveying Gabe.

She handed him a mug of coffee, determined that he drank it black, and introduced herself as Sharon Turner.

"Mrs. Turner," Gabe said, "I'm very grateful to Louis and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your trust and all you've done. It must have been quite a shock seeing me like I was. Now, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know the name of the man you recently replaced at the White House," she said, with some mirth in her expression at his surprise.

"Ferendelli. Dr. James Ferendelli."