When they reached the edge of the debris pile, Stacy was crouched outside near the governor, peering through the maze of steel and splintered wood. It looks as if the main thing trapping her is that crossbeam, Stacy told Harlan as he hunkered down beside her. She pointed to a large steel support bar that once had been one of the stabilizing structures for the dais. It didnt look particularly heavy, but the way the bar was wedged between the ground and clumps of the fallen platform, it wouldnt budge. Lila was effectively pinned in place, unable to move more than a couple of inches in any direction.
Youre a big, strappin fellow. Cant you move it? Lila asked.
Harlan smiled. No, maam, Im afraid its probably going to have to be cut apart to get you out. Especially with his hand being half-useless.
What about coming at it from the back side? Stacy asked. Lila cant turn around because of the debris blocking her, but if I could crawl in and move some of the looser pieces out of the way-
No way Im letting you go under there, Harlan said.
Now youve done it, Lila murmured.
Letting me? Stacy stared at him as if she couldnt believe what shed just heard. Not your call, Mr. McClain. If theres even a chance theres a secondary explosive device-
There probably isnt.
But if there is, and someone timed it to go off when it would do the most damage, the governor needs to be out from under there now. Stacy moved away, peering through the remains of the dais-no doubt in search of the best place to enter the maze of rubble. Harlan didnt know whether she was as crazy as a loon or incredibly brave.
If I go in here and crawl through that narrow breach over there, I can reach the debris blocking the governor from behind, she said, sparing him a quick look.
He bit back his opinion that she was nuts to even try going into that mess, taking a look at what she was proposing instead. She was right about one thing-the path shed pointed out definitely appeared to be the best angle of attack, and nobody any bigger than Stacy would be able to navigate the tight space.
But the plan was as risky as hell.
Stacy, you dont need to take foolish chances here, Lila called, drawing her aides attention back to her. Theyll get to me sooner or later, the governor added with a wry smile. One of the perks of the job, you know.
Stacy bent down by the opening to make eye contact with the governor. Waiting could be dangerous, Lila. We need to get you out of there.
Think about Zachary, honey.
For a second, Stacys face seemed to melt, her dark eyes liquid and soft, making Harlan wonder who the hell Zachary was. Then her shoulders squared, her chin jutted forward and she met Harlans curious gaze.
I can do this. The structure isnt going to get any more stable if we wait, and I probably have more close-quarters rescue training than any of these first responders.
Before Harlan could respond, an emergency medical technician rounded the corner and spotted them. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the governor buried under the debris, and he squatted next to Stacy.
Im not badly hurt, I dont believe, Lila said in a firm, strong voice that seemed to relieve the EMT. Im just stuck.
I have a plan to get to her, Stacy said. She told the EMT what she had in mind.
Harlan hoped the man would tell her shed lost her mind-maybe shed listen to him. But the EMT nodded. Thatll probably work, as long as you dont dislodge anything supporting the pile. I can get you a hard hat and some protective gear-
Ill take the hat, but the gear will be too bulky to let me get through there.
Be right back. The EMT hurried away.
Ill take the hat, but the gear will be too bulky to let me get through there.
Be right back. The EMT hurried away.
I thought he was going to tell you to stay out of his way and let him do his job, Harlan murmured.
He knows me. I gave a cave extraction seminar for the Austin Fire Department a couple of months ago.
Harlan shook his head. Who are you?
Stacy shot him a faint smile. Im the daughter of an Ozark Mountain search and rescue coordinator. I was helping pull people out of caves before I started high school.
Youre sure you want to do this? Harlan asked.
Yes. Stacy looked scared but determined. And wed better get to it, fast, she added, her gaze sliding past him.
Harlan turned, following her gaze to find a convoy of news vehicles approaching the capitol grounds.
Get your game face on, Stacy muttered. Were about to be TV stars. She spotted the EMT returning with a hard hat and hurried to meet him, clearly eager to get to work.
Harlan dragged his attention away from her to watch the approach of the news crews. This whole mess was about to get a thousand times messier.
Right now, he thought, Id rather be in Iraq.
You can do this, Stacy. Its just like a cave.
If a cave were made of twisted steel poles and splintered slabs of wood, that was. And if she were really executing a cave rescue, the hard hat on her head would have a carbide lamp attached, enabling her to see more than three or four feet ahead of her. Instead, it just pinched the scrape on her temple that the EMT had patched up for her before she entered the remains of the dais.
You okay in there? Harlan McClains gravelly drawl sounded as if he were standing a quarter mile away, even though shed crawled no more than a few yards into the debris field.
So far, she called back, wincing as her palm pressed down onto something sharp-a piece of metal, she saw, bent out of shape and unrecognizable.
Of course, those adjectives could describe almost everything that lay in crumpled heaps around her. If she hadnt seen the dais in all its bunting-draped glory beforehand, shed never have recognized what it was in the aftermath of the bomb.
Carefully moving aside several twisted pieces of metal frame blocking her path forward, she called out to Lila. Still hanging in there with me, Governor?
You bet, sugar!
Stacy smiled. Im about ten yards from your position, Governor. You just get ready for your close-up.
Damn, I left my lipstick in my other purse.
Atta girl, Stacy thought. Thats the woman whos going to be the next President of the United States.
Carefully, she carved a twisting path for herself through the debris, keeping a mental map in her head. Forward about four yards, then left another three. That should put her in reach of the large chunk of tangled metal pinning Lila in position. If she could clear enough of that mess to free the governor to move around, she could get her out to safety.
I need a little more line, she called to the EMT holding the safety rope biting into her waist. The line slackened and she moved gingerly forward. Finally, she spotted the governors wavy blond hair, now ashy from the dust and debris caused by the bombs destruction.
I see you, Governor.
Im a mess, arent I?
Stacy chuckled. Never. She edged around a pole that leaned at a precarious angle, barely holding up a large piece of the stage that could crash down on top of them at any moment. She cleared the hazard and took a sharp left as planned.
Then she froze.
Strapped to the large chunk of steel that formed the obstacle between her and the governor, an electronic device blinked ominously, its smooth facade attached by colorful wires to what looked like pumpkin-colored bricks.
Governor, dont move. Not one inch.
What is it? Lila asked.
Stacy spotted movement outside the fallen dais, jeans-clad legs moving toward the governors position. Harlan McClains rugged face came into view as he hunkered down to get a better look at what was happening. His dark eyes met hers. Is something wrong?
Stacy licked her lips. By now, she knew, there must be scores of reporters outside. Whatever she said next could create chaos if she let her rising panic show.
Lowering her voice, keeping the tone as calm as possible, she said, I think theres a second explosive device. And it looks big. You need to start clearing the area. Now. But try not to start a panic.
Harlan moved quickly, disappearing from her sight. A few seconds later, she saw a rush of movement outside the steel-and-lumber cocoon as the EMTs and bystanders responded to whatever Harlan had told them.
You need to get out of here, Lila urged, her voice low and serious. Zachary needs you a hell of a lot more than I do.
I cant go, Governor, Stacy answered, wishing it werent true. Lila was right. Zachary needed her, even more than most kids his age. She was his biggest advocate and his most devoted fan. But what she wanted didnt change the facts on the ground. The bomb squad is going to need me.
Now youre an explosives expert? Lila retorted tartly. Any other hidden talents I should know about?
Thats not what I mean, Stacy answered bleakly. Theres a support beam between here and there thats about thirty degrees shy of falling over and bringing this whole pile of junk raining down on us. I was barely able to get around it without jarring it out of place.
What are you saying? It was Harlan McClains voice, not Lilas, that answered her. Stacy looked up and found him staring at her with wide, worried eyes.
Im saying that maybe the governor and I are small enough to crawl out of here without bringing this pile of junk down, but I dont think a man could make it through safely-certainly not wearing a bomb-resistant suit. She tamped down the panic rising in her throat. I dont think theres going to be any way to disarm this bomb without me.
Chapter Two
Stacy Giordano was right about one thing, Harlan decided, peering up at the slab of wood and steel propped up precariously by the tilting support beam Stacy had described. There was no way anyone bigger than a medium-size woman would ever get through the narrow gap between the beam and another pile of teetering debris without bringing everything crashing down on top of the whole pile.
She appeared in the space ahead of him, considerably grimier than shed looked when she entered. As she reached him, she held out her cell phone. There was a photo called up on the phones small display window. This is the device.
He took care not to touch the teetering support pole as he took the phone from her and looked at the image on the display window. He tried not to react as he saw the orange bricklike cakes of material attached to the bomb. Semtex, he said aloud. Industrial grade-not that it makes much difference.