Oath of Office by Michael Palmer Read Free Book Online Page B

don’t you?”
    “I know what you’ve told me, Darlene. And I thank you for that.”
    “I don’t get it,” Kim said. “You were the secretary of agriculture. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t see why anyone would go after you.”
    Evans nodded as though he’d heard that opinion of his former position before. “As Darlene can tell you, there’s a lot more to our part of the government than just making sure food is safe for eating. The work we do touches the lives of virtually every American. It’s our responsibility to provide a sufficient, safe, nutritious food supply, produced in a sustainable and environmentally supportive way.”
    “Doesn’t seem like anybody would want you out of office for that,” Kim said.
    “I suppose the frame-up could have had nothing to do with my being the secretary, but there are lot of variables that go into what we do. We’ve got local food producers pushing an agenda counter to what the major growers demand. Environmentalists lobby hard for more sustainability, and we’ve got technological advancements in fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides to keep track of.”
    Darlene felt a chill go through her and went rigid in her seat.
    Kim noticed and placed a concerned hand on her knee. “You okay?”
    To her great dismay, Evans’s explanation of the issues surrounding farming reminded her of her father, only in the darkest days, before financial reversals and unremitting melancholy caused him to press a shotgun up beneath his chin and pull the trigger.
    Darlene nodded and took a sip from a glass of water. “I’m fine,” she said, knowing that her friend could tell she wasn’t. “Russ, do you have any idea who might have set you up?”
    “Take your pick,” Evans said. “Every decision makes someone a winner and someone a loser.”
    “I wish there were something I could do to help,” Darlene said.
    “Actually, there is.”
    “Name it.”
    The former agriculture secretary’s face tightened. “After Martin told me he intended to appoint me head of the USDA, I began developing a legislative agenda for our first term in office. My aides have a series of bills drawn up that I was going to present to the president when … when I resigned. They involve everything from school lunch requirements to the handling of foods containing genetically modified organisms. I don’t have much I’ll be leaving behind, but I would love to see those bills get submitted by the president and passed. I was hoping that because of your and my history and your commitment to kids’ nutrition, you might help that happen.”
    “Does the president know about these bills?”
    “No. I tried getting them to him, but it was too late. He doesn’t want to hear from me. I’m pretty sure the woman Martin has lined up to replace me has no intention of following through on any of my programs. I’ve got nothing left, Darlene. My friends are bailing on me as if I were septic. My integrity’s been plowed to the roots. These are good, important pieces of legislation. If they go under, my last shred of dignity and purpose goes with them.”
    Darlene bit at her lip and tried to keep Evans’s profound sadness from becoming too much her own. “No promises, but have them sent to me,” she said.
    The three turned as the door behind them was opened by Victor Ochoa.
    “Mrs. Mallory, Ms. Hajjar, I’m sorry for bursting in like this, but there’s been a multiple shooting with deaths in Kings Ridge, Virginia. We feel you should return to the White House until we have more information.”
    “Deaths? Do you know how many?” Kim asked.
    “It looks like seven. We should know more by the time we get you home.”
    Seven people shot to death.
    Darlene felt ill. Countless terrible, vivid images began flashing through her mind. She hadn’t ever told anyone except her husband, but as a teen, she had been the one to discover her father’s body.
    “You just have to make every day precious,” Kim said as they