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philosophy.
    This was the most consequential crossroad of her life. Reservations and fear engulfed her. If she accepted the offer and David and she were defeated, it could be a bitter end to a promising career. But Kate had always been a warrior. She hadn’t climbed the political ladder without taking immense risks. Why should she change her aggressive posture now?
    “OK, Mr. Rodgers, there are a few issues we obviously need to negotiate, but unless you confess that you’re a communist or a serial killer, I think it’s safe to assume that you’ve got yourself a running mate.”
    They both stood up as if on cue. David Rodgers firmly shook her hand. He pulled Kate close and embraced her. She gazed at the moose over the doorway. She thought she saw a reassuring wink.
    ***
    Leonard LaPlant carefully studied the lab report. It wasn’t very often that he was affected by death; he’d performed over three thousand autopsies. But moisture from his trembling fingers pressed damp spots into the paper. He swiveled in his chair, faced the cluttered credenza, and reached for the telephone. The medical examiner reviewed the lab report one more time just to be sure he had read it right.
    Unknown toxin. Organic origin
.
    “Lord in heaven.”
    He dialed Charles McDermott’s private number as instructed.
    ***
    Kate waited by the curb on Pennsylvania Avenue, moments before the funeral procession began. Elizabeth Rodgers, sobbing uncontrollably, was by her side. Charles McDermott stood to her right, and Peter stood slightly behind her. Kate’s jacket pockets were stuffed with damp Kleenex. She clutched her black handbag. The procession moved slowly. Kate struggled to inhale a breath of the thick, sultry air. Her chest felt compressed, as if her lungs were lined with concrete. She looked up at the billowing clouds, expecting a downpour any minute. Kate felt sure that this quiet tribute to a noble patriot would sweep the nation. David Rodgers’s coffin, draped in Old Glory, proceeded ahead of them. From around the globe, sorrowful sobs echoed in the air; tears flowed from loyal supporters, friends, loved ones, and mournful citizens. In less than a year in office, he had captured the hearts of all Americans.
    Like a sudden storm that emerges without warning, Kate felt the full impact of her loss. She could not deny that David and she’d had their political differences, but he had not merely been the president; he was a friend, a confidant, a mentor. He was a visionary who could have affected the course of history. The burden now rested on her shoulders, and she could feel the enormous weight buckling her knees.
    For the first time in her adult life, the secure, confident farm girl from Kansas realized that she was standing in a pool of quicksand from which there was no escape.
    ***
    It was a private meeting.
    Only ethnocentric Germans could become members, not one drop of mongrel blood, only pure Aryan for three generations. Their vow was for life—a pledge to follow the doctrines unconditionally.
    It was not a group that accepted resignations.
    In a run-down, abandoned building in Oak Grove, Alabama, Jakob Hoffman stood before the Disciples of the Third Reich; his ice-blue eyes stared intensely at the chosen one. Soon, Hoffman’s blood brother would achieve a great honor. He swept a calloused palm across his shaved head and wiped away the sweat. Hoffman clenched his fist and pounded it against his bare chest. “It’s time to prove yourself, brother.” He lifted the newspaper and pointed to President Miles. “Slaughter this swine like the pig she is.”
    Guenther Krause gaped at the picture, partially in shock, but intensely aroused.
    “I’ll bleed her like a fat hog.” He removed the black bandana from his head and bowed toward Hoffman. “When do I gut the bitch?”
    “As soon as we hear from Krieger in Washington.”

CHAPTER THREE
    Kate quickly discovered that the Oval Office was not a secure environment for one-on-one