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these bastards harm a single hair on any child’s head.”
    â€œSpecial ops, stand down,” said Grizzard into his phone. “All cops, FBI, get well away from the perimeter.” Then back to the president, “What now, sir?” His mien and tone of voice both bordered on insubordination.
    President Tyler turned to Dobson and held out his hand for his statements as he surveyed the press corps. A sea of anxious faces, mostly female, some with tears already in their eyes. Tears! And nothing bad had really happened yet, if you didn’t count that poor reporter. Well, tough luck; he hated the press anyway.
    General Seelye spoke up. “Sir, if I may…”
    The president paid no attention to him. Instead he looked at the two statements she had prepared on the plane, read them both over, then handed one back to her. “This one,” he said, crumpling the other up in a ball and letting it fall at his feet.
    Pam hopped to, rushing the statement off to key it into the teleprompter. “We’ll be live in five, Mr. President,” she said.
    President Tyler moved smoothly and easily toward the Oval Office, hair and makeup people trailing in his wake.
    â€œLive in two,” Mr. President,” said Pam Dobson.
    â€œI’m going to reassure the country that everything is under control,” Tyler said, as much to himself as to the press secretary.
    â€œCounting down,” said Pam Dobson. “Four, three, two—we’re live.”
    The camera light blinked red and the president was on.
    â€œMy fellow Americans,” he said. “This morning, shortly before nine o’clock Central Standard Time, a group of armed men commandeered a middle school in Edwardsville, Illinois. As soon as I learned of this, I immediately ordered all public schools in the country to be locked down. So far there have been no reports of any other incidents. Mothers and fathers of America, your children are safe.”
    General Seelye rolled his eyes, but said nothing as the president continued. “As you know, the terrorists—and make no mistake about it, these people, whatever their real or imaginary grievances, are terrorists—have murdered a reporter and announced a series of demands. I won’t dignify them by repeating them here, but suffice it to say that under no circumstances does the United States government negotiate with terrorists. This has long been the established policy of our country, and it will not be changed on my watch.”
    The president took a deep breath and smiled. “That said, however—”
    â€œOh, Jesus,” sighed General Seelye to himself. “Here we go…”
    â€œWe will do everything in our power to ensure the safe release of the some two hundred fifty pupils and teachers at the school.”
    General Seelye shook his head as inconspicuously as possible.
    â€œI have ordered all our embassies and consulates around the world to be put on the highest alert until this crisis is resolved. The safety of Americans everywhere always has been, and will continue to be, my administration’s highest priority.”
    He misted up for a moment, then regained his composure. It was all an act, but it played well on TV. “One thing I can assure you all—we will bring these men to justice. Thank you, and may God bless America.”
    The cameras switched off. President Tyler stood up and looked around the Oval Office. His face grew visibly redder, and then he exploded, “God fucking damn it, how the fuck did something like this fucking happen ?”

Chapter Nine
    V ADUZ , L IECHTENSTEIN
    Paul Pilier switched off the president of the United States, then laid the remote gently upon the polished-crystal table, next to the vase of white roses, careful not to muss the surface in the slightest. “Sir?” he asked.
    The man to whom the question was addressed didn’t so much as look up from the banks of laptops purring