CHAPTER 23
THREE ANXIOUS HOURS
later, Laura flipped through index cards in the room behind the
Guildhouse conference room. A press conference had been hastily
arranged while she waited for Draigen to conclude business at the
White House. Brinen had refused to leave, insisting his wounds
could wait until his sister was within the protective walls of the
Guildhouse. Security for Draigen had been tripled while she met
with the president, and, despite her protests, she was returned to
the Guildhouse through the garage entrance.
Laura pushed aside those thoughts as she planned
her opening remarks. The noise volume from the next room didn’t
surprise her. The usual group of media people who showed for
briefings had been joined by several more people excited about the
assassination attempt. News was news, even when it wasn’t
good.
Someone fiddled with her hair as she reviewed her
agenda. Rhys was furious with her—with Laura Blackstone—for being
unreachable during an unfolding crisis. Saffin had assumed—rightly,
of course—that Laura was with the Inverni and did everything she
could to cover for her. A few minutes’ delay was excusable, but
Rhys wasn’t satisfied with the story that her cell phone had been
in a dead zone for over an hour. It was a plausible excuse in D.C.,
with all the signal-jamming tech in use across town; but reason and
reality did not always matter when the Guildmaster was angry.
“They’re ready,” someone said.
The door to the conference room opened. Laura
stacked her notes and entered the room. The attending reporters
shifted attention to the front of the room. Conversations died off
as the whir of cameras replaced them. Local and national television
stations crowded in a corner at the back, their techs adjusting the
light and sound instruments.
Laura stepped up to the podium, calm and assured as
if the situation were routine.
She arranged her cards as the room settled. When
she had full quiet, she raised her head with a practiced face of
concern, yet unworried. “Good afternoon. Before we get started, I
have a few schedule announcements. The Guildmaster will be
participating in a briefing regarding today’s events later today.
We’ll set the time within the hour. New security measures are being
implemented in the wake of today’s events. My assistant, Saffin
Corrill, has handouts for everyone regarding same. The Regent
Draigen macCullen sends her regards and thanks all for their
concern.”
She pushed a set of cards aside. “As you are aware,
an attempt on the life of the Inverni regent occurred this morning
at approximately 11:40 A.M. The regent was uninjured and continued
on to her scheduled meeting with the president of the United
States. Lord Guardian Brinen macCullen received
non-life-threatening injuries during the attack. He was treated at
the White House and has already returned to his duties.”
She moved more cards. “At this morning’s incident,
it appears that at least three gunshots were fired, none of which
hit an individual. Lord Guardian macCullen’s injury appears at this
time to be related to a ricochet from the ground. Preliminary
investigation indicates that the shots were fired from an office
building on Pennsylvania Avenue. A body has been recovered, and the
investigation, of course, is ongoing. My office will be keeping you
apprised as more information unfolds.”
She stacked the cards and spread more general notes
in front of her. “I’ll take a few questions now. Saffin will
continue to respond to further inquiries. Dave?”
The reporter from the Washington Post flipped through his notes. “Can you
respond to information being received that the shooter has been
identified as a member of the Inverni Guardians and, if so, which
agencies are taking the lead in the investigation.”
She slid a card across the podium. “I can confirm a
tentative identification has been made but is not being released,
pending further investigation. At this time, the jurisdictional
issues are being discussed and will be resolved by this
evening.”
“Is there any truth to the rumor that the Guild had
received reports that an assassination threat had been received and
did not relay that information to the Inverni staff?” he
asked.
Laura shook her head. “That’s not accurate.
Information is freely shared among Guild members. The Inverni, of
course, are included in these briefings. Jenna?”
Jenna Dahl covered the Guild for the major local
television station. “Do we have a statement from the Seelie Court
or the High Queen Maeve personally regarding today’s events?”
“The High Queen has not made a public statement as
yet, though she has been in direct contact with the Inverni regent
to express her relief at her well-being,” Laura said.
“But no public statement?” Jenna asked.
Laura doodled on one of the cards as if she needed
to remind herself of something. “I do not want to get out ahead of
the Guildmaster, but he will be addressing that issue later today.”
She hoped. She had pressed Rhys for that same information, but he
wouldn’t answer.
“What about the Guildmaster? Any direct comment
from him?” asked Jenna.
“As I said, Jenna, he will be speaking later today.
Fionn?”
The dapper brownie from the online fey newsgroup
sprang to his feet. “Good day, Ms. Blackstone. Can you comment on
the fact that only Inverni were involved in the security of the
regent and what that says about the level of security oversight at
the Guild?”
“Security is handled as an interagency issue. The
on-the-ground staff is selected for personnel appropriate for a
given situation. The Guild is involved in all such issues,” she
said.
She glanced down at the watch she kept on the
podium. A few minutes in, and questions about the Guild’s attention
to the Inverni were causing her to dance. She had warned Rhys that
people would notice.
“Will the reception for the regent be canceled as a
result of today’s assassination attempt?” Fionn asked.
Laura shook her head. “The Guild has always taken
the position that violence will not change the way it functions.
The reception is proceeding as planned.”
“With heightened security?” someone in back called
out.
The television lights prevented her from seeing who
spoke. “That’s a natural consequence. We have no concerns about the
event.”
Publicly, she thought. The heightened security was
going to happen, but any visible increase would pale in comparison
to the backroom anxiety. The reaction was natural, as she said, but
it did cause headaches as everyone scrambled to ensure a security
breach would be someone else’s fault.
The questions continued, the same questions couched
in different terms. It was only a few hours after the shooting, and
everyone in the room was sifting for the right turn of phrase,
perhaps the perfect word to expose what was being withheld. The
reporters were professionals. They knew they would get only the
minimal details until the Guild and the White House had determined
the spin they wanted to be broadcast to the mainstream media.
Laura knew she was part of the game. Her job at the
moment was to remain calm and confident and relay the barest of
details while looking like she was as frustrated by the lack of
information as everyone else in the room. She moved the cards
around on her podium, a small act that implied to observers that
she had important additional facts to be shared if only they asked
the right questions. Of course, she knew more than she was telling.
That the shooter was Inverni. That he was found dead of an essence
wound. That no one on the security teams had admitted to the kill
shot. That, that, that.
It was a game. Everyone knew it. At that moment, it
was a game she didn’t want to play. She had been at the scene and
participated in it. Someone under her watch had been shot at and
almost killed. She did not want to be standing in a room answering
questions. She wanted to be elsewhere, gathering real information
to understand what had happened, not answering others’ questions
with scripted avoidance.
Even when she left the room, she knew she wouldn’t
be able to do what she wanted. Another question-and-answer session
waited for Mariel Tate. You were there. What
went wrong? Who is to blame? Who anticipated this and was ignored?
You were there. What did you do? What should you have done?
More questions for her, but at least the answers would be her
decisions on what to say and how, not the Guildmaster’s or the
Seelie Court’s. At least her answers, yes, but still time away from
what mattered, which was ensuring that something like it didn’t
happen again.
She glanced at the watch again. Thirty minutes had
passed, probably twenty-five more than necessary to pass on the
only information that was to be shared with the public. Time to tie
things up, let people report and speculate while she took care of
her next obligation.
Laura neatened the index cards into a stack, the
visual cue she had trained people to recognize that she wasn’t just
pretending to leave. “Thank you, everyone. We’ll be providing you
with additional updates in memo form as necessary between now and
the Guildmaster’s briefing.”
Without waiting for an interruption, she picked up
the cards and walked toward the back room. Saffin waited by the
door, her hand on the knob, ready to close it behind Laura. As
their eyes met, Saffin’s gaze slid over Laura’s shoulder. She
furrowed her eyebrow.
Behind you, she sent. She
showed no fear or anxiety, so the comment didn’t alarm Laura. As
she turned, she saw Jenna Dahl approaching. Protocol dictated that
no one approach the stage or the podium. It was beyond doubt that
no reporter went near the door to the back room. Since it was
someone of Jenna’s stature, that made it intriguing, so Laura
paused.
“Can I have one moment, Laura?” she asked as she
neared.
“A moment is all I have, Jenna,” Laura replied. She
let the oddity of the situation show by being pleasant yet
curious.
Jenna had worked her way up to anchor quickly and
was known for being fair and firm. People across the political
spectrum criticized her for bias, so the joke was that she was
doing something right. Not unaware of the public perception of
female newscasters, she wore her hair to the shoulder, long enough
to appear feminine but short enough to be no-nonsense. Laura
thought she was probably the only person in the news business who
had darkened her blond hair instead of highlighting it.
Jenna dropped her voice for Laura’s hearing alone.
“I received a call at about 9 A.M. Someone told me to make sure we
had someone at the Guildhouse and not just the White House.”
Laura wasn’t surprised. “All the stations were
there.”
“I don’t think all of them were told to make sure
they filmed continuously,” she said.
Laura pursed her lips. “Did you know the
caller?”
“No,” she said.
Lie, thought Laura, a clear lie. “Do you have
something on tape investigators should see?”
“Not that I can tell. We’re still reviewing.”
Laura smiled with professional detachment in case
someone was watching them. “You know telling me this means I will
have to inform InterSec. They’re gathering evidence.”
“Of course. That’s not why I am telling you. I’m
curious why someone high-level suspected something, but nothing
seems to have been done to prevent it.”
“High-level?” Laura said. She had to. Jenna made
the slip—claiming she didn’t know the caller, then identifying it
as someone high-level.
“I’m confirming that. I thought I’d let you know,
though. I’d appreciate it if you would provide me with any
information when you can,” she said.
A deal, Laura thought. Not a deal with the devil
that the public might think. Jenna had told her something
important, something she hadn’t reported and was letting Laura know
that a two-way communication might benefit them both. It would, but
neither of them could come right out and say that. “Of course,
Jenna. I’m sure we’re all interested in the truth here.”
Jenna nodded. “Of course. It’s a question that
needs answering.”
Laura gave her a brief friendly touch on the arm.
“I’ll let you know.”
She walked into the back room, and Saffin closed
the door behind her. “Everything all right?” she asked.
Laura sighed as she removed her wireless
microphone. “It was nothing.”
Saffin worried enough about her. She didn’t need to
add to it unnecessarily.
As Laura made her way to the elevator, she wondered
who the high-level person was and where. Guild? American
government? InterSec? Someone, indeed, knew something and hadn’t
said anything. Jenna was right to wonder why. It was a good
question.
First, she had to face other questions. As she rode
up to Draigen’s floor, she knew that Mariel Tate’s day wasn’t going
to get better.