TAYLOR COULDN’T FALL ASLEEP, SO SHE CUDDLED UP NEXT TO Evan and watched him through the night. When he woke at six, they went to the kitchen to find Jack already glued to the laptop.
“It’s all over the news. People are freaking out,” Jack told her.
“The vaccine?”
“Yes. The CDC is putting out a statement and a number to call if anyone has symptoms. The FDA has recalled the vaccine, of course.”
That was one bright spot in a very dark landscape. Taylor tried to sound upbeat. “Look what you were able to prevent. If you hadn’t been on the story and alerted Scotty to it, our government could have collapsed. Do you realize how huge this is?”
Jack stood up and stretched. “If we hadn’t let Crosse get away, I’d be elated.” He went on, “I’m sorry. I know how you’re trying to make me feel better. We still don’t know if this is Crosse or just some kook working at Licentia who laced the vaccine. We have nothing linking him. It could be one big coincidence. But hell yeah, thank God we stopped that batch.”
“I can’t believe it’s a coincidence. The timing of Licentia’s existence, the testing, the president getting a contaminated vaccine. It’s got Crosse’s fingerprints all over it.”
Jack nodded. “If his plan had succeeded, Hamilton would have taken over. Crosse would have controlled the Oval.”
“It doesn’t make me feel good knowing that the man a heartbeat away from the presidency is in Crosse’s pocket. This failed, but he’ll come up with a new plan. There must be some way to prove Hamilton’s direct involvement. Some kind of trail connecting Crosse to the company? I know Crosse is brilliant, but now the FBI is examining everything. He’s got to be funneling the money somehow,” Taylor said.
“We’ll see. I should have gone in with Scotty, been hiding or something.”
She walked over and put her arms around him. “It’s not your fault, Jack.” She could see he wasn’t receptive, so she switched tactics. “If we wallow in regret, we’re no good. We’ve got to keep thinking like Crosse, figure out what he might do next.”
Jeremy came into the kitchen looking like he hadn’t slept either. “I spoke with Father Basil. They’re postponing the ceremony until Tuesday due to an unexpected delay in the archbishop’s schedule.”
“The coins are at the church now, though, right?” Jack asked. “What if they’re stolen?”
“Yes, but the priest there has no idea that they’re in the icons, and we don’t want anyone else knowing. Father Basil still thinks they should stick to the plan,” Jeremy said. He turned to Taylor with a somber expression. “I have news about your mother.”
She held her breath. “What?”
He shook his head sadly. “She really is deceased. The lawyer is getting her body from the morgue and having it delivered to a local funeral home. They can hold it there until we can tell them what to do.”
Jack took Taylor in his arms and she sobbed, letting her grief envelop her, accepting that she’d lost her mother again, this time forever.
“I’m so sorry,” Jack said in a soothing voice, hugging her tighter.
After awhile, she composed herself. “We can’t even give her a proper burial until this is all behind us. I hate him with every fiber of my being.”
Jack simply nodded, unable to come up with any words of comfort.