Teddy snatched the cell phone off the passenger seat. “Yes?”
“It’s Kevin. I took out the Capitol, but they have a backup generator.”
“What?” Teddy said irritably.
“Sorry. I couldn’t hack the system so I cut the power lines to the Capitol. Knocked the whole building out. Backup generators kicked in, but they can’t run the voting system. They’re going to have a roll call voice vote.”
“Has it started yet?”
“No, but anytime now. They’re setting it up.”
“I take it the Speaker hasn’t gotten another call?”
“No.”
“Okay, hang in there.”
Teddy tossed the phone on the seat and heaved a sigh of relief. It had been a gamble, knocking out the voting system. Congress could just as easily have decided to postpone the vote until it was working again. But the Speaker had prevailed. They were taking a roll call vote.
Teddy wondered how much time it bought him.
—
THE AIDE REPORTED BACK to the Speaker. “It’s all set. The clerk and some of the aides are keeping track of the votes. And they’ll be keeping a running tally on C-SPAN.”
“Of course,” Speaker Blaine said flatly. “They have power for the TV cameras, but not for the voting machine.”
When the congressmen had more or less reassembled the Speaker gaveled the session to order. “It is time for the roll call vote. Since the electronic method is not working, the clerk will read the roll. When your name is called, stand and respond ‘Aye’ or ‘Nay’ so your vote will be tallied. The clerk will read the motion.”
The bill was read again while the congressmen grumbled. No one listened. They all knew what it said, or didn’t care and were voting party lines.
The clerk proceeded to call the roll. It went smoothly with no real surprises until he got to the Speaker.
“Congressman Charles Blaine, Republican, Ohio.”
The Speaker stood. He looked around the room, paused, and took a breath. “Aye.”
Congress burst into an uproar. There were shouts of protest. Congressmen sprang from their chairs. There were cries for the Speaker’s resignation.
But when the roll was finally resumed, one thing was immediately clear.
Several Republican congressmen, not wanting to be left behind, were joining the Speaker and voting for the motion.
Speaker Blaine sat in silence, watching his political career go up in smoke.
He prayed it was enough to save his daughter.