16

GRAVITY CANYON, NEW ZEALAND

Air currents rushed around Sean’s body as he plummeted at a speed of over 150 miles per hour. His friends were right. This was the ultimate rush—free-falling 50 meters into the Mokai Canyon above the Rangitikei River. Even better than zip-lining over the Great Wall of China in Simatai at nearly 100 miles per hour last year.

“Woo-ahh!” was all he could say with the breath nearly knocked out of him. So he simply grinned and gave his other three adrenaline-seeking friends a thumbs-up.

Ian Jones, CEO of Overland Adventures, grinned back. “Told you. Major rush!”

The Rangitikei District was south of the Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe volcanoes on the central North Island of New Zealand. Sean and his friends had crammed into a Jeep, driven State Highway 1, and gone off-roading for a couple of days to explore the area. This afternoon the weather had been perfect for zip-lining.

Sean was ready to put his feet up at the River Valley Lodge. He even loved its nickname: the Adventure Lodge. He and his friends planned to thoroughly enjoy the hot tub and then the farm-style dinner.

Tomorrow they’d enjoy one of the supposed best Grade 5 white-water rafting trips in the world—down the Rangitikei River.

Sean had been in overdrive mode the past several weeks visiting potential start-ups. Now that he’d decided to set his sights on the governor’s mansion in Albany, he had a sudden urge to visit as many far-flung places as he could and pay closer attention to several of the critical start-ups in his portfolio. He had to do it now, because the campaign would suck all the oxygen out of the room soon enough.

He’d put his travels with friends on the back burner during Will’s campaign. That had included the trip to New Zealand they’d discussed for over a year. For Sean, travel—whether for the start-ups or with friends—was a good thing. It energized him, connected him more deeply with his ever-widening social circle, and helped him duck his family’s phone calls when he didn’t want to answer.

Ever since the end of the Senate race, he’d felt disenfranchised from Will in particular, and his father as usual. Bill’s backing of Will and disregard for Sean picking up the pieces made Sean even more determined to show his father what he could do. He was tired of playing second fiddle in the family orchestra.

He texted Sarah often but was reticent to pick up his mother’s calls. The strong woman he’d grown up with had become pensive, worried, and often tearful. He was weary of her asking him if he was all right and encouraging him to come for dinner. Instead he hit the road.

But as he headed back in the Jeep to the River Valley Lodge, restlessness stirred again. He shook his head to clear it. He was on an exotic adventure many would only dream of, with great friends who had become family to him. So why was it in the midst of the fun he still struggled with the uncomfortable notion that there was a piece missing in his life? That no matter where he went, he longed for a more permanent connection, a place for his heart to land?

He knew what his sister would say—that only God could fill that hole. In the past couple of years, Sarah had turned more religious than he was comfortable with. She’d even given him a compact Bible for Christmas last year and pestered him to read it for himself.

“How can you dismiss something you’ve never even read?” she’d challenged him once. “Maybe you’re not as smart as I give you credit for.”

Sean hadn’t even cracked the book open once. Maybe because he disliked anyone telling him what to do, especially a family member. Or maybe because only in places like Nepal was it natural for him to reflect on a God who otherwise seemed elusive and disconnected from his life. Ironically, he carried that small book in his luggage wherever he went. It comforted him like the ragged blanket he used to sleep with and drag around with him when he was a toddler.

Funny how, when he was born, his mom had insisted he be called Sean. He felt anything but “favored by God.” In fact, in the midst of wealth, privilege, and traveling the world, he felt . . . lost. That was the only way to describe the ache inside that descended upon him in the quiet moments.

For now, that restlessness would keep him globe-trotting, searching for adventure.

Eventually, though, he’d have to settle somewhere. What then?

LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

It was finally quiet in the house at 11:00 p.m. The man shut the large double doors to his study and waited for the 11:30 call. He answered the instant it rang.

“The DOJ noose is tightening around Sandstrom,” his contact told him. “And he’s highly nervous. He’s trying to rein in Carson. I think he suspects Carson’s got a side deal going on. Everybody knows Carson is Sandstrom’s bagman for dirty work. Just never have been able to prove it. But word is, Carson has made himself a little ‘unavailable’ for Sandstrom lately.”

The information was exactly how the man liked it—condensed and straightforward. He narrowed his eyes. So let’s see how much hardball Carson will play.

Aloud he told his contact, “Keep eyes on Sandstrom, Carson, and the White House. We need to know their next moves even while they’re thinking about them.”

“Will do.”

The man behind the mahogany desk knew it would be a long time before he would sleep.

GRAVITY CANYON, NEW ZEALAND

As Sean’s eyes drifted shut at 3:00 a.m., his cell rang. It was Elizabeth. He hadn’t heard from her in several weeks. Likely she was in the midst of a big research project.

“Hey, Mr. Night Owl,” she teased, “you sound a little sleepy. Where are you, and what are you up to?”

“Gravity Canyon,” he replied.

“So you did it—the ultimate rush. And?”

“It was everything they said it would be and more.”

“Don’t think I’d ever be that brave . . . or that stupid.”

He laughed. Yes, Elizabeth was rooted—rooted to the ground and perfectly at home on the ocean. But plummeting to earth was not her idea of a good time. She’d been clear about that when he’d asked her to accompany him once.

“Jon said something similar.”

“He told me that too. But he added another word—crazy.”

“Yeah, well . . .” He couldn’t help it. He had to ask. “Were you able to see Jon while he was in town?”

“Don’t know how, but we finagled a whole afternoon and evening. Even did the touristy thing—visited the Space Needle and had dinner at the SkyCity Restaurant.”

Again Sean was stabbed with jealousy. Why hadn’t he scheduled to join them? He could have carved the time out of his start-up trips. Get a grip, buddy, he told himself. You weren’t there. And why shouldn’t two friends get together?

Still, he decided he needed to swing by the University of Washington soon.

“And Sean . . . ,” Elizabeth hedged, “you sure you want to get into politics for yourself?”

“Why? Do you find that so hard to believe?” Annoyance crept into his tone.

“Whoa. Don’t get feisty with me,” she shot back. “I’m only asking because it’s never been something on your grid. At least that you’ve talked with me or Jon about.”

So they discussed me and my next move. Sean hated that. It felt like betrayal.

“Neither of you know everything about me,” he said.

“Evidently not,” she replied quietly. “When you want to discuss and be civil, call me. Otherwise, have a good day.” Elizabeth ended the call.

Have a good day? Elizabeth was the last person on earth to throw out something as banal as that. Nor was she the type of person to hang up on anyone. That meant she was really angry.

Well, he wasn’t happy himself . . . or with himself.

Maybe that U of WA trip needed to wait awhile until he wrestled with his feelings and made a definite decision, one way or another, about Dr. Elizabeth Shapiro.