‘We don’t know, but we’re doing all we can to make sure it doesn’t escalate.’
‘I won’t feel safe until I’m with you. What time will you be home?’
Kai hesitated, then told her the truth. ‘I’m not sure I’m going to get home at all tonight.’
‘It’s really bad, isn’t it?’
‘It might be.’
‘I’m going to pick up Mother and bring her to our apartment. You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Of course not.’
‘I just don’t want to be alone tonight,’ said Ting.
*
Pauline took off her clothes in the Lincoln Bedroom and got into the shower. She had a few minutes to freshen up and change: today of all days she could not wear a jeans jacket.
When she got out of the shower Gerry was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing pyjamas and an old-fashioned wool dressing gown.
He said: ‘Are we about to go to war?’
‘Not if I can help it.’ She picked up a towel. Suddenly she felt embarrassed to be naked in front of him. That was odd, after fifteen years of marriage. She told herself not to be so foolish, and began to rub herself dry. She said: ‘You’ve heard of Raven Rock.’
‘A nuclear bunker. Are you planning to go there?’
‘Somewhere similar, but more secret. And yes, we may have to go there today. You and Pippa should be ready.’
‘I’m not going,’ said Gerry.
Pauline knew immediately how the rest of the conversation would go. He was going to tell her that their marriage was over. She was half expecting it, but all the same it hurt. ‘What do you mean?’ she said.
‘I don’t want to go to a nuclear bunker, now or later, with you or without you.’ He stopped and looked at her, as if he had said enough.
Pauline said: ‘You don’t want to be with your wife and daughter if war breaks out?’
‘No.’
She waited, but he did not explain why.
She put on her bra, panties and tights, and felt less uncomfortable.
He was not going to say what needed to be said, so she would have to. ‘I don’t wish to torture you or even cross-examine you,’ she said. ‘Tell me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure you want to be with Amelia Judd.’
A series of emotions crossed his face: first surprise; then curiosity as he wondered how she knew and decided not to ask; then shame that he had deceived her; and finally defiance. He tilted his chin up. ‘You’re right,’ he said.
She voiced her greatest fear. ‘I hope you’re not going to try to take Pippa with you.’
He looked thankful to be asked an easy question. ‘Oh, no.’
For a moment Pauline was so relieved that she could not speak. She looked down and raised a hand to her forehead, hiding her eyes.
Gerry said: ‘I don’t even need to ask Pippa about it, because I know what she’ll say. She’ll want to stay with you.’ He had obviously thought about this and made a decision. ‘A girl needs her mother. I get that, of course.’
‘Thank you for that, anyway.’
She dressed in her most authoritative outfit, a black skirted suit over a silver-grey merino sweater.
Gerry did not leave. He had not finished. He said: ‘I don’t believe you’re innocent.’
That took her by surprise. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ve got someone else. I know you.’
‘It doesn’t really matter now but, for the record, I haven’t had sex with anyone else since we started dating. I’ve thought about it lately, though.’
‘I knew it.’
He wanted to squabble but she was not going to do that. She felt too sad to have an argument. ‘What went wrong, Gerry?’ she said. ‘We used to love each other.’
‘I think all marriages run out of steam sooner or later. The only question is whether the couple stay together out of laziness or split up and try again with other partners.’
That was so shallow, she thought. It’s nobody’s fault, really, it’s just normal life, and yadda yadda yadda: that was more of an excuse than an explanation. She did not believe it for a second, but she felt no impulse to contradict him.
Gerry got off the bed and went to the door.
Pauline raised a practical issue. ‘Pippa will be awake soon,’ she said. ‘You have to be the one to tell her we’re breaking up. You have to explain it to her as best you can. I’m not going to do that for you.’
He stopped with his hand on the door handle. ‘All right.’ He was clearly unhappy about it, but he could hardly refuse. ‘Not now, though. Maybe tomorrow?’
Pauline hesitated, but on balance she was glad of the delay. Today of all days she did not want to deal with a traumatized teenager. ‘Then at some point we have to announce this publicly.’
‘No rush.’
‘We can discuss how and when. But please don’t let the news slip out. Be discreet.’
‘Of course. Amelia’s worried about it too. It’s going to affect her career, obviously.’
Amelia’s career, thought Pauline; I don’t give half a shit about Amelia’s career.
She kept that to herself.
Gerry went out.
Pauline took from her jewellery casket a gold necklace with a single emerald and drew it over her head. She checked herself in the mirror quickly. She looked presidential. Good enough.
She left the Residence and returned to the Situation Room. ‘What’s happening?’ she said.
Gus answered. ‘President No is putting more and more pressure on the ultras, but they’re holding out. The Chinese still seem to be thinking about how to react to the sinking of the Fujian – they haven’t done anything yet, but they will. You’ve had phone calls from the presidents and prime ministers of many nations including Australia, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore and India. An emergency session of the United Nations Security Council is about to begin.’
‘I’d better start returning calls,’ Pauline said. ‘Start with Japan.’
Jacqueline said: ‘I’ll get Prime Minister Ishikawa.’
But the first call Pauline got was from her mother, who said: ‘Hello, dear. I hope you’re okay.’
Pauline could hear a car engine. ‘Mom, where are you?’
‘We’re on I-90 just outside Gary, Indiana. Your father’s driving. Where are you?’
‘I’m in the White House, Mom. What are you doing in Gary?’
‘We’re heading for Windsor, Ontario. I just hope it doesn’t snow before we get there.’
Windsor was the closest Canadian city to Chicago, but it was still almost three hundred miles away. Pauline’s parents had decided America was no longer safe, she realized. She felt dismayed, though she could hardly blame them. They had lost faith in her ability to protect them. So had millions of other Americans.
But she still had a chance to save them.
She said: ‘Mom, please call me to let me know how you’re getting on. Don’t hesitate, okay?’
‘Okay, dear. I hope you can make everything all right.’
‘I’ll do my best. I love you, Mom.’
‘We love you too, honey.’
As she hung up, Bill Schneider said: ‘Missile warning from the infra-red satellite.’
‘Where?’
‘Wait . . . North Korea.’
Her heart sank.
Gus, sitting next to Pauline, said: ‘Look at the radar.’
Pauline saw the red arc. ‘Just one missile,’ she said.
Bill was wearing the headset that kept him in permanent contact with the Pentagon. He said: ‘It’s not aimed at Seoul – it’s too high.’
Pauline said: ‘Where, then?’
‘They’re triangulating – just a minute – Busan.’
It was South Korea’s second city, a huge port on the south coast with eight million inhabitants. Pauline buried her head in her hands.
Luis said: ‘This wouldn’t have happened if we’d nuked Yeongjeo-dong an hour ago.’
Pauline ran out of patience suddenly. ‘Luis, if all you can say is I told you so, why don’t you just shut the fuck up.’
Luis went pale with shock and anger, but he fell silent.
She said to no one in particular: ‘Let’s see a satellite photo of the target city.’
An aide said: ‘There’s scattered cloud but you can see a lot.’