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Devereaux ignored the anchorwoman’s voice. He and Tory stared at the painting of Napoleon. “Look at that,” Tory said. The Napoleon on the white charger in the picture seemed to have manic eyes as he directed the carnage of battle all around him. He waved a white scepter. “The Ivory Baton!” Tory said. “OIB-FED-N. Norcross or Napoleon, take your pick.”
“What are you mumbling about,” Devereaux said. “C’mon, we’ve got to catch Norcross. Oh why in the hell did those morons take my gun?”
Together, Tory and Devereaux rushed out Billy Norcross’s private side entrance.
As they pushed through the crowd of stunned news people and men with assault rifles outside, he explained: “That guy I was just on the phone with? My people are on their way to capture him—the commanding general of something called the 9595th M.I. (Reserve) over in the Virginia woods. Another bunch of closet goose-steppers from the Wild West. Wanted to know if I work for Norcross and if he should begin the attack on the other side of the city. That was Norcross’s other hidden ace. Good thing we just cut his flank off.” They hurried across the lawn after the fleeing Norcross. A Marine briefly tried to stop them, but Devereaux, cigar butt gritted between his teeth, lifted his shirt collar ends and flapped all eight stars; the boy dropped back looking pale. The jog took them around the side to a small exclusive gravel parking lot hiding under huge pine trees. Devereaux tossed his cigar stub aside. “Listen,” Tory said. She heard the slam of a car door.
“There’s the son of a bitch,” Devereaux said, pointing to a shadow in an expensive car. “The emperor.” Tory moved to arrest Norcross, but Devereaux shook his head. He stopped to light a new cigar. “Wait a moment or two. Let’s give His Imperial Highness a minute alone.” Instead of a car engine starting, they heard a muffled pop. Devereaux said. “Jeez, he didn’t waste any time.”
As they neared the car, Tory smelled a whiff of gunpowder. The air was squalid and gray and filled with burning, but this was an exquisitely specific smell. Tory pulled open the passenger side door. Sitting crumpled against the driver side door was General Billy Norcross. In his left hand, clutched to his gut, was an ivory baton. His right hand loosely cradled the service revolver with which he’d ended his life. The man who would be emperor had his head tilted against the window. His mouth and eyes were open in a vacant expression. Blood, bone, and brains dribbled down the window from the open bowl of his skull.
ALLISON MIRANDA: As we were led to believe in the last hour, we now know that indeed there has been an attempt on the President’s life. That attempt failed, and the saga of the Hotel Generals has spun out a few more surprises.
The President is alive at Bethesda Naval Hospital and is expected to recover.
The Acting President is Rep. Norm Daley of Washington State, Speaker of the House.
General Billy Norcross, the apparent author of this coup attempt, committed suicide minutes ago outside the White House.
Acting President Daley has appointed Rocky Devereaux, an Iowa realtor and Army reservist, Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
President Bradley’s two would-be assassins were shot to death during the assault, by a female U.S. Army officer of the Military Police Corps, we are told.
In an up-to-the-minute poll, more than 90% of American voters appear to favor Cliff Bradley if next year’s presidential election were held today. We believe that is the highest approval rating a sitting U.S. president has ever received.
Reaction to Meredith Cardoza’s statements has been overwhelming. After Mrs. Cardoza accused MCP leaders, including the late Robert Lee Hamilton, of murder, conspiracy, and treason, all but a handful of the elected MCP officials have resigned from the party and said they will form a new organization, the Stability Party. MCP offices in at least 14 states have been sacked and burned by angry mobs. There are reports that at least two state MCP officials, in Maryland and Oklahoma, were dragged into the streets and killed by lynch mobs.
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