Paradise Falls (51 page)

Jacob took the handkerchief and dried his eyes.

“You see that man James is talking to? Don’t look directly at him.”

Jennifer took a quick glance, without turning his head. “With the eyepatch?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“Who is he? You know him?”

“Yes,” said Jacob. “Better than I’d like. I told you I was taken captive after my vehicle was destroyed. Remember?”

She nodded.

“That man… the call him al Naab. The Fang. He was their leader. He’s the one who cut me up.”

Jennifer’s mouth fell open. She started to look again but stopped herself, looked back at him. Jacob stood to his full height and focused on making himself totally calm, still.

“Look who’s coming to dinner,” he sighed.

“Let’s leave.”

“No,” said Jacob. “We’re here now and we need to see this through. He opened his coat, glanced at the screen. “The upload has started. We stay for a while longer and I can get access to James’ computer.”

Jennifer nodded. “Fine. Let’s go eat.”

11.

There were place cards, thank God. Jacob pulled out her seat and smoothly sat down next to Jennifer. Dinner was to be served at a single set of tables arranged in a U-shape, around the servers, and Jennifer thanked God for that. The man next to her was a stranger and she pointedly turned away to avoid conversation. Jacob did the same, leaning in towards her. A girl in a crisp uniform came around, offering Jennifer a
menu
. The selection wasn’t huge, but she and Jacob ordered. Jennifer was not in the mood for beef, so she asked for the pheasant.

“I’ve never had pheasant,” she mused to Jacob.

He smirked. He was having the filet mignon, of course.

“You can have whatever you want,” he said.

Another server brought around a cart of appetizers. Jacob loaded up both their plates, setting one in front of Jennifer. She picked at the dishes, not recognizing half of them. To her surprise, the focus for the next hour was eating. There was caviar. Jacob ate it, but Jennifer turned her nose up. Fish eggs were fish eggs, no matter how expensive. The onion straws and lighter fare were more to her taste. The pheasant was the tastiest thing she’d ever eaten, and she had to stop herself from making little noises as she chewed. Like Jacob, she disdained wine in favor of water to keep a clear head. Jacob looked around the room without looking.

Al Naab. The Fang. Jennifer didn’t look at him, but with that scar he was easy enough to pick out. He sat nowhere near James- his section of the table was all bigwigs. Half the Pennsylvania congressional delegation was there, and the governor and even a movie star or two. Jennifer felt queasy even thinking of talking to them.

“Why is he here,” Jennifer said, softly.

“I don’t…” Jacob trailed off. “I’m not sure, but…”

Jennifer took a bite of very light vanilla cake with a strawberry gnosh and swirled everything around in her head. The drugs, the weapons. She felt sick to her stomach.

“Jacob,” she whispered, leaning over to him. “I think they sell the drugs and use the money to buy...”

He nodded.

“I think you’re right.”

“Oh my God,” she breathed, staring at the trembling cake.

He put his hand over hers.

“We’ll talk later.”

Jennifer nodded, still trembling. She jumped when the sound of a fork tapping a champagne flute cut through the din of conversation. The talk in the room settled to a quiet murmur of guests speaking to their neighbors as James Katzenberg stood up, holding the champagne flute. He downed what remained in it and set it down in front of Elliot, who leaned back and scowled at Jennifer. She happily ignored the repulsive pig and focused on his slightly less repulsive father as he scanned the room.

“A little of the old Dutch courage,” he said, his politician’s voice carrying across the room. He waited for the quiet, obligatory laughter to die down. “I admit I need a little help to say what I’m about to say. I’m sure many of you are already aware that you’ve contributed to my campaign fund by being here and I’m deeply gratified and thankful for that. Your generous contributions are much appreciated, but I’m sure all of you also know that I’m not up for reelection for another four years. In the interim there’s another election. One of those little ones where we elect the leader of the free world.”

He gazed around the room with a false smile.

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors. It’s true, guilty. Tomorrow I will be formally, publicly announcing my intention to seek my party’s nomination for Preside of the United States.”

The room broke out in laughter and applause. Jennifer’s face was a tight mask as she clapped her hands. Jacob patted his palms together, scowling, never taking his eyes off James.

“We have a lot of work to do. I’m glad you’re all here and I can count on your support. I also hope you enjoyed your dinner. Cost enough.”

More laughter. Jennifer looked down to avoid anyone seeing her scowl.

“Can we go now?” she said.

“Yeah,” said Jacob. “Package has been delivered. Let’s wait until everyone else starts moving.”

It took a while. Jennifer sat with her elbow on the table, her chin propped on her hand. Across the way, her mother scowled at her lack of manners. Jennifer resisted the urge to stick out her tongue. The hell with her, too. She was tired of all of these people. She dismissed a second helping of cake. Jacob drummed his fingers on the table.

“We don’t belong here,” Jennifer sighed.

“No, we don’t. The James Bond thing is not my bag.”

“What about the car?”

“Okay, maybe a little.”

He smirked and she broke out laughing.

Then, she leaned over and kissed him. The genuine surprise on his face set her heart alight, and the look on her mother’s face just seasoned it a little. Finally they rose together.

One of the security men was waiting behind them. Jacob stiffened.

“Senator Katzenberg would like to speak with you on the terrace.”

Jacob looked at her, and Jennifer looked at Jacob. She nodded. He nodded. They walked arm in arm away from the crowd.

The terrace had a spectacular view of the city. For all its congestion, at night downtown Washington looked like a forest, disturbed only by the lights around the White House, the Capitol building and the monuments. James Katzenberg stood al one at the terrace, holding a fresh flute of champagne in one hand, resting the other on the marble rail. He didn’t turn as Jennifer and Jacob emerged into the night air, and the door closed behind them. Jacob walked up, holding Jennifer’s hand, and looked out. Jennifer couldn’t tell what the Senator was looking at.

“Well?” said Jacob.

James downed half the champagne and licked his lips.

“This offer comes to you once, and only once.”

“I’m listening.”

“Leave. Now. End your involvement in what you’re doing. I promise you, if you drop everything now, this will no longer be pursued. I’ll take care of the Leviathans. The DEA and FBI will take care of them and you’ll have nothing to worry about. Take your money, take the girl, and live your life somewhere far away from here. Go to Canada if you have to.”

Jacob sighed.

“We can’t do that,” said Jennifer.

“You’re going to be killed,” said James. “You’ve gone too far. They know you visited the construction site. It will be fast, and brutal, and you will not see it coming. You’re a liability.”

“If my sister were here,” said Jacob, “she would have an expectation that I would say something to you.”

James was silent.

“Offer me money,” said Jacob.

“You have plenty. You’re not the type to take a bribe. I know exactly who you are, Kane, and-“

“Power, too. Offer me that.”

Goosepimples rose on Jennifer’s arms.

“What? I don’t see what-“

“Offer me anything I ask for.”

James looked at him, visibly confused. “I don’t know what it is that you want.”

Jacob sneered. “I want my sister back, you son of a bitch.”

He turned to go.

“As much as I want my son?”

Jacob froze, and turned back.

“Don’t play the sympathy card with me, old man. I know what you are. You’re a fucking crime lord. You run drugs into the country from foreign labs and poppy fields in Afghanistan, sell them here and turn the profits around to buy weapons on the black market and supply terrorists in exchange for more drugs. You’re hooked up with a biker gang that pimps out little girls to truckers. Do they give you a cut, or is it like your son? You get your pick of the fresh ones?”

James downed his drink and hurled the glass off the terrace. Somewhere below it crashed to pieces with a soft glassy sound.

“You don’t know anything. Anything at all.”

“I’ll make you an offer,” said Jacob. “A one time offer, take it now or leave it. Whatever you’re hinting at, out with it. Come clean. Come to my side and we’ll deal with it.”

James shook his head.

“I’d be dead by morning and they’d have someone else. I do what I do for a reason, Kane. If you were in my position you would understand. I’m nothing to the larger forces at work here. Interchangeable. That fat asshole you talked to earlier tonight would happily take my place. I’m doing the right thing. If it weren’t for me you’d both be dead already.”

“You had your chance,” said Jacob.

He tugged Jennifer’s hand, but she stood her ground.

“Give us a minute alone.”

Jacob looked at her.

“One minute. Then I’m coming back for you.”

She nodded, and he left, stepping back into the house. Jennifer looked at James.

He looked away from her.

“How long have you been sleeping with my mother?”

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it.

“Since I was on the city council. Before you were born.”

Jennifer’s veins went cold. Her mouth trembled until she forced herself steady.

“Are you my-“

“No,” said James. “Not you. I had a paternity test done. Quietly. I had to. Your mother was obsessed with the idea that you were mine.”

“Not me,” said Jennifer.

“No. Your sister. Half sister.”

Her hand found the railing and she leaned over, forcing her dinner down.

“Do you know what your son tried to do to me?”

“He got you drunk and tried to rape you,” James said, as calmly as if he was reading a grocery list.

Jennifer’s knees buckled.

“You look so much like your mother. I suppose it’s natural my son would find you attractive. The bridge took the wrong one. I kept him away from you for years, but his idiotic schemes… I had larger concerns. I know he’s bothered you-“

“
Bothered me?
He tried to kidnap me right off the street,” she stood to her full height and fumed, clenching her fists. “You bastard. The bridge took the wrong one? You disowned Franklin and threw him out of your house.”

“I wanted him to be happy,” said James. “Away from all this, but he wouldn’t stop. He caught on to the bridge scam. You know what I’m talking about.”

“It’s true,” said Jennifer. “You let the bridge fall.”

“I had no choice. It stood for eighty years, I thought it would be fine. You don’t understand the kind of pressure they put me under.”

“Pressure?
Pressure?
Jacob’s family, your own son. Forty people, you… you…” there was no adequate word to describe what he was.

“Franklin didn’t die in the collapse,” James said, calmly. “The people I work for became aware that he was investigating me in his free time. They made it clear what would happen if I did not toe the line. They made me watch. After, we said the bridge took him. It was easier, cleaner than a manhunt for him if he just disappeared, and they would have had to silence you.”

Jennifer just stood there, frozen in place.

“What about my father? Were you involved in that, too?”

James shook his head.

“No. I read about it in the paper. I had nothing to do with that.”

Jacob emerged from inside.

“Let’s go.”

Jennifer looked at him, then at James.

James looked back at her.

“For the love of God,” he said, softly. “Get out of here. You can convince him. You don’t need to die for this. Get away, far away, leave this behind. If you’re quiet they might leave you alone. If I go down someone will replace me. Someone eager, and ready. They’ve been planning this for decades. This is their masterstroke.”

Jennifer rushed out the door, took Jacob’s hand.

“I have to go,” she said, “Get me out of here.”

12.

Jacob rushed Jennifer outside. He retrieved his phone and her purse and called Faisal, and the Rolls pulled up. Jacob ushered her inside and dropped down next to her. Faisal sat stone-faced as Jennifer plunged against Jacob and broke out in full body, wracking sobs. Jacob motioned and Faisal pulled away from the house. Jacob ran his hands through Jennifer’s hair as she pulled herself up onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He didn’t say anything. He just locked his arms around her until she calmed. He could feel her heart pounding just from his hand on her back.

“Tell me,” he said.

“My mother cheated on my father from before I was born,” she wailed, clutching at his shirt. “How could she do that to him?”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s more,” she sobbed, sucking in a breath.

Jacob held her tighter.

“Take a breath,” he said. “You don’t have to tell me all at once. When you’re ready.”

Her breathing slowed, and steadied. She curled up on his lap, pulling her legs up, and locked her arms around his neck.

“He said he works for people and they killed Franklin. They said something about making him w-w-watch.”

Jacob tensed, his eyes wide.

Works for people? A
Senator?

“
I’m so sorry,” he said.

“He was investigating his father. I had no idea. He never told me. He was so distant. He must have found out about them and… oh God, he must have thought I was his
sister.”

“Are you?” Jacob said softly.

“No. He said there was a paternity test. Not me. Katie.”

Jacob sighed. “It’s not fair. Your father must have been a good man.”