Chapter 33

It was a warm day in May in Northern Virginia and Kelly was walking back across the campus of the College after finishing her teaching for the day. She was amused at the way it was going. Her course in Military Strategy had become the most popular course in the school. Enrollment was now so large she was thinking about breaking it up into sections, but wasn’t sure she wanted to take on the additional work. Then she ran her fingers lightly over her abdomen. It was now starting to round out. At least she thought she could feel it, even if no one could see it yet. Oh, well, she thought, The baby isn’t due until November.

Her summer uniform still fit, though; she was wearing it for the meeting she had coming up in her office. Kelly was puzzled by the phone call she had received the previous afternoon. It was from a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Planning, a man named Simon Cameron. She had never talked to or heard from anyone in DOD and didn’t know what to make of the call. When she reached the administration building, she was grateful for its air conditioning. In addition to being warm, the day was very humid.

She walked into her office and winked at Rita Nelson as she walked by. Rita picked up her pad and followed Kelly into her office. Kelly sat down in her chair and saw Rita sitting attentively across the desk from her with her pencil poised. Kelly continued to be surprised at how beautiful the girl now looked. She leaned back in her chair and motioned to Rita to put her pad away. The girl put the pad down on the desk and leaned back in the chair with a big smile. Kelly smiled at her and asked, “Rita, where are you spending your nights now? Your place or Pete’s?”

“My place,” she replied with a grimace. “And I’m going to start charging Pete rent. He doesn’t have a place. He lives at the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters. I accuse him of freeloading, and he makes more than I do.” She smiled as she added, “Pete calls it his private witness protection program. He says he’s protecting me from Klein and Carson, now that Wilson’s dead. I can’t figure out if he’s serious or not. What do you think, Kelly?”

Kelly just shook her head. “Rita, I don’t have the first clue! I do know I never expected Wilson to pull a gun, but he did. Those other two are free on bail awaiting trial. Frankly, Pete staying with you certainly isn’t the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” She changed the subject suddenly. “Have you tried sleeping on Pete’s shoulder, by the way?”

The girl smiled warmly and said, “Kelly, did you ever think to patent it? If you did, you could make millions in royalties. The fact is I couldn’t sleep without Pete anymore. It just feels so wonderful to snuggle as close as I can and then feel his hand cupping my boob. Then we both fall asleep. It’s like being in Heaven!”

Rita smiled warmly and says, “Pete complains a bit, though. He says, instead of snoring, I make a lot of soft, happy sounds that keep him awake. When I’m aware of doing it — which isn’t often — I do know Pete just tightens his grip on my breast to hold me even closer.” Rita glanced at her watch and jumped up. “Oops! I’d better get out to my desk. Cameron is due any minute.”

When she left the office Kelly picked up her private phone and called Sam Adams on his. He picked up the phone and Kelly said, “It’s me, Sam. You can no longer call me a teenybopper. I’m twenty years old today!”

Sam’s voice was warm. “Happy Birthday, Kel. Thank God, we’re finished with teenaged generals!” He chuckled softly and said, “Cathy is looking forward to seeing you. We want you and Mike to get to know your godson. I can’t tell you how wonderful I feel right now, Kelly. Cathy’s back to normal. And now we have a baby who’s the new light of our lives. We’re both so damned proud you’d think we invented the tiny things. All I can say is I sure hope the rest of your pregnancy and delivery goes as well as Cathy’s. She still can’t believe how smooth and painless it was. And by the way, can you and Mike come over to the house on Sunday? We can swim, barbecue, and just have fun.”

Kelly smiled and said, “Sam, we would love to. I’ll call Cathy tonight and set up a time for Sunday. However, there’s another reason for my call. Have you ever met a DOD type named Simon Cameron? He’s coming over to see me in a few minutes and I have no clue what it’s about. He’s Deputy Under Secretary for Planning.”

There was silence for a few moments, then Adams replied. “Kelly, I’ve never met him but I’ve heard a few things about him. Basically, I wouldn’t trust him farther than I can throw him, if the rumors I’ve heard are true. My suggestion to you is to listen to what he has to say but don’t promise anything or agree to anything. Does that answer it?”

“It sure does, Sam. Thanks.” As she hung up, Rita buzzed and said she had a call from Senator Fuller. She punched the button and picked up the phone again. “Good morning, Senator! It’s great to hear from you!”

“Now Kelly, you know you’re supposed to call me Bob!” He chuckled and continued, “There are two reasons for my call. First, Sam and I want to thank you for making us look so good. This goes back to your taking command of the 101^st. We thought you would do a fine job, but even we didn’t expect you to do as well as you did.

“Then, over the objections of some of the liberal members on our committees, we supported your appointment as President of the War College. Beyond breaking up a spy ring, we’re now hearing great things about the place. The best course at the College is supposed to be a new one on tactics and strategy. And, as usual, the name Kelly Jackson is always mentioned. You’re the professor, we hear.”

Then his voice took on a serious note, “The reason for this call, though, is we’ve formed a new Special Joint Committee on the Armed Services. Sam and I are co-chairing it. The committee grew out of what you did last year.

“As you know, for nearly fifty years the constant in our military posture was strategic defense ... spelled, Soviet Union. That’s now a thing of the past. We’re talking about what changes we should be making in our strategic posture and Sam and I want you to be an early witness. Would you be willing to testify?”

“Bob, I’m just a kid! I just turned twenty today! There are a bunch—”

“Now, Kelly, no more of that! There is no one in the uniformed services who is as respected as you are. No one! You are one of a kind. You are the only person we’ve ever known or heard of who has the intellectual ability to see the straight line between two points and the military skill and leadership ability to then take an army from one to the other. You do it all.

“Please, Kelly, can you come up to the Hill? Perhaps tomorrow morning?”

Kelly gave up. “Bob, thank you. I’m not happy about it, but I’ll come. What do you suppose would have happened, though, if my ancestor had to spend all his time testifying in Richmond instead of leading troops for Robert E. Lee?”

Fuller laughed and said, “Maybe he would have been at Richmond instead of Chancellorsville, and we might have won the damned war!” There was silence on the line for a moment and the tone of Fuller’s voice changed. “I’ll say one thing, Kelly. Wherever he is, he’s mighty damned proud of you!”

On a hunch Kelly asked, “Bob, to go back to your committee’s charter for a moment, do you know a guy named Simon Cameron? A Deputy at DOD?”

“Yes, I do. Where did you hear his name, Kelly?”

“I got a call from him. He’s due over here any minute to see me. I never heard of him before, though. That’s why I asked.”

“That’s odd,” Fuller said. “He’s supposed to be a guy with a lot to say about force structures in the Services. As a matter of fact, some of the our committee members have been touting him as the most authoritative witness we could get in front of us.

“Sam and I are skeptical although I’ve never met him myself. Kelly, you’ve heard the expression, ‘known by the friends you keep?’ Well, Sam and I aren’t at all sure about some of his friends. Does that answer your question?”

“It sure does, Bob. And I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

As she hung up the phone, Rita buzzed again. Simon Cameron had arrived and she was asked to show him in. Kelly rose from her chair to greet him. Cameron was shorter than she was, about five feet six. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, well-dressed with a pink complexion. He did not appear to get out in the sun much nor to exercise at all. They shook hands — he had a very limp handshake — and he took a seat.

When she returned to her seat, Cameron got right to the point. He said that he had heard that she was going to be called to testify before a minor committee on Capitol Hill. Knowing how busy she was at the college, he had taken the liberty of having his staff prepare testimony for her. He reached into his briefcase and took out a fat sheaf of papers and passed them to Kelly.

She glanced at the cover sheet and read, “Testimony of Lieutenant General Kelly Jackson, USA, before the Joint Congressional Committee on Military Forces.”

Kelly realized that the reason the paper was so thick was that it had been typed on a speech typewriter. All she needed to do was read the script and turn the pages. Cameron said she had been invited and would be testifying the next day and he said he would meet her in the Committee room. He smiled and let himself out of the office. Kelly wondered how he knew about her invitation even before she did.

Kelly was interested to see what Cameron wanted her to say. She quickly skimmed through the speech. In it she was being made to say that the force structures in the Armed Forces in general and the Army in particular should be maintained essentially as is. Moreover, there was a discussion of global threats to peace — unspecified — that required the maintenance and enhancement of U.S. strategic forces.

Kelly called Sam Adams again and told him about the call from Fuller and the later visit from Cameron. With respect to the written testimony she said, “Sam, I’ve only had time to skim it. However, as far as I’m concerned, it’s unmitigated bullshit. I’m not going to give this speech. I hope my refusal won’t put you in a bad spot.”

Sam said, “Kelly, the Committee has asked you to testify. I’m sure Bradley, I, and others will be in soon enough to have our say. First, I think Fuller is absolutely right. You are the best person to lead off. Second, the testimony is yours, not Cameron’s nor ours. If he wants to make that speech, he’s welcome. The short answer, Kelly, is do and say what you think is right. The country has done pretty well when that’s what you’ve done. Go get ‘em, Tiger.”

Kelly looked at the phone after hanging up. Then she checked her book and made another call to the former President, now retired on his farm. Moments later the phone was answered by his secretary. Kelly identified herself and asked to speak to the President. A few minutes later he was on the phone. Kelly told him about the events of the day, her meeting with Cameron, and the prepared testimony.

He listened with interest and finally said, “Kelly, I’ll be back to you in an hour or someone else will. Will you still be there in your office?”

Kelly said she would.

She went back to reading papers written by her students on the Peninsula Campaign in the Napoleonic Wars. She decided that the quality of both the thinking and the writing had improved enormously in just the last thirty days. Kelly thought for a moment of the incongruity of correcting the grammar and punctuation — as well as the strategic thinking — of men who averaged twice her age and two degrees to her none.

Her phone buzzed. A tone of awe was clear in Rita’s voice as she said, “Kelly, it’s the White House on the phone. The operator says it’s the President, for you!”

Kelly picked up and moments later was speaking with the new President, John Collins. She had not met him but certainly knew a great deal about him. He said, “Kelly, I’m glad to have this opportunity to talk to you.

“Bill just called me and told me about your conversation with him. I thought it was time for us to talk. Bill, of course, is one of your greatest living fans. So am I. Kelly, you’ve made the country and its leadership — Bill and me — look awfully good over the last twelve months or so. He told me about the testimony prepared for you to deliver.

“I’m calling to tell you to say whatever you damned well feel like saying. I want to hear what you think. I hear from those idiots across the river all the time. I would like to leave it like this: Regardless of what you may say, I am assuring you of my complete personal support.”

The timbre of his voice changed. The President’s voice sounded lighter. “Kelly, I’m certainly not guaranteeing I’m going to agree with everything you say. I may not agree with anything. I am saying, though, that anyone who tries to interfere with the content of your testimony is in deep trouble with me. Am I making myself clear?

“Incidentally, I know you’re expecting a baby pretty soon. Nevertheless, could you possibly come to dinner some evening — just your husband, Mike, and my wife, Jill? She desperately wants to meet you. Could you do that?”

Kelly hadn’t said anything. She had just listened. “Mr. President, we would be honored. At any time, sir.” They set a date for the following week.

Then she hung up the phone and looked at it thoughtfully. Now she knew what the former President had meant when he had said he would get back “or someone else will.” It never occurred to her that the “someone else” would be the new President.

The next morning after their morning lovemaking she had her head on Mike’s shoulder. She turned her head to give him a light kiss — or thought it would be a light kiss. Instead, there were the bells and the electricity flowing between them. She thought of Rita as she made happy noises deep in her throat. Mike pulled her even closer and gently caressed her now-swelling breast.

She asked him what she should wear and he looked down at her bare body. “Why don’t you go like this, darling? Give them a thrill?”

She poked him in the ribs with an elbow and said, “Mike, this is serious. I’m testifying before Congress!”

Mike kissed her again and suggested she wear her service dress uniform.

She was wearing it as she walked into the hearing room accompanied by Kevin. She was introduced to the Committee members by Bob Fuller and Sam Pinkney. Kelly was amused because they were acting like proud parents introducing their beautiful daughter to their friends. Although most of the members greeted her warmly, she noticed a few who appeared to be cool.

She took her seat at the witness table as Cameron arrived. He gave her a small smile and began to speak as soon as Bob Fuller gaveled the hearing to order. He said, “Gentlemen, the first witness this morning is Lieutenant General Kelly Jackson. As many of you know, she is expecting a baby.

“Accordingly, she has prepared written testimony which has already been distributed to you all. On behalf of the Department of Defense, I ask that Mrs. Callahan now be excused and her written testimony be incorporated into the hearing record.”

Bob Fuller listened impassively. When Cameron finished, he looked at her and said, “Kelly, is this what you want to do?”

Kelly glanced over at Cameron and said, “As far as incorporating the written statement into your record, Senator, it’s fine with me as long as there is just one minor change. The cover sheet should read that the testimony is that of Mr. Simon Cameron of the Department of Defense. It certainly is not mine.”

Cameron jumped from his seat. “Senator, this is ridiculous! Clearly Mrs. Callahan isn’t feeling well. The Department cannot allow her to continue this morning. If necessary, we will invoke executive privilege to prevent Mrs. Callahan from testifying. As for her comment, I can’t understand it. We reviewed the testimony in detail in her office yesterday.”