While Justice Sleeps

Noah submits a legal complaint to the courts: Howard Jefferson Wynn v. The United States of America. The lawsuit is part of Avery’s plan: After resigning Justice Wynn’s Supreme Court seat on the judge’s behalf, she is now initiating a lawsuit, also on the judge’s behalf, that disputes the resignation and demands he be reinstated. The complex legal complaint is quickly escalated to Supreme Court Chief Justice Roseborough.

The Supreme Court convenes to hear the arguments in the case Howard Jefferson Wynn v. The United States of America. This is all part of Avery’s plan: Rita is safe, Justice Wynn is still alive, and Avery has both the affidavits from Nigel and Indira and the evidence compiled by Betty. Now, the Supreme Court hearing gives Avery the opportunity to reveal the truth about Tigris and President Stokes in front of some of the most powerful people in the country. The case is so strange that many people are attending, wanting to understand why Avery would one day hand in Justice Wynn’s resignation and the next day sue to revoke that resignation.

In front of the Court, Avery explains that Justice Wynn discovered a terrible secret while researching the GenWorks-Advar merger: Hygeia’s Tigris Project. She talks about the scientists who were killed to protect the secrecy of Tigris, including Betty. Avery reveals she has proof:

Information that ties Major Will Vance, who sits in this courtroom now, to U.S. government funds used to support illegal research in biogenetic weapons that will target and kill Muslims, including a video recording of his witness to these experiments (348).

Finally, Avery asserts that Major Vance got his orders directly from the president. She explains that she has memos and financial records to prove her case, as well as sworn affidavits from Nigel and Indira.

The courtroom is in chaos at these bombshells. The chief justice calls the court to order. Major Vance has disappeared from the courtroom, and the chief justice sends security to find him. She then has a private meeting in her chambers with President Stokes and Avery. The president denies the claims. Their discussion is interrupted by Agent Lee, who has a warrant for the president’s arrest:

We received evidence that you attempted to kill Justice Wynn. A pill bottle containing trace amounts of an unknown chemical was turned over to my office. This chemical was matched to the only other sample we’ve seen in this country—Justice Wynn’s blood test (351).

The fingerprints on the bottle matched the president’s. President Stokes flashes back to Justice Wynn shaking his hand at the commencement ceremony and saying, “Checkmate, Stokes,” and realizes that this is how Justice Wynn got his fingerprints (352).

While there may be evidence to tie President Stokes to Justice Wynn’s (falsified) “attempted murder,” there still isn’t evidence to show that the president knew what Major Vance was doing. The president points this out to Avery as he’s taken away. However, later, when Avery is alone, she’s visited by Major Vance, who has evaded capture. Major Vance feels betrayed by President Stokes. He gives Avery a thumb drive and tells her that it has a recording of then-Vice President Stokes injecting former President Cadres with an air embolism. With this evidence, President Stokes can be convicted of murder. Major Vance escapes.

Avery gives Agent Lee the thumb drive that Major Vance gave her. With President Stokes in jail and Major Vance in hiding, Avery is safe. She goes with Jared to visit Justice Wynn. Avery tells the comatose man, “You did it, Justice Wynn. You won” (362). The Supreme Court has ruled on the GenWorks lawsuit in Nigel’s favor; the merger will go forward. President Stokes has been exposed; at the same time, the research that might save Jared’s life can go forward. Avery tells Jared: “Your father wanted to save his family and his country. I think he’s always been torn, sacrificing his family for his version of patriotism. For once, he found a way to do it all” (363).