The American senator's female assistant rolled over and with half closed eyes glanced at the ringing clock on the nightstand. She gasped as she pushed the button to stop the ringing, then jumped out of bed and dashed to the window. Within minutes, the tall, blue-eyed blond-haired person was dressed in a two-piece blue sweat suit and was in the elevator heading for the lobby.

It was almost six a.m. and she needed her morning jog to get her blood pumping and to organize her thoughts before she left Budapest with the Congressional Delegation. On the return flight to Washington DC, she hoped to have time to finalize her reports.

The elegant Budapest Forum Hotel lobby was almost deserted as she hurried through it. She stopped for a moment and glanced up at the large, gold-rimmed clock over the doorway. She made a clicking sound with her tongue, smiled and walked toward the main door that faced the Danube River. As she stepped out into the cool Hungarian spring air, a nearby hotel employee rushed toward her and said, "Good morning. Is there anything I might do to assist you?"

She recognized the employee, smiled, and answered, "No, thanks. I just have time to take a quick jog along the Danube and to take a final look at the Parliament building before I leave."

"Be careful," the employee answered. "We have had accidents recently caused by the slipper sidewalks, especially as you turn the corner near the Parliament."