Captive-in-Chief (18 page)

His phone buzzed again, a picture of Clara with a card placed around her neck.
Pull out the troops or they kill me
. Another buzz, another picture. Tess sleeping in her bed in the White House!

He dropped the phone on his desk, his heart racing. A pit formed in his stomach. His daughters!

He had debated in his mind over and over, they had paved the way for the American people’s acceptance, however, innocent lives were going to be put lost around the world. His captors had already plunged America into chaos, which was nothing compared to what was going to happen without America’s influence on the world stage. He didn’t even want to think of the implications of the withdrawal. Russia and China would rush to fill any void. Not to mention the impact on South Korea and Israel without America’s protection; among many other countries they would face the wrath of old foes the US had kept at bay.

He looked again at the pictures of Clara and Tess on his cell. He couldn’t let them die, he was their father. He hadn’t been there for Clara for most of her life, and when she needed him he was going to let her down. It wasn’t their fault their father was president, they hadn’t chosen his path, he had. They didn’t deserve to die for his choices.

What was he even thinking? America deserting the world was nuts, it could lead to major conflicts across the world. Millions of lives were at risk. He couldn’t put his family before the lives of countless millions that could potentially be put in harm’s way. That was just it, the key word was
potentially
. His family wasn’t
potentially
in harm’s way, they were in the crosshairs of a crazed group who it seemed had omnipotent power. In all reality this wasn’t something that would happen overnight, it would take months, perhaps years to do what they wanted him to do. And time was what he needed. He needed time to think and understand what the end game was. Once he understood that he’d understand his captors, and once he understood them, he’d know who they were and how to defeat them.

Clay hit the intercom button. He had made up his mind. “Can you get Charles for me please?” he asked Ramona.

“What if we stopped trying to fix the world and focused on fixing ourselves?” Clay asked as Charles walked through the door.

“Come again?” asked Charles.

“What if we pulled all our forces back to the US and the rest of the world be damned. We’ve got our own problems to fix without worrying about theirs.”

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” asked Charles. “With all due respect, Mr. President!” he added quickly, “their problems are our problems, or very soon would be!”

“Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it’s time we let everyone step up and do their bit. I’m getting crap from everybody over the attack on the mosques.”

“Well, we did hit them at their peak time, we couldn’t have picked a worse time to strike.”

“Not deliberate and yes a mistake, but did you see what they were preaching in those places? I can’t help think those women and children are going to have a far better life without the animals they mourn.”

“Have you discussed this with anyone else?”

Clay shook his head. “You’re the first.”

“Are you certain with everything else going on here and around the world this is the time to do this?”

Clay wanted to scream ‘NO!!!’ and tell Charles everything, but he had been a close trusted friend and advisor for many, many years. Telling him would kill him, quite literally.

Clay nodded, not able to bring himself to lie so blatantly to a direct question from Charles.

“As your National Security Advisor, I’m sorry, Mr. President, I can’t see how this action will do anything other than harm our security,” said Charles definitively. “I’d have no option. I’d have to resign my position.”

Clay thought back to the picture of Clara. He had no choice. As much as he needed Charles by his side, he wasn’t going to sacrifice his daughter for it. Nor was he prepared to give up on Charles. Over twenty years of friendship was not going to be lost without a fight.

“Give me a minute,” said Clay, leaving Charles in the Oval Office. “Ramona, I need the defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs in my office when I get back!” Clay said as he jogged past her desk.

“I’m no mind-reader, Mr. President. When will that be? Ten minutes, today, tomorrow, next week? I don’t know where you’re going!” she berated.

“Sorry, ten minutes!”

“I’ll see what I can do. I can only do so much. If they’re more than ten minutes from here…” she muttered as he disappeared out of the door and towards the residence. He needed to speak to Val. He needed her counsel. A decision of that magnitude needed her input.

Ramona chastised herself, she had been so busy moaning she had forgotten to pass on a message from personnel. The new pool man had arrived.

The total destruction of the US Capitol had been unexpected. Much like the downing of the Twin Towers on 9/11, it wasn’t conceived the plan would be so destructive. The result, however, couldn’t be faulted.

Elsa had extracted herself from the Washington Yard without being spotted, and shortly before the authorities had descended. The information she had left at both the students’ house and the yard were explosive in their content and had resulted in a quick and decisive response by the US.

So far, everything had gone to plan. The results were even better than anyone had expected. The American people had accepted the FPS troops without question. The detainments had been expected to cause the greatest outcry. However, other than a few liberal bleeding hearts, the vast majority felt safer knowing the troublemakers were not among them. With no repeat of the first night of riots, the FPS and detainments were being hailed as quick and decisive action by authorities for the 97% of law abiding Americans who wished their country to be free from violence and crime.

Elsa had joined her team, who had been watching the house they had selected for the previous three days. It was perfect for their needs. A four bed slum, nineteen individuals, men, women, and children had been counted coming and going. Finally, the men and most of the women and children were present. It was time for the next part of the operation.

Elsa directed her team and as one they moved, entering through every door at once. The POLICE ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) emblazoned jackets that her team wore ensured there was little or no fight from anyone inside the house. The four men stood protectively in front of their families as the so-called immigration officers worked their way through the house rounding up all the occupants.

“Women and children with that group, the men over there!” instructed Elsa authoritatively, repeating the order in Spanish and receiving the reaction she wanted, despite a number of complaints from the men. However, they had no fear of the authorities. Worst case scenario, they would be deported back to Mexico and would return as soon as they could.

To the outside world, the rundown house had been raided by immigration and the inhabitants marched off. Nobody knew any of the Mexicans personally. The four families had moved in weeks earlier, much to the disgust of the neighborhood, and caused more than enough noise and disruption thanks to their unruly and numerous children. The neighborhood was, as a number of the residents stated to Elsa and her team, eternally thankful something was finally being done.

In reality, the families had been taken to an empty warehouse where the women and men remained separated. Elsa spoke to the men. She had a very simple offer for them, one that was non-negotiable, and was without question one they had no hesitation in accepting. Of course, Elsa had had to prove exactly how willing she was to live up to her end of the bargain. A knife and the youngest member of the household had been enough to convince the four men that they would indeed do as she wanted. The child would live, at least until the four men had left to deliver their end of the bargain.

President Caldwell walked back into the Oval Office with renewed vigor. Val was always an excellent counsel, always enforcing his belief.

His National Security Advisor, Secretary of Defense, and most senior member of his armed forces awaited him.

“Charles, can I have a word in my study, please?”

Charles and Clay left the room, allowing the secretary and Joint Chiefs chairman to catch their breaths. Ramona had taken the president’s word as gospel and had the two men running to meet the deadline set by the president, calling them constantly to hurry them along to the extent that both sprinted into her outer office to little more than a ‘get in there already!’ command from Ramona. She was back!

Clay marched back into the room, followed by a bemused Charles.

“Okay, first up, Charles has resigned as my National Security Advisor. However, I’m pleased to announce his appointment as my chief of staff.”

Congratulations followed from both men. Charles remained tight lipped. He wasn’t happy at all about what was about to happen, nor was he sure would the two men be who had congratulated him.

“I’m thinking about bringing our troops home,” Clay blurted.

“From where?” asked the chairman.

“I do believe he means in their entirety,” Charles answered the question for Clay.

“So that’s why you resigned as NSA?” asked the secretary, knowing Charles well enough to know he would never agree to such an action.

“As NSA, Charles was responsible for one thing, the security of the United States. As chief of staff his role is responsible for every area of government. I’m sure we’ll disagree on some things, however, not the single fundamental focus of his role. It would be inconceivable for us to agree on everything, and it is a very different role and one in which Charles will be invaluable. I don’t see an issue, do either of you?”

Clay had said it in a way that wasn’t up for debate. He and Charles agreed and Charles, for the sake of his country, was remaining as a key aide to a president who needed every friend he had around him.

“What about you two?” Clay asked. “What do you think?”

“It has its merits,” offered the secretary. Clay was taken aback; he hadn’t expected anyone to give him even the slightest support. “When?”

“I’d like to announce it…hmm…today,” Clay said awkwardly. “Obviously it’s not going to be easy and will take some time, yet I’m convinced the principle—”

“Is absolutely sound. Brilliant in fact,” the chairman cut in, stunning Clay.

“As our Capitol lies in ruins and the world condemns our justified and measured response, Mr. President, I think it is exactly what we need to do,” continued the chairman. “The world has used us as their police force for too long. It’s time our men and women came home to their families and we looked after number one.”

“I have to admit I’m somewhat surprised at your reactions,” said Clay, doing everything within his power to remain calm. Were these two part of the conspiracy? Their reaction was certainly counter to his expectations.

“Our foreign deployments do nothing except bleed our coffers dry while offering the countries we protect a financial advantage against us. Germany, Japan, and South Korea’s economies flourished while our citizens paid for their defenses. It’s time we let the rest of the countries around the world do their bit. We have enough problems at home and our people have paid more than their fair share to keep the world safe,” said the secretary.

“Without us projecting our power, the world could explode into violence.” Charles argued. “Wars that we’ve helped contain for years could erupt at a moment’s notice!”

“Or not,” said the chairman. “For every report that says we are vital to stability, there’s another suggesting our meddling is creating or exacerbating the situation.”

“I still think it’s wrong, Mr. President, and I’d counsel against it,” said Charles with conviction. “It’s been a very upsetting week, we’ve lost so many good people and friends.”

“Nothing to do with that, Charles, it’s something I have to do. I have no choice,” Clay said firmly, although it was not entirely true. He did have a choice, only it was at the expense of his two daughters’ lives.

“How long would it take?” Clay asked his two military advisors.

“What about Israel?” Charles asked.

“We don’t have any troops there,” replied the chairman.

“But our general presence,” argued Charles.

“Without vast numbers of troops and resources committed across the planet, we’ll have more projectable power than ever at our disposal. God forbid anyone who threatens our allies.”

“Will they still want to be our allies, the NATO pact—”

“Do you seriously think any of our current allies are going to pull out of a pact that ensures our support?” the secretary scoffed. “They’ll moan and bitch but they’ll do whatever’s needed to keep us by their side.”

“How long?” asked Clay, fully anticipating an answer that would require feasibility studies, impact analyses, and numerous other long, drawn out processes.

“We have GOOD plans in place. With your authority we can begin with immediate effect, Mr. President,” said the secretary.

“GOOD plans?”

“Since Vietnam we’ve had GOOD plans drawn up should we ever decide to Get the hell Out Of Dodge. It’s a means for an extremely fast withdrawal to minimize losses in a deteriorating environment. No reason why we can’t use them now. Slow and prolonged drawbacks only ever result in increased threats as our strength and force numbers deteriorate. We’re better pulling out en masse quickly. Safer and far more cost efficient in the long run.”

Clay shifted uneasily in his seat. Two of his most trusted advisors had just shown themselves, as far as he was concerned, to be part of the conspiracy and responsible for holding one daughter and threatening another. There was no other explanation for how keen they were to enact the troop withdrawals.

Though Clay kept his calm, he wanted to reach across the office and beat both men to a pulp with his bare hands. Knowing and being able to put a face on even some of his controllers was a positive, he told himself.

“Begin the planning,” he said sharply. “Get our troops home.”

The timings were a disaster; he’d expected a long, drawn out process, not an immediate reaction. With everything that had transpired he now had three people he believed to be conspirators. The attorney general, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and his secretary of defense.

He needed Joe. Where the hell was he?