Presidential Shift - Episode 1 (3 page)

The agent shook his head. “I’m not sure yet.
One thing I will say is that shot was a little too precise.”

Cal nodded. “That’s what we were just talking
about. Would’ve been one helluva shot unless they used some kind of
laser-guided system.”

A policeman interrupted their
conversation.

“We’ve got the video you wanted.”

The agent thanked the cop.

“You two want to come see?”

“If you don’t think we’ll be in the way,
sure,” answered Cal.

They followed the police officer and the
Secret Service agent back down the stairs and into the sunlight.
There was an emergency response vehicle laden with antennas parked
at the base of the steps. The back door of the large vehicle was
open and the four men piled in.

Technicians manned the impressive array of
computers lining the sides of the mobile command post. The officer
pointed to a tech near the front of the space.

“He’ll show you.”

The Secret Service agent walked up to the
man.

“What have you got?”

Without looking up from his work, the tech
answered. “I’ve got views from three different angles. It’s not
much.”

“What do you mean?”

“From my initial analysis, there’s no obvious
perpetrator.”

“What about the explosive? Any sign of where
it came from?”

“That’s what’s really weird. I thought
there’d be some kind of back blast or rooster tail, but there
isn’t.”

“But whatever it was did come from outside
the building, correct?”

“Yes. It’s just a blur, but it definitely
came from outside. Here, let me show you.”

There was silence as the visitors watched the
scene unfold. One second the entrance was there and the next there
was an explosion. The angle of the camera should have given a
perfect vantage point for any incoming rounds.

“Can you clear up that image?” asked the
agent.

“This is the best I can do for now. Once I
get back to the lab, I’ll be able to scrub it.”

“What about you guys? Any thoughts?”

Cal and Daniel stared at the monitor. A look
of recognition lit Daniel’s eyes.

“What is it?” Cal asked.

Daniel reached over the tech’s shoulder and
grabbed the mouse. He slowly moved the video forward and back.

“I’ve seen that type of impact before,” he
said.

“Where?” demanded the agent.

“Overseas.”

Chapter 4

12:20pm, December
15
^th

Daniel explained. “It’s what I thought, Cal.
That looks exactly like a laser-guided bomb dropped from the air.
But, any explosives I’ve seen would’ve destroyed half the
building.”

“Are you saying you think this was a
military-grade weapon?” the Secret Service agent asked.

“Something quite a bit smaller, but yes. I
think you need to find out what was flying overhead when the attack
happened. You’ll also want to see if you can pinpoint whoever was
painting the target with the laser. I guess they could’ve used a
homing device, but wouldn’t your sweep of the museum have caught
that?” said Daniel.

The agent nodded. “Something that accurate
would’ve been planted on the vice president or in the podium. Both
were clean.” He looked down at his vibrating phone. “I’ve gotta
run. Thanks for your help.”

The big agent quickly made his way out of the
vehicle, already on his phone.

“You guys need to see anything else?” asked
the tech.

“No thanks,” Cal said. “We’ll get out of your
hair.”

They thanked the man and made their way out
and onto the crowded street. Cal walked back toward the Air and
Space Museum.

“I don’t like the smell of this,” Cal
muttered.

“Me neither. This airspace is supposed to be
sealed. I’d love to know how someone broke through.”

Cal shrugged. “Not really our problem right
now. I’m sure the Secret Service will figure it out. Let’s head
back to the White House and get our car.”

They walked to a side street and hailed a
cab.

+++

The man in the Redskins ball cap stood in the
middle of the crowd, watching. He’d nonchalantly taped the events
with his small video camera. No one gave him a second glance. He
looked just like the rest of the tourists pushing to get a better
shot of the wreckage.

With a bored look on his face, he moved away
from the crowd and walked north. He palmed a small device he’d
detached from the side of his camcorder. Blowing his nose loudly
into a Kleenex, he discreetly wrapped the gadget in the used tissue
and threw it into one of the many trashcans lining the mall.

There was a small hybrid car waiting at the
corner to pick him up. He looked back one last time as he got in,
and then left the scene.

+++

Cal and Daniel got back to the White House
after a tough slog through the packed streets. It looked like every
agency in the U.S. government was sending teams to the Air and
Space Museum. They’d even seen four Marine light armored vehicles
(LAVs) rolling the way they’d come.

When they got to their car, it was completely
blocked in.

“Dammit,” Cal grumbled.

“Let’s go find out how we can get it out of
there,” Daniel suggested.

The White House entrance was a complete zoo.
Staffers were running around yelling to colleagues, cell phones
plastered to their ears. Security had quadrupled. Luckily, they
still had the passes the Secret Service agent had given them. After
triple checking their identification and receiving an extra
thorough pat down, they were allowed back into the White House.

They made their way toward the Oval Office.
Walking their way was Senator Zimmer. He was speaking to an aide as
he hurried.

“Senator,” said Cal.

Sen. Zimmer looked up.

“Give me a minute, Ted,” he said to his
assistant. “What going on, guys? Find anything at Air and
Space?”

“Not really,” answered Cal. “Is there
somewhere we can talk?”

Zimmer nodded and led them to a tiny office
that looked more like a closet.

“Somebody works in here?” asked Cal.

Zimmer smirked. “The perks of working in a
building designed hundreds of years ago. So what did you find?”

Cal briefed the senator on little they
knew.

“Do you really think someone snuck a missile
into D.C. airspace?”

Daniel answered. “Probably not a missile.
That would’ve flashed on radar. Besides, I’ve heard they have
hidden surface to air batteries all over the city. We think it was
probably some kind of smart bomb.”

“Are you sure?”

“About eighty percent, sir,” said Daniel.

“That’s not good. Not good at all,” said
Zimmer.

“How’s the first lady doing?” Cal asked.

“I just got word from the president. They
haven’t released this to the media yet, so keep it quiet. She had a
good bit of shrapnel in her legs, and lost a lot of blood. Luckily,
they got her to the hospital pretty fast and were able to get her
stable. She’s sedated, but the doctor seems to think she’ll make a
full recovery.”

“Well that’s good. How about the
president?”

“Between you and me, he’s kind of in shock, I
think. It’s one thing to lose a bunch of Americans. Add to that the
death of your vice president and the injuries to his wife…”

Cal and Daniel nodded.

“So what’s the plan? Does he still want us
doing what we talked about earlier?” asked Cal.

“Let’s assume that he does. The attack
doesn’t really change anything. What do you need from me?”

Cal stared at the ground for a beat. “I want
to make sure we’re all on the same page. You know how we operate,
Brandon. When I find out who’s been playing around with government
money, we’re on full assault. Nobody is safe. I’m not sure the
president gets that.”

“I think he does, Cal. You heard what he
said. Remember how I used to be before our trip to Vegas?”

Cal knew what the senator meant. Zimmer had
been a self-absorbed and naïve politico before being blackmailed by
a secret group of Japanese imperialists. He’d experienced a rude
awakening in the aftermath.

“What if this comes back to him? Worse, what
if it comes back to you?” asked Cal.

“I think I’m too new to have many skeletons.
Besides, you guys know the worst of it. As for the president,
that’s his call. If the trail leads back to him, I think he’ll own
up to it.”

Zimmer noticed the glower on his friend’s
face.

“If he tries to back out of it, I’ll stand
with you, Cal. I promise.”

The two men stared at each other. Finally,
Cal rolled his eyes and exhaled.

“I’ll assume that’s a yes?” asked
Brandon.

“As long as you’re the glue that binds us to
the president.”

They all shook hands and spent five more
minutes outlining their plan.

+++

The man in the Redskins cap cowered in the
corner of the dingy crack house.

“I did just what you told me to do!” he
pleaded. “It’s not my fault she made it.”

Two men stood over him. One held a large
caliber revolver pointed straight at the unfortunate underling.

“You and your partner said this should’ve
been easy. Don’t worry, we’ll be talking to your buddy soon enough.
He’s on his way here now.”

“But…but he won’t be able to tell you
anything different. That warhead was made to your exact
specifications. It should have killed everyone in the gallery.”

“Well it didn’t and now I have to tell my
boss that someone fucked up. You think I should tell him that
I
fucked up? I don’t think so.”

Without warning, he nudged his companion. His
associate depressed the trigger and the bullet exited just
underneath the Redskins cap a split second later.

“You want me to put him somewhere?” the man
with the gun asked.

“Just leave him there.”

The sound of a car pulling into the dirt
drive crept into the house.

“Let’s go take care of the other guy.”

Chapter 5

3:49pm, December
15
^th

Before they could leave the White House, an
intern found them. The president wanted to see them before they
left town.

“I have a car waiting for you, gentlemen. It
will take you over to the hospital.”

Cal looked at Daniel resignedly.

“Lead on,” said Cal.

They were both surprised to see a four
vehicle motorcade waiting for them.

“I thought you said a car was waiting for
us.”

“This’ll get you through the traffic,” said
the intern, who then turned and headed back into the White
House.

+++

They arrived at MedStar Washington Hospital
Center soon after. The Marines followed their new security detail
through the various checkpoints manned by Secret Service and Marine
sentries.

“You ever seen anything like this?” Cal
muttered to Daniel.

“No way.”

There were no less than thirty security
personnel on the floor holding the first lady. The president was
alone with his wife as they walked in. He looked up from the
conversation.

“Cal, Daniel, you haven’t met the first lady,
have you?” His eyes were just barely tinged with red. Minus the
loosened tie, he still looked the power part.

“No, sir,” answered Cal. “Pleasure to meet
you, ma’am.”

“Are these the gentlemen you have helping you
with your little project, honey?” The first lady’s face looked
drawn, and yet her eyes still burned with confidence.

The president nodded. “I figured unleashing a
couple Marines might do some much needed feather-ruffling.”

“Thank you for coming,” she told Cal and
Daniel. “Now if you’ll please excuse me, I think I need to take a
little nap.”

“I’ll be out in a minute, guys,” said the
president.

Cal and Daniel stepped out of room and waited
patiently for the Commander in Chief to emerge. It didn’t take more
than a minute before he stepped out.

Motioning to the two friends, he guided them
to another patient room that was empty. Daniel closed the door
behind them.

“What did you find?” The president asked.

Cal relayed the same information they’d given
Senator Zimmer. The president grimaced.

“You really think it’s possible for someone
to sneak a warhead into the most controlled airspace we have?”

“That’s what we think, sir,” replied Cal.
“I’m sure the Secret Service is keeping you in the loop. They’ll
know for certain soon.”

Nodding, the president paced the length of
the room.

“This doesn’t change what we talked about
this morning, gentlemen. I was dead serious about exposing the
crooks in this town.”

“I understand, Mr. President. I’ve got our
people digging as we speak. Have you thought about how you’re going
to handle the politicians we uncover?”

“I promised you that I’m all-in. Once they’re
exposed, the law will do the rest.”

“Fair enough.”

“Is there anything you need from me?” asked
the president.

“I think we’ve got everything we need. One
last thing, sir. I don’t think we should be seen with you from here
on out. You’re already taking a chance of having this land in your
lap. I don’t want to give the enemy any more ammunition.”

“How will I know if your investigation is
progressing?”

Cal smirked. “Just keep checking the news,
sir.”

+++

Two men left the dilapidated tenement through
the back door. As if on cue, a muffled boom sounded and a fire
quickly engulfed the house. The multiple incendiary devices they’d
installed were doing their job well. It would take the authorities
a while to identify the bodies inside. That was if they even took
the time to do DNA testing on the deceased. What was two more dead
bodies in a crack house?