WAR (50 page)

“Come on down.”

“Thanks, we really appreciate it.”

Hanging up Carol asks, “Honey what’s wrong? You have a strange look on your face.”

“That was Jason, something is bothering him, they want to come over to see us.”

“Oh? I hope they’re OK, what did you tell them?”

“I said they could come over.”

“Should we call Sean?”

“Let’s wait to see what they have to say. I hope they aren’t going to back out of the program. I wonder if the LSA is threatening them. Maybe I ought to contact Sean, he may have some ideas.”

“I agree.”

Sean grabs his cell wondering who’s calling him at this hour, “Hello.”

“Sean, this is Bob, we have a situation.”

Coming to full attention, Sean asks, “What’s going on?”

“Jason called, he sounded very worried, they’re coming over. We don’t know why or what they want, we’re concerned enough to call you for your advice.”

“I’ll be right there. If they arrive before me, please try to stall them.”

Sean knocks on the door of his secret service agent, “We’re going to Bob and Carol’s house, something is up, Jason and Sharon are worried about something, they’re going to the Jones’ home.”

“I’m ready, I’ll get the car, I’m going to call for backup.”

“Do you think that’s required?”

“I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’ll see you at the car in a minute.”

Sean grabs his briefcase, by the time he reaches the front of the hotel, his Suburban is waiting for him. “Sean, I called the RTP office, four agents are in transit, ETA fifteen minutes.”

Sean and the Smiths arrive at the same time, they walk into the Jones home at the same time, two minutes later the secret service agents arrive, agents take up positions at the front and rear doors while the other two enter the house. Jason smiles saying, “We’re going to be a little crowded, sorry about that.”

Jason explains the situation and his gut feeling they are in danger. Bob starts to say something when the lead secret service agent cuts him off. “Jason, you did the right thing calling, you should have called us or Sean directly, we could have gotten to you quicker. I’ll assign an agent to each of you, I have two agents on the way to the hotel to keep an eye on Scott and Sissy. They should be there in less than five minutes.”

“Thank you. I didn’t call you or Sean because I didn’t want to be thought of as a ‘Chicken Little.’”

“Don’t worry about that. I’d rather you call than something happens to you. I have some calls to make. Why don’t you leave your rental car here and return to the hotel with three of the agents?”

“Thank you.”

Carol and Sharon hug each other sharing an unspoken concern for each other’s family. The lead agent whispers to Sean, “Sir, I’m having four agents cover the Jones too. If the DepLIES can’t reach the Smiths they, may decide to hit Bob and Carol to scare the Smiths.”

“Good idea. I’m going to call D.C. I want to use the secure phone in the truck.”

Ten minutes later Sean returns smiling, “I should have known.”

“Sir?”

“Vice President Brownstone expected Booker to try something, he has a special team following a DepLIES hit team.”

“So there is a hit team watching the Smiths?”

“Yes, there are two teams here, they are being watched by what the VP called one of his special teams.”

“I wonder why they didn’t inform me. If something happened, it would be on my head. I have to issue a red alert to all of my teams.”

“Maybe because the Smiths aren’t a government family. Have you ever met the VP’s special team?”

“No, I’ve heard rumors he has a special friend who leads a wet team, is that really true?”

“I can’t say what he does, I’ve met the Colonel and can tell you, no one wants to be on his wrong side.”

“Sean, granted. However, the Director assigned the Smiths as a VIP family to be watched and protected during the program, I was told they were deemed important to the security of the USA.”

“I’m sorry, they didn’t tell me either. Do you have enough people to watch both families?”

“Yes, I’m also getting ten additional agents from South Carolina. They’re in transit as we talk.”

@@@@@

“Colonel the first team is starting to move, the second team left their hotel a few minutes ago.”

Colonel Grover shakes his head, “I didn’t think the SOB would really do it, but he is. Tell team alpha to take their target down. Tell team beta to wait until their target has left the hotel, let them get to one of the preselected locations away from any bystanders then take them down. Send two men to the Smith’s hotel to make sure the bastards don’t have a couple of agents hanging around the hotel.”

“Yes sir. Sir, we have reports of the secret service moving to protect them.”

“Let the secret service know we’re here, we’ll be hung for a blue on blue hit.”

“Yes sir.”

Colonel Grover calls the VP to inform him the LSA has made their move. “Sir, the LSA hit teams have left their hotel, they must have been given the ‘GO’ code. If I were Dianne, I’d want to take them out in the middle of the night, maybe take out the entire hotel in a gas explosion or a car accident. Anything to keep them off the air tomorrow.”

“Colonel, do whatever you need to, I want the Smiths on television tomorrow.”

“Yes sir, they will be there.”

“Colonel, I know they will be. Keep me informed.”

Colonel Grover smiles thinking,
I should have been allowed to take all of the snakes down. Maybe when this is over and the election is completed, I may take a little vacation time. I’d like to visit a few people who’ve sucked the blood out of their people. I don’t think the VP will mind.

The two LSA hit teams have orders to take out the Smith family, their orders are to set up an auto accident as the first choice, the second option was to rig a gas explosion at the hotel, taking out the entire hotel. The hit teams didn’t know they were being watched by Grover’s team. Grover had remarked to his team leaders that the LSA hit teams were easy to locate and track, they stood out like someone wearing a three piece suit at Woodstock. Not many of his staff knew what the Colonel meant, they just assumed it was a funny joke.

The LSA hit teams crossed a deserted intersection about five miles from the Carolina House Hotel when their Tahoe was pulled over by a police car. The LSA driver said, “Be cool, don’t pull your weapons, we must have broken one of their silly traffic laws, keep your mouths shut.”

The two police officers walked to Tahoe, “License and registration, please.”

“Sir, is there a problem?”

“You were speeding. I’ll be right back, please stay in your car.”

The police officer turns to return to his car, the LSA agents don’t see him pulling a silenced automatic pistol from inside his shirt, he spins firing into the car, he’s joined by his partner who fires into the passenger side. A minute later, the four agents in the Tahoe are dead.                        “Call it in, have them send the flatbed truck to pick this mess up and dispose of it.”

“Captain, already done, they want us to wait here until the truck arrives in case someone gets nosy.”

“WILCO, easy mission.”

“Wish they were all so easy.”

The second team follows their target who is driving slowly in a black Suburban towards the Carolina House Hotel, “I tell you, we made a wrong turn, we should have been there already.”

“I’m going the same way we went yesterday, wish the damn street lights worked, can’t read the street signs. I wish they let us use the Nav system.”

“If we did it could be traced the police would see every place we’ve been. It would help them trace it back to us.”

Look, there’s a guy walking his dog, let’s ask him. Pulling over to the man and dog, the passenger rolls his window down, “Hello, can you help us?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“Directions to the Carolina House Hotel.”

The man leans toward the car, he silently draws a silenced UZI pistol from a pocket on his backpack, he fires into the car on full auto. He sprays 32 9MM bullets into the Suburban killing everyone in it. He picks up his cell saying, “Task complete. Need clean up.”

He’s ordered to wait until the Suburban is taken away. He leans over to pat the dog on her head giving her a dog treat. “Good girl, you’re a good girl.”

“Colonel, both teams have reported in, mission accomplished. Clean up should be completed within fifteen minutes.”

“Excellent. Tell everyone good job. I have a call to make. Dialing Sean, Grover says, “Sean, this is the leader of the Vice President’s protection detail. I’d like to inform you that my people discovered and took down two LSA DepLIES hit teams who were on the way to the Carolina house. My people will continue to keep an eye on the Smiths.”

“Thank you, I suggest you contact the secret service special agent in charge, he’s a little upset he didn’t know you were working his case.”

“Thanks, I’ll reach out to him. We work for different departments.”

Dialing the secret service, “Please listen closely, I’m Colonel Grover, I lead Vice President Brownstone’s protection detail. My team was dispatched here to protect the Smith family from a possible LSA wet team. We located the two wet teams, we followed them and took both teams down a few minutes ago.”

“Why wasn’t I informed you were here?”

“Above my pay grade. I’m calling to give you a heads up.”

“Colonel, thank you for the information. I’ve doubled my agents watching both families.”

“We’re watching both of them also, let’s try not to kill each other.”

“How will I know you?”

“We’ll know you, I know where most of your people are. I’ll stay away from them.”

“I guess I have to trust you. You don’t leave me any choice.”

“Agent, thank you. I’ll be in touch.”

Chapter 37

Dianne reviews the reports from North Carolina, she reads that her two assassination teams have left to take out the Smith family, however, two hours later she hasn’t received an update. She takes a secure phone from her desk, she texts a “?” to the only number in speed dial which is the team leader in  North Carolina, she gets back a message, “You tried to kill innocent families, we’re coming for you next.”

She drops the phone in shock. She knows her teams are gone and if the message is to be believed she’s next on their list. She believes the message, somehow her two teams had been intercepted, somehow someone got to the gas lines in the Gray House. She once thought the explosion was an accident, her crime scene teams informed her the Gray House gas line had been altered, the explosion wasn’t an accident. President Bloomberg was murdered. She didn’t know if it was Booker or the USA. Dianne thought she ought to figure out where she could hide from the USA hit teams that she knew would be coming for her. She also worried that Booker would try to get rid of her.

Her phone rings, “Hello.”

“Dianne, this is President Booker, do you have something to tell me?”

“Sir?”

“Should I prepare a tear-filled speech about the loss of the Smith family or you?”

“Sir, I don’t have any information yet.”

“Please keep me informed.”

“Yes sir.”

Thinking,
I’m going to walk out of my office as I normally do and disappear. If I show up tomorrow, either the USA or Booker are going to kill me. I’ll tell my security team I have a private meeting in the morning. I should be able to slip out using the escape tunnel, get into the plain gray car and disappear.

After arriving home she notices everything’s in place, nothing looks different. She changes into casual clothing, sneakers, and a ski jacket, she takes the hidden staircase in her bedroom to the tunnel which was built into the Director of the DepLIES’ home to allow a quick and hidden escape. Not even most of her security detail know about it. It’s been kept secret in case of an attempted coup. She slips into the tunnel, she doesn’t hear or see anyone as she starts to make her way to the parked car hidden two miles away. She sighs when she reaches the car without running into anyone, she sits in the car for a moment to catch her breath and lower her racing pulse. She smiles as she touches the button marked START. As she does the car explodes. A USA agent watching 100 yards away says into his phone, “Stuffed bird.”

“Colonel, we have confirmation Dianne’s gone, she made it to the car which somehow must have had a wiring problem with its battery. The car exploded, nothing is left of it.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Grover smiles saying, “One to go.”

@@@@@

Vice President Brownstone smiles when he ends the call with Colonel Grover, his last instruction to the Colonel was to hang around the television program to make sure nothing happened to either family or host. Rod thought to himself,
Well Dianne you wanted to be a player, that’s what happens when you pick the wrong side and when you try to kill an innocent family. Shame on you. I almost hoped the Colonel would have given you a more painful ending. I would have liked to see the look on your face the millisecond you had left when you realized your hidden car was blowing up. You thought we didn’t know about the tunnel, the NSA hacked all of your systems, we know every secret you thought was hidden away. Your progressive paradise is nothing more than a slave country. You enslave your people so you and the other elites do anything you want. You won’t be lonely in Hell, we sent Bloomberg ahead of you, Booker will follow shortly.