THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
The same day
10.32 A.M.
The Chief of Staff’s Room
“That was good, Jessie,” Donna told the Deputy Press Secretary and then hugged her reassuringly. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“Thank you, Donna. What do we know?” she asked then, turning to Will Bailey.
“Well, the Vice President is in the Situation Room. Secretaries Roth and Peters are with him, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the directors of the FBI and the CIA. Secret Service was here two minutes ago, they are not calling it anything. They don’t want to call it a terrorist act,” Will imparted.
“Why not? It happened on American soil, Americans were targeted. They were ambushed and gunned down, for God’s sake!” Jessie shouted.
“Well, they don’t want to call it an act of terrorism, because they think it was an assassination, a massacre. Besides, there is some indication that they had help from the inside. And that would be a coup or treason, depending on which level…” he added then, but Jessie interrupted him impatiently.
“Okay, they can dance around the semantics, but I have to tell the press something in an hour. The public must know that…” Jessie started, but was interrupted by a ringing tone.
“That’s me,” Donna said and picked up her phone. “The Chief Justice,” she mouthed then to Will.
“Give it to me,” Will told her. “Good Morning, Madam Chief Justice,” he greeted Evelyn Baker Lang.
While Will was working out the details with the Chief Justice, Donna and Jessie started to compile a list they had to be prepared for.
“They will ask about the swearing-in ceremony. Guess, that’s what Will is talking about with her,” Jessie said, nodding her head towards Will. “Where do we do it?”
“Secret Service will determine that. His safety is the priority. I think they will say only one camera team. That will be a problem,” Donna predicted.
“Yes. Okay. State funeral,” Jessie said, trying to keep her voice matter-of-factly. “Where, when and who? Will there be a lying in state in the …?” she wanted to continue but her voice faltered as she was trying to choke back the tears.
“It’s okay, Jessie,” Donna told her, patting her hand reassuringly.
“It’s just…” Jessie started to say. “I met them this morning before they went away. The President was so full of energy. He was so happy that he can slip away and buy the gifts himself. Lou was her usual self; she didn’t stop complaining that she had to go with him. Zack was happy; he completed the Christmas Greeting yesterday. You know, he shouldn’t have done it, radio addresses are written by the Speechwriting Staff, but Zack said he wanted to do this year’s Christmas message. The President tried to talk me into accompanying them, but I refused,” Jessie added then in a whisper. She looked down, intensely studying her own shoes, trying to hold back the tears.
“Listen, Jessie, if you need some time…” Will told her, looking at Donna for help.
“Jessie, it’s okay to cry,” Donna said in a hoarse voice, she was on the brink of tears, too. “Will, could you give us a minute?”
“Of course, I have to make some phone calls, but I’ll do it from the Deputy Chief of Staff’s office. You’ll find me there, should you need me later.”
“Thanks,” Donna said and after Will left the office, both she and Jessie stopped fighting the tears.
The same day
10.45 A.M.
The Deputy Chief of Staff’s Office
“Morning, Will,” Esteban Sanchez greeted his friend.
“We will need a new Vice President,” Will said, not bothering with the greeting.
“You have someone on your mind?” Steve asked him.
“Yeah, let me make some calls. The Chief Justice will arrive shortly. I will need the head of the Secret Service here,” Will told Steve.
“You need my assistant?” Steve asked him, allowing himself a smile.
“I’ll need more than your assistant, Steve,” Will said, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Go to Lou’s office and see if they are up to a meeting.”
“Who is in Lou’s office?” Steve asked him.
“Donna and Jessie. See if you can do anything for them and then help them to determine what we need to do in order to survive the day,” Will said, the phone already in his hands.
Steve left his office and sent his assistant in.
“Okay. We will handle the swearing-in, Tal,” Will told the young woman.
“What do you want me to do, Mr. Bailey?” Tallulah Turner asked Will.
“First of all, I want you to call me Will. Then we’ll need a Bible, preferably something that has history. We will need someone to hold the Bible…” Will continued, but Tal interrupted him.
“Ms. Hayes?” she asked.
“She is not his wife, you know,” Will told her.
“Their engagement was announced,” Tal returned.
“Well, I’ll ask him later. After Kennedy was assassinated, Jackie Kennedy was there when…”
“I don’t think the First Lady will be able to handle this, Will,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?” Will asked, his eyes widened by surprise.
“She won’t be able to, believe me,” Tal reiterated.
“Okay. Go, get the head of the Secret Service and then the Bible, Tal,” Will told the young woman and then asked for the White House Counsel’s office. He was soon dispatched to the White House Counsel. “Will Bailey. Could you please come to the Deputy Chief of Staff’s office?”
He wanted to place another call, but two Secret Service agents appeared in the door.
“Ed, about the swearing-in. What would be the best place?” Will asked the head of the Agency.
“What do you want, Will?” Ed asked back. “We will try to…”
“No, this time it works the other way around,” Will stopped him. “What is the most secure place at this moment?”
“The White House,” Ed answered immediately.
“Thought so,” Will said, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Blue Room, then. Two camera teams and a couple of reporters?”
“There will be a problem with the Blue Room, Will,” Ed told him.
“What kind of problem?” Will asked back perplexed.
“A big Christmas tree in the middle of it,” Ed informed him.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” Will said with a sad smile. “Okay, Map Room?”
Ed nodded and then hurried off. Will turned back to his phone, but this time he was interrupted by Tal.
“Bibles with history are hard to get,” she told him, looking quite disappointed.
“Call Counsel’s Office, tell them to put you through to the steam pipe trunk distribution venue. There is your man,” Will told her.
GO TO PART FOUR