Harry came through the hall in a rush, ”I have a press room full of reporters screaming for you and answers.”

Crap already. After a sigh, ”I need to finish with the doctor. Then I need to review the phone video again and look at what the media is running. Then I will be there to rescue you. We may have to run the full version that my people took to get at the full truth. Set up the equipment so I can do that. Go feed them some sugar coated cow manure until then,” I said.

The President stayed while the house doc looked at my hands and evaluated.

”No broken skin. You must have some really tough skin. All I need to do is clean them with professional grade hand sanitizer and you will be OK,” the doc said.

Only thing that said was that her lips took all the impact. My knuckles would be bruised and that was all. Waco would be enjoying liquids for a few days and no spitting.

”Do I tell them I still have a job or am I suspended pending whatever?” I asked.

”I’m going out there with you. I wouldn’t miss this for the world so I can tell them that bit of information,” the President said.

Some aide brought up the ZNN and other network reports. They were all running an abbreviated scene; basically me hitting her. I figured it would be that way with her being the media darling – she could do no wrong.

No problem! I had two versions from two cell phones at different angles.

I didn’t even knock, just walked onto the stage to the podium with Harry. The President followed and stood off to the side. An aide was loading the video onto the control for the big screen.

”I got this Harry, take a break. It’s been a rather slow news day it seems. But I hear you have some questions for me.”

”Why did you assault Rep. Waco?”

”She assaulted me and I responded,” I said.

”That’s not the way we see it. It looks like you just cold cocked her out,” a reporter responded.

”I see it differently and I do see that your station is running a short version of the incident, not the whole video. But I have the whole thing and will run it now for you,” I said.

”Harry, are you ready?” I asked.

”Yes ma-am,” Harry said.

The video started just before the ‘good afternoon’ and ended as we walked away.

”I think that should clear up any questions that you should have. Most children are taught at an early age that spitting on someone is disgusting and not very nice. It is usually corrected by verbal discipline the first time and if it is repeated a reddened butt that requires standing for a while.”

”In this day and time with so many things transmitted by saliva and blood, it can get very serious quickly. Rep. Waco refused my offer of a meeting for later and physically assaulted me be grabbing my arm and turning me around to yell and scream at me. She then had the audacity to spit on me. I don’t put up with that from anybody unless they are in diapers and have cute little dimples,” I said.

”Why did you hit her twice?” someone asked.

”I was taught if you are going to throw them to do a three jab combo. Right left right and it is my natural reaction from training. The second right was on the way and stopped when my security grabbed my arm and told me Waco was out. Help was on the way so we left,” I said.

”Her camp says they are filing criminal charges against you. How do you respond to that?” another reported asked.

”I already have filed federal charges against her and a subpoena for a blood test for transmittable diseases,” I said.

”I guess the courts will settle that issue,” I added.

“Mr. President, are you going to suspend Ambassador Jones until a review is completed?” a reporter asked.

”We just reviewed the incident and see no reason to suspend Ambassador Jones. I am satisfied with her explanation and actions that the video supports. The issue is closed. If you want to be treated like a lady act like a lady. If you want act like a thug you are likely to get treated like a thug,” the President said.

I went home to face the music there and updates. Things had been happening there, at Mexico and Paris.
But the girls were first. I expected a lashing but it didn’t come.

Marcy said the only thing out of all of them, ”Ziva should have let the third punch land.”

First up was a VCATS to Andy after I sent him today’s video clip with the notation ‘for your pleasure’.

”I see you have been active as usual. I assume you are OK from the video.”

”The men patrolled thirty more miles of pipeline today. Today we are splitting up the two camps into a third camp.

”We have notified the contact at Mexpo of three hundred and forty eight more taps. All of them were small, look like individual taps. Their repair crews are not up to us yet but they are making progress.

The mass of growth covering the pipeline where the two inch taps were is gone. We finished ripping it out today. The planes can get a view of the entire line as far as we have been.”

”We will be at the end of this line completing part A on Saturday. Other than routine patrols I’m giving the men Sunday off to rest up before we start into the security zone and Pipeline B.”

”You can schedule the news conference you wanted with Pedro Garcia on Monday.”

”We did get one more drug trafficker and two human traffickers. The girls were tied up, gagged and had been beaten and used. The arrest and subsequent preliminary questioning of the thugs wasn’t too gentle. A couple of the ladies are handling the girls. The Catholic Church in Tampico has agreed to take them and get them back to their parents, they’re on their way in an MRAP now,” Andy said.

”You are tagging then identifying the prisoners as we discussed? The traffickers I want for special interrogation.”

”I expected no less,” Andy replied.

”By the way, Bob’s engineering team is landing in Brownsville today. Vehicles and security have been set up by Homer Clermont out of the Texas site. I figured you had plenty to do so I stepped on your toes a little.”

”The construction teams arrive on Monday to get started.”

”All the forms for the precast walls are done. When you get back we will go over the drawings for the prison for any last minute ideas,” I said.

”Bob’s people have been given strict orders to not drink the Mexican water and to only travel in groups with security and no Mexican hotels, brothels or bars.”

”On another point, Texas Steel is still building and equipping more sleeping buses and Marcy is finding another group of meals on wheels trailers to go there in case you need them. They seem to be working well, so you will have the ability of another complete camp setup without disassembling the ones you have.”

“There was more money seized than we initially thought and Mexpo and Mexico has paid Marcy for the initial payments.”

”Andy, one of the G5s is on standby at Brownsville International if you or your team need to come to the home office or Fort Dean for a day or two,” I said.

”That’s great, thanks! I would like to spend a couple days in the office. I need to follow up on Charles and Milton. They seem awfully excited about the coastal contracts and I think they are liking the positions you have trusted them with,” Andy said.

”We are flying to Dubai on Tuesday to sign the contracts. Then everything else gets signed on Wednesday in Israel and Germany.”

”They didn’t get to where they were by being dumb, just a bad decision or two and the wrong people,” I said.

We spent two hours stacking more gold bars in the basement vault Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Jake and Dad helped all three nights. Being gone so much we were running behind. It would take more next week to get caught up again after all the traveling.

There would be two C5 shipments next month; one trip was delivering more food for the refugee camp then flying on to Fort Polo. The second trip was delivering essentials to Fort Polo to finish out the Air Force’s radar station. The testing phase was finished and a few things that needed tweaking were on the flight.

Another call that I had to handle was from Thimble Shoals bank, the design work was done on the new coin and I was requested to stop by and evaluate the first stamping with the board on Monday after the Mexico press conference.

I was going to spend most of another week in the air and in motel rooms.

Edit by Alfmeister
Proof read by Bob W.