Book 3 Chapter 15

            By the weekend there would be two hundred and fifty resignations on my desk. Troy brought me the list of federal judges who were scheduled to be retiring this year – that alone that was another one hundred positions and there were more of those to come. The search began for judges who I would nominate. The first and major requirement was they had not tried to legislate from the bench.

            Next came investigations into things that I was not supposed to do. All the social media of prospective candidates were thoroughly searched, including any organizations they belong to. Also included – their politics, including who they supported, who they donated to and any campaigns they had endorsed or worked on. I also wanted all papers they had written and all speeches they had given.

            Every case they had ever decided on, commented on, or if their ruling was appealed was to be investigated. Those where an appeals court deemed the ruling to be unconstitutional would be doubly investigated. If they made it to the interview sessions, they would be questioned deeply about their decisions and rulings associated with the case. My researchers had plenty to do.

            General Ingram had decided he was going to stay on as chairman of the Joint Chiefs; he had two more years that he could serve in that capacity. However, I needed to replace the other Chiefs. Troy and I worked the rest of the afternoon on that part of the puzzle because they should be the first nominees that I sent to the Senate for approval.

            I settled on General Richard Irons for the Army Chief; he was the general over the army troops in the invasion of Iran. I chose Marine General John Downs for the Marine Chief position. For the Air Force Chief, I chose Air Force General Glenn Armstrong. For the National Guard Chief I chose General Randolph McVee and for the Secretary of Defense I chose Fleet Admiral Montgomery Scott.

            Because of political rules, Congress would have to issue a waiver for Admiral Scott to serve as Secretary of Defense. My staff who polled the Senators before a final decision assured me that Scott would pass muster in the Senate.

            I reappointed Frank Love as director of the CIA. He and I had worked together just so well, I couldn’t see anyone else in that position. I did the same with Marty Coeburn at the FBI and Eric Roberson at the DHS.

            After lunch I spent the rest of the afternoon on calls to various leaders, starting with Mexico’s President Martinez and then many more of the Central and South American countries.

            The speech I had given in response to a reporter’s question in Mexico City about the war on drugs had started small but was growing. Now there were only a handful of countries in the America’s that were not on board. Even Australia was on board as an associate member of the ”International Antidrug Enforcement Coalition”.

            The meeting for all the countries to sign on was finalized today. That meeting was to take place in Washington on the first of February. The coalition members would vote on the charter and bylaws. We would then work on the final rules and laws that in some cases had already been passed or were in the process of being passed by member countries.

            All were designed to put the screws on illegal manufacture, transporting, sale and possession of illegal drugs. The members had a hodgepodge of laws but in the new coalition, those laws would be uniform and harsh for those in the illegal drug business.

            It would require lengthy sentences, confiscation of property and wealth with a real search for hidden wealth of those profiting from the misery of the drug trade. The death penalty would be the only penalty and it would be aggressively used for those convicted of manufacturing, distribution and trafficking in illegal drugs.

            It would require isolation of countries that were involved in the drug trade by the member nations including ending air travel, cruises and trade embargoes. This one was a tough one to negotiate because the United Nations did everything it could to interfere.

            In fact, the UN tried to derail the process at every step. They wanted control and funding to carry out the antidrug coalition goals. Everyone knew how worthless the UN would be. China, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Thailand and several more were the biggest non-America producers of Illegal drugs. China would block any actions at the UN that interfered with its grand plan.

            The lab that JBG had built in the old shopping center had been operating for four months and already had tested eight thousand samples of illicit drugs. The DNA test was narrowing down the where the drugs were coming from.

            Cocaine samples were showing that it was coming from lower Central America and South America now. With the JBG security zone working, most were from shipping and air travelers. People were being paid to bring drugs to the US in their body cavities.

            There were a few submersibles that had tried to make the trip from El Salvador and Nicaragua, but the majority broke apart or were sunk by the Coast Guard or the JBG fast ships that were patrolling at the ocean ends of the security zones. Both of those countries were not in the anti-drug coalition.

            The tests were showing that the pills were coming from China, India, Pakistan and Thailand. Codeine, fentanyl, OxyContin and other prescription medicines were coming in shipping containers mixed with legitimate freight.

            The DHS and DEA had made a bust the first week of January at the San Diego port of over ten million pills packaged with flour in General Mills bags. Shipments like that had to be sponsored by the governments.

            Whoever packaged the shipment didn’t know that General Mills didn’t import flour. It was produced in the states and was not imported.

            The factories making medicines were tightly regulated and the only way that amount could have been produced is with the knowledge and blessings of people in high places.

            Another tipoff was the ingredients in the pills were of the same DNA and formula and the press equipment markings were the same as pills being shipped to the major US pharmacies through official channels. It was only one bust of many taking place at the ports on both coasts.

            The security zone and the JBG fast boats were having an effect on the supply. That and the extra resources I had ordered the DEA and homeland to commit to the ports. The street price of drugs had doubled in the last four months. That drove up street and property crimes from addicts trying to support their habits. For every intended action, there is an opposite and unintended reaction.

            I was ready to go to the living quarters, I was talked out and suffering from gray matter overload. Relief from the overload was coming over in a few minutes.

            The rest of my family was coming over in one of the bigger helicopters and would spend the rest of the week with Vicky, Ching Lee and me. I was ready to spend some time with the kids.

            Some of the Christmas presents for the kids had been left here for them to play with. Every time they came, it was like they were getting new toys.

            After the playtime, JJ, RJ, Sara and Takeo were in bed and asleep, piled up on the new bed in my master bedroom. It was a super king size, bigger than the one we had at home.

            Being pregnant, Marcy and Vicky were horny all the time now. They had even brought more of our toys from home and added a few. I asked how they had gotten them because I knew they could no longer go to the adult store without being recognized.

            ”We ordered them from Amazon with the house address for delivery to the house and not the office. UPS delivered to the gym anyhow. The boxes were carried to my office where one of my clerks opened them,” Marcy said.

            ”I never saw Tabitha blush so red before,” Marcy said. ”The other girls kidded her all afternoon about it, wanting to know what caused it,” Marcy said.

            Marcy had bought a complete set of new play toys to be left here, including several strap-on harnesses and toys to go on them.

            It was a fun play evening, even though we had to be quiet. Luckily one of the drawers in my dresser had a lock on it. At least that would keep the maid from finding them.

            Thursday morning the director of the Secret Service and I met with the representatives from the DC roads and streets committee. My request/orders to block off more streets to the Secret Service around the White House had finally hit the DC government and didn’t sit too well with them.

            They had a variety of arguments against closings the streets but basically all came back to their opinion that the public had a right to protest and do anything else they wanted near the White House.

            After two hours of putting up with their ranting, ”Those identified streets were going to be closed, even if I had to have Army tanks and troops brought in to do it. Go back to your map and figure out how you are going to redirect non- White House traffic around the new fencing and restrictions that the Secret Service has contracted to be installed,” I said.

            Thursday night all my mates worked out with me in the newly updated White House fitness center. New exercise machines had been installed, including the marathoner tread mill like we had in the gym. It was beginning to feel like home.

            Edit by Alfmeister

            Proof read by Bob W.