Bjjonesmylife. Book 2

Book 3 Chapter 20

            Eighteen crates were emptied into the gold room tonight. Dad and Jake helped again – a couple more nights and we would be finished and then Lorrie could start using the secure hangar for other things.

I wondered what those other things where – she had never said. Neither had any of the others. Then the crates could be sent somewhere with freight in them. The Toyota pickups from the Mexican operations were all gone now.

            The repair shop had pulled all the engines, transmissions, doors, and beds from them and sold them online. The bodies were used in the hostage training setting at Fort Smith. They were now burned-out scrap metal hulks, destined for the scrap yard when Andy decided he was finally through with them.

            I slept very well in my own bed; Vicky was snuggled tightly against me all night. Morning came much too fast. Marcy, Jenny, Ching Lee and Vicky were flying to Thimble Shoals for the directors meeting, then returning in the afternoon. Lorrie, Mom and Lisa were boy and babysitting.

            At 0700 I was reading updates – at 0800 I was in the meeting room in the basement with my new Secretary of Defense Scott and all the Chiefs. Today’s discussion was on the list of base closings. The GSA and the GAO were also at the meeting with estimates and they were going to be compared with the DOD cost estimates.

            The cost was figured several ways; first was the cost to just close the named base. The second was the cost to transfer assets from that base to another – in other words, relocation cost. The third was the savings based over a ten-year span – there was that infamous government ten-year budget worm hole. The fourth was cost to the local community in lost wages and fees associated with the base and fifth was the return on the sale or disposal of the base.

            There were all kinds of endings for closed bases. Some were given to the community or states with the hope and promise they would be turned into industrial parks or other revenue generators. Parts of some previously closed bases were used to create recreation area or parks.

Others were eventually abandoned to grow up in weeds; some were sold to be repurposed into developments or factories. Many times, Navy bases became port facilities or marinas. Sometimes, those turned into developments that came back to bite the government in the ass.

Home buyers were always told that hazmats and other contaminates had been cleaned up when really, only a minor portion had been. Many times, misleading or forged paperwork was supplied by crooked contractors.

Then people started to get sick and a thorough investigation was done. At the end of all the publicity, lawsuits and politicians’ grandstanding, the federal government always ended up responsible and ultimately paid dearly.

            Many times, bases that were slated to be sold were only sold after years of petty politics by the state’s congressman and senators, each trying to get special favors and promises from their many special interest groups.

            Each scenario had its pitfalls, there were always cleanup cost for hazmats and environmental issues. A number of bases were going to a reserve status – closed but kept in a condition to be used in thirty days. The grass would be cut, utilities kept on but pipes drained and buildings closed up but lightly maintained.

            There were thirty bases in Europe and the Middle East slated for stand- by status, consolidation or closed. There were twenty-five minor bases and ten major bases that were to be shuttered was the term the Pentagon wanted to use. It was more palatable to the public. There were ten bases that were scheduled for reductions in operations. Dover Air Base was in the list to be shuttered-closed.

            I spent all morning in the meeting and on MTAC with officials in the Pentagon. At 1100 the GSA and GAO people left. They had been trying to leave for the last hour, desperately wanting to get out of the hot seat.

            Shortly after they left, Troy and the waiter brought over menus of the things that were available for lunch today as a ‘take an order’ from the chef. I guess the Secret Service agents were going for broke, assuming most of the staff could get a first-class lunch and supper without objections. Whatever, but I knew who the bill was going to be sent to.

            Troy, Kitty, Connie, Secretary of Defense, the Generals and I placed our lunch order with the waiter and I told him to bring it down to the first room on the left when coming through the tunnel when it was ready. We would have a working lunch in that room.

            To make things interesting, I decided that I would have our meal in our private bar. After all the kidding with Frank, Ben, Marty and the General about my private bar whenever JBG carried out our clandestine operations, I decided that I would have one built.

            The first bay next to the tunnel towards the house had been filled with all those things that were too good to throw away. Because – you know – someday they may come in handy. In other words – junk- which was thrown away and the room cleaned out.

            I had Bob’s Construction build me a private bar. A bar with bar stools and coolers for beer – the most popular ones under the counter – and a refrigerator. There were wine coolers and canned drinks.

There was the traditional mirror behind where any bartender would stand with a variety of hard liquor in front of it on the back wall. The one that always got broken in a bar fight.

Across from the bar were three crescent shaped booths and a couple of small tables and chairs. I opted for well-padded ones, not the hard wooden ones.

            Bob even found a company that made replica jukeboxes and there was one in the bar with old time bar room country music ballads, truck driving and drinking songs for conversation topics. Bob found some classic collectible bar room signs to place on the wall. He also found a pool table, every bar had to have a pool table. There were a couple TVs, one in each corner.

            My mates weren’t much enthused while it was being built but when it was finished, they were happy with it. It became a place where we could sit and talk or whatever to get a few minutes peace when we were over here. It was quieter than our offices and allowed us to be able to debate work related issues in private.

My mates went through my old photo albums and picked out some photos of me from my Marine days. There were some with me dirty, dusty and just beat or worn out. Dad had asked me time and time again for pictures of me on duty. I finally promised that I would and I did. There was always someone in the unit willing to take pictures, no matter how bad they were.

There were some with me marching in the desert with full gear and pack, others in the barracks – if there were any available – or in the tents. There were others with me carrying an injured soldier.

There were a few with me standing over Taliban dead with my M16 – those were a no-no, but I had a few of them. There were several of the trucks I drove, a few with them burning and a few of the destroyed villages we had been through.

There were a few from the Kampala attack, the one with me on the roof at the refugee camp and one of me in the Blues along with pictures of my mates. I was opposed to so many pictures of my hard times in life on the wall, but my mates won out on that one.

On the wall with the pictures was a poster, ’Never piss off a lady with a knife, a gun and an attitude. There are no second chances.’

We did have a phone, internet and wireless installed so our laptops would work on that end of the basement. It was locked and only our cards, along with Dad, Jake and Crash’s cards would open the door and of course, the cleaning people.

            I called up the refreshment center and had them send down a bucket of ice. The bar had no ice maker, there was running water with a pump under the sink to pump the waste water into the sewer pipe and a small electric water heater.

The glasses had to be taken to one of the dishwashers – either in the lunch room, refreshment center or over to the house – and then brought back; some inconvenience but not much.

            When the ice was brought down, ”Let’s go to the other room, a lot of people use this room for lunch. We can have a more controlled conversation over there,” I said as I picked up the ice bucket.

            I unlocked the door and held it while they went in. ‘’So, you do have a private bar and it’s a nice one. Ben, Frank, Eric and Marty have never said anything about it being here,’’ General Ingram said.        

            ‘’That’s because they have never been in here,’’ I said.

            ‘’They will be here before we finish. There are some updates they want to go over and explain as they have been working on some projects for me. They had a meeting at the hangar this morning. I would imagine they are eating lunch at the restaurant in Morton,’’ I said. Then I added, ‘’We can wait for them here. I need to find the ball carriers and let them know where I am.’’

            ‘’Admiral Holt, please pick up the com phone,’’ I said.

            When he answered ‘’I am in the last room on the right at the tunnel if you need me,’’ I said.

            ‘’What gets discussed in the bar stays in the bar. This is my ultimate private sanctuary,’’ I said.

            ‘’The waiter is bringing down tea, water and soda, does anyone want anything else?’’ I asked as I pulled a cold mug from the refrigerator and a cold beer from the cooler.

            Everyone else chose a beer as I did, except for Kitty and Connie. I chose a few selections on the jukebox and turned the volume down. The reason I did that was if anyone was trying to record anything, the music would interfere. Then I started with conversation.

            ‘’Looks like I over valued Dover Air Force Base property based on the numbers presented by the GSA,’’ I said.

            ‘’I think Congress will say the numbers from the GSA are low and I don’t think anyone will beat the accessibility sweeteners that you placed on the bid,’’ General Ingram said.

            ‘’Well, there is still a long way to go; the forces must sign off on the process, the Secretary of Defense must sign off on it, Congress must approve the process and then the GSA will go through a process. The best-worst case scenario would be for Congress to force it to a public auction but then the Air Force will lose all those things that would help the Department of Defense,’’ I said.

            ‘’Mr. Secretary, there needs to be a push on all the processes. Without getting all the changes made, the budget numbers will not work. Programs will have to be cut and systems put on hold, as I won’t sign for additional funding to the Department of Defense to cover for delays,’’ I said.

            ‘’I have looked at all the proposals and today’s meeting added more information. I will further review with the planners tomorrow for the final recommendations to Congress. Madam President, you will have an advanced copy to review before it is delivered to Congress.”

            The waiter and the chef brought the food on a rolling cart. Mine was a salad with soup and a grilled sandwich with sweet tea. I had finished my beer and the sweet tea hit the spot with the meal. The Generals had all kinds of cold sandwiches and soup. Connie, Kitty and Troy elected for soup and a hot sandwich.

            As the waiter was leaving, I heard, ‘’Is President Jones in there?’’

            Edit by Alfmeister

            Proof read by Bob W.

Book 3 Chapter 19

            It was a short walk through the tunnel to the house. All the visiting aides and staff were politely told to be gone by 1630, unless there was an approved reason for them to stay.

            Dad had loaded six more crates from Polokwane earlier today at Morton. The farm truck was backed up to the loading dock waiting for the forklift. There were still sixty crates in the secure hanger that needed to be moved into the basement storage. War, campaigning, elections, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and inauguration had interfered with our work to move it down into the basement rooms.

            Lorrie wanted the hangar cleaned out to use for other things so there was a push to get it done. Jason, Jake and Dad were going to help so we were hoping to do twelve tonight. I was glad it was being sent directly to Pirates Bank now, eliminating that work for us.

            We had thirteen days before we were leaving for Deep Water Cay for two weeks of vacation. We wanted to go on vacation before Marcy and Vicky were due to give birth. Marcy and Vicky were both having girls.

            I thought for sure we should be able to get all of them moved in by that time. What we didn’t get moved we would stack in the hall – two high – by the gold room doors and finish it up when we came back from vacation.

            After the cameras were turned off we started on the crates. We had all twelve done in two and a half hours. It was a good night; supper was a little late, but all in all it was a good night. We planned to do the same thing tomorrow night.

            I checked with Robert’s night duty man in the command center and the agents that were there with him monitoring all the cameras around the house and in the guard. Then I turned back on the cameras for the tunnel. We ate a light supper and then we spent time playing with the kids before sending them to bath and bed. We spent a few minutes in the hot tub before Crash and Troy came out to the refrigerator for a cold beer.

            Crash sent Troy over with a tray of drinks for us. Troy was startled but didn’t drop the tray; I knew Crash had set Troy up. As soon as the tray was empty, they retreated into the house. We only stayed in fifteen minutes – that was all the docs wanted Marcy and Vicky to stay in even with the reduced temperature settings. It was a great evening and better night spending it with Lorrie in my arms. We went to sleep listening to Sara breathe.

            We were up early; I smelled the coffee at 0500. The cook must have started a new pot. At 0600 we were dressed, and I had put on my camo – by luck I had brought the ones the Guards give out with CIC Jones on the name line. I was at home and was not expecting visitors that I needed to influence today – the fancy clothes could stay in the closet.

            My staff was in early. Harry came and brought a dozen boxes of donuts from the Hut. He was going to gig the White House reporters today. His plan was to do the White House news today on the VCATS link to the press room and have the donuts on the table in front of him – if there were any left. Who said he didn’t have a sense of humor.

            I read the intelligence reports after breakfast while sitting at my desk. Still not good, but no worse than yesterday. At 0900 I was doing a video meeting with my research group that was getting the data together so that Andrew and I could work on my State of the Union address that was coming up.

            By 1000 I had a general outline for Andrew to work on and sent it to him. It was a good thing I was finished because Dick James came in unexpectedly, wanting a meeting with several topics.

            One of them was the upcoming general election In Iran. Even though I was not keeping a close eye on things there, I knew things were moving along. The numbers of candidates were greatly reduced after the primaries. Several candidates had to be eliminated because they had held offices in the previous government that they tried to hide.

            Dick James had dealt with dozens of expatriates trying to force their way back into Iran, so they could force themselves into positions of power. There were a dozen or so from Europe that had the aggressive backing of the UN and the European Union. There were also several from Canada, Cuba and Central America. They were told they were not welcome back.

            All of them that arrived at the borders were sent back. They tried the border crossings of Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Those that tried to get in by caravan through the mountain trails met a violent death along with the smugglers they hired. So far, the Army, Marines and Air Force had ended all the smuggling operations through the mountain trails, especially the trails from Pakistan.

            Hanna and Melinda had left Sunday with four more groups of reporters. So far the feedback had been fair and that was all I thought we could ask for. Hanna and Melinda were getting plenty of air time with their reports. At the rate they were going, they would be done with all the White House news groups in four more weeks.

            China was still buying oil even though they complained about the price with every payment. The funds were being deposited in Pirates Bank and payments to the reconstruction fund were being made. Reconstruction was on schedule and progress was visible on multiple fronts.

            At 1100 the GSA called with more problems from the gate relocation project. Not one but two tunnels previously unknown to them had been discovered by the ground penetrating radar that was being used to locate buried cables and pipes. Both were leading to the White House. Why they had not been discovered before was a mystery.

            Now there was big debate on how much of the grounds to dig up to find out information on them. Both were being tracked by the radar to determine where they started and how close they were to the White House.

            Radar and other tools and devices were being used in the basement on the walls. They were trying to find out if either had an entrance in the basement that had been covered up in all the previous renovations and upgrades in the history of the White House.

            It was beginning to look like it was going to be a lot longer than two weeks before I would be going back to my housing quarters. I wondered why they had not been found when the massive underground addition was added? I guess it was by luck they constructed that section on the opposite side of the White House. Or – did they know about the tunnels and elect to avoid them by using the opposite side where there were none?

            The GSA had opened a Pandora’ s box by exposing then. The historians were called as were the archaeologists. They were going to be entered – if they could find any entrances – to look for clues. If not, they were going to have access holes drilled and cameras lowered into them. One appeared to be very old and the other very recent.

            I ordered a complete media blackout on the tunnels once they started the entry process. I also ordered Frank and Eric to be involved. I wanted a complete report before anything was made public. It would be bad news if one of the former presidents stored bodies down there.

            My best guess was that the older one was a secret entrance for presidents to escape through or to allow special visitors to get in and leave unseen. After all, the British had burned the White House and the Capitol in August of 1814.

            There were plenty of conspiracy theories involving early presidents, mistresses, harems and various bootleggers and other activities that would have been political suicide or caused public hangings.

            The recent looking tunnel was anybody’s guess. Hopefully there was evidence left in both of them to answer the questions. It would be a riot if Jimmy Hoffa’s body was found in there.

They were already sifting the dirt looking for artifacts – the construction was halted for no one knew how long. The lawn was going to be dug up and whatever else needed.

            The servers were going to be removed from the basement to a more secure location for the time being. So were all the top secret records and communications.

            There was just going to be too many people wandering in the basement and around the White House. Security was going to be a problem and many things at risk.

            If my mates and I did not have so much going on, we would go the Cay and stay for the next few months just to piss everyone off.

            After a great lunch with my mates and boys, Connie, Kitty, Troy and I discussed and made plans to move more of the staff here – the Secret Service was adamant I was not going back until the area was completely secure and security upgrades were established and they could guarantee everything else was secure. MTAC screens and controls was going to be added to more of the JBG basement offices.

            I was going to change the way I was doing things. I started with the item veto Bill that Congress passed; there was much more that needed doing to make it official. It had to be added to the Constitution as an amendment. Legal scholars had debated the issue for decades; the Supreme Court ended the debate years ago by saying that the President did not have the authority for item or line item, that an amendment was necessary.

            Congress had done its part and I had done mine by signing the bill; now it was up to the states. Thirty-three needed to pass a companion bill for it to become an amendment. When the bill was introduced in the House a companion bill was introduced in each of the fifty states. Fifteen had already passed and been signed, eighteen more to go. It needed two thirds.

            Today I was calling the leaders of the remaining states to give them a little push. I could have aides do it, but the personal attention may be more helpful. Those that had video conferencing would be by video.

            Troy had done the preliminary steps by setting up a time for me to call so all the right people could be in the room. I spent three hours on the phone and video and would do the same tomorrow. Progress is important.

            At 1600 I was back in the meet room on MTAC with my investigation group getting updates for tomorrow’s MTAC meeting with the director of the EPA, Shep Hollingsworth. He was the current EPA administrator and was leaving tomorrow. My new administrator had been ratified by the Senate today and would be sworn

            Shep knew since the election that he was going to be out. He wanted to leave his legacy on the agency. He was appointing dozens of die hard  in tomorrow. environmentalists into all kinds of jobs, creating new departments for them and with hundreds of new rules, regulations and powers.

            Many of the things he was doing were illegal and unethical and some were actually criminal. The agency was required to post all new regulations in the Federal Register and provide a comment period for the public and affected industries. None of that was being done.

            His argument was that he was upgrading existing regulations and departments and not writing new ones; therefore, he was within the law.

            The last dozen EPA administrators had been environmentalists. I chose an industrialist to put the brakes on the agency and begin the process of eliminating the thousands of EPA agency people agreed to in the budget cuts.

            Along with the people, there were thousands of regulations that were going to get looked and any that Shep installed into the agency’s rule book were to be removed.

            Harland Maxwell was scheduled to be sworn in at the White House tomorrow, now he was coming here and would be sworn in my media center. Yes, one of those was completed today. The classroom by the tanning room had been remodeled.

            Ching Lee and Vicky wanted it inside; they had been using the loading ramp in the past for all the press conferences. That was too dangerous for them to do it that way now.

            Harry had given today’s White House news conference from it. Shep was going to lose out on his final venting at me, which he said he was going to do to my face on camera, but he had no invitation.

            The White House media group was going to be unhappy because it was going to be broadcast live to the White House media center.

            Edit by Alfmeister

            Proof read by Bob W.

            On another sad note due to an unexpected death in the my immediate family delays in postings of future chapters may be necessary.

Jack

Book 3 Chapter 18

            Monday started early with the smell of fresh coffee from the kitchen. The new agency chefs quickly learned how I liked coffee. I wondered why there was such a turnover in agency chefs.

            There had been a procession of agents attempting to be quiet while getting food and coffee since 0500. I was contemplating ordering the visiting agents to eat elsewhere or at least over at the refreshment center.

            I was surprised that places at the dining room table were not filled when we dressed and went down. The kitchen had gotten disposable plates and utensils; there was a stack of them that had not been here last night. But, they had taken over the garage though.

            The tables and chairs that we used for cookouts had been set up in the garage – our Suburbans parked outside. The chefs – there were two of them this morning – had food prepared buffet style in the kitchen. The agents were getting plates full and carrying them out to the garage.

            The garage now had a heater in it. I wondered when that had happened – something to ask my mates about.

            My family – the boys and the two little ones in high chairs included – were being served coffee, tea or orange juice while the chef was getting a breakfast order.

            ”I have most of what you normally eat in the kitchen buffet style if you would like to look at it, or we will cook it fresh if you like,” Master Chef Pierre Diodore said. ”With so many agents here, we decided it would be faster to do things that way.”

            ”I understand from the manager of the refreshment center that you get a wholesale food delivery from Sysco Foods in the afternoon if it is placed before 0900. If I get an order together, will you allow it to be placed and delivered over there? We are going to run out of a lot of things with so many people here for the next few days. I will put on the government card,” Pierre said.

            ”Sure, get it together. You may want to order a lot extra, especially coffee. I don’t know how many will be here today and you may want to have the manager to do the same over there,” I said.

            The chefs did not have that much food left on the buffet after the agents had raided it, so the food we got was just coming off the griddle.

            Troy came down and I invited him to sit at the table with us to eat. Agent Carter came in and handed me the early morning intelligence updates to look over at my leisure. A courier had delivered them to the Secret Service guard at the gate.

            Pakistan was drawing down the troops on the Pakistan – Iran border. They had been there three weeks. In that time dozens of villages had been destroyed – leveled with artillery and finally bulldozers. Some of the inhabitants were moved by military trucks hundreds of miles to villages to the east. Satellite photographs showed many Taliban being executed by firing squads and many graves.

            The civil wars in Africa were ongoing – the hot spots just moved from place to place. Libya was boiling again, rattling sabers against Algeria near the border with Tunisia. Also, Sudan and Chad were at it again.

            Ethiopia and South Sedan were in the cooling off phase again. There had been costly battles on both sides. They were licking their wounds, rearming and recruiting, many of the new recruits were considered to be child soldiers.

            I was going to meet with Andy when he came in to meet with the girls at 1000. I would get his assessment where we had men and compare it to the agencies.

            At 0700 it was time to get everything started. My mates needed to attend to JBG things, Lisa had arrived and was getting the den ready for the boys’ school day. My mates and I went through the tunnel followed by Troy and more agents than I needed.

            Connie Hines and Kitty Winn were both just entering the lobby escorted by a couple agents who were wearing an ear wick in one ear and a cell phone ear piece in the other. They were asking where they were to go. I wondered just how they could keep any conversation going and not walk into the wall. I had them sent to the elevator and then to the basement level. I walked them down to where they were going to have office space.

            ”See if you can get logged into your e-mail and White House systems with the links the GSA gave you,” I said.

            After seeing that the systems worked I settled into my chair in the command center with Connie to my side. Kitty stayed at her desk and began sorting through the hundreds of emails that came in every day, assigning them a level of importance and where they needed to go. This morning – as in every morning – they were printed off and put into piles.

            Troy went to his desk and started through his emails and appointment list and making calls.

            The ball carriers were in the meeting room with links to the Pentagon. I gave Tom the numbers to make the connection for MTAC with the task force in Section Twelve.

            I went through the list of items from this morning’s updates from NSA with Ben. I had questions and he had more work to do about the NSA items. Then I had more questions about the terrorism task force investigation into Jabil Faisal – the truck driver. Our conversation lasted thirty minutes and really answered only a few of the questions I had.

            Ben and I spent a while on the North Africa alerts and memos of interest. There were a lot of them today. So many that I went to Robert’s office for a copy of the reports that EIT generated for Andy.

            Frank and Eric sent a text – they would be here in an hour along with the rest of the Security Council for the scheduled national security meeting. General Ingram and the chiefs paged for the next spot on MTAC.

            MTAC had gone more modern with its last updates. They thought they were streamlining, but it was wasting time and was leading to more open mike gaffs.

            If the terminal of the office – or person in my case – was on a secure scrambled transmission, it transferred the incoming call to a queue like a busy office and assigned it a number. That meant that you were waiting for the conversation to end.

            That was fine if all conversations were short and you were number one in the queue, but many of my conversations could run on and on leading to delays and frustration. Now everyone was texting if they were in the queue, adding even more distractions.

            I ended the call with Ben and paged General Ingram. There had been a training accident early this morning at Fort Macon Army Base. Two Black Hawks with sixteen aboard each had collided over an infantry unit on the ground in high gusting winds. The helicopters were disembarking the troops close to the ground. Over fifty Army soldiers were injured with ten – possibly more – dead. It was not a good way to start off a Monday.

            If there were high gusting winds, why were we doing a training exercise with helicopters carrying troops hovering over troops on the ground? Training was something that had to be done. Now ten were dead – never to fight – and many more on the ground would never fight again or would be months before they could.

            So, what was learned from this training? Something that we already knew – high and gusting winds with helicopters hovering near the ground was a big no-no. I could see corrective action coming swiftly for some officers in charge.

            Investigators were on the way to the site. The Chiefs and the Secretary of the Army would be here after lunch to personally update me and then I would decide where the ax was going to fall.

            Troy had left to take a call in the middle of the conversation. He ended up taking several calls. First the GSA person in charge of the White House fence and repairs from the dump truck had bad news.

            The damage caused by the truck to the main gate and supporting heavy structures had done serious damage below ground to them below ground. They would not support the gate when it was operated – they moved, and the gate was hitting the ground when it swung.

            They were going to have to be completely ripped out and replaced, which would create even more problems. Near the area where those heavy supporting structures were buried underground was close to buried electric and natural gas lines along with water and sewer. They were within inches of the gas pipeline. Now the gas lines were going to have to be dug up and checked for damage. The few days needed to do repairs was now two weeks, possibly more.

            I ask Troy if the entire fence and access gate could be moved in closer to the new White House grounds boundary, since the city had dropped all opposition to the street changes. Now was the time to do this since the gate and supporting structures were going to have to be completely rebuilt. Why not just build the new in the new position and move the fence while they were at it?

            The GSA had contracted the work to change up the streets, so I suggested they step up to the plate and do it now or find a contractor who could.

            Troy and I spent the next hour on various calls to the GSA, finally convincing them to make the changes now.

            Kitty brought me a fresh mug of coffee and a handful of emails and notes that needed my input before she could reply to them. The GSA tech team succeeded in transferring my primary White House phone to my cell phone.

            The red and green phones were another issue to the GSA all together. Prime Minister Attenborough and Russian President Orbatch both had my cell number, so it was a non-issue to me.

            At 1000 Andy texted that he was in the Horsey building and ready to meet anytime I was ready. I told him to come on over, that I would meet him in the girls’ meeting room.

            I listened while Andy gave detailed reports on the growing menace that was in Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen and the Sudan. Yemen pirates and hostile groups were using the Red Sea to traffic weapons to the African coast.

             The pirates were the new middle-men in the arms trade from Pakistan and North Korea to the area. Saudi Arabia was looking to increase JBG fast boat presence in the Red Sea, wanting a base for operations and another base near Jizan. That would make five bases for the JBG coastal patrol boats. Black and Bear were back scouting for a suitable site.

            Andy had sent Paul Drake and the fifteen man ops team to the Korean embassy to further investigate the suspicions of being watched –  that the videos confirmed. They were carrying a lot of new surveillance equipment from Robert to install.

            Marcy had bids for another twelve boats to order as soon as the papers were signed by the King. I learned from this meeting that several more wells in Nigeria and Cameroon had started producing – the refineries were soon going to be running at one hundred percent of capacity.

            I learned that there was now a contract to send two finished product tankers a month to the US from our refinery in Nigeria. One was gasoline destined for Baltimore and the other fuel oil for New York; both were with Shell Oil USA.

            Another contract was for two finished product tankers a month to Russia, both fuel oil. It was a short term contract – just two years – until the Russian refineries were producing enough again.

            The revenues for these sales was deposited directly to a JBG account at Pirates Bank for Marcy’s expansion ventures which was moving ahead and picking up speed. I still did not know what companies she had her sights on, except that everything was going according to her plan.

            The National Security Council made their appearance at 1100. There were more than enough places to sit at the big meeting table. We had plenty of things to talk about, most of them being in North Africa. The meeting lasted till lunch. It was great to sit at my own table with my mates and kids to have lunch.

            After lunch a messenger from Congress sent over several bills that had been finished by the conference committees. One of the bills was historic; it gave the President – me – item and line item veto, a new budget control item.

            I was surprised that Congress would give up a piece of the control they had. But then, while they could still override my veto, it took two thirds of each to do that.

            Another bill moved things further along on base consolidation and closings. Before I was going on my own with it, now Congress was on board. The DOD would generate a list with help from the State Department and White House with the desired action and then the defense over site committees would debate and either approve or deny. Then I would approve or veto the actions. I guess they failed to realize what the new item veto could do to the process.

            I was going to sign the bill at 1600 for today’s news cycle in the office meeting room, allowing two of waiting news teams and White House photographer for the official record. Politics as usual – the game I hated – I was learning to play.

Edit by Alfmeister

Proof read by Bob W.

Book 3 Chapter 17

            The Secret Service chefs planned a great meal while we were working in the gym basement, so we were well fed. After supper I played with the boys for a while and held Sara and Takeo.

            I spent the evening in the living room with my family after the kids were in bed. It was finally quiet enough for us to talk about upcoming events. We were going to Deep Water Cay and Low Island for vacation for the last two weeks of February. On Low Island we wanted to see all the improvements that Marcy was paying for and to look at the two new rental units that had been built on the Cay.

            The first Thursday of March we were going to Texas for another fundraiser for the party. I was applying pressure on the party chairman to find and fund quality candidates to run against the remaining liberals in the congressional race in two years.

            When we returned from Texas, we were stopping at Cleveland, Tennessee. Jason had set up a wild hog hunt for all of us on property owned by Glenn Gibson. It would be the fifth time that Jason had hunted wild hogs there, the first four had been with Dad.

            Glenn’s daughter Shannon had been shot in the terrorist attack at Warrington College. In discussions at the hospital the topics had turned to bootlegging and wild hogs in the area.

            We were sending the four RVs that JBG owned along with the four that the GSA owned. Previous presidents had used the GSA supplied RVs for cross country campaigning. We were staying four days at the Gibson farm in the RVs. With the bootlegging, hog hunts and farming, Glenn had several acres turned into a full service RV park. We would be the only group there those four days.

            Commercial wild hog hunts had turned to be as profitable as farming and bootlegging for Glenn. He was smart by continuing bootlegging and now was dumping some of the mash out to attract the wild hogs and limiting the commercial hunts to no more than one a week. He was still selling excess corn to the markets and the dried mash – eventually called brewers grains – to feed mills to be mixed with cattle, chicken and hog feeds.

            The second week of March I was going back to Russia to celebrate another milestone in the disarmament treaty we had worked out for three days. President Orbatch was then coming to Washington to do the same for our end of it.

            Marcy and our legal group had a dozen days in March and more in April scheduled to go to stockholders’ meetings of the companies she was looking to take over. Without a doubt, it was going to be a wild media month.        

            Saturday morning started off with tons of interruptions. The Secret Service was moving into the area in force. I learned they had twenty rooms in the Island Hilton. There was a steady stream of them coming and going with more than one meeting in the garage along with a steady parade for coffee and goodies from the kitchen.

            Special Secret Service Agent Earle Gardner was over the Secret Service detachment assigned to Summers Road for the day shift today. He assigned an agent to be in the guard shack with the JBG guard, another to be inside the gym and another to act as elevator operator. That saved me from assigning more JBG to do the same thing.

            I really wasn’t concerned until I looked out the window to see a 48 foot Coast Guard patrol boat tied up to our dock behind our boat. If I didn’t know any better, it was looking like it was going to be way longer than Wednesday before I was back at the White House.

            Verizon was back at 0700 working on the bugs in the added phones. By 1000 they had everything fixed and working. I guess they needed the Saturday overtime to motivate them. They got a day’s overtime pay for working three hours. They did install several more wireless routers and wireless boosters in the basement.

            Baltimore Office Supply was done by noon, taking care of loose ends. The temporary offices were ready for Monday. My mates met me at the refreshment center for a light lunch. After lunch we went to the gun club for a couple hours to practice with our Glocks; it was the first time I done any shooting in over a month. I was rusty with the first clip, putting rounds everywhere but where I wanted them, but quickly improved. By the end of the two hours I was back to putting the rounds in the center of the bulls eye as well as I always did.

            It was a good thing the pistol range was indoors – it was getting colder and the wind was picking up, a storm was blowing in off the coast. We rode back to the office in the Beast and into the garage. When we were out of it the driver drove it back to the gym and into the garage where it was kept under lock and key and guarded.

            The chefs were working on supper, but it was still a couple hours away. My mates went to take care of the kids and I went to the command center to get updates from the Pentagon group, NSA, and CIA. It would take an hour to go through all the intelligence. Troy followed with a handful of notes.

            ”You know you are off today and I’m sure there are plenty of ladies looking good in the gym,” I said.

            ”You are right! There are plenty of ladies over there but there is plenty of competition, every Secret Service agent not on duty is trying to impress all of them,” Troy said.

            In the command center Troy was beside me and Vicky was taking notes for me. It was one of the things we forgot; I needed someone to take notes for the official record. Those people would not be here until Monday. I would have Connie transcribe Vicky’s notes into the official record.

            Another thing that was forgotten was the White House media group. There needed to be a couple of them here, at least during the day. Where in the heck was I going to put them all? Oh well, I would deal with that on Monday.

            Sunday morning the Secret Service chefs cooked a big breakfast. I started smelling fresh coffee percolating at 0500. Before they were finished Mom and Dad, Jason, Lisa, Troy, the foot ball carriers, about a dozen agents and my JBG security made their way to the kitchen for a plate and coffee, then showed up for breakfast.

            With everyone going their different ways after breakfast, my mates and I spent the morning in the living room playing with the boys and Sara and Takeo.

            The boys were into more games that were challenging now. They were past the building block things and tearing them down. They got plenty of those types of games for Christmas and we worked/played with them while they were learning.

            The sets of square numbered and lettered blocks and toys were hand-me-downs to Sara and Takeo. It was a fun morning with the kids. A light lunch and then my mates and I were walking to my office to discuss some JBG business Marcy wanted to talk about.

            I listened while she filled me in on the progress of things she was trying to do. I asked questions about an intended purchase in the Dutch Land. After she explained her intent and reasoning, I nodded OK.

            Marcy had been more involved in the behind the scenes negations than I knew. While I was negotiating with the Russian politicians, Marcy and Jeanna had been having long talks with the industry people.

             President Orbatch had brought representatives from the major Russian industries in case they were needed. Marcy and Jeanna were picking their brains on things needed to help bail the sinking ship and how they could make a profit in it.

            Alik Radimir Sobol was the new head of the Russian Petrol industry and apparently a likeable likable fellow as well as a womanizer, I gathered from the conversation. With both Jenna and Marcy getting heavily in the oil business, they had a full day of listening to his problems and what was needed to fix the problems.

            I didn’t know it at the time, but that pair was negotiating a deal to supply several finished tanker loads of heating oil and gasoline from our refinery in Nigeria in the winter months until the Russian refineries could get production up.

            A copy of the equipment Sobol needed and wanted was exchanged. Marcy wasn’t beyond being an equipment broker if she could make a profit. But then Marcy was looking for equipment for the Cameroon refineries.

            I listened and asked a few questions on how the oil fields were producing but I should have realized they must have been doing better if they could sell ship loads to Russia.

            I wondered why there hadn’t been any information on this from Frank or Eric. It was another question I needed to ask, surely there should have been some permits or reports that should have crossed my desk in exports.          

             Updates on the Jones Towers was next; they had finished driving pilings for first tower and the equipment had been moved to the second tower location. The basement tub for the first tower was in progress.

            Then there were updates on the rest of the business ventures. The girls asked if there was any way I could help stack gold bars in the basement room for a couple nights. There were still a lot of crates in the secure hangar that had not been moved there yet.

            ”I should be able to do that,” I said.

            For a while all the gold bars were being shipped directly to Pirates Bank. Marcy and whoever went with her to the board meetings brought back one thousand gold coins for us. The bars were being deposited to TSPBCIC account.          

            Andy was flying back from the Fort Dean operations center in the morning. He would be in Marcy’s office to cover a range of topics tomorrow. I would sit in on that meeting.

             I had questions that needed answers. I wanted a different view on several things in Africa other than Frank’s. Just a double check to make sure I was getting told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and not a watered down view.

            An hour later we were in the gym working out. Three different Secret Service agents worked with me. They were all out of shape and swapped off when one became exhausted.

            Kathryn came in at 1500 with Ty Deshields. Kathryn was a great workout partner on the mats; we worked together for two hours before we were too exhausted to continue. We had an audience of agents, Troy and several staff who were trying to find their way around those who were going to be here tomorrow.

            While we were resting I found out another group of spooks was starting covert mission training next Wednesday. Ching Lee, Kathryn and Ty were the trainers for the group with a couple of Andy’s best people to help. Hell, I might be able to help after hours if I was still here.

            At 1800 we went back to the house through the tunnel. Supper would be finished in thirty minutes, then I was going to the command center to check in with the agencies for the last time tonight.

            My mates, the kids and I had a great evening again. When the little ones were in bed, time in the hot tub with them was wonderful – even if it did embarrass a few gawking agents.

Edit by Alfmeister

Proof read by Bob W.

Book 3 Chapter 16

            Friday morning started out early at 0500 with a bang. A terrorist tried to drive a dump truck through the White House security gates. The Secret Service assigned to the roof put a Stinger missile into the engine after it crashed through the gate and over the tire busters and was still moving. All the alarms were ringing; agents were running everywhere.

            0500 was when there was a shift change. The agents’ shift change was done in two parts an hour apart so there was always a full staff on duty watching all the monitors and guarding the President. The result was that there were more agents on the grounds.

            The driver must have had experience from the battlefield or maybe was just lucky or chickened out. Seconds before the missile hit, he jumped from the truck and tried to run – only to run into a dozen agents. Fearing the truck was loaded with explosives and with the driver in hand, everyone moved quickly away. That the truck’s load was covered with a canvas only added to the fear.

            My family and I were ushered into Section 12; the underground bunker that housed the terrorism task force among other agencies. It had separate fresh air inlets and a power supply that was filtered multiple times for all kinds of threats. The other White House staff were down here on other levels.

            After 9-11 the White House had gone through many secret upgrades and renovations – many disguised as normal maintenance. All the windows had been replaced with reinforced bulletproof glass. The original wooden window frames had been replaced with steel. The storm shutters were made operative and also bulletproof.

            There were boxes on the roof designed to look like duct work – they were actually storage for Stinger and Tomahawk missiles and machine guns. The roof had been replaced with armor plating and titanium covered in a rubber coating making it waterproof in the upgrades.

            When the bed cover was pulled back, it was found that the bed of the truck was filled with twenty and forty pound propane cylinders. The wiring leading into the truck body had been burned off and whatever they were using for the trigger was destroyed, improperly set or a delayed timer.

            Equipment was brought in to unload the cylinders one at a time, then they would be robot inspected before being hauled away. It was an all day job.

            ”Eric, who has custody of the driver?” I asked.

            ”The FBI and DHS are trying to interrogate him now but the lawyer is refusing to allow him to answer any questions,” Eric said.

            ”What nationality is he, what language does he speak?” I asked.

            ”He is from Somalia we believe, he has a heavy North African accent,” Eric said.

            ”Does he have a green card or is he a citizen from some of the previous programs?” I asked.

            ”Not that we can find,” Eric said.

            ”Finger prints?” I asked.

            ”Not in the system,” Eric answered.

            ”Before you ask, facial scan is negative,” Eric added.

            ”What is the information on the truck?” I asked.

            ”No tags; everything in the cab was burned, no names or phone numbers on the cab or the body,” Eric replied.

            ”The VIN number is deeply stamped at least four places on the frame; one on each side by the front axle and one on each side of the frame between the rear cab mount and rear axle. Depending on the year, there may be more – sometimes under the cab on the inside frame rail,” Marcy said.

            ”I run into that all the time when the body up-fitters paint over the VIN number stickers or mount equipment over them. I even had to threaten some up-builders because the information and scan bar are required for warranty work and DOT roadside inspections. The cab sticker has the Maximum front and rear axle weights limits as well as Gross vehicle weight,” Marcy added.

            ”Tell the lawyer that the suspect has been designated as a foreign terrorist and is being transferred to Gitmo for a tribunal investigation and trial. Bag the suspect and take him to Morton; I’ll call the Doc to do a medical. Call Frank and Ben to meet you there – or do you want me to do it? Every minute you lose before he talks allows any accomplices to get further away and destroy evidence,” I said.

            “The Secret Service will have a team pick you up at the Capitol steps, you can use the tunnel to get to the Capitol building. When we get over there, we will call for the pickup time,” Agent Gardner said.

            ”It’s too risky to land the chopper here until they get the truck empty, the Beast will pick you up over there at the Capitol steps when the Suburbans arrive,” said the Secret Service agent in charge. Like it or not, I was in for the convoy ride to Summers Road unless I wanted to go to Andrews by car then transfer to Marine 1.

            We went back to the White House and picked out things that we would need. I would be home a half a day early. I also gave most of the staff the rest of the day off.

            I didn’t get through the Congressional Hall without an impromptu news conference that I ended quickly – as soon as the Secret Service agent said the Beast was at the steps. It took almost two hours to get home, but we were home at lunch time.

            With the traffic in Washington a nightmare, by the time we got home Frank, Ben, Andy, and Eric were at Fort Smith with the Doc, watching a very upset prisoner getting wired up.

            The prisoner was not the only one upset, his lawyer was livid that he had lost his meal ticket on the government tab for years.

            It was near supper when Ben, Eric and Frank came to the house to fill me in on the information they had gained. The prisoner was on his way to Gitmo – unconscious – in one of our C130s.

            ”The truck had been stolen six weeks ago from a construction site in West Virginia. It had been carried – covered by canvas – on a lowboy trailer to a warehouse on the outskirts of DC where the propane cylinders had been placed in the dump body,” Frank Said.

            ”The propane cylinders had been acquired from a recycling center. They were originally sold as scrap because of rust pitting or out of date certification. Some of the cylinders had been filled with gasoline, others diesel fuel, some were refilled with propane and four were filled with gun powder,” Eric said.

            ”The ones with gun powder were the ones that had blasting caps in them to start the explosion,” Eric said.

            ”Why didn’t it blow up then? With all that gasoline and diesel, it would have a great fireball,” I said.

            ”They had it wired to the truck batteries. We think when it hit the first barricade the batteries weren’t fastened down and were ejected, shearing all the wiring. The force of the impact may have caused the driver to be too disoriented to find the trigger or else he chickened out at the last minute,” Eric said.

            ”This must have been a new group without connections since they did not have any C4, RDX or ANFO – or else we have tightened up the tracking and controls enough that it is not easy to get,” I said.

            ”They have got all the tanks removed and the truck will be removed tonight. The impact with the gate and the barriers shifted everything in the truck, pulling the wires and detonators from the tanks with the gunpowder. The detonators went off but ignited nothing but air,” Agent Gardner said. He had just received an update from the ATF agents working on the truck.

            ”With all the threats that have been placed against you in the past, the Secret Service doesn’t want you to go back to the White House until the security gate is repaired and the changes you wanted to the streets will be done at the same time. GSA and the contractors will work around the clock. They think enough will be done by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest so you can return,” Agent Gardner said.

            ”By the way, the DC city council has dropped all opposition to the changes you wanted,” Agent Gardner said.

            ”OK, I will call the staff and have the ones I need report to the JBG office here on Summers Lane on Monday,” I said.

            ”The crash pad is clean and empty. Get a list of the people you want to stay close and they can stay there. It’s a lot more secure than staying at one of the hotels. They can get cars from the airport for travel,” Marcy said.

            ”Come up with the number of spaces you need and I will get Baltimore Office Supply to bring desks and cubicles and the rest of the equipment to finish out the bays in the basement as office space today,” Marcy said.

            ”I was in the process to do that before all the April takeovers happen. I already ordered everything. They have it all and are waiting to deliver it. The cleaning crew is finished the cleaning,” Marcy said.

            I called Troy and Connie on a conference call. Between the three of us we picked the staff we thought we needed for a few days. Troy was going to notify them.

            ”My wife is visiting her sister in Nashville for a few weeks. She is fighting cancer and needed my wife to help while she is getting treatments. I can get a motel room to be close,” Troy said.

            ”We have a couple extra rooms at the house; you can stay in one of them if you want,” Marcy said.

            ”I can do that,” Troy said.

            Marcy was going to make a few changes in the office for the people coming. The last office expansion also included a new larger Verizon phone bank expansion.

            Marcy had reserved a bank of an additional of one hundred phone numbers in case there was ever a decision to expand the office even further before the Jones towers were completed. There were still ninety five numbers that were not used.

            When Bob’s Construction finished out the electric in the basement, they also ran and installed phone jacks and internet cables into each bay at Marcy’s request. She was planning on a lot of the offices down in the basement if necessary.

            Marcy called Verizon and Baltimore Office Supply to come today and start putting the offices together and Bobs Construction to be on hand if there were any difficulties and to assist with installations.

            Robert’s group began programming desktop computers and laptops with standard office programs and connectivity to our internet. Marcy instructed them not to put any access to our secure office programs on them.

            I felt sure that anyone that came would have their government laptop with them anyhow.      

            Troy showed up at 1400 with several suitcases. We put him in the last upstairs room. Crash had one, the Smithfield’s had one, one had become our in-house beauty salon and Troy was in the fourth one for a few days.

            There were still the six rooms in the basement if they were needed. They were routinely cleaned and dusted.

            After he carried his bags to his room, I gave him the tour and gave him a JBG ID card so he could go from the house to the offices in the basement and second floor and work the elevator.

            I had Robert do a facial scan, finger print, DNA swipe and retina scan to give him the card.

            ”Do you want to run him through Genie?” Robert asked.

            ”Sure, just so we have a record,” I said.

            ”What’s Genie and why did you do all those things?” Troy asked.

            ”You are going to be with me in a setting other than the White House and I am still a target. If it happens and there is nothing but damaged pieces, this information will help identify all the pieces,” I said.

            ”Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Troy said.

            ”Verizon and Baltimore Office Supply say they will both be finished by tomorrow afternoon. I’m having Bob’s men do a few things while they are here. Bob is going to stop in a couple hours to give updates on the construction projects,” Marcy said.

            ”BJ, Barry Simms from the Korean embassy paged for a VCATS in ten minutes if you want to sit in on it,” Vicky said.

            ”Sure, I can do that,” I said.

            I was going to show Troy where the offices for those coming from Washington were going to be but a detour to the command center that was only a few feet away wouldn’t take long.

            Vicky, Cindy, Troy and I were sitting in the command center when Barry paged for the call.

            ”Morning Barry, how are things going with the new housing?” I said.

            ”The housing is great; the guys are really happy. What I paged for was there seems to be increased surveillance of the embassy in the last few weeks. Nothing that really screams at you, but I have noticed the same people killing time three or four times a week on the street across from the embassy,” Barry said.

            ”I have logged them six times on my shift and the evening and night shift have logged a different individual at least that many times,” Barry said.

            ”Barry, send the video and stills to Vicky, the alphabets are going to stop by in a while; we will discuss it with them. In the meantime, do you want Vicky to send you some extra men? There should be room in the dorm for them if you think you want them,” I said.

            ”Just look at the film, run the pictures and then decide,” Barry said.

            ”Be careful Barry, we will be in touch soon,” Vicky said.

            ”I’ll get Robert to look at them too,” Vicky said.

            ”Do we need an antenna on the housing unit and embassy so Robert’s team can monitor local radio traffic?” I said.

            ”I’ll ask him,” Vicky said.

            The next few hours was spent working in the basement with the contractors. It seemed the crew from Baltimore Office Supply was made up of new people who needed constant supervision to get things the way Marcy had it on paper. Three men from Bob’s Construction jumped in to help the Office Supply crew.

            Without the cubicles in place, Verizon couldn’t place the phones and Robert’s group couldn’t get the computers and associated equipment working. We had boosters installed long ago so cell phones would work in the basement.

            By 1700 three bays were set up as offices with seven office cubicles in each one. The crews were coming back tomorrow to finish out one more bay. I didn’t think it was necessary. I could use my old office upstairs or the command center with the meeting room across the aisle.

            Verizon was running tests on the phone lines and associated fax lines and machines before they left. With all that finished, we girls and Troy went back through the tunnel and home. It was time for supper, kids and then the hot tub and bed.

            Verizon was coming back Saturday morning to fix the bugs in the phone lines – and there were plenty. Several from Roberts EIT group were coming to watch over them. They wanted to make sure Verizon’s techs did not do anything to our intelligence systems.

            Edit by Alfmeister

            Proof read by Bob W.

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.

Book 3 Chapter 14

            Wednesday morning the attorneys from the Justice Department were in the federal courthouse arguing the case for the unemployment reductions. The court on Monday dismissed the injunction letting the cuts proceed. The unemployed workers union immediately filed an appeal to the next higher court. That hearing was today.

            It was late in the afternoon before the hearing and arguments finished. At 1600 the three-judge court ruled that the actions by Congress to cut the program were within bounds of its constitutional authority and denied the appeal.

            The only place left to go was an emergency appeal to the supreme court. The court refused to hear the case effectively ending it. It was a little victory of the many battles to come.

            My routine had taken a more normal look after the inauguration. That was a breakfast with whatever family had stayed over. If there was anything that the intelligence group thought was important it was in a sealed folder placed on the desk by the entrance to the living quarters for me to carry to the cafeteria to read while waiting on breakfast.

            My clean coffee mug was always by my place on the table with a pot of coffee. If there was no sealed folder, the reports would be on my desk placed in the order of importance by Connie. The first four were ordered by CIA, DHS, FBI, and the Joint Chiefs. They were followed by other agency reports.

            Connie also kept a full week’s schedule of my meetings and appointments – leaving an hour a day open for the unexpected – in an open notebook on my desk. Every morning the previous day was removed, and one added for a full seven day look at my calendar.

            The table that I had placed in the Oval Office on that first day was still there and still being used as it had then. There was a folder for every meeting scheduled for the day with previous meeting information, reports and proposed agenda and possible talking points.

            If the meeting was with people I did not know closely, there was a picture of them with background information.

            I kept a phone log of all my calls in and out and the time they were placed. All the calls that came in on the landline phone were recorded and transcribed with the recordings destroyed when they were twenty – five days old. If they were kept thirty days, they had to be sent to the permanent archives.

            Everyday on my JBG email Robert and Andy sent me the daily updates and intelligence and happening in the world of JBG. I used VCATS to communicate with the rest of my mates and the boys.

            I was pleased to read in them that two more central American cartel drug lords had been captured and their manufacturing destroyed. Doc Burns had had the drug lab up and running for six months and was now fully staffed. In an average month two thousand drug samples were logged in for testing.

            It was results of those tests that led to the arrest of the latest two cartel drug lords. The testing narrowed down the locations of the labs and origin of the ingredients.

            The Doc was making a special trip to Matador for interrogation before any information became worthless. Vicky had locked down the numbered accounts in Pirates Bank.

            With the cartel drug operations retreating and getting closed down and Iran out of the drug business, drugs were getting harder to find for the peddlers. China, India and Pakistan were trying to replace the cartel. But the seizure of two container ships for carrying illegal drugs to the port of Los Angles and one in New York put a big damper on that.

            In the past the DEA and the DHS usually just seized the junk but with prodding, they seized the ships. The ships were unloaded and more containers were found containing drugs destined for different ports the ships stopped at. The seizures were working its way through the court system.

            Now the junkies were turning to homemade designer drugs. They were presenting a different problem for law enforcement. Restrictions were placed on some of the ingredients for the homemade brew including removing them from the shelves or requiring signatures and valid ID’s like those needed for purchasing cigarettes.

            Other things were back to normal again – Somalia was heating up again. The war lords had cooled off in the area when I was pounding Iran and while all the forces were there. The civil war and all its atrocities were on again. Without the Iranians funding them, they had resorted to piracy again.

            The JBG fast ships had so far intercepted several attempts to pirate tankers. As with all terrorists, they changed to a more profitable line. Attacking small fisherman – stealing their catch, their fishing scows and throwing them overboard leaving them to drown.

            The poor fishermen were defenseless; very few had radios to call for help and even fewer had weapons. Their only recourse was to fish closer to shore where there was a chance of escaping into the coves and of course, fewer fish for the dinner plate.

            The same was true with the civil war in the Sudan. The refugee camp was getting a few victims of the fighting and then there was the women and children making their way to the camp to escape the fighting and trying to survive.

            JBG had finished off another group of rebels crossing into northern Nigeria near the border with Chad. That was the third group of raiding parties in the last month.

            With things looking up with infrastructure and oil production, the Emir Bello wanted another meeting in Washington and meetings with JBG about building several outposts near the Chad border where all the problems seemed to be. Andy had been discussing the possibility about doing just that. The meeting was in four weeks.

            I went home for the weekend; I just needed a break and to spend some real time in the better gym. The fitness room in the White House basement was never going to hold all of the equipment I wanted to use. The Secret Service were just concerned that I would get hurt. I suspected they were using that as excuse not to get the equipment I wanted for the fitness center.

            I had made up my mind that no matter what the Secret Service said, I was going home on the weekends to get a good workout in the gym with my mates and the Mossad ladies. They were rotating on a two day schedule so at least two of them were with me all the time. I was also going to the gun club to stay proficient with my Glock and the M16.

            With it being January, all the hunting seasons were over. I had missed a lot of it, although I did get to go on two goose hunts after the election. Next year I would be able to do more.

            I came back Monday morning sore but refreshed for a change. Ching Lee and Vicky were with me as both could use VCATS to do their work from the private residence. I needed that because this week was going to be mentally stressful. I was going to be building and, in some cases, rebuilding more of my administration.

            My research group had started going through each agency, looking at people. The cuts that were in the last budget bill needed to happen soon to have the desired effect on the budget numbers. Congress had dragged out approving last year’s budget so that there were only nine months of the approved cuts.

            I started with the energy department because they were the one stonewalling nuclear power and rebuilding coal and gas power plants. Previous liberal presidents had filled the department with anti everything except wind and solar production. Those were the very two that were leading us to rolling blackouts. They simply could not be counted on when the electric demand was the highest. The perfect scenario that the department used to project the rosy generation never seemed to coincide with high demand.

            The wind didn’t blow or it was overcast enough that output came up short. The answer from the controllers was rolling black outs. Of course, those blackouts never affected the cities of the seats of government. It was always the small towns and rural areas that went dark first and often.

            The officials in the agency – instead of accepting that there still needed to be a better mix of generation – only demanded more of the same; more solar panels and wind generators. If the wind didn’t blow on that day, it didn’t matter how many you had – the output was still zero.

            Two hundred thousand acres of what once was productive farm land was now covered with solar farms. With the new budget, those subsidies for wind and solar had come to an end. We had spent two trillion on those subsidies in the last forty years.

            The officials of the agency were in Congress testifying that the loss of the subsidies was the reason their rosy outlook didn’t happen and were trying to get the subsidies funded again. They didn’t say anything about the fact that there were billions in money in their accounts that was earmarked for those same projects – that had not been spent over the past decades.

            In all the agencies combined, there was hundreds of billions of dollars in agency accounts that was just sitting there like it was forgotten. They knew it was there but that didn’t stop them from screaming for more.

            I had ordered the GSA to complete a secret audit of all agencies so unspent funds from previous budgets could be recovered. That audit was to be finished in ten days. The recovery – when authorized – would take one day. There were times I liked computers.

            Also, in ten days was when the first round of reductions in force was to be completed. The energy department was losing five thousand employees over the next month. Fifty percent of the managers appointed by directors of or for previous Presidents and were experts at burying anything that didn’t fall in line with their liberal ideas – were gone.

            The utilities would get a fair appraisal when they were planning additional generation, plant renovations or transmission line upgrades based on merit and facts and not on whims or the directions of special interest groups.

            The groups that were against having adequate power were now fighting the nationwide power grid of transmission lines. Their plan was to eliminate the transmission lines and force closure of power plants. The only choice then would be solar panels and wind generation in every community – their ultimate goal.

            Like-thinking scientists were producing a bevy of technical papers blaming every disease known to mankind on transmission power line radiation. To help confuse the issue, Hollywood starlets and movie producers were producing horror movies using the danger of the power lines.

            The Chinese, North Koreans and a couple South American dictators were financing the groups and movies. The Chinese and North Koreans were two groups to watch.

            The week turned interesting – agency people were sending in their resignations as was the tradition. I had lots of research and decisions to work on.

            Edit by Alfmeister

            Proof read by Bob W.

Book 3 Chapter 13

            The water cooler whispers had turned into a roar Tuesday and Wednesday. The media was trying anything it could from everywhere to get at least an anonymous source for an inside scoop about the firing of Mr. Woods. It wasn’t happening – everyone had suddenly become unavailable.

            Thursday became Friday; Melinda and Hanna’s news groups were on their way back. I asked them to critique this first group before they left Iran to see how we could streamline the process.

            Harry had chosen six groups on Monday to leave Saturday morning on another freight flight from Dover. With six groups at a time, it would take ten weeks for all the news groups to get the chance to visit Iran.

            All my mates along with all the kids came over Friday night. There were big things happening on Saturday, Sunday and Monday leading up to the inauguration on Tuesday. There were pre-inauguration parties and dances starting Saturday night. Gordon and his wife were staying in the guest house as well as dance partners for the rest of my mates.

            This would probably be the last public event before we announced that Marcy and Vicky were expecting. They weren’t showing a lot yet at four months but with their slender figure at five months, it would be noticeable. I could tell there was a little bulge there.

            I had been to the doctor with them the last two months and had escaped detection because of the holidays, Iran and the election had occupied so much of the medias’ time. I was hoping an arrangement could be reached with the doc for their appointments to be the last of the day so I could still get in unnoticed or unrecognized. At least for a while longer.

            Jason, Lisa, Mom and Dad did not want to attend any of the pre-inauguration parties, but were coming to see me get sworn in and would attend a couple of the parties Tuesday night.

            We had a blast Saturday and Sunday. We attended four parties and four dances. My little men – JJ and RJ – had new tuxes and looked sharp. I only danced one dance at each event with Gordon to allow him some time to spend with his wife.

            I did get a surprise Saturday afternoon, Andy called to ask if it was too late for him to change his mind and come to my inauguration and the after dance festivities. He wanted to bring Shelia, Sandy and William. It would be a once in a lifetime event for them that they would never forget. He didn’t think it would be right to deny them that experience.

            I told him I was glad he decided to come, and I would call the dress shop for the girls to get fitted as they were in a rush for dresses. They were on call for White House events and had done the dresses for my group. I asked about tuxes for him and William if they needed them as I could arrange that at the same time.

            I made the call and set things up for them to come over early Monday morning in one of the helicopters. I had plenty of people that could scoffer chauffeur them around and a place for them to stay.

            There were five designer dresses delivered for me. One each for Saturday, Sunday and Monday and two for Tuesday, one to take the oath in and another for the evening’s parties. My mates each had five. The designers were going to be on hand to make last minute fitting adjustments.

            I hated all the fuss, but my mates were on cloud nine. I would have just as soon taken the oath on Tuesday in camo, but I knew better than even whisper about that.

             When in Rome do as the Romans do – only problem was I was the emperor. Everyone would be following my lead – the fashion experts had been speculating for days how I would be dressed. The betting parlors were taking odds – dress or pantsuit. I learned Troy had money on both so he couldn’t lose.

            Life was easy for our male dance partners – one tux for all five events. All of them had their wives with them for all functions. Marcy knew the wives were facing the same challenge with dresses and theirs would not be paid for like ours were. She had given the ladies a ten thousand dollar clothing allowance for the festivities.

             Marcy was going to pay for all of ours; we didn’t need the hassle from the media spouting off about a special interest paying for the dresses or the events. But the designers and famous makers insisted they were free and had done the same for all first ladies.

            Marcy was paying the hotel, the meals and ball rooms for dancing for one of the events. The girls had a list of important clients that they thought such an invite may be productive.

            By paying instead of seeking donations, it would give the appearance that corporations weren’t buying access to the President by huge donations to the inauguration committee.

            Even so there were dozens of events sponsored by industry and special interest groups for party goers to attend. This was an attempt to backdoor influence any way they could.

            Saturday night’s affair was put on by the State Department. Most foreign ambassadors returned to the states over the holidays and many stayed in the states on inaugural years. They were all looking to impress the incoming President, hoping to be reappointed as an ambassador to join the group known as lifetime diplomats.

            I knew most of them personally, either through JBG security arrangement or as Vice President and President. Plus, my time as Ambassador and its circumstances gave the diplomatic world a feeling of kinship to me. All of the Ambassadors were extremely friendly towards me after Kampala. There would be no media at this event.

            I had a good reunion with Ambassador Bernardi and his wife Kate from Kampala and Ambassador Furnell and his wife Missy from the Khartoum embassy. We had a good talk about Africa. It was still a very dangerous place, something that would never change. Ambassador Bernardi had just returned from the refugee camp. He had accompanied the JBG security team making another delivery of food, clothing and medicines.

            ”Doctor Palermo said to tell you Hi and hopes you are soon able to come back for a visit,” Ambassador Bernardi said.

            ”It will be tough, but I might be able to make it happen for a visit,” I said.

            I felt like I posed for a thousand pictures, the only break was when the food was on the table and the during the dancing. Sunday and the Monday night’s parties were more of the same; fancy dresses, fancy foods and deserts and dancing. My hand was getting sore from all the handshakes.

            Monday nights party was the one Marcy paid for. All the college Deans, Directors, chancellors and the JBG security directors from those sites that JBG supplied security to had been invited. Also invited were the important clients of JBG and suppliers. The National Guard General McVee and the governor came.

            Marcy thought few of the invites would accept and show up. She was wrong; all of them came.

            I knew most of them resulted in having a good time and renewing old friendships.

            Tuesday was nervous tension – Washington was abuzz in energy. Every motel and hotel room was filled. The stage for the inauguration was built in place days ago. Security was heavy with thousands of extra security.

            The liberal communists still had not come to terms with the election. They were promising protest and disruptions. The outcome of every election for the last twenty years had been met with protests. The weather was nice for January and that only increased the chance of protest.

            The electoral voting had gone off without a hitch, this time with almost no debate. I was hoping that would sooth soothe feelings but apparently not. There were was plenty of law enforcement. They were told that no property damage was to be tolerated, that the culprits were to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

            The election had made changes in the DC government. The citizens of DC had enough of liberal law enforcement and catch and release programs. The new city council – after being sworn in – had passed a slew of laws in December.

             Many of them were cracking down on the riots that had created havoc in the city and immense property damage that some groups thought they had a right to do. Other laws they passed were cracking down on carjacking and all kinds of robberies. Time would tell how well things would turn out.

            At 1100 all my family and many friends along with the Vice President and his family and friends were standing on the platform. Chief Justice Burger administered the oath of office that I answered with a final line with ‘so help me God I do’ to cheers.

            A few minutes later Vice President Harrison completed his Oath.

            The band played ‘Hail to the Chief’ and at the last note the Army did the twenty one gun salute with the ceremonial cannon fire. It was official – I was President for the next four years, good or bad.

            It was the last night of the parties, my family and I both were partied out. My mates had brought four Suburban loads of clothes and personal items making everything complete for visits any time they wanted.

            There had been tough negations on setting up the schedule but two of them were going to be with me most of the time and at least two or more were going on all trips with me. The kids were going to spend more time with me as well.

            The marches and protests never materialized. There were a few dozen protesters here and there, but DC had ten times the officers around them and in some cases, herded them away from other crowds.

            Tomorrow started a whole new set of expanded problems and the first was the court suit against my administration’s stance on the extended boosting of unemployment benefits.

Edit by Alfmeister

Proof read by Bob W.

Friday morning continued with updates and satellite pictures from the DOD and CIA. Pakistan’s Premier still had not called. His military was speaking for him.

            Thousands of troops were descending on every province where there were any roads, paths or dog crossings into Iran. The compounds, training areas, camps and a couple villages that the militants between Rasman Kargud and the Iranian border had been using were leveled.

             High magnification photographs showed bodies everywhere and they weren’t just the militants. The Premier’s troops had paid a price as well. There were over one hundred army trucks that had been destroyed by rocket or RPG fire.

            The militants had staged the attack on ‘Forward Base Hammer’ from this area. Pakistan was making sure there would be no more.

            ”Cancel the departure orders for the last two carriers. Let the first four continue to the Indian ocean. Issue a stand down for the bombers from Lackland Air Force Base. Order a stand down order for one of the bomber groups from Russia, have the other land at Teheran and stay a few days,” I said.

            ”Better yet, have the bombers fly the Iranian Pakistan border, say at twenty thousand feet, low enough for the Pakistani troops to see and hear them,” I said.       

            The bombers there would make good press when the White House media was there.

            The Thomas and the Fordson were two of the carriers that were going to the gulf. They were the visiting carriers to Subic Bay Naval. When they left the Indian ocean this time, it would be to return to NewPort News Ship Building and the Navy yard.

            The Fordson and the Thomas would have a checklist of ship defects repaired. They had had the longest shakedown cruise in history.

            The White House media group was in a tizzy over my orders to the Labor Department ignoring the court’s orders. The Justice Department had a court date Monday with the appeals court. I was undecided if I was going to make an appearance with Harry today or not.

            The protesters were already outside throwing trash over the fence and climbing on it. I went to the Secret Service office and looked at all the cameras outside, there were no poor protesters out there. All of them were carrying commercially made signs and posters and they weren’t starved or wearing rags. Many were carrying union messages.

            Congress had changed to a format of aggressively restricting access after the 1-6 incident, including fencing and razor wire. I wondered if I could do the same thing for the White House. After the acid smoke during the run-up to the Iran assault, I would bet on it. I called the agent in charge of White House security, telling him I wanted a meeting ASAP.

            It just pissed me off royally that the DC police did little and the Secret Service seemed to be hamstringed to do anything about it. It was one thing to orderly protest but to throw open bags of trash over the fence onto the White House lawn was not going to continue. Neither was spray paint on the fence and sidewalk.

            Today was a meet and greet for the final group of newly elected members of Congress. I went through the niceties and the pep talk about standing together on my policy. I laid them out and asked where they stood to open the dialog. It was a good meeting. I emphasized that we had an open door policy when there were needs to be discussed.

            I also stressed that the media was not a sounding board for ideas and could never be relied on to be truthful nor friendly towards them. All media thrived on controversy and created as much as possible for ratings. All those things finished out my morning.

            The after lunch meeting was with Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health and the Department of Education and other alphabet names from the field of medicine. The meeting almost turned into a brawl between the alphabets.

            The flu season was on us in full swing. All the agencies were afraid they were doing too little and wanting their time in the lead while dispensing fear on the media. Since the great pandemic of the 20’s, fear and control was the weapon of choice for the health agencies.

            As usual this year’s flu started in China. They always started in China. I had to wonder why. And as usual, this year’s flu shot was the wrong strain for the flu that was making the rounds. The flu shot was for J1A – the flu was H2JN

            When I got order restored – that only took a few seconds – I started asking questions.

            ”Is this year’s flu shot helping at all, since it was for the wrong strain?” I asked.

            ”Oh yes, absolutely,” Dr. Armistead said.

            ”Can you explain that to me as it is the wrong vaccine this year?” I said.

            ”It will give people peace of mind that they are vaccinated and J1A may make an appearance,” Dr. Armistead said.

            ”Vaccinated with the wrong vaccine – that is some piece of mind – not! The vaccine for this flu season is worthless. When was the last time the right vaccine was given for the flu?” I asked.

            ”So, the National Institute of Health spent twenty billion for vaccine development and production for nothing, same as last year and the year before that,” I added.

            I got no answer, only stares at the table.

            The next part of the conversation was on school closures and masking. The Department of Education wanted to close schools and go with virtual learning for the rest of the school year. They were having many internal discussions, both in house and with the National Association of Teachers and other education related unions.

            The National Institute of Health along with Health and Human Services were the ones pushing masking and wanting a federal mandate.

            I settled the arguments. ”it’s a flu that happens every year, same as last year and the year before. Seven to ten days feeling bad, chills, vomiting, loose bowels. Some are having to go to the hospitals, a few are dying – they are few – mostly senior citizens and the very young. The rule of nature – the strong survive – the rest perish. It’s had been happening since the beginning of time, it’s sad but that is life,” I said.

            ”There will be no mandatory masking; a voluntary masking recommendation will do for those that may have weakened immune systems. There will be no virtual schooling or closings,” I said.

            ”The public service messaging is to carry all the normal cold and flu information – fluids, rest and treat the symptoms. That will be the administration policy unless something drastically changes. This applies to all agencies. That will be the public stance we take,” I said.

            It was the same policy that former President Thomas had in place the last seven years.

            The afternoon slowed down, except for the media hounding Harry. I had one more meeting with the intelligence group and one more with Bob for terrorist updates.

            The terrorist trials were winding down and would be finished in a couple of months. Then there would have to be decisions made about then for the terrorist task force. It was just more food for thought I needed to address.

            At 1700 the chopper landed on the lawn with my family, all of them carrying briefcases again and a few suitcases. The dress maker with the seamstress and the fashion experts were already in the building. There were multiples of them, so they would get finished faster. The dresses had already been chosen, this was to be the final adjustments before inauguration.

            We were finished by 1900; the kitchen staff had a late supper for us. Then we went to the family rooms. My mates talked for another hour while I listened and played with the boys.

            At 2200 my mates and I were in the master bed making up for the time apart. That was the way the weekend went – spending time together.

            Saturday morning the C17 flight from Dover left on time with Hanna, Melinda and the other four reporters and camera people. General Ingram had made the necessary arrangements for housing, escorts, and an interpreter. It wasn’t going to be a joy ride for the group. He had also made arrangements for Melinda to be sent to Forward Base Hammer for the report she did for me.

            Sunday morning Washington had Melinda’s first report from Forward Base Hammer, complete with interviews of soldiers and video of the base damage. The report was thirty minutes and covered all aspects of the trip from Dover to Teheran and the accommodations for the news groups.

            The other news teams had chosen areas around the major cities. Interviewing mayors and anyone else they could find that would talk to them. They were asking questions about the reconstruction and the war. They were interviewing our soldiers as well.

            Monday my mates left early to get things at JBG headed in the right direction. Monday was always the busiest for the office. Marcy had lots of things to check out in accounting and on the stocks she was buying.

            Lorrie needed to verify status of all the airplanes needed for the week. Jenny needed to check in with HR and legal. Ching Lee looked in on the college security. And Vicky needed to check in with Andy and on the embassy security. I always called Robert for updates on intelligence.

            The time sheets had to be recorded from all the employees worldwide and the process went on from there to ensure that everyone got a paycheck on time and the payroll taxes paid. Vice presidents handled everything. My mates just needed to confirm everything and sign off.

            Monday morning went to crap not long after we finished with the NSA meeting at 1100. Duncan Woods – the Secretary of Education who was sitting at the table Friday as part of the decision making on this year’s flu policy – had called a news conference at 1000.

            At that news conference he said that as Secretary of the Department of Education, ”I am ordering full masking and virtual classes as soon as the arrangements could be put in place until the end of March to prevent the spread of the flu.”

            ”Hell will have no fury compared to me when my presidential orders are overridden or ignored,” I thought. I wondered what the hell had transpired between Friday afternoon and this morning for him to make that kind of decision and not think it important enough to call for a special meeting.

            Troy called all the agencies that were here on Friday to be here at 1200 for an emergency meeting. Mr. Woods office informed my caller that he was too busy to attend the emergency meeting.

            That was a big mistake.

            I made two calls, one to Art Cummins to get a list of phone numbers to and from Woods and Parsons cell, home and office phones starting Friday after my meeting and a copy of all emails and texts until now.

            The second call was to get a printout of who the phone numbers were assigned to. I would have had Marty Coeburn do it but he would have wanted court orders to do it, so I called Frank. The CIA would run them without court orders.

            I made one more call to the Secret Service, ”Bring Duncan Woods and his second in command Emit Parsons to my meeting, in hand cuffs if necessary.” I sent Ziva and Abra with them.

            I didn’t know for sure what the Secret Service agents would do, but I knew what Ziva and Abra would do.

            It was 1215 when the agents with Ziva and Abra came in with Parsons and Woods in handcuffs. Ziva placed both of them in a chair, leaving the cuffs still attached to their wrists.

            ”This is an outrage. Never before have I been treated in such a manner. I demand to have an attorney present,” Woods screamed.

            ”I don’t think you need an attorney to sit in on this meeting and explain your actions in violation of administration policy that you help develop on Friday.”

            Frank followed them in with the reports from their phones. Frank and I walked off to the end of the meeting room where he explained the papers he held. They were what I expected – therefore no surprise.

            ”Secretary Woods, you participated in the policy meeting in this very room Friday afternoon where we discussed and implemented my administration’s current policy towards this year’s flu,” I said.

            ”Less than seventy two hours later you discarded that policy and formed one of your own without notifying your superiors. Explain that to me and what information that you received that caused you to formulate the policy change,” I said.

            ”I took calls all weekend long from school systems and teachers’ organizations that were very critical of your policy and demanded a change to it. After consultation with the school boards and the American Federation of teachers and others, I decided that virtual schooling was the only way to go,” he said.

            ”Any demand to change my policies should have come to me. Only me and no one else – including you – can change my official policy,” I said.

            ”Who called wanting you to overrule my policy?” I asked.

            ”I can’t remember all of them but there were a lot of representative calls from state school boards advising of their concerns wanting a change. After listening to their arguments, I agreed with them,” Duncan Wood said.

            ”Well, let’s see,” I said as I opened the folder Frank gave me.

            ”There was a total of fifty calls between your office phone, your official cell phone, your personal cell phone, and your home phone between 1600 Friday and 1100 today from Mary Sue Folcomer, President of the National Teachers Association,” I said.

            ”There were thirty calls from Luanne Fiske of the State Employees National Federation of Teachers Union with calls to your office, personal cell and home phone. There were also several calls from other organizations connected with virtual learning management,” I said.

             ”According to the phone logs, there were no calls from any state school boards,” I said.

            ”Even I don’t have your personal cell number, but the Presidents of these unions have. There is something wrong with that picture.”

            “Teacher’s unions do not set national education policy, nor do they set policy for the National Institute of Health or Health and Human Services for my administration,” I said.

            ”Mr. Parsons, were you in on any of these calls and when did you become involved with the change?” I said.

            ”I took one call Friday afternoon from Mary Sue Folcomer, wanting my support for changing the policy. I told her that it was an executive branch decision and any change was above my pay grade and that she needed to call the White House or someone else,” Parsons said.

            ”Does anyone else have any information that would suggest that we needed to change the policy made on Friday?” I said. No one said anything

            ”OK. Friday’s decision still stands as policy. Mr. Woods, please stay – I have a form you need to fill out and sign. Mr. Parsons, wait in the lobby and anyone else that has something that I need to address also wait in the lobby. I should only be a minute,” I said.

            I had the papers for termination or resignation in the folder.

            ”For insubordination, check one of the boxes, date and sign it or this one will go in your file.” Connie had already filled out the ‘you’re fired’ one; I signed it and slid both over to him.

            Troy left the room to make three calls, one was to Art Cummins to cancel Woods’ ID and authorizations, the second to the US Marshal service to assistant Woods in cleaning out his personal belonging. The third was to Congress, notifying them of the change for the department of education.

            Mr. Parsons was called to the Oval Office.

            ”In case you haven’t guessed it, Woods has been fired. You are acting Secretary of the Department of Education until an Executive review of the department is completed. I would strongly suggest that you do not give your personal or government cell numbers to any unions or organizations. I would also suggest that you take no calls from Mary Lou Folcomer, just send them to an underling. Better yet, inform your staff not to forward any union calls to you and not to give out your phone numbers to anyone,” I said.

            ”Wait until Troy gets back and he will write up a joint press release reaffirming Friday’s policy and announcing that you are acting Secretary of the department. Then you can give a press conference at your office and notify all the states and local boards that there was a miscommunication in Woods’ press release and Friday’s policy stands,” I said.

            I wondered how many more agency heads were going to try me to see how far they could push me. Six more days to inauguration.

Edit by Alfmeister

Proof read by Bob W.

Thursday morning my JBG email was full of pictures. Heavy equipment and materials were on the tower’s site. Erosion fencing had been installed yesterday. The project was divided up among several major contractors.

            The time limit had run out on the county and opposition was low to begin with. The few that were complaining were using the excuse that the buildings would spoil their view of the bay. Hell, they couldn’t see the bay unless they were in a five story house because of the trees. There were no five story houses in the area.

            The Chinese group bid on the towers but were rejected by JBG; it would be a US contractor. One contractor was going to do both foundation tubs as they were called. That included driving steel into the bedrock and a waterproof concrete basement within the tub.

            A thousand tons of steel piling would be driven for each building into the bedrock and five thousand yards of high strength steel reinforced concrete for each tub. Steel from the bedrock would eventually rise fourteen hundred feet into the air to the top floor. The access for water, sewer and electric were made at several locations in the tub.

            Engineers for the tower building company were on site to ensure the pillars were properly placed. As soon as the tub cured, the construction on the tower would begin. Then the tub contractor would move to the second one. If weather and materials cooperated I would still be President when they were completed.

            The contractor promised that with the number of crews and subcontractors they were planning to have working both towers would be done in four years. Both towers being structurally identical was going to speed things along.

            Atlanta Construction Management was the general contractor for both towers was from Atlanta Georgia. They had built many high-rise buildings in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas. They were responsible for the overall project.

            There were dozens of subcontractors, many from the south; Richmond, Atlanta, North Carolina and a few from Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia.

            Bob’s Construction was building the RV and water park on the 200 acre site. He had subcontracted the site work to a local dirt contractor and was going to handle the rest of it with his crews.

             There were four bath and laundry houses to build along with the camp office and store. They were also building an adjoining bath house and laundry plus a club house and the ranger shack. Over two thousand trees were to be planted

            The water park would have two pools, an Olympic size for adults and a smaller shallower one for youngsters. The water park would have all the high and low slides along with the dump buckets and drip sprayers. There was a river course that inflated donut rafts could be ridden, carried by the flow of the pumps within the park.

            There would be a club house that made a small list of fast foods and drinks with picnic tables and vending machines plus showers and rooms to change in.

            It was a well planned out and laid out. I liked it a lot – I hoped it would be very successful attraction for the area kids to enjoy all summer.

            Another task that happened today was working with the inaugural committee. They were finishing up thousands of details and making the last minute invitations for all the scheduled parties. The inauguration was ten days away. Tomorrow night there was a dress fitting from a world’s clothier – my mates were coming over to get fitted for theirs.

            I asked Andy if he and Shelia wanted to come to the festivities. ”Not only no, but hell no,” was his response.

            Ziva, Abra and Farah – the former Mossad officers and now my personal body guards – were going with us.

            New additions to my staff were researching every federal agency, fretting out advisors, appointees and people they had hired by liberal presidents to place liberal policies in those agencies. They were to be removed in the downsizing of the budgets.

            I would appoint and hire new people to those agencies with my line of thinking. The swamp that operated against every president from within was leaving government, like it or not. My investigative group was looking at all social media of the supervisors and managers in those agencies. If they weren’t on board with conservative policies and principals, they were gone too.

            General Ingram came in to inform me that two of the carriers were at sea and two more would be before the end of the day. I wondered why the Navy didn’t come to tell me that.

            ”What are the satellites showing for activity in Pakistan near the border?” I asked.

            ”Frank will be in with the updates in a few minutes,” General Ingram said.

            Melinda and Hanna were in the lobby waiting to see me with questions from the group of reporters that were going to Iran. It took an hour to answer them, the related information and what arrangements were made.

            ”Every news reporter from the inside and outside group has signed up to get updated vaccinations, saying they wanted to go,” Hanna said.

            ”Wow, that many! I’m surprised that many want to go. If you don’t have any problems with this first test group, you can increase the numbers for the next week if you want. I’m sure there are plenty of logistics available if they are needed,” I said.

            Troy came into the office – at 1100 – just before I was going to lunch, ”The district court of New York has issued an injunction blocking the Labor Department from ending the extended unemployment payments. The suit was filed by the unemployed workers union and several other labor unions.”

            ”The ruling says that ending the extended benefits could cause unnecessary harm to the affected groups,” Troy said.

            ”I will order the Justice Department to appeal immediately, based on the process we talked about the other day. Then I will send an order for the Labor Department to ignore the district’s unconstitutional ruling in the meantime. I will write a statement for Harry,” I said.

            The rest of the day went like that – one minor crisis after another. I was ready to go to the residential section as the office closed down.

            I was on a VCATS with my mates and the kids for over an hour. Things were hopping all over. Four more wells were pumping oil today in Nebraska. Marcy was running into a problem getting pipeline space to send it to the refinery.

            That wasn’t the problem in Nigeria; both refineries were operating at fifty percent capacity. As new wells came online, that would only increase. Our Pig Iron Point terminal had been expanded several times and was in the middle of another major expansion.

            Marcy and Lorrie were trying to get enough reserve to be able to handle a finished product tanker- they were considerably smaller than crude oil tankers – solely by ourselves. The freight was much cheaper when they could unload at one terminal.

            When the tanks were done, a dock was going to be built in the bay near our Pig Iron dock. Ten inch pipes would go from the dock to the tanks. Tugs would push the tanker next to the dock and the entire load could be off loaded.

            Now the tanker was anchored in the ship transition area. The fuel was transferred to barges that were then pushed to Pig Iron Point and offloaded; a process that took nearly a week. There was a two day grace, then fifty thousand a day for each day the process took.

            The other thing in the equation was the Air Force contract. When we initially started, there were five C5 planes and we needed to have enough fuel reserve to fly one flight a week of each for thirty days.

            Now we had fifteen and were slated to get ten more. The reduction in forces was going to reduce the number of C5s and those ten were going to be shifted to JBG to make cuts in the Air Force budget this year.

            Next year all the remaining C5s in the Air Force inventory were going to the desert boneyard eventually to be scrapped. The C17s would be the last and only heavy lift planes in the Air Forces inventory.

            JBG’s C5s would be scrapped as the air frames were beginning to show the ravages of time. No one knew how long that would be – ten, fifteen possibly twenty years. Lorrie had a contract for as long as we had a flyable C5.

            As if that wasn’t enough, Lorrie had thirty 747s – twenty that had been converted or were in the process of being converted into fire fighting water tankers. Australia had contracted for ten of them to be sent there during the fire season. Five were passenger configuration and the last five were freighters or being converted into freighters.

            There were no more air worthy 747s to be bought. Many had been scrapped as soon as the airlines removed them for service or in various bone yards for salvage parts.

            All of that required a lot of reserve jet A fuel. Each C5 held fifty one thousand gallons. Each 747 held sixty three thousand gallons. Each C130 held seven thousand gallons and we had the largest number of C130s of any nonmilitary organization.

            That was driving the latest expansion of the Pig Iron fuel depot. As soon at the tanks were done, pilings and an unloading dock was going to be built. There would be enough tanks to hold a tanker of jet A and enough tanks to hold a split load of gasoline and diesel.

            The first infrastructure project that Prime Minister Bello wanted was completed. There was a big press conference and celebration. Everyone was happy, or so it seemed.

             On the other side of the coin – in Nigeria JBG had thwarted another Boko-Harm attempt to take hostages in the village Murom. There were plenty of them dead but there were also several prisoners taken, including several leaders. Their fighters had fled without hostages, only to run into JBG aviation.

            I talked for over an hour with my mates, RJ and JJ plus Sara and Takeo. Sara and Takeo were talking up a storm now and didn’t want to be left out of any conversation.

            I went to the fitness center for an hour and a half then called it a night.

            Edit by Alfmeister

            Proof read by Bob W.