WAR (29 page)

The group breaks up, Michael stops to chat with Kory. “Mr. President, what are your instructions about the mint program?”

“Michael stop it. If the USA ever figures out we were behind it, they would completely destroy us.”

Michael nods in his understanding, while thinking,
I’m not going to stop, if Rand goes after us, it’ll be Kory they blame. I’ll say he told me to continue the printing program. I can hang him out to dry if need be, ensuring I become the next President. After all, I’ll say I was just following orders.

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In the Cedars-Sinai Hospital burn ward, President Bloomberg clings to life, his mind drifting from dream to dream. His soul knew he was in trouble. However, he didn’t know what to do. He felt he was floating just under the surface of a warm ocean. He didn’t know how to float up and break the surface of the ocean. Part of his mind wondered how he could breathe under the ocean, part of his soul was worried the other part felt warm and content. He had memories of a fire, pain that blurred his vision. Pain that froze screams in his throat. He felt the pain of the fire inside of his body as if he was burning alive. He remembered breathing flames, he remembered his skin burning and worst of all he remembered smelling his own flesh burn. He can’t place where he is, or why he can’t feel anything. He drifts back into the void of drug-induced sleep as Grover and his team slip into the hospital looking to finish the job they were sent to accomplish.

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“Rash, why did you ask to see me?”

“Sean, President Rand wants a change at the Office of Press Secretary, he asked me if you would accept the position.”

“Rash, you’re much better at the political bullshit than I am. I don’t have the patience for the idiots.”

“Sean, you would make a great Press Secretary. I’ve been there and done that. I really don’t want to return to the White House. I’ve finally gotten my show to exceed the ratings where it was when I left to join President Brownstone. President Cruise asked me to stay so I did. I’m out and enjoying being out. President Rand asked me if I would ask you to consider the position.”

“Rash, why didn’t he ask me?”

“He felt you would turn him down out of hand. He knew you would listen to me. I’m supposed to convince you to take the position.”

“What about my show?”

“It’ll still be there when you leave the White House, you’ll be a bigger name when you leave, you’ll be able to charge more for commercials, you’ll make up for the loss of income in a couple of months. Hell you might decide you like politics, you could run for office. “

“Me run for office? Are you crazy? No one would vote for me, I can’t control my mouth or temper as well as you.”

“Sean, just think about all of the fun you can have screwing with the press every day.”

“Rash, you do it, you’re used to the bullshit. You’re the master of playing with the press.”

“Sean, you don’t seem to understand, the decision has already been made. I’m just supposed to warm you up for your meeting with President Rand. President Brownstone and Cruise will be joining us.”

“Oh crap, you guys did stack the deck against me didn’t you?”

“Yup, you might as well enjoy it because you’re not leaving the White House without accepting the position.”

“Do I get to pick my own support team?”

“Sure, anyone you want who’ll pass the secret service security review.”

“Hell, I won’t pass it.”

“Congratulations, you already did.”

“When do I start?”

Laughing and patting Sean on the back, Rash says, “You just did, I’ll escort you to the War Room so you can get up to speed.”

Sean laughs saying, “I’ll prepare a list of people for the secret service to review.”

“Sean, thank you. Come, let’s get your ID card picture taken.”

After having his picture taken, his fingerprints captured, his irises photographed and his voice recorded and programmed for the government’s voice stress analyzer, Sean is led to the War Room where Presidents Rand, Cruise, and Brownstone are waiting for him. They applaud his entry into the inner circle. President Rand says, “Sean, I’ve looked forward to this since the first time I was on your show.”

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Bob sits on the edge of his bed talking to Carol, “Honey I’m getting worried about the current situation. If this little situation between us and the LSA grows much larger, we could be facing another World War. I’m worried about the kids. A World War could hurt us here.”

“Honey what are you suggesting? Do you want us to move?”

“There’s really no such thing as a safe place. We have our bug in supplies and our weapons. We can survive here for a year if need be.”

“Bob, if a general war breaks out will they restart the draft? Will they take Leon into the Army? Will they send our little boy to some far away land where he could die without us?”

“Honey, anything is possible. You know he’s thinking of joining the military don’t you?”

“Can you talk him out of it?”

“Carol, no and I don’t want to. I think it’s good that he feels patriotic enough to want to serve.  In his mind, it’s his way to protect us. I think the current tension will ease up now that President Rand turned their power back on. The internet is alive with rumors the LSA is going to make a major announcement tomorrow.”

“Do you think they are going to surrender?”

“I hope so, but I’m not sure. The web is full of rumors that President Bloomberg has been wounded, there are millions of posts and rumors saying they are going to announce a new President.”

“Bob, that’ll be good won’t it? I mean with Bloomberg out of the picture won’t the LSA sue for peace?”

“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

“I’ll pray tonight for peace.”

“Me too.”

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Kory Booker, the recently sworn in President of the LSA, stands in the doorway watching President Bloomberg breathe. Kory thinks,
I wonder if he feels anything. I wonder if he knows or has any idea what’s going on. He looks horrible. I’ll tell the doctors to increase his dosage of pain meds. I’d sit with him, but I know he doesn’t have any concept of reality. He’s out there someplace I hope I never see. Goodbye Michael, I’m sorry this happened to you. I don’t wish this on anyone. You did OK, not great, but OK. I’ll take over now and turn the LSA into the country it should have always been. I’ll be the saving grace of the lower class and minorities. I’ll lead the African Americas to pull themselves up and become community leaders versus being community underdogs. We’ve said we’re all equals, Michael, I know wherever you are or are going, you’re going to see what I’m about to do. I’m going to rewrite the rules and even thinking about what’s racism. I’m going to change the world’s definition of what racism is. Tomorrow I’m going to announce that African Americans deserve better chances, they deserve a second, a third chance because of how they’ve suffered. The whites around the world have kept the black man down. That all ends tomorrow.

Chapter 20

Colonel Grover, dressed as an ER doctor, along with two of his staff also dressed as doctors, stroll down the hall towards the guarded burn wing where President Bloomberg is being treated. The three USA agents are quietly talking about burn treatment when they reach the two DepLIES agents guarding the door. “Papers.”

“Hello officer, I’m Doctor Alvin Strong, a burn specialist called in from Mount Saini Hospital in New York City, these are my two assistants, Doctors White, and Greeny. We were called in to review and assist on patient number P147.”

“Hello doctors, please let me check the list, I’m sure you’re on it. Do the three of you have your ID cards?”

The three “doctors” hand over the gold and red edged ID cards, the DepLIES agents are surprised to see the very rare VIP gold and red cards. Even in the capital of Los Angeles these cards are rarely seen. “Doctor” Strong smiles saying, “We typically treat the leaders of the country on the East Coast. We specialize in burns and reconstructive surgery.”

The DepLIES agent’s tablet pings with a message and a gold and red banner announcing these three “doctors” are trusted VIPs. The guard stumbles on his words, “Sirs, one moment please, I’ll unlock the ward door for you. If you require anything or to see anyone, please ask for me.”

“Corporal Samson, I’ll do that. Now, if it’s OK with you, our patient waits for us.”

“Yes sir, sorry sir. Sir, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you when you first arrived. Is there anything else you require?”

“I’m sure we’ll let you know once we check patient number P147.”

The three are led to Bloomberg’s room. Colonel Grover stops in mid-step because he recognizes the man standing in the President’s doorway, “Hello Minister Booker, how are you today?”

“Doctor, do I know you?”

“Minister, I don’t think so. However, everyone knows our esteemed Minister of Truth.”

“Doctor, I assume you’re the specialties who have been flown in from New York City?”

“Minister, yes we are. We got a call yesterday to drop everything and come directly here.”

“Were you told who the patient was?”

“Minister, I was, my assistants weren’t. I needed to know so I could work with his medical records before we arrived so we would be ready to assess the situation as soon as arrived.”

“Very good, have you examined him yet?”

“Minister, we have just now arrived. We were going to start the review when I saw you standing in the patient’s doorway. Is there anything I can do for you? Were you also injured in the gas explosion?”

“Doctor, who told you it was a gas explosion?”

“Minister, it was in the briefing papers prepared for me by the Director of the DepLIES.”

“Oh, I should have assumed that. I wasn’t in the Gray House when the explosion happened. I’m fine. Why don’t you perform your examination and I’ll wait for you in the VIP lounge? Just ask the guards where it’s located.”

“Minister, yes sir. I’ll be along shortly.”

The three ‘doctors’ enter Bloomberg’s room while Kory walks towards the VIP lounge thinking,
Not even three experts from NYC will be able to save Bloomberg. Maybe I’ll be able to reach an agreement with the doctor so he’ll put Michael out of his pain. This’ll remove him from ever being able to overrule anything I do. I’ll ask my personal DepLIES agent for the doctor’s file. Everyone has a weakness, everyone has a dark side, something I can use to get him to do what I want, of course, I’ll explain it’s for the betterment of the LSA.
“Agent! Bring me the personal file on the specialist from New York City.”

“Yes sir, do you want it transferred to your tablet or printed?”

“On my tablet is fine. Fewer copies the better.”

Colonel Grover lifts the sheet to look at President Bloomberg, “He’s bad, I have no idea how he’s lived this long. I think we should help him into the next plane of existence. That way we can go home and get out of crazy place.”

His captain agrees by nodding his head. “Colonel, won’t we get caught?”

“No, we’ll inject a small air bubble into his IV, the air bubble will stop his heart, everyone else will just assume he had a heart attack.”

“Let’s do it and be gone. What was that with the guy standing in the doorway?”

“That was Kory Booker, he’s their Minister of Truth, worse than propaganda. He twists everything around to suit what Bloomberg wanted. I don’t know if he’s in line to become the next LSA President or not, if he is, maybe we should just kill him now and save us the trouble of returning to do it later.”

The Captain laughs while the third member of their team keeps an eye out for anyone who might enter the room. Grover pulled a very small syringe from his white overcoat and pressed the point against the IV tube entering Bloomberg’s arm. He presses the top, injecting a small air bubble into his vein. A moment later the air bubble enters Bloomberg’s heart where it blocks the blood from flowing. The heart is a pump that both pumps blood and is lubricated by the blood. The air bubble stops the heart. In less than a minute, President Bloomberg slips into the hereafter. He never regained consciousness. Grover slips a small black device onto the back of the heart monitor computer. “This will delay the flat line signal for twenty minutes, no one will take notice that he died when we were here. We’ll have the perfect alibi, we’ll be with the Minister of Truth when the President passes. They’ll broadcast a code blue while they’re together. He’ll never give it another thought.”

Grover and his two assistants proceed to the VIP lounge to keep their meeting with the Minister of Truth. “Colonel, is this wise?”

“Call me Doctor.”

“Doctor, is this wise?” 

“If we don’t see him he’ll become suspicious and suspect we may have killed Bloomberg. By going to see him, we remove his doubt. If we were murderers, we would have surely left the hospital as quickly as possible. By meeting with him, we appear to be three specialists who were called in for a consultation from New York City. Just let me do the talking.”

“Yes sir.”

As the three doctors enter into the VIP lounge, Kory stands to welcome his guests. “Doctor Strong, thank you for joining me. How is our beloved President?”

“Minister, I’m afraid our beloved President is not good. The burns have scarred his lungs and damaged his heart. There is too much fluid around his heart and in his lungs. He’s not strong enough for surgery, yet if he doesn’t have surgery very soon he’ll die, if he has the surgery he’ll die. Sir, I’m afraid there’s nothing my team and I can do at this time to save the President.”

“Doctor, how soon?”

“Minister it could be any time. I don’t think he will live more than a few hours, a day at the very most.”

“That is very similar to what the head of the local burn center told me. I guess you flew all the way here for nothing.”

“Sir, it’s our duty to try.”

“Yes, yes of course. I thank you for coming. What do you plan to do now?”

“Most likely return to New York, we have a burn ward full of children from a school fire.”

“Yes, I remember hearing about it. Such a shame. If I remember right, someone tried to light a fire to keep the school warm when the electrical power was turned off. The fire spread out of control capturing both firefighters and children. Both were badly burned.

“The USA, of course, is responsible for the fire and pain and suffering because they turned off our electrical power. If they hadn’t turned it off, there would have been no need for a fire to warm the building. Hence, the USA caused the deaths and burning of our children.”

“Sir, we could have kept the school closed until the power was turned back on, or we could have made sure the fire couldn’t spread. I’m not going to blame anyone.”

“I admire you doctors, always trying to help, never assigning blame.”

“Minister, we live to save lives, not take them.”

“Of course, of course.”

The loudspeakers blare, “CODE BLUE CODE BLUE PATIENT P147, PATIENT P147.”

Kory looks up, “I think our President just passed the baton of office.”

“Sir, I’m very sorry. There wasn’t anything we could do.”

“Doctor, please don’t blame yourself. As you already said, he was going to slip away sooner or later. There was nothing you could do.”

“Minister, I think my team and I should see if we can assist the trauma team.”

“Doctor, let’s call, they’ll tell us the progress, if any.”

Before Kory can pick up the handset two agents from the DepLIES enter the VIP lounge, “Sir, President Bloomberg has passed. There was nothing anyone could do. His heart stopped.”

“Thank you, agent.”

“Sir, a federal judge, has been summoned, he should be here any moment, my orders are to provide you with protection until the Presidential detail arrives.”

“Thank you, agent. If you don’t mind, could you please allow me a moment to finish my discussions with Doctor Strong?”

“Sir, certainly.”

“Doctor, thank you coming all the way from New York. I’d like you to consider moving your practice here to become part of my staff.”

“Minister or Mr. President, I’ll need to think about it for a little time. May I contact you after I return home?”

“Please do, here’s my private number, use it at any time.”

Colonel Grover and his two assistants leave the new LSA President in the company of the DepLIES agents. The three of them make their way to the airport where a plane is waiting to take the three doctors to New York, from there they will slip away from the LSA, arriving at the White House to give their report.