"And the prize?" the killer asked.
"It has been updated very recently and is now electronic," the mentor told her, "priority one will surely have it on his person."
The killer smiled, "and the rescue expedition?"
"They should be leaving Washington shortly," the mentor replied, "You may kill all but one of them."
"Who is that?"
"An ex-FBI Agent called Rob Watson. Do you remember him?"
"Yes sir, how could I forget?"
Chapter Four
Rob Watson had got changed quickly. Vice-President Harrison had provided all of the members of the rescue expedition with clothes suitable of the cold Alaskan weather. White thermal sallopettes, black combat boots, a black thermal jumper with the White House symbol on the left breast, a black thermal jacket also with the White House symbol on the left breast, black gloves and a black beanie hat. Watson had pulled all of them on except the gloves and the hat as the Washington weather was too warm for those particular pieces of clothing. He had been allowed to change in the Kennedy suite in the White House, Watson looked at the wonderfully ornate four poster bed that President Kennedy and his wife had slept in all those years ago. He smiled as he picked up his clothes as he thought what they had done while the rest of Washington was asleep. He wiped the disgusting thought from his mind and stepped toward the door and opened it and walked outside, Agent Defoe who had already changed stood by the door, "are you ready?"
Watson nodded, "where shall I put these?"
Defoe shrugged, "just leave them on the bed."
Watson nodded and threw his neatly folded clothes onto the four poster bed and shut the door. Defoe produced a second pistol and handed it to Watson.
"Why do I need this?" he asked.
"Vice-President Harrison asked me to give this to you," Defoe explained, "He said that you were an excellent shot."
Watson said nothing as he took the pistol and placed it into his inside jacket pocket. Defoe led Watson down the beige corridor to a flight of stairs; they descended these and joined the others in the Oval Office. Vice-President Harrison and Shane Lennox stood at the front of the Office, still in suits and the others sat on the sofas. Harrison welcomed them, "now that your here we can leave. A military helicopter is awaiting you outside to take you to Washington international. You will board the prototype Z600-X jet. That will take you straight to Alaska which will take you approximately thirteen minutes."
Watson looked surprised, "thirteen minutes, from here to Alaska. Are you kidding Mr. Vice-President?"
Harrison shook his head, "I told you this was a prototype. The Z600-X was designed by the military; there is only one in existence. It cost fifteen billion dollars to build and it travels at over 2,000 miles per hour."
"That's impossible," Watson exclaimed.
"Well Mr. Watson," Harrison smiled, "you'll see that I'm not lying in about ten minutes. Now if all of you can follow me, I'll take you to the helicopter."
Everybody got to their feet. As Agent Reynolds walked past him, Watson grabbed his arm, "listen. I know both you and I are hoping we rescue Rachel more than the President. This is a horrible thing to say, but you can't get personal. If you get a choice between her and President Taylor-"
"Don't even say that!" Reynolds exclaimed.
"You're Taylor's head of security," Watson explained, "take responsibility."
Reynolds leaned close to Watson and grabbed the collar of his jacket, "let go of my arm or I swear to God I'll-"
Defoe interrupted, "Agent Reynolds. I think you should walk with Vice-President Harrison, don't you?"
Reynolds let go of Watson and grunted, he followed Harrison out of the office. Defoe walked next to Watson, "you're right you know."
Watson looked surprised, "with what?"
"Not to get personal," Defoe replied, "I can tell why President Taylor offered the job to you first."
Watson smiled.
Two minutes later, Harrison and Lennox had led the seven rescuers out into the morning sunshine and across the lawns to the helipad. Sitting on the helipad was a large green military helicopter. Harrison and Lennox turned to the others, "good luck."
The seven of them boarded the helicopter as the two suited men watched. Defoe closed the door and the rotor blades started to spin. Less than a minute later, the helicopter had disappeared into the blue sky. The helicopter flew over the capital city of America quickly and Watson looked out of the window, LeStrange leaned toward him, "don't like flying?"
Watson shook his head, "hate it."
Erik laughed, "Just think, we're going on an experimental jet that could kill us at any point."
Watson shuddered and the blind Larkström glared, "leave the poor man alone Erik. We need the field Agents to protect us."
"Against what?" Watson asked.
Defoe leaned across, “Air Force One was shot down by an RPG missile, chances are that the person who fired it is going to try and finish the job."
Watson groaned, "Great."
Minutes later, the helicopter landed in Washington international airport next to a small grey plane. It was made out of a Platinum-Titanium mixture and was slim lined, the wings just spurted out a few feet and were as thin as Watson’s forearm, and the engine was on the back. It was simply a long slim lined tube. Watson looked at the Z600-X jet and wondered how they would all fit inside as he got out of the helicopter. Reynolds led the way on his own; he was obviously not in the mood to talk to anyone, especially Watson and Defoe. Watson, Defoe, LeStrange, Erik, Larkström and the last Agent followed close behind. The door to the Z600-X was a tiny hole in the main cabin which was not unlike a man hole. Reynolds reached it first and crawled through. It looked as if there was not even enough room to stand up inside the jet. Watson groaned as he reached the hole and took a deep breath as he climbed inside. Inside, the main cabin was long and metallic, like the inside of a cigar tube. There were no seats, just seatbelts protruding out of the floor. Reynolds had already crawled to the end and had strapped himself into the furthest seatbelt away from the front of the plane. Watson realized as he had crawled halfway down the jet that there were no windows at all throughout the plane. Watson stopped momentarily, but Defoe placed his hand on Watson's shoulder, "don't worry, I've been on this plane a hundred times, it's safe."
This relieved Watson and he crawled up the rest of the plane and slowly strapped him in while LeStrange smiled at Defoe, "you didn't even know this plane existed until five minutes ago did you?"
Defoe smiled, "not a word."
They all strapped up and the last Secret Service Agent shut and locked the hatch. The pilot of the plane turned on the sound system, "good morning. I am Captain James Alexander and I will be flying you to Alaska this morning. Flight time is estimated at eleven minutes and eleven seconds. Make sure you are fastened in as we shall be leaving shortly."
The sound system was switched off and there was a loud rumble from the singular engine at the back of the jet and the Z600-X started to move forwards. Seconds later, the engine had been switched to full power and the Z600-X was hurtling down the concrete runway at 2,000 miles per hour. Watson tensed his muscles and shut his eyes tightly.
Eighteen months had passed since Lucy's death and Watson had been dismissed from the FBI and he and Rachel Fletcher had split up after over five years together. Watson had then travelled the world for six months and when he returned, he had found a job working as a waiter in a fast food restaurant. He had been working there for two weeks when one morning he walked into the restaurant, Cluckin' Chicken in his uniform of black trousers, a bright orange shirt and white bow tie and a large foam hat shaped like a chicken. It was two o'clock in the afternoon and Watson was over two hours late. His boss, a red haired pale faced Irish man, Damien walked over to his, his face as red as a tomato, "where the hell where you?"
"My cat was ill," Watson lied.
Damien glared at him and produced a small white envelope and passed it to him. It had the seal of the White House on the front, "this came for you."
Watson looked confused as he opened the letter, Damien started to walk way, "you've got five minutes to get to work or you're fired!"
Watson drew out a letter which was handwritten on a piece of parchment. He read it:
“Dear Agent Watson,
I am very sorry to hear that you were dismissed from the FBI and if I could do anything to get you reinstated I would, but unfortunately I cannot. That is why I am writing this letter to you. Very recently I was robbed of my Head of Security due to a much unexpected heart attack and I need his position filled. At this point in time I have two possible candidates, you and one other. I decided to choose to offer you the position first as I believe that you were one of the best Agents the FBI ever had and they should never have let you go. Please contact me back soon.
Yours sincerely,
President Gregory Taylor.”
Watson scanned the letter quickly and then he screwed it up and dropped it onto the floor. He walked over to the counter with the tills and vaulted over it. He landed on the other side gracefully and silently so that Damien wouldn't hear him. Watson looked around the restaurant and he realized that it was empty. He sighed. He re-read the President's letter in his mind. He wanted to accept the offer, but he knew that it would mean seeing Rachel Fletcher again as President Taylor had offered Rachel a role as his senior analyst and she had accepted, moving from New York to Washington DC. Watson ran his fingers across his face.
The clock on the wall chimed eleven o'clock in the evening and Watson looked around the restaurant. There were only three or so people sitting in the plastic seats around the fast food joint all eating the same thing, Kentucky fried chicken and fries. Watson groaned as he remembered that he didn't finish his shift until two o'clock in the morning. Suddenly the door opened and a Middle Eastern man who looked strangely familiar stepped into the restaurant, he walked up to the counter and faced Watson.
"Welcome to Cluckin' Chicken, can I take your order?" Watson had uttered those words so many times in the last two weeks, they actually made home feel ill.
The man looked at Watson and sighed, "Yes, I will have the chicken special and fries."
They looked into each other's eyes and suddenly recognized one and other. The man was the terrorist who had murdered Lucy Vasquez. The terrorist laughed, "How’s your dead partner?"
Watson leaped across the counter at the terrorist and knocked him to the floor. Watson's foam hat fell off and he used it to hit the terrorist around the face. The terrorist screamed as Watson started to punch him in the nose. The terrorist's nose shattered and blood flew onto Watson's face. The three customers who were in the restaurant at that time all leapt to their feet and tried to drag Watson off of the terrorist, but he was too strong and he continued to beat the terrorist. Damien ran out of the back and ran toward Watson, "ROB! Stop this now!"
Damien grabbed Watson around the waist and pulled him off the terrorist whose face was now bloody and most of his teeth had been punched out. Rob forced his way us of Damien's grip and picked up a metal stool and held it aloft above the terrorists head. He brought it down onto his face and there was a crack and a squelching noise. The only female customer screamed at the ghastly sight. Damien's face fell pale as two police officers who were passing by burst in through the door and sprinted toward Watson. Watson held his hands up in surrender as they rugby tackled him. Watson winced from the pain as they twisted both his arms around his back and placed him into handcuffs.
The Z600-X flew over the Alaskan landscape and in the distance there was a crashed Boeing 747; it was Air Force One. Captain James Alexander saw this and spoke into his earpiece, "Mr. Vice-President, I can see the crash site of Air Force One. I'm landing now."
Alexander leant forward on the controls and the Z600-X tilted toward the snowy ground and zoomed forward. Alexander heard his passengers in the back scream and he smiled. First time flyers he thought. The Z600-X sped toward the ground and Alexander pulled up just in time. God I hope this works he thought. The front wheel of the jet touched down on the snow and ice and span around a thousand times a second. Alexander switched off the engine and the two back wheels touched the ground. The Z600-x was still travelling at 1,500 miles per hour across the snow and Alexander switched on the emergency brake. Maybe not the best of ideas he thought worriedly. The jet spun out of control. Alexander yelled as he saw that they were spinning toward the crashed Air Force One. About two meters away from the Boeing, the Z600-X ground to a halt. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief.
Watson opened his eyes and looked around. The jet had stopped moving, "are we dead?"
Defoe unclipped his seatbelt, "I don't think so."
He crawled past the others to the hatch, before he could open it, Captain Alexander pushed it open, and he had a grin across his face, "welcome to Alaska."
Defoe jumped out of the Z600-X and landed on the snow, there was a heavy breeze blowing around him and head felt cold. He took out his gloves and hat and pulled them on, he leant back into the jet, "come on."
The others unclipped their seatbelts and got out of the jet; they all agreed with Defoe and slipped on their extra garments. Reynolds turned to Alexander, "wait here. We'll be back as soon as we can."
Larkström stood next to Alexander, "we will guide you on through the plane as you pass. Because I can't exactly run through the plane can I?"
Reynolds considered it, "you're right. Stay here with Alexander; you can sit in the cabin with him to direct us. The rest of you with me."
Reynolds turned toward the plane and started walking toward it; luckily there was a large breach in the hull where it had collided with a rock. Watson, Defoe, LeStrange, Erik and the Secret Service Agent named Tom Adams set off after Reynolds. Reynolds reached the breach in the hull and climbed through it. The others followed. Erik turned to them and gave them all an earpiece which they fitted into place.
"We can use these to communicate," he explained, "we can all talk to each other, so we can split up."
Reynolds nodded, "right, Erik, come with me, Adams, you accompany Raymonde and Defoe you go with Watson."
Defoe and Adams nodded, "yes sir."
"Right," Reynolds said, "stay in contact. Come on Erik."
He and Erik set off down the dark corridor toward the front of the plane, Defoe looked at Adams, "which way do you want to go?"
Adams shrugged, he pointed to a door further along the corridor, and “we'll go through there."
Defoe nodded, "I guess we'll go this way then."
He and Watson set off in the opposite direction to Reynolds and Erik walked.
Larkström climbed into the cabin of the Z600-X and sat against the cold metal. He rubbed his hands together and shivered. Captain James Alexander climbed in next to him and turned to the old man, "so how did it happen?"
Larkström turned to Alexander, "you mean how I went blind?"
Alexander nodded. Larkström took off his sunglasses revealing bright blue eyes.
Alexander looked extremely surprised, "you were lying about being blind?"
Larkström nodded guiltily, "I feared no one would take me seriously if I didn't have a disability."
Alexander scoffed, "do you really think the Nobel Prize judges are like that?
Larkström nodded sadly. Suddenly there was a banding noise on the outside of the Z600-X. Alexander and Larkström looked surprised. Alexander drew his pistol, "they can't be back already. Stay here."
Alexander crawled out of the cabin and jumped down onto the snow. He slowly stepped around the jet to the back engine.
Two minutes past and Alexander had still not returned and Larkström was getting nervous. He crept to the hatch and crawled through it and landed on the snow, "Captain Alexander?"
There was no reply, so he slowly walked toward the engine.
"Captain Alexander?" he called.
There was still no reply. He looked at the snow just below the engine and saw that it had been stained blood red.
"My God!" he exclaimed.
He turned and ran back toward the hatch, but a figure in a black thermal jacket blocked his way. Larkström fell backwards onto the snow. Heist face turned extremely pale, almost as white as the snow.
"Please don't hurt me," he pleaded.
The killer produced a silenced black pistol and aimed it at Larkström heart.
"No please no!" the old man cried.
The killer just smiled and pulled the trigger. The bullet thumped into Larkström abdomen and he tried to scream, but he could not. His head fell back into the snow and he looked up into the killer's face.
"Why?" he gasped.
The killer raised the pistol again and fired a single bullet into Larkström skull. The killer replaced the pistol into the pocket f the jacket and turned toward Air Force One. The killer entered through the breach in the hull.
Watson and Defoe walked through the lowest corridor of Air Force One slowly; they knew that the ceiling could collapse at any moment.
"Where's the President's office?" Watson asked.
"It's on the third floor," Defoe explained, "The stairwell is just us here to the left. Hopefully, it won’t be blocked."
Watson agreed silently. They continued down the corridor and they saw three bodies lining just in front of them, they knelt beside them and checked the bodies. They were the bodies of two Secret Service Agents. Watson got to his feet and patted Defoe on the shoulder, "I'm sorry. I know they must've been your friends."
Defoe got to his feet and wiped a single tear from his eye, "yeah."
"Come on," Watson said, "let's not let them die in vain."
Defoe smiled at Watson. The two of them walked further down the corridor to the door to the stairwell and the killer stood far behind them with the silenced pistol drawn. The killer raised the pistol and aimed it at Defoe. Before the killer could fire, there was a group of voices coming from the open door next to the killer. The killer stepped through the open door and followed the voices leaving Watson and Defoe to open the door. They pulled at the wooden door and it came off its hinges. They dropped the door and looked at the stairwell. It seemed mostly intact. Watson turned to Defoe, "you up for taking the chance?"
Defoe smiled, "hell yeah."
They walked into the stairwell and ascended. The fiber glass stairs were cracked.
"I think we should take it slowly," Watson stated.
There was a buzzing noise from their ears and the earpieces buzzed into life.
"Report," Reynolds voice stated, "Defoe? Adams?"
Defoe pressed his finger to his ear, "Reynolds, this is Defoe reporting. Watson and I are on the stairwell to the third floor. From what I can tell, the stairs are safe and are unblocked."
"Good," Reynolds said, "Adams?"
There was no reply.
"Agent Adams?" Reynolds asked, "Report. Defoe, have you heard from Adams?"
"Not a word," Defoe replied, "not since we separated.
"Sorry," Agent Adams replied, "I was having trouble with my earpiece. Nothing to report so far Agent Reynolds."
"Right," Reynolds stated, "secondary report in five minutes."
Agent Tom Adams and Professor Raymonde LeStrange had reached a blockade in the corridor they were walking down. Shit Adams thought.
"We'll have to go back," LeStrange stated, "join up with Defoe and Watson."
LeStrange turned to go back, but Adams stopped him, "look."
Adams was pointing to the top of the blockade where a piece of the ceiling had collapsed, leaving a hole just big enough for a man to squeeze through.
"Oh yes!" LeStrange exclaimed.
Adams bent down and cupped his hands, "I'll give you a foot up."
LeStrange placed his foot on Adams' hands and climbed up and place both of his hands on the hole. He strained his muscles and pulled himself through the hole. He winced as the cake of his leg scrapped against a jagged piece of fiber glass. He climbed through the hole and looked at his leg. The fiber glass had sliced through the sallopettes and had gashed open the skin.
"Are you okay Raymonde?" Adams asked.
LeStrange nodded and offered a hand down to him, but retracted it when he saw a hooded figure creeping up behind him.
"What is it?" Adams asked.
He turned around to see the barrel of a silenced pistol pointing into his face. The last thing Secret Service Agent Tom Adams saw was a bright flash of light.
Raymonde LeStrange screamed as a bullet tore into his shoulder. He crawled away from the hole as the killer climbed up and faced him.
"Report!" Reynolds' voice yelled into his ear, "who screamed?"
The killer walked up to LeStrange and aimed the silenced pistol into his face, "take the earpiece out of your ear."
LeStrange reached into his ear and pulled out the earpiece and threw it across the room. He then places his hand on his bullet wound and winced with the pain, "please don't hurt me."
The killer smiled, and bent down beside LeStrange and smiled at him, "that is what every scared man says."
The killer pulled the trigger and LeStrange’s body fell backwards onto the fiber glass floor.
Watson and Defoe reached the third floor of Air Force One. The exit door was large and made of steel.
"We’re never going to get through that!" Watson exclaimed.
Defoe considered it and he drew his pistol.
"Bullets don't go through steel Josh," Watson explained.
Defoe aimed his pistol at the fiber glass wall next to the door and fired. He emptied his clip and made a dozen holes. He pocketed his empty pistol and sprinted at the wall and kicked it. The fiber glass shattered and fell to the floor. Defoe looked at Watson and smiled as he reloaded his pistol, "easy."
Watson smiled, "let's go and save the President."
Reynolds and Erik had found that they had bumped into a dead end and they had turned back on themselves and had followed the path that Adams and LeStrange had gone. After asking down the corridor for a hundred yards, Erik turned to Reynolds, "so were you and the President close?"
Reynolds sighed, "I don't want to talk to you at this moment in time Erik. It's nothing personal."
Erik nodded. Suddenly, they saw a body lying on the floor. It was the body of Agent Adams. Reynolds knelt beside him, "no Tom!"
Erik's face went pale, "he must have been the one who screamed."
Reynolds shook his head, "no. It sounded like Raymonde."
Erik looked at the blockade in front of them and saw blood dripping off a piece of fiber glass, "Reynolds. Up there."
Reynolds looked up and saw it. He jumped to his feet and ran to the blockade. He drew his pistol and started to climb up the wreckage. He looked over the top and saw a second body. He pulled himself up and saw that it was the body of Raymonde LeStrange.
"What is it?" Erik asked, "Reynolds, what is it?"
"It's Raymonde," Reynolds replied, "he's dead."
Chapter Five
Vice-President Jack Harrison rubbed his temple and closed his eyes tightly. He had a splitting headache. He was sitting at the President's desk and in front of him sat a cold cup of black coffee. There was a knock at the door to the Oval Office.
"Come in," Harrison commanded.
The door opened and chief of staff Shane Lennox almost ran into the room. There were deep bags underneath Lennox's eyes and his hair was out of control.
"Sir," Lennox said, "There’s been word from the rescue operation."
Harrison looked up, "have they found the President?"
Lennox shook his head solemnly, "no. They found Agent Tom Adams and Professor Raymonde LeStrange. They were both murdered on board Air Force One."
Harrison stood up, "what?"
"The killer must've been on board," Lennox explained, "Adams and LeStrange were executed professionally."
Harrison closed his eyes, "and the others?"
"When taking the bodies back to the jet," Lennox said, "Agent Reynolds and Erik Cremane found the body of Doniel Larkström and Captain James Alexander was badly wounded. He was shot in the chest."
"My God," Harrison exclaimed, "what of Defoe and Watson?"
Lennox shook his head, "I'm sorry Mr. Vice-President, and there’s been no word. Reynolds and Cremane are heading back into Air Force One to find them as we speak."
Harrison fell down into his chair and held his head in his hands, "this is my entire fault."
Lennox sighed, "No it is not sir."
Harrison looked up, "yes it is! Taylor did not want to go on his flight this morning! I forced him to; I thought it would show that the White House has nothing to hide!"
"You forced him to take his flight?" Lennox asked a shocked expression across his face.
Harrison nodded, "Taylor was like a father to me! And look what I've done!"
Harrison entered the Oval Office to see President Gregory Taylor. Taylor looked up and smiled at Harrison, "morning Jack."
Harrison smiled back, "morning Mr. President."
Harrison looked out of the large windows and saw the sun rising over the trees, he smiled.
"Lovely morning isn't it?" Taylor enquired.
"That it is sir," Harrison replied.
Taylor took his wire rimmed glasses off and stared at Harrison, "what can I do for you this early Jack?"
Harrison sighed and strode over to the President's desk and sat opposite him, "is it true that you are cancelling your weekly flight over Alaska?"
Taylor nodded and Harrison looked confused, "why sir?"
Taylor replaced his glasses and smiled, "its simple really, I'm too busy."
"But sir," Harrison started, "if you cancel the flight then the American people will start to believe that you are worried about something. You must go."
Taylor got to his feet and walked to the window. He pulled off his suit jacket and threw it onto the back of his chair. Taylor stared out at the sunrise, "you know Jack, and the last four years have worn me out."
Harrison looked confused and stared at Taylor's back, "sir?"
Taylor turned and looked at Harrison, "I do not wish to be re-elected."
"But sir," Harrison exclaimed, "they're calling this Taylor's golden age. The American people love you. Senator Clay does not stand a chance against you or this office! You are twice as far ahead of him in the polls."
Taylor sighed, "That is why I do not want to continue. The people should not put their faith in me, but in a younger healthier man."
"What do you mean sir?" Harrison asked.
Taylor turned around and looked into Harrison's eyes wither his piercing stare, "I am going to stand down as leader of this country and I am going to donate the Presidency to the one person I trust in the world."
Harrison turned pale, "and who might that be sir?"
He felt ashamed to ask as he already knew the answer.
"I truest you Jack," Taylor smiled, "more than anybody else in the world. Knew this day would come as soon as I adopted you when you were sixteen. Jack, you will become the youngest President of the United States of America."
A tear rolled down Taylor's cheek. Harrison's lip trembled, "sir, I don't know what to say."
"Just be a good President," Taylor smiled.
The two men hugged. Harrison's mobile phone started to ring, so he reached into his suit pocket and took it out, he sighed as he saw who was calling, and he turned to Taylor, "I've got to take this phone call, but promise me that you will take your flight."
Harrison turned to leave as Taylor nodded.
Harrison woke up from his daydream as Lennox looked at him suspiciously, "sir, did you listen to anything I just said?"
Harrison looked up at Lennox, a little dazed, "yes of course."
Lennox raised his eyebrow, "what did I say then?"
Harrison smiled, "I'm sorry Shane."
Lennox sighed, "Well I said that there is a high possibility that Taylor could be alive because seconds before Air Force One crashed, as the safety pod in his office was opened and closed."
Harrison looked up, "so he could be alive?"
Lennox nodded, "so don't beat yourself up Mr. Vice-President."
Harrison got to his feet and looked at his watch, it was just past nine o'clock in the morning, and “I think we should send a second team out Shane. Just in case."
"That's a good idea Mr. Vice-President," Lennox replied, "I'll phone the military and see what they can do."
Harrison looked confident, "get them to Alaska soon. Taylor must be saved."
Lennox smiled and as he left turned back to Taylor, "you would make a good President."
As Lennox left, Harrison collapsed back into his chair and covered his face with his hands, "why is this happening to me?"
He reached into his pocket and took out his mobile phone. He dialed the dreaded number into it and held it to his ear, "it's me."
Jakob Klejavic walked out of the airport terminal in the centre of Berlin. He had changed into a white suit and had put on dark black sunglasses. Klejavic was holding no hand luggage. He looked up into the sky and saw the beautiful sun shining down on him.
"Jakob!" his old friend exclaimed.
Richard Wright hugged Klejavic. Wright had neatly combed dray hair and even greyer eyes. Wright was very short and his skin was very pale.
"Good morning Richard," Klejavic smiled.
"Did you have a good flight sir?" Wright asked.
Klejavic shrugged, "average." Any news from Alaska?"
Wright nodded, "Professors Larkström and LeStrange have been taken out. The killer is working on the others."
"You told her that the caller wants Rob Watson left alive didn't you?" Klejavic asked.
Wright nodded, "yes sir."
"Good," Klejavic smiled, "tell the killer to hurry up. We need the prize."
As the pair walked to Wright's black Land Rover with tinted black windows, Wright got out his mobile phone and dialed the number of the killer.
"Yes it's me," Wright said, "you must hurry. We are running out of time."
Chapter Six
Watson and Defoe walked through the destroyed fiber glass and continued down the ruined corridor.
"Where's the office?" Watson asked Defoe.
"Just up here to the left," Defoe replied.
They turned into the office, their pistols drawn. The President's office was ruined. The ceiling had fallen in and most of the floor had fallen away.
"No," Watson exclaimed, "Mr. President?"
"In here!" a female voice yelled.
Watson and Defoe looked around the room and saw a door to a metal room. It was the President's safety pod. Defoe grinned and ran over to it. He typed in the four digit pass code and the door opened. Inside, a beautiful young woman was trapped underneath President Gregory Taylor's heavy body. Defoe and Watson heaved Taylor off of the woman and set him down on the floor. Taylor had a gash across his forehead and his glasses had shattered sending broken glass into his face. Defoe checked his pulse, "he's alive. We've got to get him back to the jet."
"Rob?" the woman asked from the pod.
Watson looked and saw Rachel Fletcher getting to her feet, she was unharmed. Watson ran over to Rachel and hugged her.
"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked.
"No time to explain," Watson smiled.
Defoe picked up Taylor's body and placed him over his shoulder, "we've got to go now!"
Defoe ran out of the office, closely followed by Watson and Rachel. Suddenly the killer jumped out from a closet, close behind them. The killer aimed a silenced pistol at them. Watson aimed his pistol at the killer and fired. The killer took cover in the closet.
"Run!" Watson commanded.
Watson helped Defoe with Taylor and the three of them sprinted down the stairs to the first floor. When they reached the first floor, they ran into Reynolds and Erik who were looking for them.
"Rachel!" Reynolds exclaimed.
He hugged Rachel. Defoe shouted at Reynolds, "now is not the time!"
Reynolds saw the killer running down the stairs behind them, "run!"
The five of them ran with Taylor's body out of the plane and onto the snow. They took him across the snow to the Z600-X. They put his body in the cabin along with the pale Alexander. Watson and Defoe saw the bodies of LeStrange, Larkström and Adams on the floor and turned to Reynolds," what the hell happened?"
"The killer," Reynolds replied, "we tried to get in contact with you, but something must have been wrong with the earpieces."
Suddenly Taylor awoke and grabbed Watson's collar, "the nuclear football!"
"What?" Watson exclaimed.
"You must find the nuclear football!" Taylor exclaimed.
"What's the nuclear football?" Watson asked.
Defoe turned to him, "it's a small electronic device that has all of the nuclear pass codes for the entire of the UN's nuclear weaponry force."
"Where is it?" Watson asked.
"It fell out of my pocket," Taylor whispered, "in the safety pod."
With those words out of his mouth, Taylor fell unconscious. Watson turned to Reynolds, "you stay here. Protect the others. I and Defoe will find the football."
Reynolds nodded and Watson and Defoe sprinted back into Air Force One.
In the President's office, the killer walked over to the safety pod. On the floor of the safety pod was a small electronic device which was not unlike a PDA. The killer bent down and picked the device up. It was the prize. The killer smiled.
"Give me the football," a familiar voice said from behind her.
The killer turned around to see Rob Watson and Agent Josh Defoe pointing their pistols at the killer.
"Put the football on the floor," Watson commanded.
The killer slowly turned around and faced the two armed men. The killer slowly bent down and placed the electronic device on the floor. Watson smiled, "Now pull your hood down."
The killer did not move.
"Do it now!" Watson yelled, "Why did you crash Air Force One?"
Defoe aimed his pistol at the killer's head, "If you don't answer in five seconds, I will put you down."
The killer moved like a bullet and reached into the belt the killer wore and pulled out two silenced pistols and dived at the two men. Watson pulled Defoe out of the way of the bullets and they took cover inside the President's pod. As the killer walked forward and faced them, Watson dived through the air and collided with the killer's midriff. They both flew backward toward the hole in the floor. Both the killer's pistols fell down the hole and Watson's span off to the left. Watson grabbed the killer around the neck, "Let's see who you are."
Watson grabbed the killer's hood and pulled it back. He gasped. Under the hood was the beautiful face of Lucy Vasquez, "It can't be."
Defoe stepped next to Watson and aimed his pistol down at Lucy's head, "This is your dead partner?"
Watson sighed, "Somehow I don't think she's dead."
Lucy reached into her pocket and produced a hunting knife and stabbed it into Defoe's leg. Defoe winced with the pain and fell to his knees. She threw Watson off her and dived for his pistol; she took it up and aimed it at Watson's head, "Don't move Rob. I was instructed not to kill you."
"Fuck off,” Rob smiled, "You were still a trainee. If you want to be a good assassin, you need to learn to look behind you."
Defoe had recovered from his leg injury and was aiming his pistol at the back of Lucy's head.
"Don't you fucking move!" he warned.
Lucy smiled and swung her arm holding the pistol backwards and shot a single bullet into Defoe's chest. Defoe's face went as pale as chalk and he fell, limp backwards through the hole. He landed on jagged metal and fiberglass and lay still. Watson yelled and ran at Lucy and kicked her pistol away. Lucy laughed at him.
"I taught you everything you know Lucy," Watson smiled, "bring it on."
"Oh Rob, you're so naïve."
Lucy ran at Watson and sent a foot flying toward him. As her black leather boot entered his arm distance, Watson grabbed her ankle. The smile disappeared from Lucy's face as he pulled her ankle and Lucy was sent tumbling onto her back.
"Am I so naïve now?" Watson asked.
Lucy groaned and got back to her feet. She ran at Watson throwing punches and kicks at him, but he deflected every single one. Watson smiled.
"Who are you working for Lucy?" he asked.
Lucy caught her breath and laughed at him, "Why tell you, when I'm going to kill you anyway?"
She pulled a second knife out of her belt and sprinted at Watson. She attacked him and tried to slice open his chest, but he dodged her. Watson elbowed Lucy in the face and she fell backwards onto the floor. She wiped blood from her nose. She snarled at Watson and leapt at him. Both of them fell backwards into the wall. Defoe awoke with a groan. He turned onto his side and grabbed his pistol. He heard Watson and Lucy groaning up above. He looked at the wall holding the upper floor up and saw that by the side of it, there was a large metal can of methane gas. Defoe pointed at it and looked up at the upper floor, "Go to hell bitch!"
He fired a single bullet which breached the gas canister. There was a loud hissing noise before the canister exploded, incinerating the wall. Watson and Lucy were thrown into the air and the ground beneath them collapsed. Watson fell onto his back on the jagged metal next to Defoe. Rocks fell onto their bodies, Watson groaned as the whole room was on fire. Watson got to his feet and picked Defoe up. He looked around for Lucy, but he couldn't see her. She must have been killed. Watson dragged Defoe toward the door. He reached the door and then something hit him on the back of the head. Watson crumpled to the floor, holding his head. He looked behind him and saw Lucy facing him. She looked angry. She ran at Watson and punched him in the face. Watson fell to the floor and groaned. Lucy produced the nuclear football and smiled, "I'm sorry Rob."
She produced her knife and bent down at the unconscious Watson's side, "I was told to keep you alive, but I guess you could've been caught up in the crossfire."
"Watson? Defoe?" Reynolds' voice yelled from outside the door.
Lucy sighed, "Maybe next time Rob."
She sprinted out of the door and disappeared second before Chris Reynolds and Erik Cremane ran into the room.
"Oh my god," Erik yelled.
Reynolds bent down and picked Watson up and placed him over his shoulder. He bent down to also pick up Defoe, but couldn't, "Erik, help me."
Erik bent down and helped Reynolds pick Defoe up. Reynolds placed Defoe on his other shoulder.
"Need some help?" Erik asked.
Reynolds shook his head, "go ahead and make sure the fire hasn't spread."
Erik nodded and sprinted back the way they he and Reynolds had just come. Reynolds heaved the two men out of the door and through Air Force One. Minutes later, Reynolds saw the exit and saw Erik screaming by it.
"Erik, what is it?" Reynolds asked.
Erik looked scared, "the plane's gone, and we’re stuck here."
Reynolds ran to the exit and swore as he saw that the plane had vanished. There was a loud rumble from the President's office. Reynolds turned to Erik, "RUN!"
Erik sprinted away from the plane and Reynolds followed. Suddenly the whole plane exploded in a ball of flame. Reynolds was blown off his feet by the force and fell on his front. Watson and Defoe's unconscious bodies slid away across the ice. Erik ran back and helped Reynolds up. They watched as most of the fuselage collapsed. Reynolds breathed a sigh of relief.
"How do we get home?" Erik asked.
Suddenly there was the noise of helicopter blades. Reynolds got to his feet and looked up into the sky. Out of the clouds, he saw a military helicopter.
Watson sat in the cold concrete jail cell; he had spent the last sixteen months in. He sighed as he remembered what had happened that night sixteen months before in the Cluckin' Chicken, he was disgusted at what he had done. The judge had not believed that the man Watson had brutally assaulted and killed was a terrorist, he just believed that Watson had become incredibly racist and believed every middle Eastern was a terrorist and was trying to get revenge for the loss of a colleague. Watson knew this was not true. But at his trial, the jury had found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment. So that was it and Watson had ruined his life. Watson stood up and looked out of the bars on is window. It was about eight o'clock in the evening and the sky was miserable. The clouds opened and gallons of rain fell onto New York City. Suddenly the door of his cell opened and the burly security guard stepped into the room, "Watson, you've got a visitor."
Watson turned around to look at the security guard. He knew that visiting hour finished at six, so his visitor must have had a high rank in the government. He thought he already knew who it was. Past the security guard walked Rachel Fletcher wearing a crisp black suit.
"Rachel," Watson stated, "what are you doing here?"
"Nice place Rob," Rachel said.
Watson ignored her.
"So I guess you didn't want to work at the White House then," she said as she pulled Taylor's screwed up letter from her pocket.
Watson shook his head, "I guess not."
Rachel stepped into the cell as the guard closed the door. Rachel sat down on Watson's bed, "Do you want to tell me what happened Rob?"
Watson sighed, "It was him Rachel. The terrorist who killed Lucy. He survived! So maybe she did! His body was never found."
Rachel looked at Watson sympathetically, "Rob, they found her hair, blood and finger nails. I think that's pretty conclusive."
Watson sat down on the bed next to Rachel, "I suppose, but the terrorist. He taunted me and I snapped."
Rachel produced an envelope and handed it to Watson, "President Taylor had agreed to free you. He believes that your services to this country were too great to let you rot in here for the rest of your life."
Watson opened the envelope to see a piece of paper from Taylor demanding Watson's freedom. Watson sighed as he read the last paragraph, "He still wants me to work at the White House?"
Rachel shook her head, "no. I do. I persuaded him to add that."
Watson looked at Rachel; he could smell her delicious perfume. He lent close to her and kissed her on her lips. He ran his fingers through her hair and she kissed him back and then she stopped as she realized what she was doing. She stood up and looked down at Watson, "I'm sorry Rob. I'm engaged."
She showed Watson a large diamond engagement ring on her third finger on her left hand.
Watson sighed, "Well I'm really happy for you Rachel."
Rachel smiled at him, "Thank you Rob. So will you come to the White House and work for Taylor?"
Watson shook his head, "No. I'm sorry Rachel. I can't bear to see you every day after you left me."
"I left you because you didn't give a shit about me!" Rachel yelled.
Watson got to his feet, "I loved you! Could you not see that? And I'd just lost a trainee partner! You wouldn't know anything about that as you're an analyst!"
Rachel sighed, "I see what this is about."
She turned to leave, but Watson stopped her, "Rachel, I'm sorry."
Rachel looked at him, "I'm not interested Rob."
Watson woke up. He sat up in the four poster bed and realized he was in the Kennedy suite of the White House and it was pitch black outside. He pulled the covers off of himself and got out of bed. There was a knock at the door and Rachel Fletcher walked into the room wearing a black vest and black trousers covered with a black suit jacket. Watson blushed as he realized he was only wearing boxer shots. He grabbed the pillow off the four posters and covered himself up with it. Rachel laughed, "Come on Rob! Like I haven't seen it before!"
Watson smiled, "Are you okay Rachel?"
She nodded, "We were more worried about you though."
Watson looked down at his chest and saw that he was heavily bruised, "how's the President?"
Rachel sighed, "Not great. He suffered a massive head trauma; the doctors had to medically educe a coma."
Watson looked shocked, "will he be okay?"
Rachel shrugged, "only time will tell. Vice-President Harrison would like to see you in the Oval Office immediately."
"Why?" Watson enquired.
Rachel shrugged, "I know as much as you do."
Watson smiled, "I don't have anything to wear."
Rachel pointed to the cabinet next to him where there was a black suit waiting to be worn. Watson looked at Rachel, "can you step outside please?"
Rachel smiled, winked and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Five minutes later, Watson opened the door and stepped outside, wearing the black suit and tie. Rachel smiled, "you still look good in a suit Rob."
Watson smiled as the pair set off down the corridor. They reached the Oval Office seconds later and entered. Vice-President Jack Harrison sat at the President's desk and Shane Lennox stood next to him. On the sofas sat Agent Chris Reynolds and Doctor Erik Cremane. Rachel sat next to Reynolds and Watson sat next to Erik. Harrison smiled, "how are you feeling Mr. Watson."
Watson smiled, "Much better Mr. Vice-President. Thank you."
Harrison turned to the rest of them, "I would like to thank every one of you for what you have done this afternoon. You have all been put up for the honors award and a rather large sum of money has been transferred to your bank accounts. And I feel I must inform you that Captain James Alexander died ten minutes ago due to his injuries."
Watson, Erik, Rachel and Reynolds all shared a moment of sadness for Alexander.
"I will personally be notifying the families of all those deceased to tell them how brave they were in the face of peril. Mr. Watson, Doctor Cremane, you are welcome to stay here for the night or you can be escorted home, it's up to you. I would just like to thank you all once again."
Harrison got to his feet and smiled at everyone in the room, "I'm very sorry, but I have to leave now. I must go and see how President Taylor is."
Harrison and Lennox left the office, leaving Watson, Erik, Rachel and Reynolds sitting on the sofas. Erik turned to the others, "I think I'm going to go home. My wife is in labor."
He got to his feet and looked at the others, "it's been nice meeting you all."
He walked toward the Oval Office door and stepped through it to be met by two Secret Service Agents. The door closed behind him. Watson turned to Rachel and Reynolds, "I think I'm going to go too. My aunt will be wondering where I am."
He stood up; Rachel looked up at him, "please don't go."
Watson and Reynolds looked at her, "why not?"
Rachel blushed, "well go if you want to. See if I care."
Watson sighed and turned to leave.
Vice-President Harrison reached the medical wing with Lennox and they entered the intensive care ward. On the bed in front of them was President Gregory Taylor. Taylor had a bandage around the gash on his head and scabs where the glass had cut his skin. Harrison stepped to his side as the doctor walked into the room.
"How is he doctor?" Lennox asked.
The doctor shook his head at Lennox, "I'm not hopeful."
Harrison's eyes filled with tears, "doesn't die dad."
Lennox patted Harrison on the shoulder, "Mr. Vice-President, can I have a word with you outside?"
Harrison nodded and together they walked out of the ward. Outside, Lennox turned to Harrison, "Mr. Vice-President, would you agree with me in saying that President Taylor is not fit to continue in office?"
Harrison looked confused, "what are you trying to say Shane?"
Lennox stuttered, "I'm saying, I don't think that President Taylor is fit to continue in office. I think that you should invoke the 25th amendment."
"The 25th amendment?" Harrison looked confused, "I can't do that! Taylor is my foster father!"
The 25th amendment was an amendment where if a President was not in the right state to run the country, the Vice-President can call a vote with the Senators of America where if voted for, then the Vice-President would become the full time President.
"You have to do it sir," Lennox said, "I don't think the President will ever be able to recover from his injuries. You must invoke the 25th amendment."
Harrison rubbed his temple, "set it up. Call the senators."
Suddenly Harrison's mobile phone began to ring; he answered it, "hello?"
"Vice-President Jack Harrison?" a Danish voice asked.
"Yes it is, "Harrison replied, "Who is calling?"
"Forgive me sir," the man replied, "my name is Tömas Staav. I am the Director of the Nuclear Research Centre in Berlin-"
"You're from the NRC?" Harrison asked.
"Yes sir," Staav replied, "I have a slight problem sir."
"Which is?" Harrison asked.
"One of my scientists has gone missing," Staav explained, "and I checked the ID card that was last inserted into the entrance door and I was very surprised with who came up."
"Who was it?" Harrison asked, now intrigued.
"A Secret Service Agent by the name of Josh Defoe."
Harrison's heart sank, "Director Staav, Josh Defoe was mortally wounded this morning."
"Then we have a big problem," Staav replied.
Watson was escorted by to Secret Service Agents to the black helicopter on the helipad. The Agents opened the door for Watson and he was just stepping in when Rachel called his name. Watson looked back to see her sprinting across the grounds toward him. Watson smiled, "what is it Rachel?"
He was expecting her to ask him not to leave as she missed him. He did not expect what she did in fact tell him.
"Wait," Watson queried, "Lucy stole Defoe's ID card and has broken into a secret nuclear development plant in Germany? With all due respect, that's just a little farfetched."
Rachel nodded, "I know, but Harrison wouldn't have called you back if it wasn't important."
Watson nodded, "you're right."
He jumped out of the helicopter and he and Rachel started to run back toward the White House.
Harrison looked up worriedly as Watson and Rachel ran back into the Oval Office. Lennox was standing next to him and Reynolds was still sitting on the sofa.
"Is it true?" Watson asked.
Harrison nodded, "if Lucy Vasquez gets her hands on anything inside the NRC, she can activate it as she has the nuclear football. It could mean massive worldwide destruction."
"What are we going to do?" Reynolds asked.
Harrison filled up a crystal glass with burgundy brandy and gulped it down, "you three."
He pointed at Watson, Rachel and Reynolds, "you're going to fly out to Berlin, tonight."
Watson looked up, "tonight?"
He felt he had enough flying for one day.
Harrison nodded, "a jet is waiting for you at Washington international."
Reynolds nodded and got to his feet, "let's go."
When he walked past Watson, he produced a pistol and handed it to him. Harrison walked up to Watson and patted him on the shoulder, "thank you. If you see Vasquez, you must know its shoot to kill."
Rachel tapped him on the shoulder, "Rob, we have to go."
Ten minutes later, Watson, Rachel and Reynolds were boarding an unmarked speed upgraded Boeing 747 jet at Washington International Airport. Watson hesitated as he walked up the stairs and into the cabin and then he sat down in the front row of seats and buckled himself in. Rachel and Reynolds walked on a few seconds after and sat in the seats next to Reynolds. The door closed and the engines powered up. Watson shut his eyes tightly and grabbed the hand rails so tightly that his grip would break a man's arm.
"Rob?" Rachel asked, "Rob?"
Watson opened his eyes, "what?"
"We're in the air," Rachel replied, "we have been for five minutes."
Watson breathed a sigh of relief.
"So you still hate flying?" Rachel asked.
Watson looked at her and nodded. Reynolds looked at him, "why do you hate flying?"
"A plane crashed into our house on my birthday, 1987. It blew up my house and killed my parents. I only survived because I went out into the garden."
Watson's voice broke. Rachel turned to Reynolds, "he was only ten."
Reynolds sighed, "I'm sorry."
"Yeah," Watson said, "so am I."
Lucy Vasquez pinned the scientist up against the steel wall, "where is it?"
The scientist coughed, "I don't know."
Lucy shot him in the leg with her silenced pistol and the scientist screamed.
"Where is it?" she asked again.
The scientist sighed, "I don't know!"
"Liar!" Lucy yelled.
She shot the scientist in his other leg and he fell to the floor.
"I'll ask you one more time," Lucy said, "where is it?"
The scientist raised his arm and pointed to a large bulkhead door, "in there."
Lucy smiled, "thank you."
She raised her pistol and aimed it at the scientists head and fired.
Richard Wright parked his black Land Rover outside a large abandoned warehouse... He and Jakob Klejavic got out and walked toward a large steel door which opened upon their arrival. They stepped inside and suddenly Wright's mobile phone started to ring. He took it out of his pocket.
"Is it Lucy?" Klejavic asked.
Wright nodded and answered it, "Lucy, please say you have good news."
"Yes sir," Lucy replied.
"I have claimed the prize and I am in Berlin now," she explained, "Krom gave away the information just as you said he would."
"Do you have it?" Wright asked.
"Not yet," Lucy replied, "but I'm sure that I will within the hour."
Wright smiled, "excellent. Meet us at the warehouse."
He hung up and placed the mobile back into his pocket, he turned to Klejavic, "the plan is falling into place."
Klejavic smiled.
Vice-President Jack Harrison checked his watch; it was half past three in the morning. He yawned as Lennox walked into the room. He smiled at Harrison, "I just got a call. The senators are ready for you sir."
Harrison got to his feet and nodded at Lennox, "put them on the screen."
Lennox nodded, he pressed a button on the President's desk and a large television screen descended from the ceiling. There was a flash of light and the screen flickered on, revealing six suited Senators sitting around a large oak table.
"Good morning gentlemen," Harrison greeted, "I'm sure that you all are aware of the situation, so I am just going to get down to business. Vote "yes" if you think President Gregory Taylor is fit to continue in office, or vote "no" if you think he cannot perform his basic duties for this country. For the first vote, I shall go to Senator Jaden Cross from New Orleans."
Senator Cross looked weary, as if he had not slept in days, "in these difficult times I think this country needs a leader. I'm going to vote no."
Harrison nodded as Lennox wrote down the vote on a piece of paper, "next to Senator Timothy April of California."
Senator April also looked weary, "I have to disagree with Senator Cross as I believe Vice-President Harrison to be too young to take on such a demanding role. I'm voting yes."
Lennox wrote down the result on the paper. Harrison looked at the weary Senators, "Senator Hal Green of Florida."
Senator Hal Green sighed, "I agree with Senator April. I'm sorry Mr. Vice-President, but I believe you are too young to become President. I'm voting yes."
"Senator Samantha Davis from New York."
Senator Davis was the only female sitting at the table and she was also the youngest, "I belie that Vice-President Harrison can take on the role effectively and with maturity. I'm going to have to vote no."
"Senator Fred Tyler from Jersey."
Tyler held his head in his hands, "I think that President Taylor has done a wonderful job as President and I'm hoping that Vice-President Harrison can do the same. I've decided that I am going to vote no."
Harrison smiled, he looked at the last Senator, "and finally, Senator Ron Gobacker from Texas."
Senator Gobacker smiled, "I think after President Taylor's injuries he is unable to perform his duties as President. I'm voting no."
Harrison looked at the Senators, "thank you gentlemen. That will be all."
The screen went black and rose into the ceiling. Harrison turned to Lennox, "set up a press conference for tomorrow morning. I'm going to announce it with pride and let Taylor be remembered ad he brilliant man he was."
Lennox smiled at the President, "yes Mr. President."
Lennox left the office and Harrison sat down at his desk. He got out his mobile phone and dialed a familiar number, "it's me."
The 747 touched down in Berlin at 5.33 am. The door opened and the moveable stairs latched onto the outer rim of the door. Three suited people appeared. Rachel Fletcher walked down the stairs first followed by Rob Watson and Chris Reynolds. They looked around the dark deserted airport in wonder. Suddenly a black Buggatti Veyron sped down the runway toward them. It braked just in front of them and the driver got out. A short, ginger haired man who was extremely muscular stepped out. He walked toward them.
"You from the White House?" he barked in his rough German accent.
Rachel nodded, "I'm Rachel Fletcher, this is Rob Watson and this is head of White House security Chris Reynolds."
"Hello," the man said, "I am Karland Okaka. I am head of security at the NRC. Please, I am to take you to the laboratories. Get in the car."
Rachel, Watson and Reynolds squeezed into the super car as Okaka sped off down the runway. Okaka turned to the Americans, "so what will you do to the intruder?"
Reynolds looked up, "we capture or kill her."
Watson looked at Reynolds angrily, "capture mainly."
Reynolds leaned forward, "she'll be too dangerous to be kept alive. Think of how many people she's killed already."
Watson sighed, "she must have been hypnotized or something. She wouldn't do this!"
"Are you so sure?" Reynolds asked.
Watson nodded.
Reynolds sighed, "Rob, do you remember telling me not to get personally involved?"
Watson nodded, gritting his teeth as his words came back to bite him, "yes."
Rachel lent forward and looked at Okaka, "how long until we get there?"
Okaka shrugged, "seconds."
Okaka lent heavily on the steering wheel and span the Buggatti Veyron around a sharp corner and pushed down hard on the hand brake and they jolted to a stop.
"Welcome to the NRC," Okaka welcomed.
Watson, Rachel and Reynolds stared out of the window and saw just a small metal hut with the Berlin skyline standing proudly behind.
"Sorry, but are you sure?" Rachel asked.
Okaka took off his seat belt and got out of the car. He opened the back door, allowing his passengers to step out.
"Follow me," Okaka winked.
He led the three Americans over to the hut, on the door handle was a small card slot. Okaka produced a small keycard from his trouser pocket with his name, photograph and details printed on it. He slid it into the slot and there was a loud, slicing beep and the door opened, "step inside."
Watson, Rachel and Reynolds hesitantly stepped inside. It was pitch black inside. Okaka stepped in and closed the door behind him.
"Is there a light switch?" Watson asked.
Okaka laughed, "There's no need."
There was a loud mechanical whirring and the cold metal floor they were standing on started to descend very slowly. A computerized voice blurred, "going down."
The floor descended extremely rapidly into the darkness. Rachel screamed and grabbed hold of Watson. Within seconds, the floor stopped moving and the whirring stopped. A large bulkhead door in front of them opened and flooded the lift with artificial light. Reynolds looked at Watson and Rachel jealously. Watson looked into Rachel's face smiling. She had her eyes firmly shut, "Rachel."
She did not move.
"Rachel," he whispered.
She opened her eyes and looked into Watson's face and let go of him in a hurry. Okaka stepped into the light. Watson, Rachel and Reynolds gasped at the sight.
Chapter Seven
Lucy Vasquez opened the man hole and climbed up to street level. In her left hand, she held a silenced pistol, which she quickly stuffed into her jacket pocket as she did not want to draw attention to herself in the middle of the Berlin city centre. On her back, she wore a black rucksack that was bulging. She got out her mobile phone from her pocket and dialed a number. Her mentor answered, "Jakob, I have acquired it."
"Come to the warehouse," Klejavic replied.
"I will be there shortly," Lucy replied.
She hung up and replaced the mobile in her pocket and then disappeared into the crowd.
Chapter Eight
President Jack Harrison put the phone down. He had just called his wife Alice and told her the news. Alice was a very close friend of Taylor's and was extremelly worried about his situation. Harrison had assured her that there was no need to come in to check on Taylor, but Alice had insisted. She had protested that she did not want her first act of being the First Lady to be of cowardice.
As the elevator doors opened, the three Americans gasped. The first room of the NRC was a huge entrance hall of sorts; the walls were made of a shiny metal. It must have been twenty metres high and fifty metres across. Funnily enough, although the NRC headquarters stretched for two miles underneath Berlin and contained over one million scientists, this entrance hall was empty with only several armed security guards patrolling the area. Okaka turned back to the others, "Follow me."
Watson stepped forward, "How much money do you have?"
Okaka smiled back at him, "Enough."
Rachel looked at the guards holding machine guns and sighed, she hated guns. Okaka turned back to the trio, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask for your weapons."
"Why?" Reynolds asked.
Okaka looked at him apologetically, "It's policy I am afraid. Only authorized personnel are allowed to carry weapons."
Watson pulled out his pistol from inside his jacket and passed it to Okaka. Reynolds sighed and did the same. Okaka smiled and led the three of them across the entrance hall to a door at the other end. It was a large steel bulkhead door which looked impenetrable. Okaka inserted his key card into the prompt and the bulkhead door opened. There was a suited man waiting for them. Tömas Staav was fifty two years old; he had greying black hair and very pale skin. Watson could tell that Staav was not in the best of health. Staav shook all three American's hands with a dull smile, "You must be from the White House."
Reynolds nodded.
"I'm Director Tömas Staav," the ill man explained, "Thanks for coming."
Rachel stared at Staav, "What is the name of your missing scientist?"
"His name is Viktor Krom," Staav explained, "he went missing three hours ago. The building was then accessed by the Agent's key card-"
"His name was Josh, Josh Defoe," Watson interrupted, "And right now he is fighting for his life in a hospital, so show a little respect."
Staav smiled, "I'm sorry. Agent Defoe's key card accessed the building two and a half hours ago. We have checked security cameras and the locks, but there's nothing. No mention of any intruder."
Reynolds nodded, "Vasquez must've had some inside help. Check your personnel files. See if anyone has been in contact with Lucy Vasquez."
Staav nodded and looked up at Okaka, "Karland, can you get onto that please?"
Okaka grunted, turned around and started to walk back through the entrance hall. Staav led Watson, Rachel and Reynolds through the bulkhead door and into the next room of the NRC whilst the bulkhead door closed behind them. This room was busier than the first. The walls were made of white marble and stretched further than eyes could see. On each wall of the room were hundreds more of the heavy bulkhead doors, each with a metal plaque attached to the front with the name of a scientific project engraved onto it. Staav looked back and saw the confusion on the American faces, "Each scientist is assigned to a group of other scientists. They shall always work together throughout their time here. They are then given a specific project to work on. Behind these bulkhead doors are every scientists living quarters, their kitchens and their laboratories."
"So what was Krom working on?" Watson asked.
"He and his group of three others have been working for the last six months on a new type of weapon for the UN. It was codenamed the Hammer, but after completion, Krom and his team named it The Particle Bomb," Staav explained, "It takes a group of particles and overloads them with a mix of sodium and magnesium. The particles then become unstable and implode on themselves. The particles then expand to six hundred billion times their original size, incinerating everything it comes into contact with."
"What size does the reaction reach?" Rachel enquired.
Staav sighed, "If it was detonated, it would destroy an area the size of Manhattan."
Rachel's face fell pale.
"How could Defoe's key card have gained him access to the NRC?" Reynolds asked, "He was only a rookie Secret Service Agent."
Staav looked at Reynolds calmly, "I don't know."
"That almost proves that Vasquez had inside help," Reynolds stated.
"Perhaps," Staav whispered.
He led them to one of the bulkhead doors on which the plaque had Krom's name, three other scientists’ names and the name of the project they were working on- The Particle Bomb. Staav pulled out his key card and inserted it into the prompt. The bulkhead door followed the same path as the first and allowed them in. On the other side of this bulkhead was a long flight of metal stairs. Staav led Watson, Rachel and Reynolds down two flights until they reached a long corridor. Unlike the parts of the NRC they had already seen, this corridor was very ornate, the plaster walls were painted cream and there was a very expensive looking red carpet rolled all the way down the corridor to another bulkhead door at the end. The corridor was rather long and had two wooden doors, painted cream on either side of the corridor. Each with a brass name tag which had been individually crafted to show the scientists name whose room it was.
"Krom's room is just down here," Staav told them.
He led the way to the last door and opened it. The room inside was luxury. It was not unlike the luxury suites that were so expensive in hotels. There was a large double bed on the right wall, and at the back of the room, there was another wooden door leading to a luxury bathroom. The carpet was a brilliant shade of cream. Built into the left wall was a large antique wardrobe. Watson looked around, "jeez, this place is better than my house!"
"You mean your aunt's house?" Reynolds asked, looking down on Watson's life.
Watson turned to Reynolds, his fists clenched, but Rachel seeing that it was about to kick off and stepped between Watson and Reynolds. She looked up at Staav, "Don't you have CCTV in the rooms?"
Staav shook his head, "No, we don't have any cameras in any of the secure departments in case the tapes are stolen."
Reynolds sighed while Watson looked toward Krom's bed. Rachel turned to him, "Rob, what is it?"
Watson pointed to the bottom of the bed where the carpet had been stained scarlet. Rachel gasped and Staav sighed, "Oh Viktor."
Reynolds and Watson nodded to each other and they stepped forward into the room, they crouched down beside the bed and reached under. Their hands clasped something wet. They grabbed it and pulled it out. Staav closed his eyes in disgust at what he saw. Viktor Krom's body had been mutilated. His throat had been sliced from ear to ear, a knife had been stabbed through both of his eyes, his tongue had been sliced off and cut in half and there was a half stuck into each eye and his right hand had been cut off and there was a single bullet hole, to the left of his right eye. Staav looked down at his wounds and a sudden realisation, he turned to the Americans, "We must check on the Particle Bomb!"
"Why?" Reynolds asked.
"If Viktor's right hand was taken," Staav said, "Then the killer would have access into the chamber."
Reynolds swore loudly. Staav nodded, "Follow me."
Staav sprinted back out of the room, followed by Watson, Rachel and Reynolds. Staav led them down the corridor to the second bulkhead door. On the wall next to the bulkhead was an electronic pad for handprint identification. Staav put out his hand and placed it onto the pad. The electronics beeped and the bulkhead opened, Staav retracted his hand and looked down at it. His hand was covered in a scarlet liquid, "Shit."
Staav ran past the bulkhead into the Particle Bomb chamber, Watson, Rachel and Reynolds followed him. They all gasped at what they saw. The chamber was a large sphere. The walls were made of solid gold and the radius of this enormous sphere must've been fifty feet. The platform that the four of them were standing on was suspended in the centre of the chamber. It was then when Watson realised how cold it was, "Why do you keep it so cold?"
"The Particle Bomb is very unstable," Staav explained, "It needs to be kept at a sub-zero temperature or it will explode."
"How long after being taken away will it explode?" Rachel asked.
"Ninety minutes, give or take a minute or two."
"Shit," Reynolds exclaimed.
Staav looked toward the end of the platform and saw the large golden box containing the Particle Bomb. He took a deep breath and walked toward it. He shuddered as he saw Viktor Krom's severed hand lying, bleeding next to the box. Staav knelt down beside the box and placed his hands on the lid. His heart was beating uncontrollably. With one swift movement, he opened the box and looked inside; the box was padded foam inside with a hole cut the size of a jam jar for the Particle Bomb to sit. This hole however was empty. Staav collapsed onto his backside.
"Director Staav?" Watson asked.
He walked forward and knelt beside Staav and looked at him worriedly, "Staav, please tell me there's a tracking device on that thing."
Staav nodded, but if Viktor told, thinking it would save his life," Staav said, "The killer could have already destroyed it."
Rachel held her heed in her hands. Reynolds swore, "We're fucked."
Suddenly the bulkhead door slammed shut. Rachel gasped and turned to Watson and Staav, "What's happening?"
Staav stood up, "I have no idea."
Staav strode over to the bulkhead and put his palm on the electronic pad. Nothing happened, Reynolds got angry, "Staav, what the fuck is going on?"
Staav looked confused, "I don't know."
The intercom clicked on, "Hello Tömas."
The four of them gasped as they realised who it was. Staav looked angry, "Karland, what the fuck are you doing?"
Okaka laughed, "I'm sorry Tömas, but I have received a better offer."
"From who?" Staav asked.
Okaka laughed again, "Well, seeing as I'm about to kill you, it won’t matter if I tell you. I was offered a contract by Jakob Klejavic."
"No, not Klejavic," Staav groaned.
"Who's Jakob Klejavic?" Watson asked.
Rachel looked at him, "He's head of Greenworld, an eco friendly company. Helping solve Global Warming-"
Staav looked at her, "Greenworld is just a cover, and they just about control every company on the planet. Klejavic is the CEO and if I'm honest, Greenworld isn't very helpful to Earth at all. They're bending and shaping the world to how they want it."
"I guess you could say we're not too Green," Okaka chuckled, "Goodbye Tömas. I have cut off the air supply to the chamber. By the time any technician realises the air supplies stopped, the four of you shall all be dead."
The intercom went dead.
"FUCK!" Reynolds yelled loudly.
Watson turned to him, "Well that's not helping at all is it?"
Reynolds pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Watson. Rachel yelled and stood in front of Watson. Reynolds looked furious, "Oh, so you're on his side then."
"You're the one pointing the gun Chris!" Rachel exclaimed.
Chris Reynolds sighed. Suddenly Staav keeled over backwards and was still. Watson knelt beside him. Staav looked up at Watson and laughed, "Damn that cancer."
"How long do you have?" Rachel asked.
"The doctors think two months," Staav replied.
"Do you have any family?" Rachel inquired.
Staav shook his head, "I had no time for family. I was an only child, mother and father died decades ago."
Suddenly Reynolds dropped his pistol and fell to his knees. Rachel knelt beside him, "Chris are you okay?"
"You really should've stopped me smoking years ago," Reynolds replied.
Rachel held him as he fell backwards, gasping for breath. She cried onto his forehead, "I'm so, so sorry."
Reynolds fell unconscious. Watson looked down at her, "I’m glad I don't smoke then."
Rachel nodded, wiping tears from her eyes, "Ditto."
Watson nodded. He looked down at Staav, who had fallen unconscious and saw a small metal canister hanging out of his jacket pocket. Watson pulled it out and looked at it, it was Staav's inhaler. Watson noted that it was four times as big as a normal inhaler. Rachel started gasping for air and fell forward onto Reynolds' chest. Watson felt himself going lightheaded and realised there was only one thing he could do. He threw the inhaler at the bulkhead door. Watson pulled out his pistol from inside his jacket pocket and aimed it at the inhaler. Watson had noted on the way in that there were two gas canisters next to the bulkhead that would be capable of blowing a hole through the bulkhead if a spark punctured the hull of the canister. Watson fell to his knees as he started to lose consciousness. He aimed at the inhaler and fired a single bullet. The bullet hit the inhaler which exploded; the fire reached the gas canisters which in turn, both exploded blowing Watson backward. Watson sighed and lost consciousness as an alarm went off.
Karland Okaka looked up from where he sat in the security office. Two suited guards ran into the room. Okaka glared at them, "What happened?"
The elder of the guards took a deep breath, "There's been an explosion in the Particle Bomb chamber!"
"How?" Okaka snarled.
Both guards shook their heads. Okaka drew his pistol and shot both guards, "Bastards must've got out."
The younger guard pulled out his pistol and aimed at Okaka. Okaka laughed at the guard and raised his own pistol and shot the guard in the head. Okaka stepped out of the security office and locked the door behind him. Okaka started to run.
A suited guard walked into the freezing cold Particle Bomb chamber with his gun drawn, there were three unconscious bodies lying in the middle of the platform, two men and a woman. One of whom, the guard recognised as Director Staav. The guard holstered his pistol and ran over to Staav and knelt beside him and checked the 52 year olds pulse. The woman suddenly woke up and looked up at the guard. Rachel Fletcher's face was very pale. She reached over and woke up Chris Reynolds.
"What happened?" the guard asked.
Suddenly there was a loud gunshot and a patch of blood appeared on the guard's white shirt. The guard fell forwards onto his face. Rachel and Reynolds looked up and saw a fuming Karland Okaka striding toward them. Reynolds dived to the deceased guard's body and reached for his pistol. Okaka raised his pistol, "Don't move!"
Reynolds stopped as Okaka reached them. Rachel looked up into the man's face, "Why do this?"
Okaka smiled, "Why should I answer to you?"
"I'll kill you, you mother fucker!" Reynolds yelled.
Okaka swung his arm and hit Reynolds in the face with his pistol. Reynolds fell back, clutching his nose. Rachel swore at Okaka, "Okay, just put the gun down."
Okaka sniggered, "You didn't say the magic word."
Rob Watson aimed his pistol at the back of Okaka's head, "Please."
Okaka sighed and dropped his pistol on the floor. With one swift movement, Watson knocked Okaka out cold with his pistol. Rachel's face lit up and she beamed, "Rob."
Watson gave her his hand and pulled her up. He offered the same hand to Reynolds, but Reynolds refused it. Suddenly twenty armed guards sprinted into the Particle Bomb chamber and aimed their machine guns at the three Americans, "FREEZE!"
Watson and Rachel put their hands up. One of the guards stepped forward and hit Watson in the chest with his machine gun. He felt his arms being pulled back and handcuffed.
Chapter Nine
Lucy Vasquez pulled up in the stolen Range Rover and grabbed her rucksack. She got out of the car and looked at the warehouse that Klejavic had told her to go to. She saw Richard Wright walking toward her. He frowned, "Do you have it?"
Lucy nodded, gesturing to the rucksack. Wright smiled, "Follow me, he want to see you."
Wright led Lucy into the warehouse which was huge; it used to be a warehouse for storing parts of the railway until it was needed until it was deemed unsafe and abandoned in 1986. Wright took Lucy up a flight of stairs to Jakob Klejavic's office. Klejavic sat behind a desk and standing beside him stood a very sweaty man in a white lab coat who was shaking violently. Klejavic stood up and embraced Lucy, "Thank you my dear."
Lucy handed the rucksack to Klejavic who opened it and pulled out a small glass jar, not unlike a jam jar, the contents looked like blueberry jelly. Klejavic held it in two hands, "How long do we have?"
"About two minutes," Lucy replied.
Klejavic nodded and set the Particle Bomb down on the desk. He turned to the man in the white coat, "Well Doctor Marx. I guess it's time to show how good you are."
Klejavic reached behind the desk and pulled out a metal briefcase, he set it down on the desk next to the Particle Bomb. He opened it; the inside was metallic with a mechanism that poured liquid nitrogen onto the Particle Bomb to keep it cool. Klejavic turned to Doctor Marx, "You'd better get started."
Marx stepped forward and carefully picked the Particle Bomb up and help it above the briefcase, incredibly slowly, Marx lowered the bomb into a slot in the briefcase that was tailored to just the right size. The Particle Bomb clicked into place. Lucy looked at her watch, "We have about a minute."
Klejavic turned to the sweaty physicist, "You'd better hurry the hell up."
Marx wiped the sweat from his forehead, he thought to himself, come on Jargon, you can do this.
"Why is this taking so long?" Wright asked.
"I need to configure the liquid nitrogen," Marx explained.
"Well you'd better hurry up," Lucy told him, "You've got twenty seconds."
Marx pressed a few buttons on the keypad on the side of the briefcase.
"Ten," Lucy started, "Nine, eight, seven-"
"I hope to god this works," Marx whispered.
"Six, five, four, three-"
He pressed enter on the keypad.
"Two, one. Time elapsed."
Marx breathed a sigh of relief. Klejavic turned to the briefcase and closed it, "How long until we need to refill the liquid nitrogen?"
"Four hours," Marx replied, "Will you let my family go now?"
"Of course," Klejavic smiled, "Lucy, can you help Doctor Marx with his settlement. Richard, let's get to the car."
Klejavic carried the briefcase out of the office followed by Wright. Lucy stood in front of Marx, smiling. Marx looked confused, "Where are my family."
"They're in the room behind you," Lucy explained.
Marx smiled and turned around looking for the nonexistent door. Lucy drew her silenced pistol in a flash and aimed it at Marx as he turned around in confusion. When he saw the gun he groaned, "Please."
Lucy fired and Marx's limp body fell onto the empty desk. Lucy re-holstered her pistol and followed her mentors.
Chapter Ten
Rob Watson, Rachel Fletcher and Chris Reynolds did not know how they had found themsleves locked inside a prison cell at the Nuclear Research Centre in Berlin after being sent by the US government. Karland Okaka had come to and lied to his guards that the three Americans had overpowered him and attacked Staav. Staav still being unconcious could not call Okaka's bluff. Watson turned to Rachel and Reynolds, "We need to get out of here and find Lucy and get that bomb back."
Rachel and Reynolds nodded, "But how do we get out of this cell?"
Watson shrugged. They were locked in a box room made out of steel with only a bench for the three of them to sit. Suddenly the steel door infront of them opened and Karland Okaka stepped in. He smiled at them, "I have come to tell you that the Particle Bomb is no longer in Germany. I am leaving now to meet with my new boss."
Okaka sniggered and left the cell, locking the door behind him. Reynolds swore loudly. Less than thirty seconds past before the door was unlocked and a very pale Director Staav staggered in, "Quick. We don't have much time."
The three Americans got up and ran out of the cell behind Staav.
Karland Okaka exited the lift and saw his Buggati Veyron parked next to Director Staav's silver Aston Martin DB9. The sun was starting to rise, Okaka looked at his watch, it was 7.58 AM. Okaka got into the front seat of his Buggati. Suddenly the lift doors opened and four suited people ran out. Okaka swore as he saw who they were. Reynolds pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the car, but Watson stopped him, "Don't do it! He's the only link we have!"
Okaka turned on his engine and pulled away. Staav unlocked his DB9, "In here!"
He got into the front seat, Watson and Rachel got in the back and Reynolds sat next to Staav. Staav sped after Okaka's Buggati. Okaka had a greater advantage as his car was a lot faster, but Staav was a better driver. Okaka sped onto an autobahn and sped throught the traffic at over 150 mph. The DB9 got stuck behind several cars in a que. Okaka turned onto a side road and smiled as he realised that he'd lost his pursuers. He got out his mobile phone and dialled Jakob Klejavic's number. Klejavic answered, "Karland, I was just about to phone you. Are they dead?"
"No sir," Okaka sighed, "I'm so sorry. They escaped, but they are not following me. Where shall I meet you in Paris?"
Klejavic sounded grim, "I'm so sorry Karland, but you have failed me. I'm affraid we cannot work together anymore. Goodbye Karland."
The line went dead. Okaka suddenly realised what was about to happen. He reached for the door handle and yanked it open, but it was too late, the bomb on the bottom of the Supercar detonated and the one million pound car exploded sending burning debris everywhere.
Staav turned the DB9 off the autobahn and onto the same road that Okaka took. They all gasped as they saw the ghastly sight up ahead. There was a blazing mass of metal and debris blocking the road. Staav stopped the car and they all got out. Staav looked at Watson, "He must've crashed."
Watson nodded as he examined a burnt carcus that was Karland Okaka, "So there's no chance of us finding the Particle Bomb, detonation is inevitable."
Staav didn't look too convinced, "I wouldn't say that. If Karland was working for Greenworld, then there's a great chance that, that is where he was headed."
"Where's the Greenworld headquaters?" Rachel asked.
"Paris," Staav replied.
The four of them all sprinted back to the car and got in.
Alice Harrison did not look like the First Lady when she entered the White House wearing jeans and a blue jumper. Alice was an extremelly good looking woman in her mid thirties. She had long dark hair, hazel eyes, beautiful skin and a perfectly shaped body. She was met by her husband, the new President at the door to the White House.
"Oh Jack," Alice said in her rather calming voice, "You must be in a dreadful state. How is he doing?"
Harrison sighed, "Not the best of states if I'm quite honest."
Alice's eyes filled with tears, "I want to see him."
Harrison tried to stop her, "I don't think that's very wise-"
"God-damn-it Jack!" Alice interupted, "Let me see him."
Harrison nodded as Shane Lennox came into veiw. Lennox spotted the President and rushed over to his side, "Sir, a press conference has been called. Your needed now."
Harrison nodded, "Shane, could you take Alice to see President Taylor for me?"
Lennox nodded, "Of course sir."
Harrsion smiled at Alice, "I wont be too long I promise."
Harrison entered the White House followed by his two Secret Service Agents. Lennox led Alice inside, he looked down on her, "What do you feel about being the First Lady?"
Alice looked displeased, "I've been classed by that ghastly name for less than an hour Shane. I have no feelings what-so-ever, the only feeling I have at the moment are for President Taylor's safety."
Shane nodded, "Of course ma'am."
Alice looked at Lennox, "Don't call me ma'am."
"Sorry ma'am."
Alice stopped and stared at Lennox, "Leave me."
Lennox looked at her, "The President asked me to escort you to-"
"I have told you to leave me! You can tell Jack I said that! I know my way around this place."
Lennox nodded, "Of course ma'am."
Lennox stopped as Alice walked further down the cream corridor.
Two minutes passed, President Harrison stood behind the President's podium in the press conference room. He had just finished giving a televised speech to the nation about the last 24 hours events and now the reporters were making their way out. The door behind Harrison opened and Lennox walked into the room, Lennox stood behind Harrison and whispeared in his ear, "Sir, your wife is refusing my escort."
"Where is she?" Harrison asked.
"She continued on to the medical suite, sir."
Harrison nodded, "Let's go."
Alice opened the door to the medical suite and looked inside, this room differed from the rest of the White House, the walls were made of metal and there were several metal beds scattered about. In the far corner of the room was a large metal cabinet with hundres of bottles of medicine stored within. A doctor was sitting at a metal desk next to this particular cabinet. The doctor got up, Alice smiled at him.
"Who are you here to see?" The doctor asked.
Alice looked slightly startled, "I thought there was only one patient, the President."
The doctor shook his head, "One Secret Service Agent survived."
He pointed to one of the beds containing an unconcious Josh Defoe. Alice looked at Defoe, full of empathy, "Will he be okay?"
The doctor looked grim, "It will be a miricle if he survives until the evening."
"Poor lad," She sighed, "But no, I'm here to see President Taylor."
The doctor got to his feet and nodded. He led Alice to the second occupied bed, Alice looked down at President Gregory Taylor. Taylor's face was bandaged and his face was pale. A single tear rolled down Alice's cheek, "Will he be okay?"
The doctor nodded, "It will take some time, but I'm sure he will make a full recovery."
Alice smiled and wiped the tear from her eye. She pulled a chair up and sat next to Taylor's bed.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" The doctor asked.
Alice smiled at him and nodded, "Thank you."
The door to the medical suite opened and President Harrison walked in followed by Shane Lennox. Alice stood up and faced her husband. Harrison sighed at her, "Alice."
"Don't say anything Jack, your minion was pissing me off," She said, pointing at Lennox.
Harrison looked angry, "You can't go around on your own Alice, it's not safe."
Alice looked sceptical, "Why?"
Harrison stepped close to her and whispered in her ear, "Because an experimental bomb was stolen from the Nuclear Research Centre in Berlin."
Alice looked flabergasted, "What? Who by?"
"I sent three Agents to find it and they have tracked it to the Greenworld headquaters in Paris," Harrison told her, "So until then could you please stay with Lennox, or another of my escorts."
Alice glared at Lennox and turned back to Harrison, "I don't trust him Jack."
Harrison looked puzzled, "Why?"
Alice shrugged, "It's just something about him that I think is black with evil."
"That's very far fetched sweetheart," Harrison smiled, "Look if President Taylor trusted him, then I too will trust him. Now if you would like a different escort, I will arranged for a memebr of the Secret Service to escort you."
Alice nodded, "Okay Jack."
She hugged her husband. Meanwhile outside the door, Shane Lennox listened to everything the two of them said. His face was filled with anger. The door opened and President Harrison stepped out and looked at Lennox, "What were you doing?"
Lennox smiled, "Nothing sir."
"Were you listening in on my wife and I's conversation?" Harrison asked.
Lennox blushed.
Harrison smiled, "Can you fetch Agent Ramirez and bring him back here to escort Alice from now on?"
Lennox nodded, "Yes sir."
Lennox walked back down the corridor and dissapered through a set of double doors. Harrison squeezed his nose as he thought.
Chapter 11
The jet touched down at Paris International Airport. Within ten minutes, the only three passengers disembarked. Jakob Klejavic-who was holding a silver briefcase-led Lucy Vasquez and Richard Wright to a parked black limozene. The driver opened the back door and let them in. As they pulled off out of the airport, Wright turned to Klejavic, "Is it ready for detonation?"
Klejavic nodded. Lucy looked out of the window at the target and smiled, "This is going to be fun."
Klejavic looked the same way and saw the magnificant structure that was the Eifel Tower.
Chapter 12
Staav pulled the brakes on the DB9 and it squealed to a stop next to the plane that the three American's had arrived on, "Come on!"
He, Watson, Rachel and Reynolds got out of the car and sprinted towards the stairs leading up to the door. They reached the top and entered the cabin. One of the pilots exited the cockpit and looked at them, "Agent Reynolds? What's this?"
"We need to get to Paris," Reynolds explained, "Now!"
The pilot shook his head, "We don't have clearance from the tower!"
Reynolds drew his pistol and held it by his side, "Take off now!"
The pilot's face was covvered in sweat, he called back into the cockpit, "Stan! We're taking off!"
The second pilot named Stan called back, "What? We don't have clearance!"
"Just get ready for take off!" The first pilot called.
He pushed past the others and pulled the plane door shut and locked it, he turned to the others, "You'd better go sit down."
Alice Harrison sat next to President Taylor's bed in the medical suite, her hand on his. The doors suddenly opened and two men walked in, Shane Lennox was followed by a suited Secret Service Agent. The Agent had spiky brown hair, dark brown eyes and he seemed to be in his late twenties. He was over six feet tall and Alice could tell from the colour of his skin that he was Hispanic. Shane smiled at Alice as she got up, "Ma'am, this is Agent Brian Ramirez," Lennox explained, "He will be your escort for the remainder of your stay."
Alice shook hands with Ramirez, "Morning."
Ramirez smiled, "Good morning Ma'am."
Alice turned to Lennox in disgust, "You can go now Shane."
Lennox smiled and left the medical suite, closing the door behind him. Alice looked at Ramirez, "Are you new here?"
Ramirez nodded, "Yes Ma'am, I was tranfered here last week from the Washington Police Department on a special request from Vice-President Harrison."
"Ah the WPD, is Simon Hughes still chief?" Alice asked.
Ramirez nodded, "Yes Ma'am."
"Good," Alice smiled, "He's a good cop. So do you like the people you are working with?"
"Yes Ma'am I-"
"Okay," Alice smiled, "Enough of the Ma'am bullshit Brian. My name is Alice."
"Sorry Ma'am."
They both laughed at Ramirez's mistake. Alice gazed at Ramirez, "What do you think of Shane Lennox?"
Ramirez hesitated, "He's a nice guy."
"Don't you dare lie to me!" Alice warned.
Ramirez sighed, "The truth is, I don't trust the man."
Alice grinned, "That makes two of us."
President Jack Harrison was getting ready to take a press conference in the White House press room. He stood in front of the press with dozens of cameras fixed on him. He quickly scanned the peice of paper with his speech on it and set it down onto the podium in front of him. He looked up at the cameras, "My fellow Americans, as I'm sure you are aware, yesterday morning, Air Force One was shot down in Alaska by a group of terrorists. President Taylor was badly injured and at this moment in time, in a coma in the White House medical suite. My senators and I decided to invoke the 25th Amendment which allows the Vice-President and high ranking senators to decide whether the current President is fit to carry out his duties. We decided that President Taylor is not fit for office and has been replaced by myself. There will still be an election next month as planned. I assure you that I will keep you updated with President Taylor's condition. Thank you."
The press room erupted with questions being asked by excited journalists. President Harrison exited the room and Shane Lennox took his place at the podium, "President Harrison cannot answer any questions at this time. To keep updated or to find out more about the 25th Amendment, go to the White House website. Thank you."
Harrison sank against the wall when he exited the press room. A Secret Service Agent walked over to him, "Are you alright Mr. President?"
Harrison nodded, "I'm just a bit shell shocked. That's all."
Lennox exited the press room and stared at Harrison, "Are you okay sir?"
Harrison nodded, "I think I just need a glass of water."
Lennox nodded, "Come on, I'll take you."
Lennox led Harrison down the corridor toward his personal kitchen, closely followed by a Secret Service Agent.