Chapter 1
"Have all the plans been made?" Jed looked over the rim of his glasses at his Chief of Staff.
"Yes, sir. You leave next Friday and will be back sometime in the early morning Sunday. We have secured landing rights for Air Force One in Turkey and from there a small plane or helicopter will take you into Baghdad."
"Great. My anniversary is that Monday. Wouldn't want to miss that again."
"Sir, I really wish you wouldn't do this. You know what happened the last time."
"Leo,…" Jed paused as he remembered the huge sacrifice the Head of Presidential Security had made during that trip. "I have to go. The troops deserve to see their Commander in Chief. It will be a secret trip and I'll be in and out before anyone knows it. The President of Iraq won't even know I'm coming until I land."
"Last time was secret too," Leo replied cynically.
"Yeah." Jed really had no response to Leo's statement.
"Have you told Abbey you're going back?"
"No. And I'm not going to."
"She's not going to be very happy when she finds out you've gone. She was a basket case the last time until she got to Germany and by your side. I don't want even want to think…"
"Leo, I'm not a two year old that requires Mommy approval. I'm a grown man, the President of the United States and I'll do whatever is necessary to complete those duties."
"How are you not going to tell her? It'll be on your private schedule which she gets a copy of daily. And to be gone for about 36 hours to an 'unknown' destination will tend to raise her suspicions, don't you think?"
"I've been gone before on private or secure trips. So this won't be any different from the trips where I couldn't tell her where I was going. You know, national security is a nice cover for many things. Especially things that would only upset my wife."
"Sir, may I speak frankly?"
"You usually do without my permission so why not now?"
Leo smiled slightly, knowing that statement was true. "Jed, I don't think it's such a good idea to keep this from Abbey. She'll be very upset and hurt if something else happens to you and she's not there with you. I'm talking about Rosslyn and your last trip to Iraq, among other close encounters when she wasn't there to see about you. She's your wife and you have the right to do anything you wish where it concerns her, but I do know this will not go over easy if something else happens to you and she's not there."
Jed shook his head. "That's exactly why I don't want her there. I'll be in the same danger as I was before and I can't rest easy if I place her in that same danger."
"You're making a huge mistake."
Jed sighed. He knew Leo was right but he also knew this was something he had to keep from Abbey if at all possible. "I may be, but that's the decision I've made. She is NOT to know anything about it and if I find out you have told her, then there will be trouble between us. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." Leo turned to leave, knowing that this decision would blow up in Jed's face. But he was right in one thing. Abbey was Jed's wife and he had every right to keep it from her.