The President's Daughter
"Target has been confirmed; sending you the details now!"
"Details received, and confirmed."
"As agreed, $10,000,000 has been deposited into your designated bank account, the other half you will receive at the completion of your mission."
"So we have a go?"
"Yes, your mission is confirmed. We will see how uncompromising he is now! May Allah be with you!"
"Our satellite network picked it up 20 minutes ago sir." The young annalist said, handing his superior the printout.
"$10,000,000 US has been deposited for what I wonder?" Michael Grissom said to himself. "Mr Taylor, did you trace the call?"
"Yes but I was unable to find the origin, but I did find something interesting, the call was piggybacked onto one of our own satellite systems, but I'm afraid I don't have that level of clearance to find out which one."
"Thank you Mr Taylor. Continue monitoring and let me know if you find anything."
A few minutes later, using his level 5 security clearance Special Agent Grissom had found the system that had been piggybacked.
"What the?"
It was one of the CIA's!
At exactly the same time Andrew Jackson was sitting his desk in the oval office. The American flag draped over the wall behind him, a reminder of the people he was elected to serve. The decisions he made had to be for the good of America !
Such a decision was waiting for his approval right now. He carefully read the report on his desk: a progress report from Iraq . His decision: to pull out from Iraq or to stay the course?
Dozens of reasons to pull out flooded through his head: the loss of lives of both American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, and the apparent lack of progress in halting the insurgents; in fact the coalition has lost control of Fallujah.
Hell, even pulling troops out to get re-elected crossed his mind.
There were, however, stronger reasons to stay. Primarily the strategy of those against the coalition: hostage taking. American civilians working in Iraq , working to rebuild their infrastructure, were being captured and beheaded all in an effort to force the coalition to withdraw. If the president were to pull troops out under these circumstances it would only make things worse. He was sure of it! If he gave in now, wherever America will be needed in the future, they would face the same problems. Again and again! No, he had to hold his ground. The situation demanded it.
But not pulling out could result in his being voted out of office, the office he worked hard to attain. Andrew Jackson, a descendent of the 7th President of the United States , knew he could make a positive difference to America , and the world, by staying in office. Could he compromise his stand and still make that difference? Andrew didn't think so.
Often times Andrew found himself pondering over his forefather; Andrew Jackson (President from 1829-37) had been president in a different world, a world before terrorism, but he had grasped the true power that was available in the oval office. In fact it was he who had increased the power of the office by vetoing 12 bills that had been passed by the U.S Congress. His toughness won him strong praise and the title "Champion of the People."
Andrew Jackson felt sure he could do the same. By his strong, uncompromising view on Iraq he would win the favour of the people, whether they knew it yet or not.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, "Mr President?"
"Come in Jeffrey."
Jeffrey Turner, the president's chief of staff walked through the door and shut it behind him. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"What is it?" President Jackson's asked, his face remaining neutral.
"A truck driver working for an American company in Iraq has been kidnapped and beheaded! They didn't even hold him hostage; they just killed him straight away. Sir, that makes for the third such killing this week! The people are outraged; they want America to pull out!"
The president gazed off into space, silent, thinking. "This has to stop." He said finally, "Convene the cabinet, 30 minutes."
Jeffrey Turner left the room leaving the president to his thoughts.
Another nail in his political coffin!
"Sending in more troops will just anger the American people further, even if it is to protect our citizens working in Iraq ." The president's political advisor, Casey Richards, said. "What the American people want to see is the complete withdrawal of all our people from Iraq . Miliary and civilian."
"What the public want to see and what they need are two different things Ms Richards." The Secretary of Defence, Navy General Samuel Hayes, said. "If we pull out now, it will only make things worse."
"I can guarantee you Mr President that if you send in more troops, you will not be re-elected in November."
"Thank you for your concern Casey" President Jackson said. "But I can't put my political future above the good of the country. America has made a commitment to help the citizens of Iraq gain their independence and freedom from a tyrant, and we will not pull out now. Sam" he said to the General, "How soon can we have another battalion of troops in Iraq ?"
"24 hrs!" he said confidently.
"Do it. I want this resolved. Get the Generals together and find a way to regain control of Fallujah. That's the insurgent's stronghold. Give me options in 2hrs! Ok Casey, where are we on the campaign?"
"I think the American people are having a tough time seeing past Iraq , but if we"
The door to the conference room suddenly burst open.
"Sir, I'm sorry, she wouldn't take no for an answer!" The secret service guard said from behind the teenage girl.
"It's OK Mac. General, Ladies and gentlemen, could you give my daughter and I a moment?"
The cabinet left the room leaving the president with his daughter.
"I was in a meeting discussing a matter of national security!" he said irritated.
"That's right dad, always put everyone else above me!" she replied angrily.
"Carla, honey, I'm the president."
"Gee thanks dad. Why did you have to become president anyway? You've ruined our family."
What she said was true, his wife Helen no longer slept in the same side of the White House as him, let alone the same bed. His devotion to the country had broken up his family.
"And now it's getting worse" she continued. "With your stupid war in Iraq ! They never had anything to do with 9-11! That was just your excuse! Do you know what happened at school to me today?"
He shrugged, "What?"
"A guy in the grade below me came and spat in my face! Why? Because his father died in Iraq because you sent him there. He was angry at you and I have to deal with it. I don't blame him, you killed his father. Then the secret service men guarding me crash tackled him to the ground and were about to arrest him! I had to stop them before they shot him or something! I hate this life, and I hate you!" she shouted and stormed out of the room.
President Jackson just stared off after her as she left. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to go after her; he had national issues to deal with. Andrew sighed and reconvened the cabinet.
Carla was in the back seat of the limousine, after the fight with her father she needed to get out of the house. The car sped across Washington Avenue. Carla didn't care were she went, as long as it got her anywhere but that damn White House, the 'White Prison' was probably a more accurate name she thought. Carla was so focussed on her own misery that she never noticed the three black vans pull along side the limousine.
Crash!
Carla's world was suddenly jolted to the left.
Crash!
Now to the right!
It took Carla a moment to realise what was going on.
She was under attack!
Two vans, one on either side, were ramming the limo. Abruptly the driver slammed on his brakes, sending Carla, who had not been wearing her seatbelt, tumbling to the floor, her limo screeching to a halt.
Carla had just managed to get to her knees when she was again thrown forward. The driver slamming the car into reverse and flooring it!
As if on cue a fourth van slammed the limo from behind, forcing it to a halt and at the same time blocking off any escape the limo may have had.
Sitting in the imprisoned limo, Carla could only watch as at least twenty armed men, all in black clothes and balaclava's, poured out from the vans and surrounded the limo, their guns trained onto the doors and windows. To the civilians on the street it was quite a sight!
Frank, Carla's secret service driver, wasn't going down without a fight; he was out of the car in a second firing his Colt.45. It was a devastating mistake. As soon as he left the protection of the bullet proof limo he was hit by a single shot to his chest, dropping him to the floor.
In the back of the limo, trapped, Carla saw it all. Saw her protector fall to the ground leaving her alone and at the mercy of black-clad terrorists! Two seconds later and the armed men came to the rear door. Her door! Carla did the only thing she could think of, she dove from her seat and slammed down the lock!
She didn't have time to breathe relief, for she had forgotten one thing: the driver's door! Not only was it unlocked, but it was wide open. He had left it open when he jumped out chivalrously. Carla scrambled towards the front of the limo to lock it also.
She was too late! One of the black-clad terrorists was already inside!
She saw the man's eyes through the holes in his balaclava, saw their evil intent, and in a second she knew she was going to die.
The man aimed his gun and fired.