Chapter 3
So I am really amazed with the response to this story, I'm so pleased that you are enjoying it. This one is total angst I'm afraid but it is needed.
"Threats can overwhelm us and tear us apart inside."
Stevie was turned away from her family in the back of the SUV, and in the dark was able to finally have the courage to look up her phone to see if she could find out what was going on. The signal wasn't great but she did manage to get on one website. She couldn't believe her eyes when she read about the two explosions. The second explosion was the more deadly of the two, while the office of the Secretary of State had been empty at the time of the explosion; it was not the same at the White House. The explosion there had ripped through the West Wing whilst many of the staff, secret service and journalists had still been in the building. Before it crashed all she could read was that the website was speculating over the fate of her mother and of the President and his family whether they had all been evacuated or not. Her gasp from the other side of the car from her father caused him to look over at her. She had turned white and was clearly shaken.
"What….what is it?" His voice broke as he tried to ask the question he was dreading the answer to.
"Mom…her office…..The White House…" Stevie stammered, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke.
Henry was struck dumb, he couldn't speak. She had been attacked, deliberately.
Jason looked up from his father's chest, "Is Mom ok, does it say?"
Stevie was so stricken she could hardly even speak.
"Stevie what does it say?" Allison asked the question as she watched her sister's eyes fill with tears.
"Stevie." Henry finally found his voice and snapped at her, "Answer the question." He needed to know, now.
She shook her head, "It doesn't say." She whispered, and all four people in the back of the car had tears in their eyes.
They were silent for what felt like hours as the car continued to move through the streets of Washington away from the sirens and the destroyed buildings.
"Dr McCord." Frank spoke from the front of the car. He handed a walkie talkie back to Henry, "It's our back up method, Sir, your wife is in a car and needs to speak to you."
"She's ok?" Henry questioned Frank.
"They got her out sir but she needs you to speak to her." Frank answered
Henry grabbed the gizmo like it was his life line and in a way it was while the he looked at the kids, all smiling, delighted to hear that their mom was ok. He pressed the button on the side and tried to keep calm as he spoke. "Elizabeth, are you there." He released the button, his military training reminding him how to use a walkie talkie. When there was no response he pressed the button again. "C'mon babe, you remember how these work, press the button and let me hear your voice, then let it go and I'll speak to you." He did as he had instructed her and waited.
"Henry?" her voice came through grainy and sounded shaky but it was definitely her.
He was so relieved to hear her voice he smiled at the kids and after waiting a few seconds he depressed the button again hoping she had released the one on her end. "Yes baby, I'm here and so are the kids, are you ok?"
Again he waited and he thought they had been cut off, he was surprised when he didn't get an answer from Elizabeth but from Blake. "Dr McCord, Madam Secretary is physically fine but the office was bombed, we were in the car just outside and well….."
"Is it an attack?" Henry asked quietly when the line went quiet on the other side.
"Yes Sir, I think it would be good if you and your children could just talk to her, if you could."
"Yes, of course….Elizabeth you are ok, we are all fine." He moved the walkie talkie in to the centre between them and with his free hand nudged the kids to join in his discussion. "The kids are here and although they are a bit tired we are so thankful that you sent Frank to us." He struggled to find words but knew that he had to. "Eh….Allison….."
Stevie cleared her throat determined to help her mother rather than focus on anything that could be going on with Harrison. "Allison squealed like a little girl when the agent went into her room"
Allison sniffed her tears back understanding what her sister was trying to do.
"I did not, you were just annoyed that it was the older agent Mom sent not the young gorgeous one from last week."
"I was not!" Stevie ran out of steam and looked around to the others, Jason then took over.
"School was pretty cool yesterday Mom, we got a visit from an FBI agent, he tried to say that Area 51 didn't exist but I think he was lying."
Henry smiled at his children who through their fear were really trying to keep their mom going. However he was desperate to hear her voice again even if it was only one word.
"Elizabeth, honey, you better be close cause I'm gonna need a lot of help to control this lot. Talk to me baby" He released the button again and waited.
There was silence through the static for a few seconds until she spoke, "I'm here….we are in the car….don't know where…." She sobbed at the end which broke Henry's heart.
He needed to see her and it was clear to him that she needed them. So he spoke into the device to the one person who could get things done. "Blake, I'm giving this to Frank, get your agent to work out a place for us to meet you, top priority." He said and handed the walkie talkie to Frank.
He couldn't really make out the rest of the conversation but was relieved when Frank turned round.
"We're all going to Andrews. She will be there when we arrive in 30 minutes. You can keep talking if you want."
"Thanks Frank" Henry acknowledged the agent gratefully.
"Hear that babe, we will all see you at Andrews, we are going to have to watch Stevie with all those Airforce personnel in uniform though." He nudged his older daughter to remind her that he was joking for her Mom's benefit. Stevie smiled.
"Me, it's not me you have to watch its Allison." She added.
"Hey I object to that," Allison said indignantly and then smiled. "Anyway maybe it's Jason who will be after all the girls in uniform."
"Nah, career military! Way to serious for me," He stated, "now cheerleaders." He stared off into space.
"You are such a boy!" Stevie shouted.
"Well duh!" Jason replied.
Henry was pulled from the conversation by his phone ringing and was delighted to see that it was Elizabeth calling it would be so much easier than using the older device.
"Hey baby." He answered softly and indicated to the kids to hand back the walkie talkie to Frank, then put the phone on speaker.
"Dr McCord, the Secretary is here and you are all helping, I'm handing her the phone and you are not on speaker at this end." Blake said succinctly before Henry could say anything that would embarrass all of them.
"Hi Mom" three voices chimed together, they all knew they were putting on an act but had no idea what else to do.
"Hi." Her voice was quiet, but Henry knew he had to push her through this or the attack could get infinitely worse.
"Talk to me babe, what happened?"
"There was a bomb…the office."
"Yeah, Stevie saw on the internet, is everyone ok?"
"Eh….yes I think so…"
"Good, so you all got out….Blake said you were in the car when it happened?"
He could hear her sobbing, "Don't let it overtake you baby, stay with me. Were you in the car?"
"Yes, the noise….it was…."
"Just like Iran, I know honey, you can do this, don't hold it in, it only makes it worse."
"Oh Henry, I was back there…all over again.."
"It's ok Mom, your safe, and we're safe, everything is ok." Allison added to the conversation.
"Yeah Mom, we will be there real soon" Stevie said.
They could all hear Elizabeth breathing in the background of the call. "That's it sweetheart keep breathing, nice and slow, you can get through this. Is there anything else?"
"Being in a car…..it was just like…" Her breathing increased.
"Ok, it's alright, you are safe, Blake's there, who else is with you?"
"Nadine…Nadine is here."
"Good that's good, you're in D.C. look around, look out the window, I know things are a little messed up but you are safe."
"Yeah…not in Iran." She sighed.
"No babe, right here in the USA and we will be with you real soon."
Henry checked out the window and recognised the scenery around Andrew's they were getting close so she must be too. She would have to have her game face on when they got there or she would need her staff to cover for her. At least on an Airforce base he assumed there wouldn't be press straight away, or they would be controlled anyway.
"Elizabeth, put Nadine on the phone." He instructed her hoping she would do what he asked.
He could hear movement and was very grateful when he heard another female voice. "Dr McCord, Nadine here."
"Nadine, I am trusting her to you, she needs you to help her through this and she will never ask for help. Control where she is, who she is talking too, in this state even something small could set her off and I will not let her be torn apart by the press when she is like this, do you understand."
"Yes Sir, you have my word, she will be looked after until you get here, Blake and I will see to it, even if she is not happy with us.
"Thank you, we are almost there so I assume you can't be too far ahead or behind us."
"We just reached the check point, there are serious security measures so I assume the first family is here already." Nadine stated.
Stevie gasped and smiled but couldn't help speaking, "They got them out? Before the bomb at the White House?" She asked.
There was total silence on the other end, clearly this was news to Nadine and Henry prayed that Elizabeth hadn't heard Stevie's question.
"We'll see you soon Sir, I need to get up to date." Nadine hung up the phone and Henry laid his head back waiting to join his wife in the base.
AN: Thanks for reading, there will be more over the weekend. Will be great to hear what you think so far.