Hour Six

"Damn! Damn! How could they do something like this?" They had just watched the video of the waterboarding.

Even Nancy McNally was doing everything she could to keep her stomach from releasing its contents all over the Situation Room's floor.

"Leo, try and calm down."

"How the hell do you expect me to calm down when they can do something like this to the President of the United States? This is just wrong. I want to tear these SOBs apart."

"Leo, we have to deal with this rationally. If we let our emotions control our actions, we will make mistakes that could cost lives. You know that, don't you?"

"HELL NANCY, these thugs don't deserve any rational thoughts. They take our President and First Lady hostage, tie them up, inject them with drugs, put them in horrible situations, and then have the nerve to ask for things they know we will never be able to give them in trade for their lives. How can you even say things like that?"

Fitz got up from his side of the table and went over to Leo. "Come on, Leo," he whispered. "You and I are going to take a short break."

Leo looked at him, but let Fitz lead him from the room.

Outside, in the anteroom, Leo fought to regain control of his emotions.

"Leo, we all know how close you are to the President and First Lady, but Nancy has a point. It is not helping them for you to lose your cool, especially right now. And you know it. It has been a long night and we all know time is running out. Do you need some air? "

"Fitz, what I want is for Jed and Abbey to be right here. What I want is for this not to have occurred. But I can't have that. I know I was wrong in there. I need to apologize to Nancy and everyone else. I'm sorry. Why don't you go back? Let me get my head together and I'll be back in there in a minute. I promise I'll have a cooler head. Just give me a minute by myself, okay?"

"Okay. Leo, we need you. The President and First Lady needs you." He turned, put his hand on the scanner, the door opened and walked back in.

Leo watched as the door slid closed and breathed a heavy sigh. What he needed was a stiff drink. But that was the last thing he could have. He was sorry he had lost his cool in there. He really was. But the circumstances were playing havoc with his mind. And the tape had proven to be the last straw. But he just had to keep telling himself that his best friends were in extreme danger and he had to stay strong for them. He had to get them back. Alive. And time was running out. For everyone.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the scanner, the doors opened, and he walked in to ready the rescue attempt, hoping that now, finally, was the beginning of the end.

Leo took his seat. "Nancy, everyone, I'm sorry for my outburst. Let's get this rescue underway. Ron, are you ready?"

"Mr. McGarry, we're ready here. Do we have the green light?" Ron was probably more upset than anyone over what he had just seen. It was his failure that had led up to this horrible situation and he had to make it right.

Leo calmly looked around the room. Nancy, Fitz, Bob, and everyone else nodded. "Yes, Ron, you have the green light. Godspeed."

"Thank you. We'll bring them both back. You have my word." The link with the Situation Room was broken and the group in Massachusetts moved out. It would take thirty minutes for the teams to cross Nantucket Sound so everyone in the Situation Room waited for the next communication which would signify successful landing on the island.

In the house, Abraham considered his next moves. The American government had only a couple more hours to complete his request, but he had not heard a peep from anyone. What was going on? Was there some kind of rescue mission being planned? The silence was very disconcerting to him. He could plan much better if he had information.

He went to the Master bedroom and looked at the still unconscious President slumped on the bed where he had been dumped after the waterboarding. He had not moved in the past thirty minutes, but was still alive. Abraham had checked himself.

He told each of his friends to be alert. There was something going on and it could happen at any time.

"Guard your hostage with your life."