At The White House
Joseph was abruptly woken from a big bump. He saw Steven staring at him saying, "I was beginning to think we would have to carry you out sleeping.
"Pray forgive me. I never sleep on a plane. I don't know why I all of a sudden did."
It was pouring down rain when Joseph and Steven arrived at the airport. There was a black car waiting to take them to The White House. The car was surrounded by security. Two other cars with the special task force were ahead of them and two men on motorcycles were behind them.
"Why so much security? Am I really in that much danger?" asked Joseph.
"Not all for you Mr. Borten, but for me. The head of the C.I.A."
Said Steven.
Steven and Joseph started talking again about the call. Joseph told him that his five-year-old son had answered the phone first. They didn't say much of anything the rest way to the White House.
The rain had let down a bit by the time they arrived at the White House. They walked fast into the building and he was sent into a room where he was to meet with the President of the United States. Joseph looked around at the different people seated at several spots of a huge table. Joseph felt really out of place as he sat at an open chair. As soon as the President entered the room everybody rose. The President walked up to Joseph and shook his hand.
"Joseph Borten, British Intelligence." Joseph knew by the strong handshake that this was the man in charge. They walked to his office and he asked Joseph to have a seat.
"Before I brief you on what's going on right now, I've just been informed that your family has just arrived in Washington D.C. safely and have been placed in a nice hotel." Said the president.
"Thank you so much, sir." Joseph answered.
The President began to speak. "And now I'm going to explain what's going on in your life that you don't know about. Your last assignment may have been a success in a way, but has now brought a threat to your life." He handed Joseph a folder in which contained papers and pictures. He began to speak again as Joseph shuffled through the papers. "The man you had shot last month was Olsem Kamier. As you know a very top wanted terrorist leader. His brother, another top wanted terrorist leader, Alkia Kamier, apparently found out about his brother's death and the man who ordered him to be shot through some source. A source we believe came through the British Intelligence Agency. We're not yet sure whom but we'll soon find out. That means somebody at your building in London has been giving Alkia some information about you. Alkia knows that you gave the order and he wants you dead. Would you have any idea who might have gave Alkia that information?"
Right about now Joseph was wishing that he hadn't ordered them to take down Olsem, but he knew it was too late for that. He sat there a few minutes thinking. Staring at the floor.
"Mr. Borten? Sir?" asked the president.
Joseph looked up. He had a fear in his eyes not only for his life, but also more for his families. He realized that they are in danger.
"No, I don't know of anyone who would do that. I couldn't even suspect somebody." He answered. The meeting ended shortly thereafter.
Steven escorted him to the hotel at which his family was. "Don't contact anybody without my approval, and don't use the phones no matter what." Steven reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.
"If you need to contact me use this phone. Don't try to use it to call anyone else because it won't work. Don't leave the hotel either." Then he paused.
"Here." Steven handed him a small pistol."Hopefully you wont have to use it, but keep it with you always just in case. You do know how to use it, don't you?"
"Of course I do."
"Don't worry. You will be under heavy surveillance for quite some time." Steven assured him. "Your room is 209 and we will keep in touch every day."
Joseph stepped out of the car and went inside to the front desk for his key. He walked to the door and stopped. He was wondering if he should tell his wife or not. He doesn't want to worry her but she probably needs to know about the danger they are all in. He didn't enter the room just yet. Instead he went to the lobby for a cup of coffee to calm his nerves.
The lobby consisted of tables, a bar, and a big T.V. set and a small fountain in the center of a quite large, open room. The hour had just passed to 10 and the lobby was quite empty. There were only about four other people finishing up a late cup of coffee and the news. Joseph sat at a table by the fountain and sipped his coffee every now and then.
As Steven was sitting in his car he made a call to the secret service. He wanted a couple of men at the hotel at all times to keep an eye on Joseph. One of the men in the room next to him, and one man working there also. They had to protect him at all costs. If anything looked wrong they were to go right into action to keep him safe. Steven informed the president and told him about the call he just made so he could approve of his decision.
Joseph was once again standing at the door 209. He took the key, paused for a moment and opened the door. All the lights were out and his wife and son were asleep. He quietly closed the door and locked it. He walked over to the night table and looked down at the phone.