Happy Wednesday….and welcome to Chapter 23 - Back from the Dead. Our story is starting to move to the end game, as is our journey together. I hope you enjoy it.
Last chapter, Chuck and Sarah started a chain of events by tipping a few big dominos. With help from Ellie as his sole beneficiary, Chuck and Sarah pulled together enough money to stage a covert and perfectly executed market manipulation in Russia, aimed at increasing the distrust between Roark and Volkoff, while effectively stealing a bunch of their wealth. Simultaneously, Chuck leaked a very damaging anonymous whistleblower letter to the media, shining a light on Roark and his nefarious activities. At the same time, the trap laid for Hugo Panzer almost worked as planned, and while Verbanski and her team disrupted what would have been a devastating attack on the First Family at the Congressional Cemetery, Panzer managed to slip through their fingers. The assassin remains at large, with his contract unfulfilled. The picture is getting more and more clear, but the stakes and the risks remain exceptionally high.
Thank you all for the continued support. I try really hard to make sure the story you are reading is the best I can make it and that my releases are steady and consistent. I want you readers to have the best experience I can offer you. And of course, a big part of that is the fine work of klipdoctor and CliffM who continue to amaze me with their help as Beta and Pre-Reader respectively. Gentlemen, thank you!
Finally, and as usual, I don't own Chuck or profit in any way from writing this completely AU story.
Valkyrie and Her Invisible Shield
Chapter 23 – Back from the Dead
Date: Saturday, 8 January, 2023
Time: 09:25 EST
Location: Washington D.C. - White House, Oval Office
Jack Walker sat behind the Resolute desk, doing his best to focus himself on the task at hand. He'd summoned Ted Roark for an unscheduled meeting at 9:30 and would need to play his cards very carefully to make sure he didn't tip his hand. As he waited, he made a conscious effort to relax his hands. Emma had often told him that his hands were his "tell," and if he were pissed off, he would unconsciously ball them into tight fists. The truth was he was more than pissed. The man who would soon be sitting in front of him had been masterminding an inconceivable power grab with the death of his family as the trigger point. He took another deep breath and shook out his hands and shoulders as a knock sounded on the curved wall of the office. Game time!
Jack looked up at his arriving guest and gave his best warm smile.
"Ted, I'm so sorry to pull you in like this, especially on a Saturday, but I owe it to you to be as upfront about this as possible so that you and I are fully aligned."
"Of course, Jack. It's my honor and pleasure to serve beside you." Roark smiled. "What do we need to discuss?"
"Right….My office has been receiving calls from multiple media outlets asking questions about some wildly outlandish allegations without substance…."
"Of course, Jack. I've been getting non-stop calls as well." Roark interrupted. "Could this be a plant from one of our political adversaries? Senator DeVries has been a very vocal critic of our policies, and I suspect she plans to run in the next election."
"That's my thinking as well, Ted. I don't mean DeVries. I don't think that is her style, but I do think it's just a hack job meant to distract us. Anyway, given that this is all bullshit, I think the best approach is to get right in front of this and make it clear that this is bullshit….wouldn't you agree?" Jack posited.
"Absolutely and without reservation," Roark replied smoothly.
"Good. I'm glad we're fully aligned here. I'd like you to hold a press conference explaining that all of this is a political hack job and that, at your request, I've asked the Attorney General to appoint a special counsel to identify the source of this material. You can say that managing our great nation is serious business, and these political games will not be accepted, etc." Jack smiled. "I mean, make the message your own, of course, but I will be interviewed Sunday morning on Face the Nation, and I want to be able to refer to your comments, as those press jackals will inevitably press me on the anonymous letter….."
Ted Roark was suddenly caught by surprise. Everything the President said made absolute sense if you had confidence in the innocence of the accused, so in this context, he was sure his secrets were safe, but unleashing the DoJ and a special prosecutor was a real risk. Like a dog with a bone, those people didn't let go of things easily. For now, however, he needed to play along and make the sale to Walker.
"Thank you, Jack. That's a very sound approach. I'll have Watkins set up a press conference at the Naval Observatory for this afternoon." Roark smiled his best smile. "Getting in front of this is perfect, Jack. Was there anything else? How's Sarah doing? I understand she and Bartowski had a romantic relationship. She must be heartbroken, given what he did for her." He sat back and studied Jack Walker.
"Sarah is a resilient young woman." Jack once more consciously relaxed his hands. "I don't want this to sound callous, but I think it was fortunate that the relationship was fairly new, so I think, given her focus on her work and career, she'll bounce back just fine. It will just take a little time. Thank you for asking, Ted." Jack stood to signify the end of the meeting, then walked around the desk to shake Roark's hand.
"Thanks, Ted. I look forward to getting this silly distraction behind us." He squeezed Roark's hand just a little tighter than he intended, without giving anything away but finding a bit of satisfaction. "If you'll excuse me now, I need to get upstairs and prepare. Sarah will be arriving shortly, and we will be doing a short visit to Bartowski's resting place. I think Sarah wants to say goodbye."
"Of course, please give her my deepest condolences and best wishes." Roark walked out of the Oval Office, closing the door behind him.
Jack realized he had been holding his breath as Roark left. He let out a breath, and once more, Jack shook out his hands and shoulders, then walked across the Oval Office to open the door to the small adjacent private office where Emma and John Casey had been listening and waiting. As he approached Emma, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently. "You did well controlling yourself, Jack. Really well. He totally bought it."
"I agree, Sir. Well played." Casey added.
"Thanks. Both of you. You don't know how hard it was for me to not punch the bastard in the face repeatedly." Jack shook his head in disgust. "Any news from Chuck on Panzer's location?"
"Well, Sir. Bartowski did manage to track the signal to where Panzer was, but unfortunately, unless he turns on his phone and turns on the feed, instructing the cameras to transmit, we only know where he was the last time the cameras transmitted, not where he is now. Bartowski has an idea he's working on, but he's not sure it will work. In the meantime, he's been busy dropping lots of breadcrumbs for the DoJ to follow. I think we're very close to the endgame with Roark, Sir."
-O-
Date: Saturday, 8 January, 2023
Time: 09:30 EST
Location: 1219 Lake View Drive, Penn Lake, Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania – Bartowski Safe House
Chuck had woken up early again but struggled to pull himself away from Sarah's warmth. They had made love tenderly last night, savoring their reunion, and feeling her naked flesh pressed against him made slipping out of bed and into the chilled morning air a very unappealing proposition. In fact, it was a terrible idea, but he needed to get back to work on tracking Panzer.
He slipped out of Sarah's grasp, once again eliciting a soft grumble before she rolled over and quieted. Once free of her embrace, he threw on some sweats, a t-shirt and a hoodie, and grabbed the M4, pausing to consider the weapon in his hands. It had been in the cottage since his arrival, but he never really felt the need to have it close to hand. But Sarah was here, so he made sure the weapon had a round chambered, the fire selector was set to "safe," and that it was always close at hand. He slung the carbine over his shoulder and quietly went downstairs to make coffee and check his computer. He then set up a program to attempt to spoof the cellular sending device to activate Panzer's phone. The program ran autonomously and would ping him if and when it made contact. What Chuck had no way of knowing for sure was whether Panzer would somehow be alerted to the phone being tracked. As often happened, when an app tries to access a device, permission is requested, and if Panzer figured out what was happening, he'd get rid of the phone and become invisible. Chuck considered the matter but, given that this was their only shot, he figured there was minimal downside.
In his focus, he had lost track of the time, remaining absorbed in his work until he heard Carina's voice.
"Good morning, Chuck. Did you and my bestie have a good sleep?"
"Hey, Carina. We did, thanks. I really missed her, and I guess all the stress completely wiped her out." He smiled. "There's a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen, and I'll get breakfast going when the others get up."
"Tuckered out from the stress, huh? It couldn't be because of your late-night extracurricular activities?" Carina giggled and pointed an accusatory finger at Chuck. "Our bedroom is right below yours, lover-boy…"
Chuck's cheeks reddened at Carina's remark, and he looked down at his feet for a moment. With nothing to say, he changed the subject. "Let me get you a cup of coffee, then I'll get the fire going."
By ten am, a still sleepy Sarah came down the stairs in her pajamas with a blanket wrapped around her. Even with her golden hair suffering from a bad case of "bed head," her still half-hooded eyelids, and her pouty lips, she took his breath away. 'How the hell could she be so damned adorable?' Chuck asked himself as his eyes took her in.
As Sarah's eyes opened a little more and locked with his, she stopped her descent and pulled the blanket tighter to her shoulders as she bit her lower lip. She said good morning in a shy, quiet voice and a light pink overtook her cheeks as she stared at Chuck.
"Jesus, Chuck!" Carina had been silently watching the two gaze at each other. "Get off your ass, take her back to bed, and give her what anyone can clearly see she wants….I'll wake up the bearded one and get breakfast started." Carina laughed and shook her head. As she turned towards her bedroom and Morgan, Chuck bounced out of his chair, scooped Sarah up, and carried her back up to their bedroom, where he relieved her of her blanket and pajamas.
Thirty minutes later, thoroughly showered and dressed, a more awake Sarah and Chuck came bouncing down the stairs with shit-eating grins.
"Smells delicious. Good morning, Carina and Morgan. Thanks for making breakfast." Sarah beamed.
"Good morning indeed," Carina giggled back. "Food's on the table, a fresh pot of coffee is coming in a minute, and Jacobs and Sempers just pulled into the driveway." Carina went to open the door as Morgan came out of the kitchen carrying a huge plate of pancakes.
As they sat down to eat, Chuck's computer sounded an alarm. Panzer!
He grabbed a phone and, as he raced to the computer, he dialed Casey.
"Casey, it's Chuck. Found him!"
"Where?" Casey responded with a singular word.
"He's near Baltimore. Hold on. The signal is moving. The triangulation isn't perfect, but if I had to wager a guess, I'd say he's on Interstate 95 and heading northeast. Wait…Fuck! It's gone. He's gone!"
"What? What just happened, Bartowski?"
"He saw someone turned on his phone remotely and must have immediately taken the battery and SIM card out." Chuck explained what likely happened as the spoofed signal connected with Panzer's phone. "The bad news is that we lost him, but the good news is that once he understood we were onto him, he dropped everything and ran."
"I think you're right. Any idea when your breadcrumbs will give the DoJ something they can bite on?" Casey asked.
'Very soon, Casey. Monday or Tuesday, I should think." Chuck replied eagerly. "Hopefully, by then, I can come out of hiding."
"I agree. By the way, Roark is doing a news conference at noon today. You might want to see what the rat bastard says on live TV. The President did an absolutely masterful job of painting him into a corner on the DoJ investigation. It will be fun to see what comes out of all this." Casey gave a rare chuckle before wishing Chuck a nice weekend and closing the call, allowing Chuck to return to breakfast and share what he had learned.
-O-
Date: Saturday, 8 January, 2023
Time: 12:00 EST
Location: Number One Observatory Circle, Washington, D.C. - Vice Presidential Residence
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Vice President of the United States." Edward Wilkins stepped away from the blue podium that bore the seal of the Vice President of the United States of America, giving Ted Roark plenty of room to swagger across the stage and make his comments.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Roark paused to survey the room and ensure he had everyone's absolute focus. "I have a statement I want to make, after which I will be happy to take a few questions." Roark once again paused for dramatic effect.
"My office and President Walker's have been inundated with reporters asking about my alleged involvement in various nefarious activities. What prompted the questions was an anonymously drafted letter, allegedly from a well-placed source within my staff, that makes several outlandish and slanderous allegations with no evidence. First, let me say categorically that there is no basis of truth anywhere in the document you have been given. Moreover, and because this is obviously a ham-fisted and politically-driven attempt to cast shade on this administration and the important work it has been doing for the American people, at my request- President Walker has instructed the Attorney General to appoint a special council to track down the source of the fallacious document. This administration is working tirelessly on behalf of the American people, and we will not stand by and allow this kind of thuggish and cowardly behavior to go unpunished. We have serious work to attend to, and we cannot indulge in wasting time defending ourselves against these baseless accusations. We have full confidence that the DoJ will carry out its investigation quickly and efficiently and not only end this scandalous political hit job but bring those responsible to account." Roark was pleased with himself and his performance and stood a little taller as he spun his yarn for the press. "Now, I have time for two or three very short questions."
Roark looked over and invited Wilkins to take the podium, whispering in his ear. "Pick friendly voices."
"Thank you, Mr. Vice President." Wilkins scanned the gathered members of the press, each holding up their hand to get his attention. "Alana, your question, please."
"Thank you. Alana Slotkin, New York Times. Mr. Vice President, why get the DoJ involved? If this is just a political hit job, it would seem that pulling in the DoJ would prolong the visibility of the allegations."
"Thank you, Alana. Normally, we would agree with you, but this administration prides itself on being the most transparent in history. And given that we have nothing to hide, providing the American people and the news media with a proper and thorough investigation would dissuade others from engaging in such underhanded tactics. This is America. We are a nation of laws based on principles and fairness, not some banana republic where lies and deception can be used to wield power for its own sake."
Roark was in his element, pontificating eloquently as the rest of the press conference went on precisely as Roark had expected.
-O-
Jack Walker was seething. Every word Roark uttered through the television was a complete and utter lie. The blatant dishonesty and the slick, smarmy expression as he waxed poetic on American justice was beyond infuriating. Every muscle in Jack's lean frame was tensed. Across from him, John Casey watched, disgust evident as he shook his head in shame for what Roark was doing to besmirch the office of the Vice President. "Damn it, though….the slick bastard is really good at this, Sir."
The two men commiserated silently until Emma broke out with a hearty laugh. "I really wish I could have a picture of you two right now. You both look like you forgot you have this fucker by the balls already, and he has no clue. Personally, I find it hilarious. So, lighten up boys. Besides, you still need to pretend it was awesome for a few more days, right?" Emma smiled wickedly at her husband, whose expression slowly turned into a smile and a deep and joyful laugh.
-O-
Volkoff was sitting in the lounge of his yacht, Untouchable, watching Roark's press conference on a CNN satellite feed. He marveled at how smooth and well-practiced the smarmy bastard was and watching required that he reconsider how he would engage Roark going forward. His arrogance and capriciousness made it easy to underestimate the man, but the performance he saw tonight required more care…more respect.
-O-
Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Carina watched the press conference in the cottage's living room. While Chuck and Morgan's expressions more closely mirrored Casey's expression, both women managed to watch the entire circus with little expression showing, their legal training resulting in a dispassionate assessment of the performance.
"Wow, remind me to never ever play cards for money against either of you. You were both completely stone-faced through the whole thing." Chuck remarked, shaking his head. "Maybe strip poker being the exception."
"You boys are too emotional," Sarah explained.
"And too damned horny," Carina laughed as she spoke.
"No complaints from me!" Sarah joked with a coy expression. "Jokes aside, and knowing it was complete bullshit, it was an excellent performance. He lied effectively and convincingly. The funny thing is that most people would naturally believe him right now. But when they learn the truth, he'll be really hated….especially after that performance."
-O-
Hugo Panzer took a mammoth bite out of the burger he was eating. He had stopped at the Broadway Diner, just off Interstate 95 on Baltimore's eastern side, and washed it down with a chocolate shake while watching the press conference on the diner's TV. He picked up a new burner phone and dialed a memorized number.
"Who is this?" answered the man on the phone.
"It's Panzer."
"Hello, Hugo. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You watching the press conference?"
"Of course. Isn't everyone?"
"I suppose. Look, your guy is out of control, and what he wants me to do, in light of the heat that's now on him, is a problem for us."
"Us? How do you mean, us?"
"You're the one who connected us."
"Okay. Still not sure how that's my problem."
"He asked me to hit POTUS with his whole fucking family. Then he wants me to hit some Russian. Guess who's third on the list, Graham….?"
"I see. And what are your current plans?"
"I've had to leave D.C. The Feds came close to catching me, so it's too hot right now. I need to lay low for a while. What do you want me to do?"
"Ideally, take me off your list, but stay close. I'll call you when I'm ready to make some moves."
-O-
Date: Saturday, 8 January, 2023
Time: 12:40 EST
Location: Number One Observatory Circle, Washington, D.C. - Vice Presidential Residence
The press conference had gone better than expected, but Roark was pacing his office, waiting for some indication that a terrorist attack had killed President Walker, along with his wife and daughter, followed by a flurry of activity by the Secret Service to sweep him into a secure bunker where the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court would swear him in as President. The schedule had the Walkers leaving the White House at 11:00 am, so something should have happened by now, and the silence was deafening.
With his previous actions, he maintained radio silence, and that decision had proved tragically wrong each time. He picked up the proper burner and dialed the number for Panzer. No answer.
He then called the White House.
"Hi Margie. Are the Walkers back from the cemetery yet? I need a minute with the President."
"Good afternoon, Sir. The President is here but unavailable. The trip to the cemetery was canceled at the last minute, but we are trying to find a slot for a visit tomorrow. I'll have him call you as soon as he is available. And if I may, Sir, I thought you did a marvelous job at the press conference."
"Thank you, Margie. I'll wait for his call. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday." Roark hung up and calmed himself. The President often had last-minute schedule changes, so this was nothing to worry about. He knew Panzer would be dark, so perhaps the hit would happen tomorrow.
-O-
Date: Sunday, 9 January, 2023
Time: 11:30 EST
Location: 1219 Lake View Drive, Penn Lake, Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania – Bartowski Safe House
"Hey guys?" Chuck yelled across the cottage. "Got an encrypted email message from Casey about a video conference call in fifteen minutes. He wants all of us on there."
Sarah came down the stairs just as Morgan and Carina emerged from their bedroom.
"Any idea what the call is about, Chuck?" Morgan asked as the two couples gathered around Chuck's computer desk.
"Nope." Chuck shook his head. "Guess we'll find out in a few minutes. Grab some coffee, and let's get settled."
-O-
Fifteen minutes later, Chuck's central monitor flashed the logo of the White House, and suddenly, the images of Jack and Emma Walker, along with John Casey, filled the screen.
"Good morning everyone. I'm glad to see everyone safe and sound." Jack was happy to see his daughter sitting beside Chuck and holding his hand. He also noticed the two M4 Carbines on the table in the background. "John and I have been discussing the situation, and we think it's a good time to put additional pressure on Ted Roark."
"What do you have in mind, Sir?" Chuck asked respectfully.
"We want to bring you out of the cold, Chuck. More specifically, we want Roark to know you are alive and well, and the story will be that you were doing a deep cover investigation around Sarah's attempted abductions." Casey jumped in to respond. "We think on the heels of the press pressure, seeing you alive and associated with a deep cover investigation will help push him to do something desperate before the breadcrumbs you dropped start flashing on Monday."
Chuck and Morgan looked at each other momentarily, and Chuck nodded to Morgan. "Sir, what exactly do you propose?" Morgan asked.
"Simple. Pack up, and with Jacobs and Sempers, make your way to the White House as soon as possible. Make sure your computers are clean, and we will have a team come and pick them up separately. When do you think you can move?"
"We can be packed in less than thirty minutes, and the drive to D.C. should take about four hours. We can be at the White House by four thirty….earlier if we run with the lights on." Chuck answered.
"Good. Make it happen. Run with the lights on and keep us posted on your progress." Casey closed the call, and the two couples got busy getting ready to make the express run to Washington.
-O-
Date: Sunday, 9 January, 2023
Time: 15:25 EST
Location: Washington D.C. - White House, Oval Office
Jack reached for the ringing phone on the resolute desk. "Sir, they are just pulling in."
"Thank you, Margie. Please let the First Lady know, and I'll meet her by the main entrance." Jack hung up, straightened his blazer, and headed to the front entrance. As he walked, his protective detail formed its typical protective bubble around him. As Jack approached his destination, he saw John Casey was already there along with Emma. A moment later, a black Suburban followed by a dirty old Jeep Cherokee pulled up.
First out of the Suburban was Morgan, who hopped out of the front passenger seat with his M4 slung over his shoulder. He quickly opened the passenger door, helping Sarah and Carina exit the vehicle. As they walked up the stairs toward the President and First Lady, Chuck exited the old Jeep.
Casey was observing the rest of the President's detail carefully, and as Chuck became fully visible, he was very pleased to see the members of the detail react to seeing their presumed dead colleague, without breaking protocol.
Chuck gave Jack Walker a firm handshake but was pulled into a bear hug by Emma as he approached.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Special Agent Bartowski!" Jack chortled as he slapped Chuck's shoulder and led the group into the entrance hall. "Let's get up to the library in the residence so we can talk."
As the group entered the residence portion of the White House, Casey stopped and spoke with the team leader.
"Nick, Bartowski has been in deep cover driving the investigation into Valkyrie's attempted abductions. Please let your team know, and in a couple of minutes, there will be an official message from me to all hands informing them accordingly." As he turned to enter the residence, he was heartened to see some of the detail share fist bumps and smiles.
Less than five minutes later, a new memo was circulated to all Secret Service personnel.
-CONFIDENTIAL-
Internal Memorandum
To: All Secret Service Protective Detail Staff
From: Casey, John – Head of Presidential Protective Services
Reference: Special Agent Charles Bartowski
Dear colleagues,
I am delighted to share with you that Special Agent Charles Bartowski is very much alive and has returned from a high-priority and highly classified investigation into the events associated with the attempted kidnapping of the President's daughter, Sarah Walker.
I apologize for the stress and grief the setup for this mission required, but I assure you it was a matter of national security and authorized at the highest possible levels.
For the next forty-eight hours, Special Agent Bartowski will be sequestered as he prepares his report and collates all of the corroborating evidence for evaluation by the Department of Justice.
Once the dust settles on the investigation and Special Agent Bartowski receives medical sign-off from his service-related injury, he is expected to return to regular duty.
John Casey
Special Agent In Charge Of Presidential Security
As expected, news of Chuck Bartowski's return to the land of the living spread like wildfire across the ranks of Secret Service personnel.
-O-
Date: Sunday, 9 January, 2023
Time: 15:45 EST
Location: Number One Observatory Circle, Washington, D.C. - Vice Presidential Residence
"Holy shit!" Vincent Boles muttered to himself as he stared at his mobile phone. He had just received an internal memorandum from John Casey. "Holy shit!" he murmured again quietly, a grin appearing on his face.
"Everything okay, Vince?" Rosalie looked up with a kind expression. The news had been terrible the last time she asked him the question.
"What? Oh….sorry. Yeah, everything is great. Just got a nice surprise, that's all." Vincent's grin widened into a smile.
"Care to share?" Rosalie asked.
"Special Agent Bartowski is alive and well. He was assigned a deep undercover investigation, so his death was staged….really well, too. No one knew about it." Vincent paused for a minute. "I mean, I'm not particularly close to him personally, but the guy is a bonafide hero for what he's done, so I'm thrilled he's still with us."
"That is wonderful news!" Rosalie beamed. "I'm sure the Vice President will be pleased to hear it. He was scheduled to have celebratory lunch with Special Agent Bartowski….you know….for the work he did in New York and in London, but the announcement of his death came out the day before the lunch was to take place….so now I can probably reschedule it."
"I would hold off on that. Bartowski will be sequestered until he completes assembling the investigation's report and the corroborating evidence. I'm sure Special Agent Casey will eventually give the all clear." Vincent replied.
"Thanks, Vince. I just thought Vice President Roark might like having some good news. I mean….it's been a heck of a week." Rosalie smiled again, then returned her focus to her work just as Roark opened the door to his office.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Roark asked in his usual gruff voice.
"No, Sir. Vincent was just sharing some good news, Sir." Rosalie responded.
"Good news, huh? That's been a rare commodity around here lately, wouldn't you say, Rosalie? What's the good news, Vincent?" Roark asked with a condescending tone.
Vincent momentarily considered the question and determined there was no risk in sharing the good news with Vice President Roark. "Well, Sir. It turns out that Special Agent Bartowski wasn't dead after all. Sir, he was just swept into some top-secret covert mission and only resurfaced today." Vincent replied candidly and unemotionally.
Roark looked at both Vincent and Rosalie for a moment, then turned back into his office and slammed the door.
"I thought he'd react better to that," Vincent commented quietly as Rosalie's eyes widened at her boss's behavior.
-O-
Roark stepped toward his desk and slumped in the seat. "What the fuck?" he muttered to himself. Why the elaborate ruse, and why Bartowski? Roark had no clear answers and could not construct a favorable scenario as his instincts were screaming. He calmed himself and considered his options. The only way to ensure he would not be discovered, arrested, and prosecuted required him to be President, something he had been aggressively pursuing through third parties. As much as he hated the last trick he had up his sleeve, he now realized he had no choice but to take direct action. He opened the bottom drawer in his desk, opened a false bottom, and pulled out a small leather pouch. He opened the pouch and extracted a small vial of colorless liquid, which he quickly slipped into the blazer of his jacket. He then picked up the phone.
"Rosalie, I need a meeting with the President right away. Please call Margie and get it done."
"Of course, Sir. I'll also have Vincent ready the car."