Madam President, Book 4, Sarah Paige Chronicles

By David A O'Neil

Coming Fall 2014

Vengeance is Mine

The final episode in Sarah Paige Chronicles

Sarah Paige’s desire for revenge reaches a fever hot pitch as she learns the identities of the group responsible for the death of her uncle and her lover. As President of the United States, she is one of the most powerful people in the world, and despite her misgivings, is determined to use that power to bring the assassins to justice. Even so, she will need a lot of help as the opponents are equally powerful and one step away from becoming dictator of a new one-government world, an action that Sarah is pledged to prevent.
Passion can result in rash actions, and being rash could just cost Sarah the chance to avenge the death of the last loved ones she had on Earth. On the other hand, Sarah is not just some simple hot-headed female. She is a determined, focused, ice-cold, frustrated woman who is determined to wreak vengeance on the enemies of the United States, who just happen to be the assassins she is seeking to destroy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W & B Publishers
• Release date: Apr 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310360756

Book preview

Book 4

David A. O’Neil

W & B Publishers

USA

Madam President © 2014 All rights reserved by W & B Publishers

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Prologue

…Washington, D.C.

…West steps, U.S. Capital Building

…Friday, January 20, 2017

…09:01 a.m. EST

The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America held out a torn and tattered St. James Bible that had been in the family of the President-Elect for more than one hundred years. In a soft, but firm, well-trained voice he said: Place your left hand on the Bible, raise your right hand and repeat after me. I….. your name..,

I, Sarah Vincent Paige….

Do solemnly swear or affirm…

Do solemnly swear….

That I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States….

That I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States….

And will to the best of my ability…

And will to the best of my ability…

Preserve…

Preserve…

Protect….

Protect….

and defend…

and defend…

The Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the United States, so help me God.

"Congratulations, Madam President.

Chapter 1

…Washington D.C.

…White House Oval Office

…Monday, January 23, 2017

…09:00 a.m. EST

Madam President, Stark Andrews, her Chief of Staff announced from the open doorway.

Come in, Mr. Andrews, Sarah said, her face beaming with the fabulous wide smile that had mesmerized millions of voters as she walked around the large oak desk that was part of the Oval Office, extending her hand and warmly clasping the hand offered by her visitor. Have a seat, please, and let’s chat awhile. she continued as she led Andrews away from her desk to a conversation area—she preferred the word ‘pit’—where two sofas and several armchairs with end tables were waiting at the north end of the large room. Thank you for being so prompt.

Looking her visitor over carefully, Sarah was certain that anyone seeing Stark Andrews would never have guessed his position in the United States Government. His appearance was far from what one would think of as an intelligence agent, much less the head of one of America’s most efficient and most productive espionage agencies. Andrews—as if to belie the popular public perception of a large, muscular James Bond-type secret agent—stood only about five feet and two inches, several inches shorter than the President. His posture was slightly stooped, as if from carrying a heavy load, making it appear that he was even shorter. His hair was completely white and sparse, long and somewhat unruly. His face was pale from the lack of exposure to the sun and heavily lined with wrinkles, giving him the appearance of a elderly man several years older than Sarah had learned from Andrews’ dossier. The gray suit that he was wearing looked like a wrinkled hand-me-down and seemed to be a couple of sizes too large for his slight body. He was wearing wire-framed bifocals that were visibly thick, indicating poor eyesight and giving him the stereotype image of a elderly bookkeeper or perhaps a not-too-successful store clerk. There was no visible evidence that Stark Andrews was anything other than an old man long past the age of retirement.

Non-descript was the expression that came to Sarah’s mind as she studied her guest. Sarah’s assessment agreed with the one she had received from John Connor: Stark Andrews could get lost in a crowd of one.

From her impression of Andrews as she led the way to conversation area where they were to talk, Sarah found it difficult to believe that Andrews was—or had been—in charge of what the authors of spy novels would have called the Wet Affairs Department. There was no known equal department within the United States government, as few if any of the politicians were even aware that the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency ever condoned—much less initiated—assassinations, and that such lethal actions would have been carried out by Stark Andrews and his small cadre of well-trained assassins. Even the name of the department that Andrews headed was misleading: The ‘Office of Public Information’. No one had ever been able to determine exactly what the OPI department actually did, but as the budget—the overt budget, that is—was quite small, there was little interest in finding out.

Andrews, on the other hand, was impressed by the striking physical appearance of the first female President of the United States. Her hair and make-up was impeccable, her suit was navy blue and her blouse was a very light lavender. Her walk, as she approached him to offer him her hand, was smooth and lithe. Her hair had regained much of its dark color, still streaked with lighter strands, but deliberately left as ac-cent, and was swept back into a bun at the back of her head. Her brilliant smile was warm and welcoming as she took his hand. Best looking president we’ve ever had!

Although Stark Andrews had been with the federal government for more than two decades, this was his first visit to the Oval Office, which is located in the west wing of the White House. Like other American citizens, he had envisioned some areas of the prestigious office, having caught glimpses of the room from television cameras that had from time to time invaded the working space of the President in office at the time.

Immediately upon walking into the most famous office in the world—with the possible exemption of Number 10 Downing Street in London—Andrews was struck by the grandeur of three tall windows located just behind the President’s desk, which reached from floor to ceiling, with burgundy-colored drapes and valiances. On one side of the President’s large desk stood the American Flag – The Stars and Stripes – while on the other side of the desk was a flag bearing the Great Seal of the United States. Noting that all of the furniture in the Oval Office were made of sturdy wood, Andrews mentally calculated the value of the furniture at several times the worth of his own entire house of furniture. Still, Andrews was aware that Sarah Paige had only been president for a few days, and undoubtedly the furnishings came with the office as decorated by previous occupants. Look-ing down, he saw that the soft carpet that was engulfing his feet had been embossed with the Great Seal of the United States, a fact that he had learned at some point in his life, but he wasn’t sure exactly when.

As he followed the President to the waiting sofa, he heard Charles Simpson ask, Do you want me in on this, Madam President?

No, Charlie. I really don’t think so. And make sure that the recorders are off.

Already done, Madam President. And Mr. Andrews’ visit is off log as well.

Thanks, Charlie. I’ll page you.

The door to the Oval Office closed behind the President’s Chief of Staff as Sarah and her guest each sat in one of the well-upholstered armchairs.

Sorry I didn’t ask, Mr. Andrews. Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Something stronger? Sarah knew from her visitor’s personal file that he was in fact a teetotaler, and never imbibed alcohol. Mormon, if I remember correctly.

No, Madam President. I’m just fine, thank you.

There were several minutes of silence during which time President Paige looked straight into the eyes of her visitor, as if she were trying to read his mind, or at least his character. Finally, with a sigh, she spoke.

Mr. Andrews, what is your assessment of the world today?

That’s a pretty heavy question, Madam President. I don’t think I can give you much of an answer in a short moment. But why do you want my opinion? You have Charlie and he’s pretty darn good.

Mr. Andrews–or rather, Stark–let me give you my assessment and then I’ll tell you the reason that I ask.

She looked at Andrews, who remained silent.

We here in the United States—as well as the rest of the world—are embroiled in a mess… I don’t like the expression, but we are in what the British would call, ‘dire straights’. I don’t have any more descriptive words than that to illustrate the situation we face. We are being eaten alive, consumed bite by bite, freedom is being washed away in increment after minute increment, slavery is alive and well, wars are being started for no reason – men, women and children around the world are either dying or losing their personal liberty and rights. Would you disagree?

Sarah waited and after a few moments—perhaps of careful reflection—Andrews nodded his head in silent agreement.

Stark, there is some evil entity—a global conspiracy, if you will—that is determined to destroy the United States and establish a one-government world, a new world order, with ‘them’ in charge. I hate the word ‘conspiracy’ but that is exactly what it seems to be. I don’t know who ‘them’ are, or what or who all are behind the conspiracy. I do know that I have brushed up against it before and it cost me my last surviving relative, Sam Irvin. It also cost me the only man that I have ever loved. But even more than that, I can see—or perhaps more accurately, I sense—that the conspirators will never stop until they rule the entire world, no matter what they have to do.

Again Sarah paused and waited patiently, and again—after a pause—Andrews nodded in agreement.

Stark, there is no way that I can go public with this, it is just too unbelievable. I promised my supporters and the American citizenry the truth, that I would never lie to them. Now, I find that I have to lie—at least by omission if not by commission—and I still must keep the faith with the American population.

Sarah stopped. There were several minutes of silence, while both she and Andrews were reflecting on her words. Andrews remained mute.

Sarah said, "Stark, either many of the other leaders in the world and quite a few of our own politicians here in the United States do not see the same infringements on our rights as I do, or perhaps they are blind to the conspiracy. It is either that, or else they are complicit in the conspiracy, helping those who would destroy our democracy and replace it with world tyranny. And that can’t be allowed to happen. The recent administration—as well as many past administrations—have been playing ‘pitty-patty’ with our enemy, allowing them to do as they will, without fear of reprisals. They know we are averse to responding with force because of public opinion. Big nation attacks small nation; innocent people and civilians killed. We are already being condemned in world opinion and it would get worse. So, we—the USA—have just stood by and issued more rhetoric, more condemnation, an empty threat which is ignored by everyone and believed by no one.

"Sure, there has been a drone attack once in a rare while, but that action would often kill innocent people as well as the target, if the target was indeed the one that should be killed. That happenstance is, of course, unfortunate, but the facts are that the ‘bad guys’ hide among the citizenry and use the innocent children and women as shields. Then they dare us to strike, knowing that we just can’t act.

"Yes, we have killed a few of them, and we continue to hear about replacements. Truth is the leaders are replaced as quickly as we kill them, or even faster. And nation after nation either refuse us permission to pursue the terrorists or they actually support the fanatics in the name of ‘freedom fighters’.

On a few occasions, the US has responded, but in a half-hearted manner. We have had a little success, but too little. The little that we have achieved just isn’t enough, there must be—and under my watch there will be—more dire retribution for acts against the United States.

Once again, Sarah stopped talking, as if waiting for Andrews to comment. And even yet Andrews sat without speaking.

"Stark, if the conspiracy is to be stopped and the conspirators brought to justice, it is up to us to stop it. By us, I mean you and me. And anyone we choose to work with us. I didn’t run for office, I didn’t get elected to the most powerful office in the world to just sit back and ac-cept ‘status-quo’.