Jade Greenway Book III: Black Seas

By Bob Gabbert

In Book I, Jade Greenway commanded the spacecraft Messenger on a disastrous trip to the moon. In Book II, an Iranian attack on the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group killed Admiral Quincy and seriously injured Jade causing her left arm to be amputated at the shoulder. Even with those life-threatening injuries, she had to assume command of the carrier strike group and get it to safety.
Now, in Book III, she is Vice President of the United States, but her tenure in the White House is by no means comfortable, because of her constant battle with White House Chief of Staff Hardy Trimble. Once the election is over, in his mind, she has served her purpose, and that is all he needs from her. He certainly doesn’t want an uppity woman challenging his power in the White House, where he is king.
When President Dwyer has a mild stroke, the cabinet wants to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution making Jade the Acting President, but Trimble strongly opposes giving her power. The cabinet prevails and Jade becomes Acting President.
She has a plan to defeat ISIL, but she can’t implement it, because she knows that President Dwyer will reverse it when he returns. Trimble opposes her at every turn. His one purpose seems to be keeping the Vice President in her place, so he and the President can run the country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Gabbert
• Release date: May 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370890552

Bob Gabbert

Bob Gabbert has been writing novels about strong women for eleven years. Asked why his protagonist is always a woman, Bob said that generally speaking, women are physically smaller and weaker than men. Consequently, they must use their intelligence to solve important issues, and that's more interesting for a writer. Bob Gabbert is a world traveler who has lived or worked in many of the places he writes about. He graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle where he and his wife, Janet, make their home.

Book preview

In Book I, Jade Greenway commanded the spacecraft Messenger on a disastrous trip to the moon. In Book II, an Iranian attack on the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group killed Admiral Quincy and seriously injured Jade causing her left arm to be amputated at the shoulder. Even with those life-threatening injuries, she had to assume command of the carrier strike group and get it to safety.

Now, in Book III, she is Vice President of the United States, but her tenure in the White House is by no means comfortable, because of her constant battle with White House Chief of Staff Hardy Trimble. Once the election is over, in his mind, she has served her purpose, and that is all he needs from her. He certainly doesn’t want an uppity woman challenging his power in the White House, where he is king.

When President Dwyer has a mild stroke, the cabinet wants to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution making Jade the Acting President, but Trimble strongly opposes giving her power. The cabinet prevails and Jade becomes Acting President.

She has a plan to defeat ISIL, but she can’t implement it, because she knows that President Dwyer will reverse it when he returns. Trimble opposes her at every turn. His one purpose seems to be keeping the Vice President in her place, so he and the President can run the country.

Table of Contents

Title Page

About the Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Acknowledgement

About the Author

Other Novels by Bob Gabbert

Chapter 1

The day after the Presidential inauguration, the weather in Washington, DC, was cold, but the sky was clear and azure blue. Vice President Jade Greenway got out of the Secret Service limousine and felt the chill even through a full-length coat. She looked up at the huge Vice President’s Residence located at Number One Observatory Circle on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory. The mansion seemed as strange as the new office that she was elected to hold.

Normally, a new vice president would be shown all aspects of the official residence by the outgoing vice president, but Dick Chambers was the former vice president, and President Dwyer had essentially fired him. It left him bitter. He refused to cooperate with Jade in any way or even to meet her. She had never been inside the mansion that was to be her home for the next four years.

President Barton Dwyer replacing Chambers as vice president for the second term had more to do with the President’s standing in the polls than anything else. Chambers and others had convinced Dwyer to send troops back into Iraq to quell violence as Shia and Sunni Arabs in Iraq were close to civil war. The President really didn’t think it was a good idea to send troops, but he acquiesced and sent them back in.

He was shocked at how quickly the American people reacted. They hated to have their sons and daughters thrust back into that quagmire. When his approval rating in polls began to drop like a stone, he tried to correct the situation by pulling troops out long before the job was completed. It was too late to prevent his approval rating from sinking to historic lows. And pulling the troops out before the job was done set the environment that allowed an even more radical Islamic group called ISIL, to rise up and gain power.

As the President’s second term approached, White House Chief of Staff Hardy Trimble and others knew that something dramatic had to happen, or Dwyer would be a one-term President.

Hardy Trimble was a former three-term Congressman from Louisiana who was Dwyer’s chief of staff when he was in the Senate. When Dwyer was elected President, Trimble became White House Chief of Staff and he treated it as if it were his fiefdom. John Coots was to be the campaign manager for the President’s second term, but Trimble left no doubt who was in charge.

As Trimble looked for a miracle that would save the Administration, the Persian Gulf Incident happened, and Jade Greenway came on the scene at exactly the right time. She was a female Navy captain who almost lost her life in the Battle of the Persian Gulf, and she did lose her left arm at the shoulder. As a result of her action that day, she became the only woman in history to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor.

Trimble went to the hospital in Germany where they saved Greenway’s life. When he came back, he went into the Oval Office with the feeling that the dramatic event they needed had happened. "Mr President, we’re going to have a second term. You fire Dick Chambers and blame him for Iraq, and put this woman on the ticket as vice president, and we’re here for four more years. Mr President, every time the American people see her and that missing arm, they’ll be reminded of the fact that this National hero—a woman if you can believe it—wants them to vote for you. You’ll get a bump in the polls when you fire Chambers, and you’ll get a huge bump when you announce that she’s your VP. She’s one of the most popular people in America right now—everybody knows her and what she did. Mr President, this is the perfect scenario coming at the perfect time."

Jade selected Tom Dixon to be her chief of staff. He was also a former Navy captain, and at 46 was six years older. When they met, he was the commanding officer of the Navy base at Rota, Spain. That was where she and Admiral Quincy—the man she was going to marry—often met to renew their love affair. Admiral Quincy was killed in the same Battle of the Persian Gulf, where she received her life-threatening injuries.

Captain Tom Dixon was commanding officer of the Aegis cruiser USS Ticonderoga when Admiral Quincy was killed. Captain Dixon immediately flew to the hospital in Germany where Jade was being treated. In a sense he was returning a favor, because Jade had been by his side after he got the terrible news that his wife and children had been killed in a house fire. He was at sea at the time. Admiral Quincy had Dixon’s ship come alongside his flagship, the USS Ronald Reagan, CVN-76, and Jade flew him home in an F-14 Tomcat.

When she was put on President Dwyer’s ticket as the vice presidential candidate, it was only natural that she would ask Captain Dixon to be her chief of staff.

He stood beside her now as they looked up at the huge mansion. He asked jokingly, Do you think you’ll have enough room here?

She smiled. I think so. This thing has 9,000 square feet. My clothes are packed in two suitcases, and back at Blair House I have a computer and a table lamp.

Bud Carlson was the Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the Vice Presidential Detail, or SAC-VP, as he was better known. He was slightly over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a square jaw. He had been with the Secret Service for 12 years and was assigned to Jade as soon as she was put on the ticket as the vice presidential candidate. He said, Ms Vice President, would you like to go inside? Workmen are still here, but I can show you around.

Yes. Thanks, Bud.

She and Dixon walked up the steps to the veranda that wrapped around the mansion. Carlson escorted them in. Normally he would not go inside, but workmen were still in the building, so he stayed with them.

The Reception Hall had plastic sheets covering much of the floor and furniture. A contractor was talking to someone, but when he saw Jade, he came over. "I’m very sorry we’re not finished, Ms Vice President, but that... Your predecessor wouldn’t let us start work until noon yesterday. We have the upper floors done, but as you can see some of the formal areas—we’ll be out of your hair by the end of the day. The Living Room and the Garden Room are open if you’d like to see them."

Carlson said, Ms Vice President, shall I show you the upper floors?

Yes, thank you.

Carlson and another agent preceded the Vice President and Dixon up the stairs to the second floor. A third agent followed.

Carlson stopped at the second floor landing and waited for the other agent to check out the rooms before they allowed the Vice President to come up. While the agent was checking, Carlson said, Once the contractors are gone we won’t come inside the residence unless you call us. Our uniformed officers will be on duty outside and in the basement 24 – 7, but no one will disturb your privacy.

What do they do in the basement?

We have our Resident Office down there and the Mailroom. After 9/11, the Mailroom was moved to the basement and a filtered-air system was installed. All of the mail comes to the Mailroom where officers open it and inspected it for anything dangerous. Once it’s been declared safe, it’s resealed and delivered to the addressee.

Will that include my personal mail?

It includes everything, Ms Vice President. I can assure you our officers are strictly checking the mail for anything that might be dangerous. They do not read the mail.

The agent completed a check of the rooms on the second floor and came back. No one is here except Ms Jill Hayworth. She’s in the Vice President’s Bedroom.

Jill works for me, Jade said, but of course the Secret Service knew that.

When they went into the VP’s bedroom, an attractive blonde woman of 36 was putting away clothes in the large walk-in closet. She waved to Jade and continued to work.

Lieutenant-Commander Jill Hayworth was the communications and crypto officer on Admiral Quincy’s staff with Jade when the Admiral was killed. Jill’s arm was broken during the battle, and she suffered other minor injuries. As Special Assistant to the Vice President, Jill would maintain Jade’s schedule and control access for those who get in to see the Vice President.

The Vice President’s suite was huge. The main part of the suite was a large sitting room with a gas-log fireplace. The bedroom had two queen-size, four-poster beds of the colonial style, and a huge walk-in closet. The bathroom was large with a Jacuzzi bath, a walk-in shower, a private toilet room, and completely separate his and her vanities. Adjacent to the suite was a study and a den with a well-stocked library.

Further down the hall on the second floor were two additional bedrooms each with its own private bath, for family or guests.

The third floor was originally servant’s quarters and storage. When the mansion was converted to the Vice President’s Residence, heating and air conditioning equipment was put on the third floor.

A large turret was one of the most distinguishing architectural features of the mansion. On the first floor it was the Garden Room where the second family could entertain guests. On the second floor it was a spacious family room, but it was largely unused on the third floor.

When Dick Chambers was vice president, he had the turret room on the third floor made into an elegant office. Half of the circular-wall was windows that looked out onto the beautifully landscaped grounds of the US Naval Observatory. He had the rest of the circular wall lined with walnut paneling. Against the paneling were mahogany bookshelves, a large-screen TV, and a wet bar. It was all done in a Western motif. A large and ornate mahogany desk was located to take full advantage of the sweeping view.

Adjacent to the turret room, Chambers had a large bedroom put in with a bathroom and shower. It was rumored that he used the room to... entertain women from time to time.

Jade liked the way he had arranged the turret-room office, but she considered it too dark and masculine. She would enliven the room and make it more colorful by adding curtains to the windows, more cheerful lighting, and she would replace the dark, Western, leather chairs with modern chairs having light colored upholstery.

She didn’t know if the rumors were true about the adjacent bedroom, but just in case she would have the room completely remodeled with new furniture, carpet, drapes, and especially the bed.

When they finished the tour of the second and third floors, Carlson took them to the basement where he showed Jade the Mailroom and the Secret Service Office and Communications Center. A large kitchen, pantry, and cold room made up the rest of the basement. Food was prepared in the basement and then sent up to the First Floor Pantry by dumb-waiter to be served.

Carlson said, Ms Vice President, the only other thing down here is the bunker. Would you like to see it?

What’s the bunker?

After 9/11, a bunker—some call it a panic room—was put in for the vice president, the family, and any guests who might be here at the time.

Carlson led them through an obviously recent opening in the basement wall that led to a steel door. He put his hand on a handprint identification panel and the door opened. Your handprint will be put into the system by tomorrow.

The steel door opened into a short corridor that had another steel door with a handprint reader. He opened that door, and they went into the bunker. It was a large, well-lighted room with a table in the middle with several chairs. A security monitor on the wall displayed who was outside the first steel door and the hallway in between the two steel doors. It also had a high-camera, 360-degree view outside of the mansion, and one for the front and back doors. Also on the wall were several flat-screen TVs for entertainment and news. At one end of the table were three telephones; one was white, one black, and one red.

Carlson explained, The black phone is a regular outside phone line. The white phone is connected directly to the Secret Service both here and at the White House, and the red phone is connected directly to the Situation Room in the White House.

At the far end of the bunker were bunks for 10 people, and nearby a pantry with Army Meals Ready to Eat. Next to it was another pantry with bottles of water.

Ms Vice President, you were an astronaut, so you’re probably familiar with MREs—Meals Ready to Eat. You just squeeze the bags several times, and it’ll heat up what’s inside. The water is stored here. It’s changed at regular intervals. The ventilation system has absolute air filters, so even if someone found the air inlets and introduced a toxin, the filters would capture it before it got inside the bunker.

What if we got trapped down here? Jade asked.

Carlson said, It’s unlikely, because if the situation ever required you to come down here, there would a small army of Secret Service tactical people here within minutes. However, should there be a need, that steel door beyond the bunks connects to a tunnel that routes to the surface about 100 feet from here. The surface exit is well camouflaged by bushes and can only be opened from the inside.

Dixon asked, Has the bunker ever been used?

Yes, once or twice. If there is a White House incident that results in a lockdown at the White House, out of an abundance of caution, if the vice president or the family is here, the Vice President’s Residence is also locked down. Depending on what the threat is, the vice president may be escorted to the bunker until it’s over. So far, we have not had to lockdown the Vice President’s Residence independently. By the way, when the bunker was first put in, the Secret Service tested it. We had10 people live down here for a week. It worked as expected. Shall we go upstairs?

When they got to the main floor, Carlson explained, The first floor of the Residence is designed to be both family living and also serve for formal functions. Up to 16 guests can be accommodated in the Reception Hall and the Dining Room. There is also the Garden Room. It’s in the base of the Turret, and has windows that look out onto the Vice President’s Flower Garden. For the family, this floor also has two lounges and a large sitting room. Outside, the veranda wraps around most of the first floor.

Do I eat in the formal dining room? Jade asked.

Yes. Normally one end of the formal dining table is set for family meals.

What does she have in the way of servants? Dixon asked.

The household staff consists of two cooks and two maids. The first crew comes in at six. The cook prepares breakfast and lunch for the family and keeps the kitchen clean. The maid serves breakfast and lunch, and she cleans the first floor. At two, the first crew goes home and the second crew arrives. The cook checks food and other supplies and goes shopping if necessary. He also prepares the evening meal and cleans up the kitchen. The maid cleans the second and third floors and serves the evening meal. She and the cook go home at nine. There is no one here from nine until six the next morning.

What if I have people over for a dinner or a party? Jade asked.

The White House protocol officer will send over whatever staff is required, and they will stay as long as necessary.

So, normally I’m here all alone between nine and six, is that correct?

Yes, and no. No one will be inside the mansion unless you call them, but uniform Secret Service guards are here 24 hours a day seven days a week. You’re never completely alone. We’re always nearby. Ms Vice President, this completes the tour of what has been finished. I’ll leave you to settle in. Until the contractors leave, two of my people will stay inside to make sure no one goes above the first floor. What time would you like the limousine in the morning to go to the White House?

The President gets his daily security briefing in the Oval Office at eight. I want to leave here in plenty of time to get there no later than seven-thirty. What time do you suggest?

It will only take us about twenty minutes to get to the White House. We don’t have to worry about traffic.

All right. Let’s leave at seven. I don’t want to be late.

Chapter 2

Jade had gone through rehabilitation at Bethesda Naval Medical Center where they had fitted her with a prosthetic left arm, but she didn’t feel comfortable with it, so she had learned how to do most things with only one arm. Her clothes had been tailored to terminate the left sleeve with a bias cut and then seamed. It meant that she didn’t have to have the sleeve pinned up as people with one arm sometimes do. By the time of the election, she had made so many public appearances that she no longer felt like a freak and didn’t feel self-conscious when they stared.

She was a very attractive woman of 40 with shoulder-length, raven-black hair, blue eyes, and a ready smile. Her five-feet eight-inch figure was slim and athletic and honed to perfection during her earlier astronaut training. That training and her military bearing were second nature to her regardless of having one arm or two.

During the transition period, she had visited the Oval Office 15 or 20 times, but today would be the first time that she was actually the Vice President of the United States. Her knees were shaking just a little bit, as she approached the door to the Oval Office.

Ruth Howitzer was the President’s Special Assistant. Her desk was near where Jade hesitated. Good morning, Ms Vice President, Ruth said. Ruth was 48 years old and had been President Barton Dwyer’s assistant for 18 years. She was married, but she and Dwyer had been having an affair for almost that long. She had two sons, and Josh, the younger of the two, was Dwyer’s son. It was the only child he had. He and Susan Dwyer never had any children. It’s not known if Mrs Dwyer or Ruth’s husband knew of the affair, but if they did know, they kept silent about it.

Good morning, Ruth. Am I late? Jade replied.

Hardy always comes in last, and he’s not here yet.

Jade’s hand was shaking as she opened the door and went into the Oval Office. She wasn’t exactly sure what her role would be, because here again former Vice President Dick Chambers hadn’t briefed her on anything.

President Dwyer was still seated behind his desk working on something. Others were sitting on the two facing sofas checking their notes and waiting for the daily briefing to begin.

White House Chief of Staff Trimble came in. Jade was still standing awkwardly behind one of the sofas. Trimble said as he passed by, The chair next to the fireplace is yours.

He didn’t wait.