Deceit

By Jack J. Rossate

DECEIT is a story about the Presidency of Bill Springer. DECEIT is the story about the President, Bill Springer. When you keep that in mind you will follow the frightening possibility for this fiction to become reality.

The Presidency of the most powerful nation in the world is an tremendous responsibility. The Noble Experiment of the Founding Fathers has proven to be beyond the ability of rogues and charlatans to tarnish, try as they might. The American people have been able to survive and the country has grown stronger for it.

The story begins with an innocuous piece of background, a small snapshot of the authors belief that nothing just happens. In DECEIT you can see how a First Family also includes its own extended family and how each members goals can be subverted. Power, it has been said, corrupts. This book should leave you with no doubt that it not only corrupts but that corruption can flow like flood waters if left unchecked.

You will see people struggling to make a better life for themselves finding that they are caught up in something beyond their control. You will find good people who are just going along with the program because they dont want to make waves. These people suddenly find out that the program has taken them to a place they never wanted to go and now cannot get out of.

But you will also see that some people have the courage or perseverance to either extricate themselves or combat the force that power exerts. There are good people out there and you will see them. The troubling characteristic that you will have to cope with is that there are also some bad people who do good things every once in a while. It will be left to you to make the moral judgments on them.

The book is fast paced as it wings its way through but a few days in the life of the President and his family. The writing style keeps you moving so that you can see how seemingly unconnected events are truly connected, in some cases they are actually bound together. You will come away from the book with a new perspective on life and, perhaps, a new perspective on government. If nothing else, it should make you want to open your eyes and ears to learn everything you can about candidates for public office. It should have you make your right to vote into your responsibility to vote, and do it in an informed manner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 23, 2000
• ISBN: 9781462803880

Jack J. Rossate

Jack Rossate is a recent entry on the scene. He has enjoyed a broad ranging career mainly in sales and management for small manufacturing businesses. He has been married for 33+ years, raised three children, served in the military, gone to college, worked on the factory floor and filled a position in the boardroom. All the while he has been a part of business he has been an observer of business. While never being very active in politics, his upbringing in Chicago has given a unique perspective on the intertwining facets that can take place in the powers of government. Jack is a firm believer in cause and effect and his storyline shows that. He began writing at the age of fifty and it looks like this work will be the start of yet another direction in his life.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Her back was turned to the room and she was silhouetted against the bright sunlight. Is he good?

The man’s voice came from far behind her. Yes, he was a former Green Beret, served in Vietnam, won a lot of sharpshooter medals.

How about his political leanings, any history there that could trip us up?

The man ruffled some papers, no, a very apolitical person. I checked out his voting record, he voted in about half of the primaries and has a track record of voting in the Presidential elections, nothing on the local elections. When we did a cross check on any political contributions we don’t find his name anywhere. I went through the IRS computer files and can find some charitable contributions but no major red flags there.

What about the weapon, any choices?

No, it’ll be all his doing. I’m going to get him $500,000 and get him on the A list for a lot of parties. I want to get him very well known to everyone. Then, when he thinks the time is right, he’s going to just go ahead and do it.

He’s going to make the call then? Her voice sounded a little irritated. I don’t want to be there, how am I going to be sure of that?

The man walked forward and set his papers on the desk. He wrapped his arms around her waist. I can’t be 100% sure of it but I plan to keep in close contact with him. When I think he’s ready to make his move I’m sure I can suggest something to keep you away from as many of his opportunities as possible. He leaned over and kissed the area of her neck that she was willingly offering up to him.

She smiled coyly, I suppose you could offer something that would be more interesting than another evening of sitting through his tributes from those ‘Washington suck-ups’.

He squeezed her tightly and kissed her again. I think it’s about time that you schedule another trip, maybe a week or two overseas.

She looked back out over the lawn and gardens in front of her. Yes, she thought, that would be a nice diversion. As an afterthought, this fellow, does he have any family?

The man let loose of his grip and picked up his notes again. He spoke quickly, no. Then he opened his notes and thumbed thru the pages. His parents were married after WW two, both were fairly old then. They both died while he was in the service, papers shuffled, natural causes, he added. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

She thought a few seconds, but there’s no wife or kids?

No.

He’s not one of those gay guys is he?

The man’s head shook back and forth, no, I checked that out, didn’t want to offend that group. No, this fellow has dated women, he’s just kind of become a bit of a computer geek. You know, rather self absorbed.

She smiled, there’s an angle. Find out, if you haven’t, who he uses for his internet access. Let’s create a trail of, what, kiddy porn. That’s always a safe target to go after.

The man liked it when he was able to anticipate what would make her happy, I already looked at that possibility. I know how to create that type of history, but we can’t do it now. When they do a background check it needs to show clean. No, I know how to wait until it suits our interest and then I’ll just go ahead and create the evidence to put out into the system.

Oh my, what a devious mind you have, he could see the reflection of her smile in the window glass as she could see his. She winked at him.

Well, I’ve got a lot of work to take care of, he said. I’ve got to get over to see your buddy in fundraising and get $1,000,000 in clean money.

Her face went stern, I thought you said $500,000 earlier?

He put his arms back around her, 500 now and 500 when it’s done, can’t expect to be running around afterwards and getting that much in clean cash now can I?

She just wrinkled her lips. He leaned over and nibbled on her ear. Then he gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked to the door.

She continued looking out the window. You know, she said. Australia would be nice, maybe a week in the outback, then stop for a few days in Hawaii.

He made a thumbs up signal with his right hand while he turned the knob with his left. That sounds like just what the Doctor ordered.

He left her alone, still standing at the window.

She watched the traffic go past on the street off in the distance. Her eyes looked down at the car coming up to the side entrance. It was a cab, it didn’t fit in this late in the day. She watched the car as it came to a stop and the young girl got out. She couldn’t have been thirty. She was dressed like she was going to some formal affair. The woman’s anger began again. If she had any second thoughts before, they all evaporated now. Deserving, that was what he was.

CHAPTER 2

His office had windows that wrapped around to give him a complete view of the gardens and a look at the driveway that led to his private entrance. He could sit with his back turned to those gathered to give him advice and look out on one of the most beautiful views in the world. He’d liked that view ever since he was a kid and his football team’s winning record had gotten them invited here to shake hands with ‘the man’ as they called him. He was one of the many people who had walked into that room and become driven by a desire to make it his room.

He’d become an ardent devotee of anything he could find that was written about the steps that others had taken to get to this chair. There were war heroes, there was even a hapless clothing salesman, never wanted the job, but got thrust into it when Roosevelt had died. His own personal hero had been Kennedy, he wished he could have met the man. There was a fellow that he admired. Everything he read about this guy told him that he had charted a course for the room early on. He had read reports of the use of money to buy votes, women at all hours of the day and night, drinking and running around with Hollywood people. He had read between the lines on the man. The road he, himself had followed was quite parallel, he told himself. What are people for if not to be used. He’d seen an article once where Kennedy said one of his favorite books was one called ‘Melbourne’. He had searched several libraries for the book. He finally found it in the Boston Library one weekend when he had visited his wife’s parents. The book had chronicled the life of several of the leaders in English society. During the week they were all business, giving their full measure to serve the King, but come their own time, evenings or weekends, and they were into every pleasurable and self indulgent activity possible. They would immerse themselves in drinking, prostitutes, sleeping with their subordinate’s wives, wife swapping, you name it and they did it. If it worked for Kennedy to get so much power, then it could work for him. Friends, hell, with power you get all the friends you need. Everyone wants to be your friend if you have enough power. The song he remembered ‘Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out’ told the whole story. He had built his plan on using people, yes, but he knew that if you used too many people it could come back to bite you. He’d added a little extra to that plan, when he was satisfied that he didn’t need you any longer he’d make sure he’d destroy you. He’d always be able to get someone to do his dirty work, because they wanted to be near ‘power’. By the time someone was no further use to him, he already had enough on them to destroy them and move on.

A few times it had meant that someone needed to be killed, too bad. He’d really only had recriminations the first time. He’d thought to himself the second time that it was ‘just like riding a bicycle, you never forget.’ Actually, he had told himself, it was easier, he’d had the fellow killed who had committed the first murder for him. Since then, he always rationalized that he was merely ordering the execution of another murderer or an accomplice, not a person. The only life he placed a value on was his own.

He actually had even taken pleasure in comforting one of those men’s wife. He’d arranged for the man to be killed, faked his death as a suicide by getting him out of a hotel window in New York. He had a prostitute strangled in the man’s room so that her death would be his motive for killing himself. After the funeral he’d gotten the grieving widow to let him screw her. She was actually pretty good, he’d decided. She had been a nice diversion for almost a year until her car had the brakes fail coming down a mountain road. Too bad he’d been out of the country at the time or he’d have had to go to the funeral and put on a show, might have been able to get her grieving sister.

He watched the cab pull into the circle and his eyes followed the young woman who exited the cab. Now who do you suppose that pretty thing is coming here to see?

The question caught John Tulley off guard, he had been looking at the calendar in front of him trying to fit in a time for the German Prime Minister. He looked up to see who it was that the President was talking about. The leggy young lady was leaning over, paying the toll on the meter but definitely making sure that her arrival was being noted by the guard at the entrance. John had seen the girl before, she was one of the regular hookers that this administration’s young members called in and passed around on evenings when they had to work late. This was going to be one of those nights, the Attorney General was looking for some information that covered some of the fundraising they had done during the House and Senate elections that were just over. The President had insisted that all of their coffees for donors must be taped so he could keep them in his personal library after he retired. That plan had created a monumental editing job for these fellows. There was going to be a number of these cabs here tonight. Fellows doing the ‘review’ of the possible meetings that we might have tapes on must have sent out for some extra help, he answered in as circuitous a manner as possible.

The President was silent as he followed her progress in, thru the revolving door and then down the glass sided entrance and on into the white doorway leading to the lower level. He already knew that he was going to look in on the work tonight. She’d make it worth his while. He turned his mind back to the task at hand. With little more than two years left in his administration he needed to get all his tracks covered that he could but he also needed to make sure that friends were being taken care of, their backs scratched, so that he was getting cash directed to where he could best use it during his own retirement. After all, at 55 years old he was going to need to take care of himself for the future. No more open ended hand out system for him. He also had to make sure that all the loose ends were tied up so that the cash drains were eliminated.

So, John, tell me, how can we take care of that problem we spoke about last week? He’d stepped on the ‘kill switch’ so the recording equipment was off. John knew the routine but he also knew that in here you always talked in circles.

Well sir, I was thinking about that last night, actually. But first, he paused while the ‘kill switch’ was lifted and the recording commenced, it looks like we can fit the Prime Minister in for an hour on Tuesday. That will have him leaving Congress in the middle of the afternoon and heading over here. You know, he’ll be inconvenienced but then so will the committee chairmen he’ll be scheduling things with. All we have to do is move your haircut back.

The President looked up at the ceiling, he liked the idea of causing as much inconvenience as possible. Ok, let’s go ahead and tell him that’s the choice, take it or leave it.

John scribbled that note down on his yellow legal pad. Now, he could go back to the question, with the tape running it would come off like business as usual. I did a brief review of the aircraft fleet that we have been using. Your plane is great, of course, but some of the other planes are getting up in years. He stood up and moved forward. He’d written down the code name for one of the planes. This plane’s really the oldest in your fleet. Now, while it is maintained, just because of it’s age we might want to use it for documents only or maybe some lower level transport. I think we should confine it to short hops, stuff like that, until we can get the Air Force to do a complete review and maintenance of it. Now he’d stick in the information that the man wanted. You know, I wouldn’t, and I’m sure you wouldn’t either, want someone like the First Lady to be going on a long trip and something go wrong with it.

With his face to the yard, John couldn’t see the smile. That’s a great concern on your part. The recorder captured his words. You make sure that General White gets a notice still this evening that no one is to use any of the planes that are over five years old until he has completed the re-inspection, basically I want this checked out so they’re all better than new. He knew the memo would be issued and that it would be filed in all the proper locations that would prove that General White, the Commanding Officer of the Air Force couldn’t prove that he never was notified of the directive. That was his ass hanging out there now. He’d pick the time and place to shred that man’s future. He’d become unnecessary baggage after talking to Newsweek and making too many comments about the Vice President. He was wrangling for a promotion and laying the groundwork for Chief of Staff or something, can’t trust his allegiance.

Tell my wife that I want to work with staff tonight so that the files get proper attention for this subpoena. I’m sure she can find something to do tonight. He knew she was sleeping with the agent. He’d been married to her for too long. They’d had separate bedrooms their entire married life, he’d spent his honeymoon screwing maids down in Miami and she hadn’t cared. The only thing she had told him was that her father’s money and connections were there to get the power that he and she wanted him to get for her. He better not embarrass her or her father by too much press and she didn’t want him to ever think about touching her. If she wanted it, she’d get it herself with her choice, man or woman.

He had to factor her into his plans for retirement. She wanted power for herself, he’d picked up on that very early on although her father had said his goal was power in the family. That was what he’d amassed his fortune for but he, himself, would never be able to put up with the press, that was what his daughter had trained for. She would give the direction and she would make the decisions, her husband would merely wear the mantle. He was, perhaps, close to peaking out on his ability to grab and hold power. Her desires would become a drag on him very quickly. It was something he had to address. This woman had been one of the most aggressive attorneys to come down to Shreveport. When he’d met her, actually lost a case to her, she had asked him out to dinner. He remembered the revulsion when his senior partner had ordered him to go to the dinner. He remembered that night and how she had proposed their business deal during the main course. She told him it was going to be pure business, she was up-front about her sharing the feeling of revulsion for him. Nothing personal, just business she had said.

She already had the wedding dress, her father, the Boston lawyer and industrialist, David Division, was very well connected. He thought about what she was offering, the old man would bankroll his political career in return for the agreement. Old man Division wanted the office to be in his family and was more than willing to buy it. He didn’t care that it wasn’t his son, he didn’t have one, but only a son-in-law that had it. He couldn’t go after it himself, some of the money he was spending couldn’t stand being investigated.

His daughter, Sharon, had been the one to lay down the strategy, find an up and comer and hitch onto him, cut a deal with him and I’ll handle the rest, she’d actually made that statement at the dinner. She would be the power and he’d be the figurehead.

For years it had worked that way. He’d come home from playing and she’d have papers laid out just waiting for his signature. Money, he’d never earned real money until he was appointed to the Senate two years before the Presidential election. The man in office before him, John Carnes, had served for two years but suffered a nervous breakdown. They had found his body after his boat sank off the coast of Florida, pretty well decomposed but identifiable. With only a year on the National stage, he’d been thrust to the fore when the front runner, Senator Tooney, had unexpectedly withdrawn, personal reasons. Bob Dana, he should have been the logical choice, but the Division juggernaut had steam rolled him by making deals and he’d been the one to beg for the second slot on the ticket.

It was obvious that his wife now regretted parts of the deal. When the election process had raised a lot of skeletons in her husband’s closet, things she had denied in her own mind, her father had called in key members of the press, he’d been owed a lot of favors. Those men were very adept at discussing his transgressions, his inexperience, his foibles and any other negative that was brought up against him. These high profile men were supposed to report the news, instead they twisted the stories, they thrived on using the phrase ‘so what’ as if it was an answer to why the Senator did this or that. So it was wrong, well he apologized, ‘so what’ other people have made mistakes. Now he was down to a little over two years to correct the situation.

CHAPTER 3

The last two years of President Bill Springer’s eight years in office had literally flown past. His plans, for the most part, were now taken care of. He was now left with a little over one year until the convention, then the election and then he’d just coast.

He’d seen to it that his major contributors had been compensated with their sought after government contracts. He’d even made sure that one of the contributors, a man who had run off to Canada during the Vietnam War, had been rewarded even though the man had died before he was able to grant the agreed upon request. He just changed the deal and the man was given special permission to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His widow was so overcome with gratitude that she never pressed the point for a development contract for their company, Bill figured that had been a topic the man had never discussed with his wife or his sons who ran the business. This was a cheap way out of that deal he decided. He diverted that cash thru several organizations and on to an off shore account.

He did wind up giving out the business, but this time instead it went to the company headed by one of the people who contributed the house that Bill and his wife were going to retire to upon leaving the White House. Sure, the press had raised a little stink but it would blow over, ‘so what’ was the defense that his press secretary had used, it wasn’t illegal, or at least they couldn’t prove it was.

He’d worked to raise funds for the party but the last Senate elections hadn’t faired too well and the results in the House had been miserable. But Bill could point out that he’d been pretty sick with the flu and hadn’t been able attend some of the speaking engagements in the really close races, those had been handled by vice-president, Bob Dana. The stink that the opposition had raised about the funds, well there was no evidence of anything wrong on any of the tapes they had found.

The losses had made Bob’s race for the Presidential nomination coming up all that much tougher. But Bob had learned from his boss. He’d been beaten back eight years earlier and he knew that deal making was needed. Bob had made deals, Bill knew that some of those deals were going to conflict with what he wanted so he’d already decided that the campaign would not be one where he would be real strong in his support for Bob. But there were still some other things he had to take care of.

John Tulley came into his office. Time for you to go out to the yard, sir.

Bill looked at his watch. Right, he thought, it was time for his wife to leave on her much publicized trip to Bosnia. She was going to take their son along with her, his classes at Dartmouth had ended the week before. This would put him on the public stage without his father around. The press was already counting on the boy becoming someone to lead twenty or so years from now. Bill looked at the boy as his wife’s personal puppet that she was going to groom so that when he grabbed power in the future some of it would rub off onto her again. That was definitely part of her plan to keep spending money, more than his pension and speaking stipends was going to comfortably create. He knew she was figuring on her father’s money continuing to flow but she didn’t know that Bill had other plans for that money, and those plans didn’t include her.

He walked with John over to the exit from the personal quarters. Sharon and Bill junior were already their, waiting with their Secret Service crew. Their bags had left by limo earlier in the day and were already loaded on their airplane. Sharon knew that her husband had known they were waiting for over ten minutes but she also knew that he wouldn’t offer any apology. She didn’t expect one for her but she felt that he owed one. Instead he just pushed past them and out the door with them following behind him. The stone face that he’d had on when he walked past them was now replaced with his boyish smile for the cameras. He made a show of stopping after he was a few feet out the door and waiting for Sharon and Billy to catch up with him. Then he reached over and took Sharon’s hand with one hand and Billy’s hand with the other. He could feel the temperature difference. Sharon’s hand felt like it had been in a bucket of ice all day long. Billy’s hand felt warm, like that of a boy striving for the sign that he was pleasing his father.

He tugged on their hands to speed them down the path to where the helicopter awaited. He shouted answers to the reporters questions but mainly he feigned that he couldn’t hear them over the roar of the engine. He made a show of kissing Sharon good-bye and shaking hands with Billy then patting him on the back, a manly type show of affection. The boy didn’t know that although Bill’s name was on his birth certificate there was no way that Bill and Billy were related by blood. He and Sharon had never had sex, someone else was the father and they had fought bitterly over her refusal to have an abortion. It wasn’t any particular conviction on her part it was merely a way for her to get ahead, she needed the family to give her the second chance to get power.

Mother and son were aboard and seated. Sharon gave a wave out the window, playing the part still for the evening news. The blades began to spin more rapidly and the big bird lifted off the deck and up into the afternoon sky. Bill stood there and waved, still for the camera. He knew that within the hour he’d be with someone whose hands weren’t going to be that cold. He and John Tulley walked back across the lawn to the entrance to the White House. Before they went thru the door Bill turned around and looked off in the direction the helicopter had disappeared into, he glanced at John who winked back at him. Off to find the women.

They went back towards the office area. This was the start of the Memorial weekend and most of the staff had been let off early. The few remaining were part of Bill’s core group, mainly young and dedicated. There were a lot of single men on the staff, but even the married men had already been convinced that the power they held both allowed and required that they have affairs. Tonight was going to be that type of night, a party with wine and women.

Bill made the rounds being introduced to the women that had been brought in. He kept looking them up and down, trying to decide which one or ones he wanted to know better. The women were aggressively seeking to make themselves more desirable to him, they didn’t have a clue as to what price they would have to pay for him to be attracted to them.

Two and a half hours later and the phone in Bill’s office began to ring. Bill was occupied with one of the girls off in John’s office. John picked up the receiver. Hello.

Mr. President?

No, this is John Tulley.

Oh, John, this is Bob Day, Secret Service.

Bob, what can I do for you, the President is in a meeting and can’t be disturbed.

John, maybe you’d better disturb him, we have a problem with ‘The Rovers’.

John held his breath, those were the code names for Sharon and Billy. Hold on Bob, I’ll get the man.

Tulley looked at his watch. Not yet three hours, and they were calling that something was wrong. He knocked on the door to his office.

Who’s there, came the snarling voice of Bill Springer.

It’s me, Mr. President, I need to interrupt you, there’s been a problem with Rover. Can you come to the phone? He could hear swearing inside followed by a low voice as if someone were whispering. He couldn’t make out what was being said but he could be sure the President wasn’t happy.

President Springer came out into the hall, pushing his hair back into place with the fingers on his hand. John could see the blond head of someone sitting on his couch, the bare shoulders confirmed why the angry words. This better be important, he muttered as he walked to his office. He snatched the phone off the desk and held it to his ear. This is President Springer, who’s this?

Bob Day, sir, Secret Service. Sorry to upset you sir but we have a problem that I know you’d want to know about right away.

Springer wanted to know about the blond, who was this guy to ‘know’ what he wanted. It better be important, mister, or you’re in a bunch of trouble.

Sir, the plane that your wife and son are on has got a problem.

Damn, came out spontaneously from Springer. What’s happened?

Well sir, as of now, they’re nearly two hours out of Andrews and they’ve lost one engine, they have a problem with another and several warning lights are on. The pilot has already turned back and he’s dumping fuel.

Springer was listening. He was trying to figure out how to react. You keep on the line and keep telling me everything you know. What did you estimate, at least an hour until they’re back?

Day cupped his hand over the phone and Springer could hear him talking in the background. He finally came back, here’s the latest, they have lost two engines but that means they still have two. The pilot is losing altitude but he was over 35,000 so he calculates that he’s in good shape there, what he’s worried about is that his lights are telling him that his gear is down. He is sure it isn’t but he’s afraid that may mean that he won’t be able to bring it down when he needs it to land. Because of that, he wants to come in on foam and back here at Andrews. Would you like us to send a chopper?

Bill clinched his fist. Damn her, he thought, she can even make him miss a lay. He thought for a second. This one had seen too much all ready, he did have an hour. You go ahead and send the bird over here in, oh, about a half hour. I have a call to make, he needed an excuse. His mind went to the directive he’d sent out on checking out all the planes. He could see the reflection of a TV screen, CNN was already breaking the news about the problem. Yes, I have to brief my staff on what they can say, this is a delicate time, you understand.

Yes sir, a half hour, sir. The bird will be there. Mr. President, I’m sorry.

Day had no way of knowing that Bill Springer had begun to hang the phone up and never heard his words of condolence, nor did he know that they would mean nothing.

Springer turned to Tulley. The memo on the aircraft inspection. Pull it out and use it at the briefing, say we have full confidence in the plane to make it back OK but that I’m going to Andrews so I can standby to comfort my wife and child.

He walked back to finish what he’d started with the blond in Tulley’s office. It was too bad that she’d heard so much, this was not going to be the way Tulley had wanted this evening to end. Tulley used the few minutes to get the others on staff informed about the problem and that there was going to be a lot of press here real soon. They were able to hustle the girls out with them and their presence would never be a cause for comment, secretaries do work late. The girls were sent off and the aides were dispatched on to Andrews by car so that communications could be setup.

Springer came back to the Oval office about fifteen minutes later. By then Tulley had already walked into the briefing room and announced to the press members who were there that the President was leaving shortly for Andrews and was merely waiting for the helicopter. He wanted to be left alone but that because he had ordered General White to have all aircraft inspected and brought up to the same standards as Air Force One before allowing any of the staff or family members to fly them that President Springer felt that, although there was danger involved, this would turn out all right. He was confident the Air Force would pull off a safe landing.

Right on cue the big chopper could be heard coming up to the White House. Tulley walked out to the bird with Springer. The press could watch as the two men flashed concerned looks back and forth between one another. The noise of the rotors beating the air kept them from having a clue as to what they were saying. The photos would have to do the job and there were sure to be some capable of filling the front page of tomorrow morning’s editions, that is if there weren’t wreckage photos.

Springer leaned over to Tulley just before he climbed thru the doorway. I thought this was going to happen much further out? His anger was apparent by the bulging veins on his face and neck. You know, the crash crews at Andrews could throw a monkey wrench into these plans. He placed his hand onto the grab rail and put one foot up onto the step to swing himself aboard, he continued to speak though. The girl, you know what to do there don’t you? His tone was sarcastic.

Tulley nodded yes. He was concerned, it wasn’t his fault that they had engine failure. He’d taken care to make sure that the landing gear was never going to lock down. That’s what Bill had told him to do. The mechanic who’d done that job for them had no instructions for any engine problem. That was probably the reason that the warning lights were on. Now, they would get the gear down but even when it wasn’t locked in place those damn lights would be a warning. They’d probably take precautions. He’d already made the call to his operative and the mechanic would be dealt with. The money would be retrieved so as to obliterate any evidence. The cash would find it’s way into Bill’s accounts within a few months.

The girl, he’d have to take care of her all by himself. He walked back to his office, fielding questions from the reporters but waving most of them off. He needed to figure out his course of action.

He walked down the quiet corridor. All the hustle and bustle was now going to take place out in the public areas. That was it, he’d arrange to get a bus to move press and staff out to the airport. He needed to clear the area so he could get the woman out of his office and off the grounds. He opened the door of the office. She was stretched out, naked, on the couch. My God, he thought, did Bill kill her himself? But no, she stirred. He must have told her to stay there and she assumed the he was going to mount her again. She didn’t even attempt to get dressed but stayed there ready for his return. John shook her arm to awaken her. She awoke, startled, she quickly looked around and found her dress laying on the floor. She grabbed the dress and covered herself, she was ready for the President but she wasn’t expecting John.

Get dressed, The President asked me to take you home but I have to do it after I get the press out of here. Just make yourself comfortable. This could take a while. He turned his back on her to allow her some modicum of decency while she dressed. It made no difference any longer about what she might or might not overhear. He picked up the phone and spun his Rolodex. He focused in on a number while the dial tone blasted in his ear. He found the speed dial sequence that he needed and was connected with the Washington DC Transit Bureau. He made arrangements to get them to send a message to the next bus that was coming past the White House to discharge all passengers and pull in to pickup the press entourage and take them to Andrews Air Force Base. Then he sat down and watched the girl finish dressing. She was a very attractive woman, he’d expected no less. A tall blond, he guessed that she was probably in her early thirties. He really didn’t want to strike up a conversation with her, it was better that he knew very little about her.

What’s all the excitement about? He was caught off guard by her question. He’d been thinking about her in a different vein.

Oh, nothing for you to worry about. Just a little personal matter. But it drew a lot of unexpected press coverage so I need to create a diversion so you can get out without causing any problem. He was talking softly, he wanted to keep her at ease.

She took a brush from her purse and started to brush her long hair. Tulley was intrigued with her as she tossed her head back and brushed out the tangled hair. He wanted to get up and run his fingers thru her hair, he found her actions very attractive. I never expected this to happen tonight, she said, again catching Tulley by surprise. I thought I was just coming over for some pizza and an interview for a secretary’s position, they told me my job over at Treasury was a good qualification, she tossed back her head and smiled at John. I guess you might say that I really got a position I hadn’t planned on interviewing for.

Her smile reminded John of someone but he couldn’t figure out who. Damn, he thought, this wasn’t getting any easier. He stood up, excuse me, I need to check on the bus and get those press guys out of here. You don’t leave, there’s a washroom over there, he flipped the remote control from his desk over towards the couch, just watch some TV. I’ll lock the door, don’t let anyone in the room, I’ve got my own key.

She nodded that she understood his directions and sat back down on the couch, she draped one arm over the back of the couch and picked up the remote control with the other. He watched as she pointed the remote at the TV and he could hear the click as it was powered up. He pulled the door shut behind him and used his key to click the lock closed. He walked towards the press room.

The woman wasn’t surprised when CNN came up on the screen. These men usually left that running in their offices all day long, even her boss over at Treasury did that. If someone was important enough that they could have a TV in their office there must be some directive that it had to be on CNN, they must be contributors was the running joke around the government offices. Soles was on as the picture came into focus. They were showing a shot of a helicopter coming towards them. She picked up a magazine and started to thumb through it, not paying attention to the screen. . . . What I am told is that we are seeing the President’s helicopter approaching Andrews Air Force Base. As we reported earlier, about forty-five minutes ago we were informed that the plane carrying the First Lady, Sharon Springer and her’s and the President’s son, Billy, was on a trip to Bosnia. First one, then a second engine on her plane failed and the plane is limping back to Andrews for an emergency landing. The President was immediately notified, about forty-five minutes ago as I said, and has hurried to be here when the landing occurs. Our sources are a little conflicting here, one source says that the pilot is reporting several warning lights in the cockpit but the President’s spokesman, John Tulley, has announced that the White House has full confidence that this will be resolved safely since General White had all aircraft brought up to the same level of readiness that Air Force One is at. She had put down the magazine when she heard the timing. Forty-five minutes ago, she could still feel Bill Springer pawing his hands over her and that