Chapter 24

Jason looked around and noted that Ostara was keeping Selena down behind the tables, and the lieutenant had put himself between the one gunman and the ladies. They must have thought he had lost his mind when he turned to the one holding Mrs. Bandler.

“Well, as you can see, she isn’t here.” He took a sip of coffee as if nothing unusual was happening. “Maybe you would like to take a seat and have a bit to eat. At least a cup of coffee. It’s not half bad, considering it’s made in such a large amount. It takes a good amount of coffee knowledge to get it right.”

“You need to shut up and get with the others,” the one tightened his hold on Mrs. Bandler. She grunted.

“Please, Colonel, do what he says. I don’t want to be shot.”

Sipped the coffee and walked toward the tables. He set it down and then walked back, shrugging once again. “I don’t think that can happen. In fact,” he reached around and pulled the Sig from its holster. The barrel came up as the man behind Mrs. Bandler tried to hide more. “Now I can take out your three soldiers there and most likely the three waiting in the lobby before you can do anything.”

“Your bluffing,” he heard the change of tone. “Drop it or this woman dies now. It will be your fault.”

“And you soon after. One less politician in the world suits me. Now, do I shoot to kill, or maybe I will just maim you? Kneecap replacement while in federal prison could be interesting. Or maybe the feet. I might hit some toes that can’t be replaced. Have you ever seen a man try to walk without some toes?”

“You can’t take us out with that,” one behind yelled.

“Ah, is that because of your body armor or because you were told that I wouldn’t be armed or that I was, but the weapon would be non-functional.” Shuffling feet made him smile. “Well, boys and girls, wrong on both counts. See, I discovered the four issues with this weapon and had them repaired. I also replaced the bullets that I received with it. I had some armor-piercing rounds just lying around in a safe. Seemed a good time to break them out. They tend to hurt more since they cause the armor to mushroom into the body. Of course, if my aim is right, you won’t feel that part of the experience.” He swiveled around, aiming at each of the other three, but came back to the one with Mrs. Bandler.

He had dropped his arm around her chest to hide. Jason waved the gun in his hand into the air, drawing both Mrs. Bandler’s and her assailant’s attention. It was a chance, but he took two steps closer, pushing the weapon he carried into the front of his pants. He was close enough, and the sudden movement had the gunman try to adjust to fire at him. Jason was too close and grabbed at the gunman’s gun and yanked it down as he pushed his hostage to the right and out of the way. he twisted the hand with the gun, and the man screamed as it fell. He pulled back on the arm and up over the opposite shoulder before he kicked into the back of the knees. The man buckled, but Jason held him up in front of him.

“Now, let’s see how good your men are. Think they can take me out without hitting you?” he drew this weapon back out and jammed it into the man’s head. “Or I can save the court the trouble of a trial and blow your brains out here. Or use your body as a shield as I put a round in their heads. Either way, you are a dead man.”

The three men from the hall came in and looked lost as they looked at one another.

Jason sighed and shoved the man before him toward them as he brought up the weapon in his hand.

“That is enough, Colonel,” President Emmanuelle Romero commanded as she walked in surrounded by three secret service agents and followed by four other people, three men in uniform and a woman that looked remarkably like Mrs. Bandler.

Madam President. This isn’t wise. These armed men are a danger to everyone,” Jason said, backing toward them and keeping his arm up. He reached with his one hand and pulled back the slide on Sig. “back out now, I’ll deal with them.”

The President raised her hand, and one by one, the gunman took off the weapons and put them on the floor.

“There is no way he could have taken them all for real,” one of the Secret Service agents commented on the side.

Jason hefted the gun in his hand, shifting it to his other hand as his shoulders slumped in defeat. He broke the awkward silence by spinning around and drawing another gun from the small of his back. Seven seconds later, he had the Sig in his offhand, which was pointed at the agent’s head.

“Of course, that isn’t possible with this,” he said as he pulled the trigger. The click echoed in the room.

He shoved the two weapons at the head of the security detail and walked away. “We still having breakfast?” he walked over and poured another cup of coffee and then to where Ostara was getting everyone situated. The seven men were all trying to wipe the green liquid from their faces. He was partially concerned that Selena showed no sign of anything happening. The lieutenant looked paler.

“You are moving up; it’s Colonel now. Thought you didn’t like rank,” one of the officers came over

“Hello to you too, General Wickson. If I could have, I would have blocked it. I wasn’t aware of it happening until it was too late. Something that you and the others are well aware of.”

“It was time, Jason. You went longer than any other without a promotion. If it was anyone else, they would have been discharged already. This, you know.”

“I took myself out, General. That is something I suspect you are more aware of. I didn’t get too far with that.”

“The circumstances dictated the need. National security, Colonel. That, you know, takes a priority.”

“That General is any soldier’s priority. The protection of this country from any that would seek to do it harm.”

General Wickson nodded. “It’s good to see you training people again, Jason. I’m sure they are in good hands.”

“Thank you but hey are simple the staff assigned to me. Another matter I couldn’t get in front of before it happened. I am not training anyone.

“Of course not. It’s good to see that you haven’t lost your touch. You will have to come for a visit and meet the newest recruits, they exceeded expectations. I hear even the Army has some with potential.” General Wickson laughed and walked away heading to the other side of the room.

“You three, okay?” he asked with a sigh.

Ostara cocked her head toward the men splatted with paint. “Better than they are.”

“Perhaps a bit overkill, but sometimes one needs to make a point. Isn’t that right, Madam President?” He turned toward her.

The President laughed. “A fine presentation, Colonel. But I agree, it was a little over the top at the end there.” She faced the inside of the room. “Please get some food, sit, and eat. Due to our demonstration this morning, the meeting has been pushed back an hour. Take your time and eat your fill. It is going to be a long day.” She waved to the buffet and turned back to Jason, who was looking slightly puzzled. “Something wrong, Colonel?”

“Wrong, no; unexpected, yes. In the times I have been to the White House, I have never seen any buffet being served. Even in formal lunches are plated.”

“With me, Colonel.” She said and started walking. Jason paused only to nod to Ostara to get them to get food again. “I am not like any other President, Colonel. I would have thought that you would have known that.” She handed him a plate from the stack and went forward. “It’s not a common event. We needed fast and easy. This is what we came up with. Even a president can enjoy the simple things and not need to be catered to.”

“And it’s a touch cheaper, too.”

“More a reminder, Colonel. That no matter how high up we are, we shouldn’t forget the simple things. If we do, we tend to start to think we are above those we are here to serve. The occasional reminder that we are no better than anyone else hopefully keeps us grounded.”

“Wise words, Madam President. That is good to say, but not always easy to follow. Too many obstacles of our own making get in the way.”

She stopped and became very serious. “You are here to help me remove some of those obstacles Colonel. I hope that we can make sure things like this do not happen again.” She waved to where the others were. “Sit with your people. I’m looking forward to meeting the not Private Lopez.”

She walked away and joined General Wickson, the General from the Airforce and the Admiral from the Navy that had been with her when she walked in.

They hadn’t been seated long when Jason pulled out his cell and searched for a number he hadn’t used in a long time. He didn’t expect the answer as fast as it came but typed another message. Instead of sending it, he slid his phone over to Ostara. She looked curious but read what was there. She pushed it back and only nodded.

Jason had to encourage the three of them to get up and get more food a half-hour later. He saw a chance and stood himself, going back to the coffee pot.

“You clean up well, Kelsey,” he said as he poured a cup.

“Taking a chance, they will hear,” she said a little nervously.

“I doubt they can hear anything even if any of the electronics here are operational. In either case, it’s not unheard of for people to talk after this type of ‘event.’ I do appreciate the heads up.”

“It didn’t seem right. Like they were looking for something bad.”

“I’m sure they were.” He smiled and nodded. “I trust the experience was not too traumatic for you,” he said with a quick change of tone and topic as Lieutenant Carlson walked over.

“No, A little startling, of course. I wasn’t expecting it to be so loud.”

“Not as loud as it could have been. But yes, it was louder than it should have been. So, did they just bring you in for the show, or do you work here as well?”

She seemed off guard with the question. “I’m not officially a staffer, but I have been employed by the President to assist in what areas I can. I have filled in for assistants in just about all the west wing offices. I am an event planner by profession, but I have a love of history and its keeping. The President wants to record her term in as many ways as possible. She makes time to videotape or be photographed once a week or more, depending, of course, on the happenings that can prevent it. I’ve put my career on hold to be here to help her record her part in history. There’s been a lot, and now I have to find ways to put it all together. Maybe find a direction to try to take it.”

The Lieutenant stood patient, and Jason finally looked at him. “Something wrong, Lieutenant?”

“No, sir. Nothing wrong. The captain said you have her doing something after this. I was wondering what I should be doing.”

Jason sipped the coffee that he had been holding as if he had forgotten. “Well, you could come to the meeting with me. Formally meet the President.” He laughed as the color drained out of the Lieutenant’s face.

It reminded him of the first, second, and third times he met a president. It was an intimidating moment then, and none of them were history-makers. “Relax, Lieutenant. The President hasn’t called for either of you. I wouldn’t bring you in there without her request.” He shook his head. “Of course, my manners. Ms. Kelsey Bandler, this is Lieutenant Brian Carlson. The Lieutenant and you have a lot in common. He two has multiple skills for various jobs. His primary job for the army is Combat Documentation & Production Specialist.”

He waited a moment. “Lieutenant, I have a task for you as well. I have a feeling we will be here longer than I hoped. Somewhere, there is an empty office or two we can use. If you would, please find it. I just don’t know who you would talk to about it. Perhaps you can find someone to help you. You can get us set up with all the standard equipment. Then just wait. Maybe take a look around the white house. It should be a tour you can take. Once the meeting is done and I have a better idea of what we are doing, we can make other plans.”

He stepped aside and then up beside Carlson. “Try not to stare so much, Lieutenant. She’s not going to vanish.” He left them both standing there. He went back to the table and sat. Selena was super quiet. Ostara was just waiting, toying with what little food was left on her plate.

“Why is no one leaving? They are just sitting or standing, waiting around,” Selena finally asked. Ostara patted her on the shoulder and pointed across the room. “No one will leave because the President is still here,” Selena said in answer to her question.

“She is waiting on something. Her assistant has been checking her phone every three minutes. She is getting ready, though. She may want to wait but can’t much longer.”

It wasn’t long at all. It was one more phone check before the assistant nodded and got up to cross the room to them.

“Colonel Myer, President Romero will be going to the oval office shortly. She wishes for you and private Lopez to join her there in fifteen minutes. The rest of your staff can wait here of course but they are free to look around as long as they don’t interrupt staffers.”

Jason pulled up his bag and pulled out his tablet. “We will wait for the escort. Both the Lieutenant and captain will need one as well as I have assigned them a task to do outside this room.” He called up a program on the tablet and set it in front of Selena. “Just follow and answer the questions,” he told her.

“Colonel?” the assistant asked confused.

“We were escorted through security. None of us have a security pass or even a simple visitor pass. Since this is the room that we were brought to, it is the room we have to stay in. Unless, of course, security has changed policies with the new administration. I’d rather not have an issue with security or the Secret Service when I walk out of here.” He polished off the cup of coffee he had. “You may also want to have the staff check the coffee urns. I’m not sure, but that last cup was a little cold. But some do like it that way.”