Chapter 18

“You asked for me?” Bowling says, stepping into the president’s office.

“Yes,” McKinsey says, looking up. “Sit down please.”

Bowling maneuvers his way to a chair near the couch where the president is sitting. “What’s the situation?”

“I’ve been receiving calls from members of Congress about our nonexistent department hiding in the basement of the FBI building,” McKinsey says.

“It’s been all over the news all day,” Bowling acknowledges. “The media is having a field day with it.”

“I know,” the man says with a heavy sigh. “And it’s the last problem we need right now. “I don’t know what to do about it. Congress wants to know who is responsible for creating it and why. The people are going to want the same answers. But you and I know what it is. Is everyone else ready to learn it?”

Bowling sits there thinking for a moment before finding the right words. “It’s really no different than them learning that extraterrestrial life exists. It is why we created the new branch of military in the first place.”

“Aliens are one thing, John,” the president argues. “These creatures that have been hiding on this world, intermingling with people for millennia is another. It’s like learning that instead of just visiting us, the alien were living with us.”

“That’s a frightening thought,” the chief of staff says with a shudder. “But that is why it was created.”

“I don’t want to be the president that has to undo it,” McKinsey complains. “I don’t want to be responsible for unleashing them on the world.”

“I understand,” Bowling sympathizes. “We’ll just have to make a plan. We’ll curve the story in a way that will make the people understand. You’ll have full deniability.”

“No, I’ll take responsibility for knows,” McKinsey counters. “So will everyone else that knows about it. We have possibly a greater threat to overcome too.”

“Something worse than this fiasco?” Bowling questions.

“Who leaked this?” the president says, looking intensely at his chief of staff.

“It could be any number of people with the clearance for it,” the man quickly says. “Or it could be an aide that stumbled upon it, maybe even dug deeper, searching for an answer and didn’t like what they found.”

“That’s a possibility,” the president considers. “Regardless this needs to be learned and tapered off before any more damage is caused.”

“I shall get someone right on it then.” The chief of staff announces.

“No,” McKinsey says flatly. “I want you to head this investigation. I know it’s not your job, but there is no telling who we can trust at this point. If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have appointed you.”

Bowling feels precariously close to being found out, but heading the investigation does give him a way out. It may even give him the opportunity to eliminate a rival or two. “Then I will find the answers,” he says. “We will weather this storm.”

“This isn’t the only storm we face,” McKinsey suddenly warns.

“Excuse me?”

“When I spoke to the director of the TDF earlier, he stated that he isn’t entirely positive his team will be able to bring Sara back alive. They are certain that this goes beyond terrorism and they are the only ones equipped to deal with the threat.” The president shakes his head, hanging it low. “I have a duty to the people, John. But I also have a duty to my family. If I fail my daughter, if I let her die, then I cannot serve the people. I cannot sacrifice one for the many. It’s just not something that as a father I can do.” He stops and stands, walking over to the window. “What am I to do, John? I made a promise to the people that we’d solve this problem. If we don’t I will fail them as well as my daughter.”

“What are your plan then, David?” the chief of staff asks.

McKinsey turns around. The weariness dissipates slowly from the man’s face. Suddenly he seems more energized than before. “My plan is simple. I gave full authority to the TDF. I authorized them to use whatever means necessary to find and capture or eliminate this threat.”

“You cannot do that without Congress’ approval,” Bowling says, wanting to shout at the man. “We were just talking of making a plan. This could ruin you, could ruin everything.”

“Maybe so,” the president agrees. “But if it’s a war they want, it’s one they will get. We have enough on our pate dealing with terrorists and aliens. We don’t need another force to contend with and we certainly do not need to waste time and energy covering up their actions or keeping them a secret anymore.”