Chapter 14

“The White House has seen its share of troubles these last few days. Today, however, has been its hardest blow. First we have seen the assassination of Senator David Rustlin followed by the death of former TDF director, Roger Cornelius. As if these attacks weren’t brutal enough, Secretary of Defense Henry Rylings was brutally killed in his own vehicle along with his driver on Virginia Avenue this afternoon. We have not received an official word from White House officials as of yet. We can only speculate that these attacks were caused by the mysterious assassin that attacked the president recently. This is Debra Hall, reporting live just outside the White House. Back to you, Jenny.”

President McKinsey turns off the television and sits on the arms of the couch in his office for a few minutes, silently. FBI director, Todd Nichols sits on another couch opposite of the one that the president occupies. “What’s the status on Doug Wiltkins and Mike Grines?” he asks the FBI man.

Nichols blows out a sigh before answering. “Wiltkins is currently in a coma. He suffered several broken bones, but provided he pulls out of the coma, he should be fine. As far as Grines is concerned, he has a minor concussion. For whatever reason the assassin had, she spared his life. Every other agent and police officer weren’t as fortunate. I would suggest we move you and your wife to someplace safer, considering the threat the assassin made before she left.”

“No,” McKinsey says with a quick shake of his head. “If she is able to find the new location of the TDF, hiding me isn’t going to help.”

“Doubling the amount of Secret Service or adding more of my men isn’t going to help either,” Nichols argues, thinking about how the assassin tore through those on Virginia Avenue. “If anything, it’s going to get more people killed unnecessarily.”

“Yes, yes,” the president says, waving his hand. “I don’t like having to put good men and women at risk any more than you do. Hopefully we won’t need to worry about the loss of life.”

“What do you mean?” Nichols inquires, his curiosity piqued.

“Roger Cornelius was one of the most prepared people I have ever met,” McKinsey begins to explain with a sorrow to his tone. “He apparently had contact in places not even I was aware of. One of those contacts is what we are going to be counting on.”

“I don’t follow, sir,” Nichols says, clearly not on par with the president.

“You will, Todd,” McKinsey says grinning. “All too soon, you will.”