Chapter 20

By the time Mike Grines, Director of the TDF, enters the Oval Office, it is already a full house. Grines left two of his agents just outside the White House doors and two more just outside the Oval Office with the contingent of Secret Service agents already lining the hall. Waiting with President McKinsey is the Vice President, Ulfr Hawke, and FBI Director, Todd Nichols. He nods to both men as he enters, but neglects to acknowledge either of the other two men present.

McKinsey stands and walks around his desk to meet him half way, and as they shake hands the president points to the two men and says, “I have invited Horacio Rodriquez, Director of the Secret Service, and one of my aides Mr. Lazar Lapinsky, here for our little meeting. I hope you don’t mind.”

Grines gives the president a broad smile. “No, not at all,” he says sounding very convincing. In his mind though, he knows things are only getting worse and he is regretting not bringing more agents with him. He only hopes Melissa Dupree and Jonathan Stone make it back to headquarters to receive their forwarding instructions before anything gets out of hand here. “Shall we get started?”

McKinsey returns the smile. “Of course.” He then gestures toward the couches where the other four men are already sitting.

“I imagine the reason I am here is because of the incident that took place in France,” Grines says before either of them are fully sat on the couch.

McKinsey is about to speak when Todd Nichols steps in. “May I?” he ask looking straight at the president.

“Go ahead.”

“That is just one of the reasons,” Nichols says turning his attention to the TDF Director. “It’s turning into quite the international incident which is going to be hard enough to deal with...”

“You mean cover up,” Grines says interrupting using a straight face.

Nichols’ face flashes a sign of irritation, but he ignores the comment and continues. “But what we can’t ignore is the fact that your agents have killed several French officials.”

“Now hold on just a damn minute,” Grines says as calmly as he can. “You are not about to tell me your people haven’t analyzed that video yet.”

“As a matter of fact we have,” Rodriquez says. “And the footage is remarkably real and unaltered. So if it has been faked or pieced together it was done remarkably well and with something technological wise that we don’t have yet.”

Grines is shocked. This is not what he expected to hear, and as he is racking his mind for something to say, Nichols continues. “It’s not just the video,” he says. “We have witnesses at the both scenes, plus satellite imaging.”

“Witnesses?” Grines asks almost laughing. “I’m real sure that if you found some people in that crowd that actually stuck around they’d have different stories and different footage.”

“We have something better,” Nichols says with a smile. “We have Section 8.”

At the mention of the organization, Grines’ eyes go wide, not with shock, but with another blow of unexpectedness. How has Section 8 stretched its reach this far?

“I’m surprised your Intel didn’t turn up the fact your agents ran into Colonel Pierson,” Nichols says mockingly knowing better. “Or are you losing grip of your own organization? If so then you always have the option of plausible deniability.”

Grines’ face instantly turns hard. “You’re fucking kidding me right?”

Nichols clasps his hands in front of him and looks around to the other men in the room ending at the president. Grines follows the man’s gaze to McKinsey and the room falls silent for what feels like eternity.

“It’s an offer that I’m not comfortable with, Mike, but you and the TDF have done this country a lot of good over the years, but this incident is far too extensive to cover up,” McKinsey explains. “If it were Roger Cornelius sitting right there, I’d offer him the same deal.”

“If it were Roger,” Grines says, “we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Perhaps not, but we have to face the facts. You’ve screwed up and I’m going to take the heat on this, as I should, and I will also have to clean it up.”

“And what happens to my agents?”

“We hunt them down and bring them to justice unless you rather the French government do so,” Nichols puts in.

The TDF director swings his heads around and glares hard at the man. “This sounds like another FBI witch hunt.”

The man smiles. “It may seem that way, Mike, but how long before the people expect to see justice and how long before your agents are tied to the New World Regime?”

Grines stands up and says, “I’m sorry gentlemen but this conversation is over and I’ll be taking my leave.”

Rodriquez and Nichols are on their feet at the same time. “Then I’m going to have to regret to say, but because of a joint investigation between the FBI and the Secret Service, I have to put you under arrest,” Nichols says as Rodriquez pulls out a pair of handcuffs.

Grines smiles and says, “I had a feeling you were going to say that,” as he pushes a button on his watch.

Two seconds later the door to the Oval Office bursts open and the two agents he placed there enter. Everyone in the room looks toward the door, expecting to see Secret Service agents enter. Instead they see them lying on the ground either dead or unconscious.

“Ah, we’re all dead!” Lapinsky shouts as he climbs over the top of the couch.

McKinsey is on his feet rushing toward his desk while both Nichols and Rodriquez start to draw their guns. Grines, defenseless, prepares to make his move against the two men when suddenly the entire building rocks from an explosion.

Angela Veris presses a booted foot on the female TDF agent’s chest, forcing her to cough blood up violently. Armed men dressed in tactical gear, employed by the Sanguine Consortium, rush past her into the White House. She looks over to Delgrious as he approaches, “It looks like we may have a little more of a challenge here than we expected.”

He straightens his tie. “Not a problem we should be worried about.”

“Who says I’m worried?” she asks turning back to the agent. She points her pistol at the woman and unloads three shots into her head, licking her lips as a smile crosses her face.

“If only all humans were like you, we’d already have this world taken,” Delgrious says, leaving the human behind.

Angela shrugs and quickly runs to catch up. The two walk at a steady pace through the hallways passing bloody corpses, trashed furniture and spent ammunition without incident and listening to the chatter of the various teams over their headsets. The Sanguine Consortium’s tactical team has been successful in clearing halls and so far Delgrious and Angela have only seen a handful of their own scattered here and there.

By the time they reach the hall leading to the Oval Office, a five man team is in a firefight with small group of Secret Service agents. The walls are littered with bullet holes and smoke from a small fire that erupted before being extinguished and a large number of dead agents.

“What is the problem, Commander?” Delgrious asks as he and Angela round the corner.

The squad leader drops back from the firefight to be heard over the gunfire. “Last stand before we can get to the president!”

“That’s not what I asked,” the Goji says calmly, but the suggested anger shows behind his eyes.

The man visibly shudders and that brings a smile to Angela’s face. “We’ve taken out several of them, but they were able to settled in. Now we’re at a standstill, and unless we can get around or another team can, we’re not getting through.”

“Where ever there exit is, none of the teams are going to be able to get there,” Angela remarks as she scans over the blueprints of the White House on her tablet.

Delgrious just smiles and within seconds his clothes shred as he changes from his human form and into his real form. “With Aurelia the world doesn’t withstand a chance.“ He holds out his clawed hand. “Rísa feigr sál eða þjóna ykkarr allvaldr.“

Suddenly, and to the dismay of each side, the fallen dead begin to rise up off the carpeted floor. The Secret Service agents momentarily cease firing as they are in sudden disbelief as to what is happening. Then the silence is broken once again by gunfire as the newly walking dead turn toward the agents with ferocity. In just a matter of seconds the remaining Secret Service agents are overrun.

The Goji turns toward the commander. “Now Commander, that wasn’t too hard. You may proceed, but do keep the President alive, I do believe Miss Veris here would enjoy killing him herself.”

The squad leader gives his acknowledgement and the team heads down the hall. Angela, heavily jubilant says, “You honor me, Delgrious.”

He gives her a grin that gives him a most evil appearance. “The only thing that gives me greater pleasure than killing a human is watching one kill another and taking pleasure while doing it.“

“Then I won’t disappoint,” she says.

The two turn toward the end of the hall just in time to see the door to the Oval Office blow open and the headless body of the commander of the five man squad being sent out into the hall.

“What the fuck?” Angela manages to say before Delgrious disappears.

Five minutes before Nichols had his pistol out faster than Grines expected him to, and quickly chose to dive over the side of the sofa just as the FBI Director began unleashing a torrent of bullets at him. The bullets tore into the fabric, shredding the material. Rodriquez was about to object, but was forced to turn his attention to the two TDF agents barging into the room. “Get the presidents under cover, damn it!” he yelled as he charged the two men.

“That won’t be necessary,” Vice President Hawke said, pulling a pistol from his jacket.

“Ulfr, what are you doing?” McKinsey asked.

Hawke ignored the man and Lapinsky quickly rushed to the president’s side. “You’d be best, sir, to just have a seat at your desk.” McKinsey began to protest, but Lapinsky forcefully grabbed him and pushed him toward the desk, shoving him into the chair. “I said it is best to sit the fuck down, sir!”

Hawke leveled the pistol with Rodriquez’s head and fired. The bullet hit the back of his head, slamming him forward unexpectedly. The unexpectedness flashes on the faces of the two TDF agents, as well, and as they adjusted to the new threat. Hawke was already firing two more shots, ending the lives of the two agents.

“Come out, come out, Grines,” Nichols taunted. “I promise not to shoot you right away.”

Hawke turned around to regard the FBI Director. “Quit playing with him, the Sanguine will have the building secure within a matter of minutes.”