Chapter 494

I started to open the door only to have it pulled open, then a hand on my shoulder almost dragging me out.

“Here, put this on,” it was one of the new body armor vests being held for me.

“Ed, what the hell is going on?” I asked.

“PUT IT ON,” he yelled. Even though I was wearing a different style under my shirt, I did not argue.

As soon as it on and secured, one of the helmets was shoved at me. Then I was hustled by both Ed and Bill to the right side and into the second row seat. Two of the Mossad ladies piled into the rear seat behind me, Ed into the seat beside me and another Mossad in the right front seat.

“Go, Go, Go,” Ed shouted. They were wearing ear wicks. The Suburban lurched as tires were squealing.

“Where are your phones? Turn them off and take the batteries out,” Ed directed.

“Ed, what the hell is going on?” I asked as I was dealing with the phone instructions.

“There were 2 assassination and 2 death threats against you called into the office today. Robert has been working on the numbers. One call was from a satellite phone that was one number different from the Prince’s. Two of the others numbers were in the inactive numbers off Saif’s phone,” Ed replied.

“Why wasn’t I told earlier?” I asked.

“You were as safe as possible as long as you were in the White House, it gave us time to plan and organize. The White House will not supply the kind of security we are going to,” Ed replied.

“But a VIP Charlie response on the White House grounds with FM-9 machine guns?” I replied.

“As John Wayne would say, this audacious display of fire power may cause some less intelligent person to think twice about trying anything,” Ed replied.

A JBG security ‘VIP Charlie’ response protocol required that everyone on the team to exit the vehicle any time the vehicle stopped, shoulder the weapons and scan all directions. It required no less than four JBG security guards at all times and that the individual wear class A body armor.

A ‘Delta’ response was the highest and that response required that any vehicle movements be monitored by one of our choppers.

JBG has been doing two or three personal protection details a month since we had provided the security for the political debate. Since the terrorist attacks escalated and new violent opposition to anything sensible, it was two or three a week.

Under Ching Lee and Vicky’s guidance they had expanded by covering very wealthy clients, foreign dignitaries, Senators and Representatives. I no longer knew some of the people working in security other than they were all ex-military and very muscular.

I hit the control to turn on the little 10 x 10 flat screen TV - they were used to pacify kids on long trips by playing DVDs - this one also had satellite connection. I turned on ZNN; the media was always watching who came and went into the White House parking area.

“BREAKING NEWS; Now to Melinda Schaffer at the White House; Melinda what happened?”

“Ambassador Jones was hustled from the White House parking exit by a heavily armed group. Was she kidnapped or arrested? No one seems to know. A shaken Secret Service is scrambling to find answers of an event that happened before their eyes in just 90 seconds. The assistant Chief of Staff is to address the media in minutes.”

“Melinda, you witnessed the event, we are going to run the clip for you. What stands out?” the news desk asked.

“The speed in which it was done in and the aggressiveness was troubling. It looks like they dragged the Ambassador out of the driver’s seat and almost threw her into a back seat and took off. They had a lot of people there.”

Ed handed me a phone, “Robert transferred your contact list to a new phone. He wants to check out the one you have before it is used again.”

“I need to call Troy before he goes on the air.”

“Snyder.”

“Troy, BJ I’m OK,” I said.

“I’m with the President. Let me put you on speaker; what the hell is going on?”

I explained what I had been told.

“You should have told us, we could have provided security,” the President said.

“They didn’t even tell me until I was in the back seat of the Suburban. I plan on being there in the morning; I will know more and we can discuss the options then,” I replied.

Troy made the address to overflowing media room; short and sweet.