Chapter 53

We got busy and Sam just sort of pitched in to help. Don Young was the Secretary at Treasury, so I spoke with him about the investigation. “You will want to be very visible from now until this thing dies down. Take a large team and make sure you finish what you start.

I looked at Hawk, and said, “Do you want to head to Kansas and represent the administration, or should I?”

His face closed down while he thought about it. “Why don’t you take Sam with you and use the distraction of the shooting to give you cover as you introduce the new Ag Secretary? It will be shorten any trouble with the press to have the former President start out fast, taking the reins of a mass shooting in his home state? With DHS under Agriculture, that makes Sam their new boss and everything just sort of fits like you planned it that way.”

He was right, and soon Jennifer, Sam, Charger and I were headed for Forbes Field in Topeka to visit the scene, offer comfort and support, and make sure everybody does their jobs. “Stacy, please expedite notification to all agencies and have a press release issued announcing that President Brownbock is the new Secretary of Agriculture.”

Turning to Sam, I said, “Mr. Secretary, please take charge of the shooting and make sure everybody knows that you are in charge.”

While flying to Kansas we were updated as information became available. Ten Muslim extremists walked into West Ridge Mall and randomly opened fire on shoppers. Mall Security and Topeka City Police were conveniently nearby and returned fire, driving the terrorists into an open area, where they were sitting ducks for the massive response by local and area police.

Eventually the terrorists ran out of ammunition and the survivors were arrested but not without incident. Several suspects attacked Police with tables, chairs and anything not nailed down, forcing police to shoot two additional terrorists before the others surrendered. Before the entire group could be rounded up, one gunman detonated a suicide bomb and killed himself and two terrorists, while wounding four officers. The wounded were taken to area hospitals and the terrorists were taken into custody by Homeland Security Officers that were headquartered in Topeka.

Air Force One was met by a battalion of security. It seemed like the entire federal branch contributed to the protection force. Sam waved to the crowd, gave a short speech, thanking Hawk and me for welcoming him back to public service and turning over the podium to me. While flying in, we had a chance to dig into the facts of the shooting and receive updates from the field. My speech was going to be hard edged and pointed.

“Folks ... America has had a very bad day. Whenever one of our own is cut down, for no reason other than that they were present, we all hurt. Nothing we are experiencing compares to the hurt and suffering of those wounded and fighting for life, and those just discovering that their loved ones were among the fallen.

“America is strong because Americans are compassionate and loving. Our strength comes from our ability to hurt with our fellow citizens and I am asking you to set aside all the things that separate us as a nation, and offer your thoughts, prayers and especially your help to those whose pain far outweighs anything that could drive us apart.

“Our investigative people tell me that the terrorists who killed your family, friends and neighbors are all from Afghanistan and that the surviving shooters claim that this attack is directly related to the attempted nuclear attack in Pakistan.

“As you know, our forces traced the attack to a small terror cell in Afghanistan and combined units of our Air Force and Army engaged those terrorists and neutralized them before they could launch additional rockets against civilians in Pakistan.

“Often terrorists lie about their motivations and intentions, so we will take their claims with a grain of salt. To quote former President Reagan, ‘We will trust but verify.’

“To you folks, here in Topeka, Kansas and all across America, I say this; We will hunt down and end this terror cell with the same brutal intentions with which we took down those terrorists in Afghanistan.

“With me today is your former Congressman, Senator, Governor and our former Vice President and President, Sam Brownbock...” I had to wait while the crowd cheered like it was the Final Four and the University of Kansas was playing.

“President Brownbock has selflessly agreed to serve as our new Secretary of Agriculture. His office will coordinate the investigation and our response to this terror attack in his home town. I know you can’t wait to see him back at work in your community. We wish him well, just as all of you do, too.

“We promise to keep you updated as events unfold and we further investigate this tragic event. We are with you all. Our hearts are heavy because of what these terrorists have chosen to do and I personally promise that we will not rest until these savages are in a prison cell, or a casket!” The applause was deafening as Sam and I were escorted away from the crowd.

Jennifer and I were choppered to the hospital to offer comfort and encouragement to the wounded civilians and officers. Sam stayed to get to work. I called the duty officer at Homeland Security and ordered them to send the Secretary’s “G” to catch up with Sam in Topeka, for his use, complete with some assistants to help him with the heavy lifting. He was going to be fine and a crisis at the start will give him a good look at the entire upper staff. By the time he got back to Washington he should have a pretty good idea of the changes that he needed to make.