“Any reports of criminal activity like looting, robbing, or other crimes?”
“Yes. Occasionally you can hear shots off in the distance. We also understand that all of downtown L.A. has been ransacked; but once again, we are unable to get our cameras in certain closed off areas.”
“Do you feel like you are being censored, Brian?” John asked.
“Definitely John, definitely.”
“Okay Brian, Standby; we may get back to you.”
“Now let’s turn to our Washington correspondent, Debbie Cochran. She is outside Camp David where certain members of Congress, the President’s Cabinet, and the President himself, have been holed up since 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time this morning. Debbie?”
“Hello John. We are still outside the gates of Camp David here in Maryland. We have all been here since around 10:00 this morning. You can see around, me all the news vans from about every news media or agency you could think of. They, like us, are waiting to see if anyone from inside is going to make any kind of statement. The only unusual thing that happened today is that Ken Giles, the Attorney General, left the camp several hours ago in a limousine. It was assumed he was going back to Washington; but he has disappeared and has not gotten in touch with anyone since. He was expected at his office around five or so, but has yet to show up.”
“Do you know who is present there at Camp David with the President?”
“Well, there are the President, his immediate staff, his Cabinet, the Majority and Minority Leaders of Congress. We are also under the impression that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are here. There are also rumors that they are spending the night and will not disperse until tomorrow morning, at the earliest. Oh, and some professors in meteorology are here. One, I think, is from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. His name is Professor Eugene Rawlins.”
“Thanks, Debbie. We will get back to you later. Please stand by.”
“Before we break for a commercial, I want our viewers to understand something I am seeing. I think there is something going on and we are not being told what the government may be planning, not only in California, but also at Camp David. Whatever it is, I personally believe it will affect the individual freedom of every American citizen. We will be right back.”
Chapter 92
6:38 PM EST Day two of 1260 Camp David, Maryland - Conference Room
Jamal, like the others there at Camp David, had settled down to a dinner set up in the conference room after the seemingly unending monotone presentation of General Stoups for the past few hours. They had set up a couple of wide screen TVs. Bear News was on one screen and The Network on the other. Almost everyone was watching the Bear newscast and John Roddenburg, who was a pain for the administration, broadcasting live from Kansas City in anticipation of Jack’s Rally on Thursday night. Jack had everyone’s interest.
The volume on The Network broadcast was very low and Jamal had to strain to hear the words being said. He thought about switching over to subtitles, but decided to move closer to the monitor instead. After grabbing his plate and moving to the other end of the table, and hearing what was being said he immediately found the remote and turned up the volume.
Brad Williams was saying, “In other news today, we have learned through our sources that Jack South, the alleged Witness from God, had made an illegal trip to Israel by landing a private jet near Zeta, Israel, which is near the Israeli-Jordanian border. It is believed that he then took a troop transport truck to a mountainous area where he disappeared for a time with an unknown Israeli accomplice, only known as Veronica. After returning later, they took off again on their private jet and were starting to leave Israeli Airspace over the Mediterranean when Israeli jets forced them to land at Ramat David Air Force Base in Northern Israel.”
“It has further been reported that the Israelis detained Jack South on illegal entry into the country and he was temporarily detained in a holding cell at the base. President Richard Stevenson, on hearing of the situation, contacted the Israeli authorities and agreed to offer Israel the controversial new bombers designed and built by Lockheed as ransom for his release. We have not yet confirmed this, but the sources that we have are quite reliable.”
“Also, this is just in.” Brad looked at a piece of paper handed to him, and then back at the camera with a somber face. “Ken Giles, Attorney General of the United States, has been found shot to death. A farmer who was checking his fence about eight miles from Camp David found his body late today. Local authorities and the FBI are on site and we have one of our correspondents, Mike Bloomer, in the area. Mike?”
“Yes, Brad. As you can see, the entire area is taped off and an investigation is underway. What we know for sure is that Attorney General Ken Giles was at Camp David earlier, but had ordered a limousine from the government carpool to return him to Washington, at around 2:30 p.m. today. Ken had called his assistant and told her that he expected to be there between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m., at the latest.”
“Did she contact the authorities about him being missing?”
“No, she did not. She thought that he might have taken a detour prior to coming to the office.”
“Any word on where the limousine originated from or where it is now?”
“We don’t know any details Brad. We do know that the limo came from the Camp David Government carpool. The local sheriff and the FBI are on site collecting information, and the vehicle is still here.”
“Do you know if his family has been contacted as yet?”
“No, we don’t know that either.”
“Thanks Mike.” Brad turned to the camera, “That was Mike Bloomer reporting from a field about eight miles from Camp David, where authorities have confirmed that Ken Giles, Attorney General of the United States, has been found shot to death. As we get more news on this, we will pass it on to you.”
Jamal noticed that everyone was now watching The Network for two reasons. One, it appeared that Brad Williams had suggested the President had paid a ransom to spring Jack South and two, Ken Giles was dead.
Chapter 93
7:55 PM EST Day two of 1260 Camp David, Maryland - President Richard Stevenson’s Office
President Stevenson, Jamal, and Press Secretary, Christopher Hughes were huddled together in the private office allocated to the President when he was at Camp David. They had been discussing both the accusation of the bribe with Israel and the apparent murder of Ken Giles.
Chris was saying, “Mr. President, I know we have a news blackout for this meeting, but we need to say something to the press. They are camped outside the gates and we are not going to get out of here without talking to them. We need to at least have an impromptu press conference to give a statement on both of these issues and then try to avoid any further problems.”
“I know,” Stevenson said. “I do realize that we have to say something. I suppose that first off we need to address Ken Giles’ murder and send condolences to the family.” He hesitated, then said, “Regarding the bribe, as it is being called, we need to white wash it and try and make it seem like it was going to happen anyway. I realize the Iranians are going to be all over this, but they are under sanctions and we do not pay that much attention to them anyway. There will be some saber rattling, which is normal, and some bad press, but I doubt if this would result in a congressional hearing of any sorts; at least not now.”
Jamal said, “I wonder if it got out that you asked for Ken’s resignation today. I mean Camp David is not quite as secure as the White House.”
“I doubt it Jamal, but then I see your point. We could be getting set up. So maybe we might just want that to come out anyway. However, the problem is that conspiracy reporters, like John Roddenburg, will just read a lot more into it than there is. I know for sure that none of us gave an order to dispose of Ken.”
“Anyone you can think of who had reason to have done this?” Chris asked.
“No, not really. I mean, he was attorney general and that means that he made enemies everywhere
. It could have been any number of people.” Stevenson thought back to what Aafre had said only the day before, and that made him shudder.
It was quiet for a moment while everyone seemed in deep thought, then Stevenson broke the silence, “Here is what we are going to do…”
Chapter 94
7:00 PM CST Day two of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Liberty Memorial, Anchor Desk
During the top of the hour commercial break John Roddenburg was handed a dispatch about Ken Giles, the Attorney General. With the knowledge that the AG was the only one to leave Camp David that morning, he would normally have gone on the air and started questioning circumstantial evidence. Questions such as why Giles was the only person who left the camp, and was there an issue between him and the President. That would be an easy one, for it was common knowledge that Stevenson did not care for Giles. His appointment of Ken as Attorney General was forced down his throat. That would make for good press.
He then looked at the comment or accusation made on The Network about Jack South and the Israelis and a bribe. That was another story that he would normally jump right on, for his primary strength had always been attacking the government and feeding conspiracies. What was strange to him was that normally, The Network and Brad were Stevenson’s primary champions. They usually took the support road with his administration and this bribe had not been confirmed by any known sources other than The Network’s. This was out of character for them, very much out of character. There was something going on.
He leaned over to his producer, Donald MacKee and said, “I think this is going to force a press conference at Camp David. We will interrupt the broadcast to go live immediately if that happens, so make sure Debbie Cochran knows she needs to be ready, and not leave Camp David until we say.”
“Will do, Jack; and by the way what do you think about this “Jack for bombers” accusation from Brad?”
“It’s very much out of character for them. That is a first and I am concerned there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. Let us put some feelers out and see if we can get a bite somewhere. I think we may be changing sides for if Brad is now on the other side and is kicking Stevenson’s rear end, we will move to the other side and support Stevenson. I would not feel comfortable being on Brad’s side, ever.”
“I know what you mean John,” Donald had to agree that this was definitely a change in direction.
Chapter 95
8:30 PM EST Day two of 1260 New York - The Network, Brad Williams’ Office
Brad Williams had just come out of the meeting regarding the Ken Giles’ murder and the news about the President and the suggested bribe. Biggman had made it clear that they had switched sides on Stevenson and that their network was to start the campaign to destroy him. For what reason, he had no idea. They were normally on Stevenson’s side and all in for his support, but the boss had a different agenda this time and he was in control after all. Such was the way of politics and the media.
Brad knew that The Network was owned and operated by a large organization which, when they wanted something done, it happened. They would insinuate and lie when necessary to get to the results that they wanted. Now it appeared that Stevenson was caught in the crosshairs.
He smiled to himself and thought about Bear News who usually took the stance of opposing the President. He wondered if maybe they would switch and start supporting him. Now that would be interesting, Brad thought. That would be very interesting.
His thoughts were interrupted when his Assistant Producer, Michelle, stuck her head in the door. She said, “Brad, they are setting up for a press conference at Camp David. They want you on the desk to handle the comments.”
“No problem, Michelle. Thanks.” He stared after her as she walked out the door, and smiled. Nice looking woman she was.
Chapter 96
8:35 PM EST Day two of 1260 Camp David, Maryland - Temporary Press Room
The press was invited into Camp David to an auditorium hastily set up for a press briefing. As usual, the feed was coming from The Network, which had priority since the Stevenson administration had come to office. The place was full. Many of the reporters had been camped outside most of the day. Not wanting to be left out, several other news agencies had filtered in as the day wore on.
The side door opened and Christopher Hughes, White House Press Secretary, stepped up to the podium. He glanced out at the sea of media people and took the notes he had and laid them on the podium. He then started to speak, “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for your patience today. As you well know, the United States is under siege with the effects of the disaster in California, which is at this time, the worst we have ever had. There is also the possibility that Jack South may well be correct in his other assessments and predictions. Before I take any questions, I need to tell you three things. The first is that President Stevenson sends his regards and wholehearted sympathies to the family of Ken Giles. As all of you know, Giles was shot in a field near here today. The First Family’s prayers are with the Giles at this time of sorrow.”
“Secondly,” Hughes continued, “the full ability of the United States government, the FBI, and other agencies will work diligently until the murderer of the Attorney General is brought to justice. It is early in the investigation, but we feel confident that the FBI and the local authorities will gather all the clues necessary in order to find the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice.”
“Thirdly, we are announcing that the President will be traveling to Kansas City and will attend the Jack South Rally there on Thursday evening. The following day, he will be in attendance at special meetings with other leaders of the world’s business and political systems regarding the crisis that we now face. These are being held in Center City in Kansas City on Friday and Saturday. Please note that for now, press releases will be given during those meetings, but the meetings themselves will be behind closed doors.”
“Now I am open for questions.”
The babble was unreal. The open forum then became a frenzy of hands waving in the air and calling out. Chris looked through the audience and picked one he thought would not be very difficult. He pointed to Walter Sanchez from the Associated Press.
“Chris, do you have any comments on the breaking news that was aired on The Network about the U.S. giving the okay to Israel to purchase the new state of the art military bombers? They are capable of accommodating nuclear warheads, if I have my information correct. Are they to be sent there from Lockheed in exchange for releasing Jack South?” Sanchez asked.
“Yes, we do have a comment. Jack South was illegally detained in Israel on a technicality. Our government and the Israeli Government knew he was traveling to Israel and his Attorney, Mark Anderson, handled the pre-notifications to the State Department. Due to the security concerns for Mr. South, it was felt that going through the normal process of leaving one country and going to another would not be in his or anyone’s best interest. Unfortunately, someone in Israel’s Secret Service, also known as Mossad, overstepped his or her bounds on a tip from an unidentified source. The President, as he would for any citizen detained for no reason, made a call to the Israeli Prime Minister and they were able to secure Jack’s release. As far as we know, he is now en route back to the United States.”
“Regarding the issue of allowing Israel to purchase the new bombers, we are and have been in negotiations with Israel over the purchase of the planes. I do realize that many in congress and other world leaders are concerned about the U.S. providing them to Israel due to their ability to be armed with nuclear weapons. So here is your answer; yes it is still being negotiated, and as we all know, the President has always been in favor of letting Israel have them. But to date, nothing has been sent to them.”
“Are you saying then that The Network Anchor, Brad Williams, is lying?” Sanchez asked.
“No, but maybe he is misinformed. Now, who is next?” He saw Julie and said, “Julie do you have a question?”
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“Yes, thank you. Julie Bernstein, New York Times. You have been in session here at Camp David all day. Do you have any updates on what you are discussing? There are rumors that the President is considering martial law. The other rumor is that prior to the hurricanes hitting the U.S. mainland, FEMA camps will be opened and people will be forced to leave the affected areas and go to these camps. Any truth, to this?”
“First of all, Julie, this self-proclaimed witness as he calls himself, and who we know as Jack, has said this would happen, However, it has not yet happened and we are not one hundred percent sure that it will. You have to understand that we are in unchartered territory here and we do not have answers as to whether or not he can predict anything for sure. However, in light of the rains which have already begun in North Africa,” he continued, “which have added up to Jack still being one hundred percent correct, we are taking precautionary measures. We are doing some planning in the event that he is right about the hurricanes. From listening to the constant media reports on TV and other news outlets, you folks have probably also done some calculations of the scenario we would face. Therefore if we feel these disasters are imminent then yes we do need a plan that will work.”
“To expand on this, Julie, if the hurricanes do develop, the affected areas will include up to thirty million people, not counting homes, property, businesses, and even national landmarks. Category four and five hurricanes are destructive and will in fact level certain areas and make some of them uninhabitable for a very long time. You know as well as I do that the government has several avenues open to ensure the safety of the public. Some of those rules and regulations have been on the books for over thirty years and yes some were updated in the past few years after 911.”
“But, are we planning on putting people in these camps today? No, we are not. Is it a possibility? Yes it is. We may need to mobilize a lot of material, personnel, and resources in the event Jack is right; and so provide as best as we can for the welfare of our citizens. I am sure you know the ramifications, but we do not want to start a panic when there is no reason to. We will react, as each situation deems necessary and decide what to do from that point. I hope this helps, and thank you Julie.”