“They called Texas for us and the president conceded. Congratulations Mr. Walters, you are the next President of the United States!”
It took a second for Hahn to realize that the muddy, bleeding, and limping duo was Jack and Dottie Murray. The president-elect was not with them.
“Oh my God! What happened to you? Dottie! What are you doing here? Where’s George?
“I think I know!” Jack yelled.
The clouds cleared, exposing a full moon over the Potomac. The light of the moon shone brightly on the driveway as Hahn, Jack, and Dottie ambled down a muddy path past the nursery on their right. They finally reached the tomb that had encased the bodies of George and Martha Washington since they were moved from their original tomb in 1831.
A reflection glinted off a shiny object behind the tomb’s locked gates. Dottie noticed it first and motioned for the men to walk toward the building. The three stopped short at the entrance and stared at the metallic object inside.
Mrs. Murray said it was the sword Fredericks had when he tried to kill Washington. A wide-eyed Hahn asked her what she was talking about. Jack immediately recognized it as the sword George wore upon their original meeting in Philadelphia four months earlier. The sword was neatly placed on the lid of Washington’s sarcophagus.
Murray pulled at the locked gates to see how the saber got in there. He noticed a scrap of parchment tied neatly by Providence’s red queue. The words were written in President George Washington’s hand:
“With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take my leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as our former ones have been glorious and honorable.”
Epilogue
Dottie Murray looked especially beautiful in a new blue coat and hat, her rosy cheeks aglow this Sunday morning. Though the wind and icy rain blew sideways into her face, she didn’t flinch as she sat proudly between her men, holding both her husband’s and son’s hands. The cuts and bruises from the election night events had all but healed and Dottie looked forward to her new life in Washington.
Todd was excited, too. A resilient teenager, he had recently enrolled in a new high school in Alexandria. In only a few weeks, he had made many new friends and looked forward to spring baseball. Although he still didn’t remember the fatal bus crash or the weeks leading up to it, Todd had made what amounted to a full and somewhat miraculous recovery.
The events since that fateful July Fourth weekend in Philadelphia seemed like a fantasy now as Josh Anders looked the Chief Justice in the eye, placed his left palm down on the Bible, raised his right hand, and began his oath of office.
“I, Josh Anders, do solemnly swear”
Jack Murray’s eyes focused on his friend Tim Jenson, standing to Josh’s side. Tim had taken his oath only minutes before.
Jack recalled Jenson’s keynote speech at the Republican convention. His Jeffersonian-inspired eloquence in describing the natural inseparability of individual human dignity and liberty moved Jack to tears. It also reminded Jack of the many so-called Republicans who preached individual liberty, but fostered an all encompassing federal bureaucracy.
Jack took one look at the huge audience at the Capitol and realized that most of those politicians were now ex-politicians, having been rejected by a new generation of Tea Party conservatives. Jack hoped these Frank Walters disciples would not give in to the temptations of DC power as so many others had done.
The name Frank Walters reminded Jack of his friend and mentor, George Washington, who insisted as a condition of his nomination that Jenson deliver the convention’s keynote address. Jack didn’t understand it then, but smiled realizing the General set up this very moment.
“that I will faithfully execute”
Jack looked within. He understood his previous suspicions of Jenson were shamefully unfounded; having mistaken Tim’s supportive long distance friendship with Dottie for an affair. Jack was not even sure if the new vice-president was aware of his accusations.
Only six months earlier, Jack Murray was a high school history teacher facing a mid life identity crisis. Now, he was an integral part of a new American revolution as vital to the country’s future as the founders themselves. He reflected back on the events that led to his family’s prominent status on the steps of the Capitol Building this cold January morning.
Jack had anticipated that his life would slowly get back to normal following Election Day. But nothing was further from the truth. The mayhem and confusion of that night only complicated his life more. At least his family was back together.
“the Office of President of the United States”
Dottie caught Jack’s eye and smiled as he drifted back into his quiet recollections.
The irony of Dottie’s appearance that stormy night at Mount Vernon was not lost on her husband. As Dolly Madison had once saved Stuart’s original portrait of Washington from fire during the War of 1812, so did Dottie Murray rescue the father of our country from attack. Jack recalled her shadowy figure lunge out of nowhere to knock over the crazed William Fredericks as he was about to run his sabre through General Washington.
Jack didn’t know at the time that his wife drove the three hours to surprise him on election night. Dottie was an hour from the Annapolis hotel when she contacted Josh Anders, only to be told that Jack was with Washington at Mount Vernon.
As a result, Jack was not even sure Dottie was the mysterious hero until he recognized her screams as Fredericks trained his weapon on her.
“and, will to the best of my ability,”
Jack’s thoughts drifted back to George Washington, the real mysterious player in all of this. He was gone now for over two months, but George remained a curiosity. To Jack, he was a hero, boss, teacher, and messiah, but ultimately a trusted friend.
George returned to his time as Jack had suspected he would do since early in the campaign. George Washington rejected a third term in the eighteenth century and exclaimed during the recent campaign that only twenty-first century Americans can pilot a twenty-first century America. Now Jack understood that Divine Providence had brought George back to make sure the right crew manned his ship.
“preserve, protect and defend”
President-elect Walters had a relapse of cancer as Washington had cryptically predicted on his last trip to New York. The media reported his death shortly after winning the election. At his son’s request, he was cremated and his ashes spread over the hills of Maryland and Virginia.
While the left continued their daily outcry debating the validity of the president-elect, the Constitution was clear. Vice-President-elect Josh Anders would be sworn in as President and Tim Jenson, both Anders’ and Washington’s first choice, would assume the vice-presidential slot.
While Anders would miss his mentor George, he saw symmetry in the turn of events and attributed his fate to Providence. Besides, Jack knew that Anders’ temperament would not have suited the second spot on the ticket. He also knew that Steve Anders would undoubtedly become a close advisor to the new president, guaranteeing The United States navigate by the winds of traditional conservative principles.
Jack peered over to Hahn seated just on the other side of Todd. Hahn looked forward to his position as Secretary of the Treasury. Jack, despite some misgivings as to Hahn’s temperament and trustworthiness, could not think of anybody more intellectually qualified to attack the country’s economic woes than Hahn. He would probably begin his new job as soon as the inauguration parties ended.
Brian Faulk tapped Jack Murray on the shoulder. He pointed proudly to the rising sun reflecting off the Washington Monument, undoubtedly a sign from above. Jack turned around and smiled at Faulk and his wife Deborah. Faulk decided he was too old for a career in Washington DC. He would return to Philadelphia, explaining how he could add more value to the cause through his publishing enterprises.
Jack finally reflected on their nemesis. No one seemed to know what became of William Fredericks and his body had yet to
be recovered. Police deduced he had vandalized Mount Vernon in a drunken rage on election night. Even though he was officially listed as a missing person, news reports regarding his disappearance quickly faded away. Even his own network didn’t seem too interested in his whereabouts.
“the Constitution of the United States.”
Jack closed his eyes as President Anders finished the thirty-nine word oath. Jack Murray was where Providence had delivered him and, as the new Secretary of State, was about to embark on a new adventure.
“So help me God.”
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank David Dunham and Joel Dunham of Dunham Books for making this project possible. Additionally, a thank you to our friend, Dick Morris, who generously gave of his time and wrote the Foreword to this book; Stan Pottinger, who provided expert advice and pointed us in the right direction; Jerome Corsi, Dave Bossie, Brian Darling, Joe Farah, Joan Romanelli and Tim Sumner, whose belief in two unknowns is very much appreciated; and Walter Duncan and Frank Connor for instilling in their sons the love of family and country and the willingness to fight for our children’s future.
Joe
Thank you to my wife Danielle and children Frank and Kathleen, who put up with late nights and self-doubts but believed all the way; my mother Mary, stepfather Gerry and in laws Kathy and Ed, who provided honest feedback throughout.
Mike
I would like to thank my wife Julie, who provided indispensable advice and put up with being awakened at two in the morning on many school nights; Michael and Angelica, my children and daily inspirations; my mother Charlotte and mother-in-law Grace, who are the two best unpaid PR agents we could have; and all my friends, both conservative and liberal, who put their political leanings aside to encourage us throughout the project.
About the Authors
Joseph F. Connor is a husband, father of two, son and brother.
He has testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Relations regarding President Clinton’s 1999 clemency grant to 16 terrorist members who claimed his father’s murder, the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2009 during Eric Holder’s confirmation hearing and introduced The Pardon Attorney Reform and Integrity Act to Congress in 2000.
Having commuted though the WTC on 9/11/01, Connor eyewitnessed the attacks from his nearby office, losing his cousin among others.
Mr. Connor and his brother Tom led the successful 2011 effort to deny parole to the terror leader who refused the Clintons’ 1999 clemency grant.
Joe’s articles have been published in the New York Post, Human Events, Los Angeles Times, Newsmax, National Review Online, and The Wall Street Journal. He currently contributes to Breitbart.com (BigPeace) and Red-state.com. Mr. Connor has also appeared on several news shows including: Hannity & Colmes, Fox & Friends, The NBC Nightly News, Hardball, America Live, as well as various local and nationally syndicated radio programs including Dennis Miller, Tom Marr, Mark Levin, and Sean Hannity.
Joe had a key role in the Citizens United documentary, Hillary the Movie, that was the impetus for the Supreme Court’s overturning of the McCain Feingold Campaign Finance law.
Joe is active in the local Tea Party movement and received a 2011 award from the National Conference on Jewish Affairs and The United Liberty Alliance.
A 1988 graduate of Villanova University, Joe is married and lives in the NY metropolitan area with his wife and two children. He works in the financial services industry.
Michael S. Duncan is a husband and father of two. He works in the financial services industry where he is a frequent guest speaker on merger & acquisition industry trends. He is also a regular lecturer of continuing legal education courses to corporate law firms in the U.S.
Mr. Duncan has written numerous articles on shareowner services for trade publications as well as an article on stock options in the Spring 2009 edition of The Journal of Employee Ownership Law and Finance published by the National Center for Employee Ownership.
A 1988 graduate of Villanova University, Mike is married and lives in the New York City metropolitan area with his wife and two children. He serves as an officer in The Knights of Columbus and is a member of the local Tea Party. Mike is very active in his church and youth sports as well.
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