Selected: A Thriller

by J. Allen Wolfrum

  After boarding Air Force One, Susan took Greg and Tommy up to the cockpit. The pilots gave them a tour of all the gauges, radar, and radio equipment. The boys had a blast asking questions and watching the pilots show off the gadgets in the cockpit. The pilots even let the boys listen in on the radio chatter.

  While walking back to their seats in the main cabin, Susan pulled Earl aside. “Dad, do you mind keeping the boys occupied on the flight?”

  Earl chuckled. “Sure… but they seem to be doing a good job of making those Secret Service agents think long and hard about whether they want to have kids.”

  Susan smirked. “Yeah, I got that impression, too. There will be plenty of time for the boys to ask them questions. I don’t want to wear out our welcome on the first day.”

  Earl laughed again. “No problem… I’ll see what I can do.”

  Susan used the six-hour flight to work on her inauguration speech. She’d failed to prepare for her last two public appearances; her inauguration speech might fall flat but it wouldn’t be due to a lack of preparation. She had no doubt about her ability as a leader, but public speaking was a beast she had yet to tame.

  They made it to the White House too late in the evening for the full tour. Mason Adams, Susan’s chief of staff, met them in the White House foyer and promised to introduce her to the rest of the staff after the inauguration. Susan and the family were more than happy to skip the official tour and get some sleep. After a quick security brief, the Secret Service agents escorted them to their bedrooms. Susan settled into the president’s bedroom, Earl and Rose in the Lincoln Bedroom, and the boys occupied the West and East Bedrooms across the hall from Susan.

  Susan’s alarm woke her up at 6:30 a.m. She took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. Susan walked into the dining room and saw a breakfast table filled with smiles and laughter. Rose exchanged recipes with the kitchen staff, Earl had his morning newspaper, and the boys were practically jumping out of their chairs when they discovered the White House had a swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling alley.

  Susan interrupted the chaotic chatter at the breakfast table. “I’m glad you’re all excited about the White House. But we need to talk about my speech today and the logistics afterward.”

  “Am I going to be on TV?” asked Greg.

  “Great question. Yes, we’ll all be on TV. You don’t have to do anything special, just stand up straight and pay attention while I talk. Grandma and Grandpa will be right there with you.” Greg and Tommy nodded.

  Susan explained the logistics for the day. “After my speech, we’ll watch the parade together, then you’ll come back here with Grandma and Grandpa. I’ll have to go to work afterward.”

  Tommy asked, “After the parade, can we go bowling?”

  “Sounds good to me. Grandma and Grandpa will be here—make sure you let them know where you are at all times, just like back at home, understood?” The boys nodded.

  Susan stood up from the table. “I need to work on my speech. I’ll see you at the ceremony. Greg, Tommy, don’t pester the Secret Service agents, we don’t want them to quit on the first day.” Susan smiled at the boys and raised her eyebrows toward the agents in the room.

  The boys replied together, “Okay, Mom.”

  Later that day at the inauguration ceremony, Susan Turner stepped up to the podium and recited the oath of office.

  “I, Susan Turner, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

  Immediately following the ceremony, Susan addressed the world for the first time as President of the United States of America.

  “Fellow citizens of the world, I am humbled by the importance of the tasks we will accomplish together. Allow me to quote from former president John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech in 1961. His words ring as true today as they did in 1961.

  “ ‘Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.’

  “ ‘This much we pledge—and more.’

  “ ‘To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required—not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.’

  “ ‘To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support—to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective—to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak—and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.’

  “ ‘Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.’ ”

  The crowd responded with patriotic applause. Susan continued her speech by praising the previous administration and their accomplishments. The crowd and the world cheered as Susan turned and walked away from the podium. Walking through the crowd backstage, Susan heard the roar of applause from the crowd. The feeling of pride in herself and in her country rushed over her like a waterfall.

  14

  Following the inauguration ceremony and parade, Secret Service agents escorted Susan to her first presidential daily briefing. The presidential daily briefing is a mandatory daily meeting prepared by the CIA specifically for the president. The president, directors of the CIA, NSA, and FBI, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are present for the meeting. In accordance with the presidential transition protocol, Vice President Wilkes accompanied Susan to her first presidential daily briefing.

  Susan walked into the John F. Kennedy Conference Room, known publicly as the Situation Room. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shouted, “Attention on deck,” and everyone in the room snapped to their feet with their hands at their sides in the position of attention.

  Susan responded out of instinct, “At ease.” She felt right at home. This was just another military officer’s meeting. She’d led these types of meetings hundreds of times as a squadron commander; this one would be no different.

  Susan looked around the room and recognized Arianna Redmond, the first female director of the FBI. Director Redmond became a public figure during the presidential scandal that began the Dove Revolution. She led an investigation that found the President of the United States guilty of colluding with government officials from North Korea and China for personal gain. She became a figurehead for the Dove Revolution and earned the admiration of the world for her integrity and ethical standards. On the surface, Director Redmond looked like a kind and gentle grandmother, but she did not suffer fools kindly. During the height of her celebrity, several television news anchors made the mistake of underestimating her intellect and found themselves on the receiving end of her sharp wit.

  After Susan and the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff took their seats, the chairman, General Gillingham, began the meeting. “Thank you, Madam President, we’re all honored to serve in your administration.”

  Susan responded, “And I’m humbled to have all of you in my administration. Vice President Wilkes did an amazing job during his tenure as president. l can only hope to bring as much honor to the office of the president as he did.” Susan paused and nodded toward Vice President Wilkes. “Let’s get to work—I don’t want to waste your time.”

  General Gillingham continued the meeting. “Madam President, there are several news items on the agenda today and one action item. Would you prefer the action item or the news items first?” />
  “Let’s start with the news.”

  “There is only one news update on the agenda for today. The CIA confirmed reports that Soviet Union soldiers are posing as Ukrainian soldiers in the Ukrainian civil war.”

  Susan nodded and asked a follow-up question. “Are there any other indications of Soviet involvement in the Ukrainian civil war?”

  “Yes, Madam President. We believe the Soviets are supplying arms to the Ukrainian separatist movement and they’re also using cyber warfare tactics to sway public opinion in favor of the separatist movement. The details are in the folder behind the agenda. Would you like me to walk through them?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I don’t want to hold up the meeting. Let’s move on to the action item.”

  “In August of this year, President Wilkes authorized the use of a Special Forces reconnaissance team at the Ukrainian border with the Soviet Union. The team was tasked with reconnaissance on the border crossing. Yesterday the team reported a large movement of Soviet tanks and artillery across the border, disguised with Ukrainian markings. The Soviet soldiers are also using Ukrainian uniforms and equipment.” General Gillingham paused to look down at his notes. “The team on the ground is requesting authorization for a covert air strike targeting the Soviet tank and artillery units. Two weeks ago, we presented this potential scenario to President Wilkes and he preauthorized an air strike in response. Madam President, do you we have your approval to move forward with the air strike?”

  Susan looked toward Vice President Wilkes and then General Gillingham. “In the past, have we conducted air strikes directly on Soviet troops?”

  General Gillingham didn’t let the silence linger. “No, we have not. This would be our first overt response to Soviet aggression. The air strikes will not be traceable to the United States. The equipment and soldiers are disguised as Ukrainian; it would appear that the air strike is a part of the Ukrainian civil war. The team on the ground would be responsible only for target identification. They would not be directly involved.”

  Susan turned again toward Vice President Wilkes. “And you previously authorized an air strike in this scenario?”

  Vice President Wilkes cleared this throat. “I did. This is our best option; we can’t sit back and let the Soviets invade NATO-protected countries.” Vice President Wilkes paused to gauge Susan’s reaction. He saw a glimmer of confusion in her expression. He continued his explanation to drive home the point. “The Soviets want to control the natural resources in the Ukraine. Crimea is a peninsula in the southern Ukraine, there are natural gas and oil reserves off the coast of Crimea in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. If the Soviets gain control of Crimea and the Ukraine, they’ll own the existing natural gas and oil pipelines that lead to Eastern Europe. In short, the Soviets would own the entire fossil fuel supply chain for Eastern and Central Europe. And we believe this will lead to a forceful expansion of Soviet control in Eastern Europe.”

  Susan nodded and paused to contemplate the scenario. “How much time do we have before the tanks and artillery move out of range?”

  General Gillingham replied, “Based on our latest intelligence, we have a forty-five-minute window for the decision to be made.”

  Susan settled into the rhythm of the meeting. She folded her hands on the table, leaned slightly forward, and calmly looked around the room.

  Susan directed her question toward General Gillingham. “What is the expected enemy casualty count?”

  General Gillingham replied without hesitation and without looking at his notes. “Seventy-five. Along with human casualties we expect to destroy two Giatsint-B 152 mm howitzer artillery pieces, one T-90 tank, and three BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers.”

  Susan quickly responded with a follow-up question. “What is the risk of detection for the troops on the ground?”

  “Our team is in a concealed location. The risk of detection is close to nonexistent.”

  Susan looked around the table. “Is there anyone here who opposes the decision to move forward with the air strike?”

  Around the table, everyone replied without hesitation, “No, Madam President.”

  Susan looked directly at General Gillingham and gave the order. “General Gillingham, you have my authority to initiate the air strike.”

  General Gillingham picked up the receiver to the secure telephone line on the conference table and dialed the Joint Special Operations Command post to authorize the mission. He hung up the line and informed the room, “The drone will be on station in less than two minutes. The video will be on the monitors any second.”

  Every eyeball in the room fixated on the monitors showing a live feed of the drone’s targeting system. The screens showed a grainy black-and-white aerial video of what looked like farmland mixed with trees and gently rolling hills. At the center of the screen were white crosshairs moving toward a section of wooded valley. Susan could make out the shapes of artillery pieces, vehicles, and troops moving around on the ground.

  Susan sat silently in her chair, fixated on the monitor. Suddenly the screen flashed white from the impact of the first missile from the drone, followed quickly by several more flashes. The screen came back into focus, the artillery pieces, tanks, and personnel carriers replaced by black splotches and gray smoke. Next to the personnel carriers, the dead bodies looked like dark sticks spread on the ground.

  General Gillingham nodded his head while listening to the after-action report on the secure phone line. He hung up the phone, sat up straight, and turned toward Susan.

  “Madam President, the mission was a success. All rounds landed on target.”

  The room erupted in applause. Susan calmed down the rowdy cheers and ended the meeting. Before leaving the Situation Room, every general and director shook Susan’s hand and expressed their gratitude for her leadership.

  Susan and Vice President Wilkes walked down the hallway of the White House after the meeting. When they were alone, Vice President Wilkes commented, “You’re really making me look bad—I was a wreck in my first daily briefing. I thought they were going to fire me.”

  Susan shrugged her shoulders. “I spent my army career in those kind of meetings. Feels like home.”

  15

  The next morning, Susan’s chief of staff, Mason Adams, waited in his office for her to arrive. Mason tapped his pen on the desk and watched the clock. At 8:10 a.m., his patience ran out. He left his office and went looking for Susan. He found her in the White House lobby chatting with General LeMae.

  President Turner and General LeMae both looked at Mason as he approached. Mason quickly addressed General LeMae with a nod of his head. “Good morning, sir.” Mason quickly moved his attention toward Susan. “Madam President, I believe you’re late for a meeting. Please come with me.”

  Susan exchanged a glance with General LeMae and rolled her eyes. “My presence has been requested. I’ll see you around.”

  Susan turned and caught up with Mason in a few steps. “Mason, I’m sorry about being late. General LeMae and I are old friends. We needed to catch up.”

  Mason didn’t acknowledge her explanation for being late. “Today you’ve got a full schedule. Did you get my email with the itinerary for the week?”

  “I think so.”

  Mason continued, “Have you prepared for the secretary of state briefing?”

  Susan hesitated. “Umm, I think I saw the meeting on the agenda email you sent—”

  Mason cut her off. “In my itinerary summary emails, the meetings with read-ahead materials are highlighted in red. Links to the read-ahead files are listed as bullet points under the meeting time and location. In the meeting description, you’ll find the agenda and meeting administrator. Any questions or concerns about the agenda are to be sent to the meeting administrator directly.”

  Susan raised her eyebrows. “Okay, good to know. I’ll look at it in more detail when I get to the Oval Office.”

  Mason continued his lecture as they walked. “The itinerary for
the next day arrives on your cell phone at 4:00 p.m. each day. The daily schedule includes forty-five minutes for lunch and two fifteen-minute breaks throughout the day.”

  “All right, umm… what’s on the schedule this morning?”

  “This morning, you’re late for your 8:00 a.m. tour of the White House and protocol review. ” Mason continued to walk quickly down the hallway. “You need to meet Kate Swenen.”

  Susan gave him a confused look. “Who?”

  Mason turned right down the hallway and knocked on the first door. “Your stylist.”

  Before Susan could react, the door opened and a short, dark-haired woman appeared in the doorway. She immediately gave Mason a hug. “Mason! How have you been? Come on in.”

  Susan stood behind Mason. She felt like the third wheel on a date.

  Kate moved back from Mason and recognized Susan. She stepped forward toward Susan. “I’m Kate, such a pleasure to work with you, Madam President.” Kate leaned closer and gave Susan a hug.

  Susan hugged her back and tried to hide her anxiety.

  Kate motioned for them to come into the room. “Follow me. President Turner, it’s such a privilege to work with you. It’s going to be amazing. Take a seat.”

  Susan followed her order and sat down in a salon chair. Kate stood behind her and examined her hair for a moment. “I would absolutely die for your hair color. I wish I could get that color of brown.” She paused to examine the length of Susan’s hair. “I’ve got it. I know what we’re going to do. Your hair is the perfect length for what I like to call a tuck-up. Just put a few pins here in the back.” Kate reached to the counter, quickly grabbed four bobby pins, and put them in Susan’s hair. “Just like that. You’ve got a whole new look. Amazing. What do you think?”