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She heard the door open to find her assistant Emily Keys entering her office.
“Ma’am, there’s been a 7.8 earthquake in Haiti,” she said, the news and her assistant’s anxious expression kicking off shock and dismay for Ellie. “It’s been confirmed by the US Geological Survey.”
“The ambassador?”
“Communications have been knocked out and SAT phones are spotty. Our last call with the ambassador was that they were loading up and getting ready to pull out. The C-17 has just landed, but they report that there’s no one there yet to board the flight.” Ellie started for the door. “Your motorcade is ready downstairs to take you to the White House.”
“The ambassador’s daughter and the people with her…the Navy SEAL. Petty Officer Bale Maddox. Have we heard from them?”
This natural disaster just put her people in more danger. The government was already in flux with the death of President Baptiste, the accusation on the news only hours before stating that one of their Marines had killed the president and kidnapped the first lady and her son in a jealous rage.
All false accusations as she’d received word from the ambassador that the corporal had shown up at the ambassador’s residence during the press conference with a shaken and grieving first lady and her son in tow, and with a National Guard member who had saved their lives. Ellie had briefed the president and his chief of staff, Laura Cummings, only thirty minutes ago.
“Nothing, ma’am. They left the ambassador’s residence ten minutes ago. They would have been on the road when the quake struck.”
“God help them. Satellite photos?”
“On the way. They should be available as soon as you get to the Situation Room.”
As she exited her office, her policy advisor, Lucas Wilson came alongside her.
“Ma’am, working on USAID for deployment. They should be ready in about an hour. Military Sealift Command said that USNS Comfort has been in Guatemala as part of Operation Continuing Promise. They are headed back to the US and are only one hundred and twenty-four nautical miles from Haiti’s coast. The Fourth Fleet is currently off the coast of the Bahamas and our embassy in Havana has already reached out to the Cubans to brief them on why the Fourth Fleet is moving into Caribbean waters.”
She shot him an impatient, sidelong glance.
“I know, ma’am, but if we didn’t reach out in the wake of this devastating earthquake and moved the fleet without alerting them?—”
“I know. We don’t want the Cubans getting their noses out of joint. It was a good call.”
“The Cuban government is already mobilizing their own relief effort to Haiti.”
That was the US’s initial response. Call on USAID, the United States Agency for International Development. Their Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance was the US government’s lead for international disaster assistance and life-saving aid. The hospital ship provided a fully operational trauma hospital capable of supporting US disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.
But before they could render any aid at all, they needed permission from Haiti’s government which was, in lieu of the secret assassination of the president, and possibilities of surviving government officials, shaky at best.
Ellie was never one to back down from the hard decisions. That’s why she got the big bucks. When she reached the Situation Room, she entered, seeing that all the joint chiefs were present including the director of USAID, National Intelligence, the president, and his chief of staff.
“Good evening, Ellie,” the president said. “Let’s get started. What do we know so far, Tony?”
Antonio Maxwell, the Director of National Intelligence said, “Reports are really thin at this point, but we do have satellite photos.” They went up on the screen. “This is the palace and as you can see, it’s been reduced to rubble.”
“How is that possible?” Ellie asked. “Wasn’t it built up to a nine-point code?”
“According to our sources, yes, it was.” He shook his head. “I have no explanation for the devastation except the Haitians must have skimped on building materials and ignored engineering practices.”
“With the kind of forecasts for additional earthquakes in their area, I’m speechless that someone would pocket aid money instead of ensuring their seat of government is secure.” She gritted her teeth at the outrage toward greedy opportunists. “It boggles my mind, but this is what we have,” Ellie said wearily. “So, no information regarding official government survivors?”
“Not yet, ma’am,” Tony said grimly.
“The airport?” the president asked.
“Unaffected for the most part. It’s held up quite well.” Chief of the Air Force, General Felix Collymore, said. “Our C-17 was also unaffected and is still standing by for the embassy people, and the ambassador’s daughter, our Navy SEAL and Marine, along with the foreign nationals traveling with her.”
“Okay, let’s see the embassy,” the president said.
The photos came up on the screen and there was a sigh of relief to see the embassy was almost fully intact. But what was also clear was the ambassador’s limo and a bus that were still parked in the compound. There was a small crowd of people surrounding the embassy, but the largest cause for concern was the destroyed streets and highway that led directly to the airport. It was clear their people were trapped at the embassy. Their only alternative would be to go on foot to the airport, which was not feasible with the destabilized situation in Port-au-Prince.
“NOAA has issued a widespread tsunami warning throughout the Caribbean, with waves up to three to ten feet that could possibly hit Port-au-Prince,” Tony said, his jaw tight.
