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He stared down at the notes on his dresser. Notes on a speech that he was supposed to make later this afternoon in front of Congress. He doubted he would make it, but it was important to be prepared.
It was a miracle that he’d even made it this far. He was no one. A man with no history, no past. He was a simple man with a simple background. Something the country desperately wanted and needed at the time.
He’d run on the platform that he was a man for all. A common man. An orphan who’d been raised in a boys’ home. He worked three jobs in high school to afford a car that would get him back and forth to college. Working hard, he’d earned a scholarship to university, playing for the tennis team.
He wasn’t an Olympian, but he was good enough to win a few collegiate titles. That helped to earn him a scholarship to law school. It wasn’t Yale, Harvard, or Columbia, but it was a law school nevertheless. From there, he’d practiced with a firm in D.C., working his way up until he ran for local office. Five years later, he ran for Congress.
Fifteen years later, he was running for president. His wife had begged him not to. She worried it would destroy their family, tearing them apart.
“They messed up everything,” she said to him, pleading with him. “You can’t afford for this to happen to you.”
“I have to, baby. I have to.”
She’d stuck by him, never once turning her back. Now, she was in the other room, sound asleep, completely unaware of what might be happening in just a few minutes. There was a soft tap on the dressing room door.
“Excuse me, Mr. President. I have your coffee and muffin waiting for you in the Oval Office. Is there anything else you’ll need?”
“No, Victor, thank you,” he smiled. “Looks like we’ll be locked down today.”
“Yes, sir. The weather is getting worse. I doubt we’ll be getting out of here today.”
“That’s okay,” he nodded. “I could use a day off.” He winked at the older man, smiling. The staff was exceptional and felt more like family to him. If things went sideways today, they might all disown him, but he hoped it would go off without a hitch.
“Shall I let the First Lady sleep, sir?”
“Please. She needs this day off more than anyone.” He patted the man’s upper arm and walked down the West Hall, nodding at the Secret Service agents as he passed. Moving into the center hallway, he stepped into the Oval Office and took his seat. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door.
“Mr. President, were you expecting…”
“Yes, Jake. Let them in.”
“Yes, sir.” He pushed the door open, and two men walked inside. The president didn’t even look up. When the door closed, he stared at the two men.
“Why in the hell are you here?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
It was slow going on the slick, blizzard streets of D.C. They followed the route that the team had said Judge traveled. He’d entered a parking garage, and a few moments later emerged again. With his blacked-out windows, they couldn’t see anyone inside the vehicle, but that only had them worried that he was carrying weapons.
“I can’t see a fucking thing,” growled Nate.
“Just keep going and keep your distance,” said Mike. “You’ve got this.”
Up ahead, they saw the brake lights of Judge’s car and frowned. He was stopping awfully close to the White House. Maybe the president was setting them up. A few moments later, the lights were gone.
“He’s left the car,” said Nate. “We need to get into the tunnels.”
The men left their vehicles on the side of the road, following the snowy footprints on the sidewalk. As they reached the main gate, they moved around the barriers and along 17thStreet. A steel door, beneath ivy and snow, was hidden on the side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Using their personal ‘key,’ they picked the lock, placed the alarm bypass over the keypad, and heard the welcoming click of the door opening. Quickly stepping inside, they shook the snow from their bodies and reset the alarm ensuring no one followed them.
Moving through the tunnels, they found their way to the small elevator that would take them behind the walls of the Oval Office.
“We’ll wait here and take the next one up,” said Luke. “Don’t do anything stupid. Even if it’s a trap, we’re going to get you out of there.”
“I know, brother,” said Nate. “Is it bad that I almost want it to be a trap? I just have this feeling.”
Squeezing into the elevator, seven men could barely breathe, let alone move. When the doors opened, they needed to be ready to move silently and efficiently. The soft, smooth doors opened, leading into a narrow, dark passage. They heard the soft murmur of voices and followed the sounds.
