CHAPTER 21
Roots of Betrayal
“I don’t like it, Mr. Grogen,” said President Tom Jeffers. “First I get conformation from my science advisor that the Elves and their friends are our allies, then you convince me that they pose the major threat to this country because they have been harboring a dragon. Despite the good press the boy and the dragon were getting by going Rambo on you, you then have me state publicly that they might be behind having the monsters appear in the first place, and in the meantime get me involved in setting them up to be defeated by the monsters. Yet now you want me to treat them as fallen heroes?”
Jerrod Grogen shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Yes sir. I recommend you take a middle path with the public. Now that they have been apparently eliminated by the monster it wouldn’t hurt politically to publicly acknowledge that at the last they were in their last acts trying to do the right thing by trying to stop the monsters they were responsible for. Better yet, show uncertainty on the issue; state that it’s still being investigated.”
“OK, that makes sense. I use that one all the time. I can be vague and uncertain while still appearing strong and in control. What about the Portal? Has that been secured yet?”
“The area is surrounded by our best troops and agents. No more alien surprises will be tolerated.”
“Good. Control, that’s the key. Elves, monsters, dragons, whatever; we won’t stand for any of it.”
“Yes sir.”
“What about this witch character? Is she still cooperating?”
“We couldn’t have done it without her.”
“She must eventually be eliminated also, of course.”
“Of course, sir. We’ll destroy the Portal and eliminate all aliens and monsters, every last one of them.”
“Henry Cross disagrees, you know, but he’s a scientist, and I’m the one that has to worry about protecting this country. Me and strong men like you.”
“Yes sir,” replied Jerrod, as the president stood and shook his hand, signaling an end to the meeting. He left the Oval Room much relieved that the President somehow hadn’t yet gotten word on the many things that weren’t going quite right.
Thirty minutes later when Jerrod was comfortably back in his secure Ready Room at the Pentagon he leapt back into the fray. “What do you mean she still won’t answer?” he screamed at one of his subordinates. “What does Ferell say? Order him to tell the Witch that she damn well better answer me! We did our end of the bargain, now she has to complete hers! That plane with the Witch and girl should have been ordered to start flying to the Portal by now, and we want the Witch to give us some hints as to the best way to destroy the Portal and to get her back to where she came from. Let her think that we're helping her escape Earth.
"As to letting the Witch actually escape through the Portal, that isn’t an option either; make sure all of our forces understand that! And we want the girl Mary alive, if possible. With the boy and dragon gone, we should be able to control her. She should make a hell of an agent. If not, she'll need to be destroyed like the others.”
“Sir, there is no response from anyone on-board the transport aircraft, including Ferell, not even using his personal link. The fighter escort reports that the transport is still circling the monster.”
“Could Greble be waiting to make sure that the dragon and the kid are dead? Do we have absolute conformation on that ourselves?”
“No sir. We had been depending on camera feed from the transport but that is still cut off. The situation on the ground remains chaotic. We still only have visual conformation from the fighter pilot that the dragon was enveloped by the monster.”
“Still nothing solid on the kid?”
“Only that he was taken down by the birds when the dragon was.”
“I need conformation on him also. When will our ground agents arrive?”
“Another hour, minimum.”
“They must ensure that super-kid is eliminated. Hopefully he has been weakened, if he does still live, and our men can finish him off. In any case, once we’re more sure of the situation, we’ll nuke all of them to hell. Send in H-bombs a hundred times more powerful than the tactical nukes were; we’ll take no chances.”
“Sir, with any luck the boy is already in a bird’s gullet that is in the giant monster’s gullet.”
Jerrod shook his head. No, he couldn’t depend on luck. As usual, he would depend on ruthless power.
White Dragon's Chosen Page 38