Brad laughed and said, “Hell this is your gig and you figure it out. If not, we have to come up with another plan. Maybe we can get the president to help us out by isolating her somewhere we can have a five minute chat with her. The more I think of it the more I like it. For example, a nice long meeting with liquids would make her take a trip to the head.”
“Yes, I could wait in a stall for her to come in and someone could block anyone else interfering. That someone could give me a knock if the secretary comes in and not someone else. Or maybe an out of order sign after she enters.”
Brad said, “I like it and I will have Steve set it up with the president. Let’s head back and get Nancy and the secret service on this idea.”
In Palm Springs Phillip Pratt sat in his study talking to Frank Spade Secretary of the Navy. They were old friends and now they discussed the joint chiefs and the two turncoats. Frank said, “I’m going to have to trust you on this one Phil. Now, how would one implement a blockade around DC without causing undue attention?”
“Frank what was that SAC commanders name who got caught doing his secretary and sent to Alaska about two years ago?”
“Oh, that was Eddie Blaze,” he said with a smile knowing what a character this guy was. “He’s been stuck in Alaska for two years now and I heard he’s been a good boy lately and has been transferred back to the lower states. I believe he is in the South with a fighter group out of Georgia. Are you thinking what I’m thinking Phil?”
“Frank what about some subs around Washington and alerting Eddie who is if nothing else a patriot to have his boys ready to make a showing if necessary.”
“Can’t hurt nothing and I can have the subs and a flat top or two at the ready. In addition I have another trick or two up my sleeve.”
Later after Frank left Phillip called his son. After calling his son he spent the rest of the night on the phone calling in favors and putting some generals on alert.
By eight pm Steve called to say a meeting in the White House was scheduled for eleven am. It was the president’s suggestion a meeting just before lunch would probably ensure the secretary of state make a restroom run before lunch. Mike and Brad along with Nancy who had a report to tell them about the security coming up, discussed the operation restroom on the morrow. The plan was for Nancy to follow or go with her to the restroom, but Nancy would be intercepted for a short talk with the FBI director in the hallway. Everything was set and finalized with nothing to do but wait. Wendy suggested Chinese takeout and all agreed. Agent Jones sheepishly said he would go with her to help. After they left jokes went around about the new budding relationship between the team members.
Agent Jones was driving with Wendy riding quietly in the car seat next to him. Agent Jones stuttered and told with too much high pitch in his usual deep voice, “Wendy I’m no good at talking to girls, but I sure have a funny feeling in my stomach and it isn’t from hunger.”
Wendy laughed a little and said, “I guess we must face the notion we are attracted to each other. Now is not the time for us to get involved so let’s put this on hold until after this case.” Agent Jones breathed a sigh of relief and reached over and patted her leg sending hot shivers through her body. Her hand lay on top of him while he drove one handed with no intention of removing it till they found the restaurant.
After dinner all felt it safe to take a walk and let Sandy do her job before bed. Walking along Sujin said to Brad, “What if the secretary doesn’t scare and calls for help knowing that there is really no threat to her in the restroom. She could also, with a phone call have the kids moved to a safe house. Or maybe she will jump at the chance to change sides knowing how difficult this idea might be.”
“Let’s see what happens tomorrow and go with the flow,” he said holding her hand both feeling the love between them as warm as their hands. The night was cold, but clear with the promise of a nice sunny day tomorrow.
The president stood in front of the large conference table with the same set of attendants as before. All members of security and intelligence agencies were present along with the joints of staff; with a full complement of cabinet members sitting opposite.
Brad, Nancy and Steve sat in the same places as last time with Mr. X in his usual place next to the president. For the next forty five minutes the president tried both the good guy bad guy approach with the threat of heads rolling to rewards if this assassin was stopped. Then it seemed to Brad that he was just using filler to move the clock around till close to lunch time. Finally after the last report given by the FBI director they broke for a sit down lunch put on by the president.
Only two women were present and Nancy followed Janet to the restroom where right on time the FBI director asked her for a minute before lunch. The secretary of state moved through the doors of the women’s restroom needing to badly relieve the pressure of too much coffee and water. Mike was in position in the last stall knowing or hopeful she would chose the first stall and she did. She was sitting down on the toilet when Mike stuck his head over the side of the stall and then leaped from his toilet landing in front of the secretary of state who gave off a small cry of fright landing in front of her. Mike said, “Don’t be alarmed I will not hurt you.”
She said, not moving as the sound of water continued to flow once she relaxed, “You are Mike Henshaw of Brad’s team. No Mike I’m not scared of you. To tell you the truth, I wanted to get the word to your team a long time ago, but was afraid of being caught. I’m being blackmailed by George as he set up my husband with a hooker and took some pictures so I would cooperate with him feeding privileged information and being a currier for payment.”
Mike was totally shocked and she must have seen the look on his face, but he quickly recovered and said, “Then you will feed us as a double agent and pretend we never met. We can have a female follow you each time you need a restroom call.”
“Fine, now will you excuse me while I tend to business and I’ll talk some more with you in a minute.” Mike turned red and had a little trouble getting out the door while she sat on the toilet. Later he told the team, making it sound funnier than it really was and the Master had a grin on his wizened face. Who said he didn’t know English.
The rest of the afternoon was spent going over and over again the security and placements of the security guards at the exits. Finally they gave it a rest and went to bed all tired from a stressful day. Tomorrow at ten am the secretary of defense was giving a press conference which may or may not be his last one.
Presidents Day
Chapter 15
At nine am on February 17th Presidents Day, Chinese Master Lui met the President of the United States in the Oval Office. Pictures were taken and the old Master had a smile on his face as he bowed to the president. Sujin did the interpreting and fifteen minutes later, after a quick cup of tea and a medal of some sort, he and Sujin left for the press conference which started in about thirty minutes. Both knew how to find the briefing room, but they were escorted by the secret service. No one was allowed to just roam around the White House especially with an assassin loose. Brad had told them last night if the assassin was indeed in the White House shit would hit the proverbial fan.
As they neared the room, the Master carrying his bag, which he would not let anyone look inside of, causing a ruckus until Brad took full responsibility they let him go. The Master and Sujin were on full alert and the Master stopped just inside the room and slowly gazed around, not looking at the reporters, but the walls and ceiling. He saw the podium where the secretary would stand and the Master moved to stand to the left of the podium eight feet off to the side with a clear path to the podium. Sujin did the same from the other direction. Behind Sujin a hallway led to an exit and behind the Master was a wall. Another hallway came directly to the podium splitting the room in half. About thirty or forty people were in the room and back against the far wall TV cameras were set up ready to record the event. Always a twenty second delay for security and foul language was in effect.
Brad wasn’t looking at the podium, but back and forth between his wife and the Master who stared at the ceiling over Sujin’s head. The defense secretary was making his statement when what seemed like a blur, the Master made for the podium area flying through the air turning a three sixty and a clap were heard as he rolled to the floor making another tumble coming up to his feet. Even Brad was frozen for a half second and then he saw his wife like a flash turn and run down the hallway behind her. The Master meanwhile walked slowly to the podium and to a wide eyed secretary he sat a red feathered dart on the podium and shook his head not to touch it. Then he turned around and was down the hallway faster than eyes could believe. Brad was not far behind him and rounding the corner saw one agent on the floor and the door softly closing behind the departing Master to the outside of the press room. Brad burst through the door into bright sunlight into a garden area with lawn in the middle and flowers rimming it. Standing in the middle of the lawn was the Master, Sujin and the gray pajama clad assassin. The Master was talking to the assassin who had his head bowed as did Sujin.
Brad stood a little out of breath watching the meeting in the middle of the lawn knowing what came next. From behind him agents for all branches of security rushed out the door and Brad raised his hands to stop them from interfering. Their training brought them to a standstill at a superior’s order to cease and desist. Brad told the lead man to stop the flow of the outpouring of reporters and other civilians from interfering with what was taking place on the lawn. A few seconds’ later agents had the crowd under control as reporters and agents slowly made their way behind the flower beds to observe what was taking place as what seemed to them like a martial arts ceremony.
Brad looked at the center as Mike came up along side of him with Nancy, Wendy and Agent Jones. All were staring wide eyed at the proceedings wondering what was happening. Mike passed the word and it spread throughout the people watching that this was combat between good and evil, but the evil was not really evil in the sense we Western people know it. It was a fight to the death and if the assassin won he would go free and if he lost, his spirit would be honored in another world, but he would save face for his family which is all important in Asian world culture.
Now the two combatants went to their knees with heads bowed in prayer as the Master touched each one on the head signifying his high position as a Master. A minute or two went by, but to the observers pictured, which now had drawn a large crowd along with the president, the two fighters in a standing position and bowed to each other as the Master returned to the sidelines.
Brad’s heart was in his throat and a fear like he never felt before gripped his whole being. From his first encounter with Sujin in the high mountains on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan flashed into his mind along with the last four years in a heartbeat. Now he wondered if he would have a wife and a mother for his little Brian as they backed off for a fight to the death. Not a sound was heard except the occasional click of a hand held camera.
The fighters made two circles each drawing nearer as they circled like a clock. Brad knew this was in keeping with tradition as time moved on. The assassin made the first attack feinting left and moving right with a kick to the head. Sujin moved her head slightly and countered with a kick of her own landing her foot into his chest. No damage was done as they were just testing each other out. Now moving more slowly around both were more intent now of striking a damaging blow resulting in an injury. Sujin went on the offensive with a series of moves that later no one could describe they were so fast. The result was a kick to the right leg of her opponent and he backed off in obvious injury, or was it only a feint? Sujin was patient and waited to see what he would do. He regained his stance and charged in with both feet off the ground trying for a kick to the head leaving him horizontal in the air feet first that if landed properly would snap her neck. Sujin leaped into the air and did a full twist in the air leading with her right foot taking her opponent under his jaw snapping his head back. It looked to Brad that Sujin had either killed him or gravely wounded the assassin. He lay on the lawn not moving and Sujin wary it was a ploy to suck her in for the finish, stayed back waiting to see the results of her kick.
The assassin groaned and rolled over slowly getting to his knees and then to a standing position. Sujin still kept her distance and then she let out a yell and faked a run at the assassin like she would finish him off. The assassin quickly recovered although it was evident he had taken a hard kick to the head. Now Sujin walked up to him and both stared at each other and began a series of punches with arms and hands. All attempts from both were either blocked or did no damage. Now perhaps ten minutes had gone by when the Master called a time out. He reached into his bag and drew out to scarves then walked to the center of the lawn once more. First he blindfolded the assassin and then Sujin. He took each by the shoulders and moved them what appeared about six feet apart.
Then the Master moved back and gave a grunt that began the second part of the fight. When the blindfolds were placed on the two fighters, the crowd gave a loud gasp and Brad felt more confident now that he’d seen his wife in action. He felt she was superior to the assassin but he sent her vibes of warning he wished she received. Blindfolded they circled once more from their left sensing an opening. The crowd was dead silent, not even a camera clicked. Mike had moved to Brad and put an arm around him for comfort and Brad patted his best friends hand as the assassin made the first move coming in low trying to knock Sujin off her feet. Sujin jumped up as he took a swipe with his right leg and she nailed him in the head again with an upper right leg strike to the neck sending him flat on his back to the ground. The final strike came when she did a back flip and landed with both feet onto his chest crushing the ribs into his heart and lungs. He never moved after that and Sujin knew he was dead as she lifted the blindfold off and looked back at her husband and then to the Master with a low bow.
The next thing she did was take off his scarf and place it flat over his face and her scarf she placed on his chest. The last thing she did was bow to all four points on the compass and strode to her husband who was walking towards her amid a smattering of claps from a crowd that didn’t know whether to clap or stay silent. Brad stood in front of her and they bowed to each other and then he gave her a big hug lifting her off the ground as Mike and the other team members, including Nancy joined them amid sounds of bravo and loud clapping.
The president always looking for a photo op. moved out to congratulate Brad and his team from thwarting the assassination attempt on the secretary of defense. He was joined by the intended victim and when Brad looked for the Master saw him carrying off his former student to pay his spirit homage away from the crowd of spectators. The president announced a special lunch for two pm and invited the press to rub shoulders with the cabinet members and other important politicians. Brad and Sujin slipped away and along with his team members and Nancy found the Master holding a ceremony over the dead Chinese man. When he was finished he asked Sujin if the body of his former student could be flown back to China for a proper burial he would be grateful. She told him both of them, Master and student, would be taken home first class. That was the least the government could do with the Master saving the life of the secretary of defense.
Much later back in the safe house they viewed the footage from the press conference in slow motion as the Master had moved so fast that was the only way to view it: frame by frame. The camera showed the Master tak
ing three quick steps then leaping into the air turning a full circle and when he came to the top of his circle his arms raised and that was when his hands came flat together catching the poison dart between them. All including Sujin couldn’t believe what they were seeing. What the Master told Sujin was he saw a slight rise in a ceiling panel and a round shape bamboo slide out of the one inch space. They ran the tape many times and Brad laughingly asked Sujin to demonstrate the actions. That broke all tension and they all went out to dinner trying but not successfully to forget the next act in the play coming. Mike was especially nervous as he would wait for a call from overseas.
The evening news recapped the breaking news from earlier in the day of the thwarted attempt on the secretary of defense. Now George Williams was not happy watching the news again and again all day long becoming more and more frustrated as the day wore on. He stood looking at the black night feeling the same dark feelings he gazed at. Now to top off a really bad day, the currier had shown up with a message from Europe. News of course had reached the continent of Europe and around the world for that matter, and now he guessed his contract assassin in Europe had cold feet. Screw her he thought again as he reached for the phone to take a chance and call Africa. Of course the FBI had a tap on his phone and even though he never made contact the call sent off alarms which were directed to Billy and Brad. At the end of the night George lit his pipe for the last time before bed thinking he would get a fresh start tomorrow. Before he drifted off to sleep he reassured himself that money is power and money can buy anything. And money was what he had a lot of to spend to wield his way to the office of the president of the United States and to find takers who would risk their lives for a promise of success in taking a contract out on some politician.
Systematic Attrition Page 13