by Iris Bolling
❖❖❖
The tide was turning. The connection in Texas had been interrupted. Word was McGary was in custody and Gary was dead. The only face the man knew was his. David had to make a move. He needed cash and lots of it so he could disappear. Hell, this job was all about the cash to him. Yes, the idea of bringing Tracy Washington-Harrison to her knees was a sweet incentive. However, it wasn’t his driving force. He wanted to live comfortably. He made that clear when he was approached in prison last year. He had to admit, coming up with the plan was an ingenious way of using his skills. After all, being cunning is an art form. To say David was good would be an understatement. Working as a political operative you had to know how to dish the crap when needed and to whom. You had to be willing to sell your soul and David, certainly had no problem with that. The plan was really simple. Put JD Harrison in a compromising situation, one for which the nation would never forgive him. Well, the first thing a normal person would think of was an affair with a woman, better yet a man. Now that would raise a few eyebrows, but the nation would forgive and forget. It had to be something more. Something the country would never recuperate from, like a bomb on U.S. soil, under JD’s watch. David stood in the window of his plush hotel room, provided by the McClintock’s, grinning at the simplicity of it all.
All the players thought it was all about the weapons in Texas. Hmm, that was only the decoy. The real deal was happening in D.C. and the beauty of it, not even the man paying for it all, knew the details. You see, prisons are filled with education. You have nothing but time on your hands to learn about things you would never have imagined. There are valuable skills to learn inside of prisons. People of all walks of life are behind bars, from the brother on the street corner, hustling, to the man with a PhD in chemistry. A few questions here and there to open the lines of communication and all you had to do was listen. People love to talk about their accomplishments. Then there’s one more asset in prison…networking. The largest network of illegal ideas is shared inside prison walls. All your experts are there. You listen to where they made their mistakes and what they would have done differently and pouf, you have the perfect plan.
David had to applaud the man who hired him for coming up with the idea of making JD his own worst enemy. Getting Congress to sanction him would tarnish his presidency and possibly keep him from running for a second term. It was child’s play. It had been fun watching it play out. But if you really want to do something right, don’t half step. Carry the freakin' ball through the goalpost. That’s what David planned to do. Something the country would not soon forget, or forgive their President for allowing to happen. First, it was time to have a little fun. David picked up his coat, threw it over his arm and thought. A good prison education is a terrible thing to waste.
❖❖❖
Taking the girls was as easy as spreading butter on a hot biscuit. In fact, it was too damn easy to get that close to the President’s daughter. You see, there’s humble and there’s stupid. The Harrison's pride themselves on being everyday down-home people. Their children went to public schools in D.C., their son, JC, was allowed to shoot hoops on the local basketball courts and their daughter, Jazzy, attended dance lessons with her cousin Jada every Wednesday at 4.
David dressed in a black suit, white collar shirt, black shoes, a chauffeur’s hat and a pair of sunshades, drove the black SUV and parked in front of the dance studio. There he waited. He knew the regular driver was…delayed. It's amazing how much information a smile and a little sweet talk could get you. They were coming out of the door. David spoke to the agent as she walked the girls to the vehicle. A complaint about the detail always sparked a little compassion, for most agents hated being assigned to children. They all wanted the President’s detail.
The agent checked the back, as she should, then allowed the girls to get in. David climbed into the driver’s seat. The agent then hit the top of the vehicle indicating it was clear to pull off. David looked through the rear view mirror and smiled. Too easy. The agent took her place in the passenger seat, pulling the door closed. She never bothered to look in the seat. If she had, she would have seen the hypodermic needle pointing up. "Ouch," she gasped, then glared back at Jasmine, thinking the girl had pulled another of her pranks. The girls were on their electronic device, paying no attention to what was happening in the front. The agent pulled the needle out and looked at it. Too late. She was rendered unconscious in seconds. She should have checked the trunk. David smiled and pulled off. Too easy. Within fifteen minutes he was in a part of D.C. he was certain the girls did not know and the people around there didn't care or ever see anything. He stopped the car, opened the back door, then removed his glasses. "Hello ladies."
Jada looked around. "Jazzy, this isn't right."
Jazzy looked at the agent then back to David. "You're the man from the basketball court. What did you do to Diane?"
"She's resting while I take you girls on a little adventure."
"We're not going anywhere with you," Jazzy said as she kicked as hard as she could between his legs just like her Grandma Lena told her to do to strangers. She grabbed Jada’s hand. "Come on Jada.” She pulled her cousin, leaving everything inside including the panic button she was told never to part with, and ran down the street. They turned a corner, looking back to make sure the man wasn’t behind them. They ran dead into something or someone, knocking them both onto their behinds. The girls looked up and saw the scariest man they had ever seen. Stunned at first, they did nothing but stare. As the man reached down to help them up, both girls screamed at the top of their lungs, and began crawling backwards on the ground. Jasmine scrambled to her knees, pulling Jada by the blouse. “Get up Jada, get up!” the child screamed. Jasmine was pulling her and running so fast, the girl never had a chance to stand up.
“Stop Jazzy, stop,” Jada cried out.
Jazzy stopped, pulled Jada up by the arms, then ran around the corner, straight into David’s arms.
“Come here you little wench. You’re a pain in my ass, just like your mother.
“Put us down,” Jazzy cried out as she banged her fist into his chest.
“I’m going tell my Daddy,” Jada cried.
“Good,” David smirked as he walked up to an old row house, kicked the door open, then literally threw the girls to the floor. He slammed the door and locked the deadbolt.
The girls clung to each other as they stared at the man. “My Daddy is going to hurt you and so is my Uncle Al. They are both going to whip you good.”
“Yeah, what Jazzy said,” Jada huffed.
“They are gong to have to find you first,” he grabbed Jazzy by the arm.
“No, Jazzy,” Jada screamed, clinging to her cousin so tight, David was pulling both of them.
He threw them in an empty room and stared down at them. “The two of you are just like your mothers. You see one, you see the other.”
“So,” Jazzy replied.
“Yeah, what Jazzy said.”
David looked at the two and had to laugh. Damn if it didn’t seem like deja vu. His cell phone buzzed. “Holt,” he answered and dismissed the girls, closing the door behind him.
Jazzy jumped up the moment she heard the lock click on the door. Jada looked around. “Jazzy, how are we going to get out?”
Jazzy looked around. There was a window, but they couldn’t reach it, and there were bars on it. She walked over and opened a door in the room. It was a small closet. “I don’t know Jada, but we will get out. I promise.”
Jada believed her cousin. If Jazzy could get them out of a locked vault, she could get them out of the room too.
❖❖❖
“Mr. President,” Calvin called out as he walked into the Oval Office.
JD looked up from the education bill he was reviewing. “Are they done?” he asked as he went back to the bill.
“No. I received a call a moment ago. The House has issued an ultimatum. Attorney General Roberts resigns or appears before the House to testify on his i
nvolvement in the Texas weapons situation.”
“What?” JD asked incredulous. “The situation isn’t three days old and they are demanding a hearing?” He stood angrily, pushing his chair back against the wall. “Who initiated the hearing? I want every name on the document. Now.” JD wanted to punch something. “Where is Gavin? Is he aware of this ridiculous change of events?”
“He will know within the hour.”
“Anything from Joshua?” He asked.
“A possible lead, but nothing concrete,” Calvin replied.
JD held his head down, then hit the desk with his fist. He took a deep breath. “What in the hell is going to happen next?”
Just then Secret Service agents burst through the room. “We’re going black.” One agent said into his communication device as he quickly walked throughout the room. At least five other agents secured the doors in the Oval Office, covering every window.
“This isn’t a good time for a run through, John,” JD stated.
“Not a run through Mr. President,” John replied. “Special Agent Dumas will be here in two.”
JD glanced at Calvin then back to John. “Are my wife and children secure?”
“The residence has been secured.”
“What’s happened?”
“Need a twenty on Dumas,” John spoke into his device.
Special Agent Dumas burst through the door. “Mr. President, we have a situation. We should follow procedure and inform the Chief of Staff.”
“Mr. Johnson is here,” JD pointed to the corner where Calvin was standing. The agent looked around.
Calvin saw the look of distress in the agent’s eyes and instinctively moved closer to the area where JD was standing. “What is it, Dumas?”
Special Agent Dumas turned back to JD. “Mr. President at eighteen hundred hours, the SUV carrying your daughter and niece was found on the Southeast side of D.C. One agent was dead on the scene the other is unconscious.”
“My daughter?” JD’s heart was about to pound out of his chest. “Where is Jasmine?”
The nervous agent, shook his head, “We don’t know Sir.”
“What in the hell do you mean you don’t know?” JD stormed towards the agent.
Calvin jumped between them. “JD, calm down,” he shouted. “Has her mother been notified, Agent Dumas?”
“We came straight here, Sir.”
“My God, Tracy,” JD ran from the room out the door to the pathway leading to the residence. The agents stationed outside the door tried to stop him. “Get the hell out of my way.”
A flurry of activity began all at once. Special Agent Dumas ordered the men to lead the way to the residence. He ran behind JD and Calvin giving as many details as he could.
Calvin pulled out his cell. “James meet us in the residence, now!”
❖❖❖
JC walked into the family room and smiled at his little brother who was walking around with one of Jazzy’s hats on his head. He picked William up, kissed him on the cheek, then took the hat off.
“Jazz.” the baby laughed and clapped his hands.
“Yes, Jazzy,” JC put William down next to Gabby who was sitting in a chair reading. His other sister, Brianna, was doing homework. There was a rule in their house. All homework had to be completed before any other activities. He had just finished his before walking into the room. Now it was his job to help the others. “Where’s Jazzy?” He asked.
Gabby looked up from her book, and shrugged. “She hasn’t come home yet.”
“She was supposed to help me with my math.” Brianna looked at her brother. “Can you help me?”
“Sure,” JC sat at the small desk with Brianna just as agents burst through the doors. He looked up to see at least ten agents moving strategically through the residence. They closed doors, pulled drapes on the windows and surrounded the room.
“I have four in sight,” one agent said.
“FLOTUS unaccounted for,” another said.
“Lock it down,” another agent ordered. “We’re going black.”
JC had seen the security measure before, but this time there was an urgency with their movements. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Your father will be here in a moment,” an agent replied.
JC’s gut told him something wasn’t right. “Where’s my mother?”
“Your father will be here in a moment.”
“I didn’t ask about my father. I asked you where is my mother?”
The agent touched his earpiece. “Affirmative.”
William ran to his brother, frightened by the sudden rush of activity. JC picked him up and then gathered his sisters next to him.
“What’s wrong, JC?” Brianna took her brother’s hand.
“I don’t know,” JC replied.
Gabby stood next to her brother. “It’s Jazzy.”
JC looked down at her, then back up at the men and knew she was right. He gave the baby to Gabby. “Keep William quiet, okay. I’ll see what’s going on.”
“Can I go with you JC?”
JC smiled down at Brianna. “Not this time. You stay here with Gabby, okay.”
“Okay.”
“Come on Bri, let’s read to William until Daddy comes.”
JC walked over to the door where two agents were stationed. He could see they were on alert. He reached for the door and was stopped.
“You have to remain in the room son,” the agent stated.
“I want to check on my mother. Make sure she’s okay.”
“Your mother is secure.”
“How do you know?”
“We know, son.”
He heard the rush of movement outside in the foyer. “Is that my Dad?”
“Yes,” the agent replied.
“May I go to him?”
“No son, you have to remain here.”
He turned to see the frightened look on his brother and sisters faces. He had just taken a step to console them when the door burst open.
“Dad?”
JD grabbed his son and hugged him as the other children ran to Tracy.
She fell to her knees and hugged each of them. William began to whimper as JD took him from Gabby.
“What’s going on Dad?” JC asked.
“John,” JD turned to an agent. The agent cleared all the other agents from the room and closed the door.
“Dad?” JC looked up expectantly.
JD hesitated, almost choking as the words came out. “Jazzy and Jada are missing.”
“Where’d she go, Daddy?” Gabby asked.
“We’re not sure, Gabby honey. That’s what we are trying to find out.”
JC stepped away from his father’s embrace. “Dad.”
Before he could say anything the doors opened. James, Ashley, Calvin and Brian walked through.
“Where are the other children?” JD anxiously asked.
“Home,” Ashley replied as she ran over to a distraught Tracy. “Why? What’s going on?”
JD glanced at Calvin, who shook his head. As much as he was hurting for his own child, JD knew he had to be the one to break the news to James and Ashley. He turned giving William to JC. “Take the children to the play area,”
“But Dad,”
“Now JC, I need to talk to your Aunty.”
JC did as he was asked.
“JD?” James gave him a questioning look.
“You’re scaring me JD,” Ashley frowned, “What’s going on? Is it Mom?”
JD shook his head as he looked up at James. “There’s no easy way to say this. Jazzy and Jada are missing?”
“Missing?” Ashley frowned. “No they’re not. They’re at the dance studio.”
“No, Ashley, They aren’t there. One agent is dead and the other is hanging on to life.”
“How long ago?” Brian asked.
“They discovered the abandoned vehicle less than an hour ago,” JD replied.
“Details.” Brian asked.
“Dumas has the detail
s,” Calvin pulled Brian away.
As the men huddled in the corner discussing the situation, JD held Tracy and James consoled Ashley. There was no mistaking the murderous look in James’ eyes.
“Did you say an agent is alive? Are they able to talk to tell us anything about the children? Give me what you know.”
“Let’s take a seat.”
“I don’t want to take a seat JD. I want to know where my daughter is,” James seethed.
“I know James. I want to know where Jazzy and Jada are.”
The two men held each other’s angry glares, then James sighed. “I apologize. Tell me what you know.”
“The Special Agent in charge placed a routine call when the vehicle did not arrive here at the scheduled time. When he received no response, he activated the tracking system on the vehicle. It was located in Southeast D.C.”
“What in the hell was it doing there?” James asked.
JD shook his head. “Don’t know. When they arrived on the scene they found one agent unconscious and the other in the trunk dead.”
“No.” Ashley cried out. “What about the girls? Was there any sign of the girls?”
“Their book bags were in the backseat as was Jazzy’s panic button.”
“Dad.” JC walked over.
“JC I need you to watch the children right now.”
“Dad listen,” he yelled. “That man has her.”
JD looked at his son as Tracy asked. “What man?” All eyes turned to JC. “The man from the basketball court,” JC stated, then looked at his dad. “Dad, the man I told you about from school.”
Brian turned when he heard JC’s remark. “David Holt?” he asked as he walked back over.
“Yes,” JC replied, relieved that someone was finally listening.
“Holt!” James yelled. “Holt has my daughter?”
Ashley and Tracy looked up. “Find him and kill him,” Tracy demanded. “If David Holt is anywhere near those girls I don’t want any questions asked. You kill him!”
“Tracy,” JD reached out to calm her down.
“No, don’t calm her down. She is right,” Ashley jumped to her side. “You find him James. And you kill him. Do not leave Jada in that man’s hands. How long has he had them?” She looked at JD.