“Sorry, old habit I picked up at the Court of St. James.”
“Well, do me a favor and lose it.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“What do hear about Russian military movements recently?”
“The usual, though their subs are more active.”
“Is that showing off or a show of force?”
“Could be either one or both.”
“I wish I knew what they were doing.”
“It’s hard to figure the Russians out,” Henry said.
“I know.”
“I can ask a couple of people I know.”
“Good but before you do that listen to this from General Zumwalt at NORAD. He says, ‘Dear Madam President, we are piecing together intelligence we’ve received recently and it’s painting a picture that if not disturbing it is at least of concern.’”
“Whoa,” Henry said as she sat back in his chair.
“Russian surface ships are more active than usual and their subs are patrolling closer than usual to the U.S on both coasts. They are in the Sea of Japan, near the Philippines and flank both entrances to the Panama Canal.”
“Now, that is suggestive.”
“Suggestive of what?”
“Well, if it was the old days of the Soviet Union, I’d say they were ready for a move into West Berlin.”
“But these are the new days and we have Russia instead of the Soviet Union. So, now what does it mean?”
“I’m not sure Ma’am.”
“We don’t pay you to say you don’t know, Henry.”
“Ma’am, you don’t pay me at all, remember. I’m working as an advisor for free.”
“I forgot, Henry, sorry. Hey, maybe I can get you a couple of weekend passes to Disneyland.”
“That would be swell, Madam President.” They chuckled for a second then returned to the duty at hand.
“We have satellite photos of the Kapustin Yar missile site just south of Volgograd. There’s some kind of surveillance going on and we’re not sure what it is but a man from the missile control building was seen talking to people in a car.”
“I don’t like that at all,” Henry said.
“Neither do I.”
“What else?”
“General Zumwalt has ordered the Alaskan Air Command to cancel all leaves and have the entire squadron ready for action.”
“What about the DEFCON level?”
“It’s still at five.”
Clarification here for DEFCON. It stands for Defensive Condition. It ranges from 1-5 with 5 being peace and 1 being war. (Yes, 1 is bad)
“Well, that’s good but the Russians are going to get nervous if they see our planes in the air. I take it he wants a third of them airborne all the time.”
“Yes.”
“Does he say what he thinks this business is at Kapustin Yar with the car and the man from the control room?”
“He’s not sure.”
“You know, Madam President, there are so many fringe groups in Russia, especially the Stalinists it wouldn’t surprise me at all for one of them to try and take over a missile site and blackmail the whole world.”
“Is that possible?”
“I don’t know but they’re resourceful.”
“Is this because of the summit?”
“Of course.”
“Okay, check with your contacts and let me know.” Henry left and Ellen sat in a chair and thought about the situation. It wasn’t a good one.
“Comrade Kulagin, I have a message from Galkin at the hotel,” a short man said as he walked up to Andrei Kulagin in a small café. It was Anton Kolchevsky a cohort of Kulagin. Kulagin took the paper and read it.
“He says his people are prepared and the guests will be there in a few hours.”
“So, we are ready?”
“Yes, it only remains to pull off the grab.”
“When?” Kolchevsky asked.
“They’ll start the meeting but the first day is informal. We let them have that so they get comfortable. Then the second day we move.”
“It’ll be a glorious day for Comrade Stalin.”
“Yes, a glorious day,” Kulagin said.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Dad, can I have a friend over tonight?” Brian asked his father.
“What did your mother say after you got in trouble at school?”
“But she’s gone and you’re in charge of us now.”
“Surely you know you can’t use me as leverage against your mother?”
“All I want to do is have fun, watch a movie.”
“But you lost that privilege when you got in trouble again.”
“So, I told the teacher off, big deal.”
“It is a big deal.”
“Because I’m, the President’s son?”
“No, because you’re my son and your mother’s son.”
“But shouldn’t they cut me some slack since I’m the first son?”
“No, you should be held to a higher standard if anything.”
“Well, I never asked to be in this position.”
“No and we didn’t ask if you wanted it. You’re the President’s son, get over it and get over yourself.”
“I just want to live a normal life.”
“As long as your mother is President there’s no chance of that… for Shelly or me either. All we can do is make the best of things.”
“So, I can’t go anywhere?”
“No, you’re grounded.”
“And, I can’t have anyone over?”
“No visitors.”
“For how long?”
“Until your mother gets back.”
“When will she be back?”
“Ten days or so.”
“So, I’m sentenced to my room until then.”
“I wouldn’t say that exactly,” Don said.
“But I can’t wander around the White House.”
“No, you can’t do that.”
“So, I’m under house arrest.”
“We all are, Brian. I can’t wander around either. Your mother can but I can’t and neither can you or Shelly.”
“That’s it then, I’m not allowed to have fun?”
“Not exactly, you can have pizza and see a movie,” Don said.
“I can, you mean I can go out?”
“No, you can watch it with Shelly and me downstairs.”
“You mean the three of us in the world’s largest living room?”
“Precisely.”
“No thanks.”
“Suit yourself then. Shelly and I ordered pizza from the kitchen and it’ll be ready in a few minutes. We’re headed downstairs now. The movie will start in fifteen minutes. Come with us or not, I don’t care. I won’t ask you again.” Don left the room and Brian sat staring at the wall for a moment before following his dad.
“Glad you could join us,” Shelly said and Brian gave a fake grin as he sat next to his sister.
“It beats being stuck in my room.” They were close as brothers and sisters go with no fighting or arguing except for the little squabbles that all siblings have.
“You wouldn’t be there if you behaved at school and stopped giving Mom fits,” Shelly posed.
“You too?”
“Yes, me too. Look, I don’t like being in a bubble with the whole world watching any more than you do but that’s the way it is. Our mom is President and I am so proud of her I could burst. There, I said it and I’m glad. She has the hardest job on the planet. She’s under constant pressure from all sides in this country and around the world. She needs our help by not being a problem for her as a parent.”
“Are you my mother now?”
“No but if I was, I’d be harder on you than she is.”
“You would?”
“Yes, Brian, you’re a jerk sometimes and it hurts Mom.”
“I am?”
“You must know that.”
“Maybe I do.”
“When she gets back can you try to cause her less headaches?”
“Yeah, I suppose.”