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WH
1600 PA AVE
Paul Sanders heard familiar radio chatter on his way to the command
performance of his lifetime. The WH USSS PPD CP broke into all stations and
said, “Crown to all cars and stations....
9 and 5 on Charlie.... 9 and 5 on
Charlie.” Paul knew the code didn't mean
much to civilians. But Treasury Special
Agents that had been assigned protection to the President of the United States
were trained to react to such communiqués.
Paul was five minutes from the WH.
His boss and host for his performance had just arrived back at Crown, or
WH. 9 and 5 meant he had returned. The 5
and 9 code meant he was leaving the WH.
Paul walked past the Staircase.
The USSS post to the family's private quarters . He went into the Oval office. The room was appropriately named. Not just for
its geometric shape, but because the cigarette smoke that filled the air. The
plumes were coming from the President's ashtray filled with British Ovals, non
filtered cigarettes. One was smoldering
with smoke curling into the circulation.
Another plume came from the President's mouth itself, and loomed close
to his crown like a fog bank. He was studying
something intensely as Paul was waived in and directed to a seat. He chose one on the two matching Chippendale
couches adjacent to his desk.
Treasury Secretary Brutus, a former NBA star and US Senator from NJ, had
now assumed the key role as athletic advisor to the President. They were hunched over the desk, staring at
the same document in the folder bearing the Presidential seal. “I can't believe Vandy got beat by Murray
State in the first round. And Notre Dame
going down to Old Dominion. I'm already
screwed in my brackets. I had Vandy going
to the Sweet 16. Man....” the President
said. Brutus stuttered, “But, but I
liked them too, Mr. President. We both agreed, right?” He ignored the comment and extinguished his
Oval. He glanced over at the NCAA channel he had set on mute for the final
scores of the first round of the tournament.
He made a few smiles as Paul watched.
Checking off a few winning picks and calculating his odds in his pool
for a victory. Paul could tell Brutus
was taking some of the blame for helping the President with his picks. Brutus just stood there and quietly watched
his boss.
Paul had his notes laid out on the coffee table of the contingency
plans. The ones he'd discussed with
Gianni and his team back at NanoBioTech.
Brutus stuck one finger up. Paul interpreted his signal to mean about one more minute before his
command performance would begin. He would later find out after another twenty
minutes passed that one minute in overtime can be a lifetime of commercials and
basketball announcements. Villanova won
in double overtime against Robert Morris by one and they slapped each other's
hands. The meeting began.
The President was sweaty and his hands clammy from an exhausting
afternoon of March madness. He brought
his bracket folder to the meeting.
The President called three timeouts during Paul's command performance. He asked, “How much time do we have exactly
before these systems can be put into place?” After he asked the question, he
opened his official folder and drew something in the maze. Paul understood the importance of
implementing additions for 2 Amend. He
wanted to convey it in a manner the President would clearly understand. Paul said, “Well, Mr. President. Are you
asking about how much time we have on the Shot Clock?” “Well put, deputy director Sanders. We're
going into OT with these cartels and our shot clock is ticking down. So, what's
our full court press plan?” He wasn't a
great communicator for nothing, Paul surmised.
Paul’s command performance had been memorized. He closed his files and dictated each of the
steps that would be taken to make the system Robust. They listened to him
describe the technology they were implementing.
A method of seamless integration of surveillance systems. Systems that
would allow them to track, monitor, identify, and capture the cartel members. Tagging their guns and using rfid readers was
just the start. The applications could
be enhanced to observe the movements of each gun carrier at all times.
A system that cloaked the
nitrates released after firing a particular type of ammunition would be
installed. A process which would leave
an indelibly mark on the assailant’s hands for later collection. “In short, Mr. President. If you approve the contingencies
I've just presented, we can implement the plan.” Paul said. “So, from cradle to
grave, we'll have the capability to find these guys when need be?” the
President asked. “How much is this robust
system going to cost?” He directed his question to the Secretary of
Basketball.
Brutus opened his file marked with the official Treasury's seal. A basketball bracket form fell to the floor.
The president picked up the paper and was curious of his picks. He lit up an Oval and smirked as he mouthed
the words, "Traitor..Brutus." An apparent reaction to seeing that he
picked Old Dominion and Murray State. Now
he was ahead in the bracket pool. Brutus realized his loyalty had been
compromised. He decided to make a run for it with his tail between his legs. A gesture to shelf the expensive demands of
the Robust system might get him back in his graces. Done in the interest of government frugality.
“It’s very expensive, their contingency plan, Mr. President.” “How much so?” the president asked. As if he were Caesar and the date was the
Ides of March. Brutus was on his heels again. “Well, we know who has the most
sophisticated surveillance systems in the world. That's Dubai. I don't think we
can justify such a system as there's. In
my opinion.” “And I think we can ill
afford not to implement this system. You agree Director Sanders?” The President
had spoken for him.
Paul knew he was toast if he answered the question either way. So he did what Brutus had so graciously done
in response to a question earlier. Just
sat there and shut up. Besides, he felt
the president wanted the Robust system.
He enjoyed watching two point guards joust about in the oval office.
The president went over to his desk and asked them to join him. He lit
up the sixth Oval in forty five minutes and said, “I've made my decision to go
with the Robust plan. Regardless of
political fallout. Or breaking the laws of the constitution I was sworn to
uphold. This will clearly infringe on
the civil liberties of our citizens and the 2nd Amendment's right to
bear arms. But, something drastic has to
be done. I can live with that on my conscience.
To save American lives from these narco cartels.” Paul was trying to get in an extra head
bobble for every one of Brutus's. He was
sitting across from a President that was in a defining moment. Athletes describe it as being In the Zone.
The president escorted Paul out.
To an area between the first and second of three bomb and bulletproof
door locks leading to the Oval office.
He said, “You can use as much of the time left on the shot clock as you want. To do this Robust thing. Just don't
let it run down to zero. We can't afford
to see decapitated heads being rolled like bowling balls in our city streets
like they did last weekend in Acapulco.
I'm sick of these cartels. How
they shot and killed one of my friends who was pregnant. She worked for our
consulate in Juarez.”
Paul noticed that the chamber he and the President were standing in had
no electronics of any kind. They were basically in a door lock that was totally
soundproof. The selection of these surroundings
made the president's requests and desires for success that much more
assuring. They knew each other's words
would go no further. Paul said, “We
have the best on this. The smartest guys
that want to make a difference before
their time has come and gone. We have
just that team. Agents and cops that
have worked together before. Who are rich with years of street savvy and combat
hardened. Loaded with pockets full of cash staked by
Wall St. Backed by the full faith of the
Treasury. Let us show you that a few can
do what so many haven't been able to do in the past. We won't let you down.”
The president appreciated Paul's conclusion to his command
performance. He stood steady and did not
make any motion to open the door lock to the outer chambers. It was filling with smoke after he lit up
another Oval. Paul was getting a tad claustrophobic. He didn't want to interrupt the President's
response to his level of conviction for the
2 Amend Robust version. This was
likely to be his first, last and only one on one time with the President of the
United States. Paul savored the quiet,
but not the smoke and his nicotine breath.
He soon got the message to proceed as planned. To do so with God's blessing.
The president hesitated for another
moment. Perhaps to clear his thoughts
and scan any last instructions he might want to give Paul. Before they reentered the electronic
world. He also needed a topic to
converse with his guest as they left the oval office. Done so to not alert any
of his staff as to the true nature of the visit. He tapped on the outer door
and two USSS PPD agents opened it. They
appeared to be getting a little nervous over the amount of time it took the
President to walk eight feet. The agents
opened the bomb and bulletproof doors in a relieved fashion.
They walked out to the Staircase.
The President asked, “Where’d you go to school Paul?” “Ohio U.
Why?” “So you probably like Ohio State
to win and make it to the final four.”
“Absolutely....Not. We hate the buckeyes as much as Michigan State hates
Notre Dame. Talked to Gianni today and he enjoys two things in sports. MSU winning and ND losing.” “Well, he got his wish today with them losing
to Old Dominion, huh?” Paul was getting
into March madness fever and said, “If
you ask me, I think MSU has a chance of a repeat this year and will win the
whole thing. Last year they lost against
North Carolina for the championship.”
The president pulled out his
blackberry and texted his brother in law.
Basketball coach at Washington about MSU's chances. “Why? Why do you
think they can repeat? They got their asses kicked in the Big Ten tourney last
week.” Paul turned to sign the check out sheet at the Staircase and pick up his
gun. “Two words. Tom Zone.” Paul said. “Coach Tom Zone?
Great coach! One, if not thee best out there. You think he can get err done?” “I like to use an old expression that the fish rots from the head down.” The
president said, “I get your meaning.” “His
record is that he's taken his team to the sweet sixteen five out of the past
ten years. That's unheard of. Unless you are from North Carolina.”
Paul and the President shook hands.
His palms were dry now that the games were in intermission. Once he stepped off the WH lawn, he'd put Robust into action. The President asked Paul to wait up for a
minute. Wanted to confirm something
that had been troubling him in the past few minutes of their conversation. “Do
you think Michigan State can get by Kansas, the number one seed?” the President
asked. Paul said, “Like fish swimming downstream. They're amped up when the Zone arrives. They will clean their clock.”
Paul walked out through the East gate of the White House.
On the way back to his Oval office, out of sight of the staffers, he lit
up an Oval. He texted all his bracket buddies.
The text message read: Changing
winner of sweet sixteen match between Kansas and MSU...pick .. MSU as
winner......Final four vs. KY ... pick MSU, with overall champ, Michigan
State...signed...... Oval teen.....@ WH
(USSS-United
States Secret Service-PPD-Presidential Protection Detail-CP-Command Post)
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