Murray McDonald - Critical Error

“Jim? Allan?” asked Henry, raising the bottle.

“Absolutely,” replied Jim enthusiastically.

“Please,” nodded Allan.

Jim and Henry shared a look as Henry poured the champagne and Jim got up to pass them around.

“The President,” announced Henry, raising his glass.

Allan and Jim joined and toasted their man.

“Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you guys.” Neither Jim or Henry missed the look that Allan got as the President accepted their toast. They were definitely missing something.

“Well gentlemen, down to business. I believe Allan has some news that may make our day even more special!”

“Yes I have, Sir,” he beamed. “I’m pleased to announce that earlier this evening, a certain thorn in the President’s side was removed once and for all!”

Jim and Henry looked at each other. Henry, as ever, took the lead. “Senator Baker?”

“The now dearly departed Senator Baker. So sad ” confirmed the President.

“Fantastic!” said Henry, looking at Allan, who reported to him. The look made it clear this was something that he should have known.

“Oh there was a little collateral damage, I think that’s how you guys term it.” The President reached over and hit a buzzer. “Can you send in Tom, please.”

“Gentlemen, you all know Tom. Thanks Honey,” he added, dismissing the young secretary who had shown Tom in, a young secretary that none of the men could take their eyes off.”

“You can’t call her Honey, Mr President,” said Jim, as the stunning young blonde closed the door behind her.

Russell laughed at the confusion. “I know, but that really is her name, fantastic eh, certainly brightens the place up!”

As the laughter died down, he resumed. “You know Tom, our excellent Deputy Secretary of Defense and a man who shares our goals in life?”

They all nodded, understanding that Tom was one of them, one of the President’s men.

“Well it seems that Tom here is in line for a promotion following the tragic demise of Secretary of Defense James Murphy.”

Henry and Jim quickly computed the link, the Secretary of Defense was the collateral damage. So the rumors of James Murphy’s mysterious disappearance were true, they both thought. There was a lot happening that they knew nothing about.

All congratulated the soon to be announced new Secretary of Defense.

“What are you going to say happened to James Murphy?” asked Henry, beginning to think beyond the moment.

The President looked at Allan. “Allan.”

“A tragic accident, a gas explosion at Senator Baker’s hunting lodge in Montana has robbed America of two wonderful statesmen, something along those lines. We’re still working on it but that’s the gist.”

Henry did not miss the President’s interaction with Allan, they had obviously been working closely on this.

“Only one thing I’d note, it was a ski lodge, not a hunting lodge. Charles Baker was no friend of the hunters so a hunting lodge may sound a little strange,” offered Henry. It was all in the details and it made the point to the President that if he were getting too close to Johnson, detail was not his forte, unlike Henry.

“Why don’t we just go for Senator Baker’s lodge, lest we upset any skiers!” retaliated Johnson, pathetically enough that everybody just moved on.

“Have you had any thoughts about a VP?” asked Henry moving onto more important issues.

“Not yet, there are quite a few roles I want to shuffle around,” replied Russell ominously.

“I would remind you, should anything happen to you just now, we’d have the Speaker of the House inaugurated as President,” warned Henry. The Speaker of the House was a particularly fierce woman who ruled the House of Representatives with an iron fist and to make matters worse, was a Democrat. To say she put the fear of God into people, understated her position. The Speaker of the House was second in line in the presidential line of succession. Without a Vice President, she would be the heir apparent.

Henry could see the President hadn’t considered this and the very subtle look at Johnson suggested he had not reminded the President of this point.

“Of course, but I don’t want to make any knee jerk decisions. I’m sure you guys will keep me safe, at least for a few days,” joked Russell.

Russell was no fool and could see Henry was a little put out. Obviously, Johnson had not kept him in the loop, something which he’d have a private word with Allan about. He didn’t want Henry fully in the loop, the less people who knew about the real reason for the demise of the former President, the better. However, even from that one meeting, it was clear that Russell needed more than Johnson by his side. The hunting lodge would have been a disaster but then, from what he had heard, the lodge was far more hunting than skiing but Henry knew Charles Baker best.

“Gentlemen, can I just add that it’s because of you that I sit here today and let me assure each of you, I will never forget that. You are my team and we will stick together and make this work,” he said standing and walking to each of them and shaking their hands. The meeting was over and, he thought, on a positive note.

Just as he was about to ask Allan for a quick word, Henry asked to speak with him privately.

“Of course, Henry,” he agreed, motioning for Allan to wait in the anteroom. Which Henry noted.

“What’s up Henry?” he asked as they returned to the sofas.

“I’m a bit disappointed being out of the loop on the Baker thing.”

“That’s what I want a word with Allan about, it won’t happen again I noticed you weren’t happy and trust me, none of it was intentional.”

“Thank you, Mr President,” replied Henry genuinely. His next point was dependent on how the President had answered the first.

“I would like to be considered for the VP position, Mr President.”

President Russell was somewhat taken aback at the declaration but considering Henry’s expertise and attention to detail, he was an exceptional candidate.

“Well that sort of came in from left field, obviously I haven’t had time to think about my own role, never mind the VP.” Russell was struggling, he really didn’t know what to say.

“Obviously you need time to think, Mr President.” Henry saved him any further embarrassment. “I just wanted you to know that I’d be honored, were you to offer me the role.” Henry stood up, shook the President’s hand and left.

Allan entered almost immediately. President Russell got up and walked behind his desk. He explained to Allan the importance of keeping Henry in the loop. Allan looked somewhat uninterested.

“Is something wrong?” asked the President.

“No, it’s just Henry’s sort of irrelevant. I’m hoping you’ll be making me your VP, so keeping Henry in the loop’s sort of old news.”

“I’ve not even thought about my role…” began the President.

Allan interrupted. “Of course I’m not expecting you to make your decision straight away, Mr President. It’s just, after all we’ve been through, I thought you might consider me.”

There wasn’t anything Russell could pinpoint as a threat in the way Allan put his offer; his voice, his tone, his words were all perfectly friendly. It was the eyes, they gave away the soul and it was only then, at that moment, that Russell realized just how dark Allan Johnson’s soul really was. He also realized, looking around the Oval Office, just how much of a hold that dark soul now had over him and he even began to consider if it was worth it.

At 7.15pm they called it quits. There was nothing, the house was empty. The backpack that Deif had when the Paris Head had followed him was there but nothing else. Other than a few clothes and a couple of books, nothing. The books had been scanned and x-rayed, no hidden compartments, no flash drives, nothing. No wonder he had smiled, he really had beaten them, thought Rebecca.