Page 20 of Air Force One
“…do solemnly swear, or you can use the word affirm,” she scrolled down, then up, “At least Franklin Pierce did in 1853. It’s believed that the affirm option is in case you are a Quaker and don’t wish to swear.”
“…do solemnly swear. I’m Jewish, not Quaker, we swear plenty.”
“Yes, I’ve heard you,” Miranda replied without a hint of irony—because she never understood irony.
But Holly and the others laughed.
“…that I (meaning you)…”
“…that I (meaning me)…”
And so the rest of the brief oath of office continued. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so horrific.
Roy, Drake, Rose… Shit! Various prior investigations meant that Holly knew at least a dozen people who’d have been on that flight.
“How is this even possible?” Holly managed to ask.
No one tried to answer.
Once it ended, Sarah returned to the podium, but the camera followed slowly enough to capture Miranda turning to Andi and whispering, “Did I do okay?” And Andi rising on her toes to kiss Miranda briefly and whisper back, “You did great.” The ultra-cute girl-couple swearing in the new President. Oh, but the conservatives were going to roll over in their graves at that one.
As the camera caught up to her, Sarah’s half-smile to the side died as she again faced forward. “As President of the United States of America, I wish to convey that if this was an act of aggression, I have a recommendation for you. Whoever you are, you had best hide fast and hide deep, for we will be coming after you.”
“Knew I liked her.” Holly glanced at Taz, who nodded in reply. Sarah Feldman understood the military mindset just fine.
“Allow me to repeat,” the new President continued, “that I have already met with my nomination for General Drake Nason’s replacement, General Elizabeth Gray-Nason. Be assured, this is not a moment of weakness for our country or our national security. I will keep you updated as more is learned. This is President Sarah Feldman, signing off.”
Over the next ten seconds, the news station replaced the blank screen with the Breaking News banner, then the news anchor, and again the banner. Off camera, the anchor stuttered with no idea what to say, then they finally cut to him. Someone must have whispered into his earpiece as he looked blank for a moment, then turned once more to the screen.
“I’ve just been informed that the, uh, unusual oath of office was absolutely legal, and Sarah Feldman is now this nation’s newest President. We still don’t have news as to who performed the ceremony, but we’ll bring you that information as soon as we do.” Again the pause for his director’s feed to his earpiece. “It is now being called The Speech Heard Round the World.”
It was clear that his director had just made that up, but it was good enough that Holly figured it just might stick.
“President Roy Cole’s second term of office was due to expire in twelve days when…”
Jeremy muted the sound.
Holly’s phone beeped with a message from Andi. It was only two words long.
South Lawn!
That was all Holly needed to know.
17
CIA Director Clarissa Reese had silenced the Important News from the White House national alert message. Leave it to Roy Cole to have to go out in a flurry. Wasn’t he supposed to be gone on his happy little Final Farewell Tour already?
She almost deleted the next message from an unknown number. She hesitated only because so few even knew this number.
Find out who! SF
Who what? San Francisco?
She turned on her office television just as the Breaking News banner hit the screen. Powerless to do anything during the thirty-second countdown, she rattled her short-cut nails against her glass desk. All she could do was contemplate how glad she was to be almost done with Roy and Drake, and how she’d give her left arm for it to be her taking over the Presidency in two weeks. The fact that she’d avoided losing her life by seconds when it was snatched away didn’t comfort her in the least.
Then Sarah Feldman—SF!—showed up on the screen. Yet it hadn’t been from Sarah’s private number. The President-elect had farmed the task of dealing with the D/CIA to some lackey?
Clarissa pounded the side of her fist against the desk. For eight weeks since the election she’d sucked up to the woman, briefing her on current threats and specialized operations, and pitching the power of the CIA if used to its full potential. Roy and Drake only ever came to her as a last resort.
