The Smiths and Joneses (3 page)

              “Please tell me, you’re not the one interviewing Reid since I bet he doesn’t hold you in high esteem.”

              Laughing, Rod continues, “He refused to be interviewed if I was even in the building. He still blames me for his imprisonment. To this day, he continues to claim the images on his laptop weren’t his. He claims he was framed. He blames me for somehow getting the files onto his computer. You remember the one that never left his sight. He was in LA; I was in DC, how could I have installed files on his computer?”

              “Shit happens. Well, at least he’s sticking to his story. He signed the bill into law in the LSA that jailed pedophiles for life. No one believes him. The one person no one ever suspected turned out to have thousands of child pornography pictures and videos on his laptop.” 

              Both men laugh and order another round. 

              Ted sips his second drink saying, “It’s too bad Polsi isn’t around to have been interviewed.”

              Rod replied, “The shock of losing everything she owned and her jail sentence broke her, she died in her cell from a heart attack. She couldn’t figure out what happened, how one minute she was in line to be president of the LSA and the next she found herself in an 8 by 8 cell.”

              “Who else is in the program?”

              “Most of the key players in mine, yours and Brownie’s administrations. Of course, the two families and their friends and co-workers. President Bloomberg tried to kill it. I understand he gave the producers a very hard time. When he saw the proofs, he wanted to kick broadcast crew out of the LSA. He demanded hours of changes or he would outlaw the broadcast. He didn’t get very far with that. Wolf News told him if he blocked the broadcast they would flood the web with videos from the program. They also promised to send DVDs to every home in the LSA.” 

              “In that case, I’ll make it a point to watch it.”

              “Rod, by the way, I got a call from a friend of yours last week.”

              “Oh? Who might that have been?”

              “A certain retired colonel.”

              “Grover?”

              “None other.”

              “I haven’t heard from him in a few months.”

              “I know, he told me. I understand he paid you a personal visit when Sally passed. He provided, shall I say, security in your time of grief.”

              “He and a small group of his friends were my house guests for a while. He made sure the press and everyone else left me alone.”

              “He told me that he and a few of his best friends moved into your house and protected your privacy. There’s a rumor that he also intercepted two teams of FSB agents Grameniko sent to extract revenge for President Puten.”

              “Also true. He and his people were the perfect house guests. They kept the press away. There’s a recording of two of his men on my roof holding a Stinger towards a press helicopter. The media got the message; as soon as the pilot saw the missile they turned away and never returned.”

              “You know what they say, you can tell a man by his enemies. In your case, more than half of the world hates you. You’re still being blamed for bringing down the United Nations.”

              “It needed to be done away with for a long time. The United Nations swayed too far from the lofty goals it was set up to accomplish. Why we supported it for so long is a wonder to me. I’m constantly in touch with the Council of the Fourteen. They’ve informed me they have been approached by many other countries to join the council. I’m not sure yet how I feel about that.”

              “I think it’s a good thing for the council to expand as long as it remains true to its founding goals and doesn’t drift off to the left as the United Nations did.”

              “Ted, how long are you going to be in town?”

              “A few days, I have a couple of meetings in DC and at the Pentagon.”

“Ted, why don’t you extend your trip and stay at my place. I’m sure we can find a few ways to occupy our time during the day. Just think how crazy the media will go when they hear the two of us will be spending a week together.”

              “I like it, let me call my assistant to move some meetings. I’ll check out of my hotel tomorrow and show up at your front door around 11:00. Being you’re so much older than me, are you up by 11:00AM?” 

              “I may be an old man but I still get up every day at 5:30 AM.”

              Both men laugh, Ted says, “Let’s finish our steaks before they get cold.”

The two men enjoy their meal. Before leaving, the few Senators also in the restaurant, approach the two former Presidents asking for permission to take pictures. Rod and Ted agree. When dinner is finished, the two walk into the kitchen to thank everyone for a great meal. Their protective details are waiting for them in the front of the restaurant with their cars. The men agree to meet at Rod’s home tomorrow at 11:00 AM, the two protective details coordinate the visit. Both teams are pleased with the visit because Rod’s home has been hardened to protect it against a terrorist attack. Plus the Secret Service has a communications suite built into his home. It’s easier to protect the former Presidents at Rod’s than at any hotel. In addition, there are always a few of Colonel Grover’s men hanging out at Rod’s house.

Rod and Ted pause before entering their cars to shake people’s hands and take pictures with people on the street. Hundreds of selfie photos with the two Presidents fill the pages of Facebook. For a day, fifteen people are world famous because they were in front of the restaurant at the right time. 

Chapter 2 

              At the same time in Sterling, Virginia, a couple is getting ready to attend a special celebration.

              “Kathy, are you ready to go?”

              “Brad, yes, calm down, we’re not going to be late for the ceremony.”

              “If we were, Ron would never let us live it down.”

              “Brad, honestly, you’re more nervous than Ron is.”

              “Well, my best friend is being honored on his retirement from the force.”

              “Brad, it is something isn’t it. He spent eight years as Sterling’s Chief of Police. Under his watch Sterling led the country for five years in a row with the lowest crime rate. I don’t know how he did it and found time to get married. Honey, I think it’s very romantic Ron is retiring on his five-year wedding anniversary.”  

              “Ron said he and Bev are leaving for a second honeymoon tomorrow: they’re going to Las Vegas.”

              “No wonder he says it’s a second honeymoon, Las Vegas can be cold in the winter. I’ve been there when it’s snowed. I never saw so many accidents in one block. No one there knows how to drive in the snow. I hope they’ll be safe.”

              “Kath, they will be, both the USA and the LSA have agreed that Las Vegas is an open city, residents of either country can freely come and go in Las Vegas. There are sections of the city that cater to one side or the other. With Atlantic City and the other gambling areas of the LSA all going bankrupt eight years ago, anyone who wants to play has to go to Las Vegas. I’d like us to go soon. I hear the new Wynn is something to see.”

              “One of my friends, Crystal, went last month, she visited the Wynn, she said it's better than the pictures show. Its fifty stories of anything you can think of or want. They have everything from gambling to twenty restaurants to VR rooms that are similar to what Star Trek had. I think we should plan to go. We can save the cost of the flights by driving.”

              “Let’s see what Ron and Bev say when they return, maybe we’ll go there next year.”

              The light snow kept enough people off the roads so that they were on time.

              Kathy and I arrive at the hotel where the ceremony will take place, followed by a cocktail party. As soon as we enter, Ron comes over to us. Before he can say a word, I say, “Hey Ron, congratulations. Hell of a way to end your career.”

              “Kathy, Brad, Bev and I are so happy you made it; we were worried the snow might keep you away.  Let me introduce you to the Mayor and the Captain of the State Police.”

              Kathy and I followed Ron through the room, along the way, we ran into Bev and dragged her along with us. The four of us were like two couples from high school on a double date, only this date was a banquet room in the Hyatt with every local big wig attending. They came to honor Ron’s service on the eve of his retirement. We’re holding hands and laughing when a hand grabs my shoulder, spinning me around; I’m about to say something very rude when a hand reaches out to me.

              “Brad, it’s nice to see you again without having to arrest you.”

              Ron, Bev and Kathy all spin around; Ron slaps the man in front of me on the back, “Captain, it’s good to see you again.”

              The two of them bear hug each other. Ron repeats, “Captain; it’s good to see you again.” 

              “Chief, didn’t I tell you Brad would get you in trouble, see what he’s done now? He’s gotten you to retire.”

              Both men are laughing.  Ron turns to me, “I see you don’t remember the Captain; he was the one who arrested you at the mall for shooting the terrorists who were attacking the shoppers. He released you to my custody.”

              Recognition slowly spreads over my face. I hold out my hand, “Captain; it’s good to see you again too. I have to say, I prefer seeing you in this environment more than the last time we met. What was it, twelve years ago?”

              “Brad, thirteen, I never forget a face. I’m sorry for the way we treated you that day, if I remember correctly; you were the only one to respond quickly. You beat all of us there. How many of them did you get?”

              “I got four of them.”

              “Ron hear that, he finally admitted it, someone get me a set of handcuffs.”

              All of the color drains out of my face, I just realized I admitted to shooting people in a room full of police officers.

              The captain breaks out laughing, he says, “Brad, don’t worry about anything, in fact, you were fully cleared of any wrong doing a long time ago, I’m surprised Ron never told you. “

              Looking at Ron, “You knew all this time?”

              “Hell, I had to have something to hold over your head, and bust your balls with.”

              “I ought to punch you.”   

              “Go ahead, I deserve it, by the way, look around, almost everyone in the room is wearing a police or first-responder uniform, whose side do you think they’re going to be on?”

              We both laugh, “Ron old buddy, no problem, I’m not pissed. And it’s not me who may call the security office at Dulles to tell them you’re carrying drugs on your flight to Vegas.”

              When it dawns on Ron what I said, everyone around us laughs. The Captain thanks me again for helping with the terrorist attack.”

“Captain, I’d tried to forget about that afternoon. At the time, I was hyped up on adrenaline. If I’d thought about it, I would have realized you were right, I was acting stupid in trying to stop the attack.”

“Brad, you must be the luckiest SOB I’ve ever met. I replayed the events of that day many times; to this day, I have no idea how you survived.”

“Captain, thank you for saving me.”

“Brad, I’m not sure we saved you. We know you saved many lives, you should have been awarded a medal for what you did. The President’s Chief of Staff turned the request down because you fired on the so called ‘peaceful protestors’ who went shopping with AKs. We should have thanked you versus arresting you. I heard you also ran into a problem along Route 95 when you tried to take on the Russian army. I guess you just attract the wrong kind of attention. Please tell me you didn’t bring any weapons to tonight’s party.”

“Captain, no weapons, I promise. I learned my lesson when I got shot in the leg fighting the Russians.”

“That was a stupid and also a very brave move, fighting tanks with the armor of a cotton uniform, how’d that workout?”

“Not so well. We did slow them down enough for the real heroes to arrive.”

“Brad, you are one of the real heroes. I’m proud to say I know you. You ran towards the gunfire when most people ran away from it.”

We shake hands and move towards the bar. I turn to Ron, “Ron, when do the ceremonies begin?”

              “About thirty minutes, just enough time for everyone to get drunk.”

              Hugging Ron, I tell him, “Ron, it’s been an honor being your friend. Thank you for all of the help you’ve given Kathy and me all these years.”

              “Brad, when DHS blew my house up, I had no place to live. If it hadn’t been for the two of you, I would have cracked. You saved my sanity, plus you gave me a free home to live in. The two of you fed me for a year. You never let me pay a penny towards the food.”

              “Ron, it wasn’t free. You helped us put our house back together after DHS searched it. Who would try to rob us knowing you lived with us?”