𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 • 𝐫.𝐩

Chapter 22

ALEX AND BEN SAT IN SADUSKYS office as he looked at the picture of the stamp Abagail and Ben had found in the drawer.

"The eagle with the scroll?" Sadusky said placing the paper back on the table and reaching towards his bookshelf.

"Conspiracy theorists like to believe that it's the symbol for the President's Secret Book." Sadusky stated as he placed Riley's book on the table and gestured to it.

"You bought Riley's book." Alex said, a proud smile on her face as she looked st the book.

"Your boyfriend writes a book about government conspiracies and you don't think we know about it?" He said with a chuckle "It really is a nice acknowledgement you got at the start of the book though Miss Gates,"

"You got one and I didn't," Ben questioned and Alex shook her head at him.

"A, hes my boyfriend and B, I actually read it," she explained before looking back at Sadusky who was seemingly laughing at the siblings bickering.

"But is it true?" Ben asked as he remembered what they were there for. "Does the president have a secret book?" Ben questioned, doing that funny moustache thing again that made Alex internally laugh.

Sadusky leant over the desk and looked at them, narrowing his eyes, "Do you like ducks?" He asks and the next thing she knew they were at a park looking at a duck pond.

"There is a book." Sadusky explained as he walked next to Ben.

"Why are you telling us out here?" Alex asked and they stopped for a second.

"Because inside, I'm a federal agent. Out here, I'm talking to you as friends." He explained, placing a hand on Bens shoulder as they stopped walking completely.

Ben looked at Sadusky curious, "Where's the President's Book kept?" Ben asked and Sadusky shrugged his shoulders.

"Only the current president knows. The book is passed from president to president, and each one chooses his own hiding place." He explained and Ben looked at hik confused.

"You're the FBI. Can't you get it for us?" Ben asked and Sadusky laughed it off.

Alex sighed knowing they probably wouldn't get it. "Only way you'll ever see that book is if you get elected as president." Sadusky said, a hint of humour in his voice.

"Well, with us you never know," Alex said and Sadusky laughed again. Ben and Alex drove back to Patricks knowing what they needed to do.

☆☆☆

AFTER EXPLAINING HIS IDEA, BEN SAT in the armchair opposite Abagail whilst Riley and Alex sat on the sofa. Patrick was pacing back and forth as he thought about what to do.

"All I need is a few minutes with him." Ben explained and Riley laughed to himself.

"A few minutes? Really? Even if you were married to the president, you wouldn't be able to get a few minutes." He said and Ben nodded his head

"Not when he's surrounded by handers. If Ben gets him alone" Alex said and Abigail now had her opportunity to look confused.

"How do you expect to get the president alone?" She asked, leaning over her seat a little bit.

"Before the Civil War, the states were all separate. People used to say, The United States are. Wasn't until the war ended people started saying, The United States is." Ben started to explain, everyone was fixated on his little monologue.

"Under Lincoln we became one nation. And Lincoln paid for it with his life." He finished looking at his little sister.

"So did Thomas Gates." Alex said, looking back at her dad who had stopped pacing.

Patrick nodded his head, "Right." He said and Ben smiled at him.

"With his life. So how am I gonna get him alone?" Ben asked everyone who looked as confused as him except from Alex.

"We're gonna kidnap him." She muttered under her breath and everyone that heard looked at her equally confused.

"I'm gonna kidnap the president of the United States." Ben said and everyone looked at him mouths agape, well except Alex.

"That's not funny. I'm your father. How do you expect me to respond? I can't let you ruin your life." Patrick explained, his voice towering over everyone as he waved his hands around frantically. Riley was focused on Alex as she stared into the distance, her face almost blank.

Abigail sighed looking at Ben once the silence had started, "Exactly how do you plan on doing this?" She asked and Ben leaned back in his seat.

"Me and Alex were thinking Mount Vernon." He said and Patrick smiled.

Riley smiled, "I'm in." He stated before leaning in and wrapping his arms around Alex.

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