Jill felt a sickening, sinking feeling in her stomach.
All of the work. All of the efforts.
It was all in vein.
Her breath came in short gasps. Her chest restricted.
As Joe reached for her hand his phone rang again.
'Black Diamond', he whispered. He ran his thumb across the screen, hadn't time for pleasantries, the other man didn't either. 'They've had to move faster than arranged. They're gonna release him in ten minutes,' Joe said for the benefit of both the man on the phone and his wife beside him.
He listened for a moment to what his agent was saying. 'Oh. OK. Noted', the President said. 'Now listen to me. You need to be very careful. Make sure you lie low. Take my calls and no one else's. That's an order', Joe said, his voice stern, allowing no room for argument.
His heart was torn.
Glad that Amethyst would soon be free.
Devastated at what that outcome meant for him and Jill.
He watched as her eyes closed. Knew she was trying to be strong but he could read her so clearly. She was gutted. Still grasping the phone in his hand he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, trying to reassure her. His own heart breaking into a million tiny pieces.
'What did you just say?' Joe asked the man on the other end, his voice incredulous. At the same moment Glen called him from the hallway, 'Boss, you need to see this', he said. Jill's eyes looked from Joe to Glen and back again. 'Come with me', he said, taking her hand in his and bringing her into the nerve center with him.
Joe seemed to transform before her eyes. Here, in this space, he was a President in absolute control. The only one aware of where everyone was at. Where all the moving parts were.
'The Ukrainians are moving Amethyst in less than ten minutes', Joe said to the room at large. 'Mr. Secretary, will you oversee the rendezvous please?' he asked. 'Yes sir', came the reply via speaker as Joe and Jill came to stand behind Glen.
'I've been sent a link to another file', Glen said. 'This guy sent it to you, it's secure' Joe said, indicating the caller on the other end of the phone.
'Donatello, how are you getting on?' Joe asked. 'Finish whatever you have prepared up to this point and it'll have to do', he continued.
'Jilly call Louis please. Make sure that painting is safe', he said, 'you know what has to happen with it now. He needs to move, right now', he said. She got to work immediately.
There was silence but for the hum of computers, the clack of keyboards.
Jill had gone upstairs to their bedroom to make her call in privacy. No one could know where the painting was going next. 'It's safe', she confirmed upon her return. Taking her place beside her husband once again, he placed his arm around her waist. They looked at one another. Not sure what to think right now. Hoping for the best, preparing mentally and emotionally for the worst.
The quiet of the room had become strangely reassuring until Glen almost gave everybody a collective heart attack.
'Yes! he yelled, clenching his hand in a tight fist. 'What is it?' Joe asked, staring at the screen, seeing only lines of gibberish. 'It's code for me to swap out the videos. It's exactly what I need. I've busted my ass at this for days and someone sends it directly to me ...' he raised his eyes to the President. His question is clear. Can I trust this?
'It's ok. It's from an impeccable source', Joe replied. 'Use it. Now. And add Donatello's file at the end. We've nothing to lose', he directed, squeezing his fingers against Jill's waist.
'Almost there Joe', Donatello said, earning a sidelong look from Glen who never called the President anything other than Mr. President or Sir. Joe had to order him to call him Boss as a compromise. Jill and Joe exchanged a glance, sharing a lighthearted moment in the midst of everything.
'Ok Glen, I'm sending it over, it's the same length but there's much more I could do if I had the time', he said, training his eyes on Joe. 'It's the best we can do, man', Joe said, reaching across and gripping his shoulder. 'Just get it swapped Glen and we'll face the rest another day', the President continued. 'How's everything with the pickup team? All in place?' he asked aloud. 'All in place Mr. President the disembodied voice of the Secretary of Defence replied. 'OK Glen?' he checked.
Jill looked up at her husband. She wasn't used to seeing this side of Joe. Although used to watching him deal with crises and disasters, rarely did she see him in action in the situation room. At the helm directing the troops. In full command and authority.
It was extremely hot.
She admonished herself. What the hell was wrong with her. People's lives were hanging in the balance. Their own privacy. War and brutality were at the cornerstone of everything and all she could do was think how sexy her husband was. Really, she chided herself. And then Joe swiped off his glasses, those damn glasses, and ran his hand across his tired eyes before fixing them back in place and she had to restrain herself from practically jumping on the man. Her man.
'Oh fuck' Glen said a few moments later. 'Um, excuse me ma'am' he said quickly, belatedly remembering the First Lady was standing behind him. 'I'll survive' she replied wryly, resting her hand on his shoulder for a moment.
'What's going on?' Joe asked him.
'I have eyes on Amethyst', the Secretary's voice boomed around the room.
'The timer to release the tape has started', Glen said at the same time.
'Is the video uploaded?' Joe asked.
'Sir something is uploading to social media', Glen said.
'Which video?' Joe asked.
'I don't know', came the reply.
'It'll take a couple of minutes to go live'.
'Lloyd, stay on the extraction. Ring me if you need me', Joe called to the Secretary of Defense. 'Yes, sir', the voice followed them as they left the room quickly.
Joe grabbed his own phone from the counter.
'What's going on?' Jan asked, looking in surprise as the group ran into the kitchen.
'The video is going live', Jill managed to answer, her heart beating so hard in her throat she wondered how she could actually speak.
Joe sank into a chair as he opened the app.
'Well, is it there? Has it happened?' Jill asked him. 'Refresh it again Joe', she urged him. His finger hesitated over the screen, 'I feel sick', he said, the enormity of the moment sweeping over him.
Jill leaned over his shoulder more, her weight pressing him down into the seat, grounding him. She ran her hand across his chest, pressed a kiss under his ear. 'No matter what happens I love you', she said, so sincerely he thought his heart might burst.
He pressed refresh and looked up into her eyes. 'I love you too', he said 'no matter what'.
He heard a gasp. A voice. 'It's up'.
Bonny, Kim, Kelly, Jan, Isabella, Donatello, Glen, Tony, David were all with them,
'Jilly',
'Oh Jill',
'Joe!',
'Oh guys',
'Honey'
'Oh baby', Joe said, reaching for Jill's hand, pulling her into his lap, enveloping her in his arms.
To be continued ...
