The Genius in the Room (An Aaron Shore Story)

2

In the midst of all the chaos outside the restaurant Ella had chosen to eat at tonight, the sound of sirens and screeching tires caught the brown haired girl's attention.

She turned around to see three familiar looking black presidential SUVs pull up and out hoped a familiar looking man from the passenger seat of one.

"Andrew?" Ella called out as the older man and 2 other members of the Secret Service rushed to her side.

"Miss Kirkman, you need to come with us." Andrew explained as another man guided her to the back door of the car Andrew emerged from.

"Andrew, what's going on?" Ella wondered as she saw the people on the streets throw her strange looks.

"Ella." Andrew paused as the cars pulled away from the scene at speed. " The Capitol is gone. The Cabinet and everyone else inside is dead."

"What?" Ella exclaimed as she fell back into her seat in shock before realisation hit. "Where are my parents and Aaron?"

"They're all at the White House. We'll be there soon." Andrew told the girl.

"Andrew." Ella went to speak again but stopped.

"I know, Ella." The older man replied. They both knew what she was going to say.

She was supposed to be there. She should have been at the State of the Union tonight. She should be dead, not on her way to the White House.

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Tom and Alex Kirkman arrived to the White House where dozens of people turned their heads from the TV screens to see them enter as time seemed to pass in slow motion for the couple.

"We got to get our kids here." Alex spoke up as they couple arrived in a large, open area filed with people including the DC judge ready to swear in the new President.

"We've already sent agents to bring them here." Mike exlplained in reply.

"And Ella?" Tom wondered, looking at this head of security.

"They are working to see where she was at the time of the explosion. We should have answers shortly." Mike assured them.

"Sir, please." Aaron stepped forward to greet the HUD secretary and guide him closer to the judge.

"Ma'am, please hold the Bible." The judge spoke as she held the bible in Alex's direction. "Just hold the Bible. Thank you. Sir, place your left hand on the Bible and repeat after me.

"I, Thomas Adam Kirkman, do solemnly swear..."

Tom repated word for word what the woman said until she stopped talking meaning he was now the President of the United States.

"Dad." Ella exclaimed as she was guided into the room by Andrew and the other agents.

"Ella." Alex called out as she raced to close the gap between herself and her daughter before soon being joined by her husband who wrapped his arms around both of them.

Ella could feel Alex's tears soak the shirt she was wearing but no one seemed to care. Ella was alive. And that was all the Kirkman's cared about.

Aaron, who stood across the room watching the scene, felt a realisation hit him. In all the chaos, he had completely forgot Ella was supposed to be at the SOTU until he saw her just now in front of his very eyes. All the talk of lost friends and colleagues, he forgot about the most important person in his life. The whisper of a colleague next to him brought him back to reality and the job that was at hand now he knew Ella was fine.

"Mr. President, you're gonna have to come with me now." Aaron spoke causing the Kirkman's to pull apart. "Mrs. Kirkman, the Secret Service will take you up to the residence now."