THE SWORD AND SICKLE

CHAPTER-FOUR: PRESS CONFERENCE, PART TWO

THE SWORD AND SICKLE

PART TWO: NEWS CONFERENCE

CHAPTER-FOUR

PRESS CONFERENCE

©2017, Olan L. Smith

Morgan grabbed his phone and called Chief Detective Wescott. "Hello, Chief Detective. Yes, the press conference is over. Weren't you watching? Well, the President wants you to keep an eye on a man named Berry Bowden, a reporter for the St. Louis SDL newspaper The Voice, and put two of your best agents on him. When Bastion gets through with her debriefing at CIA Headquarters tomorrow morning, tell her she has a date with the President at the White House next week. When they are finished, have her pack and head out to St. Louis. I want her on it and to work separately from your agents to see what she can dig up on this SDL movement in Missouri, and I also will talk to Alderman and see if he can send an agent with her."

Chief Detective Wescott shut off his phone, looked at his wife, and said with some relief," Martha, I don't have to worry about Greta Bastion getting my job; she's on her way up the ladder. Excuse me, I have to make some calls." Wescott walked to a private area of the restaurant to place them. He called Hartley and McNairy and informed them they needed to follow Barry Bowden. He is a reporter for the SDL newspaper out of St. Louis, called The Voice. "This comes straight from the top, so stop what you're doing and get on it. Report back to me. No, just the two of you are on Bowden."

―――――

Former President Wright watched the news conference with his wife Theresa while at home. He turned to Theresa and said, "I tried to warn Smithson about this, but he wouldn't listen to me. He just dismissed me altogether. Now, he has a hornet's nest in his hands with these Levi followers, and I am afraid he has put his hands in it."

" The former First Lady replied, "Yeah, he is good with foreign affairs, but he has no idea what he is doing when it comes to religious fanatics and domestic affairs. To show any negative emotions toward them is like petting a porcupine's hair against the grain; you are going to get stuck, and it is hell removing the barbs."

"That's for sure, and I hope I am there to tell him that I tried to warn him. Shit, this is going to be a mess."

―――――

Secretary of State McDowell returned from her trip in time to attend the press conference when she approached President Smithson and said, "Joe, what in the hell were you thinking? You cannot show any negative emotions publicly toward religious fanatics. Didn't you learn anything from Nine-Eleven?"

"Yeah, I screwed up, but hell, this is a rough time for the country. I doubt the country will hold it against me for showing emotions."

"It is not the regular citizen that I am worried about, Joe. It is the fanatics that cause me concern. Hell, do you think you have Levi Jackson in custody? He has just allowed you to capture him, and now you have done just that, which irked his followers. When we have a trial, all hell is going to break loose, literally, if not before. You have been the president for less than a day, and already you have stirred the snake's den, and all of us are in the pit with you."

"Don't worry about it. I have the FBI and Homeland Security on top of it, and I am sure they will handle it."

"Handle what? We can't subvert the press, Joe. If you have Bowden killed, then we are worse off than before. You had better hope he doesn't have an accident, or there will be hell to pay, and Levi's followers will want to collect. We have known each other for some time now. I never thought you could make such a mess as this. I disown this. This baby is all yours."

"You can't do that; you are Secretary of State."

"If it comes to that, you will have my resignation on your desk faster than you can spit."

McDowell walked away and thought, damn, the press conference was going so well until Barry Bowden asked him that question. How in hell did he get a press pass? She wondered to herself, Maybe I should wonder how in heaven he received a pass. I just hope all my work has not been in vain."

―――――

Hammett switched on his TV. Damn it, Smithson, what did you step in? He thought. He turned over, grabbed the telephone, and called Joe. "Joe, this is Jovian. I would like to talk with you in private. How soon can you be here? Thirty minutes...good. I will see you then," and then he called Alderman and told him to meet with him also. He said to himself, "I may not be president anymore, but I am going to plug a couple of assholes and watch them squirm for a while."

Homeland Security Secretary Alderman hung up his phone and became extremely uneasy. He had not been home in nearly forty-eight hours; he needed to see his family and get some badly needed sleep. He stopped to get a cup of black coffee to go before heading to see the president at Bethesda. On the way, he worried as to why the sickly president would want to see him. Surely, he was not privy to anything other than what the acting president hadn't already told him. Maybe it was his sickly mind worrying about things, and he wanted some reassurance about the security of the nation. When he walked into Hammett's room, he was very disturbed by his appearance. His body appeared skeletal, his face gaunt, and his cheekbones protruded so much that Alderman thought the polished and emaciated skin covering them would rip open at any moment. "There was something about his eyes," he said to himself. They seemed to peer deep into his soul. They revealed an active and clear-thinking mind, which he needed to listen to closely or suffer the consequences. "It is good to see you, Mr. President. You look... well, happy to see you alive."

"Don't lie to me, Alderman. I look like crap. I can still look in a mirror, you know."

"What is this meeting about, sir?"

"We have one more person attending, but he seems to be late. I guess I don't quite wield the power I once had." At that instant, Smithson entered the room.

"Sorry, Mr. President. I was held up."

"That is fine, Joe. I wasn't going anywhere, anyway. You know, Joe, that I do not believe in the country having two presidents at the same time. That was the main reason I selected you for the VP job. But honestly, Joe. After listening to that press conference, I believe I made a big mistake. You know better than to stir the pot like this. Now, we have a mess on our hands. The SDL members are going to rear up and bite you in the ass."

Yes, Mr. Secretary of State McDowell has already chewed my ass for this, but I have Secretary Alderman and Director Morgan on top of it. We will know if there are any problems or not."