The Memorial Day Murders

Chapter 10 : The President

Marine One

Seated on the cream leather seats in the Marine Helicopter President Reagan is taking time off in the form of a shut eye as the state of Kentucky passed below him. He had a long day ahead of him in just a few hours starting with the touring of production lines in the state. He hasn't seen his daughter since that morning when she left with her husband for a Memorial Day gala which she told him as 'a very boring ceremony'. Spending almost eight years of her life in the military before pursuing a job in the Intelligence Community she finds it hard to readjust to the life of a socialite, being born into one herself. Her South Korean roots has held on firmly to her life, noble and kind. Despite born to an American father of a similar social standing she gravitates more to her mother, who lived a life as a humble diplomat.

The latest polls regarding the ranking of important vice presidents in history has placed Isabella Reagan on the runner-up behind Dick Cheney. The President is always aware that she doesn't pay attention to things like this but he should know as vice presidents are often seen as close friends and confidants to the president. According to the opinion poll she is quoted as 'the first woman and Asian American to ever hold the office of vice president in US history'. A similar poll from another source quotes her 'an Asian American who defied expectations.' Some fashion magazines has tried to capitalize on her popularity and boosting sales at the same time by reaching out to her for photo shoots but she always declined. A knock on the door waked him up from his brief sleep and he called for the person outside to come in. His chief of staff, Jack Peterson, entered the room with tablet in his hands, worry shown in his eyes. "Sir, sorry sir." he then said. "You have a phone call from the White House Medical Team." the President frowned. "Sorry sir, it's from the vice president's physician. He says it's urgent." then he handed his boss the phone and left.

"This is President Reagan." he then said into the phone. 

"Mr. President? This is David Callaghan."

"Evening David." the president said as polite as he can. "What is it?"

"I have been going through the vice president's health reports the past few months, there has been an increase-"

"David, just cut to the chase."

"Yes sir, sorry sir." he apologized. "I think that the vice president could be pregnant."

"What?" the president asked. 

"There's been a suspected spike of changes in her physiology." he added. "If she is really pregnant sir, it would have been for two months."

"God, why tell this now?" the president frowned. 

"The vice president isn't picking up sir." he replied. "And I have no idea on why."

"I'll... keep that on mind. Anything else?"

"No sir, nothing more." just as the President placed the phone at the seat beside him Jack rushed in again but this time, his face has horror written on it.

"Sir... the vice president..." he said in a rushed tone. 

"What happened to her?" the president asked, standing up.

"The vice president... she is missing." Jack said, delivering the unwanted news to the commander in chief. The president, grabbing a fistful of his chief of staff's shirt, stared in both anger and disbelief at his chief of staff. "We're still trying to find out what happened sir."

"What the hell happened?" the President snarled. 

"We don't know." he replied. "She just vanished sir. Along with her agent." huffing down his anger he released the chief of staff, him gasping for air. 

"She wasn't alone, as far as I can remember." 

"They all disappeared sir." the chief of staff added. 

"Christ, this is bad."

"We're trying to reconstruct what happened-"

"She could be pregnant, Jack." the president said. "She could be carrying her husband's unborn child."

"What?" Jack jumped. "Oh my god, this is serious matter sir. We-"

"Have we reached Nebraska?"

"Still flying over Kentucky." 

"Cancel the trip. Tell Governor Jackson-"

"Yes sir, right away sir." Jack said, turning on his heel. "And sir-"

"Suspend all current agendas. Mobilize everyone to find the vice president." the President ordered. "FBI, CIA, Secret Service, all of them! INTERPOL, EUROPOL, or every intelligence agency from our allies."

"Including the Russians?" Jack asked. Jack isn't aware that the Russian President is also the vice president's uncle.

"Just tell the president, and only him, but tell him to do nothing. We can't risk the Russians to be suspicious about their President's interest in this case."

"Yes sir."

"One more thing, where is her husband?"

"He's away sir, in Quebec, I think."

"Tell him to drop everything and come back now."

"Are you going to tell him?" asked a concerned Jack.

"I don't know." he replied. "And I'm not sure I would blurt it out."