There were a few nods and murmurs at this. "Secondly, our economy is going to take a major hit from this." I glanced over at Paul O'Neill and asked, "Paul, am I wrong in saying this could cause a recession through the end of the year and into next year?"
"I think it is highly likely.", he responded.
"Where is that crap coming from!?", demanded Cheney.
I quietly sighed to myself. I was going to have to get him under control, and soon. "We just shut down the stock markets, the airline industry is grounded for God only knows how long, a big chunk of Wall Street just collapsed into the streets, and we have a multi-billion dollar hole in the middle of New York City. Oh, and when we do find out who did this, we're going to be spending billions more on fighting them that we didn't plan for. I used to make money playing these games, trust me on this.", I told him and the others. To the room as a whole I added, "So, go back to your offices and get your deep thinkers figuring out what we will need to do going forward. Agreed?"
There was a healthy chorus of agreement down the table. "Ann? Tommy? We need to get you home. I'll get the 89th to send a plane. Just get packed. Somebody will be in touch, okay?"
"Yes, sir.", they both said.
"Thank you. Now, I want State, Defense, Treasury, and Justice to stay. Everybody else, please get to your offices. I'll be talking to you."
Most of the Cabinet stood and took their leave. After a few minutes it was just the five of us – Cheney, Powel, O'Neill, Ashcroft, and myself. I looked around at them and said, "Gentlemen, you represent the most powerful and important posts in the Cabinet, departments that were created by the very Constitution itself. Whether you like me or not, I need your help, and I need it badly. Can I count on that help?"
"Of, course, Mister President.", said Colin Powell. O'Neill and Ashcroft said the same thing.
"That's Mister Acting President!", answered Dick Cheney. "You'll only have that until we rescue President Bush, the real President."
I sighed and nodded. "Secretary Cheney, I wish you were correct, but the ugly truth is that there are thousands of people in those buildings who will never even be found, let alone make it out alive. Not much is left when you drop a billion tons of concrete and steel on somebody."
"That's pretty convenient for you, wouldn't you say?"
"Dick, I am going to give you two choices. You can resign your position and go to New York to help digging out or you can shut up and act like the Secretary of State. There is no third choice, and I expect an answer right now.", I told him.
The others just stared at him as his jaw worked, but eventually he said, "I am the Secretary of State."
"Excellent. I am sure that there is plenty for you to do over at Foggy Bottom. Please go and see to it. Thank you."
He stood with considerable ill grace and left. I turned to John Ashcroft. "John, the FBI works for you. After you leave here I am going to need to see the Director this afternoon, as soon as possible. You'll also need to brief Denny Hastert and Senator Byrd, please."
"Of course. If I may be excused?"
"Please." I turned to Paul O'Neill. "The same goes with you and the Secret Service. I'll need to see their boss as soon as possible as well. Also, could you get in touch with Wolfowitz for me? I'll need to talk to him, also."
"Yes, sir."
That left me with Colin Powell, the Secretary of Defense. "Were you in your office when it was hit?"
"I thought a bomb had gone off! The whole place was shaking. We evacuated and I was able to get around to the side to see what happened. Unbelievable, I mean, just unbelievable!", he told me.
"General, just like I am going to be asking the CIA and the FBI, I am going to need any intelligence the military can come up with on who did this. Then it is going to be up to your department to destroy them."
"You'll have our full cooperation, sir." He stood up and left.
I sat there in the conference room by myself for a moment, just staring at the wall, trying to think what I needed to do next. The list was endless. Then I realized there was one simple thing I could do. I stood and left the small conference room, and found a secretary sitting at a desk in a hallway. "Any idea where my family is?", I asked.
"They were taken to Fort Meade, sir.", answered a Secret Service agent who had begun to follow me.
I turned to face him. "Can you get them on the phone?"
He blinked and nodded. "Yes, sir." The secretary wordlessly turned her desk phone to face him and he dialed a number, probably to his headquarters. I didn't think cell phones would work underneath all the steel and concrete we were buried under.
A few minutes later, Marilyn was on the other end of the phone. "CARL! What's going on!? Nobody is telling us anything!"
I breathed deeply, and felt a tremendous weight lift my chest. "Marilyn, it is so good to hear from you! You know about the World Trade Center?"
"Yes, what happened, why are we..."
"Marilyn, hold on for a second. George Bush was in there when it was hit. I've been named Acting President. Now, are the girls with you?"
"Acting ... oh my God!", she said.
"I want you and the girls to get over to the Naval Observatory. I'll see you later on. I'm fine. We'll be fine. I'll talk to you soon."
"I love you, Carl."
"I love you, too. Tell the girls I love them. Bye." I hung up and smiled to myself, probably the first time since that morning. I turned to the agent and said, "Now, call who you have to, but get them to the Naval Observatory."
"Sir, I don't think we're supposed to do that."
"Son, I've already fired one Secret Service agent today. Want to go for two?" Realistically I couldn't actually fire an agent. These guys were protected by civil service regulations. However, being dismissed from the presidential detail was the kiss of death career-wise, and that I could easily arrange.
His eyes widened and he grabbed for the phone again. To the secretary, I asked, "Is the White House still evacuated?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, let's un-evacuate it. We can't work out of a hole in the ground." To the rest of my detail, I said, "Well, let's go, fellows. Show me the way out."
The White House is normally bustling with people, so it was eerily silent as we went in. I headed directly to my office. I wanted to start making calls, but I realized I didn't even know how to get an outside line. Everything went through my secretary. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone and called Matt Scully. I quickly told him to get over to the office and I'd tell him what was happening; I was going to need a speech.
At that point Josh Bolten and Ari Fleischer came into my office, both with shocked looks on their faces. Josh was Deputy Chief of Staff for President Bush, and Ari was the White House Press Secretary. "Are you ... did you...", came stumbling from Ari. Josh just was silent and stunned.