“Really good. I hear you have a new one.”
“Growing like a weed. I guess our kids are around just in time to watch us grow old,” Hammond said.
The two men laughed. Finally the guard lowered the gate to let them through. “You two have a great time tonight. On the way out, let me have another look at this thing. She’s a looker,” he said as he waved them through.
As the car entered the grounds, Hammond showed Jeffers where to go. “Jack was here when I was on the staff. He’s a nice guy,” Hammond said.
The car pulled into the front portico where the two men got out and a staff member got into the car and drove it away. The two men walked to the front door of the White House where a man in formal attire ushered them to the family dining room.
President Steve O’Bannon and his wife, Janie, walked up and embraced his friend warmly. “Roger, I am so glad to see you again. How’s Patricia?” he asked.
“She’s fine Steve. I’m hoping she and Little Steve can come up here in a couple of weeks. She’d love to see you two,” Hammond said warmly.
“Well, when she does, the three of you should stay here,” said Janie O’Bannon. “Sitting alone in a hotel room is no way to treat your wife. Besides, I’d like the company,” she said with a smile.
“Better child proof the house,” Hammond warned.
“Oh, I think we can manage. Now who is this?” the President asked as he turned toward a stunned Jeffers.
“This is my Flag Lieutenant, Rod Jeffers,” Hammond said. “He’s the guy tasked with keeping me in line,” he joked.
Everyone laughed and the President extended his hand. “I think you have your hands full,” he said with a wink.
Jeffers broke into a wide smile. “I never argue with the President,” he said taking his hand.
Everyone laughed again as the Chief of Staff, Jim Butler, shook the hands of his old friend. He was joined by his wife, Jessica Butler, who gave Hammond a kiss on the cheek. “I know I had my hands full, and I was his CO,” Butler added as he shook Jeffers’ hand.
Jeffers had never experienced what he was going through. The power of the people in the room could almost be physically felt, yet, they talked and joked like just regular people. The President included Jeffers in all the conversation and he found that he was getting to like the man more than he had the President. On several occasions, the two shared experiences and he found that he and the President had a lot of things in common. By the end of the meal, Jeffers felt more relaxed than he had in a lone time.
After a little more polite conversation, the women went off for a moment and the President turned to Jeffers with a grin. “You ever been in the White House before?” he asked.
Jeffers smiled. “No, sir, it’s actually my first time in Washington,” he said.
“Well then, why don’t I take you around a minute while Roger and Jim talk a while,” he said standing. “You two visit while I take our new friend around some. We’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said as he motioned to the Secret Service agent standing at the door. The agent opened the door and the two walked out of the dining room and into a hallway.
Jeffers felt a little uneasy being treated this way by the President, but felt he could not say no. “Sir, you don’t really have to do this,” he said.
O’Bannon slapped him on the shoulder. “Rod, it’s not often that I can just be a friend to someone. You’re a nice guy, and during dinner you didn’t get hung up on me being the President. You acted like a regular guy. So, like it or not, you are now a part of my inner group of friends. I can see why Roger chose you as an assistant. You’re smart, have a great sense of humor and from what I can see, are loyal to your friends. He needs that kind of guy around him to bounce things off of. Like me, he doesn’t need some political flunky who just says yes all the time. So, I encourage you to be that kind of guy for him. As I’m sure you have seen, things are getting a little dicey around here right now. If I’m not mistaken, it’s going to get serious really quickly. So, the two of you need to be ready. There’s one thing you can do for me, though,” he said as he stopped and looked at Jeffers. “If Roger is having trouble, something really wearing him down, give me a call,” he said. “Roger is one of the most capable people I have ever known, and I think the world of him, but, now he’s in the hornet’s nest. I can’t let him get burned out or cut down by some of the shenanigans that go on around here.”
O’Bannon reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. It only had a telephone number on it. “I can be reached at any time at this number,” he said. Then he smiled again. “And every so often, call and just let me know you two are just fine. I would really appreciate it,” the President said.
Jeffers took the card. “Mister President, I like my boss, and I’ve come to like you. I’d take care of him anyway, but knowing I can call for help makes me feel better. Should I tell him of our conversation?”
The President shook his head, “Hell no. If he thought I was spying on him he might call out a strike on me instead of some enemy!” he proclaimed. After a chuckle he placed his hand on Jeffers’ shoulder again. “Let’s just keep it to ourselves. He’s always been there when I needed help, and if I can, I want to return the favor,” he said.
“I’m happy to help, Mister President,” Jeffers said.
“When we’re alone, call me Steve,” the President said as he opened a door and let Jeffers into the room. The Oval Office seemed to shine around the two men. “Behold my prison,” the President said.
The two men walked around talking about personal experiences and a little of the history of the house. When they rejoined the others, Jeffers found he had made a new friend. Just before they left, he pulled out his phone and had Hammond take a picture of himself and the President. He turned to the others and said, “Have to prove it to my Mom and Dad.”
The car was pulled up and everyone said their good-byes. Even the President was impressed as the dark blue Rolls silently pulled away.
The old man had been found four days later when the apartment superintendent had gone in to check on what some neighbors had called a terrible stench. The media had arrived along with the ambulance and immediately began asking questions about who he was and why he might want to commit suicide. They quickly found out about his termination from the MPK. The company refused to discuss the matter, but a few of the drivers who knew him, and asked for anonymity, told them about how the company had discriminated against the old man because he was an ethnic Russian. Nothing was said about the man failing the driving test. Instead, the local television and newspaper articles deplored the practices of discrimination, especially against people who had come to Poland during the Soviet era. By nightfall, there were growing crowds of people standing below the old man’s apartment holding candles and laying flowers in a makeshift funeral service. The American networks took interest, with CNN proclaiming its own outrage that such things would happen these days. By morning, the flowers covered the street in front of the building. Over the next few days more people came to show their support and outrage that the MPK, a city organization, would do such a thing. Ivan Ileneovich had become a martyr for justice.
Chapter 3
Opportunities
Anton Kursov was starting to get tired of dealing with Bugayev. It seemed that every day there was a new task to be performed. The matter with the old bus driver had been a warning flag. Although he denied it, there was no doubt that Bugayev had shot the old man and made it look like a suicide. Kursov loved Russia, but he was no murderer, no matter what the cause. Now Bugayev wanted information on what was going on in some of the rural outskirts where the Polish Army and Air Force had bases. Since Kursov never left his store during the day except in a dire emergency, this meant he would have to use his own son to get the information. Otherwise, people would become suspicious. That bothered him. Despite his stern upbringing, Petyr had become a good, honest young man — someone to be proud of. And Kursov was extremely proud of his son. Brining him into all this placed his son into jeopardy. He would have to make sure everything was kept as “normal” as possible.