“Bill, they tell me I have FBI, Sec State, Sec Home, and NSA now on the line.”
The president then recapped the situation. “Gentlemen, we have an attack on American soil on a scientist who was involved in controversial research. The press is no doubt going to be all over this in a matter of minutes. I need your assessment and suggestions as to how we handle this. Bill, tell ’em what you know and what happened.”
Bill repeated the events of the last ten minutes while they asked questions and made observations. At the end, the president summarized the conference call. “So the wreckage is on federal land and within the security perimeter of the compound, therefore, we control the crash site. The majority of you think mechanical error is the best positioning, and I agree. It preserves our investigatory options and keeps public panic to a minimum. The professor is a known particle physicist, but his finding is relatively recent and has only been circulated among the peer groups, so it is not generally known. Bill will use his influence to keep a lid on it within the scientific community. Have I left anything out? Good. Then you all have your tasks. We will reconvene at — Ray when are we wheels down in Thailand? Okay let’s say 6:30 DC time. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, that is all.”
Almost on cue, one of the media monitors in the room, the one tuned to CNN, showed they had interrupted their programming for a news flash. Bill asked that the sound be turned up.
“… getting reports of smoke, a thick column of black smoke originating, we believe, on the grounds of the presidential retreat known as Camp David. I believe we have amateur video — let’s see, can we put that up? Here it is. As you can see from this exclusive amateur video obtained by CNN, there does seem to be black smoke rising from — and we can’t be sure from this video — but what we believe to be the grounds at Camp David. Now, my producers are telling me to point out that the president is not at Camp David, or even in the country, for that matter, because as our Washington Bureau Chief Candy Crowley pointed out, he is at this moment mid-Pacific on his way to the Bangkok summit. Whether this is a fire, a forest fire or something else, we’ll just have to wait and see. But what we can say for certain is that smoke has been seen rising from the general area of Camp David. Stay tuned to CNN for more coverage of this breaking news.”
“If you suffer from erectile dysfunction…” The tech switched off the sound when they rolled a Viagra commercial.
“White House on one, sir.”
“How do I pick up…oh,” Bill said, as a Seabee picked up the receiver, punched the line switch and handed the receiver to him. “Hello. Hi, Brent.” Brent Cummings was the assistant press secretary, who was handling the situation because the press secretary was flying on ‘One’ with the president. “Yes, you were on the call, Brent; that’s the way the president wants to handle it. Oh, I see your point. Hey, here’s a thought. The professor was interested in joining my group; maybe that’s why he was here. What group? Eh, um — the 2020 conference. Yeah, I never heard of it either, I just made it up. It’s a way to see clearly what the scientific challenges for America and the world will look like in the year 2020, but it also means perfect vision. You know, I like it. I’ll have my office draw up the press release that I was going to release when I got back from the Camp on Monday. Good. Let me know.”
Bill hung up and went over to his wife and son. “How we doing, big guy?”
“It boom!” Janice held her son a bit tighter.
“Yes, it did but its okay. Everything’s okay. Later, Mommy and I will take you to the movies again, would you like that?” He tickled his arm a little. “Yaay! Dumbo!” Bill said as he kissed Janice and walked away, thanking God for the innocence of children, which could shield them from the kind of horror that had just befallen them.
“Bill, look,” Janice said, “CNN.”
Bill looked up in time to see a video of himself, Janice and Richie taken at the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn this year. “Turn up the sound.”
“…advisor, his wife Dr. Janice Hiccock and their son were scheduled to be at Camp David this weekend according to our White House correspondent, Miles Whitaker. Miles…”
The scene switched to what the networks call the portico shot. It is a standby position outside the White House where all the major networks have a camera, a tent-like covering, and an assigned reporter and producer ready to go live at a moment’s notice. Miles was framed by the columns and large lantern on chains that hung in the vestibule of the mansion.
“Linda, on Friday the press office here at the White House released its weekend news schedule, and on it, down at the bottom, one line simply reads, ‘At the president’s invitation, White House Science Advisor William Hiccock will be staying at Camp David with his family.’ Now, once again, at this time we don’t know for sure if the smoke we are seeing has anything to do with the compound. There’s word that a press conference is being held in fifteen minutes to address not just this matter but also a pre-release of the president’s remarks on the upcoming Bangkok summit. Back to you Linda.”
“Thanks, Miles. Let’s hope that the Hiccock family and the staff at Camp David are safe and sound. Moving on to international news, the body of Saudi security man Abrim…”
The tech cut the sound. Bill looked at Janice. “So much for a quiet little weekend getaway.”
“The worst part is now we have to explain why we didn’t invite our friends. Oh, God, Bill. We should call your folks and my mom before they see this.”
“Lieutenant, is there a phone my wife can use? Honey, it’s a non-sec line, so just tell them we are fine. Nothing else, okay?”
Joey was in the director of French Intelligence’s office awaiting Brooke’s arrival when he and Dupré saw CNN International’s coverage of the Camp David story. He had immediately called Bill’s cell but didn’t get through because of the secure room Bill was in, so he called through the White House switchboard.
“White House interconnect for you Dr. Hiccock, on one.”
This time Bill beat the Seabee to the phone. “Hiccock. Joey, you heard.”
“Are you guys okay?”
“Yeah, Richie and I were looking right at it when it exploded. He’s okay but I am going to need a trim — and some more medicated cream.” He said the last part out loud to the room hoping someone would appear with a tube.
“What happened?”
“Looks like a surface to air missile killed a professor I was meeting with.”
“Huh?”
“When he was leaving by helo, he had just lifted off and wham. This could be a new science war, Joey. Somebody trying to change scientific policy by force.”
“Does anything normal ever happen around you? Should I come back to DC?”
“No, not at the moment. Besides, what you are doing there is also important.”
“Well, I’ll brief you on that when you have the time. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t looking for another job.”
“Thanks Joey, you are all heart.”
“Hug Janice and Richie for me, and hey, be careful.”
Bill laughed at Joey admonishing him with his own words.
The Fox News anchor was stalling for time as the screen was split into two, with the picture-in-picture focused on the White House pressroom podium. The “heads up” to the networks noted only that there would be a statement about Camp David at the now-moved-up afternoon briefing. The assembled press corps bristled a little as the assistant press secretary and a Navy commander entered the room, followed by a phalanx of aides. They knew something was up and started dialing their personal cells. This created a cacophony, which caused Brent to wait until he had their attention. Seeing this in the Fox control room, the director cued the anchor over his earpiece to say, “We now go live to the White House press briefing room for more on this breaking story.”