Chapter 83

  Within hours of the assassination, the newly appointed Vice President, Randal Iverson, was sworn into office as the next President of the United States. And one week later, President Williams was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Ironically, she wasn’t far from where President Roberts was interred. The nation was in mourning again, and many history pundits started to make comparisons between the two assassinations and the turbulent 60s when JFK, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King were all gunned down.

  And just like President Roberts's assassination, none of the radical Islamic groups took responsibility for the crime. Many condemned the attack and claimed they had no part in it. At President Iverson's first public press conference, he promised to bring not only President Williams's killers to justice but also the persons or groups that were behind the assassination of President Roberts. The strange thing was that Wall Street and the rest of the world markets weren't terribly affected by the tragedy, which baffled the mainstream media and cable network news channels. The markets took an initial hit but recovered within days. The American public also recovered quickly, and life went on as usual as if the assassination of their leader was just part of the global unrest that was spreading across Europe and the Middle East.

  *****

  FBI investigators initially questioned the Chinese Commerce Minister and the other diplomats at the scene that day, and they all fully cooperated. All professed profound shock and outrage over the internationally charged incident, yet none more than Chen Li Tang. All the men turned over their cell phones for inspection except the Chinese Minister, who claimed it contained sensitive state material. The State Department and other prudent members of Congress, not wanting to alienate the country’s top money lender, earnestly suggested that the FBI investigators not press the issue.

  *****

  In the following weeks and months, the FBI investigators were no closer to solving the crime than when they had started. The CPVC box was shipped back to Quantico, where it was given top priority. However, the five gallons of acid in the reservoir had done its job, and they were left with few clues to identify the components, much less their origins.

  *****

  The NSA found their moles, and they disappeared without a trace.

  *****

  Christopher Bell couldn’t get over his loss. Despite their age difference and the abuse that he took from her on a regular basis, he was deeply in love with the woman. He was not asked to stay on in the new administration and quietly slipped into obscurity. After the assassination, he never tried to contact Al Ali for fear that he would be targeted next.

  Just past midnight, he was sitting in the living room in a plush leather recliner when they came. His rural Virginia home was in a very affluent neighborhood boasting large estates with densely wooded lots and no neighbors. His security system was supposed to be the finest that money could buy, yet it was easily bypassed by the four men who entered his living room without a sound.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Bell was found the following day by his cleaning lady still sitting in his chair. There was no sign of a struggle, and a note was found on the table next to his body explaining his apparent suicide, along with a half-empty bottle of inexpensive whiskey that contained his fingerprints and an empty prescription bottle of OxyContin next to it.

  *****

  Jack Sullivan was tracked down on the outskirts of Mexico City, where he was living in luxury and protected by the largest and most ruthless drug cartel in Mexico. One day, as he was leaving his twenty-acre compound in a heavily armored vehicle, a powerful explosion blasted his limousine into the air over twenty feet. Sullivan and no one else in the car survived.

  *****

  Sheik Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Ali sat in the mid-morning sun under his favorite spot in his lush garden, enjoying some tea and a Turkish pipe when the procession of cars approached his palatial palace just outside of Riyadh. Within minutes, the crown prince and two of his bodyguards were led to the garden, where they found the large man sitting next to a scantily clad young boy. Upon seeing the prince, the boy fell with his face to the ground. Ali was about to tell the boy to get up when he spotted them. Ali tried to stand, but his great girth made it difficult to do so quickly.

  Ali bowed and said, "Your Excellency, "As-Salam-u-Alaikum."

  When he got no similar response, he knew he was doomed. He watched as the prince made a hand jester to the boy, and he scurried off as fast as his bare feet could take him. Then the prince made another hand jester to his guards. They seized Ali by both arms, and he made no sound of protest. The prince then sat on the cushioned bench that Ali and the boy had previously occupied. The prince tipped over a fresh cup and poured himself a cup of tea as he looked at his captive with disgust.

  After he sipped hot tea, he said, “You have brought great shame on our house.”

  Ali was about to speak, but the prince held up his hand and stopped him.

  “The United States is our political friend and ally. Now, you have destroyed that trust. You are a fool to think your actions were in our best interests.”

  As he was speaking, another man approached with a stool in his hand. He set the stool down, bowed, and backed away. The prince then nodded to his guards. The prince watched as one tied Ali’s hands behind his back while the other tied his feet. The two men then forced Ali to kneel and placed the low stool before him. Ali knew what would happen next, and he started to beg for his life, but his pleas for mercy were brushed aside.

  It was over in seconds. Ali was forced forward until his chest hit the stool. And in one swift blow from the very sharp scimitar, Ali’s head was severed from his massive body, and it fell to the ground as blood gushed from the neck of his now headless corpse. Photos were quickly taken and sent with the most profound apologies. Within days, OPEC increased oil production, which lowered gas prices that hadn’t been seen in years, much to the delight of the American public, who was completely unaware of its cause.

  *****

  Jesse returned to Washington after the assassination and briefed Clayson privately on his meeting with the President. It was just a formality. Clayson was now more focused on who killed the President rather than why.

  After a brief visit with General Bennett and David Choi, Jesse returned to Phuket and had a longer visit with his old friend. Tim Choi had recovered from his head injury and joined the men for food and drinks one night. He was very pleased to learn that his grandson was recovering much quicker than expected and would return to work in less than three months.

  When it was time to leave, Shawn drove Jesse to the airport, where his private jet was waiting to take him back home. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he grabbed one of Jesse’s bags and carried it to the waiting plane. As Jesse was about to climb the stairs, he put out his hand. Shawn did the same, and soon, the two men embraced like only brothers who have been through hell together could, while Kim watched from a distance in quiet reserve and thought how lucky Shawn was to have a friend like Jesse.