The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Four

                          —Kyle's P.O.V, Day Two—

"We have told you everything we know, Mr. president. One of my son's bodyguards turned on the other two, shot everybody in the room and disappeared with him. We've gotten the cameras back up but the footage has been completely wiped from all databases. The press obviously know about the explosion at the White House  but we've managed to keep the disappearances under wraps." Prime Minister Garland says.

"There's a similar situation here." Ambassador Felix says. "We have all of the old footage recovered but nothing from yesterday."

"Does anybody have fingerprints yet?" I ask.

"There was some evidence of a struggle in the room where Princess Ariyah disappeared- handprints dragging down the walls, but the ones that aren't hers have no matches yet." Ambassador Felix responds. "Have you been able to make contact yet?"

  "Ethan's working on it. He thinks if he can bypass the encryption code on the security cameras he'll be able to make contact with whoever orchestrated the attack ,even though that still won't tell us where they are- and we still have no leads on her mother."

"We're working on that too, sir." Aileen and Ethan say in unison.

"Mr.President you've got three congressional bills on your desk waiting for approval-" Vice President Marisol starts to say.

"You deal with them." I reply. "I'm not doing anything else until I find my wife."

"Are you- are you invoking the 25th again, sir?" Marisol asks.

"Partially. I would like you to deal with my presidential duties while I deal with my wife's disappearance."

"Yes sir." She pauses for a second. "Please, get some sleep. Even if it's just an hour... it's been almost forty eight hours and you haven't eaten anything."

"I'll have to agree with the Vice President on this one." Aileen says. "You cannot head an investigation if your own head isn't clear. I'd recommend at least four hours."

  "Fine-" I say. "But only three, and i expect somebody to wake me if there is any development. Have you managed to track down James yet?"

  "No Sir, but everybody else is clear. I tried to track his cell phone but just... couldn't."

  "Then try harder." I say as I exit the room. I've temporarily been placed in the nicest bedroom in the bunker, just as a safety precaution, although my advisors have suggested that if they wanted me at all they clearly could've done it by now. I almost collapse from exhaustion when I get the first bit of privacy I've had in over a day, and I feel guilty for it.  They could be torturing her right now, and here I am, about to sleep. When the secret service come, they force me to sit down and eat. Can't allow the president to starve himself to death, I guess.

  I choke down a couple of bites, but the pasta tastes like styrofoam right now, any appetite I had long gone, so they sit there and watch me until I drink an entire smoothie. I chew a couple of melatonin tablets so that my body will allow me to sleep, but it is useless.

  All I can think about is her.

—-Twenty Three years ago—
Kyle's P.O.V, Age 15
"I wish you would just take a break." My mom says. "You never do anything but study. I'm proud of you, but... you look tired."

"I'm going to be the president one day." I reply. " I can't afford to take breaks."

"Kyle!" She slams a hand on the dining room table. "Sending your brother to college made us go bankrupt- I won't be able to do it again."

"Which is why I need to study to keep a perfect score in all of my classes." I say, closing my science notebook. "But fine. I guess I'll leave the house."

"I wasn't asking. Go." I roll my eyes. I have a ninety eight in advanced calculus- I should be studying right now. I guess I could call in an extra shift at work, since they always need more people- and I definitely need the money. I take the metro, like always, as we can't afford a car living here. My mother tries her best, she keeps food on the table and a roof over our heads, but that's about it. I pay for everything else- not that I'm complaining. If we weren't both working, we would be homeless.

  Good thing I brought my notes to study on the train. Calculus is the one thing I have a problem with- the one thing that could keep me out of a full ride to Harvard. My gpa for this year is, so far, almost perfect, but given how bad it was freshman year- I'll have to get perfect grades in every class I take from here on out.

"A differential's the change in a variable- not a derivative." The girl sitting next to me says.

"Thank you- I've been studying for this exam for a month and I'm still having problems with it."

"Well-" She scoots a little bit closer, smiling. "I've got a bit of free time. I can help you."

"Okay."

"Okay."

————————

"Mr.President the press is hungry for information. With the explosion in the White House and the travel restrictions they know something's up. We've got to throw them a bone." My press secretary, Ryan says.

"Respectfully, Ryan, we are in the middle of investigating the First Lady of the United States's disappearance and we don't have the slightest clue as to where she is. "Aileen replies. "Telling the public that she's missing could compromise the investigation."

"Uhm, guys-"

"I'll make sure to keep the details brief. Ryan's right- we have to give them something." I state.

"Sir I know i'm crossing a line here but if you want to find your wife alive, no, you don't." Aileen replies.

"Guys-"

"Aileen, you just have to trust me on this one- I have a duty to the American people as well. All they know right now is that there was an explosion and they can't leave the country unless-"

"WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS!!" Ethan yells. "Sorry, Mr. president. I got the cameras back online. We have the old footage.. just.. nothing from the day of the attack."

  "Scan through it for anything that's even slightly suspicious. And see if you can set up a call with our friends. Ryan, set up a press briefing in thirty minutes."

  "Already on it sir." Ethan replies.

  "Good. These motherfuckers are going down if it's the last thing I ever do."