“I’m guessing that is why it wasn’t hard to recruit you into the NETT. Even though you got the terrorists responsible for that attack, there are many more out there and some higher ups that undoubtedly planned and gave the orders for the attack on your house and whom you’ve not yet caught.”
“Only one,” he stated flatly.
“How do you know?”
“I know. I’ve been tracking them all for years now and only one is left that had any direct involvement in planning and ordering that attack.”
“And you haven’t found him? How long will you keep looking?”
“Oh, I’ve found him, Madam President, his name is Seena Fazel.”
“I see, yes, Director Thompson asked me to authorize a strike on him early this morning, but I wanted to talk with you first.”
“To test my knowledge and technics,” he stated flatly.
“That’s what I told him, yes,” the President replied.
“No matter, Madam President. He’s gone again. This is eleven times in the past year or so that we’ve missed him.”
The President ventured, “I don’t blame you for blaming me…I delayed.”
“Oh, no, ma’am. I don’t blame you in the least. I track them, but I don’t decide who lives or dies, or when. No, ma’am that’s your job, or whoever is President at the time, and I don’t envy the job. You have to do as you see fit, that’s what the people elected you for. I apologize if I gave you the impression that I was upset with you. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“But you wanted him badly,” she said.
“Yes. I wanted him to pay for his crimes, but I’m not after vengeance…only justice, and I’ve learned over the years that justice takes many forms. I admit that it wouldn’t have upset me if justice in this instance had been a high-explosive-tipped missile fired from five thousand feet, but eventually I’ll get him, or rather locate him so that you can decide the issue.”
“He was gone already at seven-thirty this morning about the time the director asked me for authority to strike him. You knew that of course.”
Jack was stunned and it took him a full two minutes to get his head back on straight. Then he said, “I didn’t know that until seven-thirty myself, how did you know it, ma’am? Only NETT personnel knew that. I didn’t even tell my supervisor until later in the morning.”
“I have my sources, Jack.”
“Inside the NETT?” he asked.
Leaning back in her chair, she replied in a matter-of-fact voice, “Inside everywhere. You don’t get to be President of the United States without knowing a lot about everything and a lot of people everywhere.”
“Pardon me, Madam President, but if you knew he had moved at seven-thirty why tell Director Thompson that you wanted to see me to check my data and to make certain I was correct?”
“So that the next time I’m asked to authorize a strike on someone you have located I will know it is okay to do it. Now I’ve met you in person, talked with you, judged your sincerity, and veracity. I’m confident that you won’t go off half-cocked, as the saying goes.”
“But you don’t know my methods, you never even asked how I do what I do. I figured that’s what you wanted to know, ma’am.”
“I don’t need to know that. Besides, I wouldn’t understand it anyway. You are so far above me when it comes to computers that I don’t even register on the radar.”
“Only one,” he stated flatly.
“How do you know?”
“I know. I’ve been tracking them all for years now and only one is left that had any direct involvement in planning and ordering that attack.”
“And you haven’t found him? How long will you keep looking?”
“Oh, I’ve found him, Madam President, his name is Seena Fazel.”
“I see, yes, Director Thompson asked me to authorize a strike on him early this morning, but I wanted to talk with you first.”
“To test my knowledge and technics,” he stated flatly.
“That’s what I told him, yes,” the President replied.
“No matter, Madam President. He’s gone again. This is eleven times in the past year or so that we’ve missed him.”
The President ventured, “I don’t blame you for blaming me…I delayed.”
“Oh, no, ma’am. I don’t blame you in the least. I track them, but I don’t decide who lives or dies, or when. No, ma’am that’s your job, or whoever is President at the time, and I don’t envy the job. You have to do as you see fit, that’s what the people elected you for. I apologize if I gave you the impression that I was upset with you. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“But you wanted him badly,” she said.
“Yes. I wanted him to pay for his crimes, but I’m not after vengeance…only justice, and I’ve learned over the years that justice takes many forms. I admit that it wouldn’t have upset me if justice in this instance had been a high-explosive-tipped missile fired from five thousand feet, but eventually I’ll get him, or rather locate him so that you can decide the issue.”
“He was gone already at seven-thirty this morning about the time the director asked me for authority to strike him. You knew that of course.”
Jack was stunned and it took him a full two minutes to get his head back on straight. Then he said, “I didn’t know that until seven-thirty myself, how did you know it, ma’am? Only NETT personnel knew that. I didn’t even tell my supervisor until later in the morning.”
“I have my sources, Jack.”
“Inside the NETT?” he asked.
Leaning back in her chair, she replied in a matter-of-fact voice, “Inside everywhere. You don’t get to be President of the United States without knowing a lot about everything and a lot of people everywhere.”
“Pardon me, Madam President, but if you knew he had moved at seven-thirty why tell Director Thompson that you wanted to see me to check my data and to make certain I was correct?”
“So that the next time I’m asked to authorize a strike on someone you have located I will know it is okay to do it. Now I’ve met you in person, talked with you, judged your sincerity, and veracity. I’m confident that you won’t go off half-cocked, as the saying goes.”
“But you don’t know my methods, you never even asked how I do what I do. I figured that’s what you wanted to know, ma’am.”
“I don’t need to know that. Besides, I wouldn’t understand it anyway. You are so far above me when it comes to computers that I don’t even register on the radar.”
