Avescope Memento Mori

Ferarra interrupted. "Sir," he asked the President, "What do you want to do now?"
"Turn the plane around. Washington just became a lot less important. Who knows?”
“The police. Our agents. Only the four of us on the plane. We thought of waking Magerson but he was indisposed.” Such a polite way of saying
that the chief of staff was passed out in another cabin.
“I understand. Thank you.” He stood up and asked the two agents to leave.
Marlena watched Selmore leave and suddenly she felt the hysteria rise within her. She looked up her husband. He looked so old. So tired. "Oh
God, Jared!" She threw herself into his embrace.
"I know, Beautiful, I know." He caressed her hair, pushing her head gently against his shoulder. "Every person I have at my disposal will find the
people who did this to us."
Marlena pushed herself away from him. "Us? What about our daughter, Jared? She is the one who- Oh god, I don't even want to think it."
"Then don't, Marlena."
"I feel so guilty," she breathed at last. "I feel like I shot her myself. I feel like I squeezed the trigger, Jared. I wanted the presidency so badly and it's
killed her."
"It's strange, Marlena. When I was elected, and went through all of the briefings by the Secret Service, I fully understood that there would be
people out there who would try to kill me. I knew the risks. I thought of Kennedy and Reagan. I remember thinking, if it happens it will have
been one hell of a ride. I put it out of my mind, ready if it happened. Can't have this job without pissing somebody off. I never meant it to happen
to either of you. I didn't think I was putting either of you at risk."
“I feel like I did this!”
"But you didn't do it, Marlena. I didn't do it. Some bastard with an axe to grind did it. And I am going to rip his head off," his voice broke. "There
will be no one on this earth who will give sanctuary to him, I swear to you. I am going to put so much pressure on him, he going to wish he never
heard of Jared Leander."
She could feel him shaking with rage. "I feel so helpless."
"I feel like nuking the bastard." She laughed, in spite of herself. "You could, too." As a mental image of thirty thousand cartoon missiles passed
through her head.
"Just pass me the big red button." He dropped his head and ground his teeth. "If only it were so easy. I will get him, Marlena. I promise you."
"I believe you, Jared. I do."
"But first, let's get back to Seattle." He reached his hand out to her and lead her from the room. As they walked out of the cabin Marlena could
feel many eyes on her. She wondered how many people knew and she wondered how many people had heard her scream. For once what they
were thinking didn't matter to her. What she looked like didn't matter to her. She followed her husband through the plane to the cockpit.
Jared pushed his head through the door and said, "Turn this plane around, gentlemen, and please put the pedal to the boards. I need to get
back home."
The pilot nodded in his seat. "Yes, Mr. President. We are on our way."
The plane began to bank around in a circle. Jared turned around, making his way back through the communication center. He stopped when
he came to where Ferarra was listening to a headset. "Well?" he asked.
"No sign of her yet, Mr. President. But we have more info."
"I will take it in the conference room." They headed back down the plane. Marlena sat down and waited as people filed in. She was distressed
because they were short-staffed on this flight; almost everyone had gone back to Washington from Colorado, sparing themselves the extra leg
into Seattle. Ferarra and Selmore filed in, followed by Colonel Matt Bains, the President’s military attache, and Andrew Thompson, the deputy
press secretary.
"Be seated,” the President said quietly.
"Sir, we are all very sorry," Bains replied as he sat down. Apparently, the circle of knowledge had widened.
"I am going to make the bastard who did this a damn lot sorrier, Colonel."
"We all are, Sir."
"Sir, the directors of the Secret Service and the FBI are on their way to Seattle as we speak. They should arrive there about an hour after we do,”
Ferrara spoke.
"Good. What else?"
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