As he left, Elise took in the solarium.
It was an octagonal room, composed almost entirely of windows. The decor was bright and the tasteful furnishings plush and comfortable-exactly what one would expect to find in a sun room meant for relaxed family gatherings.
Its most striking feature was its view. In the foreground was the Washington Monument and beyond that the Jefferson Memorial.
“Best view in all of Washington,” said a voice from behind.
Surprised, Campbell turned around. “Hello, Mr. President,” she said. It was the first time she had ever seen him on time for any meeting, much less early.
“Elise,” he said as he crossed the room to shake her hand. “I understand you were quite insistent about seeing me.”
“I was. Thank you, Mr. President,” she replied as she accepted his hand.
Alden pointed toward one of the overstuffed couches. “Please sit down. Can I get you anything? Something to drink?”
“No thank you, sir.”
“Okay,” said the president, taking a seat in the armchair just adjacent. “I’m all yours.”
Elise knew there would be no perfect segue or preamble for what she had come to say. The only way to say it was to say it, and when she did, the color drained from Alden’s face. “Mr. President. I wanted to tender my resignation to you personally.”
“Excuse me?”
“I know what happened the night Nikki Hale killed the Coleman family. She had been drinking with both you and the first lady. The three of you quarreled, and despite the fact that she was drunk, you insisted she get in her car and leave the estate. Then you lied about what happened that night under oath.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about your answers to interrogatories in the civil suit. You lied about everything that happened that night. As if your involvement in Hale’s death wasn’t enough, you perjured yourself in trying to cover it up.”
“You wait just a second,” snapped the president indignantly.
“No, you wait, sir,” said Elise, cutting him off. “You lied to protect yourself and you lied to protect your candidacy, and I can’t work for you anymore.”
Standing up and buttoning his suit jacket, Alden said, “Agent Campbell, you simply don’t have your facts straight. I don’t know what’s ailing you, but I think you need to take some more time off and come back when you’re feeling better.”
“I feel fine, Mr. President. And I’m not coming back,” said Elise as she stood up as well. “Where this goes now is up to you. And for your information, Herb and Janet Coleman will be taking a very keen interest in what you decide to do going forward.”
“The Colemans? Is that who’s behind this?” said Alden contemptuously. “I should have known.”
“Yes, you should have, Mr. President. Lying under oath is a felony.”
Alden glared at her and tried to shift the blame. “So this is how divisive politics have become? Even when the people have spoken, you won’t stop until you find a reason to force the duly elected president of the United States out of office, even if you have to make the reasons up?”
“This has nothing to do with me, or politics. I voted for you. I believed in you. But you’re unworthy of your office.”
“I guess I made a mistake asking to have you assigned to my detail.”
Elise had had it with the man’s arrogance. “You politicians want to blame everyone but yourselves when you screw up. Your mistake wasn’t having me assigned to your detail. Your mistake was lying under oath. In fact, now you’ve got me talking like a politician. Lying under oath isn’t a mistake, it’s a reflection of a very deep character flaw. The office of president and the people of the United States deserve better. The Colemans and I will be expecting you to announce your resignation shortly. Good-bye, Mr. President.”
Elise left the president and exited the solarium. Max Holland was waiting for her outside. “How’d it go?”
“C’mon, Max,” said Elise. “You’re telling me you heard none of that?”
“Our job’s to protect the president, not to eavesdrop on his conversations.”
Campbell was silent.
“That said, sometimes you can’t help but hear things,” replied Holland. “You’re a good agent, Elise. Don’t quit the Service just because of him. We’ll get you reassigned. In fact, there’s a position open on the first lady’s detail.”
“Hutch resigned?”
Holland nodded. “Ten minutes ago.”
Removing her credentials, she handed them over to him. “Thanks, Max, but I’ve got other plans.”
Holland knew better than to argue with her. Reluctantly, he accepted her creds and slipped them into his pocket. “So what are you going to do?” Max asked. “Are you just going to give up on law enforcement?”
Elise smiled, “I think I’m going to become a detective.”
“You’re going back to the Virginia Beach PD?”
“No. I’ve been offered a job in East Hampton.”
CHAPTER 62
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
With the convoy of Massoud’s soldiers taken care of, as well as those he had posted along the road, Harvath knew it was safe to call Daoud in to pick them up. As a courtesy, Flash 22 stayed on station until they were all safely back in Dagar.
Reshteen and his cousins mobilized the other men of their village. Arming themselves, they established a perimeter around Dagar just in case any stray Taliban happened to wander down from the mountain camp or travel over from Massoud’s village looking for revenge.
Out of appreciation, Harvath had allowed the Canadians to be credited with the success of the operation and the recovery of Julia Gallo. He neither needed nor wanted the publicity, but more than that, the Canadians had been integral to their success. Without them, things could have turned out very differently. They more than deserved the credit.
When Captain West and his team arrived, they helped reinforce the village and establish a secure LZ. Twenty minutes later, a UH 60 BlackHawk, accompanied by two AH-64 Apaches, landed to transport Julia Gallo to Bagram.
Once the helos had lifted off, Fontaine led Captain West and his team back to Massoud’s camp to gather as much intel as possible about the Taliban commander and his Russian counterpart. In the truck that Fayaz had loaned them earlier that night, Harvath and Daoud followed.
Most of the Taliban vehicles were still smoldering as the column made its way up the narrow mountain pass. Though it took some doing, the heavy LAVs were able to clear a wide enough path for everyone to make it up without having to permanently dismount.
Once they arrived, the Canadian forces swept the camp. Only one survivor was found; Mullah Massoud Akhund’s brother, Zwak.
Though Zwak had been untied, he had remained in the storage building beneath the protection of the IR strobe Harvath had thrown on the roof. Though the man had no idea that it had been there, it had saved his life.
Daoud spoke to him quietly and tried to calm him down, but Zwak kept asking for his brother, saying he wanted to go home. With Captain West’s blessing, Harvath and Daoud were granted permission to return the man to his village, providing Harvath didn’t tip them that it was their next stop. The Canadians planned on taking Massoud’s compound apart, as well as all of the other houses that the Taliban had been using. Harvath, of course,
