Transfer of Power

Gray turned to his B squadron commander.

"Pat, I want advance teams in place at Reagan, Dulles, and Baltimore.

Prewire at least two planes at each airport for video and sound, and do it quietly… We don't want the press covering any of this. Put your people in the airline-mechanic uniforms while they're doing it. The less attention we raise the better. Langley tells us that Aziz is using the Situation Room, so we have to assume he's getting real-time coverage from the media. The FBI is sending us some agents to help with subpoenas." Gray stopped abruptly and slapped both men on the back. "Now get moving. I want updates at the staff meeting in"—Gray looked at his watch—"twenty-eight minutes."

The two squadron commanders hustled off in earnest to form up their groups, and Gray turned back toward the open hangar door. Grabbing his secure digital phone from his tactical assault vest. Gray hit the speed dial for the operations center at the Pentagon. As the colonel waited for the encryption to kick in, he noticed a string of navigation lights descending on the runway. They would be his MD-530 Little Birds, flown by the Army's 160 Special Operations Regiment. These were the stealthy, almost silent, helicopters that would be crucial in any assault on the White House. Farther down the valley. Gray could see another string of red and green lights. Unlike the Little Birds, Gray could already hear this second flight of helicopters.

Those would be his MH-60 Black Hawks. Faster, larger, and louder than the Little Birds, the Black Hawks would be used to chase Aziz if he headed for an airport. Gray watched as the first of the Little Birds came in and touched down softly. Seven more of the small black helicopters quickly followed. Gray shook his head. Everything was happening too fast. If they went in tonight, it wouldn't be a calculated raid; it would be a blood bath. They would lose hostages, and he would lose men. He needed more time to get things set up.

TWO MILES NORTHWEST of the White House sat the Naval Observatory, the official residence of the vice president of the United States. The large circular estate was located off Massachusetts Avenue on Embassy Row, atop a hill. Its many gardens and rolling wooded lawn provided a serenity and seclusion that was quite absent at the Executive Mansion.

Irene Ke

As Ke

The officer looked at her ID and said, "Could you please pop your trunk Dr. Ke

After the dog had taken two laps around the small sedan and the trunk had been thoroughly checked, Ke

Ke

The normal complement of uniformed officers was bolstered by the black-clad, machine-gun-toting men of the Service's Emergency Response Team. These heavily armed men could be seen patrolling the elevated tree line just beyond the fence. They moved ominously from shadow to shadow, determined not to allow another debacle to take place. A second line OF officers ringed the actual residence, and the vice presidential detail was inside the home, never more than one room away from their charge.

One of the vice president's staffers appeared in the entrance doorway, and Ke

Stansfield peered over the top of his spectacles when Ke

Ke

Stansfield nodded thoughtfully.

"What do you think?"

Ke

"We need someone in there, and he's the best we have."

"What about bringing Adams along?"

"I'm not crazy about the idea, but again, I have to defer to Mitch. He's the one with the field experience." Ke

"You seem to have some reservations."

Stansfield pondered the comment for a second and shook his head.

"No. I trust Mitch. How are you holding up?"

Ke

"I could use a little sleep, but besides that, I'm fine."

The sound of dress shoes clicking on the hardwood floor caught their attention, and both looked to see Dallas King coming down the hallway.

The vice president's chief of staff was dressed in a pressed French blue dress shirt and a pair of black slacks, looking dapper as always. King stopped about ten feet away and said, "The vice president is ready to see you."

Stansfield and Ke

Without knocking. King opened the door to Baxter's private study, and Stansfield and Ke

Stansfield and Ke

"What would you like to talk to me about?"

"We think," Stansfield started, "that we may have found a way to get someone into the White House undetected by the terrorists."

"Really."

Baxter said, showing his interest by moving forward to the edge of the chair.

"How?"

Stansfield looked to Ke

The main intake and exhaust ducts are located on the roof, but there is a backup duct that leads from the basement of the White House to an area on the South Lawn." Baxter looked at Stansfield and said, "I've never noticed any ventilation ducts on the South Lawn."

"Neither have I," replied the director of the Cia. "They're concealed with trees and bushes. We done a reco

"So what do you want to do?" asked King.

Ke

"Before we can consider staging a rescue of the hostages, we must know what's going on inside. Unless we get someone on the inside to coordinate an attack, our chances for success will be almost nothing."