Aztec Treasure Ch. 31-40

My jaw dropped at the demands even as I read my name on the list. The ten million dollars was chump change; the Kettering family had nearly a billion dollars in net worth, so it was a rounding error for them. I wasn't shocked that Julio wanted me dead, but to make turning me over a demand?

"OH, HELL NO," Rori thundered over the bond as she stood and growled at the screen. "You aren't going ANYWHERE, and neither are Maria and Maritza. They are Pack now, and we will protect them from this bastard."

Maria had shifted back when the update started. She was staring at the screen in shock as she stood at the edge of the pool. "He can't have me. You can't give me to that man!"

She was shaking, and I pulled her over to sit next to Rori. "No one is going to give you to anyone, Maria. We won't allow it."

Vic had moved up until he was standing behind us. "Julio is a smart guy. By burying the First Husband, he's ensured the police and military won't move against him while he flies out of the country with the money. He's also an idiot because he has to know that you're not going to turn yourself over to be tortured and killed."

"And Maria isn't going to be his breeding bitch," I added. "I have to talk to my Mom about this. She must be freaking out right now. Stay here, and I'll call her from my office." Mom and Frank were in Washington, supervising the Council assistance to the Federal Government.

I took a quick shower and dressed before going back to the office. The phone was ringing as I opened the door. "Hi, Mom," I said as I picked it up.

"You've seen the news?"

"Yes, I just saw the summary. Is there anything beyond what the news stations released?"

"No," Frank said. "We were in the Situation Room with the President when the news came in."

"It's a no-go, Frank. I can't give myself up to this asshole, and Maria is scared of Julio, for good reasons. She doesn't want to leave, and we won't make her."

"That's where I need you to help us out, Chase," Mom said. "The President can't compel you to give yourself up. She won't ask that of you. What we DO need is to give Julio the impression we are preparing to meet his demands."

"What do you mean?"

"We want you to bring Maria and Maritza to Washington. The Air Force will transport you out here on one of their planes out of the Duluth. We'll make sure the press sees you, and that will keep Julio thinking we are going to meet his demands," Frank said.

"I don't like it," I said. "What is to keep the President from shooting us with tranquilizer darts and trussing us up as presents for Julio? I mean nothing to her, and Maria even less."

"The Council would go to war over that, and you know it," Mom said.

"And then what? We're out in the open now, and the Administration has all the intelligence they need to win a war if we start one. We're talking about the President's husband!"

"There is no way the President can make that trade, Chase. It's a non-starter," Mom said. "Her political career would be over if she caved to these demands."

"My life is more than a political calculation," I said. "Look, I have to talk it over with Rori and Maria, and I don't need to make the decision now. I also don't plan to put myself under the military's control; I don't see the need for it. I'll call you in the morning with my decision."

"I understand," Mom said. "President Kettering is our ally, Chase. We need to do what we can to help while staying true to our values."

"I agree, Mom, and Pack sanctuary is one of those values. Make sure you get your rest, Mom. We miss you here."

Mom laughed. "Trust me, Chase. Frank is just as overprotective as every other werewolf male. I'll be fine. Tell everyone we love them and miss them. We've got a search underway for Andrew, but it doesn't look good. Julio cut out the tracker the Secret Service implanted and left it in the van we found. He could be anywhere."

"It has to be somewhere he could dig a hole without being discovered," I said. "Somewhere he could have confidence it wouldn't be disturbed or stumbled upon."

"We're on that," Frank said. "We are deploying thousands of troops and volunteers in the search, and we're placing a werewolf with each search team. We figure we can smell a cat faster than they can look for one."

"If you see him, kill him," I said. "This guy needs to die."

"We can't do that, Chase, not until we find Andrew."

"And he knows that. Goodnight, Mom. You've given me a lot to think about."

"Goodnight, baby. Tell the babies Grandma misses them."

"I will." I hung up the phone, leaning back and thinking over the options. They all sucked.

"We're coming in," Rori sent to me just before the door opened. She trotted over and sat by me, her head on my leg. Maria came in behind her with Vic. I filled them in on what Mom and Frank told me and my promise to get back to them.

"They've put us in an impossible position," Vic complained. "If we refuse, the Packs take the blame for the First Husband's death. If we agree, we risk both of you."

"Andrew will die, and we can't change that," Maria said. "Julio won't be satisfied with the money, not if he blames the President for what happened to him. He wants the President to suffer for what she did. He's only using him as a shield so he can get away, probably to Mexico."

My eyes got wide at this. "Mexico? Really? The government will turn him over in a heartbeat, and the Cartel already killed the Presidents."

"There's more than one Cartel, you know. And the government controls less of the country than you might think."

I disagreed with Maria about the destination, but I knew Julio wasn't going to let Andrew live.

Ch. 37

President Laura Kettering's POV

White House Situation Room

I couldn't focus. It was now eight in the morning, and I'd gotten only an hour or two of sleep since yesterday morning. The White House was in crisis mode.

All around me, men and women in suits and uniforms talked on phones, updated screens, and directed tens of thousands of people searching for my husband. We had been at this all night, and we had a big fat nothing to show for it.

I sipped at my coffee as the next meeting began. My Vice President, Robert Cartwright, was sitting to my left. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Naval Operations were seated to my right. My National Security staff, including Homeland Security, FBI Director, and acting CIA Director, were on the other side. Colletta Nygaard and Frank Grimes were sitting along the wall along with several aides and experts. At the other end of the table sat the Secretary of State and my Chief of Staff, Lynette Johnson. She started the meeting. "The purpose of this meeting is to strategize a response to potential actions Julio Salazar might take tonight if he gets his money, the jet, and the people he wants. My first question is whether it is possible to meet his demands."

"I've already directed my bank to deliver the ten million in cash out of my private account," I said. "It will arrive in an armored car this morning. I'll show the cash to the press to prove I'm complying, and it will be at the airport well before the time required."

"I don't like the idea of paying off a terrorist," Homeland Security Chief Alexander Strickland said quietly.

"I don't either, but I have to show the cash to draw him out," I responded, a little annoyed. "What about the private aircraft?"

General Kirk addressed that. "The Air Force has two volunteer pilots and a Learjet 70 standing by. The plane has already moved to Leesburg Airport, and the crew is on their rest time. We've got it parked on a remote taxiway. We'll be ready."

"That leaves the most unsettling of the demands," I said. "Colletta and Frank, thank you for coming. Have you gotten an answer from Alpha Chase?"

"I did, Madam President," Colletta said. "He is willing to travel here with Maria and Maritza if needed to draw Julio out. He is NOT going to get on a plane with him, and he is not going to sacrifice himself or the two girls to get your husband back. Julio Salazar wants Alpha Chase dead, preferably in a slow and torturous fashion, and Maria said Julio would rape her to get werejaguar sons and daughters."

"I could never ask that of them," I said. "I genuinely appreciate their cooperation. Without it, Julio would disappear and strike again later."

"We will be there as well, along with all the werewolves we've gathered. If Julio tries to escape, we'll take him down," Frank Grimes replied.

"Valerie, which agency will be lead at the airport? The FBI or Secret Service?"

"The FBI will be the lead agency," Valerie said.

"The Hostage Rescue Team will be onsite, along with a multi-agency team including the Secret Service, Homeland Security, US Marshal Service, and local law enforcement," Hugh Patterson added. "We will be ready for anything."

I looked at my FBI Director. "So what is the plan, Hugh?"

"We have the crew in place, and the plane fueled and idling, by 1945. The money will be in the cargo compartment in five or six heavy-duty duffel bags."

"Five bags?"

"A million dollars in bundled hundreds is about the size and weight of a box of copier paper. These bags won't be small or light; I'm surprised Julio didn't ask for gold or diamonds, something much easier to transport than bags of cash. It helps us because he can't carry it; he'll need a vehicle at the other end. He's also not about to parachute out of a plane with bags of cash because they will break apart."

"We take him alive?"

"We have to, Madam President. If we kill him, we lose any chance of finding out where your husband is. Our teams will do their best to take him down with non-lethal force. Nothing is a guarantee, of course. A lot can go bad in a situation like this."

That was an understatement. "And if Julio goes after Chase or Maria?"

"We'll have to put him down with any necessary force," Hugh said softly.

"You can't mix it up with him if he goes jaguar form," Frank said. "Anyone he bites, he kills. Maybe not then, but within twenty-four hours? They will be getting their last rites."

"My men will be in body armor," Hugh objected.

"All it takes is one bite on exposed flesh, and armor doesn't cover their throats. Julio will be going for their throats, and if they are fighting not to kill, your men will die," Frank concluded. "I have a better idea. Let us handle Julio."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll have fifty warrior and Beta-level werewolves here by dinnertime. We hide them around the airport, and we move in when Julio approaches the aircraft. Julio will have to shift to meet us. We put a couple more inside the plane, out of sight. They can work with Chase to protect Maria and Meztli when we move in. Unlike you, my wolves aren't affected by jaguar saliva, and we have been training specifically to take cats down. We can disable him without killing him, even if we tear him to shreds doing it."

Hugh didn't like the idea. "What do we do? Stand around and watch?"

"Yes. You set a perimeter at the fence and make damn sure Julio doesn't get out. And you make damn sure you don't shoot any of my people while you do it."

No one said anything for a minute. "Anyone have a better idea? General?"

"Our scenarios were all based on the jet taking off with Julio and the hostages aboard, Madam President."

"Anything could happen," Frank replied. "What if Julio overcomes the guards and gets Maria and Maritza in the jet with him? Will you prevent it from taking off?"

Hugh didn't like this. "We can't stop the aircraft without risking the hostages," he said.

"You're going to have to risk it," Frank said. "You never let the kidnappers leave with the hostages. A Learjet 70 has a two-thousand-mile range. It could make it to Mexico, Cuba, or Central America! We'd be at a real disadvantage if we don't know where it is going."

"Shooting it down is easy," General Kirk said. "Our contingencies include fighter escorts, pre-positioned Aegis-capable warships, and radar tracking. The problem is stopping him without killing everyone on board."

"I can warn off Cuba and the others," my Secretary of State added. "No one will allow him to land without turning him over to us."

"It's best if Julio can't get on the plane. As soon as our wolves start the attack, Chase should get the girls inside and get the door closed."

I'd heard enough. "Work with Frank to set everything up," I said. "Defense, Homeland, FBI, Secret Service, and our guests are all excused. I need Marisol, Lynette, and Robert to stay behind."

Everyone stood, and the group filed out, leaving me with my Attorney General, Chief of Staff, and VP. As soon as the door closed, I looked over at Marisol. "Legally, where do I sit with paying a ransom?"

"It's not illegal, but it does go against US policy on dealing with terrorists," she replied. "If it is your own money and it never actually changes hands, I don't see an issue."

"I do," Lynette said. "You're still the President, and you're operating from a position of weakness. You'll embolden bad actors around the world, thinking this is official policy."

I'd been considering this all night, and it was time. "Lynette, I don't plan to do this as President." Her jaw dropped. "I am invoking the 25^th Amendment of the Constitution."

"You're stepping down?"

"Temporarily, and at my direction. I shouldn't be making decisions when my head isn't in the game, and I can't make decisions that could result in Andrew's death. Draw up the paperwork and call the Chief Justice. We'll turn over the Office of the President at eleven in the Rose Garden. Notify the press I will be holding a press conference, but say nothing to anyone about this."

"Yes, Madam President," she said.

If everything went to shit, I wasn't going to drag this office down with me.

Ch. 38

President Laura Kettering's POV

White House Press Room

I waited in the next room with everyone involved as my Press Secretary laid down the rules. "The President will make a statement and may take questions following. I don't want a bunch of yelling and screaming. Act like professionals, and I'll call on you like one." I hated how some of them behaved, and it rubbed off on my Press Secretary. I made it a point never to acknowledge or answer a question shouted at me. They were learning. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States."

Everyone rose as I entered the room, followed by the Vice President and my Chief of Staff. I went to the podium as they waited at the back of the room. "My fellow Americans. Yesterday, in a brazen and unprovoked attack, Julio Salazar killed four brave Secret Service agents and took my husband hostage." The fourth agent had died during surgery. "Last night, we received his demands. He thinks that I will do anything to save my husband. Let me be clear on one thing: the United States does not cave to the demands of terrorists. The President of the United States cannot be held hostage to demands, nor can she perform her duties while her heart is with the man she loves. As such, I am invoking the twenty-fifth amendment to the Constitution at my discretion. I am stepping down temporarily from this office for the duration of this crisis. Mr. Vice President?"

The room erupted as Robert stepped forward, and we ignored it. I signed the document first, then Robert signed it. "With this letter, I formally notify the President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of my temporary inability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the office of President of the United States. The Vice President is now the Acting President. He will remain in that capacity until I notify them in writing that I am once again able to resume my Constitutional duties. If Congress does not act to prevent it, four days later, I will resume the duties of the office of the President."

I handed the papers to my Chief of Staff, who left with them to deliver it to Congress. I shook his hand before he waved me back to the podium. "Acting President Cartwright now has the sworn duty to defend the Constitution against its enemies, and I am no more than a private citizen, with none of the power or authority of the office. Now that I'm just Laura again, what I do next will not reflect on official US policy or actions."

The door opened, and two security guards pushed a cart into the room containing the five large duffel bags of money. "This is what ten million dollars in cash looks like," I said. I opened one of the bags, taking out a handful of bundled hundred dollar bills and showing them to the cameras. "The money is my own, as is the decision to meet Julio's demands. The ransom will be waiting with the plane tonight."

The reporters started shouting questions, but I picked one who raised her hand quietly. "Miss Thompson?"

"Madam President, the ransom demands included Alpha Chase Nygaard and Maria Meztli. Are those demands going to be met?"

"The demands are known to both people. Even when I was President, I could not compel them to do anything like this. What I do know is that Julio is without honor or courage. Julio's threatening the life of my husband to get Alpha Chase Nygaard delivered to him in chains. He knows that is the only way he'll get him because he doesn't have the BALLS to face him alone."

"Are you saying you'll deliver Alpha Chase to him?"

"I'm saying Alpha Chase is more of a man than Julio is. He is willing to put himself in harm's way for a friend, which I am proud to say that I am. When Chase shows up, it's on. He is going to kill Julio like the gutless little Hijo de Puta that he is." That should get his attention. "Maria and Maritza will go to the winner."

"They are coming?"

"My understanding is that Chase, Maria, and Maritza will be arriving in Leesburg tonight. Chase Nygaard knows how unstable and dangerous Salazar is, and he volunteered to tear Julio's furry little butt up until he gives up the location of my husband. That is the end of my statement, and I will not be taking questions. Thank you for coming, and God Bless America."

The Acting President stayed in the room, and I walked out a free woman. My Secret Service team met me, along with Frank Grimes and the FBI Director. "Think that will stir him up?"

"Our profilers think so," Hugh Patterson said. "He's a megalomaniac, always thinking he is superior to everyone else. The Sons of Tezcatlipoca never backed down from a challenge, and Chase is bringing that in spades. Julio has to respond."

"I hope so," I said. "Where am I going to be tonight?"

"Nowhere near Leesburg," Hugh said. "You should watch from the Situation Room in case the airport is a diversion."

"Well, I'm heading to the Residence to get some sleep," I told them. "Wake me if something important comes up with the case. If it's President stuff, it's Robert's problem now." With that, I walked back to my bedroom and was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Chase Nygaards' POV

Leesburg Executive Airport

"So this is what the minnow feels like on the hook," Maria said to me. We were standing together on the tarmac, fifty feet from the idling engines of a Learjet on a remote taxiway. We'd arrived just after seven PM on a private jet of our own that was getting fueled up for the return trip. Since we got dropped off at the new plane, we'd been standing in front of the stairs.

"It must be," I replied. I'd been keeping the link open with Frank and the Arrowhead wolves since I arrived, so he was listening to everything I said and thought. "Maria, we're surrounded by dozens of armed agents. I've got fifty werewolves who can be here within thirty seconds. I should feel safe, but I don't. My gut's twisted in knots. It's like there is something bad about to happen."