Lady in Red Pt. 03 Ch. 09

"It was truly my pleasure," replied Gwen. "Now you have a great guy of your own, so you won't be making moon eyes at mine. There was a method to my madness."

"I hope you don't think I'll stop loving Steve," retorted Heather. "He's your guy and the world knows it. He's amazing and I'll always love him. Now that I think about it, I'll always love you too, Gwen. You've been very kind me even when I went out of my way to get Steve to notice me. But now that I have a great guy of my own, you're right, I'll be less emotional around Steve," promised Heather before thinking of another matter she had decided to share.

"Keep an eye on that Kathy Perrine though. She's in love with Steve, and she's very beautiful and talented."

"She said almost exactly the same thing about you," responded Gwen with a laugh. "Remember when I asked you to do your dance at out last concert? Kathy flat out told me you were in love with Steve, and I needed to keep my eye on you."

"She said that?" marveled Heather. "She's the one you'd need to worry about, if you had any reason to worry, that is. She's an incredibly beautiful woman who writes love songs about your husband!"

"I told her I have complete faith in Steve, and I'm telling you the same. If I didn't, you and Kathy would never be my friends," acknowledged Gwen. "You're both stunning women with tons of talent."

Gwen was surprised at the emotion Heather displayed as she moved close and hugged Gwen hard. "You and Steve practically made my career, and now you've given me Colt to love. I'll always be your friend, if you'll let me."

Colt was magnanimous in his acceptance speech. "I want to thank Steve Hammer for missing the first three games this year, thus affording me an opportunity to win this great honor. It's always been a team effort in Dallas. This award reflects the hard work of the entire organization. Thanks so much!"

Gwen and Jordan proudly performed the National Anthem prior to the Super Bowl kick-off the next evening. They were then joined by family and friends in their skybox to watch the game. Saint was extremely intense as he closely watched every play. His pride in his father's success was obvious. When Steve did well, Saint was jubilant. When his father missed a receiver, or took a hit, Saint winced in sympathy.

New England got off to a fast start and held a 17-10 lead at halftime. It would have been worse, except Jared had forced a fumble on the Spartan 12-yard line that was recovered by the Spartans.

Jared was fired up in the locker room. He called out players he felt weren't performing up to their skill level and demanded more passion and desire from all his teammates. Steve felt it was a toss-up whether Jared inspired the players with fear or pride. Regardless, a determined team left the locker room for the second half.

Steve was surprised to find Kathy Perrine waiting for him on the 50-yard line when he reached the field. She had been the headliner for the halftime show, but she should have returned to her dressing room long before the teams made it back onto the field.

She stepped right in front of Steve, making him stop in his tracks. The beautiful woman broke into a huge smile and embraced Steve tightly before stretching up and kissing him on the cheek.

"Gwen said she was fine with me personally offering you encouragement after the halftime show. Good luck, Steve. You're the best guy I've ever met. I'll always be your biggest fan... after Gwen, of course."

Steve gave Kathy a quick hug before joining his team on the field. He was immediately the target of harassing comments from his teammates.

The second half was a one-sided affair, and the principal reason for that was Jared White. On the second play of the second half, Jared strip-sacked the New England quarterback on the 15-yard line. Jared then managed to gather in the loose football and rumble across the goal line for a touchdown.

New England was unable to mount any real drives in the second half, as Jared and his fired-up defense shut New England down. The Spartans offense consistently enjoyed excellent field position when they received the ball back, and they managed three field goals and two touchdowns. Steve knew the job of the offense was to eliminate mistakes, and to take advantage of the gifts presented them by the defense.

The Spartans won the game 33-23 and Jared was awarded the Super Bowl MVP award for his outstanding play. As an owner, Jordan accepted the Super Bowl trophy from the league commissioner. It was televised nationally, and her smile lit up the screen.

The celebration in the locker room was also broadcast. Gwen, Lisa and Kate were shown congratulating the players and coaches. Gwen and Steve were engaged in conversation with the head coach, when a team representative approached Steve with a wireless phone in his hand.

"It's President Rosen," was all the man said as he handed Steve the phone.

"Hello, Sir" greeted Steve with a big smile. "Thanks for calling."

"Congratulations on the win, Steve, but that's not the main reason I called," admitted Vince Rosen. "This isn't a secure line, so I won't go into detail. Just after the second half began, a series of explosions rocked Moscow. Suffice it to say your presence is requested in Moscow, along with Gwen, as soon as possible. I can't stress the gravity of the situation enough."

"Mr. President, we'll prepare to leave immediately," assured Steve as he considered the possible scenarios in Moscow. "We'll contact you for clarification once we have a secure connection."

Gwen's attention was focused entirely on Steve as she listened to his side of the conversation. Cameras had zoomed in on Steve as the reporters expected him to accept a simple congratulatory call from President Rosen. The actual reason for the call was obviously quite different than anyone expected.

At that moment, a different team employee appeared with yet another phone. He shrugged his shoulders as he wordlessly handed it to Steve.

"Hello? With whom am I speaking?" asked Steve as he looked to Gwen.

Steve immediately switched to Russian as he responded to the caller. Gwen's attention was still on Steve as he engaged in a brief conversation in Russian. She was easily able to follow Steve's end, and her frown grew as Steve continued speaking. He disconnected the call and spoke quietly to Gwen and his other close companions.

"Gwen, we have to hurry to the airport. Tyler, would you ask our pilots to file a flight plan for Moscow and to be prepared to take off as soon as we board? Gwen and I are leaving immediately."

"Steve, I don't want to intrude, but can I possibly help?" asked Naomi. "Jared and I would like to accompany you."

Steve had been concentrating on the situation when Naomi interrupted his thoughts. He face softened as he turned to her. He mulled over her suggestion briefly before smiling.

"Naomi, that would be great! I appreciate your willingness to help us on such short notice. Kate? Do you think you and Chip could drop everything and come with us too? I'm sorry to thrust this on you so suddenly, but time is suddenly a luxury we don't have. We're jetting to Moscow as soon as possible."

Kate glanced at Chip before turning back to Steve. "Absolutely. We can leave right away. We'll have our luggage packed to meet us at the airport. You know you can always count on us."

Both phone conversations had been broadcast live. What had been a Super Bowl victory celebration had suddenly morphed into international intrigue. Steve Hammer had just promised President Rosen to leave for Moscow immediately. He had then received another call where he'd held a brief conversation in what sounded like Russian. Something momentous was happening. Even sports reporters could identify real news when it was thrown into their faces. They began asking questions, which the normally responsive Steve and Gwen simply ignored.

Steve took Gwen's hand and nodded to his friends to follow him from the locker room. He led them into a private room and closed the door before speaking.

"There's been a coordinated attack on the Russian leadership. President Kozlov has been seriously injured, and his survival's in doubt. There's no clear line of succession in Russia. Prime Minister Oblonsky would normally be next in line, but he was killed in a separate attack at the same time. All told, the top five Russian bureaucrats were targeted with only Kozlov remaining alive, and that's only for now."

"My God!" gasped Gwen. "The situation is ripe for anarchy... a coup! But what does Vince think we can accomplish?"

"He said he has no idea. Marshall Yahontov just contacted him and requested him to ask us to fly to Russia immediately. I had no sooner ended my conversation with Vince, when Vavara Suchkov called. Her father is an advisor to Kozlov. Vavara said her father insisted she contact us as soon as she could. He too wants us to fly to Moscow immediately. I told her we were making plans to leave within the hour."

"I don't have to tell you a volatile situation like this is dangerous as hell," stated Naomi. "It's obvious someone's trying to throw Russia into chaos. There are a few ambitious actors in the Russian military. Gwen mentioned a possible coup, and I think that very well may be the case. There's a radical Russian colonel the CIA has been watching closely. He's very anti-American and has been gaining support within the Russian Army."

"Colonel Chernov," replied Steve. "He's bad news for the US, and even worse for Russia. He has a reputation as a cruel, brutal man. He commanded a division in Russia's war in Georgia back in 2008. The Georgians claimed his men indiscriminately killed civilians, including women and children. Many of the women were raped before they were killed. He committed almost every war crime imaginable and got away with it."

"So if he gains control of Russia, all hell will break loose? What does Kozlov expect you to do about it?" asked Chip. "Challenge him to a duel?"

"If he manages to grab power, he'll make Stalin look like a boy scout," worried Naomi. "I repeat. This trip will be dangerous as hell."

"Steve and I have a limo waiting for us, and we're leaving for the airport. I won't ask any of you to go with us, now that I realize how dangerous this may be," stated Gwen. "No one will blame you for staying behind."

"If Chip and I aren't there, who's going to pull Steve's ass out of the fire?" asked Jared. "We don't abandon our friends just because things get a little edgy."

Steve spoke to Jason. "You're a cabinet member now, so you and Lisa will be keeping an eye on things here. This isn't a government sanctioned visit."

"As the one responsible for Gwen's safety, I'll be going with you," declared Sybil. "Don't even think about dissuading me."

Steve turned to see how Tyler felt about his wife's announcement. "We missed your world tour, so it's only fair we get to go with you to Moscow. It'll be something to tell the grandkids."

"You make it sound like we're inviting you along on a family picnic; but okay, you and Sybil are in, and thanks," replied Steve.

There was a tattoo of rapid knocks on the door. Kate opened it, and Heather rushed into the room, with Colt following closely.

"They just broke into regular programming. There's pure hell to pay in Moscow. I know you're going there as soon as your flight is ready, and I'm begging a ride. The network wanted to send Jim Perkins, but I insisted it was my assignment. I'm aware of the danger, but it's what I do. You have the room, so give me a seat, please!"

"Could you make that two seats?" asked Colt. "I'm not comfortable with Heather going into danger like this. I can't talk her out of it, so I'd like to go along. Maybe I can help keep her safe."

"I was just notified our limo is here," stated Gwen. "Luckily it's a stretch. Those of you foolish enough to want in, come with us now and bring your passports. We don't have any time to waste."

Fewer than ten hours later, the group climbed into an extended van hired to take them to their hotel in Moscow. As they were being driven through the streets, it was obvious the city was on edge. Large groups of people milled about on street corners and unrest was in the air.

Steve was on the phone as soon as they landed. He spoke to the Russian State Department and then called Vavara Suchkov. As soon as he finished the call, he spoke to the driver in Russian.

"Steve just told the driver to take us straight to the Kremlin," revealed Gwen after listening to Steve.

"Kozlov is barely hanging on, and he wants to speak to us before he dies. This is looking worse all the time. The Russian State Department tells me Colonel Chernov's arrived in Moscow. They suspect he's responsible for the bomb attacks on the Russian hierarchy, but they need time to connect the dots and find the proof. He could be the next President before they manage to assemble that proof."

As soon as they reached the Kremlin, Steve and Gwen were led into the center of the complex while the others were shown to a well-furnished waiting room. Kozlov was awake when Steve and Gwen entered his room, but he appeared very pale and in obvious pain. His head was wrapped in bandages, as was his abdomen.

Steve immediately noted the presence of Marshall Yahontov, the Commander of the Russian Federation. That title indicated he was the top military man in Russia. He nodded as Steve followed Gwen to Kozlov's side. A doctor stepped away to allow Gwen and Kozlov a private conversation. Yahontov stepped alongside Steve as he and Gwen listened carefully to the weakened voice of President Kozlov.

Half an hour later, Gwen and Steve rejoined their entourage. "Things have gotten pretty strange," began Gwen. "President Kozlov just passed away while we were there. There's great concern about the vacuum these five deaths have created.

"Marshall Yahontov seriously fears Colonel Chernov. Yahontov still controls the Russian military, at least in theory, but he's concerned that more than a few brigades might break ranks and follow Chernov's lead. He's convinced Chernov's responsible for the coordinated attacks on the Russian government. Chernov has grown extremely bold; he's openly making a serious attempt to assume command of the Russian military, as well as the government itself, and he may have the influence to pull it off."

"Exactly why are we here, Gwen?" asked Naomi. "There's something you're not telling us."

"What Gwen hasn't yet said is the real kicker! In about ten minutes, she'll be sworn in and introduced to the world as the Interim President of the Russian Federation!" revealed Steve. "Kozlov managed to squeeze a promise from Gwen just before he passed away."

"What?!" exclaimed Kate. "You can't be serious! That's completely impossible! Russia would never accept a US citizen, never mind a former American President, to serve as President of the Russian Federation, interim or not. Please tell me you're making an insane joke."

"It's no joke," replied Gwen. "Marshall Yahontov will be here any minute to accompany Steve and me to the Great Kremlin Palace to be presented to the citizens of Russia. I'll be sworn in as the Interim President."

"I asked the Marshal to send someone to escort all of you to the Great Palace," added Steve. "Ostensibly, you're simply Gwen's guests," stated Steve as he looked to Chip and Jared. "The reality is things may get pretty dicey when Chernov hears he isn't being named President. I don't know how you can help, but I'll feel better if you're present and already aware of the situation. I only wish we all could go in armed, but that's out of the question. If something goes down, we'll all need to be resourceful."

"I see what's going on," declared Naomi. "They're appointing Gwen Interim President in hopes of holding Chernov at bay until they can proceed with an orderly transfer of power that doesn't include him. They're banking on Gwen's popularity in Russia to overcome the obvious objections many Russians will have."

Two men in dark suits appeared at the door to escort the group to the Great Kremlin Palace. It was only a couple of minutes later when Marshall Yahontov appeared at the door to escort Gwen and Steve to the ceremony.

"If I may have a private word with your husband, Mrs. Hammer?" requested the Russian.

Gwen simply nodded as Steve stepped into another room with Marshall Yahontov. They returned in less than two minutes. Steve appeared grim as he offered Gwen his arm. The walk to the Great Palace of the Kremlin took several minutes, but Steve was very quiet. Gwen knew his taciturn demeanor indicated he was on high alert. He tried not to be obvious about it, but he closely watched their surroundings for any indication of trouble.

There were surprisingly few cameras and reporters in attendance as Gwen and Steve entered the palace. Gwen noted the lack of news people. In the United States there would have been wall to wall reporters and cameras.

Steve saw Chernov standing with several other military officers near the center of the hall. He was a large man with a scar running across his cheek and down over his chin. He was smirking as he joked with the two officers standing closest to him.

As he and Gwen walked farther, Steve noticed that the two of the officers with Chernov wandered with suspicious casualness to the rear of the room. They proceeded to circle to either side of the rather small crowd. Everyone in uniform had handguns holstered at their sides. Steve held back as Yahontov escorted Gwen onto a dais at one end of the room and to a podium.

"People of Russia," began Marshall Yahontov as he faced the cameras. "It is my unpleasant duty to inform you of the passing of President Kozlov. He will be greatly missed."

Yahontov paused as those in attendance gasped, while more than a few broke into tears. Gwen imagined much the same reaction was occurring across the entire nation. Apparently Yahontov was not one to break bad news gently.

"President Kozlov left me with a final request, which I am about to honor. It was his wish that Mother Russia avoid turmoil during the transfer of power following his demise. It was his belief that Russia required the services of an Interim President to serve until we are able to select our next President in a peaceful and orderly manner. The person President Kozlov believed would best serve Russia during this dark time is Mrs. Gwen Anderson Hammer. She will now take the oath of office."

"What the FUCK?" screamed Chernov in Russian. "We will NEVER have an American whore ruling Russia. I will not allow it!"

Heather had been videoing the proceedings when Colonel Chernov burst out with his tirade. While she didn't understand Russian, she could easily tell how displeased the man was. She recorded Chernov as he suddenly began striding toward Gwen. As he walked, he reached for his handgun.

"I'll kill her, cut the bastard from her womb and then kill it with my bare hands!" bellowed Chernov as his hand closed on his weapon.

Steve had seen and heard enough. He took several quick strides toward Chernov, who showed surprise at Steve's aggressive response. Steve delivered a wicked punch to the man's throat. As Chernov staggered backwards, Steve stepped closer, grabbed the man's head and brutally snapped his neck!

As Chernov's body began to sag, Steve grabbed the gun from the dead man's grasp and swung it around to face Chernov's two lieutenants, both of whom were now bringing their weapons to bear on Gwen. Shots rang out. Screams and gun smoke filled the air as the two men fell dead to the floor.

There was a commotion in the back of the room. Steve turned to see Chip stepping away from another officer's body as it dropped from his grip. Hearing a scuffle in the other corner, Steve swung his attention in that direction in time to see Jared deliver a vicious blow to a fifth officer's head. The force of the blow caused the man to slide several feet on his back before coming to rest. The gun which had been in his grip slid another ten feet and lodged against a wall.