“Okay,” Leo said once the staff was seated in his
office, “we have some intel on the terrorists. They
seem to be a renegade cell of Hamas. We don’t know
what their demands are yet. CJ, the press knows that
Toby is on the plane, so I would say it’s safe to
assume the terrorist also know. I’m sorry, CJ I wish
there was some way we could have kept them from
knowing.”
“There’s nothing you could have done. El-Al would
have released the passenger list anyway.” CJ said.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. How are you holding up?
Do you want to go home?” Leo asked.
“I’d rather stay here. I want to know what’s going
on. And if I’m here, I don’t have to find a way to
explain things to Meghan.” CJ said.
“Does she know Toby was coming home today?” Josh
asked.
“Yeah.” CJ replied, getting up as she started to feel
nauseous. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She said as she
left the office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When CJ came back to Leo’s office she found Abbey
waiting on her, in the outer office.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Abbey asked.
“Yeah.” CJ said.
“How are you holding up?” Abbey asked.
“I’m doing as well as you can expect.”
“I see. I saw you go to the ladies room. Actually I
was in there when you went in. It’s not the first time
you’ve been sick this week.”
“No, it’s not.” CJ replied.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Oh, I understand now, you’re pregnant.” Abbey said.
“Abbey...”
“I know, you want to tell Toby first. So you don’t
have to confirm it to me. But the look on your face
tells me I’m right. Oh, do you want Jed and I to keep
Meghan until this is over? Afer all we are her
godparents. I can tell your really in no shape to take
care of her.”
“Thanks I think I can barely take care of myself
right now.”
“No problem.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You will be able to get through to the President?”
The lead terrorist, who one of the others had
addressed as Ahmed, asked.
“Yes, the President will take the call.” Toby
replied.
“You understand what you are to say?”
“Yes I do.” Toby replied.
“You won’t try anything?”
“No.”
“Then make the call.” Ahmed directed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Leo.” Margaret came into the office ten minutes
after CJ came back. “The President wants to see the
staff in his office. He wants CJ to come in first.”
“Okay.” CJ said and went into the Oval Office. “Mr.
President.”
“CJ, they are using Toby to transmit their demands. I
just got off the phone with the Israeli PM. We are the
next call. Do you want to stay in here?”
“Yes, sir.” CJ said.
“Okay.” Jed said as the rest of the staff came in.
Josh sat beside CJ on the couch and she explained to
him what was going on. He really didn’t think it was a
good idea for her to be in there, but he kept that
opinion to himself.
After a few minutes the phone rang. “Hello.” Jed
said. “Listen I’m going to put this on speaker if
that’s okay? All right.” He said and put the phone on
speaker.
“Mr. President, I have a list of the demands. I’m
going to read them.” CJ heard Toby say. She blocked
out the rest of what he was saying. She was just glad
to hear his voice, and know that for right now, he was
all right.
“Refueling in Tunis?” She heard Jed say.
“Yeah, if it is done they will release all of the
passengers who are not Israeli or American.”
“And for the release of the Americans and Israelis?”
Jed asked.
“Release of 800 Palestinian prisoners currently held
in Israeli jails.” Toby replied.
“I see.” Jed said. “I’ll be talking with the PM.”
“I’d imagine you would be sir.” Toby replied.
“How are you?” Jed asked.
“Fine.”
“Thank God.” CJ said aloud.
“CJ...” Toby said as the phone was taken away from
him.
“This concludes the conversation.” Ahmed said into
the phone. “Another call will be made when we are
refueled in Tunis.”
Jed quietly hung up the phone. He glanced over at CJ
and saw that her eyes had filled with unshed tears.
CJ got up and started to walk toward the windows. She
started to feel dizzy just as she got up. As she
started to fall Josh caught her.
to be continued...