The Federation
"And now we wait."
Thousands of miles away, Seamus Finn’s cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He picked it up quickly and answered it after one ring. He didn’t greet the person on the other line; he simply waited. A deep voice said, “Mr. Morgan requests that you proceed.”
Finn snapped the phone shut and shoved it back in his pocket, fishing out a small black walkie-talkie.
“All units go.”
He waited for sixty seconds. Then he began to walk up the long, winding path leading to the White House gate with quick, confident strides. He lifted the walkie-talkie to his lips and said, “Door one.”
“Clear,” was the static-ridden response.
Finn proceeded up to the gate. He stood there, craning his neck to look up at the shadowed guard tower. The secret service agent inside turned on the light, turning the tower into a beacon in the dark night. He stepped out into the light, and Finn could just see the puncture wound left in the crook of his elbow when he was injected. Clearer still was the bemused expression of one who has just had the serum administered.
“Excuse me, sir!” the agent shouted. “Do you have an appointment with the President?”
“Yes, and quite an urgent one at that,” Finn shouted up to him. “Would you be so kind as to unlock the gate?”
The agent looked apprehensive.
“I’m Mr. Seamus Finn,” Finn said significantly.
“Oh, my apologies, sir!” the agent called. “I’ll open it for you right away.”
The gate creaked open as he spoke. Finn walked through it, ignoring the agent as he bid him a good evening. He continued up the long drive, checking his watch as he went. Eleven forty-seven p.m. Exactly on schedule.
He walked until he reached the magnificent lighted fountain that stood in front of the front entrance to the White House. For the third time that night, he spoke into his walkie-talkie. “Door two.”
“Clear,” came the response.
Finn continued his confident stride until he reached the front door. Two secret service agents flanked the entrance, and he found himself the target of both their flashlights. “My name is Mr. Seamus Finn,” he said. “I have urgent business with the President.”
They made little noises of recognition and opened the impressive double doors for him. He walked into the White House antechamber, and heard the doors close behind him. He took out his industrial strength pocket flashlight and turned it on, training it on various parts of the room until he found a pinstriped armchair. He settled down in it, put away his flashlight, and picked up the walkie-talkie. “I need two,” he said. “Not the ones at the door.”
“Affirmative.”
Ten seconds later, two secret service agents walked through the door. They walked over to flank his chair and were silent, two pillars of stone. “Remember,” Finn said into his walkie-talkie, “the President must enter, and his secret service agents must not follow. Make it happen.”
“Can do.”
Finn checked his watch. Eleven fifty-five. “And now we wait,” he whispered to himself.
Finn snapped the phone shut and shoved it back in his pocket, fishing out a small black walkie-talkie.
“All units go.”
He waited for sixty seconds. Then he began to walk up the long, winding path leading to the White House gate with quick, confident strides. He lifted the walkie-talkie to his lips and said, “Door one.”
“Clear,” was the static-ridden response.
Finn proceeded up to the gate. He stood there, craning his neck to look up at the shadowed guard tower. The secret service agent inside turned on the light, turning the tower into a beacon in the dark night. He stepped out into the light, and Finn could just see the puncture wound left in the crook of his elbow when he was injected. Clearer still was the bemused expression of one who has just had the serum administered.
“Excuse me, sir!” the agent shouted. “Do you have an appointment with the President?”
“Yes, and quite an urgent one at that,” Finn shouted up to him. “Would you be so kind as to unlock the gate?”
The agent looked apprehensive.
“I’m Mr. Seamus Finn,” Finn said significantly.
“Oh, my apologies, sir!” the agent called. “I’ll open it for you right away.”
The gate creaked open as he spoke. Finn walked through it, ignoring the agent as he bid him a good evening. He continued up the long drive, checking his watch as he went. Eleven forty-seven p.m. Exactly on schedule.
He walked until he reached the magnificent lighted fountain that stood in front of the front entrance to the White House. For the third time that night, he spoke into his walkie-talkie. “Door two.”
“Clear,” came the response.
Finn continued his confident stride until he reached the front door. Two secret service agents flanked the entrance, and he found himself the target of both their flashlights. “My name is Mr. Seamus Finn,” he said. “I have urgent business with the President.”
They made little noises of recognition and opened the impressive double doors for him. He walked into the White House antechamber, and heard the doors close behind him. He took out his industrial strength pocket flashlight and turned it on, training it on various parts of the room until he found a pinstriped armchair. He settled down in it, put away his flashlight, and picked up the walkie-talkie. “I need two,” he said. “Not the ones at the door.”
“Affirmative.”
Ten seconds later, two secret service agents walked through the door. They walked over to flank his chair and were silent, two pillars of stone. “Remember,” Finn said into his walkie-talkie, “the President must enter, and his secret service agents must not follow. Make it happen.”
“Can do.”
Finn checked his watch. Eleven fifty-five. “And now we wait,” he whispered to himself.
♠ ♠ ♠
So I decided to split up this chapter into two parts, which is why it's not a lot longer than the first one as I said it would be. I made this decision because A) I'm a tad bit OCD and I like uniform chapter lengths, and more importantly, B) They would read like two chapters even if I put them together in one, so why not make them two?On an unrelated note, I think a week between chapters is a nice waiting time. Expect Chapter 3 (Twenty-Five Minutes) to be up on Saturday.
So there it is, hope you like it. Remember, comments = love!
<3 Ella