Excerpt: The Copper Scroll

The President of the United States was dying. The beep of the heart monitor was erratic as several doctors scratched their heads and scurried about the room unsure of what to do next. “Blood pressure dropping,” a nurse called out. The look on the doctor’s faces told it all. They were out of options. The tox screens came back negative. The various body scans were all negative too. The President was chalky white in the harsh hospital lights. His still appeared tall ass he lay at attention under the sheet, unmoving. He was much too young to be dying.
President Jacobs had only been in office for 6 month, but in that time he had revived a nation suffering from a second depression. He was a young widowed that the nation had open their heart and adopted and now he lay on the table and no one had an idea on how to proceed. He was young but it was just what the nation wanted. When the previous president had dies in office, the whole expectation of the commander in chief had shifted. They wanted a younger man. This was not supposed to happen.
The short pudgy form of the Vice President and the Speaker of the House conferred. “If you agree, Mr. Speaker, I’ll have Justice draft up the paperwork. I don’t see we have any other choices. We simply need more time.”
“I agree, but we have to keep this under wraps. The nation will never understand if we fail.”
The VP stuck his head in the door and beckoned to the lead doctor. The blood shot eyes and the shake of his head said it all. “You are a go for Project Polar.”
“But sir. Last I head it was still experimental? Are you sure we should take the chance?”
“Unless you have assure me that he will recover, then you have your orders.”
“I’ll need this is writing.”
“Begin the prep. The Justice Department will be faxing over your authorization in minutes. ”

In the basement of the White House, Bill sat restlessly. The new president had not needed his services and he was starting to wonder if retirement was not a bad idea. That was until he had got his current assignment. It was not from the usual source. He usually only accepted jobs from the President. This one came from a friend in the Marines. Gunny Wilcox was a Marine intelligence office that operated must as he did – invisible.

The President is dying. Source of his illness is probably someone close. Need to isolate him and find a cure.

Coming form anyone else, it would have seemed ridiculous. He was no doctor. He didn’t have close ties to the president now. But the Gunny knew this.