Chapter 2
F.B.I Headquarters May 2021 (Present Day)
While Director Kenmore was questioning Rep. James Graham, F. B. I. Deputy Director Sam Rider was in a similar room down the hall questioning E.J. Dionne Jr. “I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t know anything.”, said E.J Dionne Jr. “Well, you can start with the meeting you had with President Hayes in March of 2019.”, said Deputy Rider. “Fine”, said E. J. Dionne Jr.
Washington, D.C. March 2019
E.J. Dionne Jr. was currently waiting in the Oval Office waiting room. A few weeks earlier the U.S military had done a drone strike on what they thought was an abandoned warehouse filled with terrorist. The warehouse was located somewhere in Yemen. Exactly where in Yemen E.J. Dionne Jr. wasn’t sure, but what he did know was that there was no terrorist inside that abandoned warehouse. No, the only soul that had been in that warehouse was a U.S soldier. A U.S soldier that just so happened to be his son. The Pentagon blamed the incident on bad intelligence. When he first heard of his son’s death, he was sad beyond measure. It was only after he heard how his son died that he became angry. Some White House staffer had invited him to the White House. He guessed President Hayes wanted to apologize in person instead of over the phone, which was fine with him because he had questions that he wanted to be answered. A woman that he guessed was the President’s secretary walked to him. She was wearing a bright green dress, thin framed glasses and six-inch pump stilettos. She looked like was in her early thirties. “The President will see you now.”, she said with a New York accent.
E.J. walked into the Oval Office. President of The United States Chris Hayes was sitting behind his desk. He wearing a nicely tailored suit, white shirt, and red tie. The President got up to shake E.J. hand. “Hello, Mr. Dionne. Please have a seat.”, said the President. “Hello, Mr. President.”, I said sitting down without shaking his hand. President Hayes took a seat next to me. “Mr. Dionne, I want to apologize in person for the death of your son. I know my words could never bring him back. The incident should never have happened”, said President Hanes. “Is that apologize really coming from the goodness of your heart or was it because my son’s death embarrassed the Pentagon? Let me guess how this goes down. You apologize to me and then we take some photos. After that, the press will spends some time complementing your leadership and we all move on with our lives. Meanwhile, no one gets fired, especially the people who gave you the bad intelligence. I’m not here so you can apologize. You could have done this over the phone, but you couldn’t live with yourself. I’m here because you want my forgiveness. So I could soothe your concise. Well, I do not forgive you, Mr. President. I will not subdue your conscience. I will not make it easier for you to sleep at night.” I said.
President Hayes faced drop. There was a long pause and both men sat staring at each other. Then the president spoke. “There is an old saying that the founding fathers used to say, good and moral men may enter the office, but none shall leave it. Every day I have to make morally ambiguous decisions. Decisions where it isn’t clear what is right and what is wrong. Decisions where it isn’t clear if there is even a difference between the two. In politics, the truth is not what matters. What matters, is what people believe the truth to be. Hell, I‘m not even sure what the truth is and I’m the president. However, that doesn’t matter because what matters is the smoke and mirrors not what’s behind them. Look, the only thing I can be sure of is that I nor this nation can afford for me to be indecisive. We thought that warehouse was filled with terrorist and I did what I thought I needed to in order to protect this nation. You not forgiving me will never keep me up at night. What keeps me up at night is knowing that I will have to make similar decisions the next day and the day after that and so forth until I am no longer the president. I am sorry about the drone strike killing your son. I really am, but if you think I cared about your forgiveness you are wrong. Now get out of my office.” And with that E.J left without speaking another word.
F.B.I Headquarters May 2021 (Present Day)
“Is that really what happens?” said Deputy Rider. “ Yes that is really what happened.”, said E.J, sounding annoyed. “What did you do after that?”, said Deputy Rider. “I wanted to make him hurt. The 2020 Presidential wasn’t too far away. What better way to make him hurt then ensure that he was a one term president. Obviously, that didn’t work out, but I tried anyway.”, E.J. said. “Did you seek help for this plan of yours?” said Deputy Rider. There was a short pause as if E.J. was wondering whether or not, to tell the truth. “Yes, I went to Senator Sunbeam.”, said E.J. “You went to see the Democratic senator from Florida that would later be murdered the night before the presidential election?”, said Deputy Rider. There was another pause. “Yes, yes I did”.