“Well… It’s this. If you don’t agree to stand down, I will talk with some governor friends, and they will mobilize the National Guard to take out all of your operations in the United States. All of them. This is something that I believe should happen anyway, but this would expedite it quite a bit.”
Silence.
“Oh, and I’m good friends with your Presidente Obrador. I’m pretty sure we could come to an agreement whereby I could send United States Army Rangers and Green Berets across the border with a limited mission. And possibly Delta if we really want to kill you. Our Army isn’t like your Guardia, sir. They’ll quickly be on your operations like flies on shit. They would crawl up your collective asses until you’ll all never need a colonoscopy again. They won’t stop until they destroy you.”
Silence. Then, “How do I know you won’t do it anyway?”
“You don’t. But for what it’s worth, if we come to a truce agreement, you have my word. I don’t like what you do and I don’t like its effects on Americans but until we’re roiled to the point where we rattle the cage, the best we can do is triage and care.”
Silence. More silence. Then, “Senor Presidente, you have my word. We will stop pursuing the people who killed my people in Los Angeles. Immediately.”
“Excellent,” the President said. “And thank you. But I’ll keep monitoring the situation, just in case.”
“Understood, sir.” The phone indicated a hang up.
The President paused for a moment, then called for an aide.
“Liz, let’s start by calling the people involved directly. Conference in the Senator and the LAPD chief of police if you can. They need to know that it’s over.”
“Sir” as she hustled out.
******
“Hello?” Jenny said, as she was closest to the safe house phone.
“Please hold for the President of the United States.”
Pause while Jenny’s mouth dropped open. Then, “Everyone, help me, right now!”
Everyone came running. Johnny put the phone on speaker.
“Hello?”
“Is this Johnny Rand?”
“Yes. May I ask who this is?”
“It’s the President. Sorry to bother you.”
“It’s true, Johnny,” the distinct voice of the chief of the LAPD said. “He is whom he says he is.”
“Johnny?” said the President.
“Sir, yes sir!” Johnny’s back was ramrod straight.
“Settle down, Ranger. I just called to let you know that you and yours are no longer in danger. The head of the Sinaloa cartel and I have come to an agreement. A bit of a devil’s agreement, but I believe it’s going to hold firm.”
“Sir?”
“It means that you can go home, Johnny,” the police chief said. “Notwithstanding the truce, I’m going to forward my top people to come to your house and wire it and the yard such that if a mouse farts, it’ll set off an alarm.
The President chuckled. “I hope you don’t have a lot of mice in your yard,” he said. Then, “I know your history as an Army Ranger. I know what you’ve done for your city. I know that some of it was off the books. The chief has told me everything. Or at least, everything that he knows.” Pause. Then, “I was wondering whether you might like to come to Washington and have a drink and dinner with me.”
Silence.
“We have really good cooks in the White House. Really good. And the wine and booze stocks are amazing.”
“Sir… I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say yes. We’ll work out the logistics and I’ll have a private jet sent to wherever you want to meet it. My aide Liz will set it all up.”
Johnny looked around the room at the girls. “Sir, I have… a Marine and three other women that I’d like to bring along, if you’ll allow it.” Four sets of eyes got wide at that.
“Sure, Johnny, the more the merrier.” He paused. “I don’t suppose you know that I was also a Ranger.”
“Hooah! I sure as fuck do, sir! Umm, sorry, sir.”
The President laughed. “We’re going to have to set some ground rules for when you get here. We’re going to be just a couple of Ranger buddies who rip each other like the old times. No ‘sir’ this or that. I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Yessir. Err, yes Mr. President. Or… oh shit.”
The President laughed again. “Oh, this will be fun. I don’t get a lot of fun these days. I think by the time you leave we’ll all be on a first name basis. At least that’s what I hope.” A pause, then “Chief, of course you’re invited as well.”
“We’ll see, sir,” the chief said. “Right now I’m up to my asshole in alligators. If you’ll pardon the expression.”
“I’ve used it many times,” the President said. “Well, I have a meeting to attend so I must say goodbye. I’ll have a very nice lady named Liz who runs my life call you and arrange the logistics. With that, I bid you good night.”
Johnny hung up the phone and turned to the girls, who were all staring at him with their mouths hanging open.
“We’re going to the White House? To have dinner with the President?” Dawn said.
Johnny walked over to her and held her by her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“We’re going to a place to have dinner with a guy,” he said. “A fellow Ranger. And one who just pulled our fat out of the fire. He’s got my vote for a second term.”
“What do we do? What do we wear? Where will we stay?” Mary Beth said. The other girls nodded.
“I suggest you call the White House and ask for this ‘Liz’ lady. I’ll bet she can fill in the blanks. Also, I’ll bet a buck that the dinner is going to be informal.”
“What about Kimmy?” Dawn said.
Johnny stared at her. He’d totally forgotten about Kimmy. Great guardian he was.
“Well… group decision time. If the plane they’re sending will hold us all, I say we take her. How many kids get to have dinner with the President of the United States? Or for that matter, fly on a private jet.”
“Fuckin’ A!” Kimmy yelled as she bolted into the living room and jumped into Johnny’s lap. He cringed a bit because of where she hit but didn’t say anything. He rubbed her back and ruffled her hair.”
“First,” he said, “language, young lady.” He stared her down. Surprisingly, this time it worked. Surprisingly because it usually didn’t.
“Second, we need to verify that the jet they’re sending can hold all of us.”
“Understood.”
“Third, I’ll need to know that the President is okay with having a kid at the table.”
Kimmy glared at him, but he’d had a lot of practice in dealing with this and stared her down again.
Johnny thought for a moment, then said, “I’m an idiot. I didn’t even think to ask whether you ladies even wanted to go have dinner with the President.”
They all stared at him, mouths open.
“You’re right,” Jenny said. “You ARE an idiot. Of course we’re all going. The only thing standing between us and the White House is a plane ride and a shopping trip.”