The American Rubicon

[Odinson]

THE WHITE HOUSE
The Oval Office
November 1, 2002
7:45 PM EST

Part 1 - The Decider​

Private

​

President Al Gore, Vice President Benjamin Sinclair, Secretary of State Jackson Fitzgearld, and the rest of the President's National Security Council (NSC) were huddled in the Oval Office. The President and Vice President were both seated on the comfortable sofas across the room from the Resolute Desk, and next to the fireplace. President Gore was seated at the end closest to the fireplace, while the Vice President was also seated on that same side but on the other sofa. Jackson Fitzgerald was seated next to Al Gore, while the Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff was seated on the sofa near the Vice President. Several other members of the NSC were seated on chairs nearby or standing. Everyone had just gotten settled in. While the President had been briefed informally earlier in the day, this meeting was meant to serve as a formal brief and allow the President an opportunity to make some key decisions.

"Well gentlemen," Gore said as he relaxed and put his arm on the backrest of the sofa, "tell me exactly where we stand. Give me the details that you find not worth mentioning before... I should probably hear all of it," he said. Gore, the Vice President, and everyone else looked to the Director of the FBI, Harrison Cash.

"Mister President," said Director Cash. "The situation on the East Coast has grown increasingly worrying, and the situation in Washington is, I think, critical. New York, Boston, and even Portland Maine have seen thousands of determine protestors take to the streets. These demonstrators are not soft; on the contrary, they are determined. In Boston they have faced off against police and in New York they overran a barricade into Manhattan.... The right-wing group 'Patriot Front' has pledged to bring tens-of-thousands of protestors into Washington starting tonight. The Bureau believes that they are going to live up to this promise. Hotels from Baltimore to Alexandria are booked through Monday, and they're booked by people from all over the country. Tonight alone we expect Patriot Front to have 5,000 people assemble at the National Mall. The 'Progressive Alliance' is staging counter-protests across the country, and there are going to be some here in Washington, reaching into the thousands. Unless extreme action is taken, there are going to likely be conflicts between demonstrators," he concluded.

Everyone looked to the President, who did not look satisfied. "Well, Harrison, what does 'extreme action' look like? What do you think that we should do?" Gore asked.

"Sir," the Director started, "I think that you should ask the Capitol Police, D.C. MPD, National Parks Police, and all of the uniformed divisions to have all hands-on duty. I would also put the entire D.C. National Guard on standby. Finally, I would recommend that you declare a curfew of 6:00 PM in the District of Columbia for the next three days. That is what extreme action would look like," he concluded.

"Harrison, we can't shut the District down every time there is a major protest. We can't stop folks from using their first amendment rights," the President responded. "And if we put the National Guard on standby, can we keep that quiet or is it going to get out?" he asked the room.

General Joseph Kelly, the Chief of The National Guard Bureau, cleared his throat and leaned forward just a bit in his chair as he looked over at the leaders seated near the fireplace. "Mister President, if that order is given the public will find out one way or another. Putting the D.C. Guard on standby would essentially mean activating them and putting them in a holding place in case they are needed. They will be pulled from home, or work, and have to sit at a barracks waiting for further orders. If the media doesn't get their hands on the order you issue, they'll get tips from soldiers or their families."

Gore was about to speak again, but the FBI Director cut in again. "Mister President, this is going to be a serious situation and it is very important that the Federal Government is ready to respond. If you don't want to declare a curfew, at least have the local and federal police be prepared. Incident commanders should be assigned throughout the District at the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court so that they can handle protestors if they become rioters. No one can blame you for wanting to be prepared, sir."

The President looked down for a moment and then looked up to Vice President Sinclair who gave him a subtle nod of the head. "Alright," Gore said a bit reluctantly. "Director, if you don't mind, I'll assign the task of contacting the Capitol Police and D.C. Metro directly. Assign incident commanders, have police on standby... And General," Gore said, turning his head back to General Kelly.

"The D.C. Army National Guard has two battalions of Military Police, right?"

"Yes, Mister President. That is correct," the General replied.

"Order both of the battalions on standby for the next 72 hours. To be clear," Gore said, "this is a readiness test to see how prepared they are and how quickly they can respond to incidents. They are not being activated for emergency deployment."

"Yes sir, I will be sure that is made clear," the General said.

Gore looked around the room. The FBI Director, Sinclair, Fitzgerald, and everyone seemed to be satisfied. "Alright, thank you everyone," he said as he stood. Everyone else stood and started to file out of the room except for the Vice President.

Al Gore walked over to a coffee table and poured himself a glass of water. It was 8:00 PM and he was already tired. He had been awake since 4:00 in the morning. He picked up the glass and took a sip, and then turned around to fae the Vice President who was patiently waiting for his attention.

"Is the Patriot Act going to pass the Senate?" the President asked him. Gore sat back down, which prompted Sinclair to sit back down as well.

"It's not a question of whether or not it will pass the Senate, sir. It's a question of whether or not it will pass with a two-thirds majority that will stop your veto... Would you veto it, sir?" Sinclair asked.

Gore took another sip of water and thought of how to answer the question. "Before I get out of office I want to make progress on my environmental initiatives. I want bipartisan support so that the next guy," Gore said, implying whoever is the next President, "supports them as well. There are senators and congressmen in our own party that have said they will make me into a lame-duck a year early if I don't sign the Patriot Act into law. I know that we have not talked much about this, one on one... I know that it seems a bit spooky, but why are you so against it?"

"Because I read it, Mister President," Sinclair responded promptly.

"You read it?" Gore asked and chuckled a bit. "The bill is a thousand page long. The guys that put it together haven't even read it," he said.

"The bill is 1,007 pages long, Mister President. I have read the entire thing, first page to last. This bill, if made into law, will allow the CIA to operate domestically with almost no oversite from the FBI or most of the Executive Branch. The CIA, FBI, and NSA will have unprecedented authority to tap the phones of Americans and to spy on them, sometimes without written permission from a court. This law is, at face value, unconstitutional. It would be a tragedy for it to be passed by Congress, it would be a travesty for you to sign it, and it would be a disgrace if the Supreme Court upheld it," Sinclair said, maintaining eye contact with Gore the entire time.

The President finished his glass of water and set it down on the small table between the sofas. He sat back in the sofa and looked at Sinclair, and sighed.

"You asked for my opinion, sir, and that is it," Sinclair said. Even though Sinclair had been Vice President since 1998, Gore still felt strange when a man who was so much older than him called him "sir."

"But that isn't all I wanted to talk to you about," Sinclair continued. "Mister President, I had a word with Director Carter." Carter was the Director of the Secret Service.

"Let me guess," Gore interjected. "He wants me to cancel my lecture at Georgetown University tomorrow?"

Sinclair nodded his head, "Yes, Mister President... And I agree with him. With these protests, and their potential to get worse, it may be wise to stay at the White House," he said softly, like a father giving advice to his grown son.

"Benjamin, I am not going to let some right-wing nutjobs and left-wing reactionaries scare me into staying in the White House. Everyone always says that I'm too cautious, or that I haven't focused enough on domestic affairs during my presidency. If I can speak to those kids at Georgetown maybe I can detract a bit from the attention on these protests. What they want is to keep me in the White House watching CNN in the Situation Room. I don't want to be an observer to all of this, and I don't want to go back on my word to Georgetown."

"Mister President... With all due respect, it sounds like this situation is bigger than you, or me, or the government. What those protestors want has nothing to do with you, yet; and when it becomes clear that the Senate is going to vote on it, they won't be protesting anymore, they'll be fighting each other in the streets... I just have a bad feeling about you going. Honest to God, it's a gut feeling" Sinclair said.

The President silently contemplated his options. "Have your office send me a summary of the bill - don't involve my office, I think they're biased and want the bill to pass. If you can get the Senate to at least not pass it by two-thirds, I'll consider vetoing it. But if I do, I need you to whip me votes for my environmental initiatives. I need you to have my back."

"I will always have your back, Mister President," Sinclair said, feeling a bit relieved now.

"But, I'm still going to Georgetown."

​

 

[Odinson]

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Gaston Hall
November 2, 2002
1:15 PM EST

Part 2 - Twenty-Five
Private

​

About six months ago, President Gore had committed to speaking at Georgetown University the Saturday after Halloween. Because of the university's close proximity to the White House, it has been a convenient place for America's presidents to connect with highly educated and ambitious young people. While the President's "Lecture" was originally going to be strictly on some of the unique quirks in the Constitution, he decided to add a portion at the end that was relevant to ongoing events in the District of Columbia and other cities throughout the United States. Gaston Hall, the large auditorium where he was giving the speech, was packed to the brim with over 750 seated, and a handful standing, inside. President Gore took the podium at noon and now it was after 1:00 PM.

"I know that we have gone over a bit with the audience questions," the President said as he looked over to the master of ceremonies, who was a law professor at Georgetown, "but I hope that you and Professor Harris will indulge me for just a few more minutes... Over the past couple of weeks there have been demonstrations and, in some case, riots in cities across the country, especially here on the East Coast. There is a small cohort of the American people who have decided to organize themselves and cause as much chaos as possible on some of the streets of our country's major cities. From what I have been told, the aims of this group and its leader are to intimidate the government into not even considering debate over the proposed 'Patriot Act' which is being considered by the Senate today. I would like to remind you all of a quote from our country's second President, John Adams. 'They define a republic to be a government of laws, and not of men.'

"What Adams was saying is that a republic is bigger than any one man. A republic is bigger than any President, any charismatic strongman, or any populist who can temporarily seduce the minds of the people by making them believe that he has all of the answers. A republic is based on a clear set of laws that dictate its function and ability to govern - that is why we bothered to write down our Constitution while in other countries, like Great Britain, it is more of an abstract concept. Our republic is bigger than angry mobs, and our institutions of government will not be intimidated.

"I have not publicly expressed my opinion on the Patriot Act, perhaps because I forgot that political expediency should never take precedence over political reality... The Patriot Act, if passed into law, would give the Federal Government unprecedented powers of surveillance on the American People in the name of preventing events like those of February 4, 1997. While it may make governing more difficult for the remainder of my presidency, I cannot willingly sign a bill into law that is so blatantly and unapologetically unconstitutional. If it is passes with a veto-proof majority in the Senate, I will respect Congress's right to produce veto-proof legislation, even if it is legislation I disagree with. However, if that happens, I will direct the Attorney General to use all of the resources of the Justice Department to prove its unconstitutionality and, if necessary, bring it before the Supreme Court for their consideration.

"If there is one thing I want you to remember about our system of government, it is that the good ideas always end up winning at the end of the day. Sometimes it takes longer than we want, but the cream always floats to the top.... Thank you for your time and your attention, class dismissed."

Dr. Harris walked up to the podium and offered his hand. President Gore shook the professor's hand as the crowd applauded and made a few cheers. While the speech wasn't televised, there were bound to be a few reporters, or confidential sources, in the crowd that would leak to the press that the President opposed the Patriot Act. After reading the summary of the law sent from the Vice President's office, there was no way that Gore could sign the bill and sleep well at night. There was an overwhelming sense of calm that washed over him now, like the weight of a city had just been lifted off of his back.

The Secret Service escorted Gore down the steps of Gaston Hall, where the President's motorcade was waiting at the base of the staircase. President Gore was known for wanting to get up close and personal with average people. Instead of going straight from his limousine, he walked up to the rope line where students, faculty, staff, and D.C. citizens were waving and offering their hands. The President started shaking hands, giving pats on the shoulder, and making small talk with members in the crowd. Suddenly, one of the Secret Service agents shouted, "Gun!"

One of the agents grabbed Gore by his arm and yanked him away from the crowd, which made the President turn 180 degrees. Two gunshots went off from the crowd, which immediately started to panic and scatter. A Secret Service agent dove in front of the President and took two shots to the chest that were meant for Al Gore. Two other agents drew their weapons, but they didn't have a clear shot of the gunman as he tried running away with the crowd he had just startled. One of the agents fired, nicking the gunmen in the shoulder, but he kept running. The President's legs started to buckle, but before he could collapse onto the ground several agents propped up his body and ran him over to his limousine. Half a dozen agents, some with automatic machine guns, quickly surrounded the limousine and protected it as the President was practically flung inside. The head of the President's detail, Special Agent Patrick West, jumped into the limousine and shouted, "Go go! Take us to GW!"​

**************************************************



THE CAPITOL
Senate Chamber
November 2, 2002
1:30 PM EST
Private

​

Vice President Sinclair was sitting in the most prominent point of the Senate Chamber where he presided. The creation of the office of Vice President was an afterthought by the Founding Fathers. In addition to being first in line of succession in the event that something happened to the President, the Vice President was also made the presiding officer, or "President of the Senate". The Constitution specified that he could only vote in order to break a tie and that he was the presiding officer. The first Vice President of the United States, John Adams, spent much of his time in the Senate unlike most modern Vice Presidents. He cast 29 tie-breaking votes and would regularly give his opinion and lecture the Senate. This got so bad that the Senate actually took away the Vice President's ability to speak in the Senate unless it was to recognize Senator, or if a Senator donated some of their speaking time to the Vice President. This remained the same until Benjamin Sinclair was appointed as Vice President by President Gore in 1998. With that being said, Sinclair rarely opined to the Senate about what they should, or should not, do. He did his best to remain impartial, except when he casted a tie-breaking vote. Today, the order of business was to begin debate on the Patriot Act. There was a quorum, in fact every Senator was in attendance.

"Before the Senate begins debate on the Patriot Act, I wanted to allocate two minutes of time to myself to speak to you all. I hope that you would all agree that I have rarely sat up here and given lengthy orations, so I will do my best to be brief... I can only assume that the Patriot Act, in its current form, was written with the best intentions by its authors to safeguard the American people against acts of terrorism and violence. I know the authors in the House and the Senate and they are all good men and women. But while the intention of this one-thousand and seven page bill may be to better secure America, it is in stark contrast to the Constitution and outside of the bounds of what the Federal Government should be able to do.

"Within this bill, which I have read over in its entirety, are provisions that would allow the Central Intelligence Agency to operate with little to no oversite in the United States. Secret agents, who may become secret police, would have the authority to tap phone lines, go through private mail, and spy on American citizens without permission from a federal judge. The bill also targets journalists who may reveal warrantless wiretaps or clandestine operations in the United States. The bill says that these journalists could be charged with obstruction of justice charges or, in extreme cases, charges of terrorism. If this bill is made into law, the Central Intelligence Agency will become the most powerful federal agency over night; every American will lose their right to individual privacy from the government; and the Freedom of The Press enshrined in the First Amendment will be under threat. I have no doubt in my mind that this bill is unconstitutional and un-American. I urge you to vote against this bill... Before we begin debate, I will leave you with a quote from Benjamin Franklin. 'Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.'"

As Vice President Sinclair was delivering his speech to the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, Theo Holmes, was in his office in the Capitol Building. Outside of the Capitol was a growing crowd of protestors, which now numbered about 2,500 people, and was only growing. He was getting ready for a crisis meeting with the Sargeant at Arms of the House and the Chief of Capitol Police when the phone on his 19th century, solid wood desk started to ring. Theo picked up the phone, which was on a secure line.

"This is the Sergeant at Arms," he said as he moved a few papers into his briefcase with his free hand.

"Sergeant Holmes, this is Director Robert Carter," the voice on the other end of the line said from his secure line. Carter was the head of the Secret Service.

"Director Carter, I'm a bit busy with the situation at the Capitol. Can this wait?" Theo asked.

"No, it can't. Phoenix was just gunned down in Georgetown. We need to move Beacon to Castle right now. If you can't get to him right now, I have agents waiting at the doors of the Senate," Carter continued.

"I'm on my way, consider it done," Theo said.

The Sergeant at Arms grabbed his 9mm Glock from the secure drawer in his desk, made sure it was loaded, and then ran outside. His office was just a short distance to the Senate Chamber. A group of Secret Service agents were waiting outside the doors as Theo slowed his pace and caught his breath.

Theo pointed to the head of the Vice President's Secret Service detail and said, "You're with me."

Theo opened one of the doors to the Senate chamber with the Secret Service agent following close behind him. Several staffers and parliamentarians turned and looked at Theo as he went directly up to Vice President, who just finished quoting Benjamin Franklin.

"Sir," Theo whispered into Sinclair's ear, "President Gore has been shot, we have to take you to the White House."

Vice President Sinclair stood up and momentarily looked lost; he only had enough time to grab his black walking cane. Theo and the Secret Service agent quickly and unceremoniously escorted Sinclair down the steps and to the door of the Senate where there were now a dozen Secret Service agents, some of them armed with machine guns, waiting. The Senate started buzzing as they saw the Vice President ripped away from his seat without saying another word. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate took Sinclair's seat and tried to establish order.

Once they were outside of the Senate Chamber, Theo moved aside as the Secret Service took over. "Mister Vice President, please come with us," one of the familiar agents said. Sinclair's unusual height made him difficult to protect, so most of his security detail were usually tall as well. The well-dressed agents, all of which were armed, huddled around Sinclair with their weapons drawn as they escorted him through the mostly empty hallways and down a rarely used flight of stairs. Sinclair felt like they were going through a maze, but somehow they ended up in a large subterranean tunnel. The walls looked to be thick concrete. Wherever the tunnel went to, it wasn't a straight shot. Sinclair could see that there were turns and zigzags ahead. After a couple of minutes of walking they ended up in the Capitol's underground subway system that was exclusively used by congressmen, their staffers, and lobbyists.

​

​

The small people movers took senators and congressmen to their offices outside of the Capitol Building which were located across the street in the Longworth House Office Building, the Hart Senate Building, the Dirksen Senate Building, and the Russell Senate Building. Sinclair and the Secret Service boarded one of the people movers that was destined for the Russell Senate Office Building. The small train quickly accelerated as the men waited the couple of minutes it takes to get between the buildings.

"How bad is it? Is the President dead?" Sinclair asked one of the agents next to him.

"Sir," said one of the senior agents, "the most recent information we have is that the President was taken to George Washington hospital and that he had a pulse when they were unloading him. He was shot twice in the back," the agent said. The agent's words silenced Sinclair for a few moments.

"Call the White House and ask them to get the Attorney General and any federal judge that they can find," Sinclair responded, his voice rather quiet and monotone.

Once they were at the Russel Senate Building, the Vice President was escorted upstairs to the street level. While the Capitol itself was surrounded by protestors, the more obscure and less iconic congressional office buildings did not receive much attention at all. The Vice President's motorcade was waiting, along with a dozen other agents and D.C. police who were armed and had made a perimeter around the street. Sinclair stepped into the limousine, followed by a few agents.

"Mister Vice President, the White House is surrounded by protestors. We can't take you straight in like we normally do, we're going to have to take you to the Treasury Building," one of the agents said as the motorcade sped off. From the Russell Senate Building, the motorcade made it to F Street Northwest which was a straight shot to the Treasury Building. Sinclair looked out of the window and, occasionally, could see protestors behind barricades. The motorcade stopped in front of the Treasury Building and the agents escorted Sinclair inside. They group quickly descended into the bowels of the building where they entered another tunnel.

This tunnel zigzagged from side to side, it was almost nauseating. While Sinclair had never been in this specific tunnel - which went from the Treasury Building to the East Wing of the White House - he had heard rumors that it was used by Kennedy sneak his girlfriends into the White House. Eventually Sinclair was in the East Wing of the White House. He was escorted directly to the West Wing and into the Situation Room. Two uniformed Marines guarding the doors to the Situation Room stood at attention and then opened the doors for the Vice President, who stepped inside.

Seated at the table, in the middle of heated debate, was the White House's favorite Irishmen, Secretary of State Jackson Fitzgerald, along with the Attorney General of the United States, Silas Hawkins, along with other members of the National Security Council and the Cabinet.

"That is fucking bullshit!" Fitzgerald exclaimed to the room as Sinclair walked in.

When they saw the Vice President, everyone immediately stood up. Sinclair looked at the seat of the head of the table, which was normally occupied by President Gore. He hesitated for a second, but then leaned his walking cane against the table and sat down in the comfortable leather seat. Everyone else at the table took their seats as well. The Vice President took in a deep breath and exhaled through his nose.

"Everyone take a breath," he said, making eye contact with everyone in the room. About twenty seconds went by.

"Secretary Fitzgerald, what is bullshit?" Sinclair asked.

Fitzgerald's face had gone from an enraged shade of red to a slightly less pissed off shade of pink. He cleared his throat and collected his thoughts as he looked at Sinclair.

"Silas is saying that we cannot swear you in as Acting President, according to the Twenty-Fifth Amendment," Fitzgerald said.

The entire room, including Sinclair, looked at Silas Hawkins who raised both of his hands in the air like he was about to be shot. "The Twenty-Fifth Amendment is clear about this. Unless the President signs a letter that temporarily gives power to the Vice President, we cannot just swear you in. There needs to be a vote of the Cabinet, and congressional leadership has to be informed," the Attorney General said.

"Does anyone have a copy of the Constitution?" Sinclair asked. Everyone looked around while Sinclair noted the irony that they were in the Executive seat of power and no one had the country's governing document on hand.

"I have a copy on my desk, in my office in the West Wing, Secretary Fitzgerald will you get it?" he asked. The Secretary of State nodded and got up from the table, briskly walking from the room.

"In the meantime, can anyone tell me about the President's condition? How is he?" Sinclair asked.

Arlo Poole, the Secretary of Homeland Security, cleared his throat and then spoke. "Sir, we know that the President was shot twice in the back. The shooter was shot in the shoulder but got away. President Gore has been taken to George Washington," he said, referring to the hospital in Washington. "He's likely undergoing surgery right now... The protests here in Washington are getting more... dramatic. I'm not sure if this is the time..." he hesitated.

"This is the time, Secretary Poole. Elaborate," Sinclair directed him.

"Patriot Front has two major protests going on right now, one outside of the White House and one at the National Mall. Counter protestors, including some from the left-wing group the Progressive Alliance, are popping up around the city and downtown. We can't say for sure, but there's approximately 7,000 demonstrators in Washington right now, and that number is going to get worse as we get closer to sunset," Poole said. "There have already been some altercations between protestors, and five police officers have been injured near the U.S. Grant Memorial on the West side of the Capitol. The protestors are moving from the National Mall to Capitol grounds, and the police are having trouble holding them back," he said.

Secretary Fitzgerald walked back into the Situation Room, quietly, and handed a pocket-sized booklet that said, "United States Constitution" on the front of it in gold calligraphy. Fitzgerald already had it turned to the page of the Twenty Fifth Amendment. Sinclair put on his reading glasses and moved his finger down to the relevant section and began reading aloud.

"'Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President,'" Sinclair said, pausing to go over the words again.

"We have seven Cabinet members here right now, we need eight to have a majority," Fitzgerald said, sounding a bit deflated.

"The Secretary of Defense is flying via helicopter from the Pentagon. He should be here in a few minutes. Assuming we all agree to invoke Section 4, and the Secretary of Defense does as well, we can swear you in, sir," the Secretary of Homeland Security said.

Sinclair rested his elbow on the table in front of them and covered his mouth with his hand as he looked back at the television screens on the other side of the room which had CNN and NBC muted. Both of them were showing live footage from George Washington Memorial Hospital, as well as fuzzy replays of the President being shot. Sinclair looked away and cleared his throat, clearly feeling a bit emotional that his friend might die.

"Everyone we will reconvene in ten minutes... Hopefully the Secretary of Defense is here by then. I want to know what the situation is on the ground in Washington and what we can do to get these people to get home, or if we need to deploy the National Guard," Sinclair said. This was incredibly frustrating because, as of now, he has no authority in the chain of command to order the military to do anything. He's in a state of limbo.​

 

[Odinson]

ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA
The Pentagon
November 2, 2002
1:55 PM EST

Part 3 - Sacred Oath
Private

​

Secretary of Defense John Glass was standing in the National Military Command Center inside of the Pentagon. The NMCC was a large room filled with massive monitors, an ample amount of seating, and dozens of people who had the job of communicating with military commands, and individual facilities, around the entire country. If the Pentagon was the brain of the United States armed forces, the NMCC was the nerve center. Glass had just walked out of a briefing with top Pentagon intelligence officials who have already confirmed what the Secret Service knew about twenty minutes ago: there was just an assassination attempt on the President, the gunman got away, the Vice President was on his way to the White House, and currently the United States did not have a conscious Commander-in-Chief.

Glass was looking up at one of the large television monitors in the room which was showing CNN's live broadcast from Washington. The left half of the screen was taken up by a news anchor who was providing an update while the right half showed thousands of protestors. The right half switched to views of the National Mall, the White House, and the Capitol which had protestors amassed around them. Stewart C. Hall, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, was standing next to Glass as they both looked up at the monitor.

"I don't like any of this," Hall said, and then looked directly at Glass. Glass knew what his deputy was thinking without having to ask.

"Under my authority," Glass said, "we're going to enact the Continuity of Operations plan. Get the COOP details together and have it transmitted immediately."

Deputy Secretary Hall nodded and briskly walked out of the NMCC to his office where he gathered the necessary paperwork to start the process. Continuity of Operations was the Federal Government's plan to, in the event of a national crisis, preserve the line of succession so that someone will survive to be President. It also ensured that key members of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Supreme Court would survive so that the Federal Government could continue to operate. It was originally conceived so that the government could survive a nuclear war, but it could also be used in situations where the country may be under some kind of attack. The plan involved moving those key members of government to hardened bunkers on the East Coast and, if necessary, into command aircraft so that a war could be coordinated from the skies.

About twenty minutes later, the chief of staff walked up next to him and cleared his throat. "Mister Secretary," he said, trying to get Glass's attention.

"What do you have for me, Ron?" Glass asked.

"You've been summoned to the White House, we have a chopper ready to take you there."

**************************************************


THE WHITE HOUSE
Situation Room
November 2, 2002
2:46 PM EST

Everyone reconvened in the Situation Room approximately ten minutes afterwards as the Vice President has directed. There were some new additions, including the Director of the Secret Service, Robert Carter. Everyone took their seats after the Vice President did. Sinclair could feel the stress of the Presidency looming over him like a 10,000 pound weight, waiting to drop. Everyone sat down and quieted down, all eyes looking to the white-haired Vice President. Sinclair's eyes were fixed on the Secret Service Director.

"Director Carter, what information do you have for us?" Sinclair asked.

"Mister Vice President... Following President Gore's lecture at Georgetown University, he was walking to his motorcade. Instead of going directly into his limousine, he decided to work the rope line and shake hands with bystanders. Someone from the crowd pulled out a revolver. One of my agents saw the gun, announced it, and tried to pull the President away. The gunman got off two shots into the President's back. Another agent dove in front of the agent and took two more shots that were intended for the President - that agent died on the scene. Agents rushed the President into his limousine which took him directly to George Washington University Hospital, which was only a few blocks away.

"The President was losing a lot of blood, but the agents were able to set up a transfusion from blood reserves that we keep in the limo. The President was rushed inside. We evacuated two floors of the hospital and we have two-hundred agents on the premises. D.C. Metro has helped establish a perimeter around the building and we have checkpoints on the road... As of ten minutes ago, the President is currently under surgery. We... we lost him twice on the operating table, but the doctors were able to bring him back. With the little information I have from the operating room, his body was weak from the blood loss and not in the best condition to undergo surgery, but there's no choice. One of the bullets went straight through which, all things considered, is a best-case scenario. The other passed close to his heart, but did not hit it," Carter concluded.

"Is he going to make it?" Sinclair asked directly.

"I don't know, sir. I don't know," Carter said, and then swallowed nervously.

Sinclair nodded silently. In the back of the room was Admiral Nicholson, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was holding a red receiver to his ear as he listened through on a secure line. He hung up the phone and took his seat at the table.

"Mister Vice President, the Secretary of Defense has enacted continuity of government protocols. The Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate are being relocated to Mount Weather right now. The COOP plans also require you to go to Mount Weather, and for some or all of the chiefs to go to Raven Rock," he said, matter-of-factly.

Sinclair momentarily looked annoyed, be regained his stoic composure. Normally only the President could enact continuity of government protocols, but the Secretary of Defense and his deputy could also do so when the President was out of action.

"Admiral, move whatever assets or personnel you need to Raven Rock, including General Shaw," he said, referring to the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. "But the rest of you are going to ride this out with me, here," Sinclair said.

The Vice President and the Admiral stared at each other for a few seconds while Admiral Nicholson contemplated whether or not Sinclair had the authority to make that call.

"Yes sir, I'll see to it," Nicholson said.

The doors to the Situation Room swung open. The Secretary of Defense walked in and stopped for a moment, looking for his usual seat, and then walked over to it and took it. Secretary Glass nodded at Sinclair.

"Secretary Glass, in accordance with the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, the seven other cabinet members here want to declare President Gore incapacitated and swear me in as Acting President. Will you support us?" he asked.

Glass felt everyone looking at him. He quickly nodded his head, "Yes sir, absolutely."

A document was printed up which included a place for all of the cabinet members to sign. Before doing so, Sinclair took a vote. The cabinet members present, plus himself, voted unanimously. They all signed three of the letters. One would be hand-delivered to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one would be hand-delivered to the Speaker of the House, and one would be kept at the White House. Thanks to the technology of the twenty-first century, the letters were securely emailed to the President Pro Tempore and the Speaker. The physical copies were going to be flown to them directly at Raven Rock so that no one could make any Constitutional questions about it later. Once it was confirmed that those two congressional leaders had received the emails, the judge was brought into the Situation Room.

Judge Michael Schouten had been a federal judge for about twenty-seven hours. He was approved by the Senate yesterday and appointed by President Gore a couple of weeks ago. He looked undeniably nervous. Schouten was wearing a charcoal-gray suit. He was holding a bible in his hands.

Vice President Sinclair stood up, as everyone else did in the room. The recently-signed documents were presented to the judge, as well as confirmation that both had been sent to the leaders of Congress.

"Is that a Catholic Bible?" Sinclair asked, with a small smile on his face. He could tell that Judge Schouten was nervous, and he was hoping to momentarily lighten the mood.

"That's the only kind, sir," Schouten said back to him. The judge handed the bible to Secretary of State Fitzgerald, who held it flat.

"Mister Vice President," Judge Schouten said, "a majority of the cabinet wishes to enact procedures set forth by the... by the Twenty-Fifth amendment to the Constitution. These procedures would make you the Acting President of the United States. Do you wish to proceed?"

"Yes, I do," Sinclair said very seriously, and quietly.

"Sir, place your left hand on the bible, raise your right hand to God, and repeat after me," he said. Sinclair did so.

"I, Benjamin Valentine Sinclair do solemnly swear,"
"I, Benjamin Valentine Sinclair do solemnly swear,"
"that I will faithfully execute"
"that I will faithfully execute"
"the office of President of The United States"
"the office of President of The United States"
"and will, to the best of my ability,"
"and will, to the best of my ability,"
"preserve, protect, and defend"
"preserve, protect, and defend"
"the Constitution of The United States."
"the Constitution of The United States."
"So help me, God."
"So help me, God."

Judge Schouten extended his hand, "Good luck, Mister Vice President." Sinclair took the judge's hand and shook it firmly. The judge left the room and everyone retook their seats. While Sinclair had just been sworn in as Acting President, meaning that he assumed all of the powers of the presidency, he still was not The President since Gore was still alive. The only real difference this made is that Sinclair would still be addressed as "Vice President."

"I need to address the nation as soon as possible. I know that most of my staff has arrived from the Naval Observatory... I'm going to inform the American People that the government is in working order and also an update on the President. Is there anything else, specifically, that I should address?" Sinclair asked.

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Arlo Poole, cleared his throat and then spoke up. "Mister Vice President, the protests outside of the White House, the National Mall, and the Capitol are turning into riots. D.C. Metro is using tear gas in Lafayette Park right now. The protestors, and counter-protestors, are fighting at Union Square in front of the Capitol. Throughout the District we have several officers down and two have been killed."

Secretary Poole went on to explain how the situation had degraded from earlier in the afternoon before President Gore had been shot. It was estimated that there were over 10,000 demonstrators on the streets of Washington. Police forces in the District of Columbia, both local and federal, were overwhelmed.

"Sir, I would advise that you declare this a riot and issue proclamation demanding that the protestors within three hours," Secretary Poole said.

"Do you really think they would listen to me if I did that?" Sinclair asked.

"No sir, but it would give you justification to bring in the military," Poole said. Everyone else in the room shifted uncomfortably when Poole said that.

"You just watched me take an oath to uphold the Constitution," Sinclair said, "and now you're asking me to declare martial law in Washington?" he asked.

Attorney General Hawkins spoke up, "Mister Vice President, if you issued such a proclamation, it would allow you to invoke the Insurrection Act. It would give you the option to bring in all available military resources, not just the National Guard, to restore order. These are not peaceful protestors. Patriot Front and the Progressive Alliance are dangerous, organized groups that want to fight each other and cause chaos. This is not a time where we need chaos, and there are just way too many of them," he said.

The Vice President took in a deep breath and then sighed. Someone in the back of the room stepped forward and handed a piece of paper to the Attorney General.

"Mister Vice President," Arlo Poole said, "the D.C. Metro Bomb squad just arrived to DNC headquarters on South Capitol Street - someone found a pipe bomb outside of the front door."

**************************************************​

THE WHITE HOUSE
Press Briefing Room
November 2, 2002
3:33 PM EST

The Press Briefing Room was full of reporters from across the United States. The President's Press Secretary, Dee Dee Myers, was wearing a conservative black dress as she stood behind the podium. The cameras in the back of the room were turned on, as did the bright camera lights. Myers carefully looked over her notes in case she would have to answer any questions. She checked her watch and saw that it was three minutes past 3:00 PM now. Just then, her assistant walked up to her and whispered, "He's ready to go."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Dee Dee said, "the Vice President of the United States." Dee Dee stepped aside as everyone in the room. The reporters in the room stood up as Vice President Sinclair entered in through the door that leads to the rest of the West Wing and the Oval Office. Sinclair was wearing a dark blue suit, a very light blue (almost white) button-down dress-shirt, and a black tie. His white hair was combed neatly from the part on the left side of his head. The only jewelry he was wearing was his wedding ring and a watch, both of which were gold. He took his place in front of the podium and the press corps sat down. By now, this press briefing was being carried across all of the major networks in the United States, over the internet, and to the rest of the world.

"This afternoon President Gore had just finished delivering a lecture at Georgetown University and was going to come home here, to the White House. Before he entered his motorcade he greeted and shook the hands of bystanders. One of those bystanders pulled out a revolver and shot the President twice in the back. A Secret Service agent dove in front of the President and took two more gunshots that were meant for him... The agent is a hero, but unfortunately died on the scene. President Gore was then taken to George Washington University Hospital and, as of now, he is undergoing surgery. I do not have any for-sure details about the specifics of the surgery or the President's current condition, but I can report that the President was given a clean bill of health two weeks ago and, according to his doctor, 'he has the heart of a bull.'

"The shooter was not caught, but he was shot once in the shoulder. His description is a white male, about five-foot ten-inches tall, slim build, with blue eyes and a shaved bald head. He is considered armed and dangerous. The Secret Service will be releasing pictures of the gunman after this press briefing for distribution.

"Because President Gore is currently incapacitated, and because we have a serious crisis unfolding in the District of Columbia, the Cabinet and I used the powers given to us in Section Four of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution to temporarily make me Acting President. About fifteen minutes ago I was administered the Oath of Office. For those of you who do not know, the Twenty-Fifth Amendment allows the Vice President to assume all of the powers of the presidency when a majority of the Cabinet, plus the Vice President himself, agrees. I must stress that this is temporary, and when President Gore is awake and recovered from his surgery, he has the power to return to office.

"While ensuring the recovery and safety of the President is already a significant and important task, there are other matters that I must discuss with you today. Right now, in Washington, over ten-thousand demonstrators are at the National Mall, the White House, and the Capitol Building. Five D.C. Metro police officers have been seriously injured and taken to the hospital, and one has passed away. A pipe bomb was found outside of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, and fireworks are being used against police in Lafayette Park. I have also been told that barricades at Union Square were knocked down and police were trampled over - those same protestors have advanced close to the United States Capitol Building.

"As Commander-in-Chief, I made the decision to activate units of the District of Columbia Army National Guard that were already undergoing a readiness exercise. I have spoken directly with the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The mobs that are overrunning police barricades, fighting each other in the streets, and vandalizing public and private property must be stopped. I have also spoken with the Mayor of Washington who told me directly that D.C. Metro Police are overwhelmed and cannot effectively maintain law and order.

"Minutes ago, I signed a Presidential Proclamation which orders all rioters and demonstrators in Washington to get off the streets and return home by 5:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time this afternoon. If these riots continue, I will be forced to invoke the Insurrection Act and bring in the armed forces to restore order in the District of Columbia... I understand that tensions are high right now because of the Patriot Act which is currently under debate in Congress. However, while petitioning the government and peaceful assembly are sacrosanct American principles, rioting and violence are not. Order will be restored in Washington tonight, the gunman who shot President Gore will be caught, and I will keep the American People updated on the condition of President Gore. Thank you." ​

 

[Odinson]

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Operating Room
November 2, 2002
1:50 PM EST

Part 4 - Crossing The Rubicon
Private

Two Secret Service agents stood stoically outside of the operating room. Both of the agents wore dark suits. Every patient in the entire wing of the hospital that the President was in had been relocated. The white dress shirts on one of the agents was stained red with the President's blood while the other agent had a small laceration on his head that was still bleeding. Neither of the men said a word as they stood almost perfectly still and listened to their earpieces and watched their surroundings. Inside of the operating room was a full staff of nurses and three doctors. Doctor Nathaniel Bjork was the trauma surgeon on duty that afternoon. The President's suit had already been cut off of him. Gore had lost consciousness a few minutes after he had been shot. What had saved his life so far were blood transfusions performed by the Secret Service on the way to the hospital (multiple pints of the President's blood type are always kept in the President's limousine for an instance such as this). A 21 year-old blood donor that was attending Georgetown University had unknowingly saved the President's life.

Since the surgeon began operating, the President's blood pressure had dropped by 15%. He was urgently trying to stop multiple dangerous bleeds in the President's body, as well as stabilize his vitals. He was failing. At some point the President's heart stopped.

"Code Blue! Where's the crash cart!?" Dr. Bjorn shouted. Two nurses pushed the cart in and put a gel on the President's chest as the pads were charged. "Clear!"

**************************************************

NINTH HOLE
&%$*^#@
@&^$#*&^*$^%
^$&*#%*​

​

Al Gore got to his feet. As he stood up he saw that he was wearing some old, spiked golf shoes that he had not broken out in years. He was also wearing khaki pants and a white polo. On his right hand he was wearing a golf glove. Below his shoes was neatly trimmed grass. About five feet away from him was a familiar looking man with salt and pepper here.

"Heh, watch this drive," the man said. He pulled his wooden driver back and then swung forward in perfect form. The driver made connection with the ball, which sent it flying down the course which looked to go forever.

"You're not gonna beat that, Al," the man said. He had a short cigar in his mouth, which he puffed as he turned toward Gore.

"Mister President?" Al said out loud.

"Not anymore, that's you're job, remember?" he asked, and then laughed. The former president dabbed the extended ash from his cigar into the grass.

"Am I dead?" Gore asked.

"Well..." Bill said as he put another tee into the grass, "that's kind of complicated. Are you cold, or warm right now?" he asked.

"I'm cold," Gore responded as Bill put a ball on the tee that he had just placed.

"Then you're alive. I think you're technically dead, but you're still alive... Look, that doesn't matter," Bill said as he stood up straight again and lined up for his next shot.

"Well... why are we here? Why are you talking to me? Is this heaven?" Gore asked as he stepped closer. Bill swung and hit the ball perfectly again.

"Why don't you grab a club and we can talk about it?" Bill said as he watched his ball fly off into the distance.

"Mister President, I hate golf," Gore admitted to his old friend.

"I know... You were pretty good, though. You were a good Vice President, too... Did you know they let Catholics in here? I've become friends with Kennedy, we actually have a lot in common," Clinton said.

Both of the men looked up and could see thunder clouds approaching from far off in the distance; Bill sighed. He put up his driver and puffed on his cigar as he looked at Gore.

"We're sort of in heaven right now... think of this as a kind of.. embassy. You can't come all of the way in, not yet," Clinton said. "He asked me to talk to you. You're really close to death right now. He wants me to convince you to keep living, because it would be pretty easy for you to give up right now. He thought that your dad or I would be the best ones to talk to you - your dad said you'd probably just stay here if you saw him, so that's why we're talking... Anyway, is that clear?"

"I think so," Gore spoke softly, feeling humbled. "Why does... He want me to live?"

"You gave your word to someone, and you broke it. He wants you to make it right, but it's your choice," Bill said.​

**************************************************

THE WHITE HOUSE
PEOC - Presidential Emergency Operation Center
November 2, 2002
6:05 PM EST

Vice President Sinclair had been rushed by the Secret Service to the PEOC after rioters overwhelmed riot police and occupied Lafayette Square around 5:00 PM. It had taken some time since the streets of Washington were filled, but the National Guard was just now arriving to the White House in greater numbers. Minutes after the Vice President had invoked the Insurrection Act, the 82nd Airborne and units from the Marine Corps were activated to go into Washington and put down what appeared to be, in some instances, open rebellion. Sinclair was pacing back and forth next to a long table in the room as military leadership and President Gore's staff continued to feed information into the room and send out new orders. Sinclair watched on one of the television screens as a fire burned at Ashburton House, which was connected to St. John's church, which was walking distance from the White House.

D.C. National Guardsmen could be seen shooting tear gas and marching toward demonstrators with their riot shields and batons. Right now, there wasn't enough military or police to spare for the entire district. The difficult decision to defend the White House had to be made as police at the Capitol Building were being overrun. Some continuity of government protocols had already been enacted in the event that the Capitol was temporarily occupied. The Speaker of the House, some members of the President's cabinet, and at least one of the Joint Chiefs had been taken to Mount Weather. For the past thirty minutes the Secret Service and the Secretary of Defense had been trying to convince Sinclair to fly to the secure mountain complex in Pennsylvania.

"I don't want the American People watching the Vice President running out the back door while the country is in crisis!" Sinclair snapped back loudly. The usually stoic man was stressed and frustrated. The military response over the past handful of hours had been lackluster, while the organization of the rioters was above expectation. As the National Guard and Secret Service took control of the situation at Lafayette Park, the Vice President and everyone in the PEOC were taken off of lockdown. That afternoon, snipers on top of the White House had already shot someone with a "blunt object" who had scaled the fence and gotten onto White House grounds - the situation had gotten serious, and the Secret Service felt that another mob could show up in greater numbers. According to the FBI Director, who was locked down in his office at the J. Edgar Hoover Building, "The situation is fluid." He also recommended that the President be taken to a more secure location. In response, Sinclair told the FBI Director that he had one job right now: "Hunt down whomever shot our President in the back."

The Capitol Police and D.C. Metro Police at the Capitol Building were losing ground fast. Now that things had died down at the White House, reinforcements could be sent to the Capitol's grounds, but there was some kind of holdup. There were two battalions of Military Police in the D.C. Army National Guard, both of which had already been deployed. While most of those troops had arrived at the White House earlier, they had now dispersed and redeployed to the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, downtown D.C., the Naval Observatory, and Georgetown. By now, the regular Army and Marines should have been arriving at D.C., but they faced their own delays since none of the units had been on standby. Also, there was a significant number of rioters on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, which went directly from the White House to the Capitol, and on Pennsylvania Avenue SE which went directly from the Capitol to the Anacostia River (troops that were flown into Andrews Air Force base would have to take this route and go over the John Philip Sousa Bridge to get into the heart of D.C.).

Orders had been given multiple times for a portion of the forces around the White House to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, and from there clear the way to the bridge so that regular forces could enter the city. However, the Military Police forces necessary were not available and the advance down Pennsylvania Avenue had been stopped significant short at the John Wilson Building, which was the headquarters for the District of Columbia's municipal government. Sinclair himself wasn't sure what the snag was, but he was assured repeatedly by the Joint Chiefs that they were working on it. Meanwhile, cars were being lit on fire and parts of the city were devolving into chaos.

With everyone around him, from those he trusted to those he didn't know, telling him to leave the White House, Sinclair finally relented and agreed to be flown to a secure location. Marine One was in route to the White House. In the meantime, the lockdown at the White House had been lifted. The Vice President was escorted back to the Oval Office. Just as he stepped inside, he turned around and looked at one of the agents that was assigned to him.

"I need five minutes alone, don't let anyone inside," he said as he looked down at the agent, who immediately said, "Yes sir," in response.

The Vice President walked past the grandfather clock that was always on time and walked to the center of the room where the President's seal was. He first looked at the fireplace which had a painting of George Washington above it, and then he looked over at the Resolute Desk which had the American flag and the President's flag on either side of it. Sinclair knelt down on one knee on the carpeted seal and bowed his head as he gripped his rosary tightly in his right hand. He closed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Lord God, I have never needed you more than I do right now..."

Minutes later, Sinclair was standing in front of the lite fireplace. He was staring into it, mesmerized by the flames. The human mind has some intimate, indescribable connection to fire that may go back up to half a million years ago. It's awesome power to both raise up civilization and tear it down was unlike anything it else. There were a series of knocks on one of the doors to the Oval Office. Sinclair ignored them at first, but they returned again. He walked over to one of the doors, the one he walked through before, and opened it. A Secret Service agent looked up at Sinclair who was pale and showing signs that today was not an easy one.

"Sir," the agent said, "Marine One is here. We're going to take you to Mount Weather. Are you ready?" he asked.

"What is your name?" Sinclair asked as he leaned on his black walking cane for some relief.

"I'm Special Agent Marcus Abrams, sir," the young agent responded. He was most likely in his early thirties. Most of the Secret Service agents at the White House didn't look familiar to Sinclair because the majority of the President's detail was at the hospital with the President. Some of Sinclair's detail was still at Naval Observatory One, while a small portion was still at the Capitol, and a somewhat larger portion was at the White House. Luckily, the Secret Service had plenty of spare protective and uniformed agents. While the White House was still totally secure within, many agents were outside and were directly assisting the police and National Guard. Sinclair wanted to keep at least one familiar face around him.

"I want you to stick with me, Agent Abrams. Don't leave my side... Think you can do that?" he asked.

Agent Abrams didn't know how to respond at first. He was a protective agent, but he normally was not directly beside the President of Vice President. "Yes sir, I can do that," he said, and then motioned with his hand for Sinclair to walk towards the door that led outside to the South Lawn. The Vice President could see Marine One landing as Special Agent Abrams opened the door. Two more agents were waiting outside, and another agent had already walked ahead to make sure one of the most secure areas in the world was secure. There were more uniformed agents outside, in the trees, wearing black with automatic rifles. They were facing outward and were waiting for any sign of trouble. The helicopter touched down perfectly as it grew darker outside. By now it was 7:00 PM in Washington.

A Marine in full dress uniform stepped down from the small staircase on the helicopter and stood at attention. "Alright sir, let's go," Agent Abrams said. He walked beside Sinclair, who briefly looked back at the West Wing, and then looked forward to the helicopter again. The Marine saluted as Sinclair approached, and Sinclair returned the salute. The inside of Marine One was insulated and mostly soundproof. It was the helicopter equivalent of riding in a luxury limousine. After 90 seconds or so, everyone who needed to be aboard was. The main rotor sped up and the helicopter lifted off of the ground. As they got higher into the air, Sinclair could see smoke rising from different parts of the city and tons of people in some of the streets, while others were totally empty.

Mount Weather was to the west, in Virginia. Marine One continued to ascend and starting heading in a westerly direction. Sinclair swallowed a gulp of anxiety and turned his head to Abrams. "Is the pilot a Marine?" he asked.

"Yes sir, Colonel Madison Price is the main pilot," Abrams responded back instantly.

Sinclair got up from his seat and was slightly hunched over, due to his height, as he walked up to the cockpit. Colonel Price was sitting next to her copilot who was a Lieutenant Colonel. Sinclair and everyone on board could see two other identical looking helicopters joining Marine One in formation.

"Copy that, Marine Two and Marine Three. Over," she said. Price kept her eyes on the sky. Even though the airspace over the District of Columbia had been closed to all civilian traffic, the sky was overcast and the Army and Marines would be flying in troops soon.

"Colonel, before we leave the District I want you to do a fly over of Pennsylvania Avenue and the Capitol. It doesn't have to be low, but I want it to be low enough that we can see the ground," he said. Colonel Price looked conflicted, but immediately said, "Yes sir, we can do that."

Sinclair went back to his seat and looked out the window as the helicopter turned, along with Marine Two and Marine Three. Sinclair and Abrams could see what looked like thousands of people in the streets, but the overwhelming majority were in the National Mall and around the Capitol Building. Pockets of Pennsylvania Avenue were occupied, but most of it was empty. The FBI and the police were fighting hard to keep it clear, but they were outnumbered. As they flew over the Capitol, Sinclair could see that the light in the Tholos was lit. Whenever this light was lit, it meant that Congress was in session. He knew for a fact that the House of Representatives had been evacuated from the building.

"Is the Senate still in session?" Sinclair asked Abrams. The Vice President suddenly sounded like he was out of breath as he looked at Abrams. Abrams resisted the urge to frown - he had been specifically ordered by his superiors to not mention to the Vice President that the Senate had refused to evacuate the Capitol.

"Yes sir, the Senate is still in session. The last I heard was that they were refusing to leave the Capitol until they voted on the Patriot Act and you put them in recess," he said, watching the Vice President's face carefully for a reaction. Sinclair, a man of excellent posture, slumped back in his seat as Marine One turned west again. He closed his eyes and clutched his rosary in his pocket and let out a deep sigh. The Vice President stood up and walked up to the cockpit. Marine One and her escorts were flying down Pennsylvania Avenue again.

"Colonel Price," Sinclair said, "put us down at Freedom Plaza, or on the street," he said.

Price took her eyes off the sky and looked at Sinclair. "Sir, my orders are to take you to Mount Weather. We have no idea what the current situation on the ground is, sir," she responded.

Sinclair didn't even blink, "This helicopter is landing, that is a direct order from your commander-in-chief."​

**************************************************

WASHINGTON D.C.
Freedom Plaza
November 2, 2002
7:07 PM EST​

Colonel Jack Watts was an officer in the District of Columbia Army National Guard. He was in charge of the 39th Engineer Battalion which was made up of six companies, totaling to 600 men. There was soot on his uniform and his face. Once it had been revealed how serious the situation was in Washington, the entire D.C. National Guard was sent out into the streets. The 39th Engineer Battalion found itself trying to get its vehicles and troops through crowded streets of rioters that weren't happy to see them. Dozens of men had been injured, including Colonel Watts who had hit by a large rock. He had his helmet on but it still knocked him to the ground - he couldn't imagine the giant man it must have taken to throw it. The Military Police battalions were stretched thin around the city and were waiting for further reinforcements from the Virginia and Maryland National Guards, as well as the Army and Marine Corps. The 39th Engineer Battalion had been given conflicting orders from the Pentagon. First, they were told to secure Pennsylvania Avenue up to the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, then they were told to hunker down at the National Ellipse. Other orders came in for them to fall back to the White House, and then conflicting orders from higher-ups in the Army told them to make plans to cut down light pols on Pennsylvania Avenue so that helicopters could land.

Colonel Watts was huddled inside of a command tent with several other Army officers as well as special agents and police from the FBI, Secret Service, and National Parks Service (responsible for policing the National Mall and the monuments). There was a large map of the District set down in the tent with wooden cubes painted red, blue, and green. Each red cube represented 100 or more rioters, while the blue cubes represented civilian police or federal agents, and the green cubes represented Army units. Watts and several other Army and civilian leadership was discussing the current situation in D.C. while others were engaging in radio communication with the Pentagon, D.C. police, and the FBI at the J. Edgar Hoover building. Everyone quieted down as they heard the distinct sound of a helicopter coming in for a landing. Colonel Watts stepped outside first and saw the distinct green helicopter slowly coming in for a landing at Freedom Plaza, which was an open and flat.

Colonel Watts was the highest ranking Army officer at this location. Master Sergeant Evan Lawson was the most senior Army NCO, and reported directly to Colonel Watts. They had known each other for over a year now and worked well together. The Colonel who was in charge of the 39th Engineer Battalion was at The Ellipse with two other companies from the battalion.

"Lawson!" Colonel Watts yelled to the Master Sergeant over the growing noise from the approaching helicopter. "Get a platoon of men in the street, secure the area!"

The area was already secure, but it was clear to Lawson that whomever was in the helicopter was someone important and they'd need more security. A few dozen soldiers were ordered into Pennsylvania Avenue to reinforce the makeshift barriers that had been set up on the street facing the southeast.

Colonel Watts and the most senior FBI agent on the scene looked up as Marine One landed on Freedom Plaza. The two men approached as the rotors on the helicopter died down. The staircase lowered and the Marine in full dress uniform stepped outside, made sure the area was clear, secured the staircase, and stood beside it at attention. Sinclair stepped out onto the staircase, followed by Special Agent Abrams. Sinclair was still wearing his black suit pants, white dress shirt, and tie, but he had traded his suit jacket and vest for a windbreaker with the seal of the Vice President on it. He stepped down the staircase and returned the salute to the Marine just as Colonel Watts the and the special agent in charge approached the Vice President.

Colonel Watts stood at attention and saluted, which Sinclair quickly returned.

"Colonel, why the hell is Pennsylvania Avenue still a mess?" Sinclair shouted over the helicopter's engines which were dying down.

"Sir, we have conflicting orders and have been told to stay put in our current position. We do not have any Military Police here that can secure the rest of the street," Colonel Watts responded. The three men, with Special Agent Abrams in tow, walked up to, and inside of the command tent. Everyone inside was shocked to see Sinclair.

The Vice President looked over the map and broke the ice, "Well it looks like you all have better intel than the White House... Can someone tell me where we stand?" he asked.

Colonel Watts cleared his throat, "Mister Vice President, we are here," he gestured on the map. "Stationed here right now are 100 uniformed agents of the Secret Service and FBI, as well as Company A of the 39th Engineer Battalion, D.C. Army National Guard," he said. Watts showed where the rest of the 39th was, as well as where the Military Police Battalions had been deployed. They even had intel on the Virginia and Maryland National Guard units that were on their way.

"Sir, the Capitol is overwhelmed. We were told a few minutes ago that the third perimeter there has been breached. The Chief of the Capitol Police was seriously injured and is unconscious. This is Assistant Chief of Police Tobias Hale, he is currently in command of the Capitol Police," Watts said.

"Chief, what are you doing here?" Sinclair asked, puzzled.

"I had tonight off, sir - I was on my way back to the Capitol when the mobilization order came out. By the time I got here, Pennsylvania Avenue was overrun. We have another five officers here that were trying to find a clear route back to the Capitol," he said.

"Does the Capitol Police and Metro have a contingency plan in case the Capitol is breached? I was told that the Senate was still in session," Sinclair said. Everyone in the room remained silent. While it was on everyone's mind, no one in the tent had wanted to conceive that a breach into the Capitol was even possible.

"Yes sir. If the Capitol is breached, and rioters approach the Senate Chamber, I have authorized the use of live ammunition and deadly force," Assistant Chief Hale said.

"What?" Sinclair responded. "Belay that order. There's already enough confusion there, we don't need a massacre at the Capitol," he said urgently.

"No sir, we don't need rioters murdering United States Senators. That order is staying in place," Hale said back strictly.

"I am ordering you to belay that order, Chief. This isn't a God-damned negotiation!" Sinclair shouted.

"Sir, the Capitol Police reports directly to Congress. You have no-" Hale was cut off by Sinclair.

"I am the President of The Senate, and I am telling you that order is a mistake. It's going to get a lot of people killed. At least cancel the order until you have confirmation that rioters are in the Capitol," Sinclair said.

"Sir, you were sworn in as Acting President, you cannot be part of two branches of government at the same time. With the Chief incapacitated, I report directly to the sergeants-at-arms of the House and the Senate, and the Architect of The Capitol. The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate agrees with my order and I am not retracting it, sir," Hale said, determined.

"A bunch of dead Americans at the Capitol, killed by Capitol Police or whomever else shows up there, is Ceasar crossing the Rubicon. Once that happens, we can never go back, don't you understand that?" Sinclair said, appealing to Hale's common sense.

"Sir," Hale responded, "deploying Marines and the 82nd Airborne into D.C. is Ceasar Crossing the Rubicon. We had a report of tanks rolling down East Capitol Street. If anyone is going to get someone killed, its military forces trying to handle a police matter." Sinclair looked like he wanted to kill Hale with his bare hands, but he remained relatively calm. He looked at Colonel Watts again who was about to blast Hale for what he had just said, but Sinclair stopped him with a question.

"Colonel, what are the exact number of soldiers, police, and federal agents we have here?" Sinclair asked, disregarding Hale now.

"Sir, we have the 39th Engineer Battalion which has 600 soldiers, including myself. There are 109 federal agents here that are a mix of Secret Service and FBI, there are six Capitol Police Officers, and there are eight mounted National Parks Police here. There are some other National Guard units at The Ellipse waiting for the 82nd Airborne to fly in. We've been told to act as a garrison for this position here until the 82nd is here and ready to secure Pennsylvania Avenue," Watts replied, gesturing at the relevant parts of the map of D.C. as he spoke.

"Colonel, the 82nd Airborne isn't going to be here for another ninety minutes and no one knows when the Marines are going to get here. Before either of them are on our streets, Chief Hale's men are going to be gunning down civilians in the halls of Congress. Assemble the 39th," Sinclair said, and then walked out of the tent.

Colonel Watts followed Sinclair out of the command tent, which started to buzz with chatter and arguments. "Mister Vice President, sir!" Colonel Watts said as he jogged to catch up with the 77 year-old Vice President.

"We're an Engineering Battalion, we're not Military Police. We don't have training in riot control, we don't have riot shields of batons. The only non-lethal options we have are a dozen rubber bullet rifles and two dozen tear gas canisters. We're not equipped to secure Pennsylvania Avenue," Watts said.

Sinclair stopped walking and turned to Watts, "What about lethal weapons?" the Vice President asked.

Watts hesitated, and then answered, "Standard loadout of M16s and small arms, sir. No explosives," he said.

"What about bayonets?" Sinclair asked.

"Yes sir, we have bayonets and combat knives."

"Order the battalion to assemble in formation. Have every enlisted unload their rifles and clear them, except for the officers and the men carrying non-lethal weaponry. Put the non-lethals all in the center flanks of the formation. Order all of the riflemen to affix bayonets," Sinclair ordered.

"Yes sir," Watts said. "But we don't have the numbers to take and hold the entire street," Colonel Watts said.

"We don't need to hold the street, Colonel. We just need to clear it long enough to protect our rear and get to the Capitol. You won't find many civilians that want to get close to your men if they have bayonets on their rifles - it's something we did in Korea for crowd-control... Assemble your men, Colonel, we're marching on the Capitol," Sinclair concluded.

Colonel Watts saluted and shouted out for Master Seargent Lawson to assemble the entire battalion. Hundreds of soldiers assembled into the street with their gear as they got into formation. They weren't sure if they were under attack, if they were about to fall back, or what the situation was. After five minutes, 600 men were assembled in the street.

"39th Battalion, affix bayonets!" Master Seargent Lawson shouted. The officers and NCOs of the handful of companies in the battalion repeated the orders to their men - it was like something out of the 18th century. The soldiers began affixing bayonets to their rifles without hesitation. Special Agent Abrams was still by the Vice President's side.

"Sir, the Secret Service cannot protect you out here, if you don't want to leave we at least have to get you back to the White House," Abrams said. Sinclair looked at him and reminded himself that the yougn man was just doing his job.

"Can you ride a horse, Agent Abrams?" Sinclair asked him in response. A cool breeze picked up outside which made Abrams shiver.

"Yes sir, I can. Why do you ask?"

"You're coming with me, you'll be my protection, along with the soldiers and the Parks Police. Either come or stay, it's up to you, son," Sinclair said and then approached the National Parks Police. There were eight of them on horseback. They were wearing their green uniforms and had green winter jackets on. There were three spare horses that likely belonged to officers that had been injured. Without saying anything, Sinclair untied two of the horses and grabbed the reigns for both. He climbed up and hooked himself onto the saddle of one of the well-disciplined horses.

"Woah, woah," Sinclair said as he horse adjusted to his weight.

"You can ride, sir?" one of the Parks Police asked. Abrams got up onto one of the other horses.

"What kind of Mainer can't ride a horse?" Sinclair responded. He tied his black walking cane to the side of the saddle as Abrams adjusted to his horse. The mounted Parks police were already told that they'd be coming to provide support in the rear, so they followed behind Sinclair and Abrams as they rode over to the formation. Sinclair figured he'd try his luck with the spare horse and offered it to Colonel Watts if he knew how to ride - Watts did, so he climbed on as well. This entire situation was surreal to Watts, but important things typically feel surreal. All of the soldiers were in formation, while the eight Parks Police cavalry were formed up in the rear of the formation.

Sinclair and Watts looked at each other, "Colonel I'm going to address your men, if you don't mind."

"39th Battalion, attention!" Watts shouted, and then said, "I don't mind at all sir."

Sinclair rode on horseback to the front of the formation as 600 Army National Guard soldiers looked him in disbelief, and stood at attention. Their 77 year-old Vice President was there, in the street with them, on horseback.

"39th Battalion!" Sinclair shouted loud enough for the cavalry in the back to hear what he had to say. Sinclair's horse trotted back and forth along the front and right flank of the square formation of troops. "Rioters are overrunning the police at the Capitol! They have called out for help, and you are the only soldiers in America that can make it in time right now! The entire country is watching and counting on you!"

Sinclair rode around back around the troops and then to the back of the formation. Master Seargent Lawson shouted, "39th Battalion, march forward!"

The battalion started marching forward. Their bayonets shimmered as each man marched in lockstep with those around him as the formation went down the center of the street. Sinclair asked Colonel Watts to radio in to senior command that they were marching forward.

"Sir, what exactly should I tell them? This is very unorthodox," Watts said.

"Who is the most senior officer your can reach on the radio right now?" Sinclair asked.

"Brigadier General Litton, he is the commanding officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade," Watts responded as their horses followed obediently behind the marching men. Sinclair said for Watts to radio in to the general.

"Colonel, your orders are to stay put in your current location, who ordered you to move?" General Litton responded. Sinclair asked for the radio, so Watts handed it over to him.

"General, this is the Vice President. I have assumed command of the 39th Engineer Battalion. We have affixed bayonets and are marching down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Building. The Capitol is being overrun. Send reinforcements from the White House, we need someone to protect our rear or we are going to get boxed in. Over."

Sinclair and Watts waited and waited until they heard a flustered, "Copy that, sir," in response.

The 39th marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in remarkable unison. The street was not, by any means, devoid. Protestors, rioters, and curious people watched as the soldiers marched by while men on horseback followed. Occasionally an agitated rioter, probably frustrated with the attempt to restore order, would approach the crowd. The National Parks Police, however, were having none of it. They rode up on horseback to most of these lone individuals and would hit them, without reservation, in the chest or the back with their batons. After this happened to a few of the protestors, it looked like most others lost interest in interacting with the formation except for a couple of very audacious men who walked toward the top right of the formation from the sidewalk.

"Fascists! Commie supporters!" one of the two men yelled as the other held up a carboard sign that said, "FUCK The Patriot Act." The soldier at the front right of the formation was Specialist Michael Clark. Specialist Clark remained in formation as one of the men approached. The moment one of the men reached for his rifle, he hit one of the men with the butt of his gun, sending the man to the ground. The other tried reaching as well, so Clark swung his rifle around which cut through the man's jacket and barely sliced into the man's arm - he fell to the ground as well as Clark and the others continued marching.

"Hey you can't do that!" one of them shouted. Two of the National Parks Police cavalry approached with their batons drawn and yelled at the injured men to get back; the rioters quickly obliged.

The 39th made great progress up to the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 3rd Street. The soldiers could now see the massive crowds that were surrounding parts of the Capitol Building and actively fighting the police. However, before they could make it any closer to the Capitol grounds, the soldiers came upon hundreds of people assembled at the aforementioned intersection of Pennsylvania and 3rd Street. The crowd were standing in the middle of the street and chanting. Some of them started throwing glass bottles and rocks.

"Halt the battalion, Colonel," Sinclair said to Watts.

"Halt the battalion," Watts repeated to Master Sergeant Lawson.

Lawson yelled at the top of his lungs for the battalion to halt. His order was repeated multiple times by lower ranking officers and NCOs, and the battalion came to a halt.

"Fire the tear gas into the crowd. Have the rubber bullets ready for anyone that tries throwing it back. Maintain our current formation," Sinclair said. His orders were followed to the letter. A handful of soldiers starting shoot tear gas into the crowd, which made about 70% of it retreat backwards. After the first half dozen canisters, one of the demonstrators tried picking up a canister. One of the men with rubber bullets shot the man at short range, hitting him directly in the chest. The man was hurt, of course, but not fatally. He'd just have a bad bruise (and story) to tell the next day. The sound of the rubber bullet being fired, even though it was a lower caliber, was enough to scare away more of the crowd.

Sinclair could see that some of the protestors had gas masks while others kicked the canisters away and were approaching. The National Parks Police rushed around to the front of the formation, but they were severely outnumbered. The front line of the soldiers were scared, but they kept their resolve and remained in place. Some of the demonstrators were only a dozen feet away from the front line of soldiers when everyone quieted down and froze. The ground was shaking and there was a grumbling sound, like an approaching beast.

Seconds later a M1Abrams tank turned off of Constitution Avenue and onto 3rd Street. Following behind it were six M113 personnel carriers. The demonstrators scattered as the tank approached. The tank came to a halt and dozens of men started pouring out of the M113s. The men were equipped with riot shields, pepper spray, tear gas, and the appropriate armor. The soldiers dispersed the crowd and forced the remainder of them back. A man, who must have been in his mid-50s, stepped out of the M113. He was wearing an Army uniform and had on a cap which had two stars on it. He had a sidearm holstered and Agent Abrams thought he looked strikingly familiar to the Vice President.

"Who is that?" one of the 39th's soldiers whispered to another.

"That's the fucking Adjutant General of the D.C. National Guard," a NCO replied in disbelief.
The man's rank and name were: Major General Solomon Sinclair.

Major General Sinclair approached the formation as Vice President Benjain Sinclair and Colonel Watts rode to the front. The general saluted the Vice President as his horse came to a stop, "142nd Cavalry Battalion, District of Columbia Army National Guard here to provide reinforcements, Mister Vice President."

Benjamin returned the salute and felt a knot in his throat. The two men - nephew and uncle - hadn't spoken to each other since Solomon's father died with Vice President Sinclair in a car accident. Solomon blamed his uncle for his father's death and had refused the Vice President's (then Senator's) repeated pleas for years for them to sit down and talk. Now they were looking at each other, face to face, on the streets of Washington during what could be considered a rebellion, or an insurrection.

"Glad to have you with us, General... We're marching on the Capitol, the rioters are getting close to breaking in and we need to stop them. Can the 142nd take point?" the Vice President asked.

"Yes sir, we will lead you straight through," Solomon responded.

The 142nd Cavalry Battalion did an excellent job of clearing the street ahead as the 39th marched forward in lockstep. The Vice President, Colonel Watts, and Agent Abrams continued on horseback. Sinclair's unzipped windbreaker fluttered in the wind which was hitting the head on now. The 142nd marched up to the Peace Monument and stopped since their vehicles wouldn't be able to continue onto the pedestrian path that led to the Capitol Building. Some soldiers in riot gear pressed forward to escort the 39th. The Vice President could feel his stomach turning in knots as he watched rioters and police clashing on the steps of the Capitol. Over the radio, they could hear Capitol Police pleading for reinforcements.

An officer from the 142nd ran up beside the Vice President. He raised the visor on his helmet. "Sir, there are a lot of people between here and the steps to the Capitol. What do you want us to do?" he asked.

"Captain, I need a clear path to get up to the higher steps of the Capitol. Use whatever means, short of live ammunition, to achieve that goal. Do you understand?" Sinclair asked.
"No live ammunition, yes Mister Vice President," the officer replied.

The officer ran back to the front lines and led the soldiers from the 142nd forward toward the crowd of demonstrators. The soldiers took no time at all to start shooting tear gas into the crowd. A soldier on a megaphone spoke to the crowd, "This assembly has been declared a riot. Disperse now or face serious injury and arrest," he shouted repeatedly. Once the protestors started throwing the tear gas back, the soldiers with riot gear (and gas masks) advanced with their riot shields and metal batons. The first line of demonstrators seemed brave, but they started to immediately falter when the National Guard began beating anyone near them with their batons. One man was holding a stick in his right hand a holding up a fist with his left as he yelled something about being a sovereign citizen. Once he was within arms reach of one of the soldiers, the National Guardsman hit the man broadside with his baton. The tall protestor crinkled to the ground with, likely, several broken ribs. While more protestors began to retreat, some others advanced. Several other soldiers from the 142nd, with beanbag guns, started shooting the non-lethal weapon are the braver protestors who were either armed or in large groups - this worked very well at dispersing them.

The 39th continued marching forward as just 100 soldiers from the 142nd cleared a path all of the way to the first set of steps at the Capitol. The soldiers - which may as well be called an army at this point - were advancing, but it was a slow process. Sinclair broke formation and rode his horse to the front of the 39th. He asked one of the officers for their megaphone and tried speaking into it, but it made a loud acoustic sound which blead out his voice. Sinclair looked up at the Capitol Building and felt his heart drop as he saw protestors breaking one of the final lines of defense that the Capitol Police were desperately trying to maintain.

The Vice President strapped the megaphone around him and squeezed his calves against the horse, which quickly started moving forward. "Let's go girl, let's go!" he said. The horse sped up and started galloping away from the soldiers, who watched in awe. Sinclair and his horse ran up the stone steps of the Capitol, between and past protestors who didn't want to get trampled by the 1,000 pound animal. He could see an opening between the soldiers and the Capitol Police who were about to be overrun at the base of the building. Sinclair slowed his horse as he got behind the police line and raised his megaphone.

"Stop! You have to listen, stop!" he yelled into it. A few people took notice, but most were engaged in battle with the police or trying to push the line. Sinclair looked around and could see that he wasn't going to get anyone's attention. He had no other choice. He grabbed the megaphone with his left hand and, with his right hand, pulled out a stainless-steel Walther PPK from under his windbreaker. He pointed it into the sky, at a 45 degree angle toward the Potomac, and fired once. The gunshot got the attention of most of the crowd, but startled his horse which jumped back on its two hind legs and screamed a loud neigh. Sinclair fired the gun again in the same general direction as the horse's front two legs clawed at the air. Hundreds of people stopped screaming, fighting, and shoving as they looked at Sinclair, a man of considerable height, seemingly reaching for the heavens as his horse stood on its hind legs for a few seconds and dominated the entire area. Just as quickly as the horse had jumped up, it came back down. The 76 year old Vice President was barely able to hold onto the reigns and remain on the saddle.

Sinclair picked up the megaphone and pointed it at the crowd, a large portion of which was now giving him their undivided attention. "You have to stop!" Sinclair shouted, "This is what they want you to do!" he yelled as his horse nervously trotted back and forth behind the police line. Several people in the crowd realized it was Sinclair and started mumbling it to other people. While Al Gore was a Democrat and a moderate, there were still polarized factions in American politics that would likely hate or support him no matter what happened. Sinclair, however, was an independent and belonged to no political party. The story of how he became Vice President, and how he openly did not want the job but took it out of service to the country, was something that garnered him an approval rating that was typical equal to, or exceeded, President Gore's.

"We have to stop the Patriot Act!" someone from the crowd yelled back to Sinclair.

"I know you want to stop the Patriot Act, but this is exactly what they want you to do! This kind of thing - these riots, breaking into the Capitol, this is what they will use to justify that law. We're Americans, this isn't what we do!" Sinclair shouted over the crowd.

"America doesn't pass laws like this!" someone else from the crowd shouted.

"America is bigger than me, or you, or even the Congress - we cannot try to overthrow the process! I know that evil men want to take control of our republic, but I won't let that happen! This law will not pass the Senate, but if you storm the Capitol it will be the first of many!... I am telling you right now that men, rich men, conspired to bring you all here today! They wanted the chaos, they wanted this to happen! Please, turn around! Go home!.... If you love our country, don't do this!"

Sinclair appealed to the demographic that he knew, for the most part, was trying to get into the building. The Capitol Police, many of whom were injured and had damaged equipment, held the line as the civilians watched their Vice President, on horseback, urge them to go home and stop this madness. While a noticeable minority of people started backing away, the 39th continued marching up the steps of the Capitol with their bayonets. The crowd started dispersing as the number of soldiers grew to hundreds, and soon thousands. Overhead, Sinclair could see the 82nd Airborne flying in via helicopter. Most of them were landing at The Ellipse next to the Washington Monument, but a number of the helicopters landed northwest of the Capitol where the police and National Guard had cleared the area. The Marines were finally arriving as well. Also, while no one there knew it at the time, thousands of Virginia Army National Guardsmen were crossing into D.C. via land and through the D.C. metro which was bringing them directly to the Smihsonian station, located a quarter of the way between the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building.

Soldiers continued to march up around the base of the building to reinforce the Capitol Police who had valiantly defended the Capitol. Dozens of police were seriously injured. Sinclair stood his ground as the soldiers continued to pour up to defend the building as the protestors started to disperse. There were still thousands of people around the Capitol, and tens-of-thousands more in the general area and around D.C. that needed to go home, but this was an important turn in the night. Once it was clear that the rioters wouldn't be making another attempt at getting into the building, Sinclair got off of his horse which he handed over to the National Parks Police. He handed the megaphone to a soldier, holstered his sidearm, grabbed his black walking cane which he had tied to the horse, and cleared his throat. He could feel that he used up most of his voice, but he still had some of it left.

Eventually Colonel Watts made it to the Vice President. By then, that entire wing of the building was secure. "Colonel, get your ten best men. We're going into the Capitol," Sinclair ordered.

Minutes later, Colonel Watts returned with ten soldiers. Some of them just had their unloaded rifles with bayonets while others had shotguns that shot rubber bullets. Sinclair, Abrams, and the soldiers walked into the Capitol. Abrams, who was still wearing a two-piece black suit and tie, drew his sidearm and walked about fifteen feet ahead of the Vice President. Five of the soldiers protected the Vice President's rear, about ten feet back, while two soldiers protected either flank and another two, including Colonel Watts, led the Vice President and followed behind Abrams.

"Citadel, S704 Priority," Abrams said into his earpiece as he looked down hallways and escorted Sinclair, who was walking calmly in the center of this formation.

"Beacon is on foot in Punch Bowl. ETA two minutes to the Senate. Over," Abrams concluded. The hallowed halls of the United States Capitol were deserted as Abrams and the rest of the entourage made the short journey from where they entered to the entrance of the Senate Chamber, which was barricaded. Abrams could see some pointing a gun from inside the Chamber, through one of the broken glass slits for one of the doors. Abrams stopped, so the rest of the formation did as well.

"Secret Service!" Abrams shouted at the door. There was murmuring and the gun was lowered. There was a bit of noise from behind the doors, like furniture was being moved, and then they opened. Several bloody and battered Capitol Police officers had retreated inside to barricade the Senate since it seemed inevitable that the Capitol was going to be breached. Abrams and the soldiers lowered their weapons. Standing directly in front of the doors was the Sergeant at Arms for the Senate. Sinclair told Colonel Watts to make sure that the entire building was secured, and then walked up to the Sergeant at Arms, who looked at Sinclair's holstered sidearm. Sinclair removed it from its holster, removed the magazine and cleared the gun, and then handed it to the Sergeant at Arms.

"Welcome back, Mister President," the Sergeant at Arms said to Sinclair who, in his Constitutional role as Vice President, was also the President of the Senate.

Sinclair looked around and saw his colleagues, some of whom were still at their desks while others were huddled against the walls. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate was still sitting at the presiding chair, but vacated it the moment he saw Sinclair. The Vice President walked to his chair, and sat down. He looked over to one of the parliamentarians and whispered something as the senators started clapping and then cheering. Sinclair smashed the gavel several times and asked, into the microphone, "What is the order of business?" which brought more cheers as the Senators slapped their hands on their desks and made noise for the Sinclair. After the cheering died down, he was informed that the next item of business was to vote on the Patriot Act.

Sinclair cleared his throat and folded his hands in front of him. It was clear that everyone in the chamber wanted him to speak.

"I was told that the Senate refused to go into recess, until we voted on this bill and I personally put you into recess..." he said, to more applause, which he waited to end. "I hope that you can all excuse me for breaking the dress code," Sinclair said as he momentarily looked at his windbreaker, "especially because everyone here knows that I would not tolerate such a vagrant violation of Senate rules from any of you," he said humorously, to some laughter.

"Our President is seriously injured, and it is clear that our Republic is not going through its brightest hour... Outside, as you all are aware by now, thousands of people were attempting to storm this building. While I was at the White House, I was told that there were high-level organizers for these demonstrations, and that they were designed to turned into riots. A small group of men, very wealthy men, weaponized one of our country's most sacrosanct beliefs - the right to peacefully assemble - so that they could further a larger agenda. Part of that agenda was to have this bill pass the Senate... The United States is larger than any one man, or any group of men. Our Republic exists to serve and protect the people and their liberties... There is no America without freedom of speech, the right to peacefully assemble, the right to petition the government, and the sacred right to individual privacy... I have made my position clear before, as I trust that you all have since I last departed the chamber. Before we vote, however, I urge you once more to vote against this bill and protect the liberty of your countrymen," Sinclair said.

The Patriot Act, which was expected to pass with a wide margin and bipartisan support, was unanimously rejected by all 100 Senators there assembled.​

**************************************************​

THE WHITE HOUSE
The East Room
November 2, 2002
9:30 PM EST​

Vice President Sinclair was now wearing a black three-piece suit with a white dress shirt and ark blue tie. He walked up to a podium that had been set up inside of the East Room, because he refused to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as long as he was just the Acting President. American reporters were gathered inside, snapping dozens of pictures. He was holding in his hand a folded piece of thick resume paper. Unlike some other leaders before him, he still preferred paper over teleprompters.

"My fellow Americans," he began, "today was a difficult day for our Republic. This afternoon, President Gore was shot by a gunman in Georgetown. As of this evening, the gunman and three of his associates were arrested in Virginia. While this should have been a time for national prayer, a handful of men conspired to introduce chaos to our country. Tens-of-thousands of American from across the country were organized into different protests here in Washington. While there were two predominant groups of protestors, other groups were also assembled and directed to protest in certain places by organizers. These protests were organized, by design, to turn into riots where they would be fighting each other. The focus of these protests, and riots, was over the Patriot Act which was considered by the United States Senate tonight.

"The men who made sure our nation's capital was doused into chaos, also wanted the Patriot Act to pass, along with several other bills that would limit the liberties and freedoms of Americans and increase the capability of the government, and American intelligence agencies, to invade the privacy of every American. These kinds of tactics are unacceptable, and are exactly what led to the first attack on the Capitol years ago... So help me God, we will bring all of these men to justice, and action will be taken to stop something like this from happening again. This is the United States of America, not a third-world junta.

"But right now, after the dust has settled on this difficult evening, I do not want to focus on politics or matters of law. I can report to the American People, and the world, that doctors completed surgery on President Gore. The President is currently resting, but he is expected to make a full recovery. I stand by what I said before - the invocation of the 25th Amendment was a temporary measure. As soon as the President is willing to reassume the powers and authority of his office, the Cabinet and I will unanimously accept his return. Right now, I cannot give an exact time of when he will be back in office, but the White House will release that information to the public as soon as we have it. I ask the nation to pray for President Gore and the First Family.

"In the meantime, I will give an update on the situation in Washington. I have brought in the United States armed forces to restore order. The respective National Guards of the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland are playing a critical part in emptying the streets of Washington. Units from the Army's 82nd Airborne and the United States Marine Corps have also arrived. Active duty military will remain on active patrol in Washington until 10:00 AM tomorrow morning. After that, the National Guard will maintain a presence in the city for the next forty-eight hours. I have spoken with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, as well as with multiple police agencies in the District - a daily curfew will remain at 6:30 PM for the next three days.

"I want to thank the Capitol Police, the National Guard, the Army, the Marine Corps, the Secret Service, and the FBI for acting professionally and quickly to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Thank you, and may God bless the United States of America."

Two weeks later, President Gore submitted a letter to the appropriate authorities in the Untied States government and regained the powers of the presidency. A week after that he returned to the White House and would give the State of The Union address.

​