Transfer of Power

GENERAL FLOOD WAS listening to Kennedy give the background briefing on Aziz when he heard the quiet ring of the phone next to him. Flood glanced down and looked to see where the call was coming from. The screen at the top of the phone read “WH SIT ROOM.” Flood raised one hand to stop Kennedy from talking, and with the other, he snatched the handset from its cradle.

“General Flood here.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting your meeting.” Flood squeezed the phone and asked, “Who is this?”

“That is none of your concern. Put me on speakerphone so I can talk to the entire group. I do not want to have to repeat myself.”

Flood considered the demand for a moment, and then reluctantly gave in and pressed a button. He then placed the handset back in its cradle and folded his arms across his chest.

“You are on speakerphone. Go ahead.”

Aziz’s voice came pouring down from the room’s overhead speaker system. “I have complete control of your White House.

Any attempt to retake it will be futile. The United States currently holds fourteen point seven billion dollars in frozen assets that belong to the country of Iran. You illegally seized this money when the corrupt government of the Shah was overthrown by the people of Allah. If you return all of this money to Iran by nine tomorrow morning, I will release one-third of the seventy-six hostages I currently hold. This is nonnegotiable. If this demand is not met precisely as I have stated, I will kill one hostage every hour until it is met. I will remind you one more time, any attempt by you to rescue the hostages will be futile.

FBI’s vaunted Hostage Rescue Team is no match for my men; just as your highly touted Secret Service was no match. In fifteen minutes I will place all of the wounded and dead outside of the West Entrance. Medical technicians in short-sleeve shirts and pants will be allowed to come in groups of two, one stretcher at a time, to pick up the bodies. No equipment or bags. Only two men at a time and a stretcher.

Anything unusual and we will open fire.”

The voice paused for a second and then said more firmly, “The account numbers that the money is to be transferred to are as follows…”