The Customer (dexter's Saga)

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*****

End of Chapter #30

"Yes, I thought you would never ask," the Governor smiled and put his arm around Jesse leading him to their private rooms. "I missed you beside me in bed this weekend. I must confess that yesterday and today I snuck into your office and lay down on that leather couch and...

Chapter #31

The rest of the week went fast and Thursday found Jesse in a Washington hotel with Philip Green talking about Jesse's coming meeting with the President.

"You will take the regular 10am White House tour. After we are sure you have not been followed, you will be taken to see the President. Remember, you will have fifteen minutes to make your point. If he cuts you off - that's it! You leave! If he is interested, he will tell you when to go. Remember, he already has an idea of what you are going to tell him. Make it short and to the point but don't pull any punches. He has to be told the truth. If he can't take it, that's his problem not ours. Tomorrow may be your last chance to do this! Don't blow it."

That's all Jesse had to hear. As it was he was a nervous wreck and hardly got any sleep, but 10am found him looking like the typical tourist, sunglasses and camera around his neck standing in line waiting for the tour to begin. A guard came up to him and told him that cameras were not allowed inside and that he would have to check his camera at the cloakroom before entering. It would be returned to him when he left. "Cameras are not permitted inside. There is a gift shop where you can get all the pictures you need." All the tourists moaned as they checked their cameras and then were forced to go through the metal detectors, where anything else that might be used as a weapon was checked as well. I.D. inspection followed this and then the tour finally began. Jesse hung back as much as he could. As the group of people moved along, Jesse noticed that two other men mysteriously appeared beside him and guided him away from the group into a connecting hallway where he was told to follow them. He was taken to a small elevator and was directed to take it to the second floor. He pressed the button and the car rose to the second floor, stopped and the door opened. A woman greeted him. "Good morning. You are Mr. Benson, are you not?"

"Yes I am," answered Jesse.

"Please follow me." They walked to another door that she opened. "Please have a seat and wait. The President will be with you shortly."

Jesse entered, looked around and at first was disappointed. He had fully expected to be in the 'Oval Office', but instead found himself in what looked to be a very small office. He had no sooner sat down than another door opened and he jumped to his feet as the President entered alone. He was taller than Jesse had thought but the smile was the same as he remembered seeing in the newspaper photos, "Please forgive the cloak and dagger stuff but the Secret Service insists on it," he said as he extended his hand in greeting.

"They are right to take all the precautions they can, Sir. As you well know there are a lot of nuts out there in the world!"

"You really think that?" the President said. "Most people think all the nuts are here in the White House."

"I've heard that said myself, but this being my first visit here, I hope that is not true. As for the outside, I not only think that dangerous people lurk around every corner, Sir, I know it. And they are not all hidden in caves somewhere in far off places. They are right here in this country. There are hundreds of thousands of people who hate your guts, and would love to kill you. And this does not include the hardcore racists. Surely you must be aware of this. We have all heard of the several attempts to breach the security here this past year. You, your family and the White House are not that insulated from the outside world that you cannot know about it. There is a lot of pure hatred out there! It is different from the old days. One has to only turn on the radio, read the newspapers, or watch television. Some of these rightwing radio talk-show hosts make your wildest Imam look like a pacifist. You've examined my reports! It is all there. We are at war and damn it, it would appear that you are one of the few that either doesn't believe it or doesn't want to believe it. Frankly, Sir, we in the field cannot understand what the hell you are doing. It is our duty to protect and defend this country and its people. Yet we feel that we have no leadership. You can throw me out right now, Sir, but not before I tell you what I have come here to tell you. For the past year or so I have lived deep undercover among these people and have heard and saw things that would scare the hell out of you. These people don't know that I spent most of my young life among the Arab people and I talk the language and several of its dialects like a native. It's one of the advantages that I do have. There are so very few of us Americans that do speak and understand not only the words but also the hidden meanings and nuances. They sometimes say things among themselves that they would not say to non-Arabs. I just want you to know that our enemy not only thinks and believes he can beat us, he knows he can, and will not stop until he does. They despise our way of life and us. They are out to destroy our way of life, bring down the country and cut off your head and put it on a pole."

The President sat down and said, "Young man, that is crazy talk and I must tell you that I think you are the crazy one! Every fiber of my being tells me to signal the guard and have you thrown out. I only agreed to meet with you because Director Green for some reason thinks I should hear what you have to say. So far all I have heard is nothing but the same imperialist crap that my father fought against. Now you tell me how you know all of this and why I should believe you before I have you escorted out of here."

"Mr. President you can have me jailed or even shot, but it will not change anything. There are at least two groups of people out there both of whom would love to cut off your head and place it if not on a pole than in a trophy case. The first group believes you to be a traitor to Islam and to the father you just mentioned. They would like to replace you with someone like Governor Allwadii, but they know that short of open revolution they cannot do that, just yet.

"Are they planning to use force?" the President asked.

"No, while they have nothing against taking over the government by force, they are not stupid and realize that there are better ways. It's not that they don't want bloodshed. In fact they love it and would welcome it. If there is one thing for sure, they glory in the bloodletting. They care nothing for life. In fact they even say they are willing to lose tens of millions of people to establish this so-called Caliphate of theirs. It will rule the entire world. It may consist of several small units united under one central command that will be answerable to a Caliph who will be Al-Mahdi (the divinely guided one). This is what they want. They thought that they had more or less taken the first step, with your election. They believed, that as the first Muslim President, it was your duty to advance the Jihadist agenda. You encouraged them and we had that Arab Spring crap. Well it was a part success but things did not work out the way they wanted. So another method and group had to be found. This new group is perhaps even more dangerous because it combines both legal and illegal methods. They have given up on you and intend to elect a man that will be more radical. To back this up, they have already trained hundreds of thousands of fighters and smuggled them and material into just about every corner of the earth. It has taken years and billions of dollars. Yes, they have invested billions if not trillions of dollars. This is why it is more dangerous. The funding and economic interests behind it are vast and untraceable. Some of the very people you would think would be the first to oppose it are their biggest supporters. They wish to establish this new Caliphate not only in Asia and Europe but right here in the United States. And, Sir, once that is accomplished they are on their way to the ultimate establishment of a world wide Caliphate! And they think they have found the way at last!"

"And what way is that?"

"Hang on to you seat, Mr. President," Jesse said. "They have decided to emulate what they believe you did. That is to elect a secret Muslim, but one whom they know they can control, to the Presidency of the United States. By doing this and also taking over other government agencies, they will be able to replace Constitutional law with Sharia Law. They will use any and all legal and Illegal ways to do this. I need not tell you that they have already made a big start in my state with the election of Yethro Allwadii. But he is only the tip of the iceberg. By finding various means, not too unlawful, he has almost rid the state of crime, almost done away with taxes and little by little is replacing constitutional law with Sharia. He not only has started our state along this dangerous path, but is daily gaining more and more of the other Governors to join with him. His main problem is that he is not American born and therefore could not run for the Presidency himself. If he were, there would be nothing to stop him from being the first Muslim to become the new American Caliph."

"That's ridiculous! He has no chance of doing that! The country will never vote for a Muslim as President."

"Yes, Sir, you're right and they will never vote for a Catholic, and never for a Black!" Jesse laughed. "There was a time that we would all have bet the homestead on that! However, I told you they were smart. They will not run a Muslim. They are going to run a secret convert."

"There was a knock on the door and the President said, "Enter."

"The secretary stuck her head in and said, "Mr. President, you are running behind..."

"See what you can do about adjusting the schedule and please bring us some coffee. Or would you rather have something else Mr. Benson?"

Jesse breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Coffee will do, Mr. President, black and no sugar. Thank you."

After two cups were poured and the woman left, The President said, "If not an open Muslim, who and how?"

"Here it gets to sound like a bit of science fiction. Even I don't believe it. For some reason they have picked me! As ridiculous as it may sound, they plan to use me. I don't know when they decided this or even why, but I suspect that the original idea was the Judge's. In order to understand this, I must tell you the entire story from the beginning. Mr. Green sent me into the town as a tourist to check on some wild rumors that weird things were going on there." And Jesse told him how he had been forced to work as a sex slave at Sultan's and then advanced to Yethro's son and heir. "I know the whole thing is farfetched but that is what is now going on. They know that they will soon be able to bring down the Government and install the new American Caliph. And that will be me! Once that is done, I have no doubt that Rashid will either take over or maybe become the power behind the throne. My personal opinion is that once the Caliphate is established there will be no use for me and Rashid will take over."

"How could they even think that such a ridiculous plan could work?" the President asked.

"You will excuse my frankness, but you were the person that gave them the original idea. When you were first elected, they thought they would be able to work through you. They soon gave up on that Idea. You proved not to be a Muslim that they could control. So they sort of gave up on that idea."

"Look, Mr. Benson, I don't know how many times I have to tell people this, I'm not a Muslim. My father was and I do have relatives that still are, but my wife, children and family are not."

"You and I know this. But, Sir, there are times when even I find your denials difficult to believe. They, on the other hand, refuse to believe you. Sharia Law says you are Muslim because your father was one and nothing changes that. Your conversion to any other religion is not only repugnant but also invalid. You may be a bad Muslim in their eyes, but you are still a Muslim and will remain one until you die."

"It looks like I'll never be able to get that religious question settled."

"No, you won't! And the more you deny it, the more your critics will bring it up. On the other hand, experience has taught them that the most controllable and loyal followers come from the newly converted to Islam. The newly indoctrinated of most faiths are always the most pliable as well as easily persuaded and influenced. Now we all know and try to hide the fact that sex, money and power are the prime movers of world power addicts. Yethro first and now Rashid think they can control me by the use sex. Both of them have used me for sex and now Rashid in addition is enticing me with his sweet, beautiful and innocent niece. And she is really an enchanting enticement. Just to be honest, I think she is perhaps the only one who is unaware of the plot."

"Unbelievable!"

"Yes, but you better believe it, because these nuts are willing to try anything."

"What can we do about it?" the President asked. "We can't just kill every Muslim, the good along with the terrorists. Can we?"

"I'm afraid if I told you my true feelings, you would lock me up in the loony bin. And, Sir, there are times I wish you would. At least I would not have to even think of this crap. I think we must kill those who are out to kill us. This is war and we have got to act like it is and most of all that includes you. In wars, people get killed. Even the so-called innocent, if there is such a thing, die. It is called collateral damage. These people are not unlike the Japanese of the Second World War with their Kamikaze philosophy. Until we showed both the people and their leaders that we could be as ruthless as they were, they kept on fighting. Only after we proved to them that they could not win - did they give up. Sir, in war there are losers and winners. We cannot afford to be losers. These people believe the Islamic State holds the imminent fulfillment of prophecy as a matter of dogma. To them it is clear that no matter what anyone says or does, in the end they are convinced Allah will come and save them. It is up to us to prove they are wrong. There is no other choice! Someone once said and I might be misquoting him now, 'If there is to be a war let it be in my time so that my child will not have to fight it'."

"So what are you recommending? That I drop an the Atom Bomb on them?"

"Oh God! No! I don't think any sane man would recommend that and let's hope it never comes to that. But I don't think you should allow them to think that we would not use it if we had to do it. I know that they would if they thought they could get away with it!"

"Damn it, Agent Benson, I can't get myself to even think about that!"

"Sir, with all due respect, you better think about it! That's why we pay you the big bucks. You are the Commander-in-Chief. That uniformed man that follows you with that briefcase handcuffed to himself is part of your job and responsibility. When you ran for the office, you knew this and even though you may hate the thought of it - it's part of the job! It's time to act like you know it. It's going to be a long, long war. There are a few friends out there that we can count on - but I hate to tell you, there are fewer since you took office. NOW I"VE SAID WHAT I CAME TO SAY AND YOU CAN FIRE ME if that is what you want!"

The President sat back in his big chair, looked up at the ceiling, thought for a few moments and then touched the intercom and asked his Chief of Staff to come in and also get Philip Green to join them. When they had all assembled, he said, "Look, I am so far behind that I am going to be working late tonight. I want the three of you to go down to the 'Recreation Room' (War Room) and I want Mr. Benson to fill you in on what he has just told me. I want some kind of plan worked out and presented to me. Once it is done and I approve, I will notify and consult with congress and the opposition party as to our plan. I will not be in this office long and the next President will also have to be informed of the situation. This will have to be super secrete. I don't want to read about this in the press. I want reports on a regular basis made to me directly by Mr. Benson. Since it is his life that will be at risk, I want him to be in control. I hope that neither of you will think I am in any way displeased with your work or your commitment to me. Believe me I'm not; it is just that you each already have too much to do and besides that, once you hear him out you will understand my reasoning."

"Is it wise to cut Phillip and myself out of the chain of command?" asked the C.O.S.

"Phillip, am I right in assuming that you have one hundred percent confidence in Jesse?" the President asked, using Jesse's first name for the first time.

"Yes Sir, Otherwise I would not have arranged this."

"I thought that was the case! Otherwise I would not have spent so much time with him. I am sure that the three of you can come to some workable arrangement, but again I repeat, I want him to be able to report directly to me! Is that understood?"

"Yes Sir," they both replied.

"Good then the three of you get started and, Jesse, I expect to hear reports from you often. Phillip will give you my personal, hot line number. You are to use it whenever you need me, and I do mean whenever. For some reason I trust your judgment. I hope you will not violate that trust. Thank you again, Mr. Benson for you service. That's it gentlemen, please take Jesse down to the 'War Room' now." he said, rather exhausted and collapsed into his leather chair and looked out at the White House lawn. "Anyone who wants this job, has to be crazy," he sighed...