The Final Proclamation (An America Reborn Thriller Book 2) Read online

  The Final Proclamation

  Carlton James

  © Copyright Carlton James 2021

  Black Rose Writing | Texas

  © 2021 by Carlton James

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.

  The final approval for this literary material is granted by the author.

  First digital version

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Print ISBN: 978-1-68433-724-8

  PUBLISHED BY BLACK ROSE WRITING

  www.blackrosewriting.com

  Print edition produced in the United States of America

  Thank you so much for reading one of Carlton James’s novels.

  If you enjoyed the experience, please check out our recommended title for your next great read!

  The First Coronation

  "Although clearly fiction, certain passages bare striking similarities to recent events and readers will want to prepare for what may soon come."

  -Arlynn McMahon, author of Train Like You Fly

  PRAISE FOR

  “President Katherine Fontaine with her power-hungry coldness and harsh leadership has made the country vulnerable to a drastic shift in world domination prompting her to enact martial law in order to maintain the control she craves, her followers to falter, and citizens to prepare for disaster. A realistic story of corruption and terrorism, James’s second novel in this series reflects well his thirty-one years in intelligence work.”

  –Penny Woods, Freelance Book Reviewer

  for Kentucky Living magazine

  “Although clearly fiction, certain passages bare striking similarities to recent events and readers will want to prepare for what may soon come.”

  –Arlynn McMahon, author of Train Like You Fly

  and several other publications

  “Interwoven stories, spell-binding intrigue, and characters who drew me into their world … impossible to put down.”

  –Richard Warner, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor and author.

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Writing An American Reborn Thriller series, including this second installment, is my attempt to use an entertaining novel to begin the story of how America could easily slip into the abyss of communism in its many forms, causing us to climb back out through the faith and efforts of a few, strong, patriotic Americans. If you will, it can be viewed as a modern-day re-enactment of our nation’s founding. In approaching such a broad topic, numerous friends and co-workers from my past and present provided examples, guidance and support making these novels possible. I continue to get outstanding support from several trusted friends including Richard and Arlynn, without whom there would be no series. Richard believed in me and this story from the beginning and I agree, my friend, it will make a great movie. Arlynn proved invaluable from reading and editing each chapter to coming up with, and refining some of the best ideas, many of which were incredibly entertaining. I could go on about how much support I received from my family, all of which is appreciated more than they know. I am truly blessed by God.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Recommended Reading

  Praise

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Appendix A: Characters

  Appendix B: Forty-Five Goals of Communism

  Appendix C: Excerpt from Presidential Executive Order 13603

  Appendix D: Terms and Definitions

  Appendix E: Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979

  About the Author

  Note from the Author

  BRW Info

  Chapter 1

  Christmas Day

  Washington, DC

  John Levy’s Apartment

  0900 Hours EST

  John Levy was a tall, rangy Secret Service Special Agent with black hair who had served in the United States Secret Service for over eighteen years. When he was assigned to lead President Katherine Fontaine’s husband, Walter Fontaine’s, protection detail, he figured it was because he was recently divorced, had no kids, and probably needed the money such duty brought with it, including all of the overtime.

  At the moment, John was incredibly pissed off. He had been dragged back from a well-deserved mini-vacation to babysit the First Man once again. The bastard was supposed to be spending his Christmas in California. Late yesterday afternoon John had received the call that Walter was on his way back to Washington,
D.C. with plans to find somewhere to party late Christmas Eve. Instead of Walter’s normal bootie call, he went to the condominium of a lesser-known Washington socialite with his detail in tow. After a quick search of the condo, the detail set up a perimeter while Walter was “entertained.” It had happened before, but not very often. Usually he completely disappeared.

  Unknown to John and the team, Walter was quietly furious that he could not get Mr. Sung on the phone. Mr. Sung was the Chinese lobbyist who gave him access to the spectacular Su Ling. Mr. Sung would not answer his phone so Walter reluctantly went through his little red address book and found the socialite’s number. He told her how nice it was of her to delay spending Christmas with her parents and siblings just to keep him company.

  John was exhausted when he stumbled back to his apartment at 9:00 a.m. Christmas Day. Just as he began to put the key into the door lock, he heard a man behind him say, “Hey, Johnny boy! How they hanging?”

  To his absolute dismay, John turned to see three men, including his old college roommate, Bobby Waite. Shocked as he was to see Bobby, he was even more so to recognize the second man as W. Allen Kidd, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

  Bobby then said, “Hey, we’re sorry to drop in on you like this, but it’s really important that we talk to you. Can you give us a few minutes?”

  John’s fatigue seemed to have temporarily disappeared. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Come on in.” He opened his door to a world crazier than usual, even by Washington, D.C. standards.

  When the visitors sat down at John’s kitchen table, one brought out a couple of large paper bags containing thermoses of steaming coffee and day-old donuts.

  John was now fully alert and extremely curious. “Okay, what the hell brings the FBI Director and two other bureau types to my door on Christmas Day?”

  Director Kidd motioned to Bobby and said, “Well, you know this guy and obviously know who I am. This other guy is Hugh McIntyre, one of my Unit Chiefs at FBIHQ, and a man with a tiger by the tail. It’s our hope that you can figure out what kind of tiger it is and just maybe how we’re supposed to let go of the tail.”

  At the confused expression on John’s face, the Director continued, “John, the reason I’m here is that we’re dealing with something at the highest levels of national security. I’m here to impress upon you that what we’re going to go into today is legit. I also need to know if we can talk to you without your needing to share it with your supervisor or anyone else. I do mean anyone else. Quite frankly, if you don’t think you can, our talk is finished and other steps will have to be taken. I’m sorry you won’t have much time to think about it, but I need an answer now.”

  One of the traits of a Secret Service agent on a protection detail is the ability to make instant decisions that often involve life or death. Those that can’t make those types of decisions find other work in the Treasury Department. John had no problem making decisions, but he made those based upon data. He wanted more data, so he looked directly at Bobby. “Should I do this?”

  Bobby didn’t hesitate. “I was just read in on this yesterday. Yes, John you really need to do this.”

  After a deep breath, John said, “I’m in. What do you need?”

  The Director waved to Hugh. “You’re up.”

  Hugh, with his graying hair and open face, gave John a smile that conveyed John could trust him and that he would always have John’s best interest in mind. It was both disarming and reassuring. “John, you’ve been placed in a completely impossible situation, and I hope you know how much we appreciate the way you’ve handled it. I’ve already gotten the okay that should you decide you need to move on from the Secret Service after this, you will be granted a lateral transfer to the bureau.” The Director nodded at this statement.

  At the statement from Hugh, John’s eyes widened and he instantly wondered how bad it could get.

  Hugh continued, “Up to now, you’ve been screwed. I give you my word that ultimately you will not be left flapping in the breeze.”

  Seeing the growing confusion written on John’s face, Hugh said, “Let me fill you in on what I know, or at least part of it. Your protectee, Walter Fontaine, has been regularly ditching his protection detail for several years. We know this and presume you have been threatened with professional suicide if you don’t go along with his forays outside of your protection. Am I correct?”

  John immediately felt his defenses going up. Using a conscious effort, he forced himself to lower them again. “Yeah, but I can only speak to what I know since I was brought on the team a little over a year ago. I did kind of figure he had been doing the same thing, even dating back to when he was Vice President.”

  “That would be correct,” Hugh said with regret. “We need to know everything you can tell us about these forays and everything you have observed.”

  Had the question come from anyone but someone in the company of the FBI Director, John’s response would have been to clam up completely. With the Director listening intently across the table, John told them about what the protection detail thought of as Walter’s bootie calls, to include his look of complete sexual satisfaction every time he returned. He even told them about one of his detail getting a partial plate from a rented car that picked Walter up at a restaurant.

  Pausing to let what he’d said sink in, John advised of the burner cell phone Walter thought was a secret and where he hid it in the First Lady’s bedroom in the White House residence, now renamed the Gold Room.

  Softly, Hugh asked, “Do you think you might be able to get the phone at an opportune time and carry it out of the White House for two hours?”

  “Look, guys,” John said with a slight tremble in his voice. “I’m already betraying the highest level of trust just by talking with you. I’m going to need more to justify doing something like committing espionage against the husband of the President.”

  With a nod from the Director, Hugh said, “John, you’ve trusted us so now it’s time to trust you. You probably know in almost any other investigation we don’t share the details. Everything is on a strict need-to-know basis. With the Director’s approval, I’m breaking that policy and want to lay the cards on the table. Walter Fontaine has been meeting with a known Chinese intelligence officer, who sets him up with a well-trained Chinese girl for exotic sex. You do the math as to how many secrets he has given over to her and them.”

  John felt like he had been hit by a brick. His mind immediately leapt to the level of secrets that would be known by Walter, knowing he would give up everything for a pretty girl. It was a few moments before he caught up with Hugh’s words.

  “…we haven’t been able to determine is, what Walter is saying to her and what he has access to in the White House. We’re presuming he and the President don’t exactly engage in pillow talk.” An ironic chuckle was shared around the room at the notion that Walter would share anything intimate with Katherine.

  “John,” Hugh continued, “we don’t even think Mr. Fontaine knows the Chinese businessman is a spy. He probably just thinks he’s a lobbyist trying to garner influence. It really doesn’t matter since they’re gaining critical intelligence. Please tell us what you know about Walter’s access to information, particularly whether he has either received briefings or has an active relationship with Cabinet Members or anyone with high levels of classified information.”

  John thought for a moment before beginning to list Walter’s political cronies in descending order of their classified access.

  After ten minutes of deep thought and over fifty names, Hugh asked, “Does this mean he has not met with or been briefed by the CIA Director, Homeland Security Director, or the like?”

  John said, “No, I don’t think so. He could easily run into those guys and others in the hallways
of the White House, but that’s one of the hundreds of odd things I see every day. They don’t treat him like the Vice President with a presumed need to know. In fact, they would pretty much blow him off if he were to try to go fishing. But you may want to look at the secretaries, interns, and other support people that are in the middle of White House decision making. Walter charms any female, and many of the guys, like a proverbial snake charmer. If he wanted to learn about what was going on, he’d just strike up a conversation with the President’s speechwriters or the acting Press Secretary, Towanda Jefferson. I heard Towanda wistfully say once, ‘For a white guy, he does have a way with us girls of color.’”

  The Director then asked, “Is there anyone inside the White House inner circle that you think we could trust with this investigation?” The Director’s reputation for being direct was clearly demonstrated by the question. Unfortunately, that was what broke the camel’s back.

  “Hey, hey, hey,” John said with hands up. “I will not spy on my Protectee or help you find a spy in the White House. I’m frankly surprised that you would even suggest such a thing!” John’s temper and emotions were rising at the thought of violating every oath he had taken with the Secret Service. The look in his eyes told Hugh and the Director that their interview was over.

  The Director paused to see if John had anything else to get off his chest. John only stared with a growing distaste at each of the three men.

  “Okay, John,” said the Director, “I’m sorry we even had to ask. But I am going to request you take a deep breath and just listen to what I have to say for a moment. Can you do that for me?” At John’s cautious nod, he continued.

  “Here is the way I see things. We have the husband of the President that has been knowingly or unknowingly lured into a classic honey trap by a Chinese intelligence officer. Walter has free run of the White House and has developed a large number of contacts over many years in Washington, D.C. Since before the election, Walter has most likely been telling his Chinese girlfriend virtually everything the President is planning in terms of foreign policy towards China, military readiness capabilities, economic strategies and even what the President will or won’t do should China take further aggressive actions throughout the Pacific Rim.” The Director decided not to tell John that he had read detailed debriefings of Su Ling that demonstrated Walter had given up that and much more.