Feedback and crit welcome. My overall word count at this stage is 26,900 approx.
My fellow Americans. It is a sad day for us and many other nations around the world today. We have seen acts of pure evil perpetrated by cowardly and hate filled people. Many tens of thousands of lives have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands more people are ill or injured after a series of deadly and deliberate terrorist acts. The world is reeling from a terror that we had never dared to consider as being possible. The hunt is on for the groups and the countries involved in planning the attacks, supplying the terrorists or protecting them. We in America, along with our allies worldwide have agreed, as ever, that we’ll make no distinction between the terrorist who carried out these acts and those who harbour them. Our retaliation will be swift and just and in equal proportion to try and quell the terrorist elements who may threaten us again. We have lived with this threat for many years but, today, we have seen a new kind of attack, a new kind of threat, and we have to meet it head on and defeat it. The survival of the world literally hangs on our victory; we simply cannot, and simply will not fail. My prayers are with you all at this time, God bless America.
The TV screen dissolved into blackness for a moment of contemplation, before the usual array of adverts for teeth whitening products and family saloon cars flashed their way into the hearts and minds of unsuspecting viewers.
Back in the oval office the president sat still as the aid removed his microphone, “How was that, John?” he said to his PA.
John stood smiling next to him, “brilliant, short but brilliant Mr President.”
“I hope so.” He took a deep breath and sighed, “It won’t comfort anyone though, not this time,”
John continued to fumble with the microphone, wrapping the wire around itself, “Nonsense, people need to see their leaders taking a stand at times of crisis.”
The president stood up, “It’s not that simple, not this time, we have let our people down, we have let the world down. How the hell could something so catastrophic be allowed to happen.”
“Sir... it’s not your fault is it, you’ve always done everything you can…”
The president looked squarely at John, his eyes watery and red, “Yeah, but it wasn’t enough and now I have to do what I’ve never, ever wanted to do in my life. I have to order a nuclear retaliation. I don’t want to use these weapons anymore than anyone else but I have to.”
“Really sir, do you really have to use them though?”
In walked a tall man in a dark suit, he stood next to John. He held a collection of papers in his hands.
The president wiped a tear from his eye before it had time to begin running down his face, “Yes. I have to use them.”
“Sir we have the culprits sir,” the guy handed the papers to the president. He took them and looked at them for a moment.
“Holy shit, the usual suspects aye?”
The man nodded, “Yes sir, it’s not going to look good hitting these countries hard… sir.
“It won’t look good in Asia and the Middle East, but it will look good here, I’ve got no choice. Put all nuclear facilities on red alert and await further orders. I’ll reconvene the cabinet and we’ll make a decision as soon as poss, ok?”
“Yes sir.” The guy turned and briskly walked out of the room watched all the time by John.
“So… it’s going to be nuclear war sir?”
“Yes, and hopefully, it’ll all be over soon and there’ll be someone, somewhere left alive to tell the tale.
A second guy came walking in, “Sir you have an important call from Mossad.
“OK, can everyone leave for a moment. You can leave the TV equipment where it is. I’ll call you guys back in once I’ve finished.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and filed out of the room.
“Even me?” said John pointing at his chest.
“Yes John, for now. I won’t be too long. Maybe you can fix me some coffee and maybe a sandwich.”
A smile spread across his face, “Yes sir, anything you want.”
“Make sure you get yourself something too,”
He president then beckoned him out of the room with a few hand gestures. He picked up the phone,
“Ok I’m ready patch it through.”
Their was a pause, enough time for the president to take a pen and notepaper from his desk and ready it for any note taking.
“Hello Mr President,” the voice carried a thick Israeli accent.
“Hello,”
“Hi, my name is Inbal I am the new director of Mossad.”
“I see, what’s happened to Jacob?”
“Well sir their has been a terrible incident in the centre of Tel Aviv and he was killed, most of the city is devastated, it appears to be yet another nuclear strike.”
“Holy fucking shit, what about the government, do you still have one in place?”
“Yes fortunately most of the government were not present at the time of the attack, but sadly the Mossad headquarters and most of our men were, and they are all dead. It looks like we could have upwards of one million dead, it was a huge explosion. Probably the biggest one yet, we fear that they are only going to get greater,”
“Well…” interrupted the president, “Only if there are any attacks left to take place. That could have been the last one, maybe in their sick was they saved the largest until last.”
“Maybe that’s so. But I’m, calling you for assistance, we simply cannot cope in the face of such an attack, the devastation to our security, our medical services, our police and military is quite huge.”
“Well let me tell you now that you can back on the support of the United States, and I’m sure all of our allies will be willing to help you too. Can I first offer my condolences, and the condolences of Americans, at such a terrible unnecessary tragedy?”
“Thank you very much. We do already have intelligence that is pointing at an Iranian backed and funded terrorist cell. We believe the perpetrators only entered the country a few months ago and we fear that the bomb may gave been smuggled in longer than that and was looked after by a yet unknown cell.”
“So what do you plan to do in response to the attacks?”
“We are preparing our fighter planes to carry out nuclear strikes on Tehran exactly as we did a few years ago to try and destroy their nuclear framework.”
“Well I wish you well, and I hope that together we can quell this terrorist uprising sooner rather than later and with the minimum loss of life.”
“We’ll deter any more attacks Mr President, we won’t show any mercy. The people of Israel have suffered enough in the past, it’s time to draw a line under it once and for all, we can’t let these indignations go on for ever… and Mr President, thank you as ever for you unequivocal support, on behalf of my nation let me tell you we truly appreciate it.”
*
Location: ‘Jeans Café,’ Wolverhampton, England.
Pete swished the bread around his plate mopping up the baked bean juice. He carefully crammed the resulting mix into his eager, salivating mouth. His eyes stared at the TV on the wall above. He, like everyone else, could not believe his eyes.
“This is so bloody unbelievable aint it mate,” a voice opposite him said in a thick Black Country accent. He stopped chewing for a moment and looked down to see an oldish looking man in denim overalls holding a mug of tea in one hand and a slice of cheese on toast in the other.
“You can say that again.”
“This is so bloody unbelievable aint it mate.” He repeated. Pete stopped chewing and stared at him not sure what to say.
“It’s OK,” said the old man, “I’m just joking with ya. Sometimes you need a joke dow ya to help ya forget the terrible things like this,” he pointed up to the TV.
“Well yeah, but it’s hard to laugh when so many people are being murdered aint it?”
Their was a pause, not a silence, it was never silent in the café. Then the old man leaned forward, “It wuz a joke mate, I day mean to offend ya, me names Dave, I’m from Bilston, d’yow know it?”
“Yes, I plastered a few houses in Bradley a few years ago.”
Dave took a bite from his cheese on toast and spitting crumbs and baring cheesy yellow teeth said, “Oh are. Yow a plasterer then are ya?”
Pete looked disbelieving at him, “No I’m a chippy, plastering’s just a hobby.”
Then again, a familiar sight appeared on the TV screen. Everyone began to shush each other, waving arms and putting fingers to lips as they did so.
Breaking news, we have just received reports from the Jordanian capital that more explosions have been detected across the region. Nothing has been confirmed yet by witnesses or satellites but they are confirming more seismic activity similar to that detectable when a small to medium sized nuclear explosion occurs. They have not pinpointed them exactly. The locations for the explosions appear to be wide apart with estimations that they have taken place in both Israel and Iran. There are now suspicions thatIsrael has attacked Iran in reply to the earlier attack and that Iran has responded. That is speculation at the moment, we await more news from Washington and the United Nations regarding this disastrous day of events. Back to the studio…
The café fell into another stunned silence. Dave turned away from the TV set and looked at Pete. “Yow interested in plastering my bathroom, I’d pay ya like.”
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