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Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
February 14
0735 Local Time
As the Gulfstream pulled up to the Fixed Base Operator on the ramp of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, it was met by a convoy of three black SUVs. Once the jet was safely stopped, Spectre and Decker followed Miller and his entourage down the G550’s stairs. At the bottom, they were greeted by a man in a black suit with dark sunglasses.
“Deputy Director Miller,” he yelled over the sound of the Gulfstream’s auxiliary power unit. “I’m Special Agent Kaiser, Secret Service. Right this way”
Miller shook Kaiser’s hand as he escorted the group away from the Gulfstream and into the nearby FBO. They were met by a Taiwan Customs agent who did a cursory inspection of their bags and stamped their passports.
As they cleared the agent, the group was shuffled into another convoy of SUVs and started down the service road of the international airport. Kaiser drove as Miller took shotgun. Decker and Spectre took their places in the back seat of the four-door Chevy Tahoe.
“VC-25 is on the other side of the facility, next to the airlift,” Kaiser said. “We’ll get you through the processing area and onto the jet.”
“VC-25?” Decker asked.
“That’s technically the type of aircraft,” Spectre explained. “It’s only ‘Air Force One’ when the President is on it. Otherwise, it’s just a really fancy 747.”
“You’re correct, Mr. Martin, very good,” Kaiser said as they pulled through another gate.
“What can I say?” Spectre asked rhetorically. “I’m an aviation enthusiast.”
Decker laughed and subtly put her hand on his. He took her soft hand and held it. After an awkward and rocky start to their relationship, they had been dating since going into hiding nearly six months earlier. It was a relationship forged by near death experiences and the loss of several close friends.
As they made their way toward the hangar on the opposite ramp, the brand new 747-800 VC-25 came into view. Spectre had never seen it up close before, but with its white and blue paint scheme and “United States of America” in big lettering across the side, it seemed larger than life. It was an impressive aircraft.
The three Tahoes pulled in front of the hangar and parked. Kaiser escorted them past the first of a series of armed guards and into the main hangar. It was a large, empty hangar that was used as a staging area for the Secret Service, the press, and the Air Force personnel attached to the president’s trip. There were armed men in black uniforms with Belgian Malinois K-9s walking about securing the area, as well as Secret Service agents in suits and ties standing on the other side of the makeshift line having jovial conversations.
“Leave your bags here,” Kaiser directed, pointing at an area that had been sectioned off with baggage as the dogs and their handlers circled the stacked bags and other uniformed men loaded them into an x-rayed machine. “We’ve never lost a bag yet.”
Kaiser led them to a table where an agent was going through a passenger manifest on his laptop. He had a collection of badges of various colors he was handing out to members of the press to allow them to walk on the ramp toward the VC-25.
“Hand your ID and passport to Agent Soros here, and when he’s ready, he’ll confirm your thumbprint on this scanner here,” Kaiser said, pointing to the thumbprint scanner. “Once you get your badge, you’ll go through this standard body scanner and then you’ll be all set. I have a few things to take care of, but I’ll meet you all on the other side and take you to the jet when you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Agent Kaiser,” Miller said as Kaiser walked off. The three processed through the security measures more efficiently than any airport TSA checkpoint Spectre had ever seen. The thumbprint scan and ID verification was almost a non-event. Agent Soros handed them each a yellow and blue badge to hang around their neck as they proceeded to the body scanner.
“Your duty weapons will be cataloged and shipped with the baggage,” the uniformed agent said. Miller and Decker unclipped their holstered Glocks and put them in the lockbox the officer was holding.
“And you, sir?” the man asked.
“Oh, I don’t have a gun,” Spectre replied, holding up his hands. “I don’t even like those things,” he joked.
The uniformed agent rolled his eyes as he closed the lockbox and headed toward the baggage area. Spectre led the trio through the body scanner. An alarm went off as he stood in the clear tube with his hands up.
“Your left breast pocket, sir,” the operator said.
Spectre pulled the thumb drive from the left pocket of his sport coat. “Thumb drive, sorry,” Spectre said.
The agent took it and examined it briefly before giving it back to Spectre and clearing him through. After Decker and Miller passed through, they were directed to a sitting area where an agent was about to begin briefing two other members of the press corps that would be flying with them.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning, and welcome to Air Force One,” the agent said. “I just wanted to go over a few rules before you make your way to the aircraft. First, that badge you were issued is to be worn around your neck at all times when around the aircraft. You may be asked to present other identification as well, so please at least have your government-issued ID on you at all times.”
“Second,” he continued, “you will enter the aircraft at the aft aircraft stairs. As most of you know, the front stairs are for POTUS only. Which brings me to my next point. If you look at your badge, there is a letter.”
Spectre and the group looked at their badge. Spectre, Decker, and Miller’s badges were all marked C, while Spectre noticed that some of the press corps badges were marked X and Y.
“On the aircraft you will see placards with zone identification letters. That letter on your badge is as far forward as you will be allowed to go. You can go as far aft as you wish, but if you attempt to go forward without an appropriate escort, you will be denied. If you persist, you will be detained and your access will be revoked. Any questions on that?”
The agent waited as he let the question hang in the air. “Ok, good. Finally, and this is important. No photography whatsoever from this point forward, unless you have a green photo badge, which I can see none of you do. Failure to comply will also get your access revoked. Is that clear?”
Agent Kaiser walked up as the other agent finished his briefing. He waved for the three to follow as he turned toward the ramp.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Kaiser asked as they walked toward the massive 747.
“Not at all,” Miller replied. “You boys are running a clean operation here.”
“Thank you, Director,” Kaiser replied. “We take our jobs very seriously.”
Kaiser escorted them up the aft stairway and into the media compartment of the aircraft. Several reporters were spread out on the chairs in the cramped chamber. A plasma TV on the wall showed the President on one of the 24-hour cable news networks as she prepared to make her speech.
“If you need anything at all, please ask an agent in your sector. I’ll be up front in section Foxtrot and they can get in touch with me,” Kaiser said. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
One of the aircraft’s staff, dressed in pressed Air Force blues, asked each of them if they wanted something to drink as they found their places among the reporters scattered about. Spectre asked for a bottle of water, then turned his attention to the TV to listen to the President as she began her speech.
“Thank you, President Kuan. It is my honor and privilege to be here today with the people of Taiwan,” she said as she stood in front of the historic Presidential Building in Taipei.
“President Kuan and I had a very productive meeting this morning. He feels, as I do, that Taiwan is the rightful name of this great and sovereign nation. And sovereign it is. As part of my promise to strengthen our allies in the Pacific against Chinese territorialism, the United States stands with President Kuan in calling for the dissolution of the Chinese ‘One-China’ policy, and we will push to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation with its own member status within the United Nations.”
President Madeline Clifton paused as the crowd erupted in applause. Moments later, the broadcast cut back to an attractive female news anchor with a serious look on her face.
“Despite this historic speech the President is giving, we’re interrupting this broadcast with breaking news,” she said. “We’re now receiving several reports of multiple attacks at United States bases across the Pacific. We now turn to our Asian correspondent Chad Michaels. Chad, what can you tell us?”
“Thanks, Danielle,” Michaels said with a thick British accent as the screen cut to a map of Southeast Asia with highlighted dots indicating several locations in South Korea and Japan. “Just minutes ago, reports started coming in from several major U.S. bases across the Pacific. Kunsan Air Base, Osan, Kadena, and Misawa are among the locations where attacks have been attempted or carried out against U.S. interests in these areas.”
“Can you tell us the nature of these attacks?” the female anchor asked. “How many have been injured?”
“The extent of the damage is not known at this time, Danielle,” he replied. “But I can tell you that officials have reported that as many as twenty were killed after what they’re calling a ‘homicide bomber’ detonated a device outside the gate of Kadena Air Force Base in Japan.”
“Do you think this is related to the attack in Guam this morning?” Spectre asked Miller, who was also intently watching the breaking news.
“It certainly could be,” Miller replied.
“Look! Out there!” Decker said, pointing out the window to the convoy of armored limousines speeding toward the aircraft on the ramp.
“And we’re now being told that the President’s speech has been cut short due to security concerns at the Presidential Building,” the news anchor added.
The Air Force officer that had offered Spectre a bottle of water suddenly rushed into the press cabin. “Folks, I need you all to take your seats and prepare for an immediate departure,” he said as he stood at the edge of the cabin.
“Where are we going?” a reporter asked.
“For security reasons, I can’t tell you until we’re airborne,” the man replied before turning back toward the front of the aircraft and closing the door behind him.
“Holy shit,” Spectre said as he and Decker exchanged looks of disbelief.