The EXIT Interview

The New President

The Presidential jet soared high above the clouds.

In the jet's Presidential Office stood The Security chiefs, Speaker of the house of Representatives, The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, A few top- ranked Government officials and Presidential aides.

A few minutes later, April Gardens, the Vice President of the Republic walked in and took her place in front of the small delegation.

The Chief Justice remarked, "Madam Vice President, I apologise for cutting your holiday short. As you may know we have a crisis on our hands. The President was assassinated yesterday. It is for this reason that I must swear you into office as President in this extraordinary manner. This, of course, is as per provisions of our constitution."

Ms. Gardens gave in to a single nod.

An Aide gave her the Bible and the Vice President raised it in one hand. In the other hand, she received the oath of the office of President.

The Chief Justice beckoned her to take oath.

"I, April Gardens," The Vice President swore. "Do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the Republic, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of our country. So, help me God."

"Madam President." The Chief Justice remarked almost immediately after the oath. "Congratulations."

The Speaker made a Congratulatory utterance, Congratulations madam President. " The security chiefs saluted and chorused almost simultaneously, "Madam President."

The President bowed graciously and walked around the table to take her seat.

"Please, be seated," She ordered.

The top government delegation took their seats in front of the President.

"Let me get this straight. How does our President get assassinated on our soil under the nose of heavy security?"

The Police chief fidgeted on his seat before responding, "We have word that the President was in fact killed by one of our own men. The killer was employed as an ICT specialist on the Presidential's protective overwatch Program."

"How does that even get to be the case?!" The President wondered. "He was supposed to be looking at the health of the systems on the locomotive. Not plowing in the drone room. Who is in Charge of the Program?"

"Special Agent Alexis," replied the Army Chief.

"I want her on that screen this minute," The President demanded.

One of the aides quickly raced her fingers. And in a gif, Alexis was on the big computer screen mounted on the President's desk.

The head of state wasted no time in engaging Alexis in a conversation. "Alexis, this is April Gardens. The new Republican President."

"Madam President," Alexis responded. "Thank you for having me."

The President continued, "I'm with the understanding that the President was killed by his own. Kindly shade light on what happened. "

A picture of Mr. Zero was shared on the screen as Alexis begun her speech. "Unfortunately so, Madam President. The killer is Gilbert Zero. He served the program for the past three years under me as an ICT specialis. I know for a fact that he killed the late head of state. I just Don't know why he did that."

"Alexis, stop running in circles. What happened in that train?" The President demanded.

A video of Mr. Zero was shared on the screen and Alexis added narration thereto. "Zero slipped into the drone's pilot cabinet, as you can see on the footage. He drove the drone for about two minutes and he fired at the late President."

The President's face shrunk with awe. "Did he have security clearance to fly the drone?" She wondered. "Where was the drone's pilot?"

"He did not have the security clearance. As for the pilot, he was found unconscious in the rest room," Alexis replied. "The medics believe he was drugged and dumped in the rest room."

The President made further inquiries, "Are we speculating or you are submitting facts?"

"Madam President, these are facts," Alexis answered confidently.

The President shook her head. She could not hide her disappointment. "We failed our President, his family and the country at large. Taxpayers paid you to keep an eye over his head, not to kill him."

Alexis kept quiet. Ambience on both ends of the tele- conference was arrested with tension.

Silence spoke aloud until the President quelled it with an inquiry, Where is this so called Zero?"

"He could be dead, Madam President," Alexis remarked. "He was involved in road carnage and I'm reliably informed that he was trapped in a vehicle that plunged in the river."

The President chuckled coldly. She drown in further disappointment. "He could be dead?"

Another stroke of silence swept across.

"That's incompetence if you ask me," The President established angrily. "A man kills the head of state and people are speculative about his whereabouts? I'll be touching down soon. Journalists both local and foreign will swam me over this and all I should say is that the President was killed by a person who could be dead? Find that son of a bitch, dead or alive."

Alexis nodded and responded, "Yes madam President. "

"I need answers before next dawn," Madam President placed her demands. She thus signalled the Aide to end the conference call.

The video feed was terminated as the jet soared on above the clouds.

Meanwhile, marines dived into the river to search for Mr. Zero. And after a diligent toll of about an hour, the SUV was found but Mr. Zero was not in there.

The SUV was towed up onto the bridge from the floor of the river. It had no windscreen on.

Another unregistered black SUV drove in and from it, Alexis emerged.

Two young men walked on either side of her as she walked to the recovered SUV.

She inspected the vehicle and remarked, "I underestimated him. Initiate 'Operation Mrs. Zero.' I need 24/ 7 surveillance on his family. Keep a tab on his bank account. Monitor it. Report any transactions on it."

"Yes ma'am.," they chorused as Alexis wondered about in thought, looking at the river that stretched far and wide.