half trillion dollars, Mr. President.”
Kenneth and Jack turned to face each other as one, disbelief filling their faces. Silence settled momentarily as the full force of the revelation hit home.
“Did you just say twenty-four trillion?” managed Jack after a few seconds.
“Twenty-four point five and change actually, Mr. President,” confirmed Mr. Walker.
As Jack and Kenneth struggled to comprehend the enormity of the difference such a sum would make to the government, Mr. Walker began to explain the process for expenditure of the trust. Once the debt was paid down, only projects that would benefit the American infrastructure could receive funds. A board would have to be created to ensure the funds were used appropriately. He suggested Kenneth should be the president’s representative on the board and produced a list of names of people the Trust felt might best be suited. Jack noticed the name of a number of potential cabinet secretaries, including the Homeland Security Secretary. Homeland Security was responsible for the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure and the implementation of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.
With eight point five trillion to play with, that plan is going to have to be significantly revised, thought Jack.
“Mr. Roger Young will be in contact, he is the CEO of the Trust. When he calls, could you please give him ten names from this list, Mr. President?” asked Walker.
“Mr. President?” prompted Walker when Jack didn’t respond.
Jack was startled back into the reality of the situation. He had heard Walker’s explanation of the process but was still reeling from the enormity of the task that he had faced being instantly alleviated.
“Yes, Kenneth as my representative and I’ll choose from the list,” he responded nonchalantly. A response that three years later he realized had all but ended his presidency the day it had begun.
Chapter 8
Present day – 1 st July 2015
American Airlines AA187
Chicago (ORD) – Beijing (PEK)
James Marshall hit the button and raised his first class bed to the seated position. They were only an hour out from Beijing and his new role as US ambassador to the People’s Republic of China was the single biggest job he’d ever undertaken. Relations were at an all time high with the Chinese and the president had made it clear he wanted it to remain that way. The newfound wealth of the US had turned the tide and the Chinese were no longer a challenge to the US’s economic might. Recent agreements over long standing issues in the Middle East with the Chinese no longer supporting Russian vetos had also led to a warming of relations.
There were ongoing discussions of an acceptance of Taiwan as an independent state, something that even a year earlier remained unthinkable. However, the Chinese had made it clear they wished to end the issue once and for all. It did nobody any good and offered them little in any event. There was even talk of pressuring North Korea to demilitarize significantly. The Chinese wished for peace, not conflict, in the region and James Marshall was the president’s man to make it happen.
Lifelong friends, they had both excelled in their fields, President Jack King in the military and James Marshall in business. When James had announced his retirement on his fifty-fifth birthday, President King had pounced; Marshall was perfect to obtain the treaties that would secure the Far East. Jack loved and trusted him like a brother. With over four hundred million dollars in the bank, all James Marshall had wanted was to enjoy life but he’d never let Jack down and he’d certainly never let his president down.
“Can I get you anything, Mr. Ambassador?” asked the stewardess, having noticed his seat moving.
“A coffee would be great,” he replied restraining a yawn. “And please, it’s just James, I’m not official until I meet President Junpeng later today.”
She nodded and he knew it hadn’t
Kenneth and Jack turned to face each other as one, disbelief filling their faces. Silence settled momentarily as the full force of the revelation hit home.
“Did you just say twenty-four trillion?” managed Jack after a few seconds.
“Twenty-four point five and change actually, Mr. President,” confirmed Mr. Walker.
As Jack and Kenneth struggled to comprehend the enormity of the difference such a sum would make to the government, Mr. Walker began to explain the process for expenditure of the trust. Once the debt was paid down, only projects that would benefit the American infrastructure could receive funds. A board would have to be created to ensure the funds were used appropriately. He suggested Kenneth should be the president’s representative on the board and produced a list of names of people the Trust felt might best be suited. Jack noticed the name of a number of potential cabinet secretaries, including the Homeland Security Secretary. Homeland Security was responsible for the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure and the implementation of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.
With eight point five trillion to play with, that plan is going to have to be significantly revised, thought Jack.
“Mr. Roger Young will be in contact, he is the CEO of the Trust. When he calls, could you please give him ten names from this list, Mr. President?” asked Walker.
“Mr. President?” prompted Walker when Jack didn’t respond.
Jack was startled back into the reality of the situation. He had heard Walker’s explanation of the process but was still reeling from the enormity of the task that he had faced being instantly alleviated.
“Yes, Kenneth as my representative and I’ll choose from the list,” he responded nonchalantly. A response that three years later he realized had all but ended his presidency the day it had begun.
Chapter 8
Present day – 1 st July 2015
American Airlines AA187
Chicago (ORD) – Beijing (PEK)
James Marshall hit the button and raised his first class bed to the seated position. They were only an hour out from Beijing and his new role as US ambassador to the People’s Republic of China was the single biggest job he’d ever undertaken. Relations were at an all time high with the Chinese and the president had made it clear he wanted it to remain that way. The newfound wealth of the US had turned the tide and the Chinese were no longer a challenge to the US’s economic might. Recent agreements over long standing issues in the Middle East with the Chinese no longer supporting Russian vetos had also led to a warming of relations.
There were ongoing discussions of an acceptance of Taiwan as an independent state, something that even a year earlier remained unthinkable. However, the Chinese had made it clear they wished to end the issue once and for all. It did nobody any good and offered them little in any event. There was even talk of pressuring North Korea to demilitarize significantly. The Chinese wished for peace, not conflict, in the region and James Marshall was the president’s man to make it happen.
Lifelong friends, they had both excelled in their fields, President Jack King in the military and James Marshall in business. When James had announced his retirement on his fifty-fifth birthday, President King had pounced; Marshall was perfect to obtain the treaties that would secure the Far East. Jack loved and trusted him like a brother. With over four hundred million dollars in the bank, all James Marshall had wanted was to enjoy life but he’d never let Jack down and he’d certainly never let his president down.
“Can I get you anything, Mr. Ambassador?” asked the stewardess, having noticed his seat moving.
“A coffee would be great,” he replied restraining a yawn. “And please, it’s just James, I’m not official until I meet President Junpeng later today.”
She nodded and he knew it hadn’t
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