New Leads
Posted on Wednesday February 12th, 2025 @ 7:45pm by President Jack Ryan & General Chris Hayes & Vice President John Franklin -ling
1,650 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1: "A House Divided"
Location: Oval Office, White House
Timeline: Thursday, May 17th, 2041 - After Vice President Franklin's Speech
The aide stepped into the Vice President’s office with a sense of urgency. “Mr. Vice President, the President requests your presence in the Oval Office.”
"I appreciate the notification. Please let the President know that I will proceed to the Oval Office at once." Mr Franklin said
Jack sat at the Resolute Desk, his fingers lightly tapping against the polished wood as he read through the latest intelligence report. The details were nothing new—he had already been briefed by the General seated beside him. The seasoned officer, clad in a crisp uniform adorned with service ribbons, remained silent, his expression unreadable as he waited for the Vice President to arrive.
The air in the room was thick with unspoken tension, the gravity of the situation evident in the way Jack’s brow furrowed with each passing moment. The soft hum of the West Wing’s activity filtered in through the closed door, a stark contrast to the heavy stillness in the Oval Office. Both men knew that whatever was about to unfold would shape the course of the administration—and possibly the nation itself.
As the door to the Oval Office swung open, Vice President John W. Franklin stepped inside with a measured pace, his expression composed yet resolute. His gaze briefly met President Killright’s before shifting to the General, acknowledging his presence with a slight nod. The weight of the moment was not lost on him—he could feel it in the charged silence that settled over the room, in the way the President’s fingers drummed against the historic desk.
“Mr. President,” Franklin said, his voice steady but firm, “I came as soon as I was informed. I take it the situation has developed further?”
His hands clasped behind his back, his posture straight, he awaited the President’s response, knowing that whatever was about to be discussed would demand nothing less than decisive action.
“Yes. We have located the base of Jaysh al-Muqaddas—it’s in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. The General will continue. General?” Killright said, turning to him.
The General turned to Vice President Franklin. “Mr. Vice President, we have been watching Al-Saqar—a key intelligence asset we’ve had for almost six years now—and he detected increased movements and activities linked to Jaysh al-Muqaddas in Afghanistan. This is an unsettling development, raising multiple alarms in the intelligence community. Enough that they are all suggesting a significant threat looms on the horizon. Even NATO is preparing for a possible attack.”
Killright leaned forward slightly. “So we’ve got a potential resurgence of coordinated terrorist actions that could have dire repercussions for national and global security. This might not just be aimed at the U.S., but the attack that took our government was.”
“Yes, Mr. President.” The General pulled out a folder from his case and handed copies to both the President and Vice President. “This is all the information we’ve compiled on Al-Saqar and Jaysh al-Muqaddas.”
Killright took his copy and flipped through a few pages. “What do you think, John? I’m already prepping a bill to strengthen the military and possibly enhance our presence in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. We only have 100,000 troops stationed there. That number hasn’t increased since President Biden in 2021. Trump was going to, but after the House and Congress went blue in the midterms, he didn’t have the power he did before. If only the Mexican government provided more help.”
The General cleared his throat before speaking. “If I may, Mr. President, I would suggest deploying three battalions of Marines immediately. That way, if we need congressional approval for a larger operation, we already have forces in place. This wouldn’t break any rules or laws—it’s a necessary response. To my knowledge, President Bush did something similar after 9/11, though on a smaller scale.”
He then turned to Franklin. “Mr. Vice President, we’ve deployed two MQ-9 Reaper drones for aerial surveillance, and one of our reconnaissance satellites is now positioned overhead to provide an enhanced view of the compound.”
Killright nodded before looking back at Franklin. “Your thoughts?”
Franklin took a moment before responding. “Mr. President, General, I agree with the proposal. Deploying three Marine battalions immediately would send a clear message of our intent to protect national and global security while we await Congress’s approval for further action. It’s a necessary step to contain the threat before it escalates any further.
The intelligence we have on JAM’s operations is deeply concerning. The growing presence of advanced weapons and external backing makes it clear that we cannot afford to wait. The General’s recommendation to use our ISR assets for continuous surveillance will provide us with real-time insights, and we need to be prepared to act swiftly if this situation continues to unfold.
I also agree that this is a tactical move to demonstrate our resolve, and if the need arises, we can scale up our response. But for now, getting boots on the ground with the Marines is the right move. I fully support the decision to move forward with this plan.”
Jack nodded. “General Hayes, I am now authorizing the deployment of the 3rd, 21st, and 28th Marine Battalion Regiments to the U.S. military bases in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Get them moving as fast as possible—before Congress has a chance to act against us. Make it so that once they’re in the air, they can’t be recalled.”
The General nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll get on the horn now, Mr. President and Mr. Vice President.” With that, he left the Oval Office.
Jack rose from his chair, leaving the intelligence report untouched on his desk. His gaze drifted to the window, his expression dark with concern.
“I have a feeling we’re on the brink of something this country isn’t prepared for,” he muttered, his voice heavy with unease. “It seems we’ve created an enemy willing to go to any lengths to strike at us.”
The Vice President, who had been silently watching Jack, spoke up, his tone cautious but resolute. “We’ve always faced threats, Jack. But this... this is different. We’ve never had an adversary this relentless. If we don’t act now, we risk losing the initiative.”
Jack turned away from the window, his face set in a hard line. “I know, but I’m not sure we can afford to make a misstep. Every action we take now could have consequences we can't fully anticipate. And if Congress gets wind of this, we might lose our legitimacy before we even begin.”
The Vice President nodded slowly. “But it’s already in motion, Jack. We’ve already committed to this path. The question now is how we manage the fallout.”
Jack sighed deeply, his mind racing. “I just hope we’ve made the right choice.”
Jack nodded, exhaling as he turned toward the phone. As Franklin finished speaking, the door opened, and Mrs. Snow, the president’s aide, stepped in.
"Mr. President, Ambassador Monroe is on line one."
"Thank you, Mrs. Snow." Then, glancing at the Vice President, he added, "We'll talk later, John." Without hesitation, he picked up the receiver.
"Mr. President," came the measured voice of Ambassador Monroe. "I trust your day is going well?"
"It’s progressing," Jack replied, already sensing the weight in the Ambassador’s tone. "What’s the situation, Ambassador?"
"Sir, we’ve just received disturbing reports. Tensions with Russia have escalated significantly. Our sources suggest that they are mobilizing for a potential conflict. I need your approval to initiate immediate diplomatic outreach and begin coordinating with our allies to prevent further escalation."
Jack straightened, the calm of his voice masking the rapid calculations in his mind. "How imminent is the threat? What do we know about their intentions?"
"Their military activities have been unusually aggressive in recent days, Mr. President. We’re seeing increased troop movements along the border and hostile rhetoric in their communications. This could be a prelude to more direct actions."
Jack took a moment, thinking through the diplomatic, military, and political ramifications. "I want all channels of communication open. Start with the United Nations, but I also want direct talks with our European and NATO allies. We need a united front. I’ll address the nation once we have a clear path forward."
"Understood, Mr. President. We’ll begin preparations right away and keep you informed of any developments."
"Good. Keep the pressure on, Ambassador. I’m counting on you to handle the negotiations and avoid any missteps."
"I won’t let you down, sir."
Jack hung up the phone, his expression grave as he turned to the Vice President. "John, we’ve just been handed a potential crisis. This will require all hands on deck. We can’t afford to waste any time."
As President Killright hung up, Vice President Franklin studied his expression. “Bad news?” he asked, already suspecting the answer.
Jack shook his head, more frustrated than surprised. “The Russians are at it again.”
Franklin crossed his arms. “So they’re waiting to see if we can clean this up before they get their hands dirty.”
“Exactly.” Jack exhaled. “I told Monroe to get me their intel proposal by the end of the day.”
Franklin nodded. “If they’re offering intelligence, we should use it. But we can’t rely on them for more than that.”
Jack gave a dry smirk. “My thoughts exactly.” He glanced at Franklin. “We’ll talk strategy soon. Right now, I need to get through the rest of these calls.”
Franklin gave a firm nod. “Understood, Mr. President.” With that, he turned and stepped out, already considering their next move.
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