Wanting to hear the latest news about the terrorist attack against the Laredo border post, Ingrid had switched on her smaller television set sitting on her kitchen counter and was listening to it while making her son Michael eat in his booster seat, next to her own dining table chair. The newscaster had just used the first eight minutes of his six o’clock news show to recap what was known about that attack and was now announcing a national address by President Bush on that subject. Little Michael, mature well beyond his years because of his remembered past incarnations, like Nancy had been, noticed how much his mother was paying attention to the television set and stopped spooning his chicken fried rice for a moment to ask her a question.
‘’Mommy, how bad is this?’
‘’Very bad, Michael. A lot of people could die because of this. Now, let me listen to the President for a moment. Then, I will explain to you what he has said.’
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Ingrid then concentrated back on the television set, where President Bush was now shown sitting behind his big presidential desk in the Oval Office and speaking to the banks of cameras facing him.
‘’My dear fellow American citizens. Late yesterday, a cowardly bomb attack killed many of our border agents, along with even more innocent American and Mexican citizens. That attack has since then been claimed by the Mexican drug cartel known as the Los Zetas, a criminal organization known for its brutality and savagery. The Los Zetas, not content to assume publicly the responsibility for this attack, also had the affront to give us, the United States of America, an ultimatum, threatening war against the U.S.A. if we don’t stop our campaign against illicit drugs. Well, here is my response to these criminals: the United States will continue to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs and will also pursue with all its available means those responsible for the attack on the Laredo border post. We will never let criminals dictate to us our policies and actions. At the same time, I enjoin the government of Mexico to enforce its own laws within its territory and to rein in the drug cartels operating in Mexico. If little or nothing is done by the Mexican authorities about that cancer eating their country from the inside, then the United States may well decide to deal directly with those drug cartels which are causing so many deaths and misery in the United State. This afternoon, I ordered our Federal Marshals Service, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to send strong reinforcements to our southern border, in order to fully secure it against illegal infiltrators and smugglers. On his side, Governor Perry of Texas has ordered extra Texas State troopers to patrol and secure the border with Mexico and is ready to mobilize the Texas National Guard if need be. Those criminals of the Los Zetas will soon learn that you cannot attack the United States and expect to get away with it. Thank you for your attention.’
Ingrid frowned to herself as Bush started answering the barrage of questions shouted at him by the reporters present in the Oval Office. While everything that Bush had said were legitimate and necessary measures to be taken after such a brazen attack against an American border post, she personally believed that this would be far from being enough to deter a criminal organization as powerful and savage as the Los Zetas.
If anything, she now expected the Los Zetas to double down in order to discredit the efforts by Washington to control the situation. She had more than an idea of what should be done now but, having retired for good from American military service and
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being presently a private citizen employed by a civilian company, she had no say about what was to follow and she couldn’t help feel some frustration at that.
07:11 (Washington Time)
Thursday, October 25, 2007 ‘C’
Residence of D.E.A. Administrator Karen Tandy
Normanstone Terrace Northwest, Woodley Park District Washington, D.C.
D.E.A. agent Robert Murray quickly stepped out of the big government SUV
parked and waiting in the driveway of Administrator Tandy’s residence when he saw her come out of her house, so that he could open the rear right passenger door for her.
Murray could see that Tandy was speaking quite animatedly on her cell phone as she was walking towards the waiting SUV. At one point, the telephone conversation got so animated that Tandy stopped briefly and raised her voice.
‘’Greg, I don’t care what those high-priced lawyers say about quote respecting the rights of their clients unquote: these are bastards with blood on their hands. I want...’