Chapter 1

The White House, the residence of the American president, one of the two houses in this world from where it is ruled, or at least that is the way the power gathered there is being presented to the mortals.

The White House, the house that is the beginning and the end of many political events and processes in the world.

The White House, the only house that is found in dreams, even of the ones who own bigger and more beautiful houses.

The White House, the house whose parties are the goal of the guests eager for gaining prestige.

The White House, the motive of the ambitious and the vain.

The White House, the dream of the ultimate power.

"I'd rather be a Mafia boss than the President of the U.S.A." the famous singer and entertainer Frank Sinatra confided to a close friend once.

If Sinatra makes an exception, Alfred Bagshaw doesn't, because he was the person qualified to be the president of the U.S.A.: WASP1, White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant. He was happily married, not that rich to provoke subconscious envy in the average citizen, but also not that poor to be thrown out of the higher class. He was just rich enough to be considered a successful businessman.

Involved in politics since the day he finished college, he realized from other politicians' experience that it was the only way to get to the president's seat, the road that leads through a congressman's, senator's, secretary's, to president's place.

By the way, there are business successes in a joint company added to the pro­fessional political career. This profit and the entire family treasure were not enough for a successful pre election campaign, but Bagshaw, as a skillful politician, managed to pile up rich election contributions and grasp the trust of the back­ground people.

1 John Kennedy was the only American president so far who was not a WASP. He was Catholic.

He was always in the middle of the public interest and created a national image of a capable politician who provided security and justified the trust he gained as if he was the one predestined to presidential role. That was strength­ened by political cornerstones nonexistent at his rivals. Of course, the rich polit­ical experience does not guarantee a successful mandate by itself, but the image that was created was a guarantee for it.

Besides all the qualities, he was supposed to be an excellent combiner and mystifier, and a decent person with an impeccable private and intimate life, for the public, of course. And finally, Alfred Bagshaw had the thing that was neces­sary for the president to have, according to the opinion of the average American: a good physique2.

That was why he became the president of the U.S.A.

The White House opened its doors for its first tenants, John and Abigail Adams, in 1800. Since then, it has served as a home for the president's family, business premises, and a museum.

Its one hundred and thirty-two rooms, together with the other buildings of the complex called the White House, provide easy and comfortable life for its tenants. Seven hectares of nicely arranged park give them the opportunity to feel the beauty of the nature in the middle of the city. Armies of servants serve and take care of the hygiene during the whole week, and they work in two shifts. The president lives and works in twenty-five rooms on the second and third floors, sit­uated in the west and east part of the building. He watches movies in a special hall of sixty-five seats. He receives the copies free of charge from Hollywood stu­dios. They have been following this tradition for a long time. He can add his own butler and chambermaids or cooks to the regular body of servants and employees.

But he has to accept the nonstop services and the company of secret and uniformed agents whom he has no right to choose.

Executive Protective Service is responsible for the security of the White House and the building of the Executive Office. Its uniformed members cover forty places. They communicate to each other through a radio line and an operator. They have to be checked for their shooting abilities every month. If someone fails, he has to start the course from the beginning. The number of people is around three hun­dred. There are women also, and they work for twenty-four hours.

The main responsibility in the president's protection falls to the Secret Service, which is part of the Ministry of Finance. This was established in 1865 at the time of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The Secret Service Training Center is in the state of Maryland, in the town of Batesville. Successful students become "higher secret agents," or more popularly known as "state gunmen," or "G-men" (government men). Their previous record must include work on the same area the Ministry covers: discovering dollar forgerers, government bonds, and checks. The most capable of the ones who survive the hard service among the forgers are chosen for the small circle of president's security. Then they become "higher agents." Of course, providing they pass and display excellent results at all psy­chophysical tests and exercises in swimming, skiing, driving, and riding. In addi­tion, they are not to be shorter than five feet, ten inches, and no taller than six feet, and they must be in perfect physical and mental health. In addition, they need to have a college degree and a high police school diploma.

2Very few presidents had great physical quality.

When it comes to weapons, the agents use Uzi automatic 9 mm in both vari­ants, with a short barrel or with a butt plate, with or without a silencer, and short shotguns. They also use Smith & Wesson revolvers of classical and Magnum vari­ants, as well as the Colt Automatic .45 of 11.45 mm.

They are equipped with various technical means whose function is to dis­cover any possible danger. It mainly means eavesdropping, discovering and elim­inating "bugs," and locating planted explosives. All of these miniature devices are placed in a black briefcase made of solid synthetic material, which is magnum shot-resistant. There is an automatic in it with a trigger hidden in the internal part of the handle and a strong light source for self-protection, which blinds the attacker for four hours.

The president's car, a prolonged Lincoln Town, armored and equipped with a communication system, is followed by a line of ten cars full of bodyguards, a van full of weapons, medical materials for giving first aid, and additional staff who are trained to give help in any "unexpected" situation. Apart from this, the White House is armed with antiaircraft missiles.

How is it possible to kill the president of the U.S.A. with all this security?