Breaking Her Resolve

Chapter Sixteen

(Twenty four hours earlier )...

Seline had just ascended from the podium of the press room when Alana informed her that she was summoned to the control room by the director of the NSA. She asked her team to wait as she headed to the meeting.

"What is this new information I hear about?" she asked authoritatively,entering the comms room where a number of agents were busy on their computers.

"Madam secretary, one of our operatives Henry was approached by his contacts in the underground world and was asked to wire money from Mr.Harrison." The director said without preamble. "This is the note, the analysts have inspected it but no fingerprints have been identified yet."

"Of course not, they are smart enough for that," Henry said besides the director.

"The profile does not suggest any ransom indication Director. I am meeting the ambassador of Iran in twenty minutes, have you started the clock on the ransom?" he nodded and pointed to a countdown screen set above him.

"Give me one hour," with that said she walked out of the control room and headed to meet the ambassador.

He was a tall lean man, with a bald head and knitted brows which made him look like he was in deep thoughts even when he wasn't. They greeted each other before she sat down across from him, Alana sitting right beside her. The Iranians were arrogant men who did not like to deal with women but Seline had put the ambassador in his place several times and the respect he had shown to her through out the years was amicable compared to his predecessors.

"Mr.Ambassador , I know you have the means to get a message through to the Taliban," she begun without fear, the ambassador flinched but gave a slight nod nevertheless, finding no reason to lie to her.

"Tell them that the government of the United States of America does not negotiate with terrorists and if either Mr.Harrison or myself start receiving Ms.Anderson's body parts, I will order airstrikes on each of the clan villages and wipe them out from the face of this earth."

The Ambassador looked shook with the threat but he did not take it lightly, instead he asked her to give him time to resolve the miscommunication.

"Time is what I don't have to offer, I expect an answer and a solution to this madness within the hour, you know where to reach me." With that she stood up and paraded out of his office.

Seline rubbed her temples as the car drove to her office and she felt the beginning of a migraine start to brew. She had been running up and down since she landed in Washington.

"Alana, get me Aspirin and a club sandwich when we get to the office," she said feeling the pangs of hunger gnaw at her. She skipped her meals when in  the office mostly.

"Yes Ma'am," she answered with a smile.

"Have you eaten anything yourself?" she asked concerned.

"Yes, I had a sandwich earlier when you were in the control room."

Right then her phone rung, it was Luke calling to check up on her, she did not answer it because the pounding head got worse. She alighted the car and took the private elevator to her office. She requested for a few minutes alone as she ate her lunch which was more of dinner by now and gulped the aspirin down.

The ambassador called to inform her that the ransom had been called off and that Brenda Anderson was in no immediate danger of mutilation. She expressed her gratitude and asked to see him tomorrow for a way forward.

It was around eleven o'clock at night when she wrapped up her day and Liam drove her back home. She thought of Rey and how he had insisted on calling her by her nickname. The man was absurd if he thought she would fall to his feet like she did once upon a time when he came around and broke her heart all over again with the Astoria diamond. Seline opened her purse and reached for a box at the bottom. She opened it up and the ring reflected in her eyes. It was a magnificent piece of jewelry. Any woman would be enthralled and enchanted by it's glamour. She had no idea why she was still holding onto it, but deep down in her heart she knew it was for the future that could never have been.

The car pulled up to her beautifully painted townhouse. Liam walked over to open the door for her and escort her in.