The President's Daughter: A Thriller

At Pease Air National Guard Base, Captain Ray Josephs and his copilot, Lieutenant Ginny Zimmerman, prepare their KC-135 tanker, “Granite Four,” for a transatlantic flight. The wing commander, Colonel Tighe, radios the cockpit and orders Josephs to hold for five high-priority passengers. He also informs Josephs that their destination has changed to Sfax-Thyna, Tunisia.

Suppressing his questions, Josephs goes to the cargo door. Three military operators board, followed by NSA operative Claire Boone. To the crew’s shock, the final passenger is former president Matthew Keating. After securing his guests, Josephs returns to the cockpit, deflects Zimmerman’s questions, and begins preparations for takeoff.

In the Oval Office, FBI Director Lisa Blair briefs President Pamela Barnes on Keating’s disappearance. Blair informs her that Keating left a note. President Barnes focuses on the note’s final line: “I am just going outside and may be some time” (395). An FBI psychologist explains that the line is a quote from Captain Lawrence Oates, who sacrificed himself during an Antarctic expedition.

Richard Barnes enters with news from the Secret Service: Keating is aboard an Air Force tanker at Pease. Realizing that Keating has launched a rogue rescue mission, President Barnes calls the Pentagon and speaks with Colonel Susan Sinclair, ordering her to ground the aircraft.