Random Travels

West Wing crossover

The pilot checked his radar and listened to the radio. He checked the time. It would soon be time. The Operations Officer had told him that he needed to turn off the transponder at exactly 87 miles from Bermuda. At that point he could simulate the mechanical problem – and take the bastard in back to his final destination.

Just as he was reaching for the transponder, a bright light occurred right behind him. He looked back and a man in a Bomber jacket, jeans, and a T-shirt was standing there.

"Who are you?" the Pilot barked.

"Er. Harry." Suddenly several alarms began blaring as the discharge from Harry's arrival produced enough of an electromagnetic pulse to interfere with almost all of the plane's instruments.

Harry was sheepish – and alarmed. He looked out and saw they were above ocean – there were few enough clouds that the sea could easily be seen below them. "I didn't mean to arrive here. I can get people out. How many on the plane?"

The pilot's eyes opened wide. "Just me. I can radio in a mayday so that the Search and Rescue crews can find the wreckage."

Harry nodded. He never knew of the traitorous Qumari minister in back and his two body guards. The pilot had decided on his own that he would accomplish the mission this way. He hoped his superiors didn't bust him for this.

"Mayday! Mayday! Qumari Flight 7427 has experienced catastrophic failure! Mayday! Mayday! Qumari Flight 7427 has experienced catastrophic failure!"

The pilot stood up. "We need to get out of here."

Harry grabbed the man and apparated out – to the only area he knew. The two men appeared in a rural neighborhood in England.

Harry let go of the man and said, "I'm sorry. But I have to cast a spell which will cause you to not want to speak of this as magic." He cast a compulsion charm and then felt the call. "Good luck. London should have diplomatic offices for whatever country you are a part of. You can tell them you were drugged or something."

Harry turned and compressed into a small ball of light and disappeared.

The man contemplated the man who just disappeared. It was as though an angel had appeared and saved him – and saved the US President from a horrific decision.

Jed Bartlett watched the show without seeing it. It was coming very close to the time he would have to order the assassination of Abdul ibn Shareef to move forward.

Every effort to apply legal sanctions had failed and there was only one decision left. His mind was wrestling between his personal moral code and his duty as President.

Suddenly, Leo was motioning him from the entrance. The look on Leo's face was urgent – and confused.

The President of the United States quietly stood and made his way out of the theatre. "What is it?"

Leo held the phone and looked at his boss and long-time friend. "The Qumari plane carrying Sharif reported catastrophic failure and then crashed into the Bermuda Triangle. Search and Rescue has arrived and all lives were lost. The bodies are being recovered for positive identification but it looks like they're all dead."

Jed Bartlett was both enormously relieved and concerned. He looked around and then quietly asked, "What about our guy?"

"We got a call from the US Embassy … in London. The pilot just called in from a suburban area nearby. He said he was moved from the plane to London unexpectedly. By an angel. Holy light, heavenly music, and everything." There WAS no wizarding world in this universe – and so there was no different explanation possible.

Jed Bartlett stared at Leo. He almost couldn't process what he had just been told. However, he was a man of deep religious convictions and beliefs and what he was just told made him want to drop to his knees and give thanks to God.

"Well, then." He just didn't know what to say about that so he moved to real concerns. "Keep on it. I'll need to hear everything when the show is over. I'll write a personal condolence to the Sultan when we get back to the White House tonight." Leo nodded and Jed made his way back to his seat.

Jed Bartlett felt as though the weight of the world had suddenly been pulled from him. He now could enjoy the Catholic charity event he was attending in full.

The diplomats and people, a very small number, who knew of the plan to assassinate the Qumari Defense Minister for his acts of terror were both enormously relieved – and completely confused.

Instead of a mysterious disappearance of a plane in the Bermuda Triangle, a very visible wreckage was located, recovered, and inspected. Bodies were recovered (the CIA provided a reasonable replacement for the pilot). Every inspection, even the one by the Qumari team which arrived two days later, showed that the plane was damaged in a manner quite unknown. The closest guess was the plane taking a lightning bolt and it causing a one-in-a-million freak accident. There was no indication of sabotage.

Nobody in Qumar ever caught wind of the plan that had almost been implemented. There were no repurcussions. The Isreali minister that would have died never came to the US. The Bahji cell which could have accomplished the kidnapping of Zoe Bartlett wasn't deployed in the same time frame and the window which her graduation would have provided missed them by six months. They were caught because of a report by concerned neighbors without ever accomplishing a strike.