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See chapter 1 for disclaimers, ratings, and summary. "The President's Court Jester Strikes Again' is the headline on the 3rd page of the New York Post this morning," CJ said giving both Sam and Josh a pointed look. "Do I want to read it?" Josh asked warily. Bonnie and Ginger quietly entered the bullpen trying to listen in unobtrusively. "Not really. The article starts with what it describes as the 'the debacle of little Patrick Murphy', and then it begins a laundry list of other creative ventures in which you have participated. The thesis of the article is that the only reason that The President doesn't fire you is that he himself is weak and ineffectual." "At least, we know how they are coming after you," Sam said from where he was reclining on a chair in the bullpen. "How bad is it?" Josh queried anxiously. "Well, it seems to cover the moments you most would like to forget in this lifetime. There is the ever popular, 'Plan to fight Inflation,' as well as the 'Mary Marsh battle' of which it says that if you knew you were going to fight a girl on national TV, you could have at least made it pay-per-view," CJ reported from her spot leaning against the doorway. "Mary Marsh is not a girl," Josh retorted. "I don't know what she is, but I know she is not a girl." "Leon Harris didn't write this article yesterday. He must have been preparing this one for some time," Sam offered. "Waiting for just the right moment," CJ continued. "Josh's little winking witness was just that moment." "The cigs put him up to this," Josh hypothesized. "Probably. Leon's the kind of guy who can't get his closet door closed for the skeletons inside. I sure they found something to dangle in front of him," CJ said dryly. "This is unbelievable!" An outraged cry interrupted their public relations wake. Donna came striding in with the Post raised threateningly in one hand. "How'd you get that?" Josh asked nervously. "Well, I know better than to count on you for information," she replied with eyes narrowed. "I called her," Bonnie reported from her desk. "Bonnie!" Sam whined. "She was going to find out," Bonnie defended. "We're not going to take this sitting down, are we?" Donna asked in a voice filled with warning. "Donna, we are just going over the options now," CJ replied in an even voice. "He might be an idiot sometimes, but he's our idiot. We are not going to let anyone else say these things!" Donna declared. "You know to keep her away from the press, don't you?" Sam said in an aside to Josh. Josh rolled his weary eyes back at Sam. "Donna, sit down for a moment, okay?" Josh pleaded. "I can't," she retorted. "Okay, then at least stay out of this so we can figure this out," he said in frustration. She leveled another glare in his direction, and then dropped into the chair at Ginger's desk. "What are we going to do?" Josh ventured. "Nothing," CJ offered. "We lay low. We go to work. As far as we are concerned it doesn't even register." "What! We're not going to fight back?" Donna shot from her position. "Would you please find something to do!" Josh cried in frustration at her. Donna folded her arms in defiance. "I'm not sure if we can smile our way out of this one," Sam said. "I think we should answer some of these charges." "I agree. They call me an imbecile, and I'm supposed to grin and go about my business. I don't like it," Josh added. Behind him, Donna began talking into Ginger's phone, speaking in low tones into the receiver. "Come on you guys. These bozos want this to be front and center. Do we have to hand it to them on a silver platter?" CJ argued. Donna began writing furiously on a pad of paper while she listened on the phone. Bonnie looked over curiously to see what she was up to. "I hate the idea of just sitting here, dead in the water," Josh said shaking his head. "Is there a low key way we could do this so that we don't spend the next two weeks topping the hour on MSNBC?" Sam asked. "A newspaper profile, maybe an interview, might be an idea," CJ said thoughtfully. Bonnie leaned over and nudged Ginger, pointing her at Donna who now was studiously dialing a long distance number. "Maybe Danny. He's been asking about doing a piece for the last three months. Maybe I should sit down with him," Josh suggested. "Danny's good, and we know that his editors would love nothing more than to stick it to the Post," CJ said as she considered the idea. Bonnie and Ginger had lost all interest in the PR brainstorming at the center of the room. Where Donna sat held much more entertainment possibility as she began a startling conversation on the phone. "Hello...yes, I'm looking for...yes, I do realize that it is only 7 in the morning...no this is important...Mrs. Harris, please I would like to talk to your husband..." began her conversation. "Josh," Bonnie said a voice filled with trepidation. Josh and company stopped their conversation to look in Bonnie's direction as she gestured frantically at Donna. "Yes, Mr. Harris, how are you this morning?...I read your article in today's Post about Josh Lyman and I just wanted to tell what a total jerk-off I think you are. I happen to work..." Donna looked up in surprise as Josh dived across Ginger's desk, snatching the phone from her ear. The momentum sent him sliding past Donna and landing in a heap on the floor, pulling the phone and three months of appropriations work down on top of him. Ginger hid her face in her hands. A stunned silence settled over the room. Sam leaned over the desk to regard Josh's crumpled form. Josh glared at him in response. "What?" Donna asked innocently to the gathered. "You told me to do something." "Donna!" Josh gave a strangled cry as he attempted to right himself. "What Josh is trying to say, Donna," said CJ intervening, " is that it's important, very important that we don't talk to anybody without a plan." Josh slipped on the file nightmare at his feet and lay sprawled on the floor as he contemplated his next move. Donna looked down at him and wondered if he would be interested in her help. "Donna," Sam said, "you will not be someone we offer up to the press to defend Josh. You are somewhat biased and...involved, so to speak. We will definitely be going in a different direction." "Yes, my sweet," Josh added sarcastically from his position on the floor. "I think it is better that we do not start out this most auspicious day with charges of harassment from the Post. Those kind of things tend to snowball." Donna rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I think my little talk would have done him some good." Josh had successfully navigated himself to his feet when he spied a grim Leo in the doorway. "Good morning, Leo," Sam said surprised to find the Chief of Staff standing there. "Did you get a whiff of our little public image fiasco?" CJ asked nervously. "I'm sorry," Leo said in confusion. "Josh has been skewered by the Post. You didn't know?" CJ said, noting the strange look on his face. "We have the framework for a response. Don't worry about a thing, Leo," Sam offered quickly. "I'm sure it will pass," Leo said showing little interest in their information. "What's going on, Leo?" CJ started to feel a panic growing in her. Leo stared at her for a moment solemnly. "Oh, God, Leo," she said gripping the rim of the desk behind her. Josh moved over next to her. "Is it Toby?" Sam asked softly. "We don't really know anything right now, but it looks like he and two companions have disappeared," Leo reported. CJ's breath quickened. "Find a chair for her, and I'll tell you what I know," Leo said as he looked at her with concern. Josh motioned her into a chair and stood beside her. He looked around the room. "I am glad you are all here. All of you have been a part of this." His eyes rested briefly on Ginger and Bonnie. Then he continued, "Nancy heard from Grozny about two hours ago. They were supposed to be in Argun by nightfall and didn't make it." "The terrain is rugged, Leo. Maybe they had car trouble," reasoned Sam. "They were decked out with some pretty state of the art stuff. The plan was for them to check in by radio every ten kilometers. They made it to the last radio check about eight hours ago. They only had ten kilometers more, but they never made it." "What do we...they do now?" Josh asked with one hand on CJ's shoulder. "It'll be daylight there in about four hours. A team will leave the city and try to retrace their steps." "It could be anything, really," Sam offered hopefully. Leo looked at him wearily for a moment. "I hate for you to start a long day with news like this, but you needed to know." Everyone sat quietly for a time. No one moved as they all tried to absorb the fear that followed the news. Leo wanted to tell CJ to go home and rest, take care of herself, but he sensed that she wouldn't hear him. He looked at Josh, communicating his concern. Josh nodded his understanding. "When I hear something," Leo said breaking the silence. "I'll call you, all of you." Then he turned and walked out of the room.
TBC
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