Air Force One: Hostage Crisis
The joint operation between American and Russian Special Forces had been a success. They had captured General Radek, the dictator of a rogue neo-Soviet regime in Kazakhstan that had retained its nuclear weapons, threatening war. Three weeks later, U.S. President James Marshall was attending a diplomatic dinner in Moscow, Russia. He praised the operation and insisted the U.S. would “no longer negotiate with terrorists”.
Marshall and his entourage, including his wife Grace and daughter Alice, were preparing to return home on Air Force One. Members of the press had also been invited aboard, including six Radek loyalists disguised as journalists, led by Egor Korshunov.
After takeoff, Secret Service agent Gibbs, a mole, enabled Korshunov and his men to obtain weapons and storm the plane. They killed many of the other security and military personnel before taking the rest hostage, including Grace and Alice. Marshall was raced to an escape pod in the cargo hold while pursued by Korshunov’s men, but they were too late to stop the pod from ejecting.
Korshunov breached the cockpit and slayed the crew, narrowly preventing the plane from making an emergency landing at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. A squadron of F-15s escorted Air Force One as Korshunov had it piloted towards a Radek-loyal airbase in Kazakhstan.
Unknown to all, Marshall had hidden himself in the cargo hold instead of using the pod, and he stealthily observed the loyalists. He covertly killed some of Korshunov’s men and used a satellite phone to communicate with Vice President Kathryn Bennett, letting his staff know he was still alive and aboard the plane.
Korshunov assumed that it was merely a Secret Service agent that was in the cargo hold, so he contacted Bennett and demanded Radek’s release, threatening to kill a hostage every half-hour. Marshall and military advisors devised a plan to trick Korshunov to take Air Force One to a lower altitude for a mid-air refueling, buying time for the hostages to parachute safely off the plane.
As a KC-10 tanker docked with Air Force One, Marshall helped to capture another loyalist and escorted the hostages to the cargo hold, where the majority parachuted to safety. Korshunov discovered the deception and forced Air Force One to break the connection with the tanker, causing the fuel to ignite and destroying the tanker. The consequent shockwave disrupted the escape process, and Korshunov was able to stop Marshall, Chief of Staff Lloyd Shepherd, Major Caldwell, and Gibbs from escaping. Some of the hostages and the captured loyalist fell out of the plane without parachutes to their deaths.
With the president and his family under his control, Korshunov violently berated Marshall for killing his men and forced him to contact Russian President Petrov and arrange for Radek’s release. Bennett was urged by Defense Secretary Walter Dean to declare the president incapable under the 25th Amendment, thus overriding Radek’s release, but she refused.
While Korshunov and his men celebrated the news of Radek’s release, Marshall broke his bonds and killed Korshunov and his remaining henchmen. Marshall then rescinded his order to release Radek, who was subsequently shot dead when he attempted to escape.
Marshall and Caldwell directed the plane back to friendly airspace, accompanied by the F-15s, only to be quickly tailed by a second batch of Radek loyalists in MiG-29s. Marshall was saved by one F-15 pilot who sacrificed himself to intercept a missile. The resultant explosion damaged the plane’s tail, and they started to lose altitude.
As Air Force One safely lands, President Marshall is greeted by Vice President Kathryn Bennett and his staff. Marshall thanks everyone involved in his rescue and expresses his condolences for those who lost their lives. He then addresses the nation, announcing the successful capture of General Radek and the thwarting of the terrorist plot. He also pays tribute to the sacrifice of the F-15 pilot and the parajumpers who risked their lives to save his family and his team.
In the aftermath of the crisis, investigations are launched to uncover how the loyalists were able to breach Air Force One and whether there were any other moles in the government. Gibbs’ treachery is exposed, and he is posthumously court-martialed and dishonorably discharged.
President Marshall is hailed as a hero for his bravery and leadership, and he continues to serve as the President of the United States, vowing to never negotiate with terrorists again. He also takes steps to improve the security of Air Force One and the safety of the presidential entourage.
The memory of the harrowing ordeal stays with Marshall and his family, but they are grateful to have survived and to have witnessed the courage and sacrifice of those who risked their lives to save them.