Sure glad nothing bad happened to you, Sir,” Metcalfe  said, easing the older man back against the comfort of the leather seat.  “Press’ll eat it up,” Ripley laughed.  “I bet it’ll help my poll numbers.”  He  coughed and a gout of frothy, bright red blood spilled down his chin and a  spread in a widening stain over the front of his light blue shirt.  The look, on  Metcalfe’s face was that of pure horror.  He rapped on the window between the  front and back of the limo, “Bill!  Eagle is down.  Eagle is down.”  The  President looked confused.  Even though he was aware of the codes in which his  Secret Service spoke, he could not figure out what was happening.  He knew he  was Eagle, but he wasn’t down.  Down meant trouble and he wasn’t in trouble.  “Hand me a tissue would you Joel?”  Harris Ripley said, preoccupied with the  fact that he could feel something like spittle running down and tickling his  chin.  Annoyed at being soiled, he dabbed at his chin with the tissue.  Blood  smeared across his jaw, but he was still unaware that he had been shot.

Harris Ripley is the president of the United States.  While  leaving a the Washington Hilton Hotel after giving a speech to the UAW, a lone  gunman opens fire at Ripley as well as several others within the group  protecting him.  Secret Service Agent Joel Metcalfe literally throws Ripley into  the limo and lays on top of him acting as a human shield.  But unknown to Metcalfe  nor the President, it’s too late.  The President has been shot and neither  realize this until after the limo pulls out heading for the Whitehouse. 

Political reporter David McLaughlin was at the Hilton for  this disastrous event in history but instead of being in a position to report he  was in the nearest bar and had no idea as to what was taking place right before  him.  Instead of firing him, McLaughlin’s publisher moved one of his most  brilliant reporters to the Obit section where he runs into Dr. Reginald  Hotchkiss.  Dr. Hotchkiss is not only the husband of McLaughlin’s ex-wife and  step-father to his daughter but also a doctor of hematology.  He has requested  that McLaughlin call him later.  He has some disturbing news that he feels must  be made public.  The meeting never takes place.  Someone gets to Hotchkiss  before McLaughlin. 

The name The President Has Aids is a giveaway as to what the  story builds up to but… the build-up is worth the read even if the title does  give it away.  The events and actions that take place to cover up the fact that The President Has Aids keep the pages turning.  But who is behind this action?   Is it the Vice President?  The Surgeon General hopeful?  The President’s wife?   Or is it the President himself?  And how did the President contract Aids?  I had  my own suspicions and couldn’t wait to see if I was right. 

The President Has Aids is a very well written book that kept  me hanging on to every word.