to Reverend Stokes. Caterers couldn’t stop offering him food. Constant flashes were emitted from a camera that took shots of everyone that spoke to him. His campaign manager stepped in every few minutes to give various updates.
I rolled my eyes, glad that they were hidden behind the sunglasses we routinely wore. We even wore them indoors so we could survey our surroundings without being detected. It was one part of the job I’d have trouble getting used to. Who wore shades inside?
An hour later, Ryan came up to relieve me for my scheduled break. His timing was perfect. Not only was I overwhelmed by my current responsibilities, making sure everyone who came in contact with Cool Falcon didn’t pose any danger, but I also needed to visit the rest room.
I headed down the hall, but a mass of females blocked my way. In the midst of the group stood Sebastian, enjoying the attention. His stock went down immediately in my eyes—I didn’t intend to stand there watching him gloat. My nostrils flared at the sight; a part of me was jealous. Not wanting him to see me mixed in with the fawning women surrounding him, I pushed through the first bathroom door I came to. The minute I walked in, I could tell I was in the wrong place. A man stood with his back to me, facing a row of urinals.
Then a male voice from behind me said, “I think the ladies’ room is that way.”
I turned around to find Sebastian grinning at me. I couldn’t dare ponder why he thought this was funny—I knew I would not let newfound emotions affect me so much in the future.
I held my head high and attempted to walk around him before he spoke. When he moved the same way I did, I stepped in the other direction. Still eye to eye, I heard his shoes move again.
I squared him. “Excuse you.”
“You seem upset,” he asked as if he cared.
“I’m in the wrong bathroom with only a few minutes to spare, and it took me forever to get through the hall with you and all your women in the way. Of course I’m agitated. I have to pee.” I walked past him, not caring what he thought of me.
“You misunderstood what you saw,” he said from behind.
“Yeah, right.” I made sure he heard me.
As I scuttled down the hall to the correct rest room, I wondered what it was about this guy that had me all messed up. I’d been around gorgeous men all my life. Love at first sight hadn’t hit me since college, and that didn’t pan out. But something about Sebastian Stokes attracted me to him with a powerful magnetic force. In my briefing, the other agents and I were told that Secret Service agents don’t socialize with the protectee or his family. However, since I technically wasn’t Secret Service, the line didn’t seem so black for me. In fact, it was sort of gray in my mind. But after I’d caught myself feeling something, maybe I didn’t need to cross that faint line.
I pushed open the ladies’ room door and stepped inside. Mrs. Stokes was right on the other side, washing her well-manicured hands. When she glanced up and saw it was me, she started shaking.
“Who’s guarding my husband?” she asked, panic-stricken.
“Agent Hold, ma’am,” I said as I lightly rubbed her back to calm her down.
“Oh.” She fingered the rhinestones on her royal blue suit. “I’m sorry, but these threats on his life are getting to be more than I can take.”
“You don’t have to worry,” I assured her as I removed my hand. “The Agency has all of the e-mails, notes, and letters being checked as we speak. We’re taking nothing for granted. We’ll make sure he’s safe.”
She gave me a small smile. “I know I can seem a bit rude to the help sometime, but I’m overly cautious. My husband and children can be too trusting. I’m sure in your line of work you know what I mean.”
“Yes, ma’am, I do—I wear that same hat when it comes to my mom and sister. You owe me no explanations.”
“Good,” she said, becoming stiff again. “As long as you do your job we’ll have no problems.”
I took a deep breath. “Ma’am, I’m here with only one goal in mind and that’s to keep your husband safe.”
“Well, thank you, I guess,” she said with a sneer before flouncing out of the bathroom.
I wanted to be angry, but in this job I had to learn to deal with people from all walks of life. I could tell that this was definitely going to be an interesting assignment, because from what I’d personally experienced with the Stokes family, they were a trip.
Troy had told me my positive impression of these people wasn’t correct. Though I didn’t want to admit it, he was right. We hadn’t spoken since I’d taken the job, and that was a good thing because I wasn’t up for hearing I told you so. One thing was for sure: the Stokeses were a colorful family.
I was glad when Tuesday night came to a halt. At two A.M. we all retired to our respective hotel rooms in the Marriott Marquis. I would sleep well, knowing that there were no threats or attacks my first night on the job. Sebastian and I never crossed paths again. Maybe it was best that way.
The second week in December, our unit accompanied the Stokes family on a tour of the Midwest. We had stops in Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. None of their three children accompanied us—I was glad I didn’t have to see Sebastian. Like my college love, Max, Sebastian seemed to be in my head early.
In Illinois there was a presidential town hall meeting. Reverend Stokes, Illinois governor Graham Hill, and U.S. congressman Jack Daly were the three candidates on deck. Even though there were no seats, the crowd was settled. Everyone seemed attentive as the candidates were giving their opening remarks. I was glad our job hadn’t been dangerous. Though the Agency had tracked and arrested several people for the idle threats they’d sent in threatening the Reverend’s life, and one of his detail teams did have to call in the bomb squad after receiving a suspicious package at his residence, my team only had to deal with routine stuff.
Feeling at ease, I remembered my training roommate Agent Winters was protecting the governor. Once in place near the podium, I searched the room, hoping to see her. I was unsuccessful.
“Agent Ware,” Agent Sawyer called out, into my earpiece. “I’m posted at the back of the room and there is a guy on your side wearing a red tee-shirt with a rebel flag on it. He looks very antsy. You see him?”
Quickly scanning that perimeter, I found the man in question. He was rocking back and forth while the rest of the crowd standing around was still. Agent Sawyer made it plain he had issues with a black man becoming president, so I purposely limited interaction. I didn’t know him to use such an anxious tone. It appeared that one redneck could spot another.
With my adrenaline rising, I responded, “Yes, I see him—he’s at my nine o’clock.”
“All right, everyone remain where you are. Let’s see if he settles down,” Agent Moss called out from the van.
Agent Hold said, “I’m watching Cool Falcon. He’s about to address the audience.”
Reverend Stokes began speaking. My eyes didn’t move from the suspect. Within seconds, the mysterious guy untied a trench jacket from around his waist and put it on. He then placed his hands in his pockets and pulled out a small, circular steel object.
“We
