by his side. Tracy’s husband, Mike, and their younger children, Abby and Ethan. Nick’s father, Leo, his wife, Stacy, and their six-year-old twin boys. The last to arrive were Nick’s adopted parents, retired Senator Graham O’Connor and his wife, Laine, both of whom were rattled and undone by the ordeal.
The agents produced toys and games for the kids, who went to check out the offerings while the adults speculated as to what might’ve happened to result in them being plucked out of their lives and brought to this underground bunker.
“Whatever it is,” Skip said, “it must be huge to warrant something like this.”
Her father’s comment didn’t help to calm Sam’s out-of-control nerves. The only person missing from this family reunion was the one she most needed to see, to touch, to ensure he was okay. Until she knew for certain that he hadn’t been harmed, she wouldn’t be able to function normally.
The lack of information was the worst part. They were completely sealed off from the outside world with no earthly idea what had prompted the Secret Service to gather up people who weren’t even under their protection.
Tracy came over to Sam, who stood by herself, trying to think it through as a detective and coming up empty.
“Are you okay?” Tracy asked. At some point she’d removed the foils from her hair, which was sticking up at awkward angles that would’ve made Sam laugh under normal circumstances.
“I’m freaking out and have a million questions. Where’s Nick? Is he okay? Why won’t they tell me anything? Who ordered that everyone be brought here? What is this place?”
“I know it’s hard not to go to the worst-case scenario, but if something had happened to him, surely it would’ve made the news before the dragnet swooped in, right?”
“I suppose, but who knows for sure with him in freaking Iran? Well, they know, but they’re not telling me anything!” She intentionally raised her voice so the agents huddled together at the far end of the huge room would hear her. Not that they gave a shit. In a quieter tone, she said, “I’m losing my mind, Trace.”
Tracy put her arm around Sam and led her to one of the sofas, where they sat together, Sam leaning her head on her older sister’s shoulder the way she had all her life when she needed comfort. Tracy was always there for her, and now was no different.
With baby Ella in her arms, Angela joined them, sitting on the other side of Sam. “I hope they thought to get diapers, because they didn’t give me time to get anything, and this little girl is going to need a change before too much longer.”
“What did they say when they came to your house?” Sam asked.
“Just that they were with the Secret Service, that there was a ‘situation’ and the children and I needed to come with them.”
“A situation,” Sam said. “That’s more info than I’ve been given.”
“What about Spencer?” Angela asked about her husband. “He’s in Philadelphia today for work.”
“I’m sure they’re aware of his whereabouts, but I’ll ask when I get the chance,” Sam said.
“I’m worried about Gonzo and Christina not being able to reach me when they want to pick up Alex,” Angela said. “Someone needs to tell them what’s going on.”
“Someone needs to tell us what’s going on.” She stood and marched over to the group of agents. “I want to be briefed. Right now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cooley said, surprising her with his easy capitulation. “Right this way.”
Sam took a tentative look over her shoulder, caught Tracy’s eye and nodded toward Scotty, asking her sister to keep an eye on her son. He’d been unusually quiet as they waited to find out what was happening.
Tracy nodded in understanding and slipped an arm around Scotty’s shoulders.
The last thing Sam saw before she entered an adjoining room with the agents was Scotty smiling at whatever Tracy had said to him.
Sam’s stomach knotted in fear, and her hands were suddenly sweaty. What would they tell her, and how would it change her life? Please...whatever it is, please let Nick be okay. Sam could handle anything they had to say as long as her beloved husband hadn’t been harmed.
When they were seated around a large conference table, Cooley began by offering Sam something to drink.
“Water would be good.”
Cooley brought her a plastic cup filled with cold water.
As she took a drink, she realized how dry her mouth and throat were. Fear did that to a person.
“On behalf of the United States Secret Service, I apologize for the inconvenience to you, your son and your family members,” Cooley said. “At eleven twenty this morning, the Secret Service was provided with information that specified a credible threat against the vice president and his family.”
“Wh-what kind of threat?”
“We’re still in the early stages of our investigation. We hope to know more in the next few hours.”
“Where’s my husband?”
“He’s on his way home and due to land at Andrews at twenty hundred hours.”
Sam checked her watch. Six hours. He’d be home in six hours. Thank you, God. “When can I see him?”
“He’ll be brought here as soon as his plane lands.”
“What is this place?”
“It’s one of several secure sites kept by the Secret Service throughout the metropolitan DC area for instances such as this when we receive a credible threat against the president, the vice president or a member of their immediate family.”
“How long do we have to stay here?”
“We don’t know that yet.”
“Are we talking a day, a week, a month?”
“That I don’t know.”
She threw up her hands in outrage. “You can’t just hold us here against our will!”
“I’m afraid we can.”
“On whose order?”
“The vice president’s, ma’am.”
“Nick approved the plan for you to pick us all up?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So he knows what the threat was?”
“He does, ma’am.”
Sam tried to process that information, but her brain was unable to wrap itself around what kind of threat must’ve been levied against their family for Nick to order such dramatic measures be taken to protect them. “My brother-in-law Spencer—”
“Is
