King and Maxwell

CHAPTER 77

“I’M SORRY TO KEEP YOU waiting, Ms. Maxwell.”

President Cole looked harried and distracted as he entered the Oval Office.

“No problem, sir,” Michelle said, quickly rising to her feet.

“And Mr. King?”

“Not here. We split up. You just get me today.”

Cole nodded, but said nothing. He looked deeply preoccupied.

“Bad day, sir?” she said, trying to bring his thoughts back around to this meeting.

He started, turned to her, and attempted a smile. “You could say that. But in this job, it’s all relative. A really bad day is sending off brave young men and women to die for their country.”

“So I guess a garden-variety scandal isn’t so bad.”

“No, but it is distracting. And it gives my political enemies powder for their guns. Not that they seem to need any to fire away at me.”

“What can I do for you, sir? I know every minute of your day is planned out.”

“Well, I’m afraid that we’re going to have to make this meeting a mobile one.”

It was then that Michelle fully focused on the fact that Cole was wearing a tuxedo.

“Sir?”

“Formal event in Virginia tonight at Mount Vernon. I’m the keynote speaker. You up for a ride in the Beast?” He smiled. “My people will give you a lift back.”

“Yes, sir.”

As she walked out to the waiting motorcade she slipped her phone out, powered it up, and quickly thumbed in a group text to Sean and Edgar. She hit send, smiled, and put the phone back in her pocket.

A Secret Service agent she knew held open the limo door for her. The president always got in last. When his butt hit the seat the motorcade would leave. Michelle couldn’t hide her smile as she climbed inside and took the seat opposite the president, facing backward.

As soon as he climbed in the door thunked closed and all outside noise vanished. It would not reappear until the doors opened once more, because the phone-book-thick windows did not roll down. The motorcade started off.

The Beast looked like the Caddy DTS it was on the outside, but it was unique in all other respects. Three hundred thousand bucks allowed some interesting optional features. It weighed more than eight tons and was completely sealed in case someone tried to hit it with biochemical weapons. The fuel tank was foam-sealed. Even if it got struck, it wouldn’t explode. It had an oxygen supply and fire extinguishers in the trunk along with a supply of the president’s blood type. Built into the front bumper were night-vision cameras and tear gas cannons. The vehicle’s shell was a combination of ceramic, titanium, and the old reliable steel. The tires had a Kevlar skin and were run-flat. The doors were as heavy as a large jet’s cabin portal because of their eight-inch armor plating. The windows’ first few layers were bulletproof to absorb a round while the inner layers were a special type of plastic that would catch any bullet like a fly in a web.

Two drawbacks were speed and fuel consumption. The Beast topped out at sixty miles an hour and got only eight miles to the gallon because of all the weight.

Michelle noted the driver and other agent in the front seat. She then gazed out the window, taking in the thirty-vehicle motorcade. Then she looked over the plush interior of the rear compartment.

Cole looked at her in slight amusement. “First time in the Beast?” he asked.

She nodded. “I left the Service before I could rotate to protection detail at the White House.”

“I remember my first time. I thought I was in a dream.”

“Must feel pretty old hat by now.”

“Not a chance. It’s an honor and a privilege and it’s pretty damn cool.” He settled back in his seat and gazed out the window. “I can never go anywhere on the sly. I’m not even allowed to drive on a public street.”

Michelle sat back, too. “Probably a good idea. You don’t want to have to talk your way out of a speeding ticket.”

He smiled and then gazed at the agent in the front.

“Window up, Frank,” said Cole.

The partition glass separating the two sections of the Beast slid up.

Cole waited for it to finish its glide and then focused on Michelle. “I’m going to speak frankly, Ms. Maxwell.”

“Yes, sir.”

“My administration is in a world of trouble.”

“I sort of got that impression.”

“The thing is we were trying to do something positive, something that would help another country become free.”

“The best of intentions, the worst of outcomes.”

“My opponents are always screaming at me to send in troops, use America’s massive military. But when we actually do something, the effect of which would be the same at far less cost to us, they threaten impeachment.”

“I think it’s called politics, sir.”

“Only this time I think I went too far out on a limb. And it’s about to snap.” He eyed her with desperation. “Have you and your partner been able to find out anything?”

“We have, sir.” She took him through all that they had learned, including the kidnapping of Tyler Wingo and his friend Kathy.

“My God, I knew nothing about that. And you think Sam Wingo was set up and that this Alan Grant is behind it all? For a political scandal that led to his parents’ deaths over two decades ago?”

“That’s what we believe.”

“And he’s the source of the leaks to that blogger?”

“We believe that too.”

“And your proof?”

“We’re collecting it. In fact, if you let me make a call to my partner he may have an update.”

“Please.”

Michelle dialed Sean. He answered on the second ring.

“I got your text,” he said. “The Beast, huh? With the president?”

“Yes I am,” she said happily.

“Well, we have great news too. We got Tyler and Kathy. They’re both okay. They’re at Fairfax Hospital. Kathy was wounded in the arm, but she’ll be okay. They’ve got heavy FBI security. Her parents were notified and are at the hospital with her.”

“Sean, that is fantastic news.”

“And we got two of Grant’s thugs. Littlefield and McKinney are going to put the screws to them. If they talk, we may have a direct line back to Grant.”

“Better and better.” She turned to Cole. “Sir, they got the kids back. They’re safe. And they got the kidnappers. The FBI has them in custody. It may lead us directly to Grant.”

“Thank God,” said Cole. “That’s a miracle.”

Michelle glanced out the window. They were just heading over Memorial Bridge into Virginia. There were no cars on the road other than the motorcade, because the Beast did not share the road with mere mortal cars and drivers. It was a beautiful evening now that the rains had passed and the descending sun shimmered off the frosty surface of the Potomac.

“So why are you meeting with the president?” asked Sean.

On Michelle’s screen a text from Edgar popped up. Her eyes widened and her gut clenched.

“Michelle?” said Sean.

“Oh, shit!” exclaimed Michelle.

“What is it?” said Cole.

“Michelle, are you okay?” said Sean.

Michelle turned to the president. “We have to get–”

She never got a chance to finish.