“So yeah, I just had to send my wife out to work, knowing someone could be intentionally gunning for her for any number of reasons.Good times.”
“And her detail is allowing it?”
“The agents assigned to her were offered the chance to step back, but they chose to stay with her.She’s become close to her lead agent, Vernon Rogers, so I’m not surprised he wants to stay.”Nick rubbed at the tension in his neck.“It doesn’t sit right with me to be bucking their recommendations.If something happens to Sam, Scotty or one of the agents who’ve become like family to us… I mean, how in the world would we ever live with that?”
Terry thought about that for a second.“The thing is, they have a say in this.Sam is willing to risk everything to continue doing the job she loves.Scotty would tell you he’s willing to accept the added risk of attending a public high school with less built-in security than a private school would have.These are choices they’re making for themselves.”
“But the only reason they’re in any danger in the first place is because of me.”
“Sam was in danger on the job long before she ever met you.”
“Agreed, but it’s a thousand times worse now that everyone in the world recognizes her and knows what she means to me.”
“Granted, but that doesn’t mean she should hide out for the next two and a half years.She’s got to live her life alongside you being in office with all the reasonable security measures in place.”
“Pierce didn’t come right out and say it, but his message was that she’s a target, and that means her agents are, too.”
“Again, they’re choosing to accept that risk.I know it’s an impossible position for you to be in, especially after someone shot at her yesterday, but everything possible is being done to protect your family, and they have to make their own choices about some of this.”
“I guess.”Nick fiddled with the Montblanc pen that Terry’s parents, Graham and Laine, had given him for his Harvard graduation.Terry was right, and Nick knew he had to accept that he couldn’t control everything his family did while he was in office.But if he had his way, Sam would work from home and the kids would be homeschooled, which would make all of them miserable.
It was truly a no-win situation.
“Moving on,” Nick said.“What’s next?”
“We received a phone call from your mother.”He put a slip of paper on the desk.“She’d like to speak to you if you have time.”
The mention of his mother detonated like a live grenade in the middle of an already stressful day.“How did she get a call through?”
“She told the switchboard she’s the president’s mother and that if her call wasn’t put through to his office, someone would be in trouble.”
He had no intention of returning that call.“Of course she did.”Some things—and some people—never changed.“What else?”
“Something fun for a change.”
“How refreshing.”
“I thought you might say that.Every year around the Fourth of July, the president awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to, and I’m quoting the statute here, ‘any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or world peace, or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.’”
Terry placed a thick file on Nick’s desk.“We’ve received numerous nominations from across the spectrum of politics and international affairs as well as business, entertainment, literary figures and so on.You can look through the nominations and also make your own choices.”
“So, I could, for example, nominate your dad if I so desired?”
Terry smiled.“You could.”
“You were right.This’ll be fun.”
Terry stood.“I’ll leave you to that until the budget meeting at eleven.”
“Buzzkiller.”
“Haha, enjoy the fun while you can, Mr.President.”
“Will do.It never lasts long around here.”
Nick opened the file and began to look through the stack of nominations, but all he could think about was Sam moving around the city like everything was normal when nothing would ever be normal again.
It would be difficult to focus on anything else until she was home safe and sound.
