Stratagem

by Christina Hagmann

  Then he stopped and whispered in my ear, “And after, I was angry that you were giving up. That’s not you. That’s not what you do.” He kissed me on one of my eyelids.

  This time, I grabbed his face. I pulled him back where I could see him. “Brody, I worry that you have this romantic notion of who I am because of what I can do. You see more in me than what’s there.” I held him away from me.

  “No, Meda…” he began, but I cut him off.

  “No. I do give up, and that’s why I do whatever I’m told. I’m not worried about what is right or wrong.” Brody went to speak, but I squeezed his face. “No, listen. That is who I am, or who I was. But because of you, I realize that there is more to it than my own existence. I mean, I still don’t know if I could kill someone, let alone my own mother, but I know I’ll do what needs to be done, not because Smith told me to, but because I know what will happen if I don’t stop them.”

  Brody pulled me toward him once more, and I surrendered. His gentle kisses soothed me, and soon, I was lost in his lips and his hands. We were entangled in the small bed, and it wasn’t like when I was shifting into someone else. We were two, and we remained two but became connected in a way that I could never imagine. And I knew that I could never betray Brody or let him down again. Dan said not to trust anyone, but Dan had trusted Brody and so would I.

  I jolted awake and was surprised to find that Brody was still in the bed with me. I thought maybe he would sneak out so Smith wouldn’t find us together. But even though I woke up early, it was only seconds before Smith walked in. I was tucked under Brody’s arm, staring at the wall, when the door opened.

  I jumped up, which awoke Brody and made Smith chuckle in a dry laugh. “Well, I’m glad to see you two are getting along once again.”

  Brody placed his hand protectively on my head. “We’ll be out for breakfast in a minute.” Smith didn’t say another word, and left us alone.

  “Well, I guess this is it,” I sighed. I didn’t move to get up. In fact, I didn’t want to move at all. Brody began stroking my hair.

  “I love you, Meda,” he said. It came out so naturally, I didn’t realize what he said at first. And this was the moment. I never let anyone know how I felt because I was taught to be secretive. I was taught to feel guilt for revealing anything. I couldn’t show feeling, I couldn’t reach out and touch someone when I cared about them because that would be one step closer to revealing my big secret, but with Brody, I had nothing left to hide. He knew everything.

  “I love you too, Brody.”

  chapter 29

  We ate breakfast quietly. I tried not to think about what we had said to each other. It was so natural, but it also seemed reckless, especially with the shadow of the mission looming over us. When Aaron joined us, he could tell something was different. He ate quietly but glanced back and forth between me and Brody, trying to gauge what had changed. Even if Aaron couldn’t guess, I knew that just because Brody and I were together, that didn’t mean Aaron would forgive me. That was not how he operated. He would need time, and once I was gone, he would have all the time he needed. Even if he didn’t forgive me, I hoped that in the future he would find some peace.

  After breakfast, I made my way back to the small room to get ready. I looked at the bed, thinking of Brody and last night. I wished we could stay here in this little room, or better yet, run away, but that wasn’t in the cards.

  On the bed was a dress suit in the style that the First Lady would wear. I walked over and touched the thick, expensive fabric. I rubbed it between my fingers, still in thought. Once I got dressed, that would be it. I reached up to twist at my ear, but I stopped myself. It would be a dead giveaway in the field.

  I carefully and slowly got dressed. When I was finished, I looked down, smoothing the fabric, when there was a knock on the door. I turned, half-expecting Smith, but it was Brody. This was it. I bit the corner of my lip to prevent it from shaking. I needed to be strong if I was going to make it out alive.

  Brody walked over slowly and stood in front of me, staring at me. I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for something.

  “Wha—” I began to ask.

  “Shh,” he said, smiling. “I want to memorize your face, before you change.”

  “You say it like you won’t see me again.” I said it jokingly, but when it came out, it instantly soured the mood. His smile disappeared.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” Brody reached for me, and I intercepted his hand, taking it in both of mine.

  “I know,” I said. “Let’s not do this. Let’s not say goodbye. We’ll see each other soon.”

  He looked at me for another second and then pulled me into him. “Yes, we will,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. We stayed like that for a little while, but we both knew it was time to go. This time, it was my turn to be strong. I pulled Brody over to the door when it opened. Smith had been standing on the other side, in wait.

  “Come on, folks, we’re on a schedule,” he said. I felt Brody looking at me, but I couldn’t make eye contact otherwise I might break down, so I looked straight ahead and followed Smith down the hallway and into the depths of a dark basement parking structure.

  They walked me to the vehicle they had waiting. Smith had informed me earlier, when briefing me on the mission, that the Opposition had pooled all of its resources for this. The First Lady was doing an appearance at a fitness center for her women’s health campaign. There was security, but it was the easiest place to make the switch. The plan was risky because while the Opposition didn’t hire hits like the Agency did, they still had to hold on to the First Lady, which meant they would have to keep her safe and comfortable, but also hide what was going on. They weren’t in the business of kidnapping, but in this case, it was the only way.

  Smith explained they were not taking the First Lady to the compound for fear people would find it. They had an undisclosed location outside of D.C. where they planned to house her. It would be scary for her at first, but their plan was to dress like security and explain that there had been an attempt on her husband’s life.

  “So, where will the President be?” I asked.

  “He is at a different engagement.”

  “But what will happen to him? You know the Agency is making an attempt to put a mimic in his place.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We have it covered,” Smith reassured me.

  “How again do you have it covered?”

  “We’re working with someone at the Agency.” Smith looked down when he said those words, as though he was lying to me or trying to keep something from me.

  “And, is this someone I know?” I thought there was no way they could be working with my mother, but there was some hope in me that maybe that other business with the kidnapping had been a show, put on for Isi’s sake.

  “I can’t tell you now, Meda. We can’t blow their identity. It’s best you don’t know.” I was frustrated. Of course, it would be better if I knew what was going on, but I knew that there was no way Smith would reveal it to me.

  So now I stood, ready to enter the vehicle and leave behind the one person in the world that I ever trusted. I knew now it wasn’t silly to put trust in people, because sometimes that was all a person had to hold onto.

  An agent opened the door for me, but before I got in, I turned to Brody, leaned in, and kissed him one last time. It wasn’t big or dramatic. I didn’t want it to seem like a goodbye. There would be no goodbyes.

  Just then, Aaron entered the parking structure followed by two more agents. He stayed by the entryway and didn’t smile or wave or make any kind of indication that he was there to wish me good luck. I was certain he was there for Brody, but I was glad to see him.

  Without wasting any more time, I ducked into the back of the car. Brody stepped forward like he wanted to say something, but the door quickly shut behind me. I slid across the leather seats and clicked my seat belt in place. Then, I looked out the deeply tinted windows, and even though I knew Brody coul
dn’t see me as we pulled away, I gave him one final wave.

  chapter 30

  I was alone in the back of the vehicle. In the front were two men in suits, generic men that I hadn’t seen before, or if I had, they blended in with the rest of them. I stared out the window as we exited the parking structure and made our way to the point of the swap. I couldn’t think of Brody or Aaron anymore. I had to focus on my job. What I was doing now was going to be bigger than anything I had done, and I could either be responsible for saving many people, or, well, I didn’t want to think about the consequences of my failure. So the rest of the way, I remained lost in thoughts of what was expected of me as the First Lady.

  When we slowed down, I noticed we were in a well-manicured area around D.C. I wasn’t sure the town, but it didn’t matter. In the last few weeks, I had been all over the place, but it didn’t seem that way because whether I was in D.C., Chicago, or some suburb, I was always confined to the small place that someone had put me in. A walking prison.

  In no time at all, we pulled into the packed parking lot of the fitness center. There were news vans and parking attendants directing traffic, and people were scattered all over the place. This wasn’t the quiet swap I was used to.

  The parking attendants stopped us, and the driver showed them something, and we were directed to the back of the building. They even moved one of the road barricades that they had in place. We pulled around back to a service entrance with a garage door.

  We pulled to a stop, and only moments after, the large metal door opened where a man was waiting for us. I ducked down, covering my face. I knew it was important that no one see me, especially if my mom or Isi were anywhere nearby.

  I concentrated on shifting into Cynthia, the hotel staff member I had used when we did the swap at the zoo. It seemed like bad luck, but it was best I didn’t shift into any of the politicians I had been using in the last year. For all I knew, they had probably met the First Lady.

  My skin prickled with heat, and then it was over in a moment. I exited the back of the vehicle, led by one of the men in suits, and we walked to the large door. The man waiting for us ushered us inside and then shut the door, but not before he studied me closely. He probably had never seen a mimic up close.

  The man who stood in front of me had a deep tan and a shiny bald head. He didn’t speak to me, but he spoke in a firm, hushed tone to the man in the suit. “The First Lady is just finishing up her appearance. She is going to exit this way, but they have asked that she freshen up in the bathroom. We were required to clear the locker room.” Great, I thought. Another bathroom swap. It made sense though. It was the only place people truly had privacy.

  Even though he wasn’t talking to me, I cleared my throat. “How will you remove her security detail?” I was sweating underneath the bright lights in the access way. We stood in what seemed like a receiving room, and I felt too exposed.

  He paused a moment before answering me. “We have one of our own with her. He will be the one to do the sweep and will stand just inside the door. He knows what you need to do. He will also administer a sedative to the First Lady which will knock her out long enough to get her to the next location.”

  “It won’t hurt her at all, will it?” I grabbed for my ear but then corrected myself.

  “No, ma’am. We wouldn’t think of it. Now, let’s get you in place.” He grabbed my arm to lead me, but I stopped him.

  “You know, she’s going to be terribly frightened, watching me change. You’ll have to expect that. I’ve seen it a million times.”

  “Yes, ma’am. We’ll do our best to make sure she is as comfortable as can be given the situation.”

  “Thank you,” I said and let myself be led to the locker room. The locker room wasn’t far from the service entrance, and the bathrooms were located directly next to the showers in the far back corner. It was completely empty, so I quietly walked through, slipped into the back stall, and waited.

  The minutes dragged. I was sweating in the ridiculous skirt suit, peering through the crack in the stall door. I kept thinking I heard something, but then minutes would pass, and no one would appear. I began to think maybe they changed their plans. Security teams did that all the time so no one could guess where the person they were guarding was going to be. How dangerous was life for the First Lady? She wouldn’t need as much security as the President, but there were still threats on her life. As I was thinking about that, I heard someone speak.

  “If you need anything, I will be right out here, ma’am.” The man spoke in an overly loud voice so that I was aware that she was on her way. I held my breath and waited.

  As it turned out, the switch was uneventful compared to the last one, probably because this woman had done me no wrong and she wasn’t expecting what was going on. When I exited the stall, she looked at me, surprised.

  “Oh, sorry, I didn’t think anyone was in here,” she said. I stepped forward and grabbed her hand, shaking it. “Oh,” she said again, surprised.

  “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” I said. Her mouth twitched, but even nerves didn’t erase her impeccable manners. I continued to shake her hand when I felt the pins and needles and the burn. I must have grimaced and probably gripped her hand a little too hard.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “Paul?” She called out to her security guard, and when she turned back to look at me, he snuck up behind her and injected her with the sedative. I let go of her hand, and she put it up to the spot where he had injected her, confused. Then she turned back to me. Her eyes opened wide at the horror of seeing herself standing in front of her. Before she could call out for help, her eyes rolled back in her head, and Paul caught her.

  “You’re up,” he said, still holding the First Lady. “Be careful, and may God be with you.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I stepped around them and exited out the door. I was not an expert in walking in heels, and though I had walked in with the heels on, I knew as I walked out that I would have to be just a little bit better, just a little more graceful.

  The rest of the security detail met me at the door, and we walked out into the back service entrance. The vehicle I arrived in had been moved, and a different one was in its place. This one would take me to The White House.

  No matter how much I studied for this, nothing prepared me for our drive to the White House, the symbol of America, our government, and most importantly, our President. The massive columns tucked away by trees revealed themselves as we approached and eventually came to a stop. This would be the backdrop for what I hoped would be my final mission.

  chapter 31

  The car door opened, and a security guard reached in to help me out. I tried to be ladylike as I slid across the seat and took his hand, nodding and smiling. I stood and demurely straightened my suit, not wanting to look anything but my best. I thanked the man and began walking behind the security officer. A few men were posted around, and I wondered if this was a normal security detail or if they had gotten wind of what the Agency was up to.

  As we walked up to the sprawling, pristine building, I smiled and nodded at the men and women who were stationed at the entrance. I was going to try to talk as little as possible because speaking was a way to get caught. A person can usually tell when someone they know is off by what they say, and though I studied the tapes, I knew it was best if I played it safe.

  As I was led inside, I tried not to look too awestruck, but it was difficult not to be. It was my first time visiting the White House. My security team informed me that my husband would be arriving home at 8:00 pm. I mentally checked. That gave me about eight hours to wander around this place without getting recognized as someone other than the First Lady.

  I knew the presidential bedroom along with the private sitting rooms and private office, the one the President used when he wasn’t in the Oval Office, were located on the second floor in the residential area. With all of the people wandering around, I couldn’t imagine the President and First Lady ever having
any private time. I felt a brief moment of sadness. That had to be difficult. Much more difficult than being a celebrity. No privacy and massive, world-changing decisions? I knew I couldn’t imagine the half of it. I stopped imagining and focused on my surroundings as we made our way up to the second floor.

  I was surprised that once we got upstairs, they basically left me alone. I hadn’t known what to expect, but I wasn’t banking on having a lot of privacy. I was so wired that I decided to do a little wandering to get the lay of the land. Everything was so beautiful and picture-ready. There were fresh flowers, the rooms smelled clean, and each room had a color scheme. My thoughts rushed back to my own home growing up. We lived in a nice family home on Kenilworth Avenue, an old home my father updated as we grew into it. My father’s parents left it to him after they passed. They died one after the other because that was what two people in love did. Two people who couldn’t live without one another. I shook my head, feeling ridiculous for being so cheesy.

  My thoughts turned to my mother. She had a garden in the back of that house, and I remember standing to the side, watching her tend to it. She’d wipe her hair back from her face, leaving dirty marks, and I would step forward and wipe them away. She would look up and smile at me, like she hadn’t known I was even there, and then she would go back to work, concentrating solely on the garden.

  Then I remembered one other thing. Something I hadn’t thought of until that moment. My mother, when my father was gone at work, used to sit up at her vanity where she had a cushioned chair, a sprawling table of makeup, and a large mirror. She would sit up there for hours, staring at herself. I remembered thinking that my mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. Then, she would slowly apply makeup. Bright red lips, multiple sweeps of mascara, powder. The strange thing was she wasn’t going anywhere. After we did our homeschool lessons, she would go back upstairs and wipe most of it off before my father arrived home.