One thing Candice liked about the woman she had seen working over the years was that she was outspoken, but usually had more tact than most. She was, for lack of a better word, a protégé worth having. Candice had been watching her since her early years. She had been maneuvering all of her advancements, her department moves, her entire career and the woman didn’t even know it. She was where she was going to stay. That is until Candice became president and then the woman was going to have to make another move to the Secret Service because she would be on her protection detail even if she didn’t want to be there.
“Make it happen, Miss Kitsap.” She said as she turned and left the room. She heard the door open and Autumn’s shoes clacking on the floor behind her. Usually the woman could sneak up on anybody without being heard, but this time she wasn’t trying to sneak up on anybody; she was trying to catch up to argue. Candice smiled at the thought. She loved this woman. She was just too perfect to let sit idle and too much of an assets to let go to waste on some bland desk job. She had been right about Autumn from day one and she was right about her now. She would find their leak, plug it, and assure victory for Candice’s presidential bid. Oh yes, she had everything planned and now was the perfect time to put it all in place.
“You do know why you put me here right?” Autumn kept her tone hushed as she walked beside her.
“Yes. And I have faith that you can do more than one thing. Whatever this guy needs, whatever he wants, you see to it. We’re going to help keep him safe so we can get a killer off the streets.”
“There are a lot of killers on the street.” Autumn reminded her.
“Not like this one.”
“Oh, because he’s raping and killing men now it’s important, huh?”
Candice snorted. “Seems that way. Men are such idiots, but they are useful,” she reminded her. “Whatever this guy wants you get it for him. We just have to keep him safe until trial.”
“And after that?”
She shrugged. “DA’s problem then.”
“How caring,” Autumn mumbled.
“Caring isn’t in my job description,” Candice reminded her. “My job’s to keep them alive until trial and if the DA requests us for longer we’ll work until the trial is over, but outside of that it’s not my job.”
“Do you think the DA will request our services?”
“No. The man hates me. He would much rather go through the regular Marshal service, and honestly by that point I’m sure this Colt guy will be begging for twenty-four seven protection. This is going to get big and dangerous fast. Now, forget about that,” she said as they stepped outside the building. “How are things going in there? Any leads?”
“I have my suspicions, but no proof yet. I’ll keep working it. But you do know this isn’t going to resolve itself in a matter of weeks.”
“You’ve had three months,” she reminded her with a wink. “But no, I figured this would take a while. This is deep and I’m not sure it’s just one man. I want the leak plugged, but I know it’s going to take a little work. You have six months. If you don’t have it by then I’ll have to handle things the not so diplomatic way.” She reminded her. She was sure Autumn knew what she meant. Autumn had seen things through her years of service that left no doubt to what she meant. If they couldn’t find the leak then every member of that unit would be eradicated. They would all have to die. She already had their replacements picked out so it wouldn’t be any loss to her, but getting rid of that many members of their team could get messy. “Plug the leak, Autumn; or I’ll have to call in the plumber.” She nodded before turning and walking away.
Cold hearted? Maybe. But she didn’t get to where she was in this business by being a diplomatic pussy cat. She had claws sharp as a tiger and she would use them whenever she had to as long as she achieved her purpose. Making friends wasn’t in her long-term goals, but making connections with people who could help her seal the Whitehouse as her new residence was in her plan. She would help those who could deliver, but she would also keep an eye on them. She didn’t trust people. They could stab her in the back rather quickly and she had to be alert for that. Autumn, on the other hand, was one of those good people. She liked the woman for her skills and her intelligence, but she was going to have to harden her up if she was going to claw her way to the top. Oh yes, Candice had plans for the young woman—plans she had been orchestrating from day one and now it was time to put into action the next step.
“So we have a new thrown on us assignment,” Kyle Levitz shook his head.
“Afraid so,” Autumn said. “The Director wants Huck to take the assignment, but she has made it perfectly clear to me that this guy gets what he wants. If he wants a new keeper he gets it which means you’ll all have to be alert to the possible scheduling change since you’re all still local.”
“Grand,” York said. “Especially since I’m sitting here practically doing nothing until I’m called to duty.”
She laughed. “Hey, orders are orders. We all have somebody to answer to. We have to go see the new witness so while Huck and I are away York is in charge.”
“What?” York dropped the pen he had in his hand.
Autumn laughed. “Hey, you’re the one who just said all you were doing was sitting around. Now you get to sit around and be in charge.”
“That’s not the kind of job I wanted,” he shook his head.
“Hey, York take one for the team.” Kyle teased.
“I’ve taken more than one for the team,” York mumbled.
“We don’t always get to choose the bed we lie in, York.” She gave him the best smile she could given the circumstances. She wasn’t thrilled about the “drop everything,” mandate either. She just hoped this guy allowed Huck to come out of the cold otherwise Huck would be sleeping in his car and she couldn’t have that. Then again, she could always mandate a large vehicle for him with comfortable seats to sleep on and great heating to keep him warm. Although sitting in a car all day and sleeping there at night wasn’t her ideal setup for protection.
“Guys, Huck and I have orders to head out now. We’ll finish the staff meeting when we get back.”
“I guess I’m staying there,” Huck said.
“Actually I need you back here for the rest of the day. You’ll take over the job in the morning.”
“One more night in my soft, comfortable bed,” Huck chuckled. “If I hadn’t been in that meeting, Autumn I would probably hate you thinking you gave me this crap assignment to get back at me for something.”
She laughed. “So was it you who ate my lunch last week?”
He blushed.
“Oh you are so guilty. You just wait until you have something in there I want and it’s gone, buddy.” They all laughed. “Okay, if you have to go out just be back by three o’clock so we can finish our briefing.”
“Yes, boss,” they said in unison with laughter. She knew she had pretty much just given them permission to leave work, but there was a reason for it. She needed to see who left, who stayed, and who took greater liberties with the database before they did it. She needed to set a trap. The only thing she could do was hope that trap didn’t backfire and get an agent and witness killed.
The drive over to Colt Grayson’s place had been pleasantly cordial. She and Huck were getting along well actually, just like most of the other guys. He wasn’t happy about this assignment and she knew it because he made sure to tell her.
“You know I didn’t have a choice in this, Huck,” she said to him.
“I know. Your chains are being yanked just like mine.”
She laughed. “We’re the puppets.”
“And they’re the puppeteers. At least I’m not the one dealing with her heinous the Director,” he snickered.
“She’s not that bad,” she said. “Just like us, she has somebody else to answer to.”
“Yeah, maybe if we all remembered that we wouldn’t be so hard on each other.”
“Am I too hard on you all?”
“Don’t stop on my account. I think a unit works better when it works as one. We have to know we have each other’s back and we’ll help each other survive.”
“True,” he admitted as they rang the front doorbell and the lights inside flickered. The buzzer sounded and Huck pulled on the door. “Guess that means we’re expected.”
“I guess we go upstairs,” she said as she looked at the note with the drawn arrow. She laughed at the picture of the badge and the guy with horns wearing an FBI vest.
When she reached the top of the stairs she pushed another bell. She was sure the lights must have flickered again because there was no sound and since he was deaf he wouldn’t need a sounding door bell. A minute or so later the door swung open.
Autumn let her eyes drift up the man’s lower belly on up to his finely built chest. Even with the navy-blue t-shirt that stretched across his chest she could still see the underlying muscles. By the time her eyes had caressed to their visual pleasure she looked up into his eyes and what met her was the most striking expression that nearly knocked her off balance. She cleared her throat and reminded herself she needed to start signing. The man was probably staring at her because she had yet to introduce herself.
Huck pulled his identification and she signed who they were. Colt nodded and stepped aside to let them in. Colt closed and locked the door behind them. He had a hint of paint on his beige cargo pants so she assumed they caught him while he was working. Candice had said he was some important artist or something like that. Autumn wouldn’t know anything about the guy because she didn’t have time for art. She liked art; she just didn’t have time to get involved with it, study it, and enjoy it.
“I told the last guy no,” Colt signed. “I told all of them no. I’m telling you the same.”
“If you would just hear us out,” she signed and spoke at the same time so Huck would know what she was saying. “They’re worried about you.”
“No they’re not.” He cut her off. “They’re worried about their case. I’m not leaving; that’s final.”
“And this time they’re not asking you to. They would like for you to make room for one of our agents in your home.”
“That would be me,” Huck said and she signed his words.
“No,” defiance sparked in his honey brown eyes.
“This is for your protection,” she told him. “Let us help you.”
“Feds,” he looked her over. “What makes him any different than the others?”
“He’s skilled in the art of protection. Let him watch over you.”
“No. He doesn’t even speak my language.”
“Of course I don’t,” Huck snapped and she shook her head. He wasn’t helping the cause at all.
“That’s my point. Is he going to call up the translator every time we need to discuss something? Are you going to come running for him?”
“She’s the boss,” Huck said and she had to sign his words.
“I’m just here to smooth the way, but I am sure we can—”
“You do what he does?”
“I have experience, but Huck—”
“Then it’s you or nobody.”
“Excuse me?”
“You speak my language. You can do the job. You or nobody. You know where the door is,” he signed before walking away.
“Well that was rude,” Huck said loudly.
Autumn took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“So what now boss? Are you going to let the Director know he doesn’t want God, he wants you.”
She rolled her eyes, looking up to the ceiling and shaking her head in a “why me,” manner. “She said he gets what he wants. That means you and York will have to hold down the fort while I’m here. And I’ll need you to be my backup if I need it.”
“The man hates me.”
“You’re one of the best. I won’t go into the trenches without you backing me up.” She meant those words. From everything she had discerned Huck was one of the best. Before he took that bullet trying to save the life of the person he was in charge of protecting he was at the top of his game. She didn’t trust many, but she had to trust him. She couldn’t do this all on her own. She would trust him to back her up, but she couldn’t trust him with the ultimate secret. She couldn’t tell him why she was placed over his unit—not right now anyway.
She stepped outside the door and then hit the bell again. She watched the lights flicker. “He’s going to need to lock up behind us.”
Huck nodded.
When Colt came to the door he looked at her in a way that told her he wasn’t happy being summoned. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” she signed. “Lock up and keep safe.”
He nodded before looking her over from head to toe. Then he closed the door in their face and she heard the locks turn. “Let’s go, Huck,” she shook her head.
“Oh this is going to be a fun one for you,” he teased. “I’ve had a couple cases like that—the ones that make you wish you hadn’t drawn the short straw.”
She chuckled. “Duty is duty. Keep me posted on anything going on in the office. I’ll have my phone with me.”
“Got ya,” he nodded as he got in the car. She walked around to the driver’s side and got behind the wheel.
She never went into an assignment thinking it would be a piece of cake because she knew even the seemingly less dangerous could become fatal, but this guy would be a breeze to protect. He was more of the type to keep to himself which meant he wouldn’t spend the day pestering her to go out and party with friends at some club for the night. He wouldn’t put her in a position where she was working in overdrive trying to keep him shielded from harm. He seemed like the kind of guy who stayed at home, locked in his art room painting or whatever else it was he did back there, and she figured protecting a guy like that should be easier than protecting somebody like the President who had been out in public far too often. Of course when she pulled a brief undercover assignment protecting the President she had a team of Secret Service agents around her, and she wasn’t in charge so that helped too.
The most difficult thing she saw about current changes to her schedule was the fact that she was supposed to be with the unit solving a bigger problem. She wasn’t undermining this guy’s importance, but the fact that a lot of other lives hung in the balance of her finding their leak and plugging it before another witness or agent could end up extinguished seemed more important to her than serving as babysitter to a guy who could have anybody watch over him yet he refused to cooperate.
She was going to need help. It didn’t matter if she hadn’t wanted to inform anybody within the unit of her purpose for being there, she was going to have to do it. She was going to have to trust somebody and hope that her trust was not misplaced. There were a lot of lives at stake here; including her own.
Chapter Five
“I didn’t invite you to my place for sex, York.” Autumn shook her head. She had never given the man the impression that she wanted anything more than a working relationship with him. Sure, she would love to build friendships here if her time in the unit was going to become permanent as Candice had implied, but she wasn’t focusing on that right now. Right now she had bigger issues than making a comfortable place for herself within the specialized unit.
“I was hoping you hadn’t. I wouldn’t want to have to file a harassment charge against you, now. But when a woman slips me a note in my copy of a new briefing file to come to her place at seven I get suspicious.”
Autumn laughed. “Sorry about that. There was no other way. I need a confident, and I am going out on a limb here to trust you. The reason I’m here is deeper than what you all were told and I need you to realize that secrecy is crucial. Can I trust you?”
“Can I trust you? Your word that what I say here stays between us,” she looked at him.
“Okay. What’s going on?” He narrowed his eyes as if he were upset that she was being so secretive. She couldn’t help it. This was bigger than any of them, including herself. She had lives in the balance and she couldn’t put their witness on the line by trusting the wrong man.
“I wouldn’t be doing this if this new case didn’t mandate I be the agent handling protection.”
“You want me to take it?”
“You can’t. The witness won’t cooperate and he won’t deal with anybody who doesn’t speak his language. The Feds got this moved up to priority which is why it’s in our special case load. What I need to know right now is can I trust you?” She spoke the question slowly.
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