Looking out of the car window, William took in the stately neighborhood they drove through. Solid brick two–story houses, fireplaces, expensive cars in the driveways… everything appeared polished, all the way down to the non–cracked sidewalks. Certainly, no gangs traveled these streets, and he bet the only person of color would be a maid.
“Are you sure this is the right address?” he asked Ben.
“Brighton Corbe Estates. Essex Avenue. Should be around the corner.” Ben handed the map to William. “Don’t even suggest I ask for directions.”
William took the map and barely glanced at it. Ben had worked with the COLONY decades longer than William. Ben was one of the founding members of the team, which formed after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Another turn and a short drive down the street led them to the elementary school. The large building stood tall on its large lot. It was all white brick, and had a spacious courtyard, and offered plenty of parking.
“Let me get this straight,” he challenged Ben. “The President has taken a lot of flack for not caring enough about our education system, and especially for not providing for underprivileged kids.” William pointed at the building. “Does he think this sanctuary with no broken windows and no kids on state funded lunch programs will really fit the bill?”
Ben parked the car in front of the school. “I only have to protect the man. I don’t have to agree with him.”
“But doesn’t it bother you?”
Ben glared at William. “Change takes its sweet time. You’re not that old, but you can remember the riots of the ‘60s — the inequality we suffered. I’ve seen a lot of change. Don’t forget, our people weren’t even allowed an education when I was a boy.”
William felt a pang of guilt. Ben had been born a slave in the 1800s. Surely he had seen worse discrimination in his days than William had. Ben stood the tallest and largest of all the COLONY vamps. Looking like a linebacker in corporate dress, William could only imagine the life Ben had been forced to live back in the days of slavery.
The two exited the car and did a surveillance sweep of the outside of the building. “No security cameras,” Ben said. “The human Secret Service agents already noted that. There will be some in place by Monday morning when the big man arrives.”
When they easily entered the building, William rolled his eyes. “Outdated metal detectors. Only one manual security check. I wish the old man were visiting a museum or library. Schools are so open.”
“Schools are getting more and more secure, but some are behind the times.” Ben led William down the short corridor to the main office. Before they entered, he whispered,”The human team already has a plan to better secure the building. We just have to visit with the staff and make sure no vampires are around.”
Chapter Two
On Monday, Jackie drove in to work. As a substitute teacher, she always tried to arrive early. Different streets, different traffic… she never wanted to be late, even if she hated the school.
Criswell Elementary ranked as a top notch school across the state. Of course, in an abundantly rich neighborhood, that would be expected.
As she turned onto the street to the school, she was surprised to find a group of policemen waving her into a secured roped–off parking lot. After showing her ID and explaining that she was subbing for a teacher, she was allowed to park. The officers gave her no explanation for the parking precautions, but since she saw men on nearby rooftops, possibly snipers, she assumed maybe the President was nearby.
The policemen asked her to exit the car while they searched the interior, the underside, and the trunk for explosives and weapons. They didn’t say that was what they looked for, but it seemed obvious to Jackie.
She felt a momentary gush of excitement. After all, she had never seen a President before. But over the years she lived in the D.C. area, the reality was that presidential outtings were more of a hassle than anything else. Her car’s strip search was proof of that this morning.
She checked her watch. It was still early, but not as early as she would have preferred. With the possibility of the President nearby, it now made sense that many of the streets in the neighborhood that were blocked off, and the detours, although short, had caused her to zigzag around in a maze–like fashion — adding more time to her morning commute.
She smiled politely to the officers as they completed their task and instructed her to collect her belongings and go directly to the school on the marked path where they could monitor her. She gathered her purse from her Ford Pinto and felt her anger build. Not because of the lost time, but for the fact that she was subbing at a school that oozed money from every hallway. She actually enjoyed working at a school with the newer textbooks, the computer centers, and the low student–to–teacher ratio. Those things were always nice. But they reminded her of the schools of her past where she taught from outdated textbooks, where no one had a computer, and where the classrooms were filled with students — if the kids didn’t stay home caring for younger siblings, or even worse, their own babies.
No. She refused to revisit that frustration. She was an educator. She taught children, and it didn’t matter where she taught as long as children learned. Plus, it shouldn’t matter if the children were privileged here, that they lived in an affluent neighborhood where most families had both parents. The fact that her school had lost funding and had to let her go… Well, that was unfortunate. Even with her protests and petition, she still lost her job. But such was life.
She straightened her skirt and buttoned her coat. She just wanted the day to be over with. The call had come in late the other night with a need for a substitute teacher. She thought back to the call. It had not come from her usual dispatcher, but from a man claiming to be from a different department. Either way, she didn’t recognize the phone number but did appreciate more than a day’s notice that she would be needed. After all, a job was a job.
She quickly walked down the path to the school, realizing that the President may be visiting the building at some point today. Again she felt a chill up her spine as some excitement built, but what were the odds she’d actually see the man?
The school’s side entrance was barricaded by a row of wooden sawhorses, with a handsome man standing guard. A cool breeze blew down on her violently, causing her to run towards the main entrance. She took in a deep breath when she reached the doors and looked back to study the man who was dressed in a suit and tie. He certainly was handsome. Strong jaw, muscular build, and a certain kindness in his face. Jackie bit her lip. If he's a teacher, he's a well dressed one. He didn't even look cold standing outside. He just looked sexy. Perhaps she'd have a chance to meet him later in the day.
Then again, he could be Secret Service. They wore suits, black suits with dark sunglasses — or so she thought.
The man glanced her way and she felt the heat of his stare. His sexy gaze was enticing, but no. She looked away, remembering she had promised herself no more men — not even handsome godlike visions like him. Her plan was to give all men up until she found Mr. Right. A handsome man like this was probably a player. She didn’t need the baggage, or the drama.
She entered the building and a gust of wind caught the door, forcing it from her hand. She pulled the door shut and enjoyed the warmth she found inside the building. She had only subbed at this school once before, and the place was as nice as she remembered. It felt like entering Shangri–la. The teachers wore suits and no trash lay piled up in the hallway. Not only did the school cafeteria serve delicious meals, but it also had an expensive cappuccino machine. Yes, it was the type of place that could spoil you. She didn’t even worry about wearing her good jewelry to this school — not that she had any expensive pieces, but nice costume ones. Today she wore a teal, two–piece skirt set with matching pumps. The suit was one of her favorite outfits, and considering what the teacher, or perhaps Secret Service agent, at the side door was wearing, she was glad to have dressed up.
Making her way to
the office, she wasn’t surprised to see an armed guard carrying a metal detector wand. The entire hallway had been blocked off, making the only entrance into the school through the main office and it’s side door that led into the hallway to the library. The female guard waved her over and instructed her to place her bags on the table. Next, Jackie lifted her arms and the wand traveled across her body, quietly humming as it scanned her for any weapons. Once her bags were checked, Jackie showed her ID, signed in, and was instructed to go to the library.
Jackie was now certain. The President was coming.
Chapter Three
Jackie tried to catch her breath, but found the task too overwhelming. The President. Here. Just moments away. It seemed almost too much to take in. But, if what everyone was saying proved to be true, the man would be here soon.
What a day to be sub at a school! From what Jackie could tell, none of the staff was informed ahead of time. Based upon the panicked expression on the principal’s face, Jackie even doubted the principal knew of the President’s arrival. Though he may have just been nervous.
Jackie didn’t particularly approve of this President. Heck, she hadn’t even voted for the man. But she was about to meet the most powerful man in the free world. She now felt butterflies in her stomach and swallowed the lump growing in her throat. She couldn’t wait to share this with her father later.
She stood in the library with a dozen teachers and school staff huddled in one corner. From her last subbing job at this school, she knew more teachers worked here than were accounted for in the library. She figured the numbers had been kept small for security reasons, which made her feel doubly blessed to have been selected to meet the man.
Her gaze darted over to the four men in black suits, each with a com unit in their ears standing formidably at the exits. Were they Secret Service? Maybe NSA or CIA. Whatever the case, the situation fascinated her.
A fifth agent led some children into the room one by one and arranged them in a circle on the floor. At the center of the circle sat a large wooden chair – obviously for the big man himself whenever he arrived.
Jackie took a deep breath. School was about to begin, and she had not made her way to her appointed classroom. How would she be able to tell which children were her responsibility for the day? She knew she subbed for a second grade class, but wasn’t sure what to do next. Fortunately, she didn’t have to decide on her own. A Secret Service agent waved her over and told her where to stand since she had been selected to shake the President’s hand.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Shake his hand?” she thought as the biggest smile crossed her face. Hell, yeah! She definitely wanted to do that.
She stood away from the circle and the wooden chair, but close to the library door itself. She wished she could be closer to where the President would be sitting, but wasn’t about to complain since she would get her own moment with the man. Regardless, she still had a good view of where he would be sitting from this angle. She just hoped she wouldn’t be too nervous when he approached her.
Ok, now her hands began to sweat, and she realized she was holding her breath. She dug her fingernails into the palm of her hands. Come on, girl. Get it together. He's a man like everyone else. He probably does this stuff all the time.
Maybe.
Something felt eerie to her. The agent who had brought the kids in took a post near the door and seemed to have stopped fetching more children. Another agent, who stood impressively tall and had the build of a linebacker, now approached the circle of kids. He looked from one child to the other, as though memorizing their faces. All in all, about thirty kids sat on the floor. All remained quiet.
The amount of children wasn’t the school’s complete complement, but not all of them would fit in the library of course. Perhaps the President would walk from classroom to classroom later. All the children, as well as the teachers, deserved a chance to meet the man.
Wait a minute. Jackie scanned the circle of children. Over half of them were children of color, with the white children sitting the farthest from where the President would be seated. Normally, not an odd sight, but this school must be at least ninety percent white, making most of the children on the floor a subpopulation of the school, with fewer than ten percent representation.
Yes, the subpopulations were all well represented on that floor.
Very well represented, indeed.
She studied the agent towering over them — a tall African–American man, perhaps in his fifties. A Hispanic agent had led the children into the room. And, of course, there was the female agent who ran the metal detector. She appeared to be Asian. The only white agent had been the blond man who told her where to stand.
Yeah, the token white-boy in the room.
Jackie didn’t know the percentage of diversity for the Secret Service, but this room certainly seemed stacked to favor minorities. With perception being reality, she began putting two–and–two together. The President needed to appear in favor of education, as well as minority issues. She rolled her eyes. Standing there, she wasn’t part of the solution — she was a part of the problem!
She suddenly heard chatter from the hallway, and then two more agents entered with members of the press. The press then positioned themselves around the room for the best camera angles. One reporter stood close to Jackie and did a sound check for her cameraman.
Her jaw tightened. How dare they use her in such a ruse!
The Secret Service must have rounded up every child matching a certain criterion and hauled them into the library so the President could put on a show for the press. Her cheeks flushed as she grew angrier at the possibility that she may be right. How come no one in the press saw through this hoax?
Well, she had seen through it. When the President walked through the door, she wasn’t going to play the puppet in his show. She would give him a piece of her mind. As she waited for the President to arrive, she mentally rehearsed what she planned to say to the man. She wanted to be firm with him and to point out to the press the obvious game he was playing.
And then the moment arrived. Her hands balled into fists, her eyes focused on the door, and her breathing became even. She was determined to be a force to be reckoned with, and he would rue the day he messed with the education system and underprivileged kids.
More noise came from the hallway, and when the door opened, Jackie felt the wind beneath her wings disappear and her anger leave her body. Her muscles relaxed and she felt her legs go weak as noodles. The man who stood guard outside the school, the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on, had walked through that door. Damn. He looked good.
He stood a good six feet in height, had ebony skin like hers, with piercing brown eyes that appeared soulful and kind. His suit, not black, but a darker grey, fit him well. It made him look powerful and in charge. She watched as he spoke into a com unit, perhaps giving orders to the other agents standing nearby.
Taking a deep breath, she thought he was the most beautiful man in the world. She had even forgotten the President was coming for a visit.
*******
With the press corps already escorted into the library, William now walked ahead of the President to get him safely into position. At first glance, William confirmed what Ben had already told him through the com units — no vampires were in the room and a human agent named Juan had positioned the children, with Ben now guarding their moods. Everything was a go.
It surprised William how quietly the group of children sat on the floor. Ben had a special gift. Not all vampires had one, and William was one vampire to prove the rule. Ben could read the auras of humans and vampires. He could even alter the mood of humans, which was evident by the angelic children circling the wooden chair.
The President walked behind William and two other agents. Another three agents followed him. The first step on the tour was to shake hands with a teacher at the school. If the plan remained intact, that teacher would be standing just to his left.
William’s
eyes wandered in the appointed direction. It was her. The beautiful woman from outside earlier that day. His job earlier was to carefully watch everyone who left the blocked off parking area and walked towards the school, confirming they were not a vampire. He had noticed her immediately. She was a curvy human woman, standing at an average height — gorgeous, with a smile which could light up heaven. Her bluish–green suit gave her a well polished, professional appearance, and her simple jewelry complemented her dark wavy, shoulder length hair. She appeared as a vision of loveliness.
The President nearly crashed into William, so he stepped aside and allowed the President to continue his journey to the designated spot. A man, whom William assumed to be the principal, joined them. Polite, cordial words were exchanged, and a photographer leaned in and took a picture of the President shaking not just the principal’s hand, but also the teacher’s hand as he made his way into the room.
It wasn’t as though William focused on any of the pleasantries. He had stood security for the President plenty of times in the past, and had learned to focus on merely security issues. But then, he heard something, something liltingly beautiful. It was the beautiful woman’s laugh. He focused on her gracious smile, not knowing what the President had said to make her so joyful. William found himself smiling back to her, although he remained cautious not to show his fangs.
The most important piece of information William gathered from the photo op was the angel’s name — Jackie Pearlman.
It became a name now permanently etched into his memory.
Chapter Four
William's Tale Page 2