Page 2 of Protecting Her

Jude spread Carmen's file across her desk, the harsh fluorescent light catching on the glossy surveillance photos. More official photos showed the diplomat at peace signings, humanitarian missions, and closed-door negotiations. Twenty-five years of service in conflict zones had left its mark in subtle ways: the watchful alertness in her posture, the way she always noted exits and entrances.

Venezuela, 2019: Carmen negotiating with cartel-backed officials while riots burned the city.

Sudan, 2021: Carmen brokering peace between tribal factions when everyone else had given up.

Afghanistan, 2022: Carmen establishing women's education initiatives despite death threats.

Each mission should have been impossible. Each one, she succeeded.

An incredible woman,Jude thought to herself.

Memories of her own previous protection details flickered through Jude’s mind. Losing Johnson to a sniper she should have spotted in Kabul. Learning to trust her instincts when they screamed about local security being compromised in Caracas. The ambassador's family huddled in a safe room while she coordinated their extraction under heavy fire in Yemen. Each mission had taught her something vital, usually paid for in blood.

The video footage brought Jude’s attention back to the present.

Carmen Ruiz moved through crowds with graceful authority, commanding rooms with little effort. In a clip from a recent UN session, she defused a near-violent confrontation between opposing delegations with nothing but carefully chosen words and unshakeable composure.

Jude found herself rewinding certain segments, studying details she didn't strictly need. The way Carmen's hands movedwhen she spoke—elegant but precise, no wasted motion. How she tilted her head slightly when listening intently, her hair catching the light. The subtle shift in her stance when she sensed hostility, almost military in its readiness.

"Getting to know our protectee?"

Sarah Chen's voice made Jude straighten, caught off guard—a rare occurrence that made her frown. Her second-in-command leaned against the doorframe, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Team assignments." Jude shifted to tactical displays, ignoring Sarah's raised eyebrow. "I want you running backup detail. Your experience with diplomatic protection will be crucial."

Sarah crossed to the desk, studying the summit location blueprints. "Hotel Gran Diplomático. Lovely place for an assassination attempt."

"Sight lines are compromised on all approaches." Jude pulled up satellite imagery. "Too many access points, no good containment options. We'll need to modify standard protocols."

"Already making lists?" Sarah's smile held an edge of understanding. They'd served together long enough to read each other's tension.

"Marcus for local intel; his Colombian contacts will be essential. Kate for tech, James for medical, David for surveillance." Jude marked positions on the blueprint. "But we trust no one outside the core team. Intel suggests cartel money's reaching into local security forces."

Sarah nodded, her expression turning serious. "Like Caracas?"

The memory of gunfire and betrayal hung between them. They'd lost two team members in that ambush after local security forces were bought off by cartels. Jude still remembered the taste of blood and cordite, the way trust became a luxury they couldn't afford.

"We run everything ourselves." Jude's voice carried the weight of command. "Every route, every contingency. I want full background checks on all hotel staff, daily sweeps for surveillance equipment, and alternate extraction plans for every movement."

"You're taking this one personally." Sarah's observation wasn't a question.

Jude didn't respond, focusing instead on memorizing building layouts. But her eyes kept drifting to Carmen's photo, to that pointed look that seemed to see right through her professional distance.

"She's got quite a reputation," Sarah continued, watching Jude's reaction. "They say she can read a room better than any intelligence briefing. Never lost a negotiation she committed to."

"Then we make sure she lives to keep that record." Jude started gathering the files. "Briefing at 0500. Bring the team up to speed on summit security protocols."

Sarah lingered at the door. "You know what they say about protecting diplomats. Hardest part isn't keeping them alive; it's keeping them from making your job impossible."

Jude's lips tightened. She'd protected her share of diplomats, entitled bureaucrats who ignored security protocols and treated their protection detail like servants. But something told her Carmen Ruiz would be different.

She turned back to the surveillance feeds, watching Carmen navigate another high-tension negotiation with seamless grace. The way she commanded attention without demanding it, how she wielded influence like a scalpel rather than a sword.

Carmen Ruiz’s intense brown eyes were in Jude’s dreams that night.

Dawn broke over Washington DC, and the State Department building rose like a fortress against the morning sky, its limestone façade catching the first hints of morning light.

Jude arrived early, checking in through the rigorous security protocols. Her new diplomatic security credentials drew a few curious glances. SEALs weren't common in these halls.

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