Page 4 of Protecting Her

"Cartel influence." Carmen nodded. "I've worked in Bogotá before. Last time I was there, three senior security officials were arrested for corruption. We'll need to be selective about who we trust."

Jude glanced at her sharply. She hadn't expected such tactical observation from a diplomat.

Carmen's smile held a hint of amusement. "You're not the only one who pays attention to details, Captain. In my line ofwork, missing subtle clues can cost lives just as surely as missing a security breach."

The day stretched into evening, city lights replacing sunshine outside Carmen's State Department office. Jude fought to maintain focus as they reviewed protection protocols, hyper aware of how the enclosed space amplified Carmen's subtle perfume, something sophisticated and understated that Jude firmly pushed from her awareness.

"Let's test the systems," Jude said, pulling out the encrypted communications set. She handed Carmen an earpiece, trying to ignore how their fingers brushed during the exchange. "This connects to three separate frequencies."

Carmen inserted the covert earpiece with practiced ease. "And if someone attempts to jam the signal?"

"It automatically switches channels and alerts the team." Jude demonstrated on the control unit, her body subconsciously leaning closer to show Carmen the interface. "The pendant has a separate backup system. If you tap it three times?—"

"It sends a silent alert," Carmen finished, surprising her. "I had something similar in Venezuela. Though I suspect yours is more sophisticated." She touched the pendant, her fingers tracing its surface. "The craftsmanship is excellent. Almost too ornate for a panic button."

"That's the point." Jude activated the system, and Carmen's phone lit up with a secure connection notification. "Try it."

Carmen pressed the pendant, and Jude's tactical radio crackled to life. Sarah's voice came through immediately: "Alert received. Location confirmed. Response team standing by."

"Impressive," Carmen murmured. "Though some of these protocols seem... excessive."

"Three layers of redundancy." Jude leaned over the desk, pointing out features on the building schematics. "Each member of the core team monitors a different frequency. If one channel is compromised?—"

"The others remain secure." Carmen nodded, and Jude caught another whisper of her perfume. "Like having multiple diplomatic back channels."

Their shoulders brushed as they studied extraction routes on the blueprints they’d received from Bogotá. Jude shifted away under the pretense of checking sight lines, ignoring the zap of electricity between them after the contact. "The Hotel Gran Diplomático's architecture presents challenges. Too many access points."

"I've stayed there before." Carmen's voice carried a weight of memory. "During the last coup attempt. The service corridors proved useful for unofficial negotiations."

Jude frowned. "Those same corridors create security vulnerabilities."

"Which is precisely why we need them." Carmen's eyes darkened and held a hint of challenge. "Sometimes the best path to peace requires calculated risks."

"My job is to eliminate risks, ma'am."

"Your job," Carmen said softly, "is to manage them. There's a difference, Captain."

The way she said “Captain”—like she saw past the rank to something underneath—made Jude's chest tighten.

She focused on adjusting security patrol patterns instead of analyzing why.

Evening settled over the city as they finished reviewing the summit protocols. Through the office windows, DC's lights began to flicker on, creating a backdrop of urban stars. Jude gathered the Bogotá security briefings, trying to ignore how Carmen’s presence seemed to loom large and push against her awareness in the small room.

"One last thing," Carmen said, her voice softer. "I know my diplomatic requirements sometimes conflict with security protocols. But I trust your judgment, Captain."

"Just doing my job, ma'am."

"Are you?" Those dark eyes of Carmen Ruiz saw too much. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's briefing will be intense."

Later, in her sparse temporary quarters near the Navy Yard, Jude lay awake. The ceiling fan cut shadows through dim light as she reviewed the day, trying to convince herself that her hyperawareness was purely professional. She traced the rough wrap on her knuckles, focusing on the sting to ground herself.

Tomorrow, they'd run full security drills. She needed to coordinate with the advance team heading to Bogotá, establish command structure, and get everyone in sync. But her mind kept drifting to the way Carmen's voice changed when discussing the peace treaty, the barely perceptible softening that revealed how much it meant to her.

Jude rolled over, forcing herself to focus on tactical approaches and escape routes instead. She couldn't afford distractions. Not with this assignment. Not with these stakes.

The ceiling fan kept spinning, cutting the silent darkness into predictable pieces as she tried to ignore how this protection detail already felt different from all the others. How Carmen Ruiz wasn't just another diplomat to protect, but something far more dangerous to Jude's carefully maintained control.

Yemen had taught her that attachment got people killed. Caracas had reinforced the lesson in blood. She couldn't let her guard down, couldn't let Carmen become more than a mission.

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