Page 31 of Power Term

“There’s more. I asked the director to look into their files. To locate how long they’d been on the team, where they came from, test scores, hell, anything. And that’s when she found an anomaly. One of the two is a recent hire. A hire that was personally vouched for by a part of the White House team—Secretary of State Todd Rosen.”

Tank and I turn in silence to face the dead body. I cringe knowing what Smith is about to ask.

“We need to talk to the secretary, find out why he referenced this agent and ordered him to be put on the beta team—”

“That won’t happen,” I say as I massage both temples.

“Aren’t you both on your way there?”

“We’re here.”

“Even better.”

“He’s dead.”

Silence. A heavy breath weighs down my lungs as I wait for his response to that bomb.

“Have some of your contacts look into him,” Tank suggests. “We were sent here by a tip that Rosen wasn’t to be trusted. Based on his estate and finding him shot point-blank between the eyes, he was deep into some shady shit.” I narrow my eyes at Tank and his cursing. He’s really on edge if he keeps using language like that. Foul mouth and consistently irresponsible is my job, not his. “More than your normal politician, from what I can tell.”

“Who’s the agent, Smith?” I demand, ripping the phone out of Tank’s hand. “Who is the final suspect on your list?”

“I have a few… associates digging through the application and profile submitted to the agency when he applied. I already found one inconsistency, which I’m on my way to check out now.”

“Where?” I ask.

“The address listed on his application and the townhome I’ve followed him to on a few occasions for surveillance are different. I’m headed to the place where I know he lives instead of the one listed.”

“Good idea.” Tank nods.

Anger and frustration surge, making me tense and on edge. “Who’s the agent?” I beg to the phone. “Give me anything to go off of.”

“If I tell you, do not engage with him until we know more. Do not call, do not search him out. If he knows we’re on to him and he has the president, he will kill her.”

“I understand,” I mumble. “Who is it.”

“Agent Ponder.”

The name booms through my brain like a giant gong being struck. I stare at the phone; Smith’s voice is still pouring through, but I don’t hear any of it. I’m too busy flipping through every memory I have with Ponder in it, trying to come up with anything that will help us in our hunt for him.

“After Saudi Arabia, he was openly angry at me for being in Randi’s room the night of the attack. At the time, I thought it was because he had a thing for her and didn’t want me around because of that. Which was why I told the beta team lead to move him to the shitty shifts and stations. I didn’t want him around her.” I shift my focus to the details surrounding our trip to Cairo. “There were several beta team agents sitting close when Tank and I discussed the new sniper placements outside the embassy. I don’t remember Ponder specifically, but he could’ve been sitting close enough, making him privy to the changes.” My eyes snap to Tank’s. “We’re missing a big piece to this puzzle. The why? Why in the hell would Rosen go to so much trouble to get him on a Secret Service detail? Why try to abduct the president knowing the risks?”

“He doesn’t want a female president?” Smith offers as an option.

“That’s a weak reason to finagle your way onto the Secret Service when you could take her out anytime she was out in public.” Phone cradled in my hand, I pace from one end of the office to the other, carefully missing the shards of broken door still littering the ground. “It has to be more than sexist idealisms.”

“Revenge.”

I shake my head at Tank’s suggestion only to stop short. The rug catches beneath the rubber sole of my boots as I twist back the way I came. Eyes wide, I hold a breath to quiet the thundering in my chest at the new thought.

“What if it’s nothisrevenge? What if it’s someone else’s revenge that he’s helping enact by taking the president? Someone we know would go to any lengths to see her miserable and taken out of the picture?”

The corner of Tank’s lips curls in a disgusted sneer. “Whit.”

I nod instead of answering out loud. Smith’s gruff voice blasts through the speaker, demanding to know who we’re talking about.

“This asshat who’s had it out for Randi since she started campaigning with Birmingham. Shawn Whit was Kyle Birmingham’s original VP choice until Randi came into the picture. He’s resented her ever since and has done everything possible to destroy her, even going as far as poisoning her a while back hoping she’d be too sick to continue serving in the VP role. If he’s the one behind this, then Ponder isn’t doing this for himself.” I shake my head as all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. “He was hired.”

“Shit,” Smith grunts. “I’m pulling up to the town house now. Doesn’t seem to be anyone home.”

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