Page 15 of An Impossible Love
He looked around at his assembled cohort now. “Break time is over. Our opening move is nearly here, and we have to be prepared to back it up with real action.”
One of the mercenaries, a rail-thin but athletic man named Steve, nodded at him. “Everything’s set—they might see it coming, but that’s the point. If they think we’re disorganized, they might take their eye off the prize. Certainly, they won’t expect who we’re targeting—this time.”
Max smiled. “Which leads me to this.” He went to the board they’d set up and pinned five of the six photographs onto. “The people protecting Bennett. Lucas Harper is the head of the Presidential detail. He leads a small team dedicated to protecting the President, normal stuff. These are his agents: Duke Hill, Gregory Stein, Walker Lamb, Jordon Klee.” He pointed out each man and then waved at the last photo. “And then there’s this agent.”
He pinned the last photograph up on the board, and the men whistled and hooted. Max smiled. “Yup. Agent Emerson Sati. Steve, I believe you’ve already crossed paths with the lovely lady?”
Steve grinned. “Yeah, her fiancé got in the way of the bullet I meant for Kevin McKee. Tragedy.”
“Especially for the lovely Ms. Sati. Not that she’s a pushover herself. Recruited straight from Harvard where she graduated summa and at the top of her class in training at Rowley. Don’t be fooled by her pretty face, she’s lethal. However—”
He turned his laptop around and pressed play on a video he’d cued up. “Take a look. See anything interesting?”
He watched them as they viewed the video. It showed President Bennett’s Inauguration Ball. One of them, at least. Karl, one of the mercenaries whistled. “Damn, that girl ishot.” Max looked at the screen. It showed Emerson Sati in a dark red, backless dress, protecting the president.
“You’re not the only one who thinks so. See anyone else admiring the little beauty?”
He watched their faces as they studied the video then Steve cackled with laughter. “Well, looky-loo. The pres has a crush on his protection?”
Max grinned. “That’s my read. Which makes Agent Sati our number one concern. If they’re fucking, she’s going to be distracted.”
“That’s not likely though, is it?”
Max shrugged. “Who knows? The President of the United States can have just about anyone he wants.” He glanced at the video, grinning lasciviously. “And hewants.”
They all chuckled, then Max closed his laptop. “So, these are the six people we need to watch closely. I need you to report every move they make. I want to know if they use the bathroom, where they get their groceries, who they hang out with. Everything.”
He tapped Emmy’s photo again. “And I want to know if she is screwing Bennett. If she is… she’ll be key to our getting to him.”
“And if she gets in our way?”
Max smiled coldly. “If Bennett is as crazy about her as I think he is… he’ll be devastated when she takes a bullet for him.”
