Badges

five times with automatic fire and was dead at the scene. The only other injuries were to the canned peaches.

    After bending down and pulling the wallet out of the dead man’s pocket, Maxwell announced to the team, “Fugitive Donnie Bush has been captured.”

    Four hours later when they returned to their hotel to sleep, Maxwell and Banter showered, and even though both men were extremely tired, they got into bed together naked and “tried out other things.”

    “This could be the start of something beautiful,” Banter said.

    Both men laughed, snuggled closer, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Secrets

    The Presidential motorcade screamed down the highway from the airport toward central San Diego. The President was going to make a quick stop to shake the hands of some big money donors, and then he’d move on to La Costa Health Spa, where he and his party would be staying.

    The advance team was already occupying the rooms that the President and First Gentleman would stay in for two days while the President conducted both business and politics. On the ground at La Costa were almost a dozen agents, among them Special Agents Kurt Jackson and Philip Margold. Both agents were new to the Presidential detail and young compared to other agents assigned to the premier posting for the Secret Service.

    Jackson would turn thirty during their stay in San Diego, and Margold was thirty-four. Both men were well built, fast, agile, and gay, although neither agent knew that particular detail about the other. They worked the overnight shift together, sleeping during the daytime, and were the closest thing to partners that the detail had.

    Both men heard the same message come in over their earpieces at the same time: The Presidential motorcade had left downtown San Diego and was en route to the resort.

    “Everything clear?” the on-site detail leader asked of all posts.

    “Post one, secure,” Kurt replied.

    “Is that a new suit?” Phil asked.

    “Yeah, surprised you noticed, as many suits as we go through.”

    “It’s just that you always seem to get really nice suits on the clothing allowance we get. Don’t know how you do it,” Phil replied.

    “Here’s the secret. You ready?”

    “Yeah?”

    “I put a lot of my own money in with the allowance, and that’s how I get quality suits. At the end of the year, I write the money off as a job expense. I mean, look who we’re in close quarters with… and I don’t just mean the POTUS. He meets all the time with world leaders and American VIPs, so I try to look my best when I represent my country.”

    “True. Maybe I should think about that too,” Phil replied.

    “All posts, Condor One entering the property, prepare to receive,” came the order over the radio.

    Kurt and Phil walked to the curb and made one last scan around the area. They noted the expected presence of Secret Service snipers on certain rooftops that overlooked the route. They were satisfied that all was as it should be when the lead escort vehicle came down the small hill, announcing the arrival of the leader of the free world.

    As the President’s limousine, nicknamed the Beast, came to a halt, his personal agents jumped out and looked around while preparing to open the doors. When the all-clear was given, both back doors were opened, and the President and First Gentleman exited the car. The President waited for the First Gentleman to come around to his side of the limo and took his hand as they walked toward the hallway to their rooms.

    Kurt and Phil turned and led the way into the hall that contained exactly two rooms: one at the entrance and one at the far end of the hallway, which was the Presidential Suite. The bodyguards escorted the First Couple down the hallway and into the room. They stood to the side as the party entered and then the agents fanned out, doing a double-check before leaving them alone in the suite.

    It was a beautiful set of rooms with bedrooms at opposite sides of a very large living room and kitchen area. Fresh flowers were everywhere and gave the rooms a light, perfumed scent. The master bathroom had a marble Jacuzzi with gold fixtures that could easily fit four people. The windows had all been fitted with temporary bullet-resistant film, which would be removed after the First Couple’s stay was over.

    The President traveled with his own chef, as he was particular about what he ate. Since the suite had a kitchen and dining room, it was easy to