Chapter 15 #2
Jamie winced. Just thinking about the dressing-down Liam must have taken from the queen made him want to hide. “Did you tell her I was sorry?”
“She knows.” Liam shrugged in a what can you do?
sort of way. “Considering what happened, the press isn’t tearing into us quite as badly as they could, if only because the people in question who died were technically criminals.
Public opinion so far is they got their comeuppance. I expect it to change by the hour.”
“The media needs to keep their ratings up somehow.”
Liam extended his hand, and Jamie gripped it with his own, pulling the other man into a hard hug. “I’d say don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, but we all know there’s very little I won’t do,” Liam told him with a tired smile as they separated.
“Katie won’t let me,” Jamie replied.
“That one’s always had you by the bollocks.”
“For the good of the country, or so she tells me.”
Liam laughed, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. The wind was sharp and cold on the tarmac, but after long hours spent inside the cold walls of UMG headquarters, it felt good.
“Be safe,” Liam said.
“You too.”
Liam waved him off, and Jamie took the short set of stairs into the jet without a backward glance. The team had laid claim to their favorite spots, with Leah stretched out on one of the leather couches in the lounge area, streaming a show on her tablet. She looked up at his arrival, gaze pensive.
“Father called while you were still in the meeting. He said he plans to meet with us at MDF headquarters,” she said.
Jamie didn’t think he had room in his body to carry any more tension, but his sister’s words proved him wrong. “Great.”
“You should probably get some rest. You look tired.”
“It’s been a long weekend.”
“I know. I’m glad you’re safe. And, you know, thanks for keeping me safe.”
Jamie leaned down to give his little sister a hug, feeling her return it just as tightly. “You know I’ll always look out for you.”
“I know,” Leah said softly. “And I won’t—I’m not going to say anything to anyone about you and Kyle. I promise.”
Jamie closed his eyes, the relief he felt at her statement momentarily robbing him of words. Swallowing hard, Jamie finally got out, “Thank you.”
“I sent him back to the bedroom. He looked as tired as you. Everyone else apparently slept for a little bit after being released, so why don’t you go join him?”
Considering who he would have to deal with once they landed, Leah’s suggestion was a sound one. Jamie let her go and ruffled her hair, smiling a little at the way she batted his hand away with a hiss of “Don’t ruin my hair!”
He left Leah to her show, picking his way through the lounge and the tiny galley for the rear of the jet, where the only bedroom was located.
The door slid open with a touch of his hand to the control panel.
He found Kyle lying on top of the covers of the queen-sized bed, staring at the curved ceiling.
“I’m too tired to sleep,” Kyle confessed.
The door slid shut on Jamie’s heels. He shrugged out of his suit jacket and hung it up on one of the hooks in the wall.
He undid his tie and belt, hanging them up as well before taking off his shoes.
Crawling onto the bed, he lay down beside Kyle and wrapped an arm around him.
Kyle immediately shifted closer, tucking his head beneath Jamie’s chin.
Jamie closed his eyes, letting his body relax against Kyle’s, holding on as tight as he could.
“We need to,” Jamie said. “I get to deal with my father once we land.”
Kyle squirmed closer. “If that’s the case, you need sleep more than I do.”
Jamie hummed a wordless response, sleep already creeping in at the edges of his mind. As much as he wanted to stay up and enjoy having Kyle in his arms, because he knew the next week was going to be a shit-show of epic proportions, Jamie knew he needed rest.
“Sleep,” Kyle murmured. “I got this watch.”
That was all Jamie needed to hear before letting himself succumb to exhaustion, just for a little while.
* * *
Tuesday in the Washington, DC, megacity dawned cloudy and wet, the cold winter rain a steady backdrop against the heated accusations, spin statements, and analysis going on across all news streams. The headlines screamed about a senator’s son mixing it up with known criminals who later struck a blow against freedom in the heart of London.
They were all very dramatic, meant to entice viewers to read their story amidst all the others clogging everyone’s feed.
Jamie flipped through the countless notifications on his tablet, grimacing at each new one that popped up every few seconds.
“The spinmeisters are out in force today,” Jamie said.
“Give me that.” Katie swiped his tablet out of his hand before he could protest and deftly began sorting through the articles. “Did you set your notifications for everything?”
“No?”
Katie gave him a look that plainly said she didn’t believe him. Jamie wisely didn’t say anything.
He and Katie were ensconced in an office located past restricted-access security in the Pentagon.
The DOD had required his presence for today, and the MDF had sent along both of them.
Jamie turned his attention to the flat-screen where the DOD’s press room was in full view.
No one was at the podium yet, but the press conference was scheduled to start in a few minutes.
He had several other media streams going in embedded windows, all of the talking heads in hot discussion over the London terror attack and how it was linked to a Republican candidate.
Katie tapped him on the shoulder with his tablet, gaining his attention. “Here. Consolidated by keywords and only retrieving from validated news sources.”
“Thanks.”
Katie tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
Like Jamie, she was in her old Marine service uniform in keeping with their cover, her jacket and pants crisply ironed, medals and ribbons perfectly placed, peaked cap tucked under one arm.
She eyed him critically before reaching out to adjust one of his ribbon bars ever so slightly.
“Don’t want you to look ate-up in front of the brass,” she muttered.
Jamie glanced down at his chest candy, making a face. “I could’ve sworn they were fine.”
“You’ve had other things on your mind than medal placement.”
That was putting it mildly.
They would have to deal with the dog and pony show after the press conference.
Face time with the brass in the Marines, the DOD, and the MDF behind closed doors and away from the prying eyes of the press wasn’t something either of them wanted to deal with right now.
Despite the presser today clarifying his team’s role in defending against the terror attack, neither of them would appear on camera.
The photos The New York Times had published with the article had focused mostly on Jamie, for which he was grateful.
The longer his team could remain anonymous, the safer they would be.
Jamie could never escape his family’s name. A fine line was drawn between his public and classified identities, and the demarcation was getting thinner with every year that passed. Right now, his two lives were converging more than he liked, but it couldn’t be avoided.
The mission in London had been a mess all around.
Jamie knew they had caught Stanislav’s attention.
Holding it was something else altogether.
It was anyone’s guess if Stanislav’s possible precognition power had seen them coming.
They’d managed to contain most of the Splice bombs—the UMG would claim all credit for that part of the mission—but one had still detonated.
People had still died, to say nothing of the attack by the Reborn IRA.
The damage to the Victoria and Albert Museum was unprecedented.
Funnily enough, people were more upset about the damaged priceless art than at the deaths of criminals.
As for them, Katie was overseeing the Saunders & Associates project and would have to fly back to London at some point this week with Alexei to close it out. Jamie wouldn’t be able to go with her, and that rankled.
The door to the room they were in slid open, catching Jamie’s attention. A single figure stepped inside, and Jamie bit back a grimace at the sight of his father. Richard wore a sharp charcoal-colored suit with a deep red tie, his hair slicked back away from his face.
“Jamie,” Richard said as he approached where they stood. “Sergeant Ovechkina.”
“Senator,” Katie murmured with a faint tip of her head in his direction.
“Father,” Jamie replied. “I thought you were making a statement after this one?”
“I’ll make one later at the Capitol building before dinner tonight. As I understand it, you still need to change before you can join me,” Richard said, eyeing Jamie’s uniform.
“I have meetings after this presser. I said I would join you for your fundraiser dinner, not in front of the cameras. The MDF wants me to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible while they try to kill this story.”
“You know that will be difficult.”
“Which is why I won’t be with you when you make your statement.”
Katie nudged him in the side with her elbow, drawing his attention. “It’s starting.”
Jamie looked away from his father, knowing the argument was only momentarily put on hold.
On-screen, the press room was quieting down amidst a flurry of movement off to the side.
Both he and Katie automatically straightened into parade rest. The Commandant of the Marine Corps would always encompass their full and undivided attention.
General Solomon Herrera stepped up to the podium, his brown-eyed gaze piercing even through media cameras. Several aides with him remained off to the side of the elevated platform, all of them in the same Marine Corps service uniforms.