Chapter 15

Angela

Angela watched the raindrops slide down her office window. It had been several days since she returned to DC, and there hadn't been much downtime. Penny was easing into her new role, but Angela had not filled Penny's old position yet. She felt stupid getting frustrated for having to do her daily planning. A grown woman should be able to arrange her days and keep her meetings straight.

Doyle sat on one of the couches, thumbing through a magazine. Since returning from Camp David, he'd been reticent and strictly professional. He didn't make jokes and never shared his opinion. She couldn't think of anything she'd done to upset him. It was odd, and it made her miss Blake even more.

The quick conversation they had on the phone served only to make her miss him more. She worried about him. There was a nagging feeling in her brain that something was going to go wrong, and he wouldn't make it back to her.

A knock at her door distracted her.

"Yes?" she said.

Penny pushed open the door and sat on a couch. "Good morning, Madam President. I have three highly potential candidates for you to look at."

"Are they as good as you were?" Angela sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Doyle and took the stack of papers from Penny. "That's a silly question. No one will ever be as good as you were."

Penny's cheeks pinked. "Yes, Ma'am. I appreciate you saying that."

Angela set the papers aside, crossed her legs, and leaned forward. "How are you doing with everything? I threw you into the deep end for sure."

Penny set aside the tablet she was never without. "It's been an adjustment, but I believe I'm doing well."

"I knew giving you this role was the right thing to do."

"I know you have a tight schedule today, but do you have a minute to discuss the candidates?"

"You're still holding me accountable, aren't you?" She leaned against the back of the couch and looked at the first resume.

"I'm not trying to bother you, Ma'am. It's important to me that you get the best assistant possible."

Angela laughed and shook her head. "Oh, you aren't bothering me, and you don't know how much I appreciate your work ethic." Angela set the resume aside again. She wanted a distraction for a few minutes. "If I remember correctly, the last time we talked about boys, you had trouble finding one who would stick around for more than one or two dates. How's that going?"

Penny sucked in her top lip and glanced at Doyle.

He looked up from the magazine. "Oh, don't worry about me. Pretend I'm not here."

Angela studied him. He once again missed an opportunity to say something smart. Something was going on with him, and she needed to find out what it was.

"Well, Ma'am, I have met someone. He's bold, energetic, and smart. He's handsome and can take control of a room faster than anyone I've met before."

Angela moved to sit next to Penny, tucking one leg under her. "Oh, this sounds exciting. Tell me more."

Penny lowered her eyes, and the pink on her cheeks deepened. "We met at a Human Rights Protection rally a month ago."

"He's an activist. That's awesome."

"Well, his name is Alan, and he's a lobbyist." Penny's eyes widened, and she met Angela's gaze. "I promise I can completely separate my work from my personal life. His activism will not influence the decisions I make for this job."

Angela laughed again and touched Penny's arm. "I'm not worried about that. It might not be a bad idea for me to learn more about what Human Rights Protection is fighting for these days. But set aside all that, tell me, is he a good kisser."

Penny's cheeks went from pink to red, and she covered her face.

Angela put an arm around Penny's shoulders and hugged her. "That tells me all I need to know. I'm so happy for you. I hope it works out."

Penny lowered her hand but would not look Angela in the eye. "Thank you, Ma'am. Now, about those resumés."

Angela pointed to the stack of papers on the opposite couch. "Is there one that stands out more than the others?"

Penny walked over, picked up the stack, and returned. "Actually, there is. Victoria Spencer comes very highly recommended." She handed Angela the resume. "She worked with Senator Van Houten for years."

Angela trusted Penny's judgment, but too many odd things led back to the Senator. "Why doesn't she still work for the Senator?"

"I believe she needed to take off briefly to deal with a family issue. Her mother was very sick, and Victoria chose to stay with her."

Angela scanned the resume. "Family is very important. It looks like she has some very important skills, including speaking three languages. Impressive."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"If you were me, would you hire her?"

Penny inhaled a big breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, yes, I would."

It wasn't right to hold her concerns against this woman. If she was good at the job, that's all that should matter. "Okay, then make it happen, Madam Chief of Staff."

Penny lowered her eyes and smiled. Angela was happy she had given Penny the chance to shine in this new role. For half a heartbeat, she had the crazy idea of replacing her entire cabinet with women. What would the religious right do with that?

Penny stood. "I will give her a call right now and see how quickly she can start."

"Perfect." Angela stayed on the couch and watched her walk out of the office. Then she said to Doyle, "What's wrong with you?"

He set down the magazine. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Since we left Camp David, you have been uber-professional."

Doyle stood up, walked to a side table, and poured himself a glass of water before returning to the couch. "Would you prefer I was unprofessional?"

"No, that would be just as annoying."

"I'm not sure I understand you. My job is to make sure that you stay safe."

Angela rested her arm on the back of the couch. "I thought we were becoming friends. I mean, Jumping June Bugs, you were the first person to know I was running for re-election."

"And when do you expect to make that announcement public?"

"I don't know yet. I'd like to do it when I send my bill to the floor."

"Do you think it's going to pass?"

Angela got off the couch and walked to the window again. The rain was coming down harder. She traced the trail of one of the drops and then faced Doyle. "I don't know. I wish I knew for sure that it was the right thing to do." She faced the window again.

She wanted nothing more than to be inside Blake's arms at that moment. It was hard to label, but she perhaps felt an even stronger connection to him than to Oliver. It wasn't that she loved Blake more. It felt different. She had told him she loved him before he left, and she meant that, but love didn't seem like the best word. The feelings she had for him felt foreign. For her, thoughts and feelings had always fit neatly inside the prescribed thought boxes in her brain. But this feeling didn't fit into any box.

Doyle got off the couch and walked over to her, standing close enough for her to feel his presence. "Sometimes, we never know if we made the right choice. We have to decide on a course of action and figure it out later."

When she turned around to face him, he had moved even closer and was now uncomfortably in her personal space. He bent his head toward her.

She took a big step back. "Um, what are you doing?"

Without missing a beat, Doyle slipped back into his cocky self. "I thought we were having a moment. I guess I misread the room."

"Uh, yeah. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression." The second she finished that apology, she regretted it. She hadn't done anything wrong. She quickly reflected on the walk they took. There was nothing that she did that could have given him the impression she wanted to kiss him.

She walked to the other side of her desk.

"For the record, Madam President, I thought you might want a distraction."

"What gave you that idea?"

"You are very tense, and sex is a great way to relax."

She stomped over to him and pointed her finger at his chest, emphasizing her anger. "Sex between us was never something that was going to happen. I can't believe you even thought that was an option. Your audacity astounds me."

Instead of apologizing, which would have been the correct way to handle the situation, Doyle adjusted his tie and said, "Let me know if you change your mind. I'm very good at keeping secrets."

Angela pressed her lips together. "I liked you better when you barely said anything. Go back to that version."

He chuckled and walked back to the couch.

She should have fired him immediately but decided it might be better to keep this card to play against him.

Tristan and Giselle Baptiste walked through the door.

"Ambassador, it's good to see you. Has Tristan been able to help you find your sister?" Angela held out a hand for Giselle. "Here, come sit with me and let me know what's going on. If you need more help, I will offer whatever I can."

Giselle sat next to Angela on the couch. "Actually, Tristan has been very helpful."

Angela couldn't help but notice the slight red tint rise to Giselle's face. Something was absolutely going on between the two of them.

Tristan sat on the opposite couch. "Angela, we need to talk."

Angela's heart stopped. Tristan didn't call her by title, instead opting for the familiar. Whatever he came to tell her wasn't going to be good.

"It's Blake, isn't it? You know something about Blake."

Tristan let out a long sigh. "Let's start from the beginning."

Angela did not like where this was going. "Just tell me what happened to him."

"Angela, it won't make sense if I don't explain everything." Tristan leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. "Giselle's sister, Jada, has been working undercover for almost five years with Lincoln's team."

"And that's the team Blake is working with?" Angela asked.

"Yes. I didn't know just how involved his team was. They started working with the US Marshals but quickly moved to Homeland Security. Their mission is to track and capture supernatural criminals that are too big for any of the human security forces. Over the last year, they've been working very closely with Interpol. They were tracking Xerxes as long as we were."

Angela's body stiffened at the mention of his name.

"They watched Keyser when he was in South America."

"He was in South America?" Angela interrupted.

Tristan nodded. "We now believe he found a private investor to help him continue the work Xerxes started."

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this?" Angela asked.

Tristan didn't answer her, which made her mad.

"Director, I want to know about what's going on with this situation. I thought that was a given."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about it."

"Tell her how my sister fits into all of this," Giselle said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Yes, yes. Jada was investigating a cold trail in Arkansas," Tristan said.

Angela got off the couch and walked behind it, leaning on it. "Why does everything lead to Arkansas? I haven't heard that state mentioned as much as I have the last week."

"I told you about the retreat that we believe uses shifters to hunt. Lincoln confirmed Jada was taken by the people who run this retreat. At first, she helped shifters escape and sent information back to the team. But all communication has gone dark, and they don't know what has happened to her."

Angela put a hand on Giselle's shoulder. "I am so sorry. You must be sick with worry."

Giselle turned to the side to see Angela. "Thank you, Madam President, but I know my sister is still alive. I'm pretty sure I'd feel it if she weren't."

"Please call me Angela whenever we are alone. Some days, I get sick of that title." Angela narrowed her focus on Tristan. "Now, tell me about Blake."

Tristan dropped his eyes to the floor. Angela moved around to sit next to him. "Tristan, what aren't you telling me."

"Lincoln's team decided it would be better to place Blake inside the retreat purposely."

"Wait a minute. They thought it was a good idea to let Blake get caught?"

When Tristan didn't answer, she knew the answer.

Angela sat back. "And, of course, Blake went along because he is just the way he is. Tell me they have some kind of contact with him."

Again, when Tristan didn't answer, she had her answer.

"Oh." She took in a slow breath and blew it out. "Do they know if he's alive?"

"They have no indication that he isn't," Tristan said.

"That doesn't answer the question," Angela said.

"No, it doesn't, but that's all the information I have now."

"And what about Operation Excalibur? They helped me when Benji was taken. Surely, they can step in now."

"We're organizing as we speak. None of our efforts will matter if Nikki isn't okay."

Angela squeezed Tristan's knee. "What's wrong with Nikki?"

"She's missing too. They think she and a member of Lincoln's team were captured with Blake. She's the only one who can summon the empousai," Tristan said.

Angela's eyes opened wider. "The what?"

Tristan sighed. "Um, I forgot you aren't one of us."

Angela clicked her tongue.

"Okay, let me see if I can give you a quick history lesson. Shortly after the beginning of man, there was the first vampire, Ambrogio. All supernatural creatures are connected to him in one way or another. He wasn't the nicest guy and went all over the world killing women. One night, the goddess Selene called on the goddess Hecate to help her create a tribe of women who could stand against him and any other supernatural creatures. Two sisters were the leaders, Elspeth and Isabeau. I'm not sure what happened, but they both fell in love with the same dragon, fought over him, and went their separate ways when he chose one over the other. The Tribe are immortal witches who can only be killed by the empousai. Alicorns are the only ones who can summon the empousai. That's why they were hunted and killed. We believe Nikki is the last of her kind."

"What does this have to do with this hunting retreat?" Angela said.

"It's protected by Tribe magic. The empousai are the only ones who can bring it down."

Angela needed a minute to process everything Tristan had told her. She knew someone was hunting shifters but didn't know the other stuff. A serious thought settled in her brain. It was the first time she ever fully understood that there were evil supernaturals, just like there were evil humans. If her bill passed, all supernaturals would have rights as citizens, all of them.

She turned to Tristan. "Right now, what happens to supernaturals who commit crimes?"

"Our law enforcement agencies and courts do their best to take care of them."

"Is it handled in a systematic way or just willy-nilly?"

Tristan scrunched his forehead. "Willy nilly?"

Giselle laughed. "In a haphazard way."

Doyle interrupted them, saying, "Sometimes, Madam President, it's like the Wild West. Whoever shoots the straightest wins."

Angela had forgotten about him and was surprised to see him sitting at her desk with his feet crossed on top.

She arched an eyebrow. "Comfy?"

He smirked. "Yes, very. I could get used to sitting in this chair."

"Giving supernaturals rights would protect them and make them accountable based on our laws," Angela said.

"I'm not sure what you're thinking regarding this bill. Sometimes I think it would be nice not to have to hide from the world, but there will be a lot of old supernaturals who won't like it at all," Tristan said.

Giselle said, "I think it's a very good thing. It will go a long way toward decreasing humans" fear of us."

Angela looked at the three supernaturals sitting around her. She felt as comfortable with them as she would be sitting with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, had they been real. But would everyone else? Could exposing supernaturals to the world do more harm than good?

The door opened, and Penny walked in. "Excuse the interruption, Madam President, but you need to see this." She handed Angela her tablet.

"What am I looking at?" Angela asked.

"Two schools in Tennessee were bombed," Penny said.

"Bombed?" Angela's voice rose two octaves. Her chest tightened, and her heart raced. Benji was in Tennessee. He wasn't in school, but he could have been.

As she held the tablet and watched the live updates, her hands trembled, and it felt like all the blood drained from her head. She was lightheaded. She reached out and held Tristan's knee for support.

"Reports are still coming in," the reporter said. "What we've come to understand so far is both schools were the target of an unprecedented violent attack. Approximately two hours ago, a teacher from each school went into the cafeteria and revealed a suicide bomb vest. They ignited the bombs strapped to them and shouted, "Death to all devils and monsters."

The camera showed a split screen, and an obviously upset news anchor struggled to maintain control as the on-site camera showed emergency personnel attending to victims.

"Joanne," the anchor said, "we're going to interrupt your broadcast as we are receiving word a recording has surfaced from a radical group claiming responsibility for this tragedy."

Both screens went away, and a masked man appeared. He wore a plain, white plastic mask. "To all American citizens. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate, and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

"Oh, my goodness. He's quoting the Declaration of Independence," Angela said.

The masked man continued. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator." He paused. "Listen to what I'm telling you. There are monsters among us, and there are people who would like to give these monsters the same rights and freedoms as we have. But they are not men, created by God, our creator. They were created from the depths of hell."

Tristan walked out of the room. Giselle stood next to Angela and Penny. Doyle moved behind them to watch over their shoulders.

"Just like our forefathers fought for their independence, now is the time for us to fight for ours. We cannot count on our government. In fact, our very own President was seen in a very compromising position with one of these monsters. I don't blame her as she is part of the weaker sex, but, My Brothers, if they can weasel their way into the White House, you can bet they are coming for your women."

Angela felt bile rise in the back of her throat. She wanted to vomit. She handed the tablet to Penny and got a glass of water.

Tristan walked back in and ended a phone call.

"What do we know?" Angela asked.

"The group taking responsibility is a homegrown terrorist organization that makes David Koresh look like a child," he said.

"Again, how is it that I don't know about this stuff?" Angela said.

"With all due respect, Madam President, we cannot tell you everything that happens. Too much is happening, and sometimes it's better if you don't know."

"And why would it be better if I don't know."

Doyle answered before Tristan could. "Plausible deniability."

And that's when Angela realized it didn't matter if she was technically in charge. She was being manipulated.

She calmly walked to Tristan and said, "Get me to Arkansas right the fuck now."