Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~

Josh quickly descended the stairs to the entry hall, and made his way to the room adjacent to the entry known as the “Security Bunker”.
His meeting with the Presidents and his daughter went well, as could be expected. Josh had only seen the President’s daughter from a distance, almost never up close. He wished now he had, maybe it would make this easier now.
He couldn’t get her face out of his head. She brought back so many memories, so much pain.
Narrowing his focus into a laser-point, he closed his feelings off from his conscious thoughts. By the time he reached the Security Bunker, you would have to have known Josh better than yourself to know how much his heart ached. How much his past haunted him.
Just as he was about to enter the Security Bunker, he was struck by a sudden thought. Reaching into his pants pocket, Josh pulled out a silver Blackberry cell-phone. Pushing the power button, he turned the PDA-cell phone on for the first time in a little over a week.
Four voice-messages blinked yellow-and-red on the screen. One in particular caught Josh’s eye, and he selected the message.
“Josh, this is Nathan. We are kinda in trouble…”


A few miles away from the Capitol, in a ritzy hotel, room number 107, Senator Shale Madeck sat at the small hotel desk. His laptop sat in front of him, the screen showing his unfinished speech for a meeting with the Montana Organization for Wildlife Protection he had when he arrived home.
His flight had gotten into Washington the afternoon before, and he had spent what he had left of the day watching TV and emptying 107’s mini-bar. Now he had figured to do some work before the President’s daughter’s birthday party in a few hours.
Concentrating on how he should declare his stand on the effects the exhaust of cars driving on the interstate had on the growth of cacti, Shale barely acknowledged the knock on the door.
“Yeah?”
A man’s voice called from outside the door, “Room Service!”
“Enter!”
Shale heard the sound of a card being swept through the electronic door lock and the handle to the door jiggle.
“Excuse me, Sir? My key seems to be demagnetized, could you open the door?”
“Yeah, hold on a second.”
Shale hit the “save” on his speech and got up to answer the door.
“You probably put you card next to your cell phone. You should really…”
Shale stopped short, the muzzle of a silenced .22 pistol gaped at him like a baleful eye of doom. The man who held it smiled, and Shale was shocked to see his canine teeth had been sharpened to points, giving the man a devilish look.
“Hey Pops, I was wondering if I could borrow your car to take this girl out. Now sit down at the desk, I need a note from you.”

Half an hour later the strange man, known to the Criminal Underworld as Trissex, exited room 107. He was now dressed in one of Shale’s suits and carried a wooden cane.
After using a large red Sharpie to scribble something over the room number, and putting a shot through the lock with his pistol, Trissex made for the elevator.
Wearing a pair of glasses and suddenly acquiring a limp, the assassin checked out Shale’s car from the parking garage. He figured he should ride in style. After all, he just killed a Senator and was about to assault the President of the United States. It was going to be a great day.


“Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like all of you to pretend you work for me today.”
Josh stood on the stage in a large vaulted room. To his left was a bar being stocked with drinks and a buffet. Small round tables scattered the room, and his handpicked security team was gathered at the foot of the stage.
Relieving his team of their duties for the time being, Josh had called them into the performance hall to brief them and give last minute instructions. He had just started his pep-speech. He always gave a small speech before and event like this.
“I know I’m not technically Secret Service, I’m just an ex-marine who bribed his way into a security position.”
At that some of his team smiled, they knew Josh was there because of skill, not money.
Josh continued, “I also know some of you don’t normally work with my team. I pulled you for this assignment from other duties. But I want you all to know; I picked everyone for a reason.
Today is the President’s daughter’s birthday party. Our job is to make sure no one can get close to the President, his daughter, or any of the guests with the intent of causing them harm.
Now I know you are all thinking; “But Captain, we didn’t get a schedule from the Washington Crime Syndicate, there might be no threat at all!””
More smiles, and a few agents even laughed.
“But I always expect something to happen. They think they can get in here and take a shot at the President because the Agent in charge is not expecting it.
Well I have a surprise for them because I am expecting it. And I made sure I have a team who I can trust to do their jobs and do them well.
So today, keep your eyes open, and your safeties off, and we might get through.”
Josh gestured to Lucy Vale, who stood at the foot of the stage.
“Agent Vale will hand out assignments in a moment, but there are some overall points you should all know.
For all of you from the President’s normal security detail, you know he likes to stand in front of people telling bad political jokes and waiting to get shot. Well, today is being run by his daughter; and she does not like being in the spotlight.
The party today will be mostly eating and milling around while talking about politics and media. There will be a few dances held in the ballroom, and the billiard room is going to be open. But it should be fairly easy to keep tabs on the President and his daughter.
At the end of the day, however, the President’s daughter will take this very stage to formally thank all the attendees.
I don’t think I need to point out that this is her most vulnerable point, and it is where we should be especially alert.
I will be in the Bunker during the festivities, so bring any questions or concerns to Agent Vale or me. Agent is my Second today.
Now get your assignments and get ready. People will start to show in thirty minutes, but we know the press will be here in twenty.”
Josh stepped off the stage and headed out the back of the performance hall and through the music room, on his way to the Security Bunker.
As he walked he checked his radio frequency, then his pistols. Making sure the clips in both guns were full, he disengaged the safeties and holstered the weapons.
Then he undid the leather strips that secured the sai in their sheathes. Attaching a cord to his radio, he put an earwig in his ear and tapped into the comm. chatter of his security team.
So far, so good.


Half an hour later found Agents Ralph Rosas and Lucy Vale checking in guests. It was an easy job for the most part, but the President’s daughter had invited a few celebrities who could be a bit difficult at times.
Before guests started to arrive, it had been agreed that Vale would handle the guest list, Rosas the security check. But now, as Ralph tried to stay patient with a young lady in a silver designer dress, he decided next time he would take care of the list.
“Listen, Miss Lohan, we just need you to let us scan your bracelet and necklace. Just put them on the tray with your purse…”
“Hey, do you know how much these cost?”
Rosas sighed, “More than I get in a year. Now please, the tray please?”
Miss Lindsay Lohan, with an angry glance at Rosas, complied.
Ralph handed her the necklace and bracelet along with her purse.
“There, now was that so bad?”
“I’m going to complain to your superior!”
Agent Vale smiled sweetly, checking Lohan’s name off her list.
“Before you do that you might want to get a gun and some darn good life insurance.”
As Miss Lohan stalked off, Vale winked at Rosas, who had to hold back a laugh. If she did complain, Director John Nicolas would turn Miss Lohan over to Josh, and Josh would put her straight with no problems.
“Excuse me; I am aide to Senator Madeck. Mr. Madeck fell ill yesterday, but felt Montana should be represented this afternoon. I have here a letter giving me permission to attend in his stead.”
Ralph looked the letter over, and gestured the man aside.
“We will have to check its authenticity, but if you will please step to the side a moment, we will get back to you when we get confirmation. Nothing personal, it’s just our job.
The man nodded agreeably.
“But of course.”
Rosas handed the letter to Agent Jones to check the signature, and started checking the next guest in line.

Jones took the letter to the Security Bunker and had the signature checked against a copy of Senator Madeck’s signature they had on file.
The signature checked out and a few minutes later Rosas was checking the aide through.
“It seems you check out, Sir. Now if you would please place your wallet, watch, and any other items in the tray, you can be on your way in just a moment.”
The man did as instructed, and Rosas reviewed the screen on the small X-ray Station.
Acquired from a man in Nebraska, the X-ray Station was similar to the larger ones found in airports. Josh had added it to the estate’s security measures, and had found it quite useful.
Rosas handed back the man’s personal items.
“Thank you Mr. Rucus. Enjoy the party and please send our regards to Sen. Madeck.”
Mr. Rucus held up his bamboo cane.
“Don’t you need to check this?”
Rosas smiled, “Oh, thank you for reminding me, Sir.”
Rosas ran the metal-detector wand over the cane.
“You’re clean. Enjoy!”
Rosas turned to the next guest.
“Mr. Depp, how are you today?”


Joe Carlson stepped off the elevator and headed towards room 107, carrying his plumbers toolbox.
Today was not a good day. First, Joe’s wife had burned his breakfast. Then, in close succession, he had four water pipes burst and a water heater fail. Now the room above 107 had a burst pipe, and it looked like it had leaked into the lower room. Knowing Joe’s employer, the best he could hope for was to have whatever damages caused by the leak taken out of his paycheck. The depressible plumber couldn’t think of anything worst, but he was about to discover just one of the possibilities.
Joe had swiped his access card maybe twice before noticing the scorched hole in the door lock. Then looking up at the silver room number, he froze in shock. Over the black “107” was scribbled in bright red the number “666”.
Joe, slowly, reached for his walkie-talkie and radioed security.


Back at the Gold estate, the party was in full swing.
Almost all the guests had commented on the band, which ironically was made entirely of S.S. Agents Josh had picked in part for their musical talents.
At one point Lexy managed to talk the lead singer into stepping down and letting Lindsay Lohan on stage to sing. But after singing one raunchy song and refusing to give the microphone back to the band, Al Bono and Ralph Ross had to escort Miss Lohan off the stage.
Matt Gold had a small audience in one corner of the performance hall, and was explaining his position on the theory of global warming. He had spent the last two days reading up on the topic in order to give a convincing dialogue on it. And, listening to him through the hidden microphones in the performance hall’s wallboards, Josh had to admit he was doing a good job.
After the incident with Miss Lohan, Lexy retired with a number of the guests to the ballroom and proceeded to wear everyone, including the energetic Mr. Depp, out with dance after dance.
Finally, Josh and his team could relax a bit while the guests sat in the formal dining room and performance hall for the scheduled early dinner.


Officer Jorskie looked over the inside of room 107 with a look of confusion. Senator Shale Madeck sat in a chair facing the desk. On the desk sat his open laptop with the makings of a rather good speech pulled up on the screen.
It almost looked like he had just fallen asleep and died, except for the bullet hole through the back of the chair, the blood pooled on the floor, the ruined lock, and the red “666” on the door.
Jorskie was at a loss for what to do, until he saw an invitation laying open on the nightstand. The Presidential Seal tipped him off, and after skimming the contents he picked up the phone and dialed a friend. A friend who might be able to help him out.


Lucy Vale was sitting in the back of the Security Bunker when her cell rang. She glanced at the caller ID and cursed. She answered the phone, though against her better judgment.
“Bill Jorskie, I told you not to call me anymore! If it wasn’t for the fact I always answer my cell I’d…”
Lucy’s face went blank.
“What? Yes, he was supposed to attend but… dead? Shot!? Ok, Jorskie, hold on. I’m going to give you to my superior.”
Lucy rose and walked over to where Josh stood viewing the security camera feeds.
“Captain, I have a friend on the line with something your should hear.”
Josh took the phone from her and listened to Jorskie’s report. After asking a few clarifying questions he hung up and stared thoughtfully at the screens in front of him.
“Senator Madeck is dead. The assassin was a guy I’ve met before, a man who calls himself “Trissex”. “Tri” for three, “sex” for six. “666”, Satan’s number. Vale, where is that picture of the man claiming to be Shale’s aide?”
Lucy pulled up a photo taken by a security camera when the aide was checked through security.
Josh studied the photo carefully, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the man’s face.
“It could be him. It’s not his face, but it wouldn’t be the first time an assassin has changed his appearance to go undetected. So until he makes a move, we can’t do much…”
He thought a moment longer.
“Put out red flag out on our “Mr. Rucus”, and get Rosas’ full report on his check-in. I want to know if we could have somehow missed a concealed weapon somehow.”
The agents got right to work. Josh looked again at the photos, at the man calling himself Rucus handing his cane to Rosas. The cane reminded him of something, but he just couldn’t place it…