Intersection (71 page)

John Merrow stepped off the small platform and reached forward to accept the customary hand shake of his hosts. “Thank you,” he said with a firm grip.

“We’ll get it done,” Congresswoman Collins whispered as he offered her a friendly hug.

“I know you will,” he said pulling back with a confident nod.

“Sir,” a voice broke into his ear. “We need to change the exit.”

“No,” Merrow answered.

“Sir, I am afraid I must insist.”

John Merrow turned and faced the Secret Service agent. “No.”

“There is…”

The president stood firm. “I appreciate your concern. I cannot change tonight’s plan. Figure it out.”

“Great party,” Nick said. Alex smiled. “Alex,” he continued. “Can we talk for a minute?

“Yeah, of course.”

Nick pulled his sister aside. “I’m betting that you already know.”

“What’s that?” His sister asked.

“That Barb is pregnant.” Alex laughed. “It’s fine. I told her I was going to tell you tonight.”

“Nicky, I am happy for you.”

“Yeah, thanks. Listen, Alex when are you going to tell Mom.” Alex felt all the muscles in her body tense. “I mean… she knows, Alex… it’s all over the…”

Alex nodded. “Not now, Nick. Not today….all right?”

Nick sighed. “I just…”

The tension in the agent at the mention of her mother was palpable. “I know you want things to be different. I do. Right now, I just need to be with Cass and Dylan. Enough has happened. I don’t need to deal with…”

“I get it,” he conceded. “What do you want me to tell her?”

Alex shook her head. She looked across the room to Cassidy who was saying goodbye to Rose and trying to calm Dylan down at the same time. “Tell her….Tell her the truth.” Nick looked at his sister. “Tell her I have a family.” Nick sighed. “It’s okay, Nicky… Tell her or don’t. I’ll call her next week. Just give me some time.” He smiled as his older sister led him to the door.

“Alex?” Nick stopped.

“Yeah?

“She is great,” her brother smiled. He thought the world of Cassidy and he understood this was his sister’s time.

Alex chuckled. “I guess we both got lucky.”

“Thanks for everything Nick,” Cassidy began. “Dylan! No… No more pool!” She called down the hallway. Dylan was off like shot. “I’m sorry,” Cassidy said grasping Nick’s arm before beginning down the hallway. “Dylan James O’Brien!”

Alex laughed, “uh oh.”

“Night, sis,” he chuckled.

“Night,” Alex smiled.

Barb reached out and hugged her sister in law. “Thanks.”

“For?” The agent asked.

“Cassidy,” Barb laughed.

Alex chuckled. “Yeah… it was all for you, Barb,” Alex joked.

“I figured,” Barb smacked the agent lightly as Alex let them out the door and closed it.

“Mom!” Dylan yelled impatiently.

“Dylan…” Alex noted the warning tone in Cassidy’s voice. The excitement had finally hit its pinnacle. Dylan was wired for sound. The agent turned from the door to see Dylan stomping down the short hallway toward her and rubbing his eyes. “Over tired,” Cassidy mouthed from behind.

“Hey Speed,” Alex said gently. He stood in front of her wrinkling his brow and staring at the floor. “We’re all tired.”

“I’m not tired,” he said indignantly.

“Mmm,” Alex looked at Cassidy who rolled her eyes. “How about this… I promise tomorrow we will teach Mom how to play pool.” She bent down and whispered to him. “And, I bet you can beat her.” He looked up at the agent and sighed. His exhaustion was evident. “Piggy back?” He nodded.

Michael Taylor grabbed a hold of a photo behind his desk. In the center stood the colonel. He was handsome and strong and smiling broadly. To his left was a younger Taylor;
he was thinner and he was sporting a Dodger’s baseball cap. On the other side of the tall man was a young woman. Her hair was pulled back in a pony-tail. She had a soft, confident smile on her face. “Oh shit, Alex…what the hell is he into?” Taylor thought he might be sick. Something felt ‘off’. His gut was churning just like it did that day on Mutanabbi Street. “Colonel….”

“Is he down?” Cassidy asked. Alex nodded. “He was so tired,” Cassidy observed.

“Well, maybe he will sleep in,” Alex laughed.

“With that game system and that pool table? I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sleepwalking down there,” Cassidy joked.

“What about you?”

“I don’t sleepwalk,” Cassidy said.

“Hummmm…are you tired?”

“Why?” Cassidy asked playfully.

“You want a lesson?” Alex offered.

“What kind of lesson did you have in mind, Agent?”

“You said you expected a lesson,” Alex reminded the teacher.

Cassidy smiled. “Well, given our history I guess that means we can just stay here.”

Alex chuckled. “Really?” Cassidy shrugged. “Funny,” the agent continued, “I seem to recall a very similar denim shirt.”

“Not similar.”

Alex looked closely at Cassidy, “yes it was.” Cassidy shook her head. “Same?” Alex asked. Cassidy nodded. The agent pulled her phone from her jean’s pocket.

“What are you doing?” Cassidy asked.

“Well, I am technically forbidden to work and I pretty much know where everyone is that I care to know about…So, I think radio silence is in order for the rest of this evening.”

“Is that so?” Cassidy slowly walked toward the agent who tipped her head showing the teacher that her phone was off and tossing it aside onto the bedside table.

“That is so,” Alex said.

“And what do you do when there is radio silence?” Cassidy asked letting her hands slowly trace the agent’s sides.

“Sleep, mostly,” Alex answered, trying to be serious.

Cassidy did not flinch. “Oh. Sounds perfect,” she cooed and turned away from the agent. Swiftly she felt herself propelled back into Alex’s arms. “Yes?” She asked.

Alex looked into her lover’s eyes and lost all hope of continuing her playful game. “Cassidy?”

“Yes?” Cassidy raised an eyebrow.

The agent’s expression became serious and she fought to swallow. “I need you,” she confessed.

The smaller woman searched the agent’s blue eyes. She could see Alex’s need. There was an intensity in her eyes that Cassidy was not certain she had ever seen. The statement was not meant as a seduction; it was something much more. “Alex, you have me.”

“I love you so much Cass...I can’t even think of a way to tell…”

“Alex, you tell me every minute of the day. You tell me when you smile at me…when you play with Dylan, when you kiss me….” Her words were stopped by a soft, passionate kiss. “Come to bed,” Cassidy whispered. Alex felt her heart skip as Cassidy led her to the bed they now shared.

“Cass…”

“Shh….I need to show you,” Cassidy admitted looking down at the much taller and stronger figure beneath her.

“Show me what?”

Cassidy smiled. “Show you that I am yours….
Je seraià toi pour toujours
(I will be yours forever).” She tenderly began to caress Alex’s body and kiss her neck. Alex reached for her and Cassidy took hold of the larger hand. “Alex,
Laisse-moi t’aimer. Je veux que tu saches
(just let me love you. I need you to know).”

***

Krause set his scotch on the table and put his head between his knees as he lifted the phone to his ear. “Is it done?” He released his breath. “Is he?” He shook his head. “Where did they take him?.......Understood.” He hung up the phone and looked over at the cabinet. “Jesus…How the hell did we get here, John?” He sighed and picked up the scotch, offering a toast in the air. “To brothers… hard to fool….harder to kill.”

“Cass?” Alex whispered.

“Hummm?” Cassidy answered through heavy eyelids.

Alex lay resting on the teacher’s chest. Her fingers lightly playing over Cassidy’s skin. “Thanks.”

“What are you thanking me for?” Cassidy asked as she let her fingers run through the agent’s hair.

“Saying that Dylan is my son….I never really thought I would have a son; you know?”

Cassidy smiled. “Don’t thank me, Alex. I am thrilled by that, but Dylan made that decision all by himself. He didn’t need my help to fall in love with you.”

Alex nuzzled in tighter. “Cass?”

“Yeah?”

“You know, someday I might like to have another…you know...”

Cassidy felt her heart swell. There was nothing she did not want to share with the woman beside her. “I love you, Alex.”

“
Je t’aime plus tous les jours
(I love you more everyday), Cass.”

“Alex?”

“Hum?” Alex responded in a contented groan.

“Make love to me.”

Alex immediately woke up at Cassidy’s direct request. “Cass?”

“I…” Cassidy’s voice trembled.

The agent smiled into the teacher’s eyes and kissed the woman she loved. “I will give you everything, Cassidy.”

“You already have,” Cassidy said reaching out for the woman above her.

“Not quite. I think we’ll leave the phone off for the weekend.”

Cassidy smiled. For the first time she felt complete. That was the word she needed to describe this moment. She realized as Alex began to slowly explore her body and hold her heart, Alex Toles completed her. “Don’t let go,” she whispered.

“Never, Cass…never.”

“Somebody get an ambulance!”

“Mr. President? John …John…..” A voice continually called to the man now laying in a growing pool of his own blood.