The President’s Son

 by: Miguel Sanchez

© 2009-2012 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 47

When I stuck my head in the Queens bedroom, the boys were cuddled close sleeping soundly. I closed the door them made sure the doors from the East and West wings were closed and locked then I joined my lover.

When I went in, Bennie was sawing a rain forest. I stripped then slid in beside him and he never budged. When my head hit the pillow, I closed my eyes and joined my lover in dreamland.

The next morning I felt Billy shaking my shoulder. “Ace, are you awake.

I was hoping Billy would let me sleep when I felt his fingers pry my eyelids open. “Are you awake?”

“I am now,” I said trying to let my eyes focus.

I closed my eyes again but that lasted all of ten seconds when Billy decided to sit on my abdomen. As soon as he sat down, he hit my bladder cause my eyes to open again. I rolled Billy off of my now screaming bladder then ran into the bathroom. It’s a good thing I was naked because I didn’t know if I would have got my tool out in time before my urine started to escape into the toilet.

Now that I’m feeling better, I turned on the shower then returned to the bedroom to get a clean pair of undies. I went back into the bathroom and stepped under the warm spray. I started to wash my hair when I realized I had a guest. I opened my eyes and Billy was sharing the shower with me. “Would you like a shower too?” I asked Billy as I put some shampoo onto his hair and began washing it.

I had his head lathered and began massaging his scalp. While I was doing this, he leaned back against my body and began to purr. “Ace this feels good.”

I rinsed the shampoo out of his hair then put some conditioner on next. After that was rinsed out, I started washing his body. I started on his chest and when I hit his nipples I heard him gasp. The last thing I wanted was to turn this shower into anything sexual. “What happened Billy?” I asked.

He looked up at me with a grin on his face. “I dunno but whatever you did felt good, weird but good.”

I wasn’t about to explain that to him because he was way too young and wouldn’t understand it. I rinsed the soap off him making sure I didn’t touch his nipples. I saw him reach up and run his finger over one then he shook again. “Billy, they happen to be a real sensitive area.”

“I see that. It made my wiener get stiff.” Billy said as he was playing with it like a typical little boy. I let it go and didn’t say anything to him as I started washing his back and butt. I didn’t go anywhere near his rectum because the last thing I want to do was scare him. When I turned him into the water he looked up at me. “Didn’t you forget something?” He asked turning around then shaking his butt at me.

“I didn’t want to scare you,” I said kneeling down so I could look him in the eyes.

He wrapped his little arms around my neck. “You don’t scare me Ace. I know you’d never hurt me either.”

I grabbed a wash cloth then put some soap on it. “Alright son, let me wash your bottom.”

I ran the cloth over his buns again then slipped the cloth in between his cheeks and gently washed his hole.

I rinsed him off then washed his penis, which started standing tall then he giggled. “Ace, that tickles.”

I rinsed him off then opened the door and handed him a towel so I could wash my own body. By the time I was done, Billy was barely dry as he tried to wiggle into a pair of underpants. “Billy, it helps if you completely dry yourself before putting on clothes.”

“I did Ace,” He said looking down.

I sat down on the toilet then removed his undies and finished drying his body. I handed Billy his undies and he put them on. “They went on better this time.”

I had to giggle at his innocence. “Next time, remember to totally dry your body.”

He gave me a kiss on the cheek then scampered back into the bedroom. Billy came to a sudden stop when he saw Bennie lying on his side with his head propped on his hand. When Billy saw this he got scared. Bennie saw this and quickly smiled. “Did you enjoy your shower?”

I came in and picked Billy up and tossed him on the bed, then finished getting dressed. Billy started giggling. “Yeah, Ace gives good showers.”

Bennie smiled at the little boy. “I know, I let him wash me all the time.”

“Really?” Billy asked amazed.

“Sure do,” Bennie replied as if it was nothing at all.

Billy got dry then put on his clean clothes then we were joined by Jake and Carl. Carl looked at his little brother. “Did you sleep well, Billy?”

Billy was nodding his head. “I sure did then Ace gave me a shower.”

Jake looked over to his boyfriend. “Man, we missed a few shower.”

Billy jumped back on the bed then into Jake’s arms. “You better get cleaned up Jake.”

We all laughed at Billy’s animation. “We already did bro.” Carl said taking his brother from his boyfriend.

“Oh, did you guys shower together?”

Carl tickled his brother. “Yes we did, it saves water.”

Bennie had to empty his bladder so he made a hasty exit towards the bathroom. After breakfast, we spent a leisurely day just taking it easy. After lunch, Cal came by to pick up his crew and take Bobby and Joey home because tomorrow was a school day.

Monday morning, I decided to let Bennie drive his new car to school. Johnny and Tonka got into the back seat and I rode shotgun. Bennie put his seatbelt on then looked over his shoulder. “Johnny put your belt on.”

I was proud of him that he took safety as a priority. “OK Bennie,” Johnny said as he but his seatbelt on. Bennie started the engine then headed for the back gate. There was a new officer on duty and he wanted to see Bennie’s license and registration card. “Do you know this isn’t an authorized car?”

“I just got it Saturday for my birthday.” Bennie said.

“I don’t need a smart ass reply kid, just say yes sir.”

I got out of the car. “Officer, come over here.”

“Who the hell are you?” He spouted.

Just then Captain Langford drove up. “Officer, what is going on here?”

“Captain, this car isn’t authorized to be here and then this old man started giving me the third degree.”

Langford walked over and snatched the papers out of the officer’s hand then returned them to Bennie. “Bennie, I apologize for this jerk’s actions. Agent Mason, I’ll handle him.”

“Thank you Joey, please him to another position.” I said returning to the car.

Langford looked at the officer. “Now you better apologize to that young man.”

“Why,” He was acting like a smartass when I told him the car wasn’t authorized.”

“You better remember him, if you want to keep your job. You just mouthed off to the President’s son and to Special Agent Mason, his bodyguard.” Langford said as the man just stood there not saying a word. “Go and park the car. You’ll be cleaning the grounds picking up the dog poop from his dog.”

Langford went into the booth and opened the gate so we could get to school.

Bennie had a huge smile on his face as we drove down the streets of DC. When we were a few blocks from the school, Bennie saw something and slowed down. “Ace, what’s that car doing blocking the street?”

We came to an intersection a few blocks from the car so I had him turn off then stop. I made a call to Bob Brinkman. “Bob, it’s Ace.”

“What’s up and I heard Bennie really loved his car.”

I laughed. “Yeah he did. Look, do you have a roadblock set up in front of the school?”

“No we don’t. Can you describe the car for me?”

“Umm it looks like an old retired police vehicle maybe a Caprice Classic. I saw a spotlight on the driver’s side and he has a blue bubble light on the roof.”

“I’ll get some unmarked cars heading over there.”

“Do you want me to wait until you check him out?”

“It’s going to take several minutes before I can get them on their way.”

I ended the call then thought quickly. “Johnny, do you have your vest on?”

“Yes, I always wear it now.” Johnny replied.

I was debating whether or not to put Tonka in danger but it was his job. “Alright, how about you take Tonka and walk down the street like you’re just taking him for a walk. We’ll wait a few minutes then follow you.”

Johnny and Tonka got out then started walking up the street towards the car while Bennie found a place to turn around. I got out and watched as Johnny and Tonka got closer to the car. When they got close the driver stepped out and gave Johnny the once over but did nothing as they went past. I called James letting him know Bennie would be late through no fault of his then got back into the car.”

I told Bennie what to do then I set my weapon on my lap. We headed towards the school and as we got close the driver stepped out. Bennie changed lanes and was ready to pull around him so he could pull into the parking lot when the driver put up his hand, ordering us to stop. The back passenger window was cracked a little so we could hear what he had to say without putting Bennie at risk. The driver quickly flashed something then shouted, “Out of the car.”

I saw Johnny had stopped and took a position behind the man’s car. “What’s the meaning of this?” I shouted.

He came around to my side of the car so I raised the back window. He pulled a weapon out and pointed it at us. I saw Johnny stand up holding his weapon. “Secret Service, drop you weapon.”

The man turned and Johnny took cover behind the car I saw Tonka by the back of the car hunched down ready to charge. I didn’t see a way I could exit the car without risking Bennie. The man turned around and pointed the gun at me. I decided to use the bullet proof door as a barrier. “Bennie, I’m going to open my door and use it to protect me. Don’t worry, he won’t get close to you.”

“Alright Ace,” Bennie said with a little fear in his voice.

“Hay man,” Johnny said as he popped his head up causing the man to turn and look.

This gave me the chance to open the door and get down behind it. “Drop the gun.” I shouted.

“Fuck you Mason. You’ve ruined everything, now I’m going to kill you.”

‘Who was this guy and how did he know me?’ I thought.

I didn’t know what to do. ‘Do I shoot him or should I tase him?’ My mind was going ninety miles an hour.

I was about to get my taser out when he took aim at me. Johnny stood up with the man in his sights. “Drop the gun,” Johnny shouted.

I stood up a little so I could take a shot too but still had the window protecting me. “Drop it,” I shouted as I now had him in my sights.

“Die Mason,” The man said then got off a round hitting the bulletproof glass.

Johnny fired once hitting him in the shoulder then I fired once hitting him in the chest. The man dropped his gun then fell to the ground. Johnny and I ran over to him as I put on a pair of rubber gloves. I covered the chest wound while Johnny called for an ambulance. “Who are you and why do you want to kill me.” I shouted at him.”

“You ruined my brother’s life.” He said as I held firm pressure on the wound.

“Who’s your brother,” I asked.

“Samuel Grayson.” The man said then his eyes closed and breathing stopped.

I searched the man and found his wallet. I opened it and saw his driver’s license. “Who is he Ace?” Johnny asked.

“David Grayson,” I said then turned my attention to Bennie.

I removed my gloves then opened the door and knelt down. “Are you alright, baby?”

He nodded his head but he was shaking like a leaf. “I’m calling the residence. I want Dusty to talk to you.” I said as Bennie shook his head then broke down. “Johnny, call Dusty and have him come out here in the Hummer to take Bennie back to the residence.”

I got his seatbelt undone then held him tightly in my arms. When he finally calmed down, I called James and let him know Bennie wouldn’t be in class today and asked if there were any assignments he needed to get done or turned in. James thanked me for the call and said Bennie’s work was caught up and he just needed to start studying for finals next week. I assured him he’d be ready when it was time for the exams.

When I ended the call, I heard sirens coming towards us. I looked up and saw several police vehicles along with an ambulance. A few minutes later I heard a siren behind me and I had a good idea who it was. Dusty pulled up and came over to me. “Ace what the hell happened? Was Bennie the target?”

“No buddy, Bennie wasn’t the target, I was.”

Dusty stepped back. “You? Why?”

“The why I don’t know completely yet but the who was David Grayson, the brother of Samuel Grayson.”

“You arrested Grayson, didn’t you?”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, he tried to get Kahliel deported. But why he tried to take me out because his brother was stupid is beyond me.”

“We never know what goes through people’s minds.”

Dusty went over to Bennie and knelt down. “Bennie, it is Dusty.”

Bennie slowly looked at his friend, “W…why did someone wanna hurt Ace?”

“We don’t know Bennie.” Dusty said reaching his hand out. “Let’s get you back to the residence.”

“Are you coming with me?”

Dusty nodded his head. “Yes, I have the Hummer. Ace will see to it your car gets home too.”

I saw Bennie start to get out of his car then Johnny and I ran over to form a wall around him. Dusty got him into the safety of the Hummer then left for the residence. Bob Brinkman walked up to us. “Ace what happened?”

Johnny looked at him. “He tried to kill Ace.”

“Are you sure Agent?” Bob asked.

“Bob, we have his dying declaration. I said.

“Who all heard it?”

“We both did.” Johnny said not liking where Bob was going.

“What was his reason?” Bob asked.

“Bob, I arrested his brother who was a fairly prominent attorney who tried to have his client, who was in federal detention deported.”

“So he was pissed about that.” Bob stated.

“Seems so,” I said. “But the only person he really had to be mad at was his brother for being stupid.”

Just then Dr. Valez came out. “Ace, I just heard. Tell me you’re alright.”

“I’m fine Sergio,” I said as he relaxed. “This should be a pretty straight forward autopsy.”

Sergio went over to him. Johnny helped the man roll him up onto his side then they rolled him back. “It looks like the round to the chest was the kill shot.”

“Sergio, can you run a tox screen on him for me? I want to know if he was under the influence of anything.”

“I’ll be glad to Ace. Just give me a couple of days to get the results.”

Sergio and his team loaded the body into his new van then took him to the lab. The scene got cleaned up then Johnny and I returned to the residence since Bennie wasn’t in school.

When I entered the back gate, there was a familiar face staring at me. He quickly let me pass then I quickly found a place to park headed up to the residence. I was about to ring for the elevator when I heard a voice. “What the hell happened out there?”

I looked and saw who was yelling. “Well, good morning to you to Evelyn.”

I was right by the elevator so I pushed the button and lucky for me, the doors opened right away. I hurried in then pushed the button for the residence. I wasn’t in the mood for Evelyn’s antics right now until I knew how Bennie was. They weren’t in the dining room or the living room so that left only one place. I tapped softly on the door and Dusty opened it. I saw Bennie sitting on the bed and started to go to him. Dusty put his hand on my shoulder. “He’ll be alright Ace. He is slowly coming to terms with that guy trying to kill you.”

I went over and sat down beside him. He looked at me and flung his arms around my neck. “Ace he could have killed you.”

I slid him onto my lap and continued to hold him as if he were once again a little child. “That possibility existed love but the chances of it happening were very slim. Did you forget Johnny was there too?”

He shook his head. “No, I knew he was there but still he could have killed you.”

“That would have taken a very lucky shot and I wasn’t about to let it happen. I had my vest on and stayed behind the passenger’s door window.

“This is what being a cop is all about. We put our lives on the line every day. I gladly do it for you and your dad.”

“I would have hated to see you hurt.” Bennie said.

I remembered back when I took a round in the back and how Bennie was when that happened. “I know love but it’s my job. I take every precaution I can and I even used the car as a shield too.”

“That was my birthday present,” Bennie said slightly indignant with his arms folded across his chest.

“I know baby and it did what it was designed to do. Let me ask you this.”

“Alright baby,” Bennie said looking me in the eyes.

“Do you still want to be an agent here?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“I know so I’ll be in your shoes and worrying about you when you’re on a dicey assignment.”

“Why, I’ll be a trained agent and I’ll always have my vest on.” Bennie said rather matter of factly.

I kissed him on his nose. “It’s because I love you that I’d worry about you.”

“I guess it comes with the job.” Bennie said giving me a weak smile.

“It does but we have to remember that every safety precaution is in place and to trust our training and the agents with you.”

“You’re right love.” Bennie said. “It did scare me when he pointed that gun at you.”

“Let me ask you this, did you forget about the protection your car had and that I was wearing my vest?”

He turned red. “Yeah, I guess I did. All I saw was the gun and everything else left my mind.”

“That’s the adrenaline that starts getting pumped through your body. It takes time to learn how to control it and not let it take over because when it does, mistakes happen.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn.”

“Love, everyday on this job is a learning experience.”

“Man, now I’m wondering if I’m really going to be cut out for this line of work.”

I turned him around on my lap and then put my hands on his shoulders. “Now you listen up love. I don’t want you putting yourself down. There isn’t anything you can’t do or accomplish when you put your mind to it. You love computers and you’re good at it. You’ve learned a lot from JR and that’s just the tip of the ice berg.”

Bennie was now smiling again. “I guess you’re not going to give up on me, huh?”

“You got it love.” I said kissing him on the lips. “Now, are you feeling better?”

He hugged me tightly. “Yeah, I guess I just needed a little wake up call.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” I said as Bennie got up off my legs.

He hugged me again then it was time to face a ticked off director. I opened the door and Dusty was still standing there. He saw Bennie smiling. “How is he?”

“Well, why don’t you go find out for yourself buddy?” I said then headed out to the dining room.

When I went in, Evelyn was having a cup of coffee. When she looked up she started, “What the…”

“I threw up my hand. “If you’re going to yell like a lunatic I’ll go back into my bedroom and type my report up.”

“You’re awfully cocky.” She spouted.

“Not cocky Evelyn, I’m just not in the mood for being screamed at when something happens on the street. Now if you want to know what happened, just ask.”

“OK, what happened?” She asked.

Before I could answer, my cell rang. “Mason.”

“Ah Ace my friend.” Sergio started. “I was going through this man’s belongings and I found something a little unusual.”

“I’m all ears Doc.” I said.

“He had some homemade credentials.”

“Homemade?” I asked.

“Yes, it seems he has this cheap imitation badge that says ‘Security Officer.”

I remembered he’s waved something at us so fast but I couldn’t make out what it was. “So that must have been what he waved at us and Bennie saw.”

“I’d say that was indeed the case.” Sergio replied.

“I guess you don’t have the tox screen back yet?”

“I’m good Ace, but I’m not that good.”

“Alright my friend; let me know if you find anything unusual when you’re doing your autopsy.”

“I will Ace.” He said then ended the call.

I fixed myself a cup of coffee then sat down. “Now, what is it you want to know?”

“For starters, who was he and why did he want to hurt Bennie?”

“You’re half right,” I started. “Who he is I can answer, his name was David Grayson. If the name rings a bell, it should. His brother is Samuel Grayson and his client was Yusuf Kahliel. Where you’re wrong is that Bennie wasn’t the target but me.”

“You,” She gasped. “Why?”

“Because I went and arrested his brother, Samuel when I learned he tried to have his client deported so his confession could be used against Peterson.”

“But you have the signed Miranda form and his confession on tape.”

“I know but the defense wouldn’t want Kahliel in court so they could cross examine him. And let’s not forget that Kahliel is facing some serious charges too. His confession implicates himself as the mastermind behind the attempted assassination of the President.”

“But why implicate himself? That’s suicide.”

I smiled. “That’s just what he wants. He wants us to execute him so he can die a martyr.”

“Well, he deserves the death penalty.”

“I know but I’m not about to let him get his wish, if I can help it. I plan on talking to the Attorney General and see if I can get him sentenced to life without parole. This will give Kahliel a long time to think about what he tried and didn’t get his death wish.”

“You seem to be on top of this case.” She said.

“Hell, I should be. I’ve lost track of the number of hours myself and others have worked on this, going over a mountain of banking records. I’m just glad they were computerized and JR is here. Now, if I can prove Samuel Grayson put his brother up to this, I’ll have his ass.”

“Well, it sounds like the shooting was justified.” Evelyn said.

“It was now what I don’t appreciate is you coming over here and jumping my ass and busting my chops about something you don’t know anything about.”

“Well, how and when was I going to find out?”

“Did you ever think of taking in a normal voice rather than like a lunatic? This isn’t the first time you’ve come on like a bull in a china shop.”

“I know Ace, and I do apologize. I got the report of an agent involved shooting and that was all I got.”

“So you had scream at me? You saw how far that got you.”

“I don’t blame you. I’ll try and handle it better.”

“For your sake Evelyn, I hope you do. I have a lot more to think about than just me here.”

“I understand,” She said standing.”

I decided not to go into details about Bennie now that I seemed to have settled him down. Evelyn headed for the elevator then I went to check on Bennie. I saw Dusty then he came up to me. “Bennie is online.”

I smiled, “School?”

“Yeah, he told me he wanted to get all the work so he wouldn’t fall behind.”

I smiled inwardly. “This is their last week of regular classes before final exams. Teachers will be doing reviews so every class is important.”

“What will his schedule be like next week?” Dusty asked.

“I haven’t a clue. He might get a schedule later on this week.”

I was about to go and check on Bennie when he came out holding several pieces of paper. “Ace, this if for you and Dad.”

“What’s this baby?”

“It’s next week’s schedule. There will be a final starting at 9 each day then, when we’re done, we turn it in then we’re free to go.”

“Alright, that was like when I took my finals. What’s this other paper?”

“It’s for dad, Mr. Robinson would like dad do give the commencement speech. I was going to take down to him.”

“Alright baby, let’s go.”

I escorted Bennie to the oval office. When we went in Frank greeted us. “Yes Bennie, what may I do for you?”

“Is Dad busy?”

“I don’t think so but let me check.” Frank said as he called Ben.

A minute later the door opened and Ben was looking at his son. “What are you doing here son?”

We went inside and I filled Ben in on this morning’s happenings when Bennie handed him the letter from James. “Dad can you do it?”

“Wow son, this is totally unexpected.” Ben said scratching his head.

“Well, can you do it?” Bennie asked again.

“When is graduation?” Ben asked.

“In three weeks.” Bennie started. “Next week we have finals then the following Friday is graduation.”

Ben thought for a minute. “I’ll call Mr. Robinson and talk with him. I have a few questions to ask but I think I’ll be able to do it son.”

Bennie was ecstatic. He went over and tightly hugged his father. “Thanks Dad.”

Ben kissed him on the head. “You’re welcome son.” Ben said as we headed for the door.

After lunch, Bennie went back online for his afternoon classes. Ben took the time and called James at the school. “Georgetown Exeter Academy, how may I help you?”

“Yes, might I speak with Mr. Robinson please?” Ben asked.

“One moment please Sir.”

Terry informed James he had a call. “This is James Robinson.”

“James, it’s Ben Jacobs.”

“Yes Mr. President, what may I do for you?” James said trying to get his heart to slow down.

“Bennie just gave me the letter you asked him to.”

“Well Sir, who better to give the commencement speech than you.”

“Thank you for thinking of me. I just have a few questions.”

“Sure Mr. President, fire away.” James said starting to relax.

“How long would you like this to be? I’ve never been one to beat around the bush so I tend to make things short, sweet and to the point.”

“Well Sir, I’m glad of that because there have been times people have gotten carried away and talked forever.”

“I’m not like that James. If you let me know how much time you’ve allotted for the speech, I’ll make sure it’s within that time limit.”

“Well, we have a fairly large graduating class this year and we would like to keep the ceremony to say no more than ninety minutes.”

“I’ll bear that in mind then. I’ll start working on this then get it polished so it goes smooth.”

“Thank you Mr. President. I’m sure you’ll be a hit with the graduating class.”

“Thank you for asking me.” Ben said ending the call.

Over at the courthouse, Adam was starting to present his case to the grand jury on Yusuf Kahliel. He informed the jurors that Kahliel had freely admitted his role in planning and carrying out the plot to assassinate President Jacobs.

He had that laid out in about an hour then the next person was Harold Peterson. It took him most of the morning to lay the ground work out for them as he was basically the number two person in the scheme. While laying out his case, Adam noticed several of the jurors were busy taking notes as Adam talked about the funds and how they were transferred to pay people.

The next person was Marcus Cole. This was going to be a tough sell because all Cole was interested in was the money, once his client was stuck in jail with no way to access it.

Finally came Samuel Grayson. He explained how he tried to have his client, Yusuf Kahliel, deported. Grayson knew that if he testified, he would be implicating himself and others in the plot against the President. He was also smart enough to know that if his client wasn’t present, his admission would be hard to get admitted into evidence.

After he presented all of his cases, he went out of the courtroom so the jurors could deliberate. Now, with the grand jury, Adam didn’t have to lay out his entire case. All he had to prove to him that there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial and to a jury.

Adam was looking at the clock and it was getting close to the end of the business day. Just before 5, Adam heard a bell ring and a light come on above the door to the grand jury room. Adam went over as a man came out and handed him some papers. Adam sat down and looked at the papers. As he read through them, he became ecstatic. ‘Yes,’ Adam said to himself.

The grand jury had returned indictments on all four of the men. As he walked out of the courthouse he decided to call me. “Ace, we did it.” Adam said sounding like an excited kid.”

“What did we do buddy?” I asked.

“The grand jury returned indictments on everyone.”

“That’s great Adam.” I said then it hit me. “When will the trials begin?”

“I don’t know,” He said. “I’m sure their attorneys will be seeking discovery and then trying to discredit it so it’ll probably be a while before the cases manage to get put on the docket.”

That was a good thing because Bennie was going to want a break from everything as soon as school was out. “That’s great Adam because I know Bennie is going to want to go on vacation before starting at Georgetown so I don’t want to have to be on call for court appearances.”

“I understand,” Adam said. “I think I could stall things until September if I had to.”

“That works for me.” I said.

“I’ll keep you informed buddy.” Adam said then ended the call.

It was just after 5 so I went and checked on Bennie. “What are you doing love?”

“Going over the review from my math class,” Bennie said looking up from his laptop.

“OK love, I’ll let you study.” I said leaving him to his work.

I went to the dining room and spotted Ben coming in from the west wing. “Hi Ace, where’s my boy?”

“He’s studying for his finals.” I said as we entered the dining room and got ourselves a cup of coffee.

We talked for several minutes then broached the subject of Bennie’s summer vacation. “Since Bennie is occupied Sir, can we talk about his summer vacation?”

Ben sipped his coffee. “Well, I’d mentioned to him the possibility of him maybe taking a cruise.”

When he said that, my mind went into overdrive thinking about the logistics. “Well, how would the cruise line take to having the Secret Service on board and having to be armed?”

I could see Ben thinking. “I don’t really know. I could find out from the cruise line as to what their policies are.”

“Let me do some research and I’ll make some inquiries.” I said heading for my room.

I got on my computer and looked for cruises. I was concerned about ports of call considering I knew Bennie would want to get out and sight see, as would I. It suddenly hit me about Bermuda. It was close and it was somewhere neither of us had ever been to so I did some looking. The one thing I learned was nothing left out of Washington. The closest port was Baltimore but that wouldn’t be a big problem. I decided to call the reservations desk and see if I could get some of my questions answered. I got a recording telling me reservations were open from 8am to 5pm so I made a mental note to call them tomorrow. I had one more possible obstacle to overcome.

I shut my computer down then returned to the dining room. “What did you find out?” Ben asked as I walked in.

“Reservations were closed. I just missed them. But I still have one hurdle. I was thinking about a cruise to Bermuda. It’s a 6 night cruise and it leaves out of Baltimore.”

“So what is the hurdle?” Ben asked.

“The local government Sir, I’m an American in a foreign country.”

Ben thought for a moment. “Bermuda is a British territory so I’ll contact their embassy and see what we can work out. The last thing we want is an international incident there while you’re on vacation.”

“Thank you Sir,” I said fixing a cup of coffee.

I finished my coffee and went to get ready for dinner. I went into Bennie’s room and he was shutting down his computer. “I’m glad that’s done.” Bennie said giving me a hug.

“Was it that difficult baby?” I asked.

“No, not really,’ Bennie answered. “Math is one of my best subjects, as is science.”

“I’m lucky you’re so smart.” I said kissing him on the cheek.

“I’m not that smart baby. But my strongest subjects I can get out of the way first. I have two classes I’m really going to have to review.”

“What are those?” I asked going into the bathroom to wash my hands.

“English and History I have to really go over, they’re not my favorite subjects.”

I dried my hands then hung the towel up. I heard a bit of worry in his voice as he talked about English and history. “Don’t worry baby, you’ll do fine.”

After dinner, Bennie did a little more studying while I talked with Ben. “Ace, I called the British Embassy and the Ambassador has agreed to come over tonight.”

I was moved by this. “Where will you two talk, in here or the Oval Office?”

“Due to the time, I thought we could meet here in the residence.”

“Very well Sir, I’ll alert the back gate.”

I made the call then went to check the coffee and got an electric kettle filled with water heating so the Ambassador could have some tea. I met with the chef and found our selections of teas and set them out.

My phone rang. “Agent Mason, the British Ambassador is here.”

“Escort him to the residence please,” I said then went downstairs.

Ben saw me head to the elevator so he knew our guest had arrived. I was standing by the door when the Ambassador’s limo arrived. When it stopped, I opened the back door. “Mr. Ambassador, welcome to the White House.” I said as he stepped out. “My name is Special Agent Mason with the Secret Service.”

“It’s nice to meet you agent Mason. I was moved then President Jacobs asked to speak to me so I decided not to wait until the morning.”

“Thank you Sir but this visit has nothing to do with politics between our two countries.”

“I gathered that but he didn’t go into much detail.” The ambassador replied as we entered the elevator.

The doors opened and Tonka was sitting there ready to greet our guest. “It’s alright boy, go and lie down.” I said then looked at the ambassador. “He’s a service canine. I hope he didn’t startle you.”

“He can be quiet a deterrent.” He replied as we headed for the living room.

The cart was there. “Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“Thank you,” He said as I went over to fix his tea then closed the doors to the living room as Ben got up to welcome our guest.”

“Sir Franklin, how are you? It’s been a long time.” Ben said warmly as they shook hands.

“That is has Mr. President.” Sir Franklin said as I sat his tea beside him along with some milk and sugar.

“Franklin, we’re old friends. Let’s not stand on ceremony. Please call me Ben.” Ben said as the two men sat down then I was about to leave. “Ace, please stay.”

I turned around and sat down. I could tell Sir Franklin was a little confused. “Your phone call piqued my interest Ben, how may I be of assistance.”

“Well Franklin, my son is graduating from high school in a couple of weeks and…”

“Congratulations Ben,” Franklin said accidently interrupting.

“Thank you and as a gift I want to send him on a cruise. His body guard here came up with Bermuda as a destination.”

“I think he’d have a smashing time.” Franklin said smiling.

“I’m sure he would but there is a small matter that we might need your assistance with.” Ben added.

“And that would be?”

“Well you know Bennie has to have Secret Service protection with him at all times.”

He nodded his head, “As do our Royals in England.”

“But our agents must be armed.” Ben said. “Would that create a problem?”

“What would you be carrying, Agent Mason?” Sir Franklin asked.

I stood up and slid my jacket out of the way so he could see my sidearm. “Just my hand gun, Sir”

“Would you be in a jacket and tie as you are now?”

I shook my head. “No sir, I’d be in soft clothes, shorts and a polo shirt.”

“Would that be visible under the shirt?” He asked.

“No sir,” I said excusing myself to get my fanny pack. “I have this for it. It looks like a tourist’s pack.”

“You’re quite right, it does. No one would know you’re carrying a weapon.”

“The issue is the local police. I’ll be the only agent with Bennie because well, I don’t think he’d garner a large crowd and we’d be keeping his holiday under wraps.”

Sir Franklin sipped his tea. “I’ll make a couple of phone calls but I don’t see a real problem. The two cities of interest are Hamilton and St. George and I could contact the local police of your arrival so you’re not bothered.”

“Should I stop in and introduce myself?” I asked trying to make a proper gesture.

“If you happen by a local office then you might want to but to go out of your way, I don’t think that would be necessary. I’ll make some inquiries and get back with you.”

“Would you care for another cup of tea, Franklin?” Ben asked.

“Why thank you Ben.”

I got up and fixed Sir Franklin another cup of tea then brought it over to him. I excused myself as the two men chatted. Just as I opened the door, I saw Bennie heading towards the living room. Sir Franklin saw him too. The ambassador waved towards Bennie like they were lost friends.

“Sir Franklin, how nice to see you.” Bennie said smiling.

“My, my lad, look how you’ve grown.”

Bennie turned red. “Well, I’m not the little boy you remember when Dad was governor.”

“So I see and I understand congratulations are in order too.”

“Sir?” Bennie said.

“I hear you’re graduating from high school.”

“Yes Sir Franklin, in a couple of weeks.”

Bennie sat down and chatted with the ambassador while I excused myself. At 9, the ambassador was ready to leave so I had a patrol car come by the residence so he could escort the limo to the gate. I escorted him outside and held the door for him. “I’ll be calling The President with an answer but I really don’t see a big problem Agent Mason.”

“Thank you Mr. Ambassador.” I said shaking his hand then closed the door after he got inside.

I headed back upstairs then returned the cart to the dining room and put everything away. Bennie was trying to find out why the ambassador was visiting but Ben just told him it was a social call.

By 10, I was ready to call it a night and Ben was already in his room so I made sure the doors were secured then snuggled with my lover who was already out like a light.

Tuesday morning I took Bennie to school and while he was in one of his classes, I called the cruise line. At first the reservation desk was adamant about not allowing me and my sidearm on board. It took several tense conversations with her before I was finally transferred to a supervisor. I explained who I was and who would be traveling on the ship. This person was American so she was well aware of the nature of my job. I was put on hold while she talked with her bosses.

About ten minutes later, she came back on the line. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting so long Agent Mason but I had to talk with several people.”

“I understand,” I said still holding my breath.

“Since you are a Federal Agent and the President’s son will be on board, we’re going to allow you to be on board with your weapon. My bosses wanted to know if when you were outside of your cabin, would it be noticeable to the other passengers?”

“I have a fanny pack that many tourists wear where my weapon will be so it won’t be noticeable to the others. Also, when I’m not carrying it, it will be secured in the cabin safe. The last thing I want is to have problems on board since this is a vacation.”

“I can understand that, we all need time off.” She said.

“I have one question. What time is boarding? The reason I ask this is because security will be tight until Bennie is safe on board.”

“Have you made your reservations yet?” She asked.

“Um no, not yet. The President wants to do this so right now I’m just trying to sort out logistical issues and look at prices.”

“Well Agent Mason, I’m sure we can give you a very good deal on a cruise package. What type of stateroom are you looking for?

“Well, we don’t want a small cabin but I don’t think we’d need a huge suite either. Neither of us has been on a ship before so I’ve been told that you want to be in the middle of the ship so we wouldn’t get seasick.”

I heard her giggle at that. “I can understand that. If I might make a suggestion but it I think a Junior Suite would fit your needs. It’s larger than a regular stateroom and it has a balcony that offers a great view.”

“Do you have internet availability?” I asked.

“Yes we do. We have that ship wide.”

I took out my notebook and started writing down some prices. “I’ll talk with the President then get back with you this afternoon. What time do you leave?”

“I leave at 5pm.” She said.

She gave me her direct phone number then I ended the call and had to get back to Bennie. I just made it when the bell rang. The rest of the morning flew by and during lunch, Bennie put me on the spot. “Where were you, I looked out once and didn’t see you.”

“I was on the phone.”

“Oh?” Bennie asked.

I ran my finger down his nose, “Yeah and stop being so nosey.” I said.

“Oooo Bennie,” Jake said starting to rib him.

“What?” Bennie shot back. “I was just…”

“Being nosey,” Carl said giggling.

Bennie stuck his tongue out leaning over to his tormenters. “Bite me.”

Jake wiggled his eyebrows. “Gee Bennie, I never knew you were kinky.”

I couldn’t help it but I busted out laughing while Bennie sat there red faced. I leaned down and tried to ease his embarrassment. “But I still love you.” I whispered softly.

He leaned over and blew a soft raspberry in my ear. “Yeah I know so what were the calls about?”

“You’re not giving up on this are you?” I said as I finished my lunch.

“Nope,” He said smiling at me. “What do I get for graduating?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I just got you a car, what more do you want?”

He reached down and took my hand then ran his finger against the palm of it. “That.”

I slapped his hand. “Behave love.” I said softly.

“I am.” He said his horns almost showing.

We took our trays up then headed for the gym. This would be Bennie’s last self defense class. We got changed and went into the wrestling room. Bennie and I worked with the class on what we’d taught them then before class ended Bennie and I talked with everyone. “You now have some of the basics on how to protect yourselves enough to get away from a bully or an attacker.” I started.

“I suggest if you want to continue learning what we’ve started here, have your parents enroll you in a good school. You’ll be surprised just what you will learn. It’s more than just protecting yourself, it’s about learning self discipline.”

A number of the boys came up to us as we headed for the dressing room and said they’d like to continue their lessons. After a quick shower, Bennie and I along with Tonka headed to the residence. “What do you have to study tonight?”

Bennie looked at me and rolled his eyes then said, “My English.”

“Sounds like you have your hands full baby.” I said as he pulled onto the White House grounds.

“Yeah but I’m not going to get all stressed out about it.”

I got the Hummer parked and let Tonka do his thing then we headed up to the residence. Bennie headed towards his room then I quickly got on the phone and called Ben. “Yes Ace,” He said.

“Would you happen to have a few minutes Sir?” I asked.

“The rest of the afternoon is free.” He said.

I told Bennie I had some business to take care of then headed over to Ben’s office. When I went into the waiting room, Fred pointed towards the Oval Office. “He’s waiting for you Ace.”

I knocked then entered. Ben was behind his desk going over some papers. He finished what he was doing then looked up at me. “I’ve talked with the cruise line and the powers that be said me having my weapon wouldn’t be a problem as long as the other passengers could tell I was carrying it.”

“How can you solve that?” Ben asked.

I handed him my fanny pack. “With this, it’s designed to hold my weapon but it looks like any other pack a tourist would have.”

“Pretty ingenious,” Ben said smiling.

“I think so. Now the woman I spoke to said she could give me a pretty good price on the room I was interested in.”

“What kind of room is it? You’re not going totally high end are you?”

I shook my head. “Oh no Sir; I didn’t want a sardine can for a room but we don’t need a huge suite either. I looked at a Junior Suite which is large enough for us.”

I went to their website and found the room I was talking about. “That seems adequate. You can have a queen size bed, it’s got a nice bathroom and you even have a balcony.”

“That’s what I liked about it. It’s spacious without having a lot of space that would never be used.”

Ben was looking at the amenities then said, “Well, let’s get her on the phone.”

I placed the call then put it on speaker. “This is Joyce Davenport, how may I help you?

“Ms. Davenport, this is Agent Mason.”

“Oh, nice to hear from you again; are you ready to make your reservation now?”

“I think so,” I said. “What were you able to come up with?”

“I’ve found a Junior Suite in the middle of the ship. It’s on deck fourteen and you’ll have a lovely view on the balcony.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said. “Now for the big question; how much, Ma’am?”

“Well, this is a rather late booking but I was able to get the price reduced to $699.00 plus taxes and port charges.”

Just then Ben spoke. “So that is the bottom line here?”

“Who is this?” The woman asked surprised to hear another voice.

“This is Ben Jacobs, Ms. Davenport.”

“I’m so sorry Mr. President. I didn’t know you were listening.”

I took over then. “Yes he was since this is a gift for his son.”

“I understand. “The total with taxes and port charges comes to $814.67 per person.”

I looked at Ben then leaned close to his ear. “I’ll pay half of this.”

Ben shook his head. “No, this is my gift. You just bought him a car for his birthday.”

I nodded my head. “Based on the website’s prices, this is a very good deal.”

“Can I make the reservation then?” She asked.

Ben answered the question. “Yes, please do.”

Ben gave Ms. Davenport Bennie’s information then I gave her mine. I had a question then. “How long will it take for the documents to arrive and what happens if there is an error on them?”

“This is why I’m taking my time getting everyone’s information and double checking it with you here before I submit them.”

Ben and I sat there and answered all of her questions. Almost an hour later she had everything. When that was done, I asked her about the check in and that there would be a large contingent of Secret Service Agents with us until we boarded. She informed us she’d notify the port and the ship so we would be able to board right away. I thanked her for all of her help then ended the call. I looked at the clock on the wall and it was a quarter to five. “Well sir, that’s taken care of.”

“Now we just have to figure out how to get to you two to the Pier in Baltimore.” Ben said.

“That won’t be a problem.” I said.

“How so?” Ben asked.

“We can use one of the Suburbans then an agent in Baltimore can take it over to their field office until we return. I was thinking on using 2 vehicles from the Baltimore field office also.”

“Good idea, have you spoken to Evelyn yet?”

“Not yet, because nothing had been settled, but I’ll call her and fill her in.”

Ben cleaned his desk and put everything away then we headed for the residence. We went out to the waiting area. “You can head home now Fred.” Ben said.

“I will Sir as soon as I finish a couple of things. Have a good evening.”

Ben and I left the Oval Office and headed for the residence. On the way, we were joined by Dusty. “How goes the education my friend?” I asked.

“Man, there is a lot to learn.” Dusty said.

I put my arm around his shoulder. “You’ll do fine man. I have faith in you.”

When we reached the residence, Dusty returned to the office then I went to check on Bennie. “Hi love, still at it?” I asked as I took my weapon, shirt and vest off and stated getting comfortable.

“Yeah, looks like I’ll be at it all evening.” He said coming over to me wrapping me in a hug.

“I understand baby, school comes before anything.”

I kissed him on the cheek then let him get back to work. I went over to my bedroom and got a clean shirt then washed up for dinner. After that was done, I decided to call Evelyn. “Yes Ace,” She said.

“You know Bennie is graduating soon, right?”

“Oh yes, I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

“Well, Ben is giving him a graduation gift.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“Well, it’s a cruise.” I said

“Where to and when?” She asked.

“Bermuda and it’ll be in July.”

“I take it the reservations and everything has been made?”

“Yes, that was done today.”

“Thanks for the heads up, I’ll mark it on the calendar so I know. Have you contacted Adam about this yet?”

“Not yet but I will. He just got indictments back on everyone from the grand jury so I don’t think they’ll be going to trial soon.”

“Alright but just remember to touch base with him.”

I agreed then ended the call. Since I had a few minutes before dinner, I took the chance and called Adam. “Hey buddy, did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Not really, I was just leaving the office.”

“I’ll make this short then,” I started. “I’ll be taking Bennie on vacation near the end of July so I’ll be unavailable for court.”

“I doubt seriously this case will be on the docket that soon.”

“OK, I was just letting you know.” I said.

“Thanks for the heads up. Enjoy your vacation.”

“I intend to.” I said ending the call.

I went over and got Bennie then we headed to the dining room. After dinner Bennie returned to his studies. I didn’t have anything to do so I went out to the living room and saw Ben writing on a legal pad. He handed it to me. “What do you think of this?”

I read it over, “Looks good Sir.” I said.

“Do you think it’s too political?” Ben asked.

“Not at all, it’s talking about their future and how they handle it.” I said as Ben had a look of uncertainty on his face.

“I just wish there were more jobs available for every one of them.”

“Jobs are returning Sir,” I said. “I know it’s not as fast as we would all like but they are.”

“I know Bennie will be one of the lucky ones after he graduates.”

“In theory yes but not even I can say what will happen in 5 years. All I can do is hope he’ll have a career here at the service.”

I was pretty sure Bennie’s future would be secure because cyber crimes was on the increase and the service would need agents to keep up with the demand. I looked at my watch and it was after 8 so I decided to talk with Ed and Dusty tomorrow. I stuck my nose in Bennie’s room and he was still at it. Every once in a while I’d hear him mumble then he closed the lid on his computer. “Damn it love, this is tough.”

I went over and sat down beside him. “What are you going over?”

“English, what else, I hate it.” He said in total frustration.

As a rule I wouldn’t get involved in helping him because I wanted him to learn how to do things for himself but he was to the point of giving up and that was the last thing I wanted. I went over and sat beside him. “OK love; show me what you’re working on.” I said then he lifted the lid on his computer and opened up what he was working on. “So what is the problem?”

He opened the page on his computer and showed it to me. “I’m supposed to find the mistakes and then fix them.”

I looked at it then started reading. After reading several lines, I spotted one. “You can’t see what’s wrong here?”

Bennie looked at the page. “No baby, I don’t.”

“Read it closely, love.” I said.

After reading it several times he turned red. “Damn.”

“What is it?”

He pointed to the line. “It’s right here.”

I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “That’s right love, you can’t just look at the page you have to read it.”

Bennie looked down. “Alright love, I guess there are no short cuts.”

“To getting a good education, there isn’t.” I replied then returned to my room.

“Thanks baby,” Bennie said as he returned to his work.

The next day flew by. When we returned to the residence, Bennie went right to his studies. I told him I was going to the office then met up with Dusty and Ed. “How’s it going guys?”

Dusty smiled at me. “I think I’m finally getting a grip on all of this.”

“Good.” I said, “Because you’ll soon be putting it into action.”

“What, when?” Dusty asked.

“In two weeks the school will be holding its graduation and the President will be giving a short speech.”

Ed just sat there absorbing everything I was saying. “So this means a full sweep and everything.” Dusty asked.

“That’s right Dusty and you’ll be in charge.” I said.

He looked at me. “I hope I don’t mess this up.”

I walked up behind him.

<SLAP>

He glared at me. “What the hell was that for?”

“That’s a wakeup call buddy. Don’t second guess yourself. I have confidence in you and Ed will be there in the background but this will be your project.”

“Alright Ace,” He said.

“The evening of the graduation, I’ll expect a short report before we leave but that’s about it because everything will be in place for their arrival.”

“I’ll want to go over to the school and get a good idea of the layout.” Dusty said looking at Ed.

“OK, I’ll notify James Robinson that you’ll be coming over. He’ll be able to answer any questions you might have.”

To be continued...