The Shadow Knows
POV of Jenna Clark:
DATE: 3/21/2016
She was standing in my office waiting for me that morning. I'd never had a Secret Service detail... for my entire career I'd practically loathed them. For years, they'd kept me from getting near to the President to snap pictures. Of course I knew they were doing their job. But couldn't they have done it from more of a distance right?
"Agent Bloomberg," I stated not asked.
"Ms. Clark," my new agent, Jessie Bloomberg nodded.
"I don't like you people, you're aware of that right?" I said.
She nodded. "Very much aware. We all still remember what happened to Agent Howzer."
I whinced. The year before I had... I had accidentally hit an agent when I was driving. It was seriously an accident, you can check the investigation report. He'd been about to cross the road when this sports car had zipped through a red light and nearly plowed into me. I'd turned to avoid the other car and hit the unfortunate agent. For weeks Bobby taunted me saying, "God, Jenn. We all hate them but atleast *we* don't run them down!"
"That was an accident," I defended.
Bloomberg nodded. "Whatever you say."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my folder with everything I was authorized to release snug inside waiting to be gobbled up the blood sucking press. Just kidding!
My new agent opened the door for me and walked out before me, staying at my side as we walked the same route I had for three months.
Before I walked in, I took a deep breath. I knew everyone out in that room personally. I was dating Bobby and good friends with several others. Now, here I was, walking in there looking like a wussy with a babysistter.
I walked in and over to the podium. I was grateful to Bloomberg that she stood behind me and out of the way.
"Jenna!" Jerry Elyzibeth called out. "Is this part of the new security plan for White House staff?"
"Just those of us stupid enough to take high-ranking positions," I responded.
Keid Ramsie raised his hand and I pointed to him. "Can you be specific as to who is being given these details and confirmation if you are really taking this seriously?"
"Keid, we've got agents. We're taking this seriously," I answered. "And who has them? We all have them. Even my secretary."
"The Treasury department can do that without exhausting their supply of agents?" Dale Brecker asked.
"They're people, Dale, not pieces of office equipment," I said. "And they can do this and are glad to be doing this. There job is to protect and... they're protecting. Moving on."
I went along with the Press Release, announcing the Presiden't support for a law coming down hard on the need for a good standard of computer chip stabability and other good stuff. I also announced at the end that my birthday was in two weeks and anyone wishing to send me a gift had better do send it to the White House because my mail at home was being chopped up and dismantled. Then opened. The remark brought several chuckles and I left the room with good spirits.
Besides the babysitter, that day wasn't all bad.
***
POV of Jeff Moore:
Everyone was back into work. Juline was back on Eagle and Jake was back to gaurding Gregory Tymes, much to his dismay. I didn't have it to bad when I walked into work that morning. I looked over to see an unhappy Mrs. C sitting at her desk with an agent sitting in an uncomfortable chair by the door. I nodded to the agent whom I knew.
My agent, however, I was unfamiliar with. She was older than me by about ten years give or take and had the strictest look on her face.
"Jefferson Moore?" she asked me.
"Yeah..." I replied. "I'm Jeff Moore."
"I'm Agent Dana Carlston," she said.
I looked at her face once more to try and remember her but I couldn't. "Good to meet you Agent Carlston." Why couldn't my shadow have been someone I knew?
She nodded and took a seat opposite the door from Agent Percy Jamison.
The door burst open and both agents jumped up, guns in their hands.
"Mrs. C! Mrs. C!" little Josh and Toby Seaborn shouted and rushed in. I watched the two agents relax as they recognized the two boys and the agents that soon ran in after them. Poor Fisher and Nix... Jake and John said that the twins were fine but I couldn't imagine being stuck with those two.
Mrs. C smiled widely and grabbed a tupperware container of fresh brownies. I grinned when I noticed a piece already missing. President Seaborn always got the first piece. Or rather, Juline did. *Then* the President.
"Can we see Daddy?" Toby asked me after licking his fingers clean of chocolate.
"He's in a meeting right now," I told the boy. "With the Chief of Staff."
"Uncle Josh," Josh Seaborn said.
"You can wait though," Percy spoke up from where he sat. "The meeting can't be *that* long." Then he looked at me. "Can it?"
I shook my head. "Percy's right. You two can wait... and look what I have for you to play with," I said and pulled out a set of extra model Star Wars ships I'd put together for situations such as those.
They shouted in glee and grabbed the ships, making laser noises and running around the office. Josh even wrangled in Percy, handing him a Slave I model for him and Toby to shoot at.
There are two things that can get you instantly into Mrs. C's heart. If you're good with kids or smart enough to compliment her upon your first meeting. Percy hadn't met the requirements for the latter entrance, but still got in. After a moment of mental confliction, he got up and ran around with the two boys.
This next part is hilarious. Pay attention.
There was a click and the door to the Oval Office opened. Standing there, was the President of the United States along with Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman.
Everything froze, even Josh and Toby.
Percy's face was pale white and after the intial shock was over, he began muttering apologies and placed the model on my desk.
Seaborn grinned, not saying anything to the agent, and permitted the little boys inside his office. Once the door was firmly shut, Fisher looked at Percy and said, "You screwed up *SO* bad."
Nix, Fisher and me burst out laughing. It was hilarious. You should have seen the look on Percy's face. Priceless.
But Mrs. C, she didn't laugh. She looked at the red faced Percy and asked, "Would you like a brownie dear?"
Needless to say, the rest of us didn't get any brownies that day.
***
POV of Wil Parks
I'd come in late that morning. *Very* late. I normally get in at about five but I'd had a dentist appointment so I didn't get in until about nine. Everyone else had their agents sitting around and I wondered where mine was. He wasn't waiting for me outside my door. I shrugged and entered.
There was a snort and I jumped backwards. Cautiously, I peered and saw someone asleep on my love seat.
"What are you doin?" Lisa stopped and asked.
"Someone's in my office," I told her.
She peered in. "There is. Huh."
"What's 'huh'?" Jenna asked when she saw the two of us.
Lisa answered, "There's someone in Wil's office."
She peered in and then looked over to the two of us. "Huh."
"What's going on?"
We all turned to see Greg.
"There is someone asleep in Wil's office and we don't know who it is," Jenna told him.
Greg peered in. "Someone poke it."
We all gave him an odd look. He sighed and left then soon returned with a yard stick.
"Well... poke it," I said.
"No, you poke it," he thrust the yard stick into my hands.
I shook my head. "It was your idea. *You* poke it."
Lisa sighed. "Give me the damn stick."
I handed it to her and moved out of the way so he could lean into the office and poke the figure on the love seat. She manuvered the stick to poke his shoe. There was no response. She continued prodding the bottom of his feet until she got mad and poked the person in the gut.
He yelped and jumped up, gun in his hand and pointed at the door. We all scrambled back as he opened the door and saw the four of us huddled on the floor.
I gave a weak grinned. "Uh... hi."
***
POV of Greg Tymes:
After the incident with Wil's new agent, we all went back to work. Our own agents didn't neccisarily have to follow us around the White House. They were very confident that is was safe. I mean, the President lives there. If it wasn't safe they'd move him or something.
Seaborn was hindered by the on going Presidential legacy of the destruction of nuclear weapons. However, it wasn't Russia he was working with. It was Iraq. Under the leadership of Samir Gahfadi, they'd reached peace. Sorta.
The hard working Lisa and I were working on nailing the speech he'd be giving at a summit in London.
"Greg," Lisa said. "I'm confused. So... we like Iraq?"
"No."
"Then why are we even bothering with the summit?"
"We like their oil," I told her.
She nodded and we went back to work.
Writing a speech can be hard. It really can. And when the topic is the same as it has been for twenty years, it can get boring. But still...
"I need a fish tank," I said.
She just looked at me weird. "You *have* a fish tank in the apartment."
"No," Greg said. "I mean, I need one in here."
"Why?"
"Because I do," I answered.
"What about feeding them? There are times you're not here."
"Lisa. I'm here everyday. And when I'm not, I can get Terrika or Missy to feed them."
Lisa shook her head. "Whatever," she said. "Good luch getting it cleared by the Secret Service."
I grinned and put a paper down on the table. "Blackwell already cleared it."
She sighed and got back to typing.
I chuckled and began rewording the begining of the speech.
***
POV of Presidential Secretary Allison Campbell:
I didn't understand what the whole big deal was. I could see the senior staff getting protection but why did I have to? I'm not that frail you know. I'm a big girl who can take care of herself. Yet no matter how many times I told that to Samuel, he wouldn't relent.
Percy wasn't as bad as I had thought he would be though. He is a very nice young man, reminds me of my son who I lost in the Afghanistan conflict.
Jeff, too, reminds me of my son. They all did. You can ask anyone, I practically adopted the entire West Wing. I always baked cookies or brownies or bought doughnuts on my way to the White House for everyone. It was very common for everyone to come in at some point... Wil especially. That boy has a sweet tooth countered by no one.
I knew everyone in the Seaborn White House. I mean *everyone*. I made sure that everyone got a cookie or brownie atleast once a week. I'd even make a special plate for the Communications bullpen and another for the staff bullpen. They keep them so busy in there.
The White House is like a big family. It really is. Especially with the five Seaborn kids running around. Nothings ever the same as yesterday. It can be tiring but if you were to ask around, no one would give it up for anything.
***
POV of Jenna Clark:
DATE: 3/21/2016
She was standing in my office waiting for me that morning. I'd never had a Secret Service detail... for my entire career I'd practically loathed them. For years, they'd kept me from getting near to the President to snap pictures. Of course I knew they were doing their job. But couldn't they have done it from more of a distance right?
"Agent Bloomberg," I stated not asked.
"Ms. Clark," my new agent, Jessie Bloomberg nodded.
"I don't like you people, you're aware of that right?" I said.
She nodded. "Very much aware. We all still remember what happened to Agent Howzer."
I whinced. The year before I had... I had accidentally hit an agent when I was driving. It was seriously an accident, you can check the investigation report. He'd been about to cross the road when this sports car had zipped through a red light and nearly plowed into me. I'd turned to avoid the other car and hit the unfortunate agent. For weeks Bobby taunted me saying, "God, Jenn. We all hate them but atleast *we* don't run them down!"
"That was an accident," I defended.
Bloomberg nodded. "Whatever you say."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my folder with everything I was authorized to release snug inside waiting to be gobbled up the blood sucking press. Just kidding!
My new agent opened the door for me and walked out before me, staying at my side as we walked the same route I had for three months.
Before I walked in, I took a deep breath. I knew everyone out in that room personally. I was dating Bobby and good friends with several others. Now, here I was, walking in there looking like a wussy with a babysistter.
I walked in and over to the podium. I was grateful to Bloomberg that she stood behind me and out of the way.
"Jenna!" Jerry Elyzibeth called out. "Is this part of the new security plan for White House staff?"
"Just those of us stupid enough to take high-ranking positions," I responded.
Keid Ramsie raised his hand and I pointed to him. "Can you be specific as to who is being given these details and confirmation if you are really taking this seriously?"
"Keid, we've got agents. We're taking this seriously," I answered. "And who has them? We all have them. Even my secretary."
"The Treasury department can do that without exhausting their supply of agents?" Dale Brecker asked.
"They're people, Dale, not pieces of office equipment," I said. "And they can do this and are glad to be doing this. There job is to protect and... they're protecting. Moving on."
I went along with the Press Release, announcing the Presiden't support for a law coming down hard on the need for a good standard of computer chip stabability and other good stuff. I also announced at the end that my birthday was in two weeks and anyone wishing to send me a gift had better do send it to the White House because my mail at home was being chopped up and dismantled. Then opened. The remark brought several chuckles and I left the room with good spirits.
Besides the babysitter, that day wasn't all bad.
***
POV of Jeff Moore:
Everyone was back into work. Juline was back on Eagle and Jake was back to gaurding Gregory Tymes, much to his dismay. I didn't have it to bad when I walked into work that morning. I looked over to see an unhappy Mrs. C sitting at her desk with an agent sitting in an uncomfortable chair by the door. I nodded to the agent whom I knew.
My agent, however, I was unfamiliar with. She was older than me by about ten years give or take and had the strictest look on her face.
"Jefferson Moore?" she asked me.
"Yeah..." I replied. "I'm Jeff Moore."
"I'm Agent Dana Carlston," she said.
I looked at her face once more to try and remember her but I couldn't. "Good to meet you Agent Carlston." Why couldn't my shadow have been someone I knew?
She nodded and took a seat opposite the door from Agent Percy Jamison.
The door burst open and both agents jumped up, guns in their hands.
"Mrs. C! Mrs. C!" little Josh and Toby Seaborn shouted and rushed in. I watched the two agents relax as they recognized the two boys and the agents that soon ran in after them. Poor Fisher and Nix... Jake and John said that the twins were fine but I couldn't imagine being stuck with those two.
Mrs. C smiled widely and grabbed a tupperware container of fresh brownies. I grinned when I noticed a piece already missing. President Seaborn always got the first piece. Or rather, Juline did. *Then* the President.
"Can we see Daddy?" Toby asked me after licking his fingers clean of chocolate.
"He's in a meeting right now," I told the boy. "With the Chief of Staff."
"Uncle Josh," Josh Seaborn said.
"You can wait though," Percy spoke up from where he sat. "The meeting can't be *that* long." Then he looked at me. "Can it?"
I shook my head. "Percy's right. You two can wait... and look what I have for you to play with," I said and pulled out a set of extra model Star Wars ships I'd put together for situations such as those.
They shouted in glee and grabbed the ships, making laser noises and running around the office. Josh even wrangled in Percy, handing him a Slave I model for him and Toby to shoot at.
There are two things that can get you instantly into Mrs. C's heart. If you're good with kids or smart enough to compliment her upon your first meeting. Percy hadn't met the requirements for the latter entrance, but still got in. After a moment of mental confliction, he got up and ran around with the two boys.
This next part is hilarious. Pay attention.
There was a click and the door to the Oval Office opened. Standing there, was the President of the United States along with Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman.
Everything froze, even Josh and Toby.
Percy's face was pale white and after the intial shock was over, he began muttering apologies and placed the model on my desk.
Seaborn grinned, not saying anything to the agent, and permitted the little boys inside his office. Once the door was firmly shut, Fisher looked at Percy and said, "You screwed up *SO* bad."
Nix, Fisher and me burst out laughing. It was hilarious. You should have seen the look on Percy's face. Priceless.
But Mrs. C, she didn't laugh. She looked at the red faced Percy and asked, "Would you like a brownie dear?"
Needless to say, the rest of us didn't get any brownies that day.
***
POV of Wil Parks
I'd come in late that morning. *Very* late. I normally get in at about five but I'd had a dentist appointment so I didn't get in until about nine. Everyone else had their agents sitting around and I wondered where mine was. He wasn't waiting for me outside my door. I shrugged and entered.
There was a snort and I jumped backwards. Cautiously, I peered and saw someone asleep on my love seat.
"What are you doin?" Lisa stopped and asked.
"Someone's in my office," I told her.
She peered in. "There is. Huh."
"What's 'huh'?" Jenna asked when she saw the two of us.
Lisa answered, "There's someone in Wil's office."
She peered in and then looked over to the two of us. "Huh."
"What's going on?"
We all turned to see Greg.
"There is someone asleep in Wil's office and we don't know who it is," Jenna told him.
Greg peered in. "Someone poke it."
We all gave him an odd look. He sighed and left then soon returned with a yard stick.
"Well... poke it," I said.
"No, you poke it," he thrust the yard stick into my hands.
I shook my head. "It was your idea. *You* poke it."
Lisa sighed. "Give me the damn stick."
I handed it to her and moved out of the way so he could lean into the office and poke the figure on the love seat. She manuvered the stick to poke his shoe. There was no response. She continued prodding the bottom of his feet until she got mad and poked the person in the gut.
He yelped and jumped up, gun in his hand and pointed at the door. We all scrambled back as he opened the door and saw the four of us huddled on the floor.
I gave a weak grinned. "Uh... hi."
***
POV of Greg Tymes:
After the incident with Wil's new agent, we all went back to work. Our own agents didn't neccisarily have to follow us around the White House. They were very confident that is was safe. I mean, the President lives there. If it wasn't safe they'd move him or something.
Seaborn was hindered by the on going Presidential legacy of the destruction of nuclear weapons. However, it wasn't Russia he was working with. It was Iraq. Under the leadership of Samir Gahfadi, they'd reached peace. Sorta.
The hard working Lisa and I were working on nailing the speech he'd be giving at a summit in London.
"Greg," Lisa said. "I'm confused. So... we like Iraq?"
"No."
"Then why are we even bothering with the summit?"
"We like their oil," I told her.
She nodded and we went back to work.
Writing a speech can be hard. It really can. And when the topic is the same as it has been for twenty years, it can get boring. But still...
"I need a fish tank," I said.
She just looked at me weird. "You *have* a fish tank in the apartment."
"No," Greg said. "I mean, I need one in here."
"Why?"
"Because I do," I answered.
"What about feeding them? There are times you're not here."
"Lisa. I'm here everyday. And when I'm not, I can get Terrika or Missy to feed them."
Lisa shook her head. "Whatever," she said. "Good luch getting it cleared by the Secret Service."
I grinned and put a paper down on the table. "Blackwell already cleared it."
She sighed and got back to typing.
I chuckled and began rewording the begining of the speech.
***
POV of Presidential Secretary Allison Campbell:
I didn't understand what the whole big deal was. I could see the senior staff getting protection but why did I have to? I'm not that frail you know. I'm a big girl who can take care of herself. Yet no matter how many times I told that to Samuel, he wouldn't relent.
Percy wasn't as bad as I had thought he would be though. He is a very nice young man, reminds me of my son who I lost in the Afghanistan conflict.
Jeff, too, reminds me of my son. They all did. You can ask anyone, I practically adopted the entire West Wing. I always baked cookies or brownies or bought doughnuts on my way to the White House for everyone. It was very common for everyone to come in at some point... Wil especially. That boy has a sweet tooth countered by no one.
I knew everyone in the Seaborn White House. I mean *everyone*. I made sure that everyone got a cookie or brownie atleast once a week. I'd even make a special plate for the Communications bullpen and another for the staff bullpen. They keep them so busy in there.
The White House is like a big family. It really is. Especially with the five Seaborn kids running around. Nothings ever the same as yesterday. It can be tiring but if you were to ask around, no one would give it up for anything.
***