Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer

Author:Tal Bauer [Bauer, Tal]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: NineStar Press, Romance, demisexual, gay, politics, holiday, LGBT
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2016-12-19T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

The next week passed in a whirlwind.

Ethan grabbed Becker and told him the news, and they left early, heading to their homes to pack for a week in Chicago. Ethan drove back to Des Moines headquarters, where Becker picked him up, and Ethan ducked down out of sight of the reporters as they made their way out of town. When they got to Chicago, Becker checked into the hotel for them both, and with his head down and a ball cap pulled low, Ethan lugged his duffel to his room, which was connected to Becker’s with a slip door.

They headed for the command post after that, set up in one of the hotel’s conference rooms. Becker was like a puppy let loose for the first time, wide-eyed and taking in everything. His first protective detail. His first taste of the other side.

Other agents weren’t as thrilled with the assignment, or with Ethan’s presence. Eyes slid sideways, lingering on him in the command post.

They got their rotational assignments and their radios and headed back for their rooms, and Becker talked Ethan’s ear off while they sipped beers from the minifridge, about how cool the command post had been and what the different ambassadors were going to be like.

Ethan didn’t have the heart to stop him.

He and Jack Skyped late that night, both too tired for a long conversation. But Jack smiled and blew Ethan a kiss, and that simple ritual had become the foundation of his nightly routine. Ethan went to sleep with a smile on his face.

✩✩✩

Each day, the newspapers dissected Jack’s actions in the White House, prognosticating and pontificating on what his and the generals’ battle plans were likely to be, and how close he and President Puchkov were becoming. In Chicago, Ethan sat in the command post and listened to Becker grouse about the rude delegations and the boredom of the detail as the vice president and the nations’ ambassadors ensconced themselves in discussions for hours.

“This sucks,” Becker breathed into his mic, keyed to a private channel for Ethan. “How the hell did you do this for twelve years?”

“It helps when the protectees are better people.”

Becker snorted, completely undignified.

“For those of us who aren’t looking to bang the protectee, do you have any other advice for how to make this less soul-crushing? I swear I can see the paint peeling off the wall.”

Ethan chuckled into his coffee cup. “Welcome to protections, Becker.”

“Is this what it’s like at the White House?”

“No.” Ethan leaned back in his chair, glancing around the dark command post. The lights were dim, most of the room’s illumination coming from the computer monitors and laptops open on long lines of tables set up in rows. It was the middle of the night. Ethan and Becker were holding down the overnight shift again. “At least, not most of the time. There’s always so much going on, between the president’s daily schedule, visitors, special events, and then travel. There’s always a thousand things to take care of.

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