Page 89 of State of Unrest

“Tell me what I should do,” Sam said with weary resignation. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

The two agents exchanged glances.

Dana used her chin to tell Q it was his call.

“Let’s go and play it by ear,” he said.

“Are you sure? I want you guys to be okay with the plan. The last thing I want is anyone else hurt.”

“When we signed on to your detail,” Q said, “we were briefed on the risk, which is considered second only to POTUS’s detail. Usually, the first lady’s detail isn’t particularly high risk. So we knew what we were getting into.”

“You mean when you have normal first ladies, it’s not high risk.”

“Let it be said for the record that you used the word ‘normal,’ not me,” Q replied with a grin.

“Ma’am, if I may…”

Sam glanced at Q, hoping he’d fill Dana in on the rules.

“Ma’am prefers we call her Sam when it’s just us.”

Dana’s eyes went wide. “And you do that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sam laughed. “Nice comeback, Q. It helps to keep things real for me, Dana. My life is… Well, weird… And the SUV is a decompression zone of sorts. We also have a rule that what goes on in the SUV stays in the SUV, so no one will ever know what you call me in private.”

“I’m not sure I can do it,” Dana said, swallowing hard.

She was too cute. “Try.”

“Sam,” she said in a squeakier tone than her usual speaking voice.

“Good start. What did you want to say?”

“Just that it’s a true privilege to get to work on your detail, and I’m completely fine with whatever risk comes along with protecting the nation’s first working first lady. You have no idea how many women admire what you’re doing. To have a front-row seat to history is truly special to me.”

“That’s very kind of you to say. It’s still surreal to me that anything I do is considered history, but here we are. Thank you both for everything you do to keep me and my family safe, and for taking on the added risk of following the first lady into danger rather than wherever I should be going.”

“You’re going exactly where you’re meant to be.” Q held the back door to the SUV for her. “Let’s get to it.”

When they were in the car and on the way, Sam’s phone came back online and went wild with texts and missed calls from everyone she knew. She sent a quick group text to tell her family and close friends that she was okay.

Sam read a text from her friend Roberto. HOLY SHIT, LADY COP. Hope you are okay!

I’m okay. Waiting to hear about others. Thank you for checking.

Praying for y’all. Wedding invitation in the mail.

Looking forward to that!

We are, too.

Sam texted Freddie to let him know she was coming back.

He called her. “What happened?”

“I talked to Nick and made him understand that if I don’t go back, I’ll never be able to again. He’s concerned the bomb was meant for me, but until we can prove that, we’re proceeding under an abundance of caution, to quote my detail.” After a long pause, she said, “Freddie?”