Betrayal (3 page)

“No. It’s because of what I told you,” the agent got up from her chair and stretched, turning away from her lover.

“What are you talking about?” Cassidy asked.

“I said that I would give you everything.”

“And I told you, you already have.”

“No. I haven’t. I promised you when we moved that this week we would get Dylan settled and we would…”

“Alex….”

“I am not going to be him, Cassidy.”

“Be who?” Cassidy looked to the ceiling and shook her head. “This
is
about what I told you.”

“No. Look…There is nothing I can do right now; thanks to the good congressman reporting our relationship. I have to be reinstated in the bureau before I can make an official move to
the NSA. There’s no point in me staying in California. But, I have to go, I have to see him.”

“I know,” Cassidy said turning the agent to face her. “But there’s something else.”

“Cass, if he is involved in anything that led to Fisher abducting you…”

“Don’t,” Cassidy stopped the agent. “I don’t believe that.” Alex let out a heavy breath and rubbed her temples. “Alex…”

“I just need to come home Cass,” Alex said softly. “I hate…”

“Okay.” Cassidy knew that Alex hated hospitals and this would certainly remind her of her past. Cassidy still did not know all the details, but she did know that the IED attack that injured both Alex and the president in Iraq left more than a few physical scars. “We’ll be here.”

Alex finally smiled. “I need to be with
you
.”

“I know,” Cassidy said. “You told me; remember? John is tough.”

“Yeah.”

Cassidy squinted and then smiled playfully, planting a light kiss on the agent’s cheek. “I love you, Alfred.”

Alex laughed. “I don’t know what I’d do without you Cassidy.”

“Probably less dishes,” Cassidy winked.

“Mm-hm…I will keep my promises,” Alex said. “No matter what.”

“You don’t have to give me anything Alex, just come home.” She kissed the agent on the cheek again and made her way toward the stove.

Alex nodded. “I will,” she whispered to herself. The only thing that made the coming trip even bearable was the knowledge that she would be coming home to Cassidy.

“You’d better,” Cassidy called back to Alex’s delight.

i,” a voice said very softly on the phone. Cassidy sighed. “Are you there?” There was a lingering silence. “Alex?”

“Yeah. I’m here.”

“Are you all right?”

“Cass…I…”

The teacher closed her eyes. There was a tone in her lover’s voice that she immediately understood. Alex was hurting. “I wish I was there with you.”

“I know. I just needed to hear your voice before….”

“I’m here if you need me.”

“I’ll be home later,” Alex said quietly.

“We’ll be waiting for you.”

“I thought you were going to go see about school for Dylan?”

Cassidy chuckled. “I am. I’ll be back before you get home.”

“I should be there.”

“No. You should be where you are.”

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. “I want you to….”

“I already know, Alex. Trust me there will be plenty of boring things for you to do in time, like take Dylan to soccer practice and sit through horrendous concerts and….”

“I don’t think that’s boring.”

Cassidy laughed. “Wait.” She heard Alex let out a little chuckle on the other end of the call. “Go. Do what you need to. See John. I promise I will find all sorts of boring things for you to do when you get back.”

“Cass?”

“Yes?”

“I miss you.”

“Give it time, Alex,” Cassidy quipped, prompting Alex to chuckle. “And, I miss you too.”

The agent hung up the phone and walked through the automatic doors. She stopped to show her identification when an attractive woman waved her through. Alex gave a sad smile as the woman greeted her with a warm embrace. “He asked for you,” she said softly.

“Jane,” Alex whispered, receiving a forced smile. Jane Merrow was a remarkable woman and Alex had always liked and respected her. The first lady had left a promising career to be with John Merrow and support his endeavors. Alex knew that Jane loved her friend deeply. The president’s feelings for Alex were never his best kept secret. Alex, however, had always made it clear that she only wanted a friendship and she and Jane had grown close during the colonel’s recovery from his injuries in Iraq. Alex had told the president numerous times how lucky he was to have a woman like his wife. Looking at her now, Alex mused that Jane Merrow was not unlike Cassidy. She felt her heart sink, realizing the situation at hand. And, knowing all too well the indiscretions that the president had engaged in himself, including with her lover. Regardless of how wonderful Jane was in Alex’s mind; it was a fact that her friend often felt incredibly lonely in his relationship. “How is he?” Alex asked. The first lady shook her head. “Jane?”

“I don’t know, Alex. He keeps talking about telling you something. When he talks. Other than asking for the girls…”

Alex nodded. “Jane, he probably….”

“Alex,” the woman led the agent down the hall and away from the cluster of Secret Service agents. “There is only one other thing he said.” Alex silently questioned the first lady with her eyes. “Dylan.” The agent took a deep breath. “I already
know. John told me years ago.” The admission shocked the agent. “It was a bad time for us. A very bad time. I was….”

“Jane, I just found out myself,” Alex offered.

“We never had a perfect relationship, Alex, you know that. I wasn’t perfect either.” First Lady Jane Merrow covered her face with her hands. “How strange you found Cassidy. He has always watched Dylan closely, wanted Chris to bring him to events, and God knows he has always loved you.”

Alex sighed. “You know that I never….”

“I do,” Jane smiled and took the agent’s hand. “No matter, he is my best friend,” she said with tears shining in her eyes. “And, I am his. He couldn’t keep that secret from me.”

Alex had not expected this conversation. “Jane, I….Do you know? Is he involved…”

“He is very quiet about the job, Alex. Very. Always has been. I don’t know. I know that something has been bothering him. He has nightmares. Ever since…”

“I know.”

Jane squeezed the agent’s hand and led her down the hallway. “Come on, I don’t know if he will wake up.”

Alex opened the door to the president’s room and paused. The beeping of machines, the smell of medicine and the fluorescent lights made her body shudder. More slowly than she would have imagined possible she made her way to the president’s bedside. Her eyes closed momentarily as she brought her hands to her face. It was a weak attempt to still the surfacing emotions and memories brought on by familiar sounds and smells. The president’s skin looked almost gray. Still, he was handsome, something she could never deny. But here his strength seemed sapped from him. It was almost as if she was looking at a shadow. “Colonel?” she whispered. He remained
still, an endless beeping ringing in her ears. She took a deep breath and leaned in closer. “John?”

Two eyelids fluttered slightly, still unable to find the strength to open completely. “Lieutenant,” he rasped. The faintest hint of a smile played on the president’s face. “You came.”

“I’m here.”

“Sorry…Alex….”

Alex’s mouth opened and her eyes filled with tears. “No.” She saw his hand twitch and she reached for it. “Stop.”

“Listen,” he managed.

“John…..”

“Mutanabbi…That day…I didn’t know,” he struggled to breathe.

“Of course not. That was my fault. I should have…”

His lips pursed as he fought to gain enough strength to continue. “No…my fault…all of it…so much you need to know.”

“Tell me when you get out of here,” she told him through mounting tears.

A slight laugh came from a labored breath. “You need to follow Brackett…Krause…”

“John…what does that…”

His hand squeezed hers. “Follow Krause….Good man…. best friend…”

“What are you…”

“Alex,” he called to her.

“I’m here.”

“Tell Cassidy….”

“Colonel….”

“Glad she found you.” The agent’s tears were quickly threatening to become sobs. “Waited for you.”

“What are you….”

“Always love you….”

“John….”

“You love them?” He felt her tears fall onto his skin. “Dylan?”

“I do.”

“Easy to love,” he coughed. “Don’t trust O’Brien.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Krause,” his voice began to fade. “You need to….”

“John, what does Jonathan Krause have to do…”

“Will never let anyone hurt them, just like you…”

“Please, Colonel…John…”

He turned his head slightly and caught sight of the crying woman leaning close to his face. His hand reached up and touched her cheek. “Always love you, Alex.”

“I know.”

“Be happy,” he said summoning another smile as his eyes closed again into silent sleep.

Alex covered her eyes with her left hand and kept the president’s in her right. “John. I am so sorry. I don’t know what to do. You have to get out of here. Please.” She took a deep breath wishing that someone would bequeath her with an answer, some epiphany. Alex gently released her grip on the man she long considered her mentor and best friend; the man who was the father of the boy she now considered her son. How did she get here? She inhaled and allowed the air to fill her lungs, picturing Cassidy in her mind; her refuge. She looked back at him knowing he had always loved her, and understood three things: there was some truth he needed her to discover, he did not expect to see her again, and he wanted her to take care of the son he could never really know. She bent over and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “I love you too, John,” she admitted. It might not have been the admission he had always hoped for, but it was honest and she saw his lips curl. Certain that he knew, she gathered herself and gave his hand a final squeeze. “I’ll see you,” she whispered before leaving.