Agent Stacy Meadows placed the kid in the back seat of the car, buckled her up and only just avoided slamming the door. Stacy was boiling mad. Leaning against the front of the gray base model vehicle she called the duty officer of the diplomatic protection corps.
"Fred, it's Stacy Meadows at the airport. I've picked up the Japanese Ambassador's 8-year-old but Robyn's a no show. The stupid bitch won't answer her phone. What now?"
Deputy operations commander Fred Apple coughed and said, "Don't be mad at me Stacy but I was handed a report not five minutes ago saying Robyn drove her car into a bread delivery truck at 3:23 this morning and is in Franklin Hospital with concussion and whiplash. She'll be charged with driving with a blood alcohol three times the legal limit."
"Good God Fred, what kind of hopeless outfit are you guys running? The stupid bitch was suspended two months ago for striking you and now this. Shoot her if you haven't the guts to recommend she be fired. I demand..."
"Agent Meadows, you speak to me with due respect or I'll have you up on a discipline charge. You act as if you were the District Commander. This is just not on."
"My apologies sir. Answer my question."
"What question?"
"What now? Are you having difficulty hearing?"
"Stacy!"
"My apologies sir. What now?"
"Drive by HQ. Agent Adams will be waiting for you."
"Adams, are you mad? He doesn't protect people; he shoots them. He only half shaves, farts and has an insolent attitude toward women and..."
"Go without Agent Adams and you'll be in breach of regulations. Agent Adams is the only support person available right now. An Ambassador's immediate family member must be accompanied by a minimum of two agents, Section 32..."
"Section 322B dash 14c of our fucking manual. I know."
"Stacy!"
"What?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter. Pick up Agent Adams. He'll be waiting in the forecourt."
Stacy had a sudden thought. "Fred, according to regulations I can't drive anywhere without another agent beside me."
There was no answer.
"Are you there Fred?"
No answer. "The fucker has cut the call!"
Stacy gnashed her teeth and got into the car, noting the kid was asleep. She drove off breaking regulations.
* * *
Harris Adams yawned and checked his watch and thought about taking a two-hour lunch break down at the police social club where he'd have a few beers and play pool with some of the guys. He looked up and saw Fred Adams berating someone on the phone and then Fred beckoned him.
Oh crap, Harris thought. An op, how inconvenient.
Fred briefed him.
"Nah, don't want this job Fred. Not with that high octane broad; she acts as if she's the District Commander."
Fred grinned, pleased that Harris shared his view about the uppity Agent Meadows. Meadows and Adams were much alike but didn't seem to be aware of it. "This is not Play School Agent Adams where you can choose what you'd like to do. You are hereby ordered to accompany Agent Meadows and if you find that inconvenient or distasteful then tough. Off you go and try to avoid upsetting her to encourage her to lay complaints against you. You're on your last warning: any more complains from fellow agents and we shoot you."
Harris gave his superior the fingers and they both grinned. Only when Harris had gone through the door did Fred think of the Japanese child. He'd just put her security in the hands of the two most incompatible agents in the force. Fortunately for the child Adams and Meadows were the two most competent agents in the country, perhaps in the world but what world he wasn't sure.
Disgruntled, Agent Adams stood tapping his toes on the cobblestones when the gray Ford slightly off-tune glided up, just missing his toes but he didn't flinch until the side vision mission whacked into him just above his hip, making his mouth frame the F-word before the mirror folded out of the way.
"Get in."
"And good morning to you Stacy. Lovely thighs."
"Oh God, she snarled, ripping her skirt back to halfway down to her knees. "Why are we issued with these uncomfortable sedans from the wrecker's yard?"
"Because they, like us, are expendable."
The motor stalled.
"Like me to drive?"
"Get fucked."
Harris sat quietly contemplating whether that was an offer for that night. He decided it wasn't, not with Super Bitch.
"Very unfortunate about Robyn."
Stacy replied politely, "Yeah, yeah."
"Should have been you then she'd be my partner today and I'd have a night of lust ahead of me. She's so attractive, has a great figure and opens wide."
Stacy removed her gun from its shoulder holster and rested it on her lap, a finger on the trigger. Being crammed with intelligence, Harris shut up and stared straight ahead.
Two hours out Harris bravely said, "We need gas."
"No we don't," Stacy said, looked at the gauge and snarled crap. She pulled into the next gas station. As she filled the tank Harris moved across into the driver's seat. In the side mirror he could see Agent Meadows glaring at him. He prepared to cite her Regulation AQ43 bar 8 relating to sharing driving and compulsory rest periods from the wheel. She went inside to pay, saying as she went by she'd get candy for the kid. Harris said coffee would be great.
As Stacy re-emerged with a tray of coffee, sandwiches, a soda and candy a woman in a hooded jacket wearing sunglasses and carrying a handgun and a tray from a cash register brushed past Stacy on the run. As the robber was almost by Harris he threw open his door and she dropped like a stone and her gun went flying into the other lane. A motorcyclist yelled 'Debbie' and roared up, halted to pick up the gun and began accelerating away. Harris stood at his door and shot out the rear tire. The motorcycle slewed, throwing the rider who slithered over the ground to pin himself under the front axle of a stationary truck.
"Jesus," Stacy said opening her door.
"Come on babe, there are enough people around here to tidy up. We don't want the local cops to tediously ask why we are armed and what we're doing on their patch. The gas station security cameras will ID our vehicle but oh dear the cops will find the plate isn't registered."
Stacy snarled that the guy he shot and the woman he slammed could be dead.
Harris drove off quietly as if nothing had happened. "So? Robbers who are probably druggies deserve to die."
By now Stacy had calmed so managed a weak smile. "Here's your coffee. No wonder other female agents say they feel extra safe when with you -- that is, in daylight."
Harris grinned and as soon as he ate his steak sandwich and finished the coffee stopped and replaced the license plates and registration sticker on their vehicle. Six pairs of plates were stored in the trunk along with shotguns and a small arsenal of assault weapons.
Licking her fingers clean and taking tissues before handing the box to the kid, Stacy tossed her brown fringe back, checked her lipstick and then sent a coded message to HQ.
She glared at Harris who climbed in, his incredibly pale blue eyes then focusing on her breasts. Her phone went as she put it on speaker, knowing what was coming.
Deputy operations commander Fred Apple roared, "What the hell do you two delinquents think you are doing interfering with a gas station robbery, a civilian matter?"
"We are civilians sir," Stacy replied, with emphasis on sir.
"You're highly trained, highly paid members of an elite Government special service agency and that places you on a par with the military's special services groups."
"Oh, didn't know that sir."
Fred spluttered, apparently realizing he was being played with. "Are you sure only one shot was fired?"
"Very sure sir. It was agent Adams at twenty yards, not you shooting sir. Clean as a whistle."
Harris pulled up Stacy's skirt and patted the top of her inside thigh approvingly, only to have Stacy pull her gun on him. Ignoring the venom in her eyes, now purple instead of brown, or so it seemed, Harris smiled at her mockingly and placed both hands on his head.
"Any news on the robbery sir?"
"Yep, the woman has severe concussion and facial injuries requiring surgery and light chest injuries. The guy has head injuries and both kneecaps are shattered. They are the missing pair from a secured drug rehabilitation center for criminals."
"Agent Adams should have terminated both of them."
"Sir?"
"I'm here, just counting slowly to ten. Two of the three police cars racing to the scene collided and both vehicles are disabled."