Leah Braemel - Personal Protection

“You can do that, Rosie. Real guys don’t check the mail.” Kris grinned and stuck out his foot until his toe bumped hers.

Sam shot out of his chair so fast that his chair bounced off the wall behind him. He leaned across the desk, grinding his fists into the desktop. “Ms. Ramos is one of Hauberk’s top CPOs. She deserves your respect, not your sexist bullshit. You hear me?”

A flush rose up Kris’s neck as his lips pressed together so hard they turned white. “Yes, sir, Mr. Watson.”

Chad cleared his throat. “Why don’t you three step out for a moment?”

Kris stood, his naval training showing in his rigid posture. From a movement of his hand, Rosie would have bet he was forcing himself not to salute as they left the office.

Chad followed them out, closing the door to Sam’s office behind him. “Rosie, Kris, you guys go on over to my office. Andy? You got a minute?”

Leaving the two men, Rosie followed Kris into Chad’s office beside Sam’s and set the door against the jamb so they couldn’t overhear whatever Chad was saying to Andy. When she finally sat, she didn’t feel the need to perch the way she had in Sam’s office.

His fingers flexing and releasing at each turn, Kris paced the five steps of the office.

“I’m sorry, Rosie. I didn’t mean anything. I was just joking about you checking the mail.”

“I know you were, Kris.”

“Do you think I should go back and apologize to Mr. Watson? I don’t want him to think I’m a slacker.” He glanced back at the door to the executive office, his body angling as if he was about to do exactly that.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. He’s a bit too wound up right now-let Chad get him cooled down.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Kris passed three more times before he paused halfway across the office, stabbing his fingers through his hair. He’d let it grow out from the high and tight he’d had when she’d first met him, and now his mahogany hair flowed around his fingers in thick waves. Normally she would have found it attractive. But for some reason, a certain almost-shaved head was more appealing to her right now.

Ay bendito, she shouldn’t be thinking of her boss that way. Not since he was now her principal.

When Andy came in and shot Kris a glare, Kris walked to the window and stared out, reminding Rosie of Sam’s posture earlier. After a few moments, he said, “You guys know I didn’t mean anything with that crack, right? I was joking-I’d never let anything happen to you or to anyone. I’d take a bullet for any one of you.”

“Yeah, we know, Skippy, but your timing sure sucks,” Andy added as he hitched a hip on the windowsill. “You need to control that case of diarrhea of the mouth you’re afflicted with.”

“Either of you hear anyone griping about Sam in the locker room? Or over at Charley’s?” Deciding a change of subject was in order, Rosie named the bar a lot of the operatives frequented to shoot the breeze and a little pool during the long slow stretches.

Chad walked into the office and threw the file folder of photos on his desk. His tie had been loosened and twisted askew, the top button of his shirt loosened.

“Okay, listen up, folks. Considering we think it might be someone inside, I think it best if we try to keep this on the QT. As far as I know, before today, only Sam, Sandy and I knew about the pictures and the threats. So if anyone mentions anything about either-consider them a suspect.”

After they all agreed, Chad stared at the two male operatives. “I’m making Rosie the lead op on this case.”

The urge to stand up and cheer at her first supervisory assignment warred with the heavy burden of leadership that crushed her shoulders. Every decision she made, every order she gave would be witnessed by none other than the owner of Hauberk himself. Someone who had the power to override her anytime he wanted. Someone who had the power to fire her. But why her and not Andy who had more seniority?

“Either of you got a problem with that?” Chad continued.

Andy gave Chad a thumbs up as he winked at Rosie.

Kris shrugged. “Hey, no problemo here, boss. Her ass will be a lot sweeter to kiss than lardbutt’s over there.”

“Check the attitude, Campbell.” Chad unlocked his top drawer and removed another folder and handed Rosie a piece of paper. “I’ve arranged to sublet an apartment in Sam’s building so you can keep an eye on him at night. This is a letter the owner of 1202 faxed over giving us access to his apartment. With that, building security should give you the spare set of keys the owner left with them. There’s also the security code to his place in there so you don’t set it off. Sam’s in suite 1201, you’ll be beside him in 1202-he’ll have to go by you to get to the elevator.”

“Or if someone’s trying to get to him, they’ll have to get past us first.” Rosie nodded her approval.

“Exactly. Kris, I want you to install extra cameras in the main hallway-I’ve already secured permission from building management. Set up a system in your apartment so you can monitor them. You’d better change the codes too. Whoever it was that broke in knew them. Let’s see if we can prevent that from happening again. Can you get everything working before tonight?”

Kris returned to his attention-on-deck stance. She needed to remind him he wasn’t in the navy anymore. “Yes, sir.”

“Andy, John Lake over in IT has configured a laptop so you can monitor the security system in Sam’s apartment. That way you’ll know immediately if he hits the panic button.”

“So John knows about the op?” Andy asked.

“Only that I asked you to keep a personal eye on Sam’s system because of the break-in.”

“But you trust us?” Kris asked.

“I already checked your schedules. None of you could have taken some of those pictures-you were out of D.C. on assignments when at least two of the pictures were taken.”

“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, boss.” Okay, maybe Kris remembered he wasn’t in the navy still after all.

“Why don’t you guys head over to Sam’s and get started on those cameras. I’d like to talk to Rosie privately for a few minutes.”

“I’ll grab the laptop from the Nerd Brigade and meet you out in the parking lot, Skippy.” Andy snagged the letter from Rosie as Kris unfurled himself from the chair.

Once they were alone, Chad leaned back in his chair. “I want your team to see if they can find any patterns of when the pictures were taken compared to who might have been off duty. Check the personnel files, see if there’s any reason someone might have a grudge, that type of thing. I’ve cleared your access with Personnel-they think you’re helping me do annual assessments so they shouldn’t hassle you.”

“I hate to think it’s someone inside Hauberk.”

“I’m hoping you’ll be able to rule out that possibility. I’ve also arranged for you to have access to any cases Sam was involved in from the time he started with Hauberk. If you have any questions and Sam or I aren’t available, you can ask Sandy.”

He opened the folder he’d tossed on the desk earlier, and removed a half dozen sheets of paper. “This is Sam’s schedule for the next month.”

Rosie scanned Sam’s appointments. “He’s got a fundraiser tomorrow night, a black tie event at the French embassy Thursday. A speech in Annapolis Friday, an event on Saturday morning, a literacy fundraiser Saturday night.” She flipped the page and tried to stop her jaw from dropping at the number of functions he was attending. “Next week he’s attending a party in Annapolis, a speech over at Explorer’s Hall, three more fundraisers-including ones for the Democrats and the Republicans, something at La Porte Rouge-whatever that is, an exhibition over at the Corcoran, another at the Library of Congress.” Too many people, too many places. Too many opportunities should anyone want to kill him. “I don’t suppose he’d be open to canceling any of these, would he?”