Above All, Honor

Chapter Seven

The team nodded their heads swiftly. Case closed.

An hour later, Mac was knocking on the door to Megan's eight by ten foot office.

"Commander?"

Megan studied his boyishly handsome face as he entered the space. His blue eyes were serious, and piercing.

"Are you staying or leaving, Mac?"

"I'm staying, if you'll have me. Two men want transfers– they're bringing the paperwork now. I'm sorry I messed up. If you don't trust me..."

Megan stopped him with a raised hand. "I need a good coordinator, Mac. We have an uncooperative target. Nothing is going to change that. We're going to have to be able to readjust personnel, vehicle placement, and even motor routes at a moment's notice. I need to be with her– consistently, persistently, until she figures out that we are not going away."

Megan saw the brief look of disbelief that Mac quickly tried to hide. She laughed, the tension easing from her shoulders for the first time since she left the gym. "Yeah, I know. I'm dreaming. Either way, if you're ready, you'll be the desk jockey most of the time we're here, and the communication center when we're not. Are you in or not?"

Mac favored his Commander with a brilliant smile. "I'm in."

"Good, then find me replacements for the two who are leaving. I don't even want to see the files until you've been through them. And Mac, we both know what the problem has been. If there's even a hint of homophobia, I don't want them on this assignment. Normani Hamilton's lifestyle is not our concern, and shouldn't affect the way we do our job. I want that clear."

"Yes ma'am. I understand."

"Good. We'll brief for the trip to Washington at 0700."

As soon as her second-in-command closed the door, Megan leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about her response to Normani's blatant sexual overture at the gym, but she had to. She could not afford to be distracted, and there was no denying the effect the first daughter had on her. Fortunately, it was purely physical, and they would be in Washington in two days. She could satisfy the insistent demands of her body then.

...

Megan was the last one on the plane. The cabin space was small, and Normani Hamilton sat alone near the rear. Three other agents had boarded earlier and occupied the area just behind the cockpit. Megan nodded to them as she moved towards the rear, finally settling in the seat across the aisle from Normani. She stretched her legs and pulled a stack of memos from her briefcase.

"Do you have plans for tonight, Agent Pete?" Normani asked. She liked the semi-casual look of Megan's pressed khaki chinos and matching blazer over a cotton broadcloth shirt. The only way she liked her better was in the tight faded jeans she wore when she was off-duty. Normani remembered very well how good Megan looked in those. In fact, every time she thought about that night in the bar, she wanted nothing more than to get her hands inside those jeans. For the moment at least, that seemed unlikely.

Megan smiled, shaking her head slightly. "No plans. Happy Birthday, by the way."

Normani flushed slightly, then reminded herself the agent was only being polite, like most of the people in her life. She leaned forward, lowering her voice as she spoke. "Why, thank you. I don't suppose a birthday kiss is in the offing?"

Megan glanced at her, aware of how attractive she was, then back down at the papers before her. "No."

They did not speak for the rest of the flight.

Megan accompanied Normani across the drive to the private entrance to the White House. The commander stopped at the door as a guard opened it for Normani.

"I'll see you in the morning, Ms. Hamilton," Megan said.

The door swung shut with no response from the President's daughter. The White House Security staff would be responsible for her welfare from this point on until she was ready to leave the next day. Megan was looking forward to a day off and a relaxing evening.

...

Hey readers ☺️,

I know this chapter's short, but don't worry, more updates will be coming soon! I hope you guys are enjoying this sorry so far, even my silent readers! I'd love to hear your opinions on this one.

What do y'all think about the way Megan got her team in check? Will they finally get it together? Especially regarding the homophobia?

Thoughts on Megmani's continuing dynamic? The constant push and pull? How cold Normani becomes whenever her feelings are reciprocated? Where do y'all think that stems from?

That's it for now! I hope y'all are happy with everything I've been working on. I really don't want y'all to lose interest, so please please please let me know what y'all want if what I'm doing now isn't doing it for y'all. Your feedback fuels my ideas, so I'm happy to fulfill your requests! Thank you again for reading, and see y'all again soon for the next update 🤍