Chapter 14: President Dexter

When we landed, I had wanted to go with Reggie, but he said no. So here I was, in the back of a different limousine trying to decide whether to pout about it or not when the satellite phone purred.

“Hello?” I said tentatively. By this time I wasn’t sure who would be calling me.

“This is the White House calling for Mr. Alex Masters’” a voice said.

“This is he,” I replied.

“Would you please hold for President Dexter?” she asked again pleasantly.

“Of course,” was my automatic reply.

“This is Dexter,” came a voice thirty seconds later. “Is this Alex Masters?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“Boy, you have cost me a shit-load of money! Do you know how much it’s going to cost to repair those eight ships? Not to mention fixing the submarine and replacing the two fighters?” he asked.

“Well, not to split hairs, sir. But wouldn’t that fall on the people who sent them after me? Especially after they saw what I did to the Gosden?” I asked him. “I mean, look at it this way, at least they learned their lesson before you lost the Eisenhower.”

He laughed.

“Well, I guess when you put it that way, the lesson was cheap,” he chuckled. “Now what’s this about Pakistani assassins?”

“They tried to kill me and my friends this afternoon but the Russians tipped me off and I got away. Then we found out they were going to Paris and my whole family is due here tomorrow, sir. I figured that whoever sent the Navy must be the ones sending the assassins.”

“Where are you now? Are you safe?” he asked.

“I’m with my mentor, Cynthiana Rappeneau. She has just started grooming me to take her place in a few years,” I told him.

“So Ole Cindy-lou has finally made her choice. Well, when you see her, tell her Ron sends his regards,” he said jovially.

“She’s right here beside me so I’ll pass that along. Although I don’t dare call her Cindy-lou,” I said.

Cynthiana looked at me suspiciously when I said her nickname and then her eyes showed her recognition.

“Here, let me talk to that old reprobate!” she said as she took the phone. Their conversation was not what I would call presidential as they traded insults and briefly caught up. Finally she pushed the end button and handed me the phone. “Be sure you charge that thing tonight. His wife will be calling you in the morning,” she told me.

“But did he say he could do anything?”

“He said he’d try. Your government is a massive, dynamic organism and sometime a loose cannon can be difficult to track down. Just give him time,” she said. “In the meantime, you’d better be sure you can do something for Anita.”

I sat looking out the window and didn’t see Cynthiana smiling at me. Nor did I know she was congratulating herself on her selection of an heir.

You’d think I would be used to it by now. I mean being around families with vast wealth. I’m talking old money and all the things that go with that old wealth. But I was still surprised when the limousine pulled up the drive and stopped in front of the biggest house I’d ever seen. It was bigger than Carina and Roland’s, bigger than the one in Zurich. It was huge! And that was from the outside! In the dark! No telling how big the entire estate was.

Three security people surrounded the car. They were sporting wicked looking machine guns. A butler opened the limo door and two footmen began carrying in the luggage from the trunk. I’m not sure of their real titles, but that’s how I thought of them at that moment.

“I think a night cap might be in order. Would anyone care to join me?” Cynthiana asked as she headed deeper into the massive home. Of course, Isabella, Sofía, and I followed. I didn’t know where else to go.

I sat with them for an hour or so, sipping my bottled water and already missing my time with Sensei Itsuki when I finally asked them where I should go to get some sleep.

“I’m so sorry, Alex. I was so caught up in what is going on that I forgot you’ve never been here. Isabella, would you take care of this young man?” Cynthiana asked.

“Of course!” Isabella replied. Standing, she offered me her hand.

I never did find my room that night, but I did find a soft bed and a warm body to share it with.

The house was quiet and dawn was just breaking as I made my way down the massive staircase, looking for the kitchen and a coffee pot. As I passed the front door, I noticed my bag was still there as I headed towards the back of the house. That’s where the kitchen ought to be, I figured.

I was surprised to see Cynthiana sitting at a small table in front of a big picture window that looked out over the vast estate to the mountains in the distance.

“Good morning, Alex. There’s coffee on the counter and pastries next to the stove,” she said.

After I got a mug and filled it with coffee, I asked if I could sit with her.

“Please,” she said. “Did you find your room?”

“Not yet. Somehow I ended up falling asleep in my clothes, on Isabella’s bed,” I told her.

“When were you going to tell me about the First Ladies?” she asked mischievously.

“What?” I asked in surprise.

“Anita Dexter and Brigitte Macron are coming here next week for you to work on Anita,” she teased.