Chapter 1

“What? We’re going to Washington, D.C. for our next job?” Houston asked, expressing both shock and surprise.

“Yes,” John said. “Alpha One suggested that we take a day or two off while we’re there to go see the sights. I understand you’ve never been there before?”

“No,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to go. Do you think we can take a tour of the White House?”

“I’m sure we can fit that in the schedule,” he said.

“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful,” she said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. “So, when are we going?”

“Well, we’re finished up here, so we’ll stay the night, then fly there tomorrow morning,” John said. “Alpha One has already booked our flight and we have a suite waiting for us at the Georgetown Graham. What do you think?”

“Oh my gosh, this is so sudden,” she said. “Do we need to get anything from the house before we go?”

“I don’t think so,” John said. “We’ve got most everything we need already with us. If we need anything else, we can get it there. I do need to contact him when we get to our room, though. He’ll need to brief us on the job.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait till tomorrow. You’re the best, John Smith.” she smothered his face with kisses before rushing into the bathroom to get ready for the night. He looked at her as she practically skipped like a schoolgirl into the bathroom.

She had come a long way since that fateful week they were forced to deal with Omega’s plan to make her a sex slave. The training had done wonders for her as well. She was no longer the ditzy, somewhat gullible woman he married. The Houston he was married to now was very capable, confident and sure of herself.

That confidence extended to the bedroom, where she rocked his world every chance she got. Working with her by his side every day, he had come to love and respect her more than ever before. He heard the bathroom door open and looked up. When she came out of the bathroom wearing only a tiny see-through nightshirt, he had to remind himself to breathe.

She flashed a sultry smile and padded to him until she stood before him, her delicate, bare feet spread shoulder-width apart.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he said. She smiled and slowly peeled off the nightshirt, revealing her naked body to him. He took in her B-cup breasts and her shaved pussy, and kissed her from head to foot, worshiping her delightful body before taking her to bed.

The next day, they flew out of Heathrow and headed for Washington. When they got there, John signed for the rental car their boss, Regis, had already reserved for them. This wasn’t John’s first trip to the nation’s capitol, so he made the drive to the hotel with ease.

“Welcome to Washington, D.C., Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” the clerk said when they checked in.

“Thank you,” John said as he took the key to their suite. When they got their, John put his briefcase on the bed, opened it and, pulling out a scanner, checked the room for surveillance devices. Finding none, he grabbed his tablet, connected to the company’s secure VPN and fired up his video messaging app. Houston sat next to her husband on the bed as he pinged Regis, also known as “Alpha One.”

“Well, it’s about damned time you two showed up,” Regis boomed, his craggy face taking up most of the screen.

“Good to see you too, boss,” John said. Regis chuckled in response.

“Yeah, right, Smith,” Regis said. “Alright, listen up you two, because this is extremely important. We have reason to believe there’s been a security breach at the highest level. Your job is to observe and collect evidence. I can’t say too much more than that over this connection, even though it is secure. About two minutes after we’re finished here, you’re going to get a visitor who will explain what he knows.”

“Who is he?” John asked.

“His name is Ryan Ogilvie,” Regis said. “He’s a staffer with the Senate subcommittee responsible for funding and oversight of Alpha Sector. He’ll tell you what he knows.”

“That’s Foghorn Leghorn’s subcommittee, isn’t it?” John asked.

“Yeah, but don’t let him hear you call him that,” Regis said. “Not unless you wanna spend the rest of your federal career shoveling shit in Louisiana someplace.” Franklin H. Legstrom was a very powerful senator from the state of Wyoming and had been in office for about 30 years.

The nickname, “Foghorn Leghorn,” was the result of several things – his initials and last name, for starters. Second, he loved to tout himself as a “good ol’ country boy” and wore western-style clothing every chance he got. His campaign commercials typically portrayed him as a throwback to simpler times and showed him either on horseback with a rifle in his hand or on the porch of a simple country home picking a banjo – even though he never really learned how to play one. He also tended to speak with a slight drawl, especially while delivering his campaign stump speeches.

The truth, however, was quite different. Legstrom owned a very large luxury home that sat on twenty acres just outside the city of Cheyenne, along with a luxurious home in Georgetown. And he was anything but “down home” or “country,” despite the fringed jacket, expensive western boots and wide-brimmed hat he liked to wear. Those were just props meant to lull people into thinking he could be easily handled.

In short, Legstrom was a true kingmaker. Nothing got through the Senate unless he approved it. Even the President deferred to him on many things.

“Got it, boss,” John said. Regis turned his attention to Houston.

“Houston, I want you to know that I’m very impressed with your progress so far,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No thanks necessary,” Regis said. “You’ve done quite well these last few months. You’re just the partner John needs. You’ve earned my respect and trust.”

“I appreciate that, sir,” she said, causing him to smile.

“So I want you take what I’m about to tell you in the spirit it’s intended,” he said. “In case you’re not aware of it, Washington is a festering swamp filled with all kinds of snakes. Most of them are the two-legged kind that are especially attracted to beautiful young women like yourself.”

“I can handle that, sir,” she said.

“I’m sure you can,” Regis said. “But just in case, we’ve provided you with a bit of ... assistance. If you look in the drawer of your nightstand, you’ll find a small case with some pills inside.”

“Pills?” she asked. “What kind of pills?”

“The kind that will help protect you from date rape drugs,” he said. “They’re very fast-acting. All you need to do is slip one under your tongue. I suggest you do it about 15 - 30 minutes prior to consuming any liquid.”

“Date rape drugs?” John asked. “Is there a sexual component to this case? What’s really going on?”

“Like I said earlier, I can’t get into it in any great detail over this connection,” Regis said. “But there very well could be. Ryan will go into it in more detail. I want to make sure Houston is ... protected, just in case. I’d hate to see her get compromised.”

“If that’s a possibility, then perhaps Houston shouldn’t be here,” John said.

“No, I’m concerned that might send the wrong signal,” Regis said. “Besides, she’s a trained agent.”

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ll be okay,” Houston said, putting a hand on John’s leg.

“Are you sure,” John asked.

“I’m a big girl,” she said. “Besides, you’ll be with me.”

“Okay,” John said. Inside, however, he had a bad feeling about what could happen.

“So, if you two are done playing grab-ass,” Regis said, a crooked smile on his face. “I’d like to wrap this up before Ryan gets there. Remember, your job is to collect evidence. Nothing more. Of course, if the situation warrants, I expect you to improvise, adapt and overcome. Just as you’ve been trained to do. Listen to what Ogilvie has to say. Follow his lead as you see fit. Any questions?”

“Not at this time, boss,” John said. Regis nodded his head.

“Good,” he said. “I’ll expect regular reports from you. Alpha One out.” The screen went black and John folded up the tablet and put it away. Houston went to the nightstand and found the small plastic box of pills Regis told them about.

“You think I’ll really need to use these?” she asked.

“I hope not, but keep them with you, just in case,” John said. Exactly two minutes after Ryan turned his tablet off, they heard a knock at the door. John looked through the peephole and saw a fairly young man wearing glasses looking nervously from side to side. He opened the door and let the young man in, noticing his slight build. He could easily pass for a teenager, John thought to himself.

“You Ogilvie?” John asked.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Ryan said, extending his hand. “Call me Ryan, please.”

“Come in, Ryan,” John said. “I’m John. This is my wife, Houston. Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink? I’m afraid we just got here, so all we have is water.”

“No, that’s fine, thanks,” Ryan said nervously. John saw that Ryan appeared shaken, scared.

“So tell me, Ryan, what’s going on?” John asked. “Why are we here?”

“Well, I’m kinda embarrassed to say,” Ryan stammered.

“That’s okay, spit it out,” John said.

“Alright,” Ryan finally said. “It’s Senator Legstrom. I think he’s into some really bad stuff and I’m scared.”

“Bad stuff, like what, exactly?” John asked.

“Well, I think he’s been passing stuff on to the Russians, or maybe the ChiComs,” Ryan finally said. “I came across some things that didn’t make any sense to me. Some documents and what appears to be a ledger – a spreadsheet of some sort. It looked like he was maybe laundering money to and from foreign sources. I asked him about it, but he told me it was nothing and not to worry about it.”

“Okay,” John said. “So what’s the problem?”

“Well, I looked at them a little more after that, and it looks like he’s funneling foreign money into his campaign war chest and into his personal account. When I checked his campaign finance records, I saw similar transactions taking place,” Ryan said.

“Okay, that sounds like an issue for the FEC to look into,” John said. “Why bring us into it?”

“Because I think those documents include classified information about our nuclear infrastructure,” Ryan said.

“So, you think Legstrom is getting paid to hand over classified nuclear secrets to the Russians or the ChiComs?” John asked.

“I think so,” Ryan said. “But I think it goes deeper than that. A lot deeper. And frankly, I’m scared.”

“Why are you scared, John?” Houston asked. “Has he threatened you in some way?”

“Not directly,” Ryan said. “But I’m afraid of what he’ll do to ensure my silence.”

“What do you mean, Ryan?” John asked.

“Well, you don’t know him like I do,” Ryan said. “In public, he’s the most friendly guy you’d ever meet. In private, though, he’s the scariest guy you’ll ever run into.”

“Did he say something to you?” John asked.

“Just that I need to keep an eye out for my wife,” Ryan said.

“Do you think he plans to kill her or something?” Houston asked.

“Worse,” Ryan said. “I think he plans to ... make her have sex.”

“Why would he do that?” John asked.

“To ensure my silence,” Ryan said. “He’s got something going on at his Georgetown place tomorrow evening and he told me I had to be there and to make sure I brought my wife.”

“Okay, so he invited you to a party at his place,” John said. “Why is that a threat?”

“Because he never, and I mean, NEVER, invites staffers to one of his parties unless he has something planned,” Ryan said. “The only people who ever go to those things are other Senators, dignitaries or other powerful people.”

“So, what makes you think he has plans against your wife?” Houston asked.

“Things I’ve heard, you know – rumors,” Ryan said. “Word has it that Legstrom has a thing for the ladies. No one talks about it openly, but there’s lots of rumors. Really strange stuff.” John looked at Houston before speaking. She could tell he was skeptical. He turned back to Ryan.

“You planning to wear that flag lapel pin to his party?” John asked.

“Yes,” Ryan said. “I wear it everywhere.” John nodded his head and went to his briefcase. After rummaging around, he came back with a pin that looked identical to the one Ryan had. He pulled off Ryan’s pin and replaced it with one from his briefcase.

“The pin I gave you has a micro-camera and a microphone,” John said. “It also has a built-in web server, wifi capability, GPS tracker and a satellite uplink. It even monitors your vital statistics – heart rate, and so on. Once I activate it, my people will be able to track your movements, and they can see and hear what you see and hear.” He pulled out his cell phone and activated the device, verifying its operation. He showed the screen to Ryan and the younger man saw the video feed on John’s phone.

“Wow,” Ryan said. “All that in this little thing?”

“You’d be amazed at what we can do these days,” John said.

“How long does it last?” Ryan asked.

“On a full charge, it will work for 12 hours of continuous operation,” John said. “It’s got a built-in solar cell, so it recharges as it’s exposed to light.” Ryan reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small thumb drive.

“I made copies of everything I could and put it on this,” he said as he handed the drive to John.

“Thanks, I’ll get our people on it right away,” John said. “Now, one last thing. If you feel you’re in any danger, just tap that pin three times, quickly. That will send a ‘911’ signal to my phone and to my people. We’ll keep tabs on you. Any questions?”

“No, none,” Ryan said. “Look, I’d better get going. Legstrom likes to eat here a couple times a week and I don’t want him seeing me here, especially not with you guys. No offense.”

“None taken,” John said. “In fact, it’s probably best he doesn’t know we’re in contact. Just remember what I told you. Everything will be alright.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said, standing up. “I’ll talk to you guys later.” With that, he left the room.

“What do you think?” Houston asked after he left.

“I’m not sure,” John said. “It sounds like some kind of Alex Jones conspiracy to me. I mean, we’re talking about one of, if not the, most powerful man in Washington. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, you do have whatever is on that thumb drive,” she said.

“Yeah,” John said. “I’d better get this all to Alpha One, see what they can make of it.”

“Good idea,” Houston said.

“Listen, this is gonna take a bit,” John said. “Why don’t you go get changed while I handle this and we can go grab a bite to eat, then see the sights.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, dear husband,” she said. “I’ll be right back.” He watched her go into the bathroom, then pulled out his tablet and connected the thumb drive. After checking it for malware, he took a look at the documents and sent them off. He also confirmed the tech guys were monitoring Ryan’s pin. He closed down his laptop just as Houston came out of the bathroom.

“Ready?” he asked.

“For you, always,” she said with a flirty smile. They locked everything up and headed downstairs to the Alex Cocktail Bar and Speakeasy, an adult venue billed as the hotel’s tribute to Prohibition, where they ordered some Maryland blue crab cakes and a couple of cocktails. As they were eating, John saw him enter – Sen. Legstrom. He made his rounds, shaking hands and sharing jokes and finally made his way to their table.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you two in here before,” he boomed as he shook their hands. “Franklin Legstrom, from the great state of Wyoming.”

“Senator Legstrom,” John said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is...”

“Houston, am I right? Houston Smith?” he asked as he shook her hand.

“Yes,” she said. “How did you know?”

“It’s my job to know,” he told her. “And you must be John Smith. Or should I say, Herman Muenster?” Herman was the name John was given when he was born. His parents were Bill and Freda Muenster, a quirky couple with a thing for old sitcoms. John grew up hating the name, and changed it after joining the Company.

“I’m afraid you have us at a slight disadvantage, Senator,” John said. Franklin laughed as he pulled out a chair.

“Mind if I join y’all?” he asked as he sat down. “I see you’ve chosen the crab cakes. Good choice, if you ask me.” He turned to the waitress. “I’ll have what these folks are having, if you would please,” he said. “And put their bill on my tab.” He turned back to them with a smile. “It’s the least I can do after interrupting your meal,” he said.

“Well, thank you, Senator,” John said.

“Not at all,” he said. “It’s my pleasure. After all, the two of you do work for me, in a roundabout way. So, John Smith, what brings the two of you to DC?”

“We just got back from London,” John said. “Houston has never been here, so we thought we’d stop and see the sights.” Franklin nodded his head.

“I can understand that,” he said. “I think everyone should come and see Washington at least once in their lives. How long do you plan on being in town?”

“Hard to say,” John said. “Maybe a couple days or so.”

“Well, good,” Franklin said, taking a large bite of a crab cake. “So, how did things go in London?”

“Went well,” John said.

“Wouldn’t care to enlighten me, would you?” Franklin asked.

“Now Senator, you know we can’t discuss things like that,” John said as Franklin wolfed down another crab cake.

“Of course not,” Franklin said, wiping his mouth. “I’ll see the after-action report anyway. Still, I’m glad to see you’re on your toes.” He looked at Houston. “And I must say, young lady, I’m very impressed with your progress.”

“Thank you, Senator,” Houston said with a smile.

“It must be nice being able to work with such a beautiful woman every day,” Franklin said with a wink at John.

“It is, Senator,” John said, smiling at Houston. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

“I must say, I’m very impressed with the way you two handled Omega,” Franklin said as he chomped on another crab cake.

“We had some help on that,” John said. “We weren’t alone, you know.”

“Of course I know,” Franklin said. “I just never got a chance to express my appreciation to you personally. It’s not often I get to meet someone from your outfit.” He ate another crab cake, then wiped his hands and downed his drink. “I could make myself sick on these things,” he said. “Listen, I’m having a private little hoedown at my place tomorrow night. I’d like it if the two of you could make it. Nothing fancy, really, just a few drinks, some hors d’oeuvres, a cigar or two and some live entertainment. You might it ... interesting.”

“Well, thank you, Senator,” John said. “Houston and I would love to go. Wouldn’t we, dear?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile.

“Good, good,” Franklin said. He pulled a card out of his pocket and wrote something on the back before handing it to John. “Here’s the address, just show this to the guy at the door and he’ll let y’all in. We’ll be starting about 8:00 pm. Dress is casual. I’ll see you two then.”

“Thank you,” John said. “We look forward to it.” Franklin stood up and shook their hands.

“As do I,” he said with a smile. After shaking their hands, Franklin left. John waited until he was out of the club before speaking.

“What are you thinking?” he asked Houston.

“I’m thinking this could get very ... interesting,” she said. “Did you see the way he was leering at me?”

“I think everyone here could see,” John said. “You think there may be something to what Ryan said earlier?”

“It’s possible,” she said. “There was something in the way he spoke that kinda creeped me out. You know what I mean?”

“Yes, I do,” John said.

“So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?” she asked.

“Well, I’ll send a quick report to Regis, then I think we have just about enough time to make it over to see the Evening Parade,” John said.

“Evening Parade?” Houston asked.

“Yeah, it’s something they do at the Marine Barracks at 8th and I street every Friday night,” John said. “I think you’ll like it. Regis got reservations for us, and we need to be there by 7:00.”

“Well, lead on, dear husband,” she said. After verifying their bill was covered, they left the hotel and headed to the Marine Barracks. They got there in plenty of time and took their assigned seats. John recorded the event for them to watch later. Houston had never seen anything like this before and sat in awe, watching the Silent Drill Team perform. When the performance ended, she threw her arms around her husband.