Chapter 31

The risk was always going to be there.

Charles would always be a stumbling block in the way of crooked politicians and the people who manipulate them. My job - self-appointed – was to separate the garden-variety crooks from those willing to kill for more power, money, or control.

Jack and I talked at great length about the need to find out where these people were coming from, and how to use information to cut them off from any attempt to harm Charles. When Jason turned out to be the person who sold out Charles and got my entire crew killed, he opened my eyes to the reality of power and the temptations of obscene wealth.

The trust controlled more than fifty billion dollars. With Jim and Colleen's creative legal work, the control easily passed to me, and everyone else retained full access. My wealth was in the stratosphere, and instead of making me jealous, greedy, or power mad, it made me humble, a little scared of the enormity of those numbers, and eternally grateful.

The people who seemed to be a danger to Charles had another agenda, altogether. The obsessive need to control, manipulate, and take what belonged to others seemed ingrained into their personalities at birth, and made them seem just a little unstable, to me.

Jack took my warning seriously and our secret – off the books – guys went to work.

Charles and I spent the last evening at Camp David, reviewing the presentations and making adjustments to his coming agenda items based on things he learned. When he was satisfied that things were where they needed to be, he set down his notes and said, "Out with it. What's got you all tied in knots, tonight?"

"You caught me," I smiled back at him. "I have a suspicious nature, Charles. And my suspicious nature is warning me that we might not have identified everyone involved in selling you out. Some of those who visited you this week give me the willies.

"With your permission, I want to look deeper at these folks and see what there is to see. I will not speak of it to anyone that would repeat things we talk about, so we won't have a repeat of the last time I looked into one of your Cabinet Secretaries. I was right to suspect that your life was in danger once, and I want to respect my intuition again." I left that hang out there so Charles could make up his own mind. I already knew the answer, but he needed to come to that in his own way.

"John, you've never been anything but loyal and concerned about my well-being. Do what you think I best, but try to keep it quiet."

We were agreed.

With business out of the way, Charles informed me that I was joining them for dinner. He picked up the phone beside his chair and simply said, "We'll have dinner in ninety minutes," then hung up. Turning to me he said, "Be back in time to eat, and don't even think about leaving before Casey gets to ride your feet again. It's almost all she talks about anymore."

I walked back to my cabin, showered, shaved, and dressed casually. Thirty minutes later a steward was admitting me into the President's lodge and pointing me towards the rear where I could hear voices.

"Daddy," that was Shirley. "You have to find ways to put us together so that John will overcome that shy, lost look he gets, and see me as a woman. I realize he lost his wife and is grieving, but he's a man and needs a woman. Hopefully I'll be that woman."

That was interesting, but what Diane said was even more revealing. "Charles, Shirley is just crazy about John Gray. Can't you send them on a good will trip or something, to see if being together for a few weeks will allow nature to take its course?"

Charles wisely kept his own counsel on that subject.

Diane was serious. The two had cooked up a plan to snare me for Shirley, and with Diane in the middle of it, Charles was going to cave in and do whatever they asked.

What was I going to do?

Casey spoke, so I knew she was in on her mother's plan. "Grandpa, Mommy needs a husband so I can have a Daddy. Don't you understand?" She sounded so logical. In my mind I could see Charles crumbling under the combined assault. The only thing I had in my favor was that both women thought I was still grieving, so I might be able to sneak out of this one, but only just.

The butler announced me at that moment, and everyone pretended they weren't just trying to decide my future for me. Casey launched herself into me, and climbed my body like a tree, coming to rest high up in my arms and demanding that I lose the shoes and play airplane with her.

We played until my legs quivered with weakness, and Charles finally decided I'd been tortured enough. Swatting Casey on the bottom, he lifted her off my outstretched feet, and tossed her towards the sofa, while informing her that playtime was over and dinner was ready. She ran off to wash up and so did I.

When we met at the table, I found Casey on one side of me and Shirley on the other. Dinner was a southern bar-b-que, and we all found something to rave about. Camp David is a Naval installation and staffed with a combination of Sailors and Marines. There must be a bit of a rivalry, because the swabby that cleaned the table informed everyone that the Marines prepared dinner that night and appreciated our compliments very much.

Charles asked him to send in his boss, and very soon a worried looking Captain was announced, who started to apologize for his cooks. Charles wasn't having any of that. "Captain. Please share with your staff, the appreciation of us all for a fine meal. That is all." Just like that he was put as ease, complimented, and dismissed.

When he was gone Shirley tried to push her father into acting as matchmaker. "Daddy, aren't you thinking about sending John to Australia to work on a new trade deal?" She was about as subtle as a watermelon dropped off a roof.

"Shirley now is not the time to discuss business. John and I have been covered up, night and day for a week, and I want to relax a little before we head back to the White House. So let's leave this for another time and come back to it then." He was firm enough to close that door but kind enough not to embarrass her.

Shirley decided a head on approach would work better, anyway. "John let's take a walk and help settle dinner. She grabbed my arm, nodded at Casey, then her mother to make sure she would keep the child out of our hair, and ushered me outside so we could take our walk and she could seduce me.

The cool air felt good, and Shirley snuggled up against me for warmth. Her breasts pressed into my side and felt marvelous. Every warning bell in my head was sounding an alarm, as Shirley found ways to touch me with her body, from knee to neck.