Honor Guards

by Radclyffe

  0941 11 September 2001

  : American Airlines flight 77 has crashed into the west side of the Pentagon.

  "Jesus Christ," Cam breathed as she heard the words she could not believe. Phone to her ear, she glanced at Blair. "They're evacuating the White House. A hijacked airliner just hit the Pentagon."

  "Oh my dear Lord." Blair's eyes grew huge, brimming with agony and despair. "This can't be happening. Oh, Cam."

  "We're leaving the city, Commander. Your orders?" Felicia's voice through the open partition that separated the rear compartment from the driver's area was hollow, eerily devoid of inflection.

  Blair wasn't certain that Cam had heard the question, but it was clear to her that no previously determined official destination was secure. Suddenly, she leaned toward the front and spoke to Felicia in a low voice. "Drive to the Mass Turnpike and head east. And I need to use your phone."

  Briefly, Felicia flicked her eyes to Blair's in the rearview mirror, then back to the road as she removed her cell phone from the pocket of her sweats. Handing it through to Blair, she murmured, "Yes, ma'am."

  While what was left of her security team attempted to coordinate their safe passage, the president's daughter decided to make arrangements for a temporary sanctuary on her own. She'd spent half her life disappearing, and she'd been very good at it. Praying that she could get an open line in the midst of a panic that must be overburdening the telephone systems, she pushed 411. Sighing in relief when an operator finally answered, she gave a name and address and waited for a connection. Answer. Please answer.

  Expelling a pent-up breath at the sound of a voice on the line, Blair said urgently, "Tanner? It's Blair. I've got a problem."

  Blair closed the phone just as Stark and Cam finished their calls. She looked from her lover to Paula Stark. Both were hurt. Both at the very minimum needed first aid for their wounds, if not professional medical attention. Felicia was holding up, but she looked shell-shocked. What she was about to say was only going to add immeasurably to everyone's pain, but there was nothing she could do. In a voice dry as tinder, she repeated what she'd just been told. "The South Tower of the World Trade Center just collapsed."

  "No!" Stark jerked forward on her seat, her eyes wild. "That's impossible. There are 50,000 people in that building." Renee! Renee is there!

  "Paula," Blair said softly.

  "Listen," Felicia said abruptly from the front seat. "I've got something coming over the scanner here."

  The vehicle grew eerily quiet as the sound of a disembodied voice filled the silence.

  United Airlines flight 93 has crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, presumably en route to a target in Washington, DC.

  "Is that number four?" Blair's voice was tight with disbelief. "This can't be. This just can't be."

  Cam reached for Blair's hand as Stark slumped in her seat, her face ashen. "It's imperative now that we maintain radio silence. No one makes any calls except me."

  "Renee is in the South Tower," Stark said, her voice trembling. "Can I call her?"

  "I'm sorry, no." Cam's tone revealed none of her regret. "We have no idea who is behind these attacks, or how much they know, or where the next target might be. We can't risk broadcasting our location."

  "Cam," Blair said quietly, her heart aching. "One more call couldn't hurt, could it?"

  "I don't know what might hurt at this point. I can't risk it." The disappointment in Blair's face stung, and Cam's question came out more abruptly than she intended. "Who were you just talking to?"

  Taken aback, Blair stared, and caught the flicker of pain in Cam's eyes before they went flat. That brief glimpse of her lover's anguish dispelled her own mounting anger. Cam's leg was rigid beneath their joined hands. The only visible sign of the terrible strain she was under was the low, tight tone of her voice. The depths of her charcoal eyes, however, were nothing more than opaque obsidian reflections, more impenetrable than Blair had ever seen. Oh, darling, I can't imagine what it's costing you to do this.

  Gently, Blair replied, "An old friend of mine from prep school. We can go there—it's as secure as any place right now. Probably more."

  Cam narrowed her eyes. "Were you lovers?"

  Blair blinked. "I hardly think that matters now."

  Impatiently, Cam shook her head and bit back a grunt of pain. "No, if you were, it's probably a matter of record. Somewhere, someone put it in a file, and we don't know what intelligence has been compromised."

  "God, do you really think something from so long ago—"

  "I don't know, Blair. Jesus, I've got one dead agent—"

  "Mac?" Felicia cried.

  "No," Cam replied swiftly. "Parker. Reynolds said Mac was unconscious but alive when he reached him. He managed to commandeer a NYPD cruiser off the street to transport Mac to NYU hospital." In a gentler tone, she added, "That's all I know, except that Mac is tough."

  Blair stroked her hand absently along Cam's thigh. "Tanner was never my lover. And she lives in a fairly remote area. I told her we were coming."

  Cam sorted through options, ranking them in order of possible security risks. Until she had more information about the nature and extent of the attacks, she couldn't be certain that any federal or military installation was secure. In all likelihood, Foster had passed along the details of their internal evac routes to whoever was behind the assault. She had to admit they'd be better off lying low in a civilian location. "All right. Where are we going?"

  "Whitley Island."

  1005 11 September 2001:

  The skies over America are empty.

  For almost a minute, there was complete silence in the vehicle. Felicia drove east toward the Mass Turnpike at a steady sixty-five miles per hour. Stark leaned against the door, her face turned to the window, her eyes glazed. She was shivering uncontrollably.

  "Cam," Blair said quietly, nodding in Stark's direction. "She needs medical attention. And so do you."

  "I don't want to stop yet." Cam kept her voice low out of habit, although in actuality, the only people she could absolutely trust were in the car with her. Other than Mac, and she missed him tremendously now. "I don't think we're being pursued, but I don't know if there's another assault team looking for us or already on an intercept course. The last thing I want to do is go to a hospital and televise to the world where you are."

  "Can't we drop her off at a hospital somewhere, then?"

  A brief, sad smile crossed Cam's face. "You don't really think she'd go, do you? Plus, I can't afford to lose another agent. I need her on the job."

  "You can assemble tbe rest of the team in a few hours once we reach Tanner's."

  "No, I can't." Cam rubbed her eyes. "Foster was part of the attack, Blair. I can't trust any of the agents now. Every one of them is a suspect."

  "All right," Blair conceded. Carefully, she moved to the opposite seat, knelt facing the rear, and leaned over the back of the seat into the storage compartment behind it. She rummaged around until she found the emergency medical kit, which she lifted back over the seat and set on the floor. Then she resumed her search and, a few minutes later, swiveled around with a bundle of clothing in her arms. "The Suburbans may be ugly as hell, but they're very well equipped. I've got the ever-present blue polo shirts and one-size-fits-all khaki pants. Felicia and Paula can at least get out of their damp clothes."

  "Davis," Cam said. "Pull into the first drive-off you see. Park well away from any other vehicles."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Ten minutes later, Davis pulled the Suburban into a rest stop, drove to the far end of the narrow parking lot, and stopped. Blair slid over next to Stark.

  "Paula," she said gently, putting her hand lightly on Stark's arm. "Let's get your T-shirt off so I can take a look at your shoulder. I've got a dry shirt for you, too."

  Stark, her gaze slightly unfocused, searched Blair's face. She blinked. "Thank you. You don't need to do that. I can take care of it. You should see to the commander."

  "Yes, I will. B
ut you first." Patiently, Blair waited.

  After another few seconds' hesitation, Stark lifted her T-shirt with her left hand, but couldn't mange to raise her right.

  "Let me help you with that," Blair said, carefully manipulating the garment and working it slowly over Stark's injured right arm. The sports bra she wore beneath was wet with sweat and blood. "Take off the bra, too."

  Stark flushed.

  "It's okay, Paula."

  Stark glanced across the compartment to Cam, who sat quietly with her eyes trained out the rear window, scanning the incoming vehicles, her weapon still at the ready. The sight of the commander, so steady, so focused, infused Stark with purpose. I need to get myself together. The commander needs backup. Quietly, she said to Blair, "Can you help me, please."

  "Of course."

  After helping Stark out of her underwear, Blair cleansed the jagged bullet wound in Stark's deltoid area with peroxide, applied an antibiotic ointment, and bandaged it. Throughout the process, Stark remained still and silent. "Let me help you get a dry shirt on."

  As Stark carefully pulled on the shirt, another bulletin came over the scanner.

  1028 11 September 2001

  : The North Tower of the World Trade Center has collapsed.

  With an agonized moan, Stark pushed open the door and bolted from the car.

  When Blair moved to follow, Cam said quietly, "Let her go."

  Blair's patience snapped. "For God's sake, Cam. There's no danger here, and she's suffering. I don't want her to be alone with this."

  "She needs to be alone with it." Cam's voice revealed no hint of anger, only sadness. "She needs to put it away for now, and she will. Just give her a minute."

  "Is that what they teach you?" Blair demanded wildly. "To bury your pain, even when it's killing you?"

  "We don't bury it, Blair. We just save it."

  The grief in Cam's face brought tears to Blair's eyes. "Oh, Cam. I'm sorry." Quickly, she crossed the space between them and curled up against Cam's side, threading an arm around her lover's waist and resting her head against her shoulder. "I'm so sorry. None of this is your fault, and everything you're doing is to protect me. I know that, and still I resent what this job does to you."

  Cam pressed her lips to Blair's hair and closed her eyes. "I would do anything not to lose you."

  "I know." Blair lifted her face and kissed Cam's neck. "I love you." She held Cam a moment longer, then pushed away. "It's time for you to get cleaned up, Commander."

  By the time Blair had tended to Cam's scalp wound, Stark, hollow eyed and beyond pale, had returned.

  "All right, Stark?" Cam asked.

  "Yes, ma'am." Stark's voice was raspy and sore from choking back the bile that had threatened to erupt when she'd heard the bulletin. She had to believe that Renee was still alive. She simply had no other choice. Any other possibility was more than she could bear. "I'm ready."

  "Davis," Cam said, "Ms. Powell will give you directions to Whitley Island. Get us there as quickly as you can."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  1344 11 September 2001:

  The aircraft carriers USS

  George Washington

  and USS

  John F. Kennedy

  along with five warships have been deployed from the US Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia to New York.

  "Turn here," Blair said, peering out the side window at the open ten-foot-high wrought iron gates that stretched between high stone walls that were almost completely hidden by the dense native foliage.

  "Is this the end of the island?" Cam asked. She'd been taking careful note of the topography and population distribution ever since they'd crossed the causeway from the mainland onto Whitley Island. There seemed to be very few residences on the island itself, although she'd caught sight of a marina at the southern tip that appeared to be fairly populated. The isolated locale was both an advantage and a strategic problem. They would be difficult to find, but if detected by unfriendly forces, it would be almost impossible for them to escape.

  "Yes, the Whitley estate occupies the entire north half of the island." Wearily, Blair pushed a hand through her hair and glanced across the confines of the rear compartment to Stark. The young agent's eyes were open but so blank that Blair thought she might be asleep. She leaned close to Cam. "We need to have her looked at."

  "I know." Cam brushed her fingers over the top of Blair's hand. "It may be twelve to twenty-four hours until I can establish secure links with Washington and get an accurate assessment of our security situation. Until then, we're going to be in a communication blackout. So no hospitals yet."

  "What if Tanner could bring a doctor out here?" Blair pushed, because both Stark and Cam needed medical attention. She'd cleaned their wounds, but Stark gave every sign of being in shock, and it was clear that Cam was fighting a headache and possibly worse.

  "Give me a few hours to assess the situation, and then I'll let you know my decision."

  "All right." Blair squeezed Cam's hand. "Thank you."

  As the car slowed, a large stone edifice fronted by terraced gardens, fountains, and flagstone walks came into view. Davis stopped the Suburban in a circular turnaround just opposite the wide steps that led up to a spacious veranda.

  Cam gave Blair a raised eyebrow. Blair shrugged.

  "This is Whitley Island, and that's Whitley Manor."

  At that moment, the reigning Whitley came through the front door. Tanner Whitley was Blair's age, but dark and muscular where Blair was blond and lithe. Not quite as tall as Cam, she nevertheless exuded a similar aura of confidence and command, even in sun-bleached khaki deck pants and a short-sleeved cotton work shirt. She stopped by the side of the vehicle, her dark eyes beneath heavy, nearly straight brows and a slash of dark hair giving her a brooding, James Dean look.

  Per protocol, Cam opened the rear door as Felicia came around the front. Blair stepped out between them with Stark exiting close behind.

  "Blair," Tanner Whitley said with obvious affection as she stepped forward and kissed Blair on the cheek. "How are you?"

  For the first time since the entire nightmare had burst upon her six hours earlier, Blair felt the full weight of the horror—not just her own personal fear and trauma, but what the innocent people in New York City and Pennsylvania and Washington and the rest of the country must be suffering. She reached for Cam, linked arms, and pressed close to her lover for comfort and support. "We're a little banged up, but basically okay. Tanner, this is my lover, Commander Cameron Roberts. My security staff, Felicia Davis and Paula Stark."

  Tanner nodded to the agents and extended her hand to Cam.

  "Commander."

  Their dark eyes were equally appraising as they studied each other.

  "Ms. Whitley. I'd like to get Blair inside, if you don't mind," Cam said. "Also, is there somewhere we can put the Suburban where it would not be visible to air surveillance?"

  Tanner's gaze did not waver, but her expression registered immediate respect. "Certainly. Please go inside. The kitchen is through to the rear, and our housekeeper, May, will be happy to fix you something for lunch. I'll move the vehicle to the garage myself. My mother is..." Tanner swallowed. "My mother just returned to DC this past weekend, so her car is not here."

  "Thank you." Cam nodded to Stark and Davis. "Let's go."

  Once inside, the group gravitated toward the sound of a television in a large living room that faced the ocean. No one, however, spared the breathtaking view an instant's attention. The wall-mounted HDTV was tuned to CNN, and within seconds, the tape and voice-over had looped through the devastation in Manhattan, Washington, DC, and a field not far from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A well-known anchorman repeated the message that had been playing all afternoon.

  "Mayor Giuliani has promised that rescue teams will work around the clock until all survivors have been found. At the present time, the number of police, firefighters, emergency personnel, and civilians potentially trapped in the rubble of the twin towers
is unknown."

  There was no mention of any attempt on Blair's life.

  As the litany of destruction and devastation continued, the air in the room reverberated with the sound of Stark's uneven breathing and Davis's muffled moans of disbelief. Speechless with shock and horror, Blair stared at the screen while Cam's mind rebelled at the thought that such a huge-scale, coordinated attack could have been planned and executed within their own borders. Why didn 't we know this was coming?

  Finally, Cam broke the silence that had overtaken the group. "Blair, I think perhaps Davis and Stark could do with some food. You, too."

  "What about you?" Blair didn't see any purpose in pointing out that Cam was white as a sheet and that smudges of pain and fatigue rimmed her eyes. She was certain that her lover felt every bit as bad as she looked. She just wouldn't acknowledge it, even to herself.

  "I need to establish a secure connection, if I can, to DC."

  "You won't be any use to me in a crisis situation if you're too weak or ill to think, let alone fight." Blair moved closer, out of earshot of Felicia and Stark, both of whom still sat on the sofa, their attention riveted to the news broadcast. "You look like hell. We don't know how long we might be here. We don't know how long it might be until we get a relief team. We all need a meal, showers, and fresh clothes. Plus, I want Tanner to get a doctor out here." When Cam started to protest, Blair shook her head sharply. "I'm sure she can handle it discreetly. I'm not backing down on this, Cameron."

  "I..." Cam's brows furrowed as her phone vibrated. She glanced down, but didn't recognize the number on the readout. She flicked it open and said curtly, "Roberts. Yes, sir." She held out the phone to Blair. "Your father. Two minutes, sweetheart. That's all we can risk."

  "Daddy?" Blair said quickly. "Are you okay?...No, I'm fine. No, really. Are you sure you 're all right?" Blair glanced at Cam, who checked her watch and nodded to go ahead. "I'm perfectly safe, but I think you should talk to her. Be careful. I love you."

  "Sir," Cam said sharply. "I believe we are secure. At the present time, it's my opinion that no one should be advised of our location. I prefer to brief you myself, sir, as soon as the situation is contained." She listened intently, then nodded. "Yes sir, that should be fine. Thank you."