Lance choked up a moment, and then smiled shyly. “Thank you.” He turned and followed the others toward the limo.
“Uh, Sergeant Ryan,” the president said as Ryan made to follow. The detective looked back. “A private word, if I may?” the president said.
Ryan turned to Lance and Ricky, who stood together waiting for him. “I’ll be right along.”
They waved goodbye to the First Family and headed for the limo.
Ryan approached the president as the First Lady led the two kids back inside the house. “Yes, Mr. President?”
The president eyed the old detective appraisingly and then reached into his jacket pocket and slipped out something that looked like a thin wallet. He handed it to Ryan. The detective flipped it open and nearly gasped with surprise. It was a Federal Special Agent badge replete with Ryan’s photo and personal stats. The man looked from the badge to the president uncertainly.
“Sergeant Ryan,” the president said in a sober voice. “You are now Special Agent Ryan, answerable to no one but me. That badge grants you full access to any federal agency, including FBI and Secret Service.”
Ryan knew he must look like an idiot because he sure felt like one. What was going on here? “Mr. President, I don’t––”
“Keep that boy safe,” the president said in a strong commanding tone. “That’s my order. And I’ve just put all the resources of the federal government at your disposal to do so.”
Ryan still felt mystified. “Mr. President, I’m honored, for sure, but why not assign Secret Service to him if you’re so worried?”
The president shook his head. “They’ll be around, but I don’t want the boy feeling like he’s a prisoner. And he trusts you.”
Ryan eyed the man, wondering if maybe he should’ve voted for him last time. “May I ask why the sudden interest in Lance?”
The president looked at him with cold, serious eyes. “Sergeant, Lance is the most famous boy in the entire world, beloved by millions. I’ll not have him getting killed on my watch.”
Ryan sensed that the man was saying, “Once I’m out of office it’s the next guy’s problem.” But he didn’t articulate that thought. Instead, he thanked the president with a firm handshake.
“Keep me informed of everything, Sergeant,” the president commanded, and Ryan could tell that was an order.
“Yes, Mr. President.”
Turning, Ryan slipped the badge into his pocket and strode purposefully for the limo, wondering if he’d just sold his soul to the devil, and feeling glad after all that he hadn’t voted for the man.
†††
Back at the hotel, everyone was so excited they weren’t even tired, despite the three-hour time difference. Reyna, Esteban, and Justin decided to go out to an eighteen and older club the concierge told them about, which left the four Native Knights, still underage, to debrief at the hotel, which they did in Lance’s room after an exhausted Ryan bid them goodnight and retired to his room next door.
The four boys sat in a circle on Lance’s bed, legs crossed beneath them, replaying in their minds the events of the evening. Lance noted the more-broody-than-usual look on Dakota’s face and felt certain he knew the reason.
“Uh, I’m, like, real sorry guys,” he said, feeling embarrassed just recalling the moment. “About the whole buffalo meat thing.”
Ricky scowled. “Yeah, what was up with that, anyway?”
Dakota remained silent, but Kai laughed. Unlike his usual, however, this laugh was bitter. “It’s just what we Indians always get from the government, Ricky.”
Ricky nodded, but Lance’s eyes were locked on Dakota’s cloudy expression.
“You okay, Dakota?” he asked.
The young man looked up and met his concerned gaze, but said nothing. Then he turned to face Kai, looking by turns sheepish and angry and sad. “You stood up to him, Laughs-A-Lot. I did not. I call myself a warrior, but I’m just a boy. You’re the real man.”
Then he leapt off the bed in a swirl of flying hair and bolted from the room before anyone could respond.
Kai looked stunned, but Lance wasn’t surprised. From what he knew of Dakota’s past, and his soul-whispering of the boy, he felt he understood him.
Kai gazed at Lance and Ricky in silent uncertainty. Actually, Lance noted with extreme discomfort, the boy’s eyes were mainly on Ricky, as they’d often been over the past few months. That made him squirm.
“Are you gonna go talk to him?” Lance finally asked, when Kai still didn’t speak. Pulling his gaze from Ricky, Kai shook his head in consternation. “About what? I don’t even know what I did.”
Lance sighed. “You spoke up against the president’s insult, even though it wasn’t an insult on purpose,” Lance explained. “He thinks you represented your people against the most powerful guy in the country better than he did.”
Now Kai understood. “Oh. Yeah. Cloudy always has had that manly warrior thing going on in his head.” He laughed. “You should’ve seen him when he was like seven or eight, challenging the men to arm wrestling matches. Funny as hell.”
Lance and Ricky both chuckled. Lance could picture the boy, face deadly serious, planting his elbow on some table to take on a guy three times his weight. But that fearlessness was what had saved him and Ricky at Griffith Park, and it was that fearlessness he didn’t want to lose.
“Tell him you just said the first thing that came into your head, like you always do,” Lance suggested. “Remind him how kick ass he is.”
Kai turned slightly red, his eyes drifting toward Ricky. “He might think I’m hitting on him or something.”
Lance caught the look in his eyes before the Navajo lowered them to the bedcovering, and it started his heart to racing. “I don’t think so. You guys go way back. Challenge him to an arm wrestling match and make sure he wins.”
Kai laughed. “I won’t have to make sure. He’s strong as hell.”
Lance and Ricky chuckled, and then Lance noted Ricky locking eyes momentarily with Kai before the Navajo looked away.
“Okay, I’ll go let him kick my ass and hopefully he’ll feel better,” Kai announced as he untangled his legs and clambered off the bed. “See you guys at breakfast.”
He went to the door and then paused, turning back to eye them enviously. “The First Lady was right. You are a cute couple.”
Then he went through the door and closed it behind him, leaving Lance and Ricky staring open-mouthed after him. Ricky turned to face Lance with a smirk. “So, do you think I’m cute?”
“Hell, yeah. But so does he.”
Ricky frowned. “I know, he just said that.”
Lance eyed him. “No, he thinks you’re cute. He’s into you.”
Ricky looked away.
“But you knew that, didn’t you?”
Ricky looked back at Lance’s face, so perfect and beautiful and open. “Yeah.”
Lance didn’t respond, merely sat and gazed at the boy he loved.
“I love you, Lance, and only you,” Ricky affirmed breathlessly. Lance sat and soul-whispered him, and that made Ricky squirm. “I mean, yeah, it’s kind of hot that he’s, like, you know, into me. Everybody’s usually all into you, ya know?”
That drew a smile to Lance’s lips and allowed Ricky to breathe again.
“Does it bother you,” Lance asked hesitantly, “that so many people are all about me and not you?”
Ricky paused for a moment. He nodded. “But only cuz I get scared sometimes.”
“Scared about what?”
Ricky shivered with fear. “Scared you might leave me for some hotter boy.”
Lance grinned, gently taking one of Ricky’s hands in his. “There is no hotter boy. There is no hotter body. And there is no one I will ever love but you.”
Ricky grinned wickedly. “No hotter body? Really?”
Lance laughed. “Really.” He paused as their eyes locked a moment. Then he sighed. “Now is your emo-ass gonna practice our speech or what?”
Now Ricky laughed. “I’m not the emo one here, fool, but yeah, let’s get to work.”
And work they did, late into the night. The joint session of Congress would convene at two o’clock the following afternoon, with Lance’s speech carried live on CSPAN and all the cable and broadcast networks. By the time each boy retired to his bed, it was already two a.m., and they were wiped out.
†††
The boys awoke at nine in the morning and quickly rose to clean up and dress. They wore normal teen boy clothes today, looking like a couple of skaters with beanies to hide their hair. Recalling Merlin’s warning, Lance and Ricky took their skateboards before heading next door to find their Native brothers. They knocked on the door and Kai pulled it open almost at once. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt too.
“Hello cute couple,” he said with a laugh, and the boys joined in.
“So, who won the arm-wrestling match?” Lance asked with a grin.
Kai rolled his eyes. “Cloudy, who else. C’mon in.”
They stepped into a room that was the reverse twin of theirs and found Dakota standing at the window looking out over the capitol city. He turned when they entered. As always, his hair hung loose down his back, restrained only by feathers tied at strategic points. He, too, wore jeans and a plain brown shirt.
“Ready for breakfast, guys?” Ricky asked, his stomach rumbling.
Lance chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not like we ate the main course last night, right?”
Kai laughed and elbowed Dakota. To the surprise of Lance and Ricky, the boy smiled. A little.
Lance texted Ryan that they wanted to go downstairs for breakfast. The detective messaged right back that he’d meet them by the elevator in five minutes.
†††
The breakfast area was in the atrium, tucked away in a corner, with a huge buffet of fruits and eggs and waffles and muffins and juices and everything Lance could ever imagine eating for breakfast. The smells alone set his stomach to growling, and the hungry boys quickly filled their plates before spotting Reyna, Esteban, and Justin talking and laughing at one of the circular tables.
Ryan joined that group and the Native Knights took the table next to it. Everyone chatted about their White House dinner and even Esteban was appalled by the president’s boneheaded move serving buffalo meat to Indians thinking it would make him seem “cool” or “hip” or something.
“Don’t sweat it, guys,” Reyna offered around a bite of toast. “These politicians are out of touch with reality.” Then she grinned at Lance. “At least until my baby boy here gives ’em a real dose of it today.”
“Yeah, lay it on ’em, Lance,” Justin said with a grin of his own.
Lance laughed. “Hey, don’t forget, we need these people on our side. Wouldn’t do me much good to piss ’em off.”
“At least not till we get the CBOR passed,” Ricky added, and everybody laughed.
Lance noted Ryan fingering a wallet-like object, flipping it open and closed absently. “What’s that, nino?”
Ryan handed it over. Lance’s eyes bulged as he gazed upon the Special Agent badge and tossed it to Ricky, who looked equally surprised. The boys turned to Ryan with raised eyebrows.
The detective grunted and took back the badge. “The president wants me to make sure nothing happens to you, Lance, at least while he’s in office.”
Lance pulled a stunned face. “He said that?”
Ryan shrugged. “Implied it. Anyway, I have full access to any federal muscle I need. Can’t hurt.” He didn’t tell them how the president wanted to know everything the group would be doing and that Ryan was to report directly to him. Best not to go there on an empty stomach, so he pocketed the ID and dug into his plate of scrambled eggs and hash browns.
Reyna reminded Lance that Senator Cairns’ intern would be arriving at noon to take them over to the Capitol Building for a tour prior to the joint session. “This senator seems really interested in the CBOR, baby boy, so be nice to his intern,” Reyna admonished with a twinkle in her eye. “Flash those baby greens of yours and turn on that smile. He’ll melt like butter.”
Lance blushed right down into his orange juice glass, setting it down and gazing aghast at her amused expression. “Reyna!”
She just shrugged. “Never know. Can’t hurt.”
Esteban shook his head and mouthed, “She’s crazy,” but Reyna instantly whirled on him.
“I saw that!”
They all cracked up.
Because of the imminent danger, Ryan confined the boys to the hotel until the intern and his security team arrived to fetch them. Lance grumbled, but Ryan glowered and he knew there was nothing more to be said.
†††
The remainder of the morning the four Native Knights spent wandering the hotel and checking out the fitness facility wherein Lance saw for himself that Dakota was much stronger than his wiry frame suggested. After a good, hard workout, they returned to their rooms to dress up for their congressional appearance.
Lance always wore a green tunic, at Reyna’s urging, to “Set off your amazing eyes,” and this one was a pale forest green with small, gold-trimmed ruffles around the cuffs and open collar. Ricky brushed Lance’s hair so thoroughly, gushing, “It has to look perfect,” that Lance thought he’d scream with frustration until the small crown settled around his brow and he finally slipped into his light brown, soft leather boots to complete his princely appearance.
Not to be outdone, he tortured Ricky with just as much hair brushing and then himself fastened a golden circlet around the head of the other boy.
As nervous as he’d been going to the White House, Lance felt terrified at the prospect of facing the entire U.S. government and pitching his bill of rights. These were the most powerful people in the country and he needed them to take him seriously. But would they? Never in the history of this nation had a juvenile addressed a joint session of Congress on his own. The fact that it was being allowed gave him some hope. But he already knew how cavalierly Congress had been taking his bill of rights, so perhaps they were acting like adults always did with kids––humoring him so he’d do his thing and then go away and fall silent. Stressed and anxious as he was, Lance knew for certain that was one thing he would never do––give up and go away.
With Ricky sporting a pale maroon tunic, they joined everyone else at the elevator at eleven forty-five. Reyna wore her fanciest tunic with lots of fringes and folds along the front and sides, while Esteban looked especially badass, Lance thought, in his almost shimmery black, while Justin wore a muted blue and had his ‘fro sticking out so much the others had to duck to avoid hitting it. Dakota and Kai wore shades of brown and burnt orange, but in keeping with their tribal traditions wore their colorful headpieces and had attached feathers to their sleeves and the front of their tunics. Dakota’s hair trailed behind like a million skinny snakes while Kai had again turned his long tresses into two perfect braids that dangled down his chest almost to his waist.
Reyna stopped to gaze a moment at Lance and Ricky with an appraising once-over. “I approve. You are the two most beautiful boys in the world.”
That made them both redden with embarrassment, as she’d known it would, and she engulfed them in a tight, loving hug. Pulling back she locked eyes with Lance. “Kick ass today, baby boy.”
Lance grinned at that and Esteban piped up with, “Give ’em a day they’ll never forget, carnal.” He extended a fist, and Lance bumped it.
“I’ll do my best.” Then he glanced over at Ryan, pensively watching them. “How’s the special agent doing?”
Ryan grimaced a moment at the title, and then offered a stony grin. “He’s about to ground the king for being a smart-ass.”
Lance laughed and then the elevator arrived.
†††
They hovered around in the atrium awaiting Senator Cairns’ intern, drawing a lot of stares and finger-pointing, and more than a few autograph seekers. Ryan and the others tensed any time someone approached Lance,
and hovered protectively, eyeing each newcomer suspiciously and keenly. But none even remotely behaved in a rude or threatening manner. And then the man they’d been awaiting arrived.
For some reason, Lance had assumed a man working for a U.S. senator would be older, but when he saw the guy approaching he was startled to find him young, maybe not much older than Reyna, young and Latino-looking, though even in his mind Lance didn’t want to use that label. The man had light skin, in any case, a shock of black hair that looked like it would be unruly if not for gobs of gel to keep it at bay, and a small nose. He had smooth, unblemished skin and dark eyes surrounded by big glasses, and faintly reminded Lance of someone, maybe an actor he’d seen on TV.
The young man was dressed in a simple, unassuming light brown suit with a grayish tie and he practically bounced on his heels as he enthusiastically approached the group. He beamed with an enormous smile that made Lance instantly like him.
“Wow,” he gushed as he breathlessly reached them. “This is such an honor!” He thrust out his hand to Lance. “Edwin Romo, Sir Lance.”
Lance shook his hand, amazed at the reaction he’d engendered.
The young man grinned at him almost shyly. “I’ve been following your crusade all through college. I think it’s fantastic.”
Lance exchanged a look with Ricky, who just smiled and shoved him. “Thanks, man,” Lance said to the newcomer. “And thanks for helping us. Oh, and just call me Lance, okay?”
He flashed his smile and the young man grinned more broadly. “You got it, Lance. Man, I’m so stoked. I’ve been the senator’s intern every summer since I started college and he’s way cool. I turned him on to your crusade and he’s really excited about your bill of rights. Me too. I have a younger sister.” He paused because everyone was looking at him with bemusement. “Sorry, I get carried away sometimes.”
Lance laughed and introduced the group. Everyone shook hands and the excited young intern led them outside to yet another limo.
Once inside the elegant car, Edwin made it a point to seat himself next to Lance, and off they went. Lance commented that Edwin seemed young to work for a senator, and the man laughed. He had an infectious kind of laugh, Lance noted, one that made you want to laugh along with him.
And The Children Shall Lead Page 25
