Five more strides left and they had to be timed perfectly. The skin on the back of her legs tingled in anticipation of being snatched out from under her before she could do it. The rush of adrenaline danced in her chest with excitement and fear as she planted her foot perfectly on the stump and flung herself up and over to the branch. She could’ve sworn she felt breath on her back and a grunt from behind her as she flew, knowing she made it just in time. Her momentum arched her up more as she released from the branch. Her forearms landed hard on the flat cement top of the wall. She let her legs continue over ahead of her with the swing of her body, and when she landed on the soft, perfectly groomed grass on the other side, she used the forward force to roll out of the landing. She kicked back off and saw she was in. People were looking at her wide eyed from around the property where they saw her breach the wall, but all she could see was the large inground pool ahead of her. If she made it into the water, they’d have to come in after her. She smiled as she reached the edge of the pool and expertly dove into the deep end.
She coasted towards the shallow end, never coming up for breath though her body was screaming for oxygen after what she had just put it through. The silence of the water made the blood pumping in her ears sound like a bass drum. Her finger tips skimmed the floor of the shallow end as she propelled herself to the pool stairs at the opposite side with a frog kick, then a breast stroke. Her hands rested on the middle step and she silently let her head rise above water, only to find herself eye to eye with a snarling German Shepard glaring down at her from the rustic tile set around the pool.
Her whole body froze, muscles tense, not expecting them to have already been on her before she had a chance to get out of the water. The dog’s nose was an inch away as they stared at each other, and she heard the uneven stomps of a pair of boots coming her way, followed by an extremely shrill whistle.
At the sound the dog lunged for her face, and lapped at her with its tongue, covering her in kisses. She took her hands out of the water and started petting behind its ears and gently guided it off her face. The owner of the pair of boots stopped right behind the dog and let another whistled command ring out. The animal quickly retreated to his side and sat next to him at attention.
“Oh, come on. Don’t punish her because I beat you guys again,” she said as she stood up out of the water. Her soaked workout clothes hanging heavy from her shoulders, as she climbed the pool stairs with heavy, water laden running sneakers.
“Beat us? Please! I admit; it could be classified as a weak spot if the groundskeepers weren’t literally coming first thing this morning to rip it out. So we never even bothered to factor it in for tonight. Or the god-damned parkour-er’s that would be the only ones able to do whatever the hell you just did,” he chuckled.
“Oh come on! A gymnast could probably do it too,” she smirked as she headed towards the large, two story pool house’s open door. She reached around the frame and rustled around in a plastic bag, pulling out a dog biscuit, and a gray water bottle next to it.
She held up the dog treat and waved it at the tall, big, man as she chugged from her water bottle. He gave her a nod, and she headed back towards where they still stood staring at the pool and the wall past it. As she lined up next to them, the dog at their side, she leaned over and gently placed the bone shaped treat on its snout. “Good, girl.” She headed back towards the door and stooped down to pour the rest of her water into a shining metal dog bowl that sat next to the two steps leading to the door.
The man suddenly put his hand to his ear where the molded plastic piece rested in the canal, a little coil of wire dangled down into his shirt collar. “Yeah, Nanny secured,” he said, giving her a side glance, then telling the dog, “Ok.” It immediately dropped its nose and flicked it back up, snatching the biscuit out of the air before it barely fell.
“Your creative code names are really on a whole other level,” she said, rolling her eyes and sitting down at the steps of the pool to pull off her sopping wet running shoes. She set them next to one another, perfectly lined up perpendicular to the pool’s edge. Her socks were taken off next with an almost suction like pull, and plopped down on the stone by the shoes. A spray of water splashed around them from the drop.
“Well, for us, Nanny is more of an ambiguous term for you since we know who you are,” the guard said as he gave a hand signal to the dog giving permission to go to her. The German Shepard saddled up right next to her, head in her lap. “Plus, it seems to be the preferred moniker from the boss,” he said, a slight smirk crossing his face, and he squeezed his lips together tightly against it.
She pursed her lips and scowled at him, side eyed with a lifted eyebrow. “Mm-hm,” she hummed back after letting out a sigh and rubbed the top of the dogs head.
“You on or off today?” he asked, shifting his weight around.
“I’m on, but in the shadows.” She was staring down at the brown fur as she twisted the relaxed puppy’s ears playful. “In charge of prep and take away.”
The large guard put his hand back to his ear pushing the comm piece in a bit and gazed off to the side as he answered. “Got it,” he said flatly, and then called to the dog. “Artemis.” The dog immediately stood at attention at his side; the woman’s hands falling back down into her empty lap as she watched the two.
“With orders like ‘prep and take away’ maybe we should change your code name to ‘The Handler,’” he joked.
She stood up from the side of the pool, her wet feet leaving perfect prints on the stone, and walked to the dog. “Maybe, but I think it might suit you better.” She gave him a wink and knelt back down to the dog, scratching her neck by the collar. “Seriously?” she asked, looking up at him skeptically.
He sighed, “The boss wants a more intimidating look.” He cleared his throat.
She knelt down and started unbuckling the cliché spiked collar, and slid it off the dog’s neck, leaving the usual wide tan one. “I’ll find her a nice one covered in skulls. Really make her look tough.” She rolled her eyes once more as she headed back towards the pool house.
“A few agents are already here to do a quick walk through. I’m sure more will trickle in and be gone by noon,” he finished as he started walking back out of the gate of the pool area. His limp was slightly more noticeable as he let his guard down with her.
“I guess the Adams’ finally landed some big-wigs for this one, huh?” she said as she stood in the doorway turning back to him.
He gave her a toothy grin. “Looks like the Nanny might go from Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Avenue.” He gave a sharp, quick whistle and Artemis trotted over to his side. The click of the closing gate signaled their departure.
“Bye, Artie!” she called after the dog. She mumbled to herself as she headed into the pool house, shaking her head subtly at the notion of having to take up residence in the nation’s capital. “Thanks for that thought, Jackson.”
What was referred to as the pool house was more like an entire other residence. The entrance had a sitting area with coat racks and a water cooler, but past that the space opened up to a gym. The center of the large room was covered in mats, and around the outskirts were numerous cardio machines and weight benches. One wall was lined with mirrors, and in its center was a wooden door that led to the hallway connecting the main house, and off to the side the staircase to the second floor. On the other side of the gym was another door leading to the bathrooms, showers, and sinks. Everything within looked more like a high end spa than a public gym, but everyone that worked there and used these facilities laughed that the Adams’ did at least limit the property to one sauna, and that was in the master bedroom’s master bath.
As she turned from the entrance towards the showers, she took off her wet and heavy tank top and threw it into a sink across the way, then tossed the ridiculous spiked dog collar on top of it. She knew right away someone was there waiting for her. Besides the door to the main house being left slightly ajar (a big no-no for anyone who actua
lly worked there), the barely detectable sound of shoes tip-toeing across the mats rang in her alert ears like they were being broadcast through a megaphone. She stood at the racks against the wall filled with fluffy and folded towels, and decided she would let him believe he got her. So she just kept doing what she was doing, and pulled a clean, fresh-scented towel from the top of the pile in front of her and waited. She walked to the end shower stall like she always did, hanging the towel on the hook at the outside of the wooden slatted door. She started to take her wet, tangled nub of a ponytail out. She mussed it up, letting it fall to her shoulders. The dark blue-black strands trailed water down her back, and she tried not to smile when she knew he was right behind her.
He grabbed one arm and bent it behind her, holding the other at the wrist, pushing her against the door, making it creak just a little. She could feel his warm breath as he put his face against her ear.
“You know, they should really train the staff here better if they’re finally moving up the food chain,” he smirked.
She looked over her shoulder at him. His almost bronze colored hazel eyes were close to glowing. “I was just thinking the same thing about you and whoever’s detail you’re on now. How long were you waiting in the hallway for me to come in?” She returned the smirk.
He spun her around so she faced him, her back now against the door to her shower stall. She could see him in the casual wear of whatever private security he was in now: tan slacks and a white collared shirt, the ready to wear outfit for golfing and guarding apparently. The only thing that threw it off was the little radio and ear piece he had jammed in his pocket.
“I guess you have been trained a little better here then.” Logan's perfectly straight and almost too white teeth stretched out inches from her face as he slid his hands down her sides until they reached the bare skin just below her running shorts. He tucked them under her and lifted her up, pushing her against the door. In that swift motion, made easy by his build, he leaned in and started kissing her with all the lust that finds them every few months when they happen to be in the same place at the same time and off the clock. She had to fight the smile tugging at her face as she realized he still doesn’t know her at all, or the fact that she could’ve, just like every other time they’ve done this dance, easily gotten the better of him when he thought he was sneaking up on her. As she allowed him to get behind her, she could have simply turned around, grab his hand as he reached for her and broken his wrist, taking him down. But none of that would lend itself to what they were doing there. He needed to feel like he was strong, brave, better; and she, as always in her life, believed there was much more power in being underestimated and unknown. The power these situations gave to the other only fueled it, and before they knew it, they were both in that shower stall using up the rest of their break on one another.
PART 2
After they parted ways, she took an actual shower and headed up the back stairway to the second floor of the pool house and its overnight camp like set up. She walked over to her locker that always had a spare change of workout clothes, an old pair of sneakers, and her pack in it. It also held her work clothes and gear for the day that she put in before she started her run at dawn. She quickly towel dried her hair, ran a comb through it, and slipped her sleeveless, white collared silk shirt on over her cropped khakis. Then she slipped on a sweet little cardigan in light blue and a sensible pair of brown leather flats. She reached up on the top shelf of her locker and pulled her holstered Sig .9 millimeter pistol out, tucking it inside the back of her pants. She slid the tiny walkie talkie onto her belt loop right after spinning the dial to click it on.
She threw her towel in the bunk’s community hamper by their bathroom, and caught herself in the mirror. She took herself in, the joke of it all. The forced soccer-mom-like appearance, on her especially, was comical, and she shook her head, rolled her eyes, and bent down to pick up her still damp workout clothes she had brought up with her. She pulled her pack out of her locker, wiggling it out of the tight confines and dropping it onto the nearest cot. Nobody ever claimed the beds. If you were there, you were there to sleep, and you weren’t choosey about which bed to do it in. Later tonight, they would all be filled from the double shifts and unexpected extended stays of staff. Not her though. She had her own well appointed room in the primary residence. She shoved her used clothes into the top opening of the black backpack and had slung it over her shoulder when she heard a polite knock on the already open door at the top of the steps from the house’s side.
“Excuse me, Miss Evie?” the councilman’s young and fragile looking assistant sheepishly asked, right after clearing his throat.
“Yes, Eric?” she sighed, giving him a friendly smile.
“You have been requested to head straight to the office before starting your day this morning,” he said meekly, hating to give orders, even if he was just the messenger.
“No problem,” she said, giving him another smile, more encouraging this time.
He let a long, relieved breath out and gave her a nod, but as he began to turn to head back down to the house, she had a sudden thought.
“I’m sorry, Eric?” He spun back around to her with wide nervous eyes. “Whose request is this?” There was a slight pause causing the air between them to almost thicken as they both waited for the other. “Your boss, or the boss?” she asked slowly.
He swallowed hard, his eyes searched back and forth anxiously until he slowly raised them up to her again. “The boss, Miss.”
She inhaled and exhaled, collecting herself and gave him a tight smile from her clenched jaw. “Thank you, Eric.”
He gave her an apologetic look with brows knit together, and then was gone silently down the steps. She slung her pack over one shoulder, and followed after him. As she reached the bottom of the steps she looked at the door to the gym, still ajar from her Logan’s entrance. She reached over and quietly closed it, then made the left to head through the door connecting the two buildings and into the house’s kitchen.
It was already packed. Crates of champagne were being delivered to the back door. Food drop offs for the house and from the caterers were piled onto counter tops and tables. The house’s chef tried to prepare breakfast in the middle of it all while also giving orders to his few permanent staff, the ones on loan for tonight, and the caterers who were starting their prep.
She wove in and out of the people and towards the back winding staircase that would take her up to the bedrooms and the office, amongst other things. She reached an arm into the fruit bowl as she passed, and grabbed an unreasonably shiny green apple with absolutely not a single blemish on it, only to have her hand slapped with a spatula.
“Shit!” she said, pulling her hand back in a flash, but not dropping the apple.
“Stop it! Sit down. I’ll have a stack for you and your buddy in ten seconds,” the chef said as everyone but his usual staff stood wide-eyed in shock.
“I can’t,” Evie said as she put the bright green fruit to her mouth and bite a chunk off with a loud crisp, crunch and chewed. “I have to go to the boss first thing this morning, but I’ll send my guy down.”
He grimaced, and let a fake, over exaggerated shiver run down his body as he crossed himself. “Then please, get the hell out of here,” he said, giving her a wink. “I’ll see you here tonight though. The usual.”
She was backing out of the room holding the apple out to him. “You better believe it!” Then she was taking the stairs two at a time to her bedroom.
Down the long, elaborate hallway, about a fourth of the way towards the other end of the house, she cracked open her bedroom door and swung her pack just around the doorway, tossing it a bit into the space. She gently closed the door and made her way towards the office smack-dab in the middle of the second floor, at the top of the double-sided grand staircase of the entryway.
She started to tiptoe past the next bedroom door. Though he was most likely up, he would lay and wait quietly for her to come a
nd start his day, but as she approached the door she noticed it was already opened a crack, and she heard him talking.
“Wow! Thank you, sir!” His little voice rang out in well practiced niceties.
“Of course, young man. When I heard it was your birthday tomorrow, I had to get something for you. Would you like to try them on?” an older and unknown voice asked.
Evie slowly opened the door and took in the little boy’s room. He was holding up a pack of tiny size 3T briefs with his favorite super hero on them. An older gentleman, small in stature and dressed impeccably in a pair of grey plaid slacks with a black collared shirt and perfectly coiffed salt and pepper hair, sat in the tiny chair that was part of the toddler’s desk set, looking intently at the little boy.
“Evie!” the little voice rang out when he saw the door opening up. “Look what I got!” he said running to her, holding them up.
She placed her hand on his head and took a long, exaggerated look at the tiny little underwear. “Oh my goodness! Aren’t those amazing?” she said with a huge smile as she knelt down and put her arm around him, still in his little pajama set.
The sound of the little furniture creaking under the moving weight had her eyes up immediately to the man as he stood up and turned to her. She recognized him immediately, as most would. He walked to her, hand held out to shake, a look of smugness on his face. She lifted the boy up, putting him on her hip while holding the pack of underwear in the other and looked at his hand still held out to her.
“I’m Representative Walters, and you must be the Nanny,” he said with a broad, unsettling, and unfaltering smile on his face. He simply turned his waiting hand into a casual pointed finger that he wagged at her. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you this morning. At least, that’s what Mrs. Adams told me,” he finished, looking her dead in the eyes.
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