William's Tale Read Online Free PDF Page B

were three COLONY vamps present (him, Ben and another agent, Sterling, who had led the reporters in) and a dozen secret service men. “The agents are on duty because it’s their day to be in the President’s inner loop of protection. No one stacked minorities in the Secret Service for this trip today.” At least, he hoped that to be the case. He hadn’t thought about the makeup of the Secret Service staff until just this minute.
    William focused his eyes on Jackie. Today was supposed to be his day off, and he did find it odd that he was asked to work the school visit. His brow furrowed as he considered the possibility that he may have been slacking in his support of equality for all. He had a cushy job on Capital Hill. He hadn’t touched base with his roots in decades, and the thought saddened him. He had been a child of the system, bouncing from one foster care parent to the next. That is, until a woman he always affectionately referred to as Mama Jackson had taken him in. She too was a spitfire who taught him to stand up for what he believed in.
    He gazed into Jackie’s eyes. “What else makes this visit choreographed in your eyes?”
    “Out of all the teachers, I was selected to shake hands with the man. I mean, of all people…”
    “And why would you be…”
    “Now do I look like I’m done talking?” She gave him a frustrated expression, which made him wonder if he should compel her to be a bit more submissive, but he enjoyed her passion as a strong–minded individual. He looked deep into her eyes and thought she had the same spirit as Mama Jackson, or even Rosa Parks, the woman who had refused to give up her seat on that bus so long ago.
    William suspected Jackie would have marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. back in the day. Changes can be made by just one person at the right time with the right fight.
    Jackie blew out an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry.” Her tone sounded quieter, which surprised him. “It’s not your fault I got laid off. I shouldn’t take my problems out on you. Your boss, or at least the government he runs, made the budget cuts, not you.”
    William’s eyebrow rose. She appeared honestly apologetic and regretful, even with the sarcastic remark about the President. “Don’t you work here?”
    Her big brown eyes gazed into his. “No. I got a call to sub. The odd thing was the call didn’t come through the usual channels, but there have been so many district changes it’s hard to tell.”
    “To tell what?”
    She shook her head. “You probably can’t say anything. So never mind.”
    He softened his stance and shifted from one foot to the other. He wasn’t sure what she was talking about. “I can’t say what?”
    Her eyebrows furrowed. “Come on now. Doesn’t me coming in to sub seem a bit… staged ?”
    The nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach grew. He had felt uneasy about this entire trip. Whatever was going on, she had sensed it as well.
    Jackie shook her head. “I have it all wrapped up in my head that I was called in to sub so I could up the minority numbers. I figure that was why I had been chosen to shake the President’s hand.”
    He cleared his throat. “ That’s not why you were chosen.” He watched as she gave him a questioning glance. It was time to come clean. “ I chose you for that position.”
    Before she could ask why, he held up his hand to the com unit in his ear. He could hear the agents as they completed their tasks. “The President will be leaving shortly. If you ever need any help, or if you just want to talk,” he said, reaching into his pocket and then putting a business card into her hand, “call me.”
    Jackie glanced down at the card, and he could have sworn he saw a slight smile from her.
    The team was preparing for the President’s departure, and William had no time to chat with Jackie since he needed to get into position. The President would be exiting from a back door of the school, near the cafeteria dumpsters. Two