I turn to find Owen. Dray’s still talking at me on the phone, but it’s already too late. Other phones are going off now, and I don’t make it over to Owen before two reporters start shouting questions at him about Susa’s plane going down.
I grab Owen’s arm and drag him back from the reporters. I’m locked in a hell between two modes—husband, and chief of staff.
“We have to go, Owen.Now.”
Fortunately, I know this hotel. We’ve attended dozens of events here over the years, and I know the layout, have it memorized.
The man who is Owen’s chief of staff breaks protocols and literally screams for the security detail to follow us as I practically drag a rightfully shocked and confused Owen out of the lobby and down a back hallway I already know from the security plans leads to an emergency exit.
Meanwhile, the man who is Owen’s husband—and Susa’s—is feeling helpless and desperate and confused and wants nothing more than to hold Owen and promise to try tofixthis.
Except that would be a lie, because there isn’t anything right now Icanfix.
This is out of my hands, and I know the odds. I don’t know any details.
Two of the troopers, who’d been standing along the wall near the main entrance, break into a run to follow us.
“Carter—”
“Owen.” I grab his shoulders and wish I could drop him onto his knees right now, but I can’t. “Susa’s plane went down.”
I still have my phone in my hand, and Dray’s yelling at me.
Chief of staff steps back into place, except, not really. Now an old and long-retired person steps forward, Sgt. Carter Wilson.
“Dray,” I snap at the phone. “Casualty report.”
“I…I don’t know. Missing. There’s…there’s storms in the area right now. They can’t send out search and rescue yet. Pilot called a mayday, a problem with an engine, and then it dropped off radar after a few minutes.
Sgt. Wilson won’t speculate—or hope. He deals with immediate facts and turns to the head of Owen’s security detail. “I need a car for me. You take the governor back to his office. We need to get him out of the hotel through the back entrance.Now. At the office, take him in the back way and straight to his office. No press, no public. No public in his office, shut down public access to the mansion, unless it’s a pre-planned event. He might want to stay at the townhouse for the next couple of days. If so, we’ll need a cordon arranged to keep the public and press away. Draymond will take over for me while I’m gone. Coordinate further scheduled movements with him.”
I think this guy might be former military, because he immediately shifts modes, too, responding to my clipped tones. “Yes, sir.” He gets on his mic and is ordering cars be moved around, scrambling the other troopers from their current positions to join us here.
Owen’s trying to get me to look at him, but I’m still on the phone. “Carter—”
I place a hand on Owen’s shoulder and squeeze to silence him. “Dray, work with Julia, clear the governor’s calendar today and tomorrow. Understand?”
Until I know what’s going on, I need to keep Owen out of the public eye until a full statement can be drafted. “Also, get with Mike at Comms. I want you to work with him. Immediate, brief statement to be issued through Comms—‘We were just made aware of the breaking news regarding Lieutenant-Governor Evans and Commissioner Drucker and her husband, and are in the process of trying to obtain more facts. Please avoid repeating speculation that has not been confirmed through official channels. We ask for the public’s patience and prayers for a good outcome while we work with local officials on the ground to get the facts. While we are also aware that Mrs. Evans and Commissioner Drucker are public officials, we ask that the public please respect their families’ privacies at this time, and refer all questions to this department.’
“Schedule a presser for five p.m. and have Mike run it. Add that info to the statement, along with a disclaimer to please hold all questions until then. I’ll have you another statement by then. I’m sending Owen back to the office now. Donotput Owen in front of a camera right now, or they will never find your body. Tell Mike he’d damn well better be answering his work phone twenty-four/seven, if he wants to still have a job on the back side of this. He, or his deputy, better be answering his phone at all hours. No direct calls to the governor right now, unless it’s you, Andrea, Mike, or me, or his family. Tell Julia and Andrea to refer all calls and drop-ins to Mike.”
“Got it.”
I hang up. When I see my phone’s ringing from an Atlanta number, I instinctively know it’s the firm who arranged the trip. I’m still standing there with my hand on Owen’s shoulder, surrounded by troopers waiting on us to move, when I answer.
“Carter Wilson.”
The man sounds weary, exhausted, like he’s already made too many of these notifications. “Mr. Wilson, my name is—”
“Is this about my wife Susa’s plane?”
“Yes, sir. I’m with the—”
“Company that put the tour on?”
“Um, yes, sir. I’m—”
“Fucking going to get some public condemnation from me personally when I can think straight, asshole. I’m the governor’s chief of staff. Thank you for letting it leak, because me and the governor just got side-swiped with this in front of afuckingpress pool spray. Are my wife and Commissioner Drucker and her husband alive?”
