Three of them came to haul Liam away, actually putting their hands on him, which he forcefully shook off.
“No,” Liam snapped, shoving them away. “I’m staying.”
“Liam—” Jamie started.
Liam pointed a finger at him, a scowl on his face. “If you think I’m letting you go out there alone you are off your bloody head.”
The heavy whine of an energy shield rising over the White House made Jamie’s heart beat faster. The shine of it glowed even through the fabric-draped ceiling of the luxury pavilion’s roof.
“Fuck. They’ll take the president to the bunker underneath the White House, but we need to get out there,” Jamie said.
“Liam!”
The frantic shout came from Liam’s mother, who had stood her ground with Samuel against the impatient needs of the Secret Service. Liam turned around to face his parents, expression twisting.
“Mother,” Liam said, hands clenching into fists. “I can’t stand by and do nothing.”
Georgia’s eyes were wide and fearful as Samuel settled a hand on his wife’s shoulder. Samuel looked at his son with quiet understanding and fear in his own eyes.
“Go,” Samuel said. “Do whatever you have to do.”
Liam nodded sharply before shoving his way through the cluster of Secret Service special agents who didn’t know what was going on. Jamie went after him, jerking his head in the direction of where the First Family had been taken. Still other special agents remained behind to try to calm the crowd of dinner guests who were getting increasingly panicked and fearful as the sound of more explosions echoed through the air.
“I’ll get us through the crowd,” Jamie said.
“On your six,” Liam grunted.
Jamie took point, using his enhanced strength to push his way through the throng of people between them and the exit. If people fell to the ground from his shoves, he never noticed and wouldn’t have cared if he had. Jamie only had one destination in mind and that wasout.
“Mr. President!” Jamie shouted as he and Liam exited the luxury pavilion seconds later.
“Wait, goddamn you! I’m ordering you towait!” he heard Michael yell.
The First Family was already halfway to the White House, swarmed by the Secret Service. They weren’t listening to the president’s order, but one man in the midst of that group saw Jamie coming.
“Sir! What do you do you need?” Burwell yelled at Jamie.
“Direct access to the street. Can you drop the energy shield?” Jamie said as he and Liam jogged closer.
“We arenotdropping the energy shield!” someone snarled.
“Oh yes, you fucking will. I am making that a direct order,” Michael replied harshly as he pushed his way through the group of Secret Service special agents reluctant to let him out of their sight.
“Mr. President—”
“I understand your number one priority right now is me and my family, butmypriority is and always will be this country.” Michael finally freed himself of the main crowd of protection, though half a dozen special agents moved to form a protective circle around the three of them as he came to a stop in front of Jamie. “The shield will be lowered, Apollo. You and Alpha Team do whatever you have to in order to stop this attack. I will contact Director Nazari and advise him of the same order.”
Jamie was only peripherally aware of the wide-eyed looks directed his way by the surrounding Secret Service special agents. Jamie snapped off a sharp salute to the president, aware of Liam doing the same.
“At your command, sir,” Jamie replied gravely.
Michael gestured at the head of his security detail. “Arm them and drop the shield.”
This time there was no protest.
Jamie and Liam took the direct route to get to the north end of the White House—up the curved outside stairs and straight through the entrance hall to the North Portico. Two Secret Service special agents struggled to keep up, along with Burwell, carrying with them the president’s orders. Once out front, Jamie noticed that the color guard and honor guard of Marines and other military branch members had quit their posts and taken up new ones along the perimeter of the grounds, all of them now armed.
A special agent running across the grounds to intercept them shouted as they came to a halt at the end of the drive. Jamie only paid attention to him because of the weapons and gear he carried.
