“Good. Any trouble last night?” Austin asks.
He clears his throat. “No. Other than Muñoz going on every national news broadcast to tell the people of Panama I am on my deathbed. I must show my face today and assure the voters I am fit to lead.”
“Absolutely not.” I can’t believe he’s considering leaving the safety of the Presidential Palace until Domina squeezes my hand.
“He has to,” she says. “Manuel, when are you giving the speech? And where? I can draft something for you this morning.”
“At the Hotel Flores at 2:00 p.m.,” he replies. “Their business center is empty this weekend and the Institutional Protection Service has already secured the second floor. Rafael contacted the press and gave them three potential locations for the speech, and we will only announce the final location fifteen minutes prior.”
Austin and Trevor exchange glances, and Austin shakes his head. “It’s too dangerous, Mr. Vice President. Any public appearance is a risk.”
“If I were afraid of risks, Pritchard, I would still be working on my parents’ potato farm. Iwillbe giving a speech. It will be short, but if I do not show strength now, the entire country might pay the price.”
“Hang on a minute,” Austin says and jabs the mute button. “This is a bad fucking idea.”
“Unless we try to draw the killers out.” Even as I say the words, I hate the idea, but Cortez isn’t going to listen to us. I wouldn’t either in his shoes. “If we can get in there with him, maybe we can catch the assholes before they take their shot.”
“We’re not going in armed.” Austin shakes his head. “Not after what happened at the rally. Because if we’re all arrested, no one’s going to be able to spring us before the election. Or before we disappear forever.”
Trevor pulls up a satellite map of the area around the Hotel Flores. “Narrow streets, too many buildings. Pinch points all over the fucking place.” He taps his screen a couple more times, and finds the layout of the business center. “Three ways in and out. Stairs, public elevator, and service elevator. Assuming these images are up to date.”
Austin scrubs his hands over his face. “We don’t have a choice. Cortez isn’t going to hide away the day before the election. All we can do is try to keep him safe.” Taking the call off mute, he sits up a little straighter. “Mr. Vice President, we need you to get us into the press conference.”
“That will not be possible,” Cortez says. “The speech will be televised, but only my staff and the camera operators are allowed in the room with me. The public will be waiting in the main foyer. I will make an appearance on the balcony to wave and show my face, but after the attack at the rally…”
“Am I on your staff?” Domina asks. Her shoulders hunch, and she shrinks back against her chair like she isn’t sure she wants to hear the answer.
“Oh, Domina,” Manuel says. “Yes. You never should have been fired. You have been with me from the beginning, and I would not be here without your words inspiring the people.”
“Then you can get me in the room,” she says. “And Leo too.”
“How the hell is he supposed to get me in there?” I ask. “You saw how well that worked the last time. And we have no idea if that Rafael asshole is involved in this. Do you really expect me to let you anywhere near him without me?”
Domina’s eyes blaze with heat. “I expect you to protect Manuel.”
“You are my priority.” Taking her by the shoulders, I touch my forehead to hers. “Myonlypriority.”
For several long moments, neither of us move. Finally, Cortez clears his throat. “I spoke with President Garcia last night. He has no plans to leave El Palacio de Las Garzas today, so his protective detail is now assigned to me. They are the most senior agents in the service, all with more than a decade of experience.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I ask. “You had a full detail at the rally, yetsomeonewalked in with a sniper rifle.”
“That is why I asked President Garcia for a whole new team,” Cortez says sharply. “These agents see me every day. They could have killed me at any time over the past six months. I trust them with my life.”
“So we’re just supposed to sit here? The polls close in—what?—thirty-six hours? Whoever wants you dead isn’t going to wait much longer.” I push to my feet, stifling my groan. I need to move, despite all my bruises making themselves known. “We still don’t know who’s behind this.”
“We have to be on site,” Austin says with a small shake of his head. “We’re trained for this, Manuel.”
“And my security service is not?” He huffs. “What do you think you will be able to do that they cannot?”
“Observe.” Austin’s tone sharpens, now one hundred percent that of the man who had the entire United States military at his beck and call. “Your detail’s job is to protectyou, sir. They’re trained to take a bullet. To exfil you and your family in minutes. Not to call out suspicious behavior from a hundred yards away. That’s whatwe’retrained for. Make sure we can get into the public areas of the hotel. It doesn’t matter if we’re in the room with you for the press conference. As long as we’re where the crowd is, we’ll find the people after you and neutralize them.”
“And how will you do that?” Cortez asks.
Austin leans forward, his index finger hovering over theEnd Callbutton. “Plausible deniability, Mr. Vice President. It’s better you don’t know.”
* * *
“I don’t like this.”In the back of the SUV, Trevor checks his rifle for the fifth time. “I can’t get closer than three hundred feet. We should have called Inara. She’s a better shot than I am.”
