Milan furrowed his brows. "Like tying up loose ends. This is what crime bosses do with witnesses or associates at the bottom of the hierarchy who are at risk of getting bribed into cooperating with the cops or the feds."
The president nodded. "I agree, and you don't even know all the details."
"Can I?"
"Can you what?"
"Get access to the details, to the investigation? I'm bored out of my fucking mind, but aside from that, I not only have a vested interest because my sister, nephew, and brother-in-law are under threat, but I also bring considerable expertise to the table. Not in terrorism, of course, but a fresh pair of eyes couldn't hurt."
The president turned to Calix. "What do you think?"
"It can't be in any official capacity on the investigation itself. The FBI would never allow that. So it would have to be on our side, on the receiving end of the investigation, so to speak."
"I'm sure Coulson and Seth would be open to Milan's input."
"For sure." Calix dragged a hand through his hair. Rhett loved that gesture Calix always made when he was thinking. It made his hair stick up in the cutest way, disrupting his usually so professional appearance. "But we have to make it official, both to protect him and ourselves. He has clearance, but not a need to know, so if we want him in the loop, we have to create that need to know."
"How do we do that?"
Watching the president and Calix figure it out was fascinating. Their back-and-forth showed how comfortable they were working together and how well they complemented each other.
"Special advisor to the president. That position will give him access while at the same time protect him legally."
"Would we need to pay him?"
"Yes. Without payment, there is no employment contract, which would make him an unpaid intern, and that's going to cause issues later. Milan can choose to donate his salary to charity if he wants."
"Good point. Do we have the budget to hire him?"
Calix nodded. "We let go of a few of President Markinson's advisors without replacing them, since they were hired for areas that weren't of interest to us. I can move some money around and make it happen."
The president gestured at Milan, who had watched the exchange with amusement on his face. "Would that work for you?"
"It sure would, Mr. President."
The president laughed. "Maybe you can teach Calix how to say it. He seems to have trouble doing it."
Calix mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like "asshole."
"That's President Asshole for you," Milan said.
Rhett put a hand in front of his mouth to cover his laughter, and he wasn't the only one.
"Now that's settled, can we please table this topic for when Kenn and I aren't present? It's not the most suitable dinner conversation," Mrs. Shafer said, and Rhett grinned at how the other three men looked guilty. The first lady was someone to be reckoned with, and his respect for her grew even bigger.
"You're right, honey, and I apologize." President Shafer took his wife's hand and pressed a kiss on it. "Let's talk about happier things."
It was past eleven when the evening was over, much later than Rhett had expected. His nerves had subsided enough he'd been able to enjoy the conversation and even contributed once or twice.
"I'll walk you out," Calix said. Rhett didn't miss the pointed look Mrs. Shafer shot in their direction. No wonder. Calix had offered it as if Rhett were his guest. His date, though that thought was too ridiculous to even consider.
They silently walked downstairs, then through the empty White House to the main hall. "I hope dinner wasn't too nerve racking for you," Calix said.
Rhett smiled. "My anxiety receded to the point where I could enjoy the food and the conversation, but this was definitely one of the more stress-inducing moments in my life."
"I'm sorry." Calix looked contrite. Worried, even. "If I had known…"
"It's fine. At least I'll have a story to tell my kids one day."
Calix blinked. "Would you want that? Kids, I mean?"
Rhett shuffled his feet. "I think so. Obviously, it's a moot point right now, but maybe someday?" He hesitated. "Didn't you and Matthew ever consider kids?"
He couldn't keep avoiding the topic. If Calix thought it was okay to ask Rhett that question, he should be able to do the same.
Surprise flashed in Calix's eyes. "We were. In fact, we had completed the required foster parent training and were waiting for our first foster kid to be placed with us. The process was more complicated than usual because Matthew worked for social services, but we were hoping to foster with the intent to adopt ultimately."
"Maybe one day, when you're ready to meet someone new." Why did that thought hurt so much?
Calix's smile was sad. "No, that part of my life is over. I can't see myself do it with anyone else. But it's okay. I can make a difference another way."
"This administration can make changes for the better for so many people," Rhett said softly. "So yeah, you're making a difference."
"Thank you."
For a second or two, they stared at each other, the air heavy with…anticipation? Expectation? Hope? Rhett couldn't pinpoint it, but his heart felt lighter. Then Calix bent in and kissed him on his cheek. "Safe travels home."
The chief of staff never looked back as he walked back into the hallway, and Rhett pressed his hand against his cheek, staring after Calix until he rounded the corner.
19
The Monday after Thanksgiving, they gathered in the Oval Office, and Calix scanned around the room, meeting only serious faces. Coulson had come to the White House to update them personally and had shared more details about Bhat's death. Milan had read through the files over the weekend and seemed fully up to speed.
"I don't like this latest development at all," Del said. Calix and Milan both hummed in agreement.
"I agree, Mr. President, and I share your concern," Coulson said. "Local authorities are brushing it off as a suicide, and they don't seem very willing to cooperate with us. We've got access to their files, meager as they are, but so far, they haven't given us anything we didn't know yet."
Del rubbed his temples. "Let's hope for some more information through local assets."
The CIA had informed Calix they were working on placing undercover agents in the region, but that process couldn't be hurried. Not if one wanted to avoid arousing suspicion. It would take a while before they got reliable intel, probably a few weeks, if not more. Frustrating as it was, being patient was preferable over rushing and risking blowing the cover of those agents. The investigation would have to focus on other leads in the meantime.
"Anything new on the man Seth spotted near Mrs. Markinson's house?" Calix asked.
"We traced back the car he used by comparing images from the traffic camera on the bridge with the possible make and model based on the tire tracks. We narrowed it down to a few possibilities. One of them had stolen plates, so we're reasonably sure that's our guy. We're still checking out the others, but that might be too much of a coincidence. They were Maryland plates, so they didn't stand out to anyone, but they were stolen months ago in Baltimore. Unfortunately, we have no clear picture of the driver."