Page 73 of State of Retribution

“As much as I ever am.”

“We’re with you, kid,” he said.

“That makes all the difference.”

“Are we ready?”she asked Vernon.

“Yes, ma’am.”

When they stepped outside into the crisp spring breeze, Sam zipped her jacket.She was aware of Vernon standing closer to her than he normally did at these things.His presence made her feel safer.

The reporters started shouting questions at her the second they saw her and didn’t let up until she held up her hands to quiet them.

“I’ll make a brief statement and then take a few questions.First things first, we’re continuing to work the case involving three victims who were seemingly killed in random attacks over the weekend.”She listed their names and ages.“We’re further looking into a fourth incident that may or may not be related.We’ll have more for you on that as our investigation continues.”

“Who shot at you, Lieutenant?”a reporter asked.

“That’s the question of the day,” Sam said.“I was working in Adams Morgan, accompanied by my partner, Detective Cruz, and my Secret Service agents.While we were standing on the sidewalk on Columbia Road in Northwest, a bullet struck one of the agents.Thankfully, his injuries aren’t life-threatening, and he’s expected to make a full recovery.”She paused to contend with a powerful wave of emotion.“I’ll let the Secret Service take care of updating you on the agent’s condition.I’ll just add that he’s a dedicated public servant whose first thought, upon being shot, was to protect me, leaving himself open to further gunfire.I’m deeply grateful to all the Secret Service agents and staff who work so hard each day to keep my family safe.”

“What do you know about the shooter?”

“Nothing yet,” Sam said.“A manhunt is underway involving federal agents working in concert with the MPD.The FBI will update you as more information becomes available.”Hesitantly, she added, “I’ll take a few more questions.”

“Is it safe for you to continue working as a police officer?”

The question hit her right in the chest.She knew it was the subject of conversations taking place without her at this very moment.“As you know, I love this job with my whole heart.I give it everything I have every day that I spend working on behalf of the District, its citizens and the millions of annual visitors.Is the job more difficult now that my husband is the president?Absolutely.But it’s also more rewarding, as it gives me a chance to continue to serve the city where I grew up and have lived my entire life while he serves the rest of the country.We take every precaution and will continue to do so going forward.

“What happened today shouldn’t be taken as any kind of indictment of my ability to do the job or the abilities of the agents who work tirelessly to protect me while I’m working.That said, if you’ve covered me for any length of time, you know how much I despise being the story.Today’s events are deeply upsetting.You can’t spend eight or more hours a day with people without getting to know them and coming to care about them.”She gripped the sides of the podium as she fought through overwhelming emotion.“I’m extremely thankful the injured agent will be okay.”

“Have you spoken to the president since the shooting?”

“I have.”

“Is there any thought that the shooting could be related to the drone attack?”

“That’s a question for federal authorities.”

“What do you think, though?”

“I honestly don’t know.No one knew where I’d be today, even me until I was there, so there was no way this could’ve been some sort of planned attack.That’s all I have for now.We’ll update you as more information becomes available.”

“Will you resign, Lieutenant?”a reporter called after she’d stepped away from the podium.

She turned back to say, “No plans for that.Have a good day.”

“You did great,” Jeannie said when they were back inside.“It was good to put a bit of a personal spin on it.”

“I hate when the personal becomes professional.”

“In this case, there’s no avoiding it,” Malone said.“You handled it as well as you could.The headlines will say ‘First Lady Refuses to Quit MPD After Nearly Being Gunned Down.’”

“Awesome,” Sam said with a grimace.

“Go home and see your family, Lieutenant,” the chief said.“They’ll be upset.”

Judging by the way her phone vibrated nonstop in her pocket, everyone she knew was upset and checking on her.

“I will, sir.Thank you for the support out there.”

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