A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

"Any objection to having an agent in your motorhome?" Andrea asked.

 

"No," Holly replied.

 

"Good," Andrea said.

 

She passed the key ring to Connie, who introduced herself, then asked, "How close can I get to you?"

 

"As close as you want," Holly replied. "However, I don't recomend you getting into the cat arena with me."

 

"Agreed," Connie said. "I'll stay outside it. Is there a place I can watch you from without being seen by the audience?"

 

"Yes," Rumiko replied. "Stand with me and wear black clothes."

 

"Good," Connie said as one of the office workers, a blonde in Western clothes, passed out papers to the agents. All received the winterquarters work schedule, a rough on the road schedule, and a sheet explaining the arrows that were put up to mark the route. Andrea also received a list of the employees and a list of the cities the show would play in. Where it was known, the city list also included information about the lot.

 

"Anyone here with super powers?" Andrea asked.

 

"Me," Rumiko replied. "I can mentally communicate with animals. When I use my ability, my eyes glow, as do those of the animals. It only works on one animal at a time, and, based on an experiment with my black leopard, Ebony, my range is six and one half feet."

 

"I see," Andrea said.

 

(Note: an arrow is a paper or cardboard arrowhead fastened, with tape or string, to a tree or pole of some kind.)

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

"Rumiko, we should get going," Holly said. "I want to check on Star, my mare, before I start working with the cats this morning. She's due to give birth any day now."

 

Suddenly, Rumiko's walkie-talkie crackled to life. One of the animal workers reported that Star just went into labor. "Let's go," Holly said.

 

"Right behind you," Rumiko said.

 

Andrea followed and saw Rumiko grab a backpack that had been by the door and put it on. "What's in there?" the agent asked.

 

"It's my medical bag," Rumiko replied.

 

"Mind if I have a look in it later?" Andrea, who was paranoid by nature, asked.

 

"Be my guest," Rumiko replied.

 

By the time they reached the horse barn, Starchild, Star's foal, had been born.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

As Holly ran to her mare, Andrea said, "From what I've heard, many vets carry CO2 pistols. Do you?"

 

"I carry a compressed air pistol and darts in two separate pockets of my backpack," Rumiko replied. "I also have a compressed air rifle and a katana that's been in my family for centuries. The rifle and sword are in locked cases in my sleeper."

 

"I see," Andrea said as Rumiko slipped her backpack off and opened it.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

While Andrea examined the bag's contents, Rumiko talked to the horse grooms and Holly walked to her mare. "You have a beautiful foal, Star," she said. As if in response, Star nickered, then nuzzled Holly's right ear.

 

As Andrea finished looking through Rumiko's backpack, a groom showed her both sides of a cloth before passing it to Holly, who bagan to dry the foul.

 

"Your name's Starchild," Holly told the newborn. "Want some milk?" As she finished speaking, she touched a teat on Star's udder. "Milk."

 

As Holly continued grooming Starchild, Andrea handed Rumiko her backpack and said, "Thanks for letting me look through it."

 

"You're welcome."

 

"What's going on now?"

 

"Foals have to learn, within three days of birth, who their friends are, where to get food, what their environment is like, how they're going to be handled, and other things. By giving Starchild a thorough grooming now, Holly's making sure she will accept it later. Star's probably going to get a clipping tomorrow. Starchild'll be near enough to hear the clippers. That way, she won't flinch when it's time for her first clipping."

 

"How can you tell Starchild's female?"

 

"I did a test to check for birth defects," Rumiko replied. "The test results also told me Starchild's sex."

 

"Oh."

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

By the time Jim and Connie had caught up with them, Holly had finished grooming Starchild and they headed for the cat barn. Suddenly, they heard a loud roar from the barn. "What?" Connie asked.

 

"Big cat, of course," Holly replied. "Sounds like King, our lion."

 

"Oh?" Connie asked.

 

"Each animal's voice is distinctive," Rumiko replied.

 

"I didn't know that," Connie said.

 

"Now, you do," Rumiko said.

 

"Did you get your gear squared away?" Holly asked Connie.

 

"Yes, I did. Thanks for asking."

 

"You're welcome."

 

Once inside the barn, they spotted someone yelling at the cat grooms. "What are you doing here?"

Andrea asked in a hard tone.

 

"Exersizing my right of free speech," the man said.

 

"How did you get here," Rumiko asked.

 

"I came over the fence," the man boasted. "It wasn't hard."

 

"You're trespassing on private property," Holly said. Turning to the state police officer that had just entered, she said, "Get him out of here. Someone from the circus will be filing trespass charges against him today."

 

"One moment," Rumiko said. "Andrea, you're a Secret Service agent. Isn't he also guilty of attempting to cause harm to a member of the President's family?"

 

"I'll have to check," Andrea said with a grin.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

"Your father's President Ryan?" asked a cat groom.

 

"Yeah," Holly replied.

 

"And the three people that came in with you are Secret Service agents?" he asked.

 

"Yes," Rumiko replied. "Agent Andrea Price is head of the President's detail. Agents James Marshall and Connie Wells are Holly's detail."

 

"My credentials," Connie said, handing them to the grooms.

 

"Mine, too," Jim Marshall said, handing his over.

 

"Fine," the groom said, returning them. "Now what, Holly?"

 

"Get the cats ready to go into the arena," Holly replied.

 

"I'll make sure that patrols are stepped up along the property lines," the state police officer said.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

"Good," Holly said as she grabbed her gear up. "Time to head for the cat arena."

 

"How often has someone managed to sneak into here?" Andrea asked.

 

"It's the first time," Holly replied. "Usually, all we worry about are bad roads, crappy lots, bossy inspectors, animal rights activists, and the weather."

 

"I see." The agents and Rumiko walked with Holly to the arena. Once she was inside and the door secured, the cats were sent in.

 

All four watched Holly work the cats. as they did, Connie asked, "What are the whip and pole used for?"

 

"The whip gives the cats their cues," Rumiko replied. "If a cat tries to attack Holly, they'll get wacked on the nose with the pole."

 

"Oh," Connie said.

 

Once the training session was over and the cats were in their cages, Rumiko left for the menagerie and more patients.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

Once finished with the cats, Holly left for the sideshow area. As its newest member, she still had stuff to practice. "What do you do here?" Connie asked.

 

"I'm the snake charmer and the girl in the blade box," Holly replied.

 

"Okey, what's more dangerous?" Andrea asked from behind them.

 

"The snake, of course," Holly replied. "It's a Burmese python."

 

"I'd think the blade box would be," Connie said. "After all, those blades are going through you."

 

"No, they aren't," Holly laughed. "They go around me."

 

"How sharp are they?" Andrea, who didn't like the idea of sharp blades being near Holly, asked.

 

"About as sharp as a dull butterknife," Holly replied.

 

"Oh," Andrea said.

 

Connie inspected the gear while Holly played with Sassy, the sideshow's 13-foot long Burmese python. After practice, they went to lunch.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

This thread was just edited to reformat it and fix spelling errors.

[Mark Rand]

Re: A Secret Service Question, version 3.0

 

The other version of the above is to have Debt of Honor take place with current politicians and a few other changes. The changes are having Jack Ryan becoming the National Security Advisor in late March and letting him and Cathy have an adopted older, and married, daughter, Holly. Because of the 9/11 incident, she is eligible for Secret Service protection.

 

Although she's still with the Ross Brothers Circus, she's neither the cat trainer nor Matt Reese's lover. Instead, she's a showgirl and married to David Jacobson, the ringmaster.