Heard nothing from Team Technical, but one of the many random A-Cs we had brought in a BT prototype for me to stare at. Per the A-C it was the Multiple Target Model and it had been loaded with the flyboys' DNA. Not that I could tell, but I chose to believe.

Stared at it. It looked a lot like a hockey puck or one of those weird not-really-a-coaster things some restaurants gave you when you were waiting for your table. Whatever it was, it was dressed up for Christmas, since it had a lot of colorful lights on it. Had no idea what any of them indicated, but they didn't seem excited, so the flyboys weren't nearby. Which I already knew, but confirmation was something, right? Dropped it into my purse to go over with Kendrick at a later time.

Lunchtime loomed then passed and no one suggested getting anything to eat. We'd polished off the donuts at least an hour prior and I was hungry again.

"No one's going to expect Kitty to be a Stepford Wife," Vance said, based on a suggestion from Colette that we focus me on typical First Lady Activities, like throwing parties and being nice to the spouses of visiting dignitaries. Wondered if anyone had bothered to brief Colette on how I actually rolled.

Well, time she learned. "You know, I think we have some Stepford stuff going on. All top-secret, high-level stuff." Looked at Vance.

"Everyone's already got the clearances."

"Awesome." Filled them in on what had gone on with the Kitty-Bot and Janelle Gardiner. "So, I have no idea if that woman's alive or dead, but she's definitely got a robotic version of herself hanging out at her house."

"We can't go there," Vance said flatly. "Again, in your case, at all in ours."

"Oh, I wasn't going to suggest that, actually. I'd just like you guys thinking about it, keeping your eyes and ears open and all that jazz. No, what I was going to suggest was lunch."

"I can't believe you're hungry," Vance said.

"I like food. Sue me."

Mrs. Maurer cocked her head. "You know . . ."

"Squeaky, I know looks like that. What are you about to suggest?"

"One of the things that the country needs is the feeling that things are returning to normal. Your husband has to be seen working. But you . . . you just have to be seen being relaxed and normal. And what's more normal than going out to luncheon?"

"I love this plan! Can I wear what I have on or should I change to match the rest of you?"

Vance didn't look excited. "Not sure. Depends on what kind of image we want to you to portray. Nancy, are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "Yes, dear, I feel strongly about it."

"Choose wisely," Abner said. "Wherever you pick is going to essentially be anointed as the first place the new First Lady ever ate."

"Kitty, you have a favorite place, don't you?" Mrs. Maurer asked.

"I do. The Teetotaler."

"Excellent. As Abner said, this will help them, too."

"You two don't know her like I do," Vance said. "This sounds innocuous. Something's going to go wrong."

Colette nodded. "Per my briefing from Raj, trouble follows Kitty closely."

"I'm in the room. Look, we'll take Len and Kyle along. And one more A-C, if he's free." Sent a text, and within seconds White walked in the room, Len and Kyle in tow.

"Missus Martini, thank you for the invitation. As always, you know when I'm peckish."

"I live to serve, Mister White. Boys, it's time to get out of this joint and head over to the place where everybody knows our names."

Len grinned. "The Teetotaler will be glad to see us."

"I recruit and hire so well. Okay, so, are we okay to take a limo? And, again, do I wear this or do I change?"

The new arrivals had views on my outerwear, just as the rest of my team did. Stopped listening after a few minutes and instead sent texts to Jeff, Chuckie, Raj, Doreen, Reader, Tim, and Serene, letting them know that I was being a wild woman and taking my new team out to a late lunch.

The responses were essentially the same-everyone told me to have fun and stay out of trouble. Chose not to be bitter that my nearest and dearest didn't think I could handle one meal out without creating an incident. Jeff's message included the admonition to leave the kids in the White House with Nadine. Nice to know that he already trusted her more than me. Actively chose not to be bitter, but it took effort.

"It's her first public appearance since she took down Cliff Goodman," Abner said. "She needs to look nice, not like we dragged her off the track."

"I was on the track team, but yeah, I kind of think Abner's right. Everyone else looks great. This is lovely for being inside, but for going out I think it's too casual."

"We'll get the car while you change," Len said.

"I don't think you get the Beast," Kyle added, referring to the Official Limo of the President. "But we'll also do you a favor and let your Secret Service unit know that you're planning to leave the White House."

"Like you need to remember to do every time," Len said.

"When did you guys trade sides on me?"

Len winked. "Every time we're being good, is what I meant."

"Oh. So not often."

"Right. Or, as we call it, routine." Len and Kyle trotted of and I trotted across the hall.

Went into the dressing room and looked over my options. I had a lot of them. Many suits, many variations of the Armani Fatigues. Many pairs of jeans and concert t-shirts and such that I couldn't wear today.

Chose to mix it up. Put on a black slim skirt but chose a blue blouse. Sure, this was a little reminiscent of what I was wearing during the National Convention when all hell had broken loose. But it was also nice and, at the same time, unremarkable.

Put my hair up in a big banana clip, so I once again looked like I'd put time into the 'do, and made sure that the special goggles were in my purse along with my Glock and several clips, my phone, iPod, speakers, and hairspray. Never knew when a superbeing would show up, after all. Sure, we hadn't had one for a few years now, but that just meant we needed to remain vigilant.

Checked in on the kids before I left the area. To find that my kids were not here.

CHAPTER 47.

LIZZIE WAS AROUND in her room, lying on her bed reading. But Nadine, Jamie, and Charlie were nowhere to be seen. "Um, where's everyone?"

Lizzie shot me a look that said she feared I was getting too old for this stuff. "They're at daycare. Nadine took them over late because you and Jeff were sleeping in. They have six Secret Service agents with them, too. Nadine's staying to help Denise. That's basically her job, after all. The agents are staying to guard because that's their job."

"Thanks for the refresher course. And you're here because?"

"Because I'm totes too old for daycare." It was official-Lizzie felt I was far too old for this stuff. "And school doesn't start for a month or something."

"Huh. Has anyone told you about the gates and how to work them?"

"Everyone. The red dab of paint low and sort of behind a toilet indicates a gate. All gates other than those in the White House complex are set for the Dome. All gates in the White House complex are set for the Embassy. Only A-Cs can calibrate the gates because only A-Cs can see through the cloaking. In an emergency, run through one. Don't go through otherwise because the gates are all monitored and they aren't playthings and severe punishments exist for any child who is stupid enough to use them incorrectly." She sounded totally bored as she recited this litany. "Denise says all the kids learn this from Day One. I think Charlie's already clear on it, so why you think I'm not is totes beyond me."

I hadn't learned all of this for years. Lizzie was with us under two weeks and she had it down already. Actively chose not to be bitter. And resolved to give her the Briefing Books of Boredom so she could get all caught up. Sure, that was likely to be viewed as a punishment, but that's what happened when you were a mouthy teenager.

"Super. Guess what? We're going out to lunch. Grab whatever and meet me in the hall." I wasn't as old as Lizzie thought, and I knew better than to leave a teenager alone in a place like this. I knew what I'd have done, and it was safer to assume that Lizzie would also try to get into every room she shouldn't and plan accordingly than to be too trusting and have an "incident."

"I don't need to prep." She heaved a sigh, but dragged off the bed and grabbed her messenger bag. I approved. Of the bag, not the attitude.

"Some kids would be excited to go out to lunch with the First Lady and all that."

"And some kids were reading a really great book the First Lady's dragged them away from."

"Oh, my God, pardon the hell out of me. Bring the book along, I won't be offended that you want to read instead of help, add in, or join a conversation." Definitely was going to give her the Briefing Books of Boredom, and soon. Maybe as soon as we were back from lunch.

She rolled her eyes, but grabbed her book anyway. Caught the title. Lizzie was engrossed in Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Interesting choice. Decided not to mention it. Right now.

We met up with the others in the hallway and headed down to meet the boys. Evalyne and Phoebe were waiting for us. "Thanks for actually letting us know what you're doing," Evalyne said, sarcasm knob only at about seven on the scale.

"Lunchtime. Are you guys able to eat?"

"No," Phoebe said. "We're on guard, if you'd care to remember. But we ate already, so your timing is good."

"Go me. By the way, I have no idea how you guys plan on rolling but I don't think we want to clear out the Teetotaler just for me."

"Noted," Evalyne said. "We'll see." She spoke into her lapel. "Cyclone and Entourage are leaving the Crown. Heading down to the Carpet, then off to the Golf Course. Note that Cutie-Pie and Challenger are in the Playroom, but Comet is going with Cyclone. Cosmos is in the Castle."

"Wow, the Teetotaler gets a nickname? Rosemary and Douglas will be thrilled. What's the Playroom, the Embassy?"

"Obviously," Lizzie muttered. Apparently she was in a mood. Or else was just testing to be sure she could be herself around her new full-time adult guardians. Gave it even odds for both.

Evalyne didn't grace this with a reply. Instead she headed us for the underground parking garage. There was a whole world under this complex that almost rivaled a typical A-C structure. Almost. But even the White House complex didn't go down fifteen stories like Dulce. A-Cs were number one with a bullet when it came to burrowing.

With Lizzie there were nine of us, plus my Secret Service team of six. Meaning we needed to take two limos. Because Len and Kyle were approved at the highest levels, they could still be my driver and shotgun, which I insisted on.

The President had some impressive limos. However, we'd also incorporated A-C limos into the motor pool, because, frankly, the idea of not having a laser shield was one I was no longer comfortable with, and that went double for Jeff. The invisibility shield was also a nice touch, though we almost never used that. My brain nudged. Something about this bore more thought, but Phoebe was assigning who was sitting where, and I lost whatever it was.

Evalyne insisted that at least one Secret Service agent had to be in my limo. Put my foot down and insisted that the Secret Service car had to have an A-C in it, just in case. Since she didn't need to brief me on a speech, Colette offered to go with the Secret Service limo. Agreed, but felt underrepresented in the Speedy Getaway Department. Sent a text to Manfred, the head of my A-C security detail, asking him to join us, which he did.

So Evalyne in my car with the rest of my team, Colette and Manfred in the other with the majority of the Secret Service, we finally headed out in two limos packed to the gills with people. Thanked God that I'd had all those donuts or I'd have been fainting from hunger by now. On the plus side, we'd absolutely missed the lunch rush.

The trip to the Teetotaler was uneventful. Lizzie took the time to keep on reading.

"No Club Fifty-One protestors out," I mentioned.

"They're still confused as to whether they're now on your side or not," Vance said.

"I'll take whatever reprieve we can get."

We pulled up in front of the restaurant and the real dog and pony show started. Manfred and two of my male Secret Service agents went in and secured the restaurant. Phoebe and the other agent in that limo who wasn't driving got out. He came to relieve Len, who got out along with Kyle. They joined Phoebe at the curb, waiting to escort the rest of us inside.

Two of those who'd gone inside came out now and stood outside the doorway. This was Evalyne's cue. She got out and indicated that Abner was up first. He got out, and Kyle took him and hustled him inside.

As this was going on, Evalyne had Mrs. Maurer get out. Len helped her and took her in as Kyle came back to the car. He took Vance now, as Len came back. He took Lizzie and hustled her inside. Kyle waited at the car.

Looked at White. "We could have just linked up and used hyperspeed to get inside without being seen at all."

"Well, the point of this is to be seen, so that wouldn't work." White indicated that I was up, since Len had returned.

Len helped me out, but White came out right after me, and the two of them flanked me, with Kyle on White's other side, while Phoebe took the lead to the door and Evalyne brought up the rear.

Our Impressive Display of Super Security Measures over, I looked around the Teetotaler. Thankfully, there were some people in here who hadn't been run off by my security detail, meaning that we hopefully hadn't ruined anyone's afternoon. Manfred was stationed at the back door. Evalyne and Phoebe took opposite sides of the room and sat at tables.

True to expectations, the owners, Rosemary and Douglas, looked as if all their dreams had come true. I liked them and gave them both hugs. Introduced them to everyone they might not know. Turned out they knew everyone other than Lizzie, who Rosemary fussed over. Lizzie was sweet and charming to Rosemary. Filed this away for review later.

We had a regular table and it was available, so we were ushered there. Tried not to pay attention to the fact that the people in here were staring at us. That was part of the point of coming out, after all. Made sure to sit with my back to the wall, though, and kept Lizzie next to me. For some reason, all this security made me feel far less secure.

We ordered, then I heaved a sigh and did my best to relax. "So, what do we want to cover?"

"I spoke with the Secretary of State while we were driving," Colette said. "She wants us to have an inauguration party."

"Is she high? There is no reason to throw a party. I know for a fact that the Johnson Administration did not party like it was nineteen-ninety-nine after Kennedy was assassinated. I don't think the Martini Administration should party down after the Armstrong assassination, either."

"Vince's death isn't being called an assassination," Vance said.

"Well, I'm calling it that, and I know Jeff is, too. Cliff was trying to kill everyone, but he succeeded in killing our President. And a ton of other people, too. This is not a reason to throw confetti and cheer."

"It's okay," Colette said. I could tell she was using her troubadour talent to calm the situation down. "It doesn't have to be elaborate, but the widow of the late President is the one requesting this."

"Why? And I mean that seriously, as in I want an answer that makes sense."

"She wants us to show our enemies that even though we had a tragedy, we can still find joy. Officially. Unofficially, she thinks it will help encourage the peace talks, because if we set up the party to happen after the peace talks, then they do double celebration duty."

"Ah. She's being sneaky. Now that I can get behind. But doesn't it leave us open if the peace talks don't go well?"

"It does," Mrs. Maurer said. "But possibly not as badly as it might. The party will have to be sold to the American people, though. You can't just throw it. Normally inauguration celebrations are huge affairs. This can't be that, but it can't be something too small, either."

"Because that would seem sad and pathetic, yeah. Please tell me this is your job."

Mrs. Maurer laughed. "It is. Your team will handle it, dear. We'll consult with you, of course, but all the details will fall to us."

"If there is any way in the world to get Aerosmith to play, I will do whatever you want."

"I'd imagine that if the First Lady requested them," White said, "and they were available, the band might be willing."