“He’s going to be the next President!” reminded Sean.
“And if we’re right, it’s a presidency he would never want to win!”
Chapter 76
Thanks to Vincent’s foray into team building, the remainder of the flight was uneventful. The Governor went to his room and didn’t surface until the captain announced they were twenty minutes from landing. Sean similarly crashed out. Having slept little, he fell into a deep and all consuming sleep. He had imagined a tap tap tapping at his door at some point during the night but it wasn’t until he received an exceedingly cold reception from Katherine that he realized it hadn’t been a dream. He had missed out on, he admired the view, something truly exceptional. He dropped hints about how deeply he can sleep when he is in safe areas but she wasn’t biting, a woman scorned.
As the wheels touched down, Sean took up his position next to the Governor. A position he would remain for the next twenty-four hours.
“Sean!” said the Governor.
“Governor,” replied Sean.
“Would he really have done it?” he asked.
Sean didn’t know whether he was referring to the terrorist threat or the affair. “Definitely!” replied Sean. Vincent would have done both in a heartbeat.
“Jesus, he’s some guy,” replied the Governor, shaking his head.
“To have on your side!” defended Sean.
The Governor considered Sean’s point and smiled. He clapped Sean on the back. “Let’s do it!” he said exiting the plane to a sea of photographers.
Katherine breathed in the Moscow air as she exited at the back of the entourage. After all these years, her motherland. She wanted to bend down and kiss the tarmac but smiled warmly just in case any of the paparazzi caught her. She had an image to portray and as much as her heart leapt, she had to remain calm and lady like.
Sean had instructed the other bodyguards to fan out. He alone remained next to the Governor. If anything were to happen, he didn’t want anyone getting in his way; particularly guys he didn’t know. The drivers took a circuitous route to the Kremlin; obviously the impressive route, as each building outshone the previous before they finally reached the Kremlin.
Katherine sat and soaked in the images that her mother had described to her as she grew up. It was everything and more that she had promised. Katherine was home, her real home. Her part meant she would never get to know her home. Her sacrifice to her homeland was never knowing her homeland. As Katherine’s breath was caught by the beauty and splendor of the Kremlin, she almost asked herself if it was worth it.
“Have you been before?” asked Sean, as Katherine’s face lit up.
Katherine was too engrossed in the view and didn’t hear Sean.
The Governor, nudged her, “Sean’s asking if you’ve been before!” he repeated.
“No but…” she caught herself. “I’ve read about it, it’s beautiful.”
Sean thought he was getting the serious silent treatment when she hadn’t answered but the twinkle in her eye as she answered him, suggested she hadn’t heard him and more importantly there was still a chance, thought Sean.
“What about you, Governor?”
“Never, I’m really looking forward to meeting President Gagarin as well. I’m a bit of a techy and space geek.”
“I’d never have guessed,” replied Sean hiding his sarcasm. He’d just stepped off the ultimate gadget!
As the cars pulled into the Ritz Carlton’s entrance, the entourage and their baggage filled the entranceway.
“You staying for the month?” asked Sean looking at the number of items in Katherine’s bundle as he walked the Governor to his suite.
“One never knows what to wear!” she joked.
Sean checked the suite and allowed the Governor to enter; it was stunning and just a little smaller than the plane thought Sean, but not by much. Five minutes later, with her bags safely in her room, Katherine joined them to run through the final itinerary. Room Service delivered a lunch Katherine had ordered and the three sat blankly as the Russian-speaking waiter tried to explain what each course was.
“I had the same problem ordering,” laughed Katherine. “I’ve no idea what anything is!”
Whatever she had ordered went down very well and, as the three sat back for coffee, Katherine felt a slight vibration in her bag. She excused herself and headed back to her room where she removed the telecoms device and called Dr Surkov back.
“Katherine, my dear,” said Surkov, struggling to hide his excitement.
“Dr Surkov, I cannot believe I am finally here,” Katherine was just as excited. “I just wish my mother could have shared it with me.”
As much as Surkov loved Katherine’s mother, he was not a man who indulged in sentiment.
“You are scheduled to arrive at 6.30 and we’ve arranged a private meeting for the Governor at 6.45 with President Gagarin in the State Drawing room. Thereafter, both men will walk to the George Hall and make a grand entrance. If you can be by the Governor’s side, it will make for excellent photos for the press. My two girls Yolana and Katherine side by side with the two most powerful men in the world.”
“God, I hadn’t even thought, I will meet my sister tonight!” exclaimed Katherine, giggling.
“Anything else we may have overlooked?” asked Surkov. Giggling wasn’t his thing.
“Sean Fox,” replied Katherine sourly. She wouldn’t forgive the man for the previous evening.
“We’ll deal with him when it is convenient, before the banquet will cause problems, after is much easier.”
“He is stuck to the Governor’s side,” she warned.
“Not during the private one to one?” asked Surkov questioningly.
“Of course not,” she answered but was less than convinced. She wasn’t sure Sean would let the Governor go in a toilet cubicle on his own. That, however, was Katherine’s job. She just had to make sure the Governor was left to have the meeting in private.
“Good, and you brought the clothes?” asked Surkov.
“Yes, dropped off as requested.”
“Excellent, we will make history tonight, or should I say we will start history tonight!” said Surkov proudly and hung up.
Chapter 77
They pulled up outside the Grand Kremlin palace at 6.29pm and again were met by a sea of photographers. Governor Rick Brown, the future US President, was going to be the biggest news story of the year. His attendance, despite the loss of his wife, was going to have the press and pundits around the world debating appropriateness. However, one thing was agreed, it certainly proved without a shadow of a doubt that the man was strong enough to lead the free world.
Sean was the only one of the Governor’s armed bodyguards allowed within the palace walls and as such guided the Governor quickly through the mob.
As Katherine stepped into the light and allowed the Governor and Sean the first proper look at her in her gown, both gasped. “Wow, stunning!”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
Sean looked at the palace. “Oh sorry, I meant the palace, but you’re lookin OK!” he said looking at her more closely and laughing.
As they walked up the steps and into the palace itself, a line of security scanners were checking everybody that entered. Sean stepped up to one, withdrew his weapon and placed it in the small tray along with his cell and other metal items. He showed his permit and VISA and stepped through the scanner. On the other side he reached down and discovered his pistol had been removed. The Governor looked on from an adjacent scanner and shrugged.
“Sorry, I’ve got a permit for that!” said Sean pointing to his gun been taken to the security room.
“Not inside!” replied the guard, drawing a line at the door.
Sean nodded, realizing he wasn’t allowed the weapon inside the palace building. On looking at the decor, he could hardly argue; it was breathtaking and a bullet hole would probably costs millions to repair. He decided, if nobody else had one, he wouldn’t need one. If worst came to the worst, he’d find something. He caught up with the Governor and Katherine and checked the time, ten minutes before the Governor was due to meet the President. Katherine had her arm around the Governor.