She studied him. He had not shaved, and his woolly beard and longish hair looked completely wrong now for some reason. The chest of his uniform was adorned with wings, wreaths, lightning bolts, and bayonets above the words US Army. She even saw what appeared to be a diving helmet. “You managed to get a lot done since dinner last night.”

He turned left and onto a main road. “I washed my uniform. It didn’t take long. While it was drying, I made arrangements for the van. I think I was asleep by midnight.”

“I can’t believe how much sleep I got yesterday.”

“It comes from a lack of quality sleep and a high-stress environment. Yesterday your body was exhausted and your mind was decompressing. Sleep is how God designed restoration.”

It didn’t take long to arrive at the embassy’s parking lot. Rick pulled up to the guard shack and handed the armed guard a piece of paper and everyone’s ID cards, including Cynthia’s credentials. After a glance at all the items, the guard handed them back. Moments later, two sets of gates slid open one at a time.

Once they had parked, the team climbed out of the van. Rick slipped his soft cap on and said to the men piling out of the back, “Eat before you change. Brief at oh eight hundred in the CHU.”

Cynthia slipped her bag over her shoulder. “Thanks for the ride, Captain.”

His beard moved with his smile. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

Inside the building, she handed her ID and the pass her father had given her to the security officer. who instructed her to let the pass be seen at all times. She slipped the lanyard over her head and followed his directions to the elevators. On the sixth floor she found the same Secret Service agent she had spoken with yesterday.

Cynthia smiled. “Good morning, Agent Newel. I am here to have breakfast with my father.”

“Right this way, Doctor Myers.”

At the door to her father’s office, Special Agent Newel tapped once then opened it, gesturing for Cynthia to go inside. Her father looked up from his desk and smiled as he slipped his reading glasses off. On the table by the window sat platters of bagels and cream cheese and lox. A silver-plated coffee service sat on a small tray next to the table for two.

“Good morning, Daddy,” she said.

“Ahh, sweet pea, you look much more rested than yesterday.” He came around his desk, and she easily went into his arms for a hug. “It does my old heart good to see you.”

They sat at the table, and her father asked the blessing on the food. When they raised their heads he said, “So, tell me. How are you feeling today?”