Cole holds up a hand. “I was happy to make the call. Carrie had the grades and everything else. Besides, I figure the trustees at Dartmouth still owe me something for my eleven-and-one season back in the day, don’t you think?”

Lambert smiles. “Yes, sir. Thanks again, sir.”

“No problem, Doug.” Cole bends down to tighten his laces. “But now I need a little favor from you.”

“I’ll do whatever I can, sir.”

“That evening run on the Mall the other night? Leanne was with me.”

“Right. I stayed in the vehicle.”

“We ran into some folks near the Tidal Basin.”

“Football fans. You signed some autographs.”

Cole pulls out his iPhone, selects a photo, and enlarges one section. “I took this picture as we were leaving.”

Once, at a campaign stop in Iowa, a woman threw a cabbage at Cole. It was Doug Lambert who’d knocked it down in midair. Cole has had a special connection with him ever since. He knows he can trust him.

“See this young woman, the one right there in the middle? I think she could be a threat.”

“A threat? To you, sir? Or to the president?”

“Maybe both. We need to identify her.”

“Let me get my laptop, sir, and I’ll start the process—”

“No,” says Cole. “Nothing official. I don’t want to worry the president.”

“I can start with facial recognition and see if I get any hits.”

“Good,” says Cole. He pats Lambert on the back. “Start there. I’ll send the picture to your personal phone.” Then he starts pumping his legs on the path. “Now let’s get going!”

“Yes, sir.” Lambert speaks into his collar mic. “Sage on the way.”

Cole feels a sense of relief. At least he’s put things in motion. Better safe than sorry.

The woman in the photo could just be your everyday Capitol nut.

Or she could be the tip of a very dangerous iceberg.

Cole Wright is slipping into the zone, working up a healthy sweat; his muscles have warmed up and the endorphins are starting to kick in. This is his happy place. Always has been.

Agent Lambert sets a good pace. They’re approaching the Tidal Basin. No crowd today. Too early.

Suddenly, Cole hears a flurry of chatter from the agents behind him. He turns his head and sees them talking into their shirtsleeves.

One of the agents catches up with Cole and taps his arm. “Slow up a bit, please, sir.”

Cole reduces his pace. “What’s the problem?”

Then he looks back down the path and sees another cluster of runners heading their way. He hears his wife’s code name, Sierra.

He smiles.

Maddy is running in the middle of the pack, surrounded by her own detail. A few seconds later, she’s right beside him. “Hi, stranger. Do you own this park, or is anybody welcome?”