resigning this way.”
“Your other choice is getting fired. There’s certainly no honor in that. You’d lose your top secret clearance, and you’d never be accepted in a law enforcement position again!” The vein on the side of the SAC’s temple was now pulsating. He snatched a piece of paper off his desk and tossed it to Cain. “Read it, you arrogant asshole!”
Cain looked at the letter. It has been an honor serving alongside my friends with the United States Secret Service, but after long and careful consideration, I feel my resignation will allow me the stability to pursue my personal aspirations, it read. Cain couldn’t believe they already had a resignation letter typed and prepared for his signature.
“Personal aspirations,” he said aloud. He then looked from the SAC to LeRoy. “What does that even mean? You and everyone else in this building know I have no personal aspirations.”
LeRoy continued to remain quiet. The SAC’s hand was shaking from the confrontation, but he used it to provide Cain with a pen. It was one of those expensive, heavy pens that a CEO would use to sign business deals.
“You can shove that pen up your ass, sir!”
“Get the hell out of my office,” the SAC demanded. He motioned to LeRoy. “Get this ungrateful man out of my office.”
“Gladly,” Cain replied.
Once they were in the hallway, Cain turned to the King. “You could have warned me, LeRoy!”
“Since when do you call me LeRoy?”
“Since you’re no longer my boss, you cowardly son of a bitch. That’s when!” LeRoy looked shocked at Cain’s response. “I walked right into a firestorm and you just sat there like a frog on a stump.”
“Agent Lemaire, my office, now!” LeRoy shouted as Cain turned to walk away. Something in his tone made Cain look back.
Chapter 25
LeRoy nodded toward his office door. Cain went in and LeRoy quietly closed the door behind him. He motioned for Cain to have a seat, but he shook his head in defiance. “I’ll stand,” he said.
“Please, take a seat,” LeRoy said as he moved behind his desk and plopped down into his nice executive chair. He clasped his hands and laid them down on his immaculate desk. He calmly looked at Cain, who had no idea what to expect.
He’s probably about to give me some type of half-assed apology, Cain thought. I’m not interested in listening to anything like that.
He couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Don’t you ever call me a cowardly son of a bitch again,” LeRoy said.
Cain felt his eyes bulge as he searched for his response.
“You don’t have a clue how far I stuck my neck out for you,” LeRoy continued. “The White House is so embarrassed by what happened that the SAC was promising the chief of staff that he’d fire your ass personally. But I convinced him to go through the steps—hoping you’d get enough ammunition to save your job. Your meeting with the SAC went down pretty much like I had imagined, except for the part where you told him to shove that pen up his ass.” Cain thought he perceived a slight smile on the King’s lips. “I respect your decision, but I’m not sure I would have done the same thing.”
“‘To thine own self be true,’” Cain said. “‘Thou canst not then be false to any man.’ At the end of the day, I gotta stay true to myself.”
“Man, you can quote Shakespeare all day, but I told you heads were gonna roll, and mine was damn sure not going to be one of ’em. I’ve worked too long and too damned hard to get where I’m at. And I’m not going to trade my career for yours, that piece of shit Jackson, or for the others. There aren’t many agencies looking for an old black cop these days. This is all I got.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
Cain’s demeanor softened. He didn’t agree with what happened at all, but he understood LeRoy’s position a little better. “I’m sorry about the cowardly son of a bitch remark.”
LeRoy dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “You’re a damn good agent, and it’s a shame we’re losing you. I just wanted you to know that.”
Cain shook LeRoy’s hand.
LeRoy smiled. “Now take your sorry ass back to Alabama.”
“Louisiana,” Cain replied.
“Same difference.” LeRoy smiled even bigger. “Good luck to you, Cain. You’ll be just fine.”
“Long live the King,” Cain muttered under his breath as he left LeRoy’s office and headed toward his own to box