LION Chapter 1

Washington DC

Sunday Morning

When you received a call to report to the White House, most everyday Americans would freak out. Not Jon-Christopher ‘JC’ Harrison. It was home for him. However, when he got a call from his father to report to the situation room, that was a curveball he did not expect. The ride from the compound in Richmond, Virginia, to the White House in Washington, D.C., on a low-traffic day would take them ninety minutes by car. The call from his father, President Jeffrey “JD” Harrison, stated a chopper was waiting to bring him to D.C., indicating the situation needed immediate attention.

JC was walking from the SUV to the chopper as he spoke to Shane Reese, one of his Secret Service Agents who was more like a friend. Shane was older than him, but still young enough to understand the challenge of being followed around 24/7. JC appreciated him taking his concerns into consideration while not compromising his job or his safety. “Any idea what this is about?”

“Nothing in the pipeline.” Shane indicated as they climbed into the back of the chopper.

“See what you can find out,” JC requested. “I don’t want to go in blindsided.”

“Will do,” Shane replied, then pulled out his phone.

JC sat back, closed his eyes as he contemplated what the emergency call from his father could be about. Then his mind drifted to the woman he’d met a week ago.

“ETA is ten minutes out.”

JC opened his eyes to Shane’s voice. “Thank you for the update.”

“Do I need to ask what has that smile on your face?”

JC cleared his throat. “No.”

Shane chuckled. “Dreaming about her is not going to get you the woman.”

“What makes you think I was thinking about a particular woman?” JC glanced sideways at him.

“Man, I’ve been with you through high school girls, college co-eds, and just women, period. To this day you haven’t given any of them a second thought. This one has your nose wide open.” He teased. “Not that I blame you, she is all of that and more.”

“How would you know?”

“It’s my job to know,” Shane huffed. “Before you left that club, I knew all I needed to about her. If there were any issues, you would have never gotten moments alone in the back of the ride.”

“I don’t want to know whatever you found out about her,” JC insisted.

“As it should be. If this is the woman for you, you need to get to know her yourself. Besides, if there was anything threatening, alarming, or harmful to you, I would have taken the necessary steps to eliminate it.” Shane advised.

“Thank you,” JC nodded. “Now, stop interrupting my thoughts. Use these last few minutes to find out why I’m being called to the situation room”

“I’ll do what I can. While you carry on with your thoughts,” Shane chuckled.  

JC did just that. He closed his eyes, then continued with his thoughts about Tia Coston.

***

The landing of the chopper on the White House grounds jarred JC’s thoughts back to the present.

Sitting up, he saw the entrance to the White House. Stepping out of the chopper, JC adjusted his jacket then walked to the entrance. “Anything?” he asked Shane.

“The journey,” Shane replied.

JC took a deep breath. “It has taken them two years.”

The door leading to the West Wing of the White House opened. Before JC got two feet inside, he was bombarded.

“What did you do?”

JC chuckled at the expression on his sister Jasmine “Jazzy” Harrison’s face. Twenty-year-old Jazzy was his fiercest protector and a major pain in his butt. They were only two years apart, but it was his responsibility to keep her in line. When they were younger, it was easy, all he had to do was correct her when her mouth got her into trouble. Now that she was a junior in college, it wasn’t her mouth he had to be concerned with, it was her intelligence, her beauty, and her body that every male student at Howard University seemed to be chasing.

Hugging her, then kissing her cheek, JC walked by her. “I did not do anything, and before you ask, I don’t know why Dad wants to talk with me.”

“No, JC,” she ran to keep pace with his long strides. “It’s not just Dad. Royce Davenport, Uncle James, and Adam Lassiter are all waiting for you.”

JC stopped to look at her. “Adam Lassiter?”

“Yes.” She replied, nodding her head as they continued walking through the corridors leading to the staircase that would take him to the lower level of the building.

“Dad said he needed to talk with me.”

“Why there?” She squeezed by people passing them in the hallway. “Is there something about your trip overseas that you haven’t told me? Is someone threatening you in some way?”

Jazzy was a strategic thinker. She did not look at things in a bottle; she took in the whole picture. There was no reason to waste his energy coming off with anything superficial to tell her. 

“There is an abundance of things I did not tell you about my trip overseas, and I’m not going to tell you about them now.” JC glanced at her, smirked, then continued walking.

“Oh please, I’m not talking about anything that has to do with women. With Elliott around, there is no telling what you guys got into.” She waved his comment off. “Besides, Dad would not call you to the Sit Room to talk to you about women.” She stopped him, then pulled him into one of the offices. “You and I know only confidential information is discussed in that room. Did anything requiring military action happen while you were away?”

JC exhaled while taking her by the shoulder. “Jazzy, your imagination is getting the best of you. Calm down.”

“My imagination! JC, the Sit Room is where they declare war, or counterattacks against other countries, or something military is happening. You would not have input on either of those things, so why is Dad talking to you in the Situation Room?”

JC walked out of the room with Jazzy still on his heels. They were walking down the stairs that led to the secure area of the building. 

“Jazzy, I have no idea,” he replied. “And to tell you the truth, it is Sunday, and I’d much rather be in Richmond watching the game with the guys.” He stopped, then looked at her. “Speaking of Richmond, it’s spring break. Why are you here and not there? Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow?”

“Yes, but right now I’m trying to help you with whatever Dad is calling you about.”

JC stopped at the entrance to the secure area. “I will find out once I go inside.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

JC loved his sister. She was feisty, bold, and intelligent as hell.  But most of all, she was fiercely protective of him, even when it came to their parents. “Jazzy, I’m good. I promise you I’m not in any kind of trouble that I know of. However, if I am, you know I’m going to handle it…okay.”

She took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Okay, but I’m going to sit right outside this door until you are freed.”

JC chuckled. “Jazzy, I’m not being incarcerated, I’m just going in to talk to Dad.”

“Yeah, that’s what they say until they put the chains on you.” She sat down, crossed her legs and arms, determined to wait for his return.

JC shook his head, then looked up at the guard. “My father requested my presence. Will you let him know I’m here?”

The guard nodded. “He is expecting you, sir.” The guard stood, then opened the door.

JC glanced at Jazzy, winked, then walked through the secured door.