While they were waiting for whatever response, he dug a bright-brass USSS Uniformed Division badge out of his pocket and tossed it to her. She pinned it to her uniform’s left lapel, taking only a moment to rub her thumb over the embossed image of the White House and the small blue plaque at the bottom with “Sergeant” etched into it.
A moment after she had it affixed, the door opened and the agent from the PPD office next door stepped in and closed the door behind him.
“This her?”
Baxter just nodded.
Her what? Linda didn’t have time to be more than puzzled by the remark.
“Hello. I’m Harvey Lieber, Senior Special Agent in charge of President Zachary Thomas’ protection detail.”
“Linda Hamlin,” she’d have stood if there was room, but there wasn’t.
“Out of the friggin’ blue,” Baxter grum
