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Monica bit her lip with frustration. “I’ll take these two to where they’re staying. But call me when you’re safely back to your hotel.”
A sly smile lifted Jordan’s lips. “If you say so.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Roth rubbed his nose. It was horrible watching those two flirt with each other. “Let’s go?”
“I know my way back,” Monica said. “Daniel, take them out through the Russell Senate Office Building, and I’ll take these two through the Hart. Better leave from different buildings than the one we entered through.”
Roth understood immediately. If someone had followed them to the Dirksen building, then they might be waiting for them outside.
“Good thinking,” Jordan said. “Let’s go, Daniel.”
“Can we stop by the cafeteria and get something to eat?” Brillante asked.
“No way! The food here sucks. And so do the food trucks and food courts by the museums. Nasty. We’ll get take-out from somewhere nice. Somewhere legit.”
“Chick-fil-A?” Lucas asked eagerly.
“Decent,” Jordan said. “But it’s not the Cheesecake Factory. Remember, we gotta stay out of sight and check in to your new hotel.”
After they’d walked through the tunnels to the Russell building, Roth glanced at his watch and saw it was 2:30 p.m. His stomach was growling, but hunger wasn’t the only thing making his stomach twist. He and his family were involved in a huge international conspiracy. Lives were at stake. Including the president’s.
When they reached security, Jordan pulled out his cell phone and made a call. “This is Jordan. We’re leaving now and heading to lunch. Yeah . . . Lund took my car. I’m going to need another one brought to the hotel. Leave the fob at the concierge for me. We’ll take an Uber. Thanks, bro.”
They headed through security, and then Jordan pulled up his Uber app and ordered a vehicle to take them to lunch.
“Is it good?” Lucas asked.
“You love cheesecake, right?” Jordan responded.
“How many do they have?”
“So many.” Jordan finished ordering the car. “It’ll be here in two minutes. Let’s go outside. It’ll drop us off nearby, and we’ll walk. Then we’ll take it back to the hotel to eat.”
Jordan led the way, checking both ways before motioning for them to come out. Roth and the boys followed. It was cold and breezy. The nervous pit in Roth’s stomach felt more like a black hole. Something felt off. Wrong. The street was empty of traffic, except for a few parked cars in front of the building.
“The Uber will have to pick us up at the corner,” Jordan said. “No other vehicles are allowed on this street.”
“That’s sus,” Lucas said, pointing to the wall alongside the sidewalk.
“What’s sus?” Roth asked, although he felt it too. Something was . . . wrong.
“That,” he said.
Roth looked again. “What?”
“Don’t you see it? It’s . . . it’s glowing.”
Brillante turned to look and went pale. “That’s a glyph.”
Roth couldn’t see it. “What does it look like?”
“An eye,” Lucas said.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CONSTITUTION AVENUE