More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“General Madigan,” Cook said, his voice catching on the syllables. How long had it been since he’d spoken? “I never lost faith.”
The White House welcomes Ethan Reichenbach as the president’s partner and first gentleman of the United States.
“This is history, man.” Daniels smiled, warm and bright, and Ethan’s nerves screamed. “I’m so damn proud of you.”
“Everybody. The press. Congress. The governors. State legislatures. Foreign press. Private blogs. Your grandma.” Pete closed his eyes and let his head fall back, sinking into the couch cushions as he spoke to the ceiling. “This is going to be an epic bloodbath.”
Grandma?
Not all world leaders were negative, however. The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister offered her congratulations, as did the President of the EU and the Chancellor of Germany. Canada’s Prime Minister issued a statement to their media, congratulating President Spiers and Ethan Reichenbach. And, in a surprising move, Russian President Sergey Puchkov took time at the end of his briefing at the Kremlin to offer his personal congratulations and best wishes to the president and his partner.
“Mr. President!” The booming voice of President Sergey Puchkov, erupting through the Oval Office’s telephone with such glee, never failed to put a smile on Jack’s face.
But Sergey was the only one to speak to Jack and personally offer his congratulations.
“Apologies. This terrorist, this madman. Madman Madigan.” “Sounds fitting.” Jack smiled down at his desktop.
“Cards from supporters came in today, Mr. First Gentleman. I have eight more bins, just like this one.” “From who?” “People who support you and the president. Not everyone is full of hate.”
Jack’s voice had dropped, a harsher, hunter’s tone.
Elmer Fudd - we are hunting rabbits!
His reach, as Director Campbell once said, was very, very long.
Stretch Armstrong or Elasticman
“I’m with you all the way, always.
1-12
And this was what he loved about Jack. Strength wrapped in an effusive optimism, a soul that promised the world would be a better place if you only just held on and never let go. A solid core of unflappability, the center of him rooted in gentle happiness. Jack radiated joy to Ethan’s soul, and he basked in Jack’s grins, his playful personality, like a tree turning its leaves to the sun. His whole life was reoriented toward Jack. Who would have thought his world would be remade by this man with a goofy smile and stunning blue eyes?
Q
much a bunker as anything else. “This can’t all be real. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up back in Iowa clutching a bottle of tequila and all of this…” He gestured around his office and then to himself. “It’s all just some deranged drunk fantasy I’ve built.”
“First gentleman of the United States, code name…Vigor.”
Ethan was beautiful, just like this. He hung on the sound of Ethan’s voice, the rich timbre and the rise.
Ethan shook his head and closed his eyes. “No one needs to be with me right now.”
“I love you. And whatever garbage they want to print has no impact what I think or how I feel. If this was an attempt to make me doubt you, or shake my confidence in you, they failed.”
“I love you so fucking much. It gets hard to breathe sometimes when I think about you.”
Q
naked body was pressed tight to his. God, I can never get enough of this. You’re perfect, Ethan. Perfect.
Gazing up at him, Ethan’s eyes held what felt like the whole universe’s weight in love, a look so tender, so full of adoration and devotion, and all for him.
Q
Not one of Ethan’s past lovers had ever said anything about Ethan’s eyes. Or said that when he looked their way, it seemed like the sun was shining in the sky just for them. Or spoke about how their heart seemed to stop and start with the brilliance of Ethan’s smiles. No one could describe just how perfect his laugh lines were, or how the memory of his kiss could stop them in their tracks. No one else had ever felt that. Ever experienced that. No one else had ever loved Ethan. Not like Jack loved him.
Q
“I am with you all the way,” Jack whispered as he pressed his forehead to Ethan’s cheek, his throat clenched tight. “All the way.”
2-13
Senior Lieutenant Sasha Andreyev, of the Russian Army Air Force,
But I, and everyone here, urge the American people to listen responsibly to their media and to take the measure of the man in full. Don’t just listen to garbage.”
“Lawrence.” Jack gave his chief of staff a tired smile as they both entered the Oval Office. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but sometimes I dread seeing you.”
“The United States government. You. Me. He knows he’s enemy number one and he loves it.” Irwin shook his head. “I always thought he was a prick when we shared the Situation Room.” Jack’s eyes twinkled. “To be honest, so did I.”
Jack spun his laptop on the desktop and pulled up the secured document creator. Word, but on classified steroids.
Ethan passed back the papers as a smile unfurled over his face. “Thank you. What you said meant a lot. And it was a good strategy. Thanks.”
“We’re forming a black strike team to take out Madigan. I’m going to run operational command.” Daniels’s eyes blew wide, shock dropping
Finally, Daniels spoke. His voice was choked, but he looked Ethan dead in the eyes. “I’ve never met a better man than you, Ethan. Swear to fucking God.”
he was one of the best of the best MiG fighter pilots in the Russian Army Air Force.
His pencil had floated through the cockpit once, weightless.
Frowning, Dr. Voronov put his car in park and headed for a lump of middle-class fur coat and messy blond hair lying slumped in the snow.
“Damn. That sounds extra special. Think we could get out of paying taxes for this? Like in that movie?”
Armageddon
“Oh, you fucker,” Doc cursed, just close enough that Adam could hear. Grinning, Adam clapped Doc on the shoulder and grabbed the plane’s handholds. Doc was their team’s corpsman from the Navy. He was the only naval man Adam had ever met who had a pure, burning hatred of all things wet and watery. Lake, river, or ocean, Doc hated it and was always violently seasick.
He should never have fucking accepted this mission. Adam groaned under his breath and tried to block the memories that clamored for his attention. Late nights, sweat-slick bodies, and conspiring together. Conspiracy, his conscience whispered. You’d be thrown in jail if anyone ever found out. Stripped of your command. Of your commission.
Why couldn’t he get his smile out of his mind? Why was it always him, every moment of every day?
When Saturday arrived, Ethan felt like he’d been run down by a train and beaten into the tracks. One week as first gentleman and he was ready to hibernate until spring truly began. He’d thought being detail lead had been tough. Politics had nothing on that. How did Jack do it all?
He's Superman!
Months ago, Jack had asked Welby to buy him and Ethan their first sex supplies. Welby had done it, and Ethan hadn’t been able to look at him since. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. How are you two doing with your condoms and lube? Do you need me to buy more?” “Oh my God.” Ethan turned away. Heat smothered him, the burn of embarrassment coursing through his body. “Jesus Christ, Welby.” Apparently, Welby had learned to loosen up.
Condom mule.
Walter Reed and other advanced bio labs were regenerating soldiers’ lost limbs, growing clones of destroyed or amputated body parts from the soldiers’ DNA and stem cells.
Amazing!
What was Madigan up to now? They were following him, but where were they all headed? Where would Madigan’s crazed mind take them?
Antarctica. 😲
Adam and Doc needed to buy camels.
Across the market, he spotted the universal sign of the camel merchant: angry camels, heavy carpets being beaten out to get rid of the fleas, and a mountain of stinking shit.
one of the camels spat, lobbing a hot, rancid glob of phlegm right at Adam’s face.
Doc, naturally, thought it was hilarious.
one of them spat again, landing a glob on the top of Adam’s keffiyeh-covered head. “I fucking hate camels.”
Catch me if you can. We’ll be waiting.
No matter which one Adam reached for, they all spat at him. There was some mutual hatred between him and camels, some kind of ever-present disgust.
This was it. He’d be dead in moments. His damn smile flashed through Adam’s mind once again, but he let it stay, hovering there behind his eyes. If only.
