Guarding Tess Page #5

a real feather in our cap...

to have the president coming

to the dedication of the final wing.

- Do you?

- Yes, ma'am.

It's a tempest

in a teapot.

But if the president insists on coming,

what can I do...

but try to be gracious

until the whole affair is over with?

Where do you plan

to stage this thing, Mr. Porter?

I thought outside,

at your husband's sepulchre...

we'd put up a tent.

It's of no great concern, and I'm

delighted to leave these matters to you.

But if it were me, I'd have

the presentation in the reading room...

before my husband's portrait.

I'd serve refreshments in the library

with a bar in the adjoining parlor.

What do you think of that,

Mr. Porter?

Well. I think

that would be nice too.

Thank you so much again.

I suppose you're all excited

about the president...

visiting us poor little

country mice.

Yes, ma'am. I see this as a chance

to get my people on their toes again.

- Thinking sharp.

- So you think they're dull too?

Frederick, tell me,

which of these exemplifies...

elegant disdain

yet sincere concern?

That one.

You're good. You know that?

You are very good.

I talk ed to them this morning.

We'll have six of their guys inside.

Ten on the grounds. But we're in charge

of the physical plant. Okay?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Those guys are taking

their orders from us.

Does she want

to be known today?

Don't know her.

- It's got no price at all.

- Yes, ma'am.

This is Bobby in canned goods.

Are you near the manager?

I need a price check on Lesieur

baby peas. Repeat. Lesieur baby peas.

Lesieur baby peas?

They're on special today.

Two for 59cents.

They're on special today.

Two for 59cents.

Uh, copy that.

It's two for 59cents.

- I only want one.

- Roger that. She only wants one.

- How much for just one?

- The same. It's a two-for-one thing.

Bobby, it's a two-for-one thing,

so I suggest you go ahead and get both.

Copy that. I believe

we've lost interest in peas.

Repeat. Lost interest in peas.

Canned goods out.

- Someone's smoking in here.

- Ma'am?

Someone is smoking

in a grocery store.

- Are you going to deal with this?

- Uh, yes, ma'am.

Okay. I want one of those

temporary rinses. Not blue hair.

- Yes, ma'am.

- If it's blue, I'll chop it all off.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Okay. Let's do it.

I suppose you'd better

give it to her.

You 're her secretary.

Oh, I love this color.

Come in.

It's just great.

Douglas, hello.

Come on, we're back here.

- Mrs. Carlisle?

- Yes, come in.

- What do you think of this?

- I think you look beautiful.

Thank you.

I've got a fax here

from Washington.

It's confidential.

Would you excuse us

for just a moment?

The president's not coming.

Pressing matters of state.

Well. We can relax then.

Yes, ma'am.

Will they be sending

someone in his place?

Secretary of Commerce,

Yvonne Boyer.

Excellent. That'll make

your job a lot easier.

Yes, ma'am.

Would you be kind enough to send the

hairdresser back to collect her things?

Yes, ma'am.

The thing that my husband

would be particularly proud of...

is that this center is a place

of learning and contemplation.

He would have liked that

very, very much.

What I am especially proud of...

is that we took a fine,

wonderful old building...

and we made it useful again.

That appeals to me...

perhaps because

I'm getting old myself.

In closing, I would like to thank

Yvonne Kiki Hernandez-Boyer...

for taking time out of her hectic

schedule to be here with us today.

Thank you so much, Kiki, for coming.

You honor us all with your

gracious, gracious company.

Good morning.

Yeah. Come in.

Yes, ma'am?

I'd like to go on a picnic

tomorrow down by the lake.

Yes, ma'am. They say

it might snow tomorrow.

Well, we can't just

wait on summer, can we?

I guess not.

I'd very much appreciate it if I could

go with just you and not everyone else.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Is this better than "Mr. Ed"?

Mrs. Carlisle,

I think it's getting colder.

Would you leave me alone, please?

Yes, ma'am.

Mrs. Carlisle?

Maam?

I'll get the chair.

Stop!

Hey, Earl, stop! Damn!

- Office.

- Are they back yet?

- Doug?

- Yeah. Are they there?

Who? Mrs. Carlisle?

- Yes.

- They're not here.

Aren 't they with you?

Call everybody in.

Come get me.

- Did they get back yet?

- Nope.

- When did they take off?

- Two-and-a-half hours ago.

Jesus.

Who's this?

Tom, they there?

Call Sheriff Janson and the highway

patrol. Tell them they're out joyriding.

It's not a problem, but inform them that

there's no security with Mrs. Carlisle.

- Thanks.

- Washington?

No, not yet.

We'll give them another hour.

Goddamn her for this.

Okay, Barbara.

Let's call Washington.

This is the worst moment

of my life.

If she was taken, the people who did it

must have been setting it up for months.

- Yes, sir.

- Did you notice anything suspicious?

No, sir.

Nothing at all?

No, sir.

I have to call the president

when we get to the Carlisle place.

Yes. Sir.

It'll be almost midnight

by then, Mr. Harrison.

That's no problem.

He's up.

- Thanks for coming in.

- Sure.

Excuse me.

I would appreciate it

if you'd put something under there...

so that we don't

scratch the table.

Doug, why don't you

come in here with me.

Doug, this is Charles Ivy, CIA.

Doug here is agent in charge

for Mrs. Carlisle.

Mr. President, I've got

Agent Doug Chesnic with me.

Does he want to speak with me?

She has a full-time nurse.

What's that for?

She's had some dizziness

the last couple of years...

and he monitors her medication...

makes sure she's eating right,

that kind of stuff.

Seven well-trained,

heavily-armed men...

can't take care of

one little old lady.

You disgust me.

Yes. Sir.

Doug, Sheriff Janson's on the phone.

Who's that?

- Local sheriff.

- What's he got?

It's for Agent Chesnic.

Doug, why don't you

take it in the kitchen.

They found the car

on a country road.

Driver unconscious

on the front seat.

He's being taken

to a county hospital.

Mrs. Carlisle was not at the scene.

Jesus Christ.

Mr. President...

Tess Carlisle has been kidnapped.

I thought you'd appreciate an update.

A plastic syringe was found

on the floor of the front seat.

The lab says it contains a combination

of extremely powerful drugs.

Ketamine and Ativan.

Both are common.

Easy to steal...

and used together would

knock out a full-grown man...

within ten seconds

of being injected.

A big enough shot would

keep him down for up to six...

seven hours.

Which squares...

with how long

your guy was out.

We take it as a good sign

that they used the drug...

instead of killing him.

The injuries...

on the back of the driver's neck

are burns, which is interesting.

They're both in the shape of a small

crescent, smaller than a quarter.

My friends from the CIA

think it might be a brand...

a signature kind of thing for

a Middle Eastern terrorist organization.

Also, we spoke

to Mrs. Carlisle's doctor.

Those pills...

that she takes for dizziness...

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