“That went terribly,” I huffed, following along Jack through the city streets like a saddened puppy with wounded pride. “He wasn't even willing to listen to what I had to say. Always so thick headed,” I groaned, speaking up over the large amount of car traffic that hummed along the streets beside us.

  “He knew what he was doing coming into it,” Jack said, his eyes focused on scouring rooftops of the city buildings around us. “It was gonna be tough to change his mind.” Turning he looked at me with a reassuring smile. “You did great. It’s hard to change the conviction of a man.”

  “Tell me about it,” I moaned. “I wish he was willing to listen to any form of reason. There doesn’t have to be such a strong show for his enemies.” I rubbed my forehead in distress. “Why are men so intent on always doing things the hard way?”

  “Not all men,” Jackie chided with a grin.

  “I beg to differ,” I added with a slight smile, enticed by the charmingly cocky expression on his face. At least some things were right with the world right now. My eyes followed to his lips. Stop! I put myself on notice. You can’t be thinking of things like that in a time like this!

  Suddenly, I spotted a giant red chair statue alongside beautiful greenery, with gardens up ahead. “What are we doing, by the way?”

  “Reconnaissance,” Jack said, standing in front of the chair.

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  “You can have a seat,” I said, with a cheeky smile, “you’ve been walking all day.”

  Jack smirked. “Laugh all you want, but this is important.” He nodded past the chair. “Take a look.”

  I sidled up to him and craned my neck to gaze beyond. Large palatial structures looked ahead, beautiful but sedate buildings in majestic gardens of green. “The U.N?” I asked aloud, spotting sentries patrolling at the entrances.

  “That’s right,” Jack said.

  Suddenly, a large group of elderly civilians was spotted moving up to the building. A tour guide spoke in muffled tones from a distance, as he gestured widely with his arms, in sweeping motions. The guide was excited, an exuberant passion about his job and educating a group of sleepwalking tourists in a journey they may have felt obligated to embark on.

  “Don’t tell me,” I said, slowly trailing off, as I looked to him in bewilderment. “That’s not how we’re gonna get in...right?”

  Jack’s eyebrows slanted down in speculation. “You think we’re going to pretend to be tour guides in a city you don’t know, with languages you don’t know?”

  “Please, continue to beat me down, mister worldly.” I raised my brow back at him.

  Jack laughed. “I was thinking something much simpler.” Reaching inside his interior jacket pocket, he pulled out two laminated badges that hung from thin black lanyards and handed me one. My picture was mocked up in a small square frame with U.S foreign press indicated. “Press passes?!” I eyed mine in amusement. The name 'Stacy Starr' plastered across it, bringing an even larger smile to my face. “The spotlight just can't leave that Stacy Starr,” I chuckled. “Maybe we’d better go with the tour guide idea.”

  “This the easiest way in,” Jack said, “we've only a few hours before his press conference. There's no time to waste. If we want to protect your Father, it’s the best way to do so...surreptitiously.”

  I sighed. “I guess you’re right,” I felt a pit churning in my stomach again. “When do we start?”

  Jack smiled and slung the lanyard over his head. “Right now.”