Storm Surge

By Melissa Good
The sun peeked over the horizon, lighting up an already coral pink sky with the bland yellows of
morning. Its rays spread over the flat calm water, faint ripples brushing only lightly against the hull
of a motor yacht bobbling !uietly at anchor.
" seagull circled overhead, its white wings outstretched to catch the slight breeze as it watched the
waters surface carefully, hoping for an easy breakfast while the air was still comfortable, before the
sun started really heating things up.
Inside the boats cabin, it was e!ually !uiet and peaceful. The main living space was dark and cool,
sprinkles of light coming in past the curtained windows to illuminate a blue and tan interior and
splashing over the body of a half asleep woman meandering around the counter into the kitchen.
Blond, sun bronzed, and dressed in a sleeveless shirt that came to her mid thigh, the woman stopped
to yawn and stretch, rubbing her eyes as the boat rocked a little and she leaned against the counter,
waiting for it to stop.
#ventually it did. $%ope that wasnt some dude with a couple of waveriders and a si& pack.' (erry
paused to peek out one of the windows, drawing aside the curtain to let the light in, before she
ambled over to the small refrigerator and removed a bottle of )uice from it.
$*id you )ust say you wanted a si& pack for breakfast+'
(erry turned and leaned against the kitchen counter as she watched her tall, dark haired partner
climb the steps from the forward cabins into the living area. $ %ave you ever seen me have beer for
breakfast+'
$"lways a first time.' *ar s!ueezed into the kitchen area with her and ducked her head down, taking
a drink from the bottle (erry offered her. $Besides, it has grain or wheat or whatever in it, doesnt it+'
$%m.' (erry took a sip from the bottle herself. $,ou know, its probably healthier than those -rosted
-lakes youre about to pour in a bowl, matter of fact.' .he bumped *ar with her hip. $Glad its
.unday+'
$"lways.' *ar leaned back and gazed around the interior of the boat. $.ometimes I think my parents
had the right idea.'
$/iving on the boat+'
$Mm.'
(erry felt the motion as the sea rocked gently under her. $0ell, now that you got that satellite dish
installed and we can get T1 and internet2.'
$.low internet.'
$.till.'
$Itd be tough on 3hino.' *ar mused. $Think we could teach her to use the head+'
(erry took another swallow of )uice. $.hes a /abrador. "nythings possible. I keep e&pecting to walk
into my office any day and see her sitting at my desk sending email.'
*ar chuckled. $Maybe we should try taking her out on one of these overnights first.' .he eased past
(erry and went over to the door that led to the back deck. $Im going to kick over the engines to
charge the batteries.'
$0ant me to bring your coffee up there+' (erry called. $I may )ump in before breakfast.'
$In my coffee+ -abulous. Bring it up then.' *ar winked at her on the way out the door, letting it close
behind her as a shaft of bright sunlight appeared and then disappeared.
$4unk.' (erry chuckled to herself, as she put her bottle down and turned to the coffee pot, hearing
the rumble of the diesel engine and the vibration of it through her feet as *ar settled it into idle. .he
whistled softly under her breath as she scooped fragrant ground beans into the basket, and poured
water into the machine.
.he turned as the coffee started dripping, and headed down the steps into the front part of the boat.
.he ducked into the comfortable master cabin and pulled off her shirt, trading it for a one piece
swimsuit. $/iving on the boat. %m.'
(erry regarded her reflection in the wall mounted mirror and paused to imagine what that would be
like. $It sounds good.' .he informed herself. $But I think Id miss the broad band.' .he wrapped a
towel around her neck and went back up into the main cabin, where the coffee was almost finished
dripping. $5ot to mention .tarbucks.'
.he took two cups, appropriately milked and sugared, and emerged onto the back deck to find *ar
loitering there, bathed in the early sunlight of a late "ugust day. $6ats. I wanted to climb the ladder
with this tray in my teeth.'
*ar tipped her head back and watched as her partner set the tray down on the outside counter. $5ice
morning.' .he commented. $0ant to go down near 4ennecamp later for a few dives+'
$.ure.' (erry handed *ar her coffee, then took the seat ne&t to her with her own cup, putting her bare
feet up agains the transom and en)oying the pretty day.
It was warm, and humid, e&pected weather for the time of year, and on the edge of the horizon she
could see the faint gathering of clouds that towards the afternoon would likely result in a
thunderstorm.
#&pected. 1ery normal. (erry e&haled and fle&ed her toes. $.o, how did the meeting with %ans go+ I
never asked you about that on -riday.'
*ar had her sunglasses on, and she was sprawled in the chair in tank top and a pair of cotton shorts.
$4retty good.' .he said. $I really wanted to be there when those ships got into port, but now Im glad
I postponed going over until week after ne&t.'
$Big scene+'
*ar chuckled. $%ans said it was the most e&citement in those parts since 0orld 0ar II, and not in a
good way. Id rather wait and meet with their e&ecutive board. " lot more fish to fry and the
#uropean sales team is drooling so badly we had to send three cases of old lobster bibs to them.'
(erry sipped her coffee. $0ell, you get one week to shake them all up, then Im heading over there.
Thats a lot of infrastructure were going to need.'
$5o kidding.' *ar wiggled her toes. $.ure you dont want to come with me+'
(erry sighed. $.top teasing me, *ar. I told "ngie Id go up there and help her pack up to move. I cant
back out on her now.'
$I know.' %er partner relented. $.orry.'
$Its not like I want to go to Michigan, yknow.'
$I know.' *ar repeated. $%ey, but itll give me a week to scope out the best beer spots for you.' .he
added, resting her elbows on the deck chair arms. $%ey, what do you think about softball+'
0hiplashed into a completely une&pected redirection of their conversation, (erry nearly choked on a
mouthful of coffee. $Bw..' .he swallowed. $%uh+' .he turned her head and looked at her partner.
$0hat brought that on+'
The taller woman shrugged. $I bumped into Mariana in the hall Thursday and she said she had a
bunch of people asking her if we could form a softball team to play in some half assed corporate
softball league or something around here.'
$"h.'
$I didnt think it sounded all that stupid, and the league raises money for charity.' *ar reasoned. $"nd
were done with that other stuff for now.'
$.o, she asked you because she e&pected you to play+' (erry put her cup down and half turned,
resting her chin on her fist.
$7s.'
$"h.'
$The other choice was bowling.' *ar said. $I dont know about you but for me the biggest draw of the
bowling alley is the cheese fries.'
$%mm.' (erry wrinkled her nose. $I think Id like to try softball.' .he decided. $I never played it in
school, and I wanted to.'
$,ou said that once.' *ar remarked. $I think you look really cute in a baseball cap.' .he added.
$.ounds like it might be fun.'
$,ou want to do it+' " little surprised at her anti social partners sudden interest in team sports,
(erry watched her profile out of the corner of her eye. $I didnt think you were into that sort of thing.'
*ar blew bubbles into her coffee, making a very odd gurgling noise. $,eah, I know.' .he admitted.
$But Ive never tried this, so what the hell. 0hy not+'
$0orks for me..' (erry got up and went over to the transom, sitting on it and swiveling so her legs
were on the outside of the low wall, above the platform they stepped off of when diving. $Tattoo,
motorcycle, wife, softball.' .he glanced over her shoulder at *ar. $I think my rebellion is complete.'
.he turned around and dove into the dark blue water.
*ar smiled, and toasted (erry with her coffee cup, content to remain in her deck chair as the sun
slowly lifted higher over the horizon. .he could hear (erry splashing a little over the sound of the
idling engines, and after a moment, she moved the deck chair closer to the back of the boat so she
could keep an eye on her partner.
(erry was doing the backstroke, swimming a few body lengths away from the boat and then coasting,
putting her hands behind her head and floating like an ottter in the warm water.
$%ow is it+' *ar asked.
$Bathtub.' (erry stretched her body out. $Big enough for two.' .he gazed up at the pink tinged, fluffy
clouds overhead as she floated on the surface, en)oying the peace and !uiet for about ten seconds
when a wall of water swept over her. $%ey8'
*ar bobbed up a moment later, shaking her dark hair out of her eyes. $,ou invited me into your
bathtub.' .he grinned at (erry, stroking through the water towards her. .he ducked under the
surface as she came closer, grabbing at the blond woman as she backpeddled rapidly through the
water.
$%ey hey hey88' (erry twisted and reached out to grab *ars shirt, finding only smooth skin under her
fingertips. $%oly pooters, *ar8 ,oure naked8'
Blue eyes appeared above the waterline, blinking innocently.
$,ou are naked8' (erry hissed, glancing around. $0hat if one of those fishing charters comes by+ 9r a
dive boat+'
3ompletely submerged aside from the top of her head, *ar started moving towards her partner.
$*ar.'
" puckish grin appeared.
$.hit.' (erry ducked her head under the water and swam forward, kicking in a frog kick with her
hands outstretched to grab whatever they had a mind to.
.he found them clasped, and the ne&t thing she knew she was being hauled up half out of the water,
ending up landing on top of *ar as her partner flipped over and came up under her.
"bruptly, (erry wished shed forgotten her suit as well. .he could feel skin everywhere she touched
and she almost breathed in a mouthful of salt water as her body reacted.
Then she was flipped over again and dunked, and she could only manage a !uick breath before she
was under the water again and being pinched on the butt. .he flailed around and tried to grab *ars
arm, but as she surfaced, she found herself alone as she turned in a circle. $%ey8'
*ar surfaced on the other side of the boat, snickering.
$,oure such a punk.' (erry let her catch up and they were nose to nose, )ust off the stern of the boat.
$:ust for that, I hope a cuttlefish nibbles you.'
$6eady for breakfast+' *ar batted a piece of seaweed away.
$0ell, now..' (erry laid one hand on her cheek, leaning forward to let their lips brush. $*epends on
whos cooking.'
*ar licked a drop of salt water off her nose. $Gwan.' .he indicated the ladder.
$9h no.' (erry shook her head and smiled. $,ou first.' .he rolled onto her back on the surface and
put her hands back under her head, watching her partner with a wicked twinkle. $/ittle Miss
#&hibitionist.'
*ar stuck her tongue out.
$,oure )ust sooo lucky I didnt take my camera in the water.'
;;
$%i, (erry.'
(erry looked up from her computer screen, and waved a few fingers. $%ey Mari.' .he greeted the 1ice
4resident of %6 for I/.. $0hats up+'
Mariana entered and crossed over to (errys desk, taking a seat in her visitors chair and settling
herself. $Good morning, (erry.'
$7h oh. 0hat did I do+' (erry turned away from her monitor and rested her elbows on her desk.
$,ou+ 5ot a thing.' The %6 14 smiled.
$0hat did *ar do+' The blond woman replied, with a wry grin. $That I have to e&plain+'
$.he volunteered you to be captain of our new softball team, and before I sent out a memo with that
delightful information I thought Id check with you first.'
(erry leaned back in her chair and chuckled. $5ah, thats fine. I actually did volunteer for that.' .he
told Mari. $I figured if I was going to do this, Id do it right. .o whats the deal with all this+ I didnt
know we had such a demand for intercorporate sports in the company.'
$0ell.' Mari sighed. $I dont know, really.' .he crossed her ankles. $,ou know the suggestion bo&
down in the cafe< +'
$7h huh.'
$0ell, we usually get the usual. /ess chicken in the cafe< , lower the air conditioning on the si&th floor,
raise the air conditioning on the =
th
floor, change the dress code.. you know.'
(erry nodded. .he did, in fact, know, as she was the representative from 9perations to the #mployee
working group sessions that took place monthly. $3hange the coffee. *ont change the coffee, bring
bottled water in, stop using bottled water because of the environment, yeah.'
$#&actly.' Mari said. $.o anyway, the last couple of times I opened the bo&, we had re!uests for more
group activities, more employee activities, and stuff getting involved in the community. .o I put out
feelers, and this leagues what I came up with.'
$"h.'
$4eople activity, sports activity, charity activity, all rolled into one. I figured it was at least worth
mentioning.' Mari went on. $%owever.'
$,eah+'
$0hen I mentioned it, everyone went batty bonkers on me.'
(erry blinked. $6eally+'
$,oud think I was suggesting we go to the 9lympics.' The %6 14 shook her head. $.o anyway, I
thought Id ask the poobah if she wanted to participate, since we all know you both are big into
sports.'
$0ere..ah..' (erry paused. $,eah, okay.' .he said. $0ere not really into sports, per se, but we do like
being active, and I think *ars intrigued since shes never done team sports before.' .he considered.
$"nd I never got to play in school, so I have to admit Im kinda looking forward to it too.'
Maris face split into a pleased smile. $Great.' .he said. $I know *ar can speak for you, but I )ust
wanted to make sure this wasnt something you felt obligated to do' .he e&plained. $0eve got so
much of that around here. ,know+'
$I know.' (erry played with one of her colorful pencils. " stack of them were in a cup on her desk, in
every color of the rainbow and shed selected her favorite, purple, to mess with. $.o where do we
start+'
Mari got up and straightened her skirt out. $6emember you volunteered.' .he warned. $The first
team meetings tomorrow night, after work, at the Biscayne ballpark down the street.'
(erry held up her pencil. $5o problem for tomorrow, but you know were out of town for a couple
weeks after that, right+'
$I know.' Mari said. $Tomorrows )ust a kick off meeting. 0eve got to get everyone the shirts, and the
hats, and the shoes.. and get bats2 practices dont start until third week in .eptember. ,ou should be
back by then, right+'
$6ight.' (erry saluted. $Ill be there.' .he said. $0ere providing the shirts and hats+'
$9f course.' Mari waggled her fingers. $.ee you later.'
$Bye.' (erry watched the older woman leave, then she chuckled and set her pencil down, getting up
and grabbing her cup as she headed for the door. .he pushed through, poking her head into her
assistants office on the way out to the kitchen. $%ey Mayte.'
The slim young latin woman looked up. $9h8' .he smiled. $Good morning, (erry.' .he said. $%ow was
your weekend+'
$Great.' (erry said, pausing when she heard her cell phone ring. $%old that thought.' .he unclipped
the phone from her waistband and opened it, gazing at the caller id before she half shrugged and
pressed the answer button. $%ello+'
$%ello.' " womans voice responded. $May I speak with (errison .tuart+'
7h oh. (erry winced in pure refle&. $.peaking.' .he reluctantly admitted, glancing at Mayte. .he held
her coffee cup out to her and mimed filling it.
$9f course.' Mayte gave the impression of leaping to her feet with gentile grace, and took the cup
from her. $5o problem8'
$,es, my name is "llison Barker.' The woman said. $I doubt you remember me.'
-ive seconds. (erry closed her eyes and put her early training to use. $"ctually I do.' .he managed to
produce after a count of four. $,ou were the class president the year I graduated high school.'
$,es, yes I was.' The woman sounded pleased. $Im so glad you remember. This makes things a lot
easier.'
-or you. (erry sighed and took a seat on the edge of Maytes desk, not wanting to take this buddingly
unwanted phone call back into her office. $0hat can I do for you+' .he glanced up as footsteps
passed her, smiling in response as two accounting clerks waved hello at her.
$I bumped into your sister at church today.'
(erry tipped her head back and gazed at the ceiling, hard pressed to come up with a scarier
statement than what shed )ust heard. $6eally+'
$,es. .he told me you were going to be in town ne&t week, and you know, were having our school
reunion.'
(erry was silent.
$%ello+'
$.orry.' (erry cleared her throat. $I was trying to remember what the penalty was for fratricide in
Michigan.'
$#&cuse me+'
$5evermind. ,es, thats true. I will be in town ne&t week, but Ill be very busy helping "ngie move. I
dont really have time to attend the reunion.' (erry looked up as Mayte returned, holding out a
steaming cup to her. $Thanks.'
$0ell, yes, she told me that.' "llison responded, not at all put off. $"nd Im sure youll be very busy,
but you see, Ive been asked to contact you and see if you could make )ust some time to stop by
during the ban!uet and give the keynote speech.'
(erry had )ust taken a sip of her cafe< con leche and she stopped, holding it in her mouth as she stared
at her cell phone as though it had grown fingers and was waving at her.
$(erry+' Mayte saw the e&pression on her face. $"re you all right+'
The blond woman swallowed. $#&cuse me+' .he said into the phone. $,ou want me to what+'
$I know this seems odd.' "llison apologized. $"nd I do understand, really2 but the senior class is
participating in the reunion and they asked for you.'
(erry put her coffee cup down and shifted her phone from her right to her left hand. $9kay.' .he said.
$"re you saying the senior class of my all 3hristian girls high school wants me to speak to them+'
$0ell.. yes. I mean, after all, youre a very successful businesswoman.' "llison said.
$%ave you read the newspapers in the last few years>' (erry covered her eyes. $/isten, Ms. Barker, I
knew about the reunion. I decided not to attend it. 4lease respect that.'
Maytes eyes widened.
The voice on the other end of the phone sighed. $Ms. .tuart, believe me, I do understand what youre
saying, and yes, I know very well whats been going on around your family the last few years. But you
know..'
(erry mouthed a curse, making Maytes eyes widen even further.
$I think you have a modern, relevant message, and the girls here, they want to hear what you have to
say.' "llison went on. $0e didnt solicit this, and believe me when I tell you I had my reservations
before I decided to call you, but I thought it was important.'
(erry took a breath to answer, then she paused.
"s though sensing an opening. $,ou dont have to be at the whole reunion. I know that would
probably be uncomfortable for you.'
$-or me, or for the rest of you+' (errys mouth twitched into a faint, wry smile.
It was "llisons turn to be silent for a moment. $0ell.' .he said. $0ere not all that uptight.'
(erry looked over at Mayte, who had her mouth covered by one hand and was watching her in
fascination. $.o, the senior class wants to hear what I have to say, huh+'
$Thats what they said.'
0hat would it take, twenty minutes+ .he could probably stop by there between packing and getting
some dinner with "ngie and after all, she had talked *ar into going to hers, now hadnt she+
%ypocrisy stunted your growth sometimes. $"ll right.' .he said.
$"ll right+'
$Ill stop by and give a piece of my mind.' (erry said. $But let me )ust warn you, Ms. Barker ? I take a
lot less bullshit now than I used to.'
" sigh of what might have been either relief or resignation sounded on the phone. $-air deal, Ms.
.tuart. Ill tell the committee.' "llison said. $.o well see you the night of the @Ath. The get together
starts at B, well have dinner, then the speakers.'
$9kay.' (erry gave in, with a bemused shrug. $.ee you then. Bye.' .he waited for the click on the
other end, then she closed her phone and leaned over Maytes desk to punch her phone pad.
" ring, then *ars voice growled through the speaker. $,es, Mayte+'
$.orry, honey, its )ust me.'
*ar chuckled softly.
$*o me a favor+' (erry tapped her cell phone against her )aw.
$.ure.'
$Turn around and look out the window and tell me if its snowing.'
There was a moment of dead silence on the phone, then the s!ueak of *ars chair sounded clearly.
(erry waited patiently, listening to soft scuffles and sounds of the air condtioning cycling on and off.
$The window behind you, hon.'
$Is it .590I5G+'
The answer came right in her ear, accompanied by the sudden warmth of *ars body against her
shoulder, making her )ump nearly off the desk. $,eek.' (erry cut off the intercom. $0ell, after what I
)ust got asked, it damn well should be.' .he picked up her coffee. $3mon. ,ou wont believe it.'
*ar followed her into her office, pushing her sleeves up after e&changing puzzled looks with Mayte. $I
cant wait to hear this.'
Mayte watched the door close, and went back to her work, muffling a smile.
;;
$7gh.' (erry threw the mail down on the dining room table as she passed it, scrubbing her fingers
thorugh her hair as she headed for the back door to let 3hino out. $,es, honey. Im coming.' .he told
her e&cited pet, who was whirling around in circles near the door. $3heebles, youre going to smack
your head against the wall one of these days.'
.he unlocked the door and watched the dog ramble down the steps into the small outdoor garden,
then she headed back across the living room and trotted up the stairs to her bedroom.
"s she entered, she glanced at the big doors leading out to the balcony, where the early evening light
was still drenching the stucco surface. $I like summers.' .he announced, as she stripped out of her
business suit, hanging the skirt and blazer neatly on hangers inside her closet. $,ou still get home as
late, but you feel like youve got some day left.'
(erry changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, and retreated back down the stairs )ust as 3hino
came bouncing in from outside. $%ey 3heebles.' .he knelt and gave the /abrador a hug. $"re you glad
to see me+'
5aturally, the dog was. 3hinos tail wagged furiously as she licked (errys face, only stopping when
the blond woman stood up and made her way over to the cabinet that held the all important dog food
supply.
$Gruff8' 3hino sat down ne&t to her bowl, tail sweeping the floor.
(erry turned and put a hand on her hip. $#&cuse me, madame+'
3hinos tongue lolled out happily at her.
$*ar taught you that look, didnt she+' (erry had to smile, as the dog looked back at her with those
utterly un!uestioning brown eyes, as steadfast and honest in fact as her beloved partners were.
$/ittle punklet.' .he opened up the dog food and filled 3hinos bowl with both wet and dry, setting it
down and watching her wolf it down. $Glad I dont eat that fast.'
$Gruff+' 3hino looked up at her, then went back to eating.
$Id bite my fingers off.' (erry chuckled. .he watched 3hino for a minute, then she leaned back
against the counter and considered the !uestion of her own dinner. 9r more precisely, hers and
*ars, since *ar was stuck on a late conference call and wouldnt be home for at least an hour.
*ar would be completely happy if she offered her a bowl of cereal and some ice cream, and (erry
knew it. .he also knew she probably would be happy with the same thing, and on occasion thats
what they ended up with when they came home very late together.
If she wanted to order something from the club for them, that would be okay too. (erry peeked
inside the refrigerator, pondered her choices, then she removed a pre made pizza crust from the
fridge and pulled the flat pan it went on from the oven.
.he removed the crust from its wrapper, then she went back to the fridge and removed a small )ar of
marinara sauce, a small )ar of olives, some )alapeno peppers, a package of pepperoni, several slices of
ham, a bag of mozzerella cheese, and a can of peaches, taking them back over and setting them on the
counter.
0histling softly, she assembled the pizza, putting down a layer of the sauce, then a handful of cheese,
then scattering the rest of the items indiscriminately over the surface before she covered it all over
with more cheese.
9nly then, did she carefully place peach halves on one half of the pie, her face twitching a little.
9nce she was done, she popped it in the oven and dusted her hands off, returning her fi&ings to the
fridge and removing a bottle of ice tea from it. .he wandered out onto the porch with the tea, settling
on the two person swing as 3hino )oined her. $,ou finished already, 3heebles+'
3hino licked her lips, and sat down.
$I guess so.' (erry popped open her tea and sipped it, as she gazed out across the "tlantic ocean.
4ushed aside all day, the memory of her conversation and une&pected re!uest now surfaced, and she
nibbled her lip, thinking about what on earth she was going to say to a bunch of2
(ids+ /ike shed been+
(erry frowned. The kid shed been, and the girls shed gone to school with probably would not have
stepped outside the carefully constructed conservative bo& theyd grown up with to re!uest who
shed become speak at their event.
:ust would not have happened. Maybe theyd have talked about it, though she doubted even that
much, but to demand it+
.o what in the hell was she supposed to say to them+ "nd if they were that confident already, why
even ask her to give a speech+ (erry sighed. $Maybe they are interested because Im a successful
businesswoman.' .he reasoned. $I mean, I am.'
That idea seemed a lot more appealing than thinking the girls wanted her )ust for the scandal it
would cause the school. (erry appreciated a good scandal, and she had to admit she was a little bit
amused at the re!uest, but she decided shed come up with a respectable presentation and take the
opportunity to visit her hometown without causing any headlines.
.he was still going to kick "ngies ass though. (erry rela&ed against the back of the swing chair, a
little ambivalent about the prospect of her sisters moving. 9n the one hand, she was glad "ngie was
getting out of the big house shed lived in with her e& husband, but disappointed she was moving in
with (erry and "ngies mother.
.hed half dreaded "ngies idea of moving down to Miami, for very selfish reasons. But she
understood that by moving back with mom, the chances of "ngies sons father )oining her were
pretty much done. Brians reluctance had disappointed her profoundly and she truthfully wasnt
looking forward to meeting up with him during the move.
.he knew she wasnt going to be kind. (erry managed a wry smile. Brian probably knew that too. But
you never knew about people, and maybe hed end up surprising her.
Maybe shed end up surprising him with a punch to the )aw. ,ou )ust never knew. (erry glanced
down as her cell phone buzzed. .he put the cap on her tea and answered it, smiling when she saw the
name on the caller I*. $%ello, oh love of my life.'
$Boy Id love to have patched you into that god damned conference call.' *ars voice emerged from
the speaker. $That sure would have livened it up.'
$"nytime.' (erry could hear the sound of the ferry in the background. $,ou get out early+'
$,eah.' *ar replied. $I told them I had to go get fitted for cleats. That pretty much stopped the
conversation and everyone said they had to leave.'
(erry started laughing in refle&. $9h noo2.'
$%ehehe.' %er partner chortled along with her. $I cant wait to send Maria around the building
tomorrow to see what rumors that stirred up.'
$%ow about if I use my red pencil to put little dots across my forehead.' (erry suggested. $/ike mini
train tracks. I can pretend not to be wondering why everyones looking at me.'
$#veryone looks at you anyway.' *ar said. $"ll right, let me get off the phone so I can drive. Be home
in a minute.'
$3ool. I made pizza.'
$6emember the peaches+' *ar asked, in a hopeful tone.
(erry grimaced. $,es.' .he cleared her throat. $%oney, couldnt you be hooked on something more
normal, like anchovies+'
$,uk.'
$9kay.' (erry sighed. $/et me go see how its doing. .ee you in a few.'
$Bye.'
*ar clicked off. (erry spent a moment more watching the water, before she got up and went back
inside, trading the muggy warmth of the patio for the brisk chill of the air conditoning as she slid the
door shut behind 3hino and walked into the kitchen.
.he could smell the pizza. .he put a glove on her hand and opened the stove, peeking at her creation
and )udging the bubble factor of the cheese. .atisified, she removed the pan and set it down on the
stone cutting board, dusting the top with a bit of parmesan. $There.'
$Gruff.' 3hino was sitting near her bowl, watching (erry e&pectantly.
$9h no. ,ou dont even think about thinking youre getting pizza for dinner, madame.' (erry pointed
the can of cheese at her. $Go get mommy *ar.'
3hinos head swiveled towards the front door immediately, and they both heard the sound of *ars
car door closing. $Gwan, go get her.'
The /abrador raced for the front of the living room )ust as *ar entered, plowing e&citedly into her
knees and knocking her backwards. $%ey8' The dark haired woman grabbed for the door frame.
$0atch it, you furball8'
$"ww.. she loves you.' (erry watched from the doorway, leaning against one side of it as her partner
got the door closed and tossed her briefcase on the loveseat, and her linen )acket on top of it. .he had
a white shirt on, with its sleeves rolled up partway to e&pose her tanned forearms, and the ends of it
were already untucked from her skirt in an appealingly rakish picture. $.o do I.'
*ar looked up from petting 3hino, and smiled. $I have a surprise for you.'
(errys brows lifted a little, seeing the warmth and the mischief in *ars eyes. $9h oh.' .he pushed off
from the doorway and went over to where *ar was, bumping against her and then wrapping her
arms around her and giving her a hug. $Thats all the surprise I ever need.'
$"ww.' *ar echoed (errys earlier speech. $But dont you want to see the .wiss "lps+'
(erry peered up at her, a look of surprised delight on her face. $%uh+ "re you serious+'
$"s a heart attack.' *ar grinned. $I figured after we lock up this deal with the old man, we take a week
and go see how the other half lives.'
$0hat other half+' (errys mind tumbled into overdrive, the possibilities crowding onto themselves
like pushy tourists.
$The half that takes vacations.' *ar leaned over and kissed her. $,ou in+'
$%ell yes.' (erry bounced up and down. $3an you fast forward us a couple weeks, please+ Its going
to seem like a year getting through "ngies moving and my damn high school reunion now.'
*ar bounced a few times with her, making 3hino bark in surprise. $5ow wheres my peach pizza+'
$3mon.' (erry slipped an arm around her. $/ets get you undressed, before I have to suffer watching
you eat that. $
$Thats what you used to say about grits.'
$5ot the same thing.'
;;
$Thar she blows.' *ar pulled her /e&us into the weed studded parking lot that ringed the small
ballpark. $5othing like a scroungy dirt pit on a muggy evening here in the thunderstorm and
lightning capital of the world.'
"s if to punctuate her speech, a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.
$%ow did you do that+' (erry asked, leaning back in the passenger seat and en)oying the last few
minutes of air conditioning before she had to get out and face the humidity.
$4ractice.'
(erry eased herself upright, studying the half filled parking lot where she spotted !uite a number of
familiar faces. $%m. " lot of people are here.'
*ar pulled into an empty spot. .he was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, and she paused a
moment to pull her dark hair back into a pony tail and fasten it before she turned the car off. $5ice
crowd.' .he agreed. $0ish wed stopped for dinner first.'
(erry got up and half turned, reaching into the back seat. $Ive got a granola bar here.'
*ar eyed her. $Ill wait, thanks' .he demurred. $,ou said this wasnt going to be a long session.'
$Thats what Mari said.' (erry straightened back up, holding her bar in one hand. $.hare+' .he ripped
the plastic off the snack and broke it in half, handing one part over to her reluctant companion. $Its
the peanut butter one you like, *ar. 3mon.'
*ars brows lifted, and she accepted the offering, sniffing it. $Mm. 9kay.' .he bit into the bar. $6eady+'
.he indicated the gathering crowd, some of whom were looking curiously at the /e&us. $Before we
become the entertainment+'
$"rent we always+' (erry stuck her granola bar in her mouth and opened the door, hopping out and
taking a breath of the hot air. $0hoo boy.' .he tugged her sleeveless muscle shirt away from her body
and spared a grateful thank you to *ars suggestion they change into shorts before coming out to the
park.
*ar )oined her, sticking the door opener in her front pocket and letting the key hang down outside it.
.he munched her half of their snack as they walked towards the group of people. $,ou up for a swim
after this+'
(erry made a small groan of agreement. $%i Mari.' .he greeted the %6 14, who had )ust arrived in a
neatly pressed pair of walking shorts and a crisp, white short sleeved shirt. $/ooks like you had a
great turnout.'
$.ure does.' Mari agreed. $%owever, it was forcefully brought home to me that if you call a meeting at
dinner time youre obligated to provide dinner.' .he gazed pointedly at (errys granola bar. $I dont
suppose you brought enough to share, did you+'
3aught in mid chew, (erry shook her head slightly. .he swallowed hastily. $.orry.'
$%mph.' Mari sighed.
$%ey, she shared with me.' *ar licked the last crumb off her fingertips. $Tell everyone to go out and
find a pizzaria after this. 5o ones gonna starve.'
(erry gave her a wry look, receiving an innocent bat of *ars dark lashes in return. .he chuckled and
shook her head, as she followed *ar over to the big group, feeling the sweat start to gather already on
her skin.
$%ey (erry8' Mark waved at her as they approached. $%ey big *.'
$%ey.' (erry glanced around, seeing !uite a number of people from their own department mi&ed with
others from the office. $%ey guys.' .he waggled her fingers at two of the )unior accountants. $.o here
we are.'
$%ello, (erry.' Mayte appeared. $I am glad you were able to come here. This should be fun. 5o+' .he
had her hair pulled back into a neat tail like *ars and she was smiling. $I have never played baseball.'
$Me either2 but I think itll be a blast.' %er boss went over to the rows of wooden, weathered, bench
seating and carefully eased down on one of the less splintered planks.
$6eally+ ,ou never did+' Mayte sounded surprised. $Mama thought surely you were a superstar at
the least8' .he took a seat ne&t to (erry.
$6eally.' (erry rubbed her temple, trying to stifle the blush she could feel coming on, not being
helped at all by her snickering partner. $,our mama is way too nice. .ometimes.' .he added.
$"ctually, *ar was and is the superstar athlete in the family.'
Mayte peeked past her to smile at *ar, who shrugged modestly. $Ive never played softball either.'
The dark haired woman clarified. $But Ive done other things.'
$*id you know *ar still holds her high schools record in the broad )ump+' (erry asked, split seconds
before her mind realized what shed )ust said and she nearly fell off the bench when Maytes eyes
widened almost into the size of golf balls. $5ot.. ah.. its a track and field event.'
*ar put her head down on her folded arms resting on the plank and started laughing.
$:esu.' Mayte covered her eyes. $I was thinking schools have changed so much it is amazing.'
(erry sighed. $.orry about that. If its any consolation, I went to an all girl 3hristian high school, and
we didnt have.. that.. event either.' .he paused. $That I know of.'
The rest of the crowd )oined her and settled on the ominously creaking structure. *ar eyed it, then
decided to remain standing ne&t to (erry, )ust leaning an elbow on one of the planks.
$Thank you all for showing up on time.' Mari took up her familiar role standing on the dusty ground
in front of the stadium seats. $I really appreciate it. This wont take too much time, I )ust wanted to go
over what the schedule is going to be, and whats e&pected of us.'
$"nd give out hats.' *ar supplied, after she stopped speaking.
$*o you have a fi&ation on those hats+' Mari asked, giving her an e&asperated look. $Ill have cows
horns put on them in a minute.'
The crowd chuckled, a lot of heads turning to look at *ars distinctive profile.
$Moo.' *ar promptly responded. $I like cows. They produce my two favorite foods, cheeseburgers
and milk.'
Mari cleared her throat conspicuously. $"hem.' .he went back to her clipboard. $"s I was saying.
Thank you for being here on time, I really appreciate it. 9ne of the first things I want to tell you is
that were all here to have fun, okay+ This isnt ma)or league baseball.'
The crowd chuckled a little.
$(erry .tuart has volunteered to be our captain.' Mari smiled, looking over at (erry as applause
broke out. $.o Im sure well end up having a great time, and doing good things for a good cause.'
$Mariana, how many other teams are in this league+' 9ne of the accountants spoke up.
$"bout twenty.' The %6 14 was glad to turn her attention from her hecklers. $The games are played
in a round robin tournament style, and where the charity comes in is that the company will
contribute a certain amount to the charity fund for every employee who participates.'
$.o it doesnt matter if we win or not+' The man said, with a frown.
" little buzz went up at that.
$0ell.' Mariana lifted her hands a little. $Its about the charity, really2.'
$It matters to us if we do.' *ar spoke up again from her corner. $But the charity gets the bucks no
matter what, is that how it is, Mari+'
$#&actly.' Mari nodded. $There are many things to strive for in the contest, there are trophys and
awards and so on, and also several things donated by the various corporations that will be given to
those who complete the tournament.'
$0hat did we give+' (erry whispered. $4lease dont tell me a lifetime supply of 3at Ce cabling'
$3ool8' Mark spoke up. $.o we can get some swag, huh+'
$5erd gift certificate I think.' *ar whispered back. $-or one of the big online places.' .he added.
$#nough for a nice system.'
$%m.' (erry grunted approvingly. $5ice.'
$.o.' Mari got everyones attention back. $%eres the rules. Games will be on -riday nights, here at
the park. "ll the other companies are more or less in the area around Miami, so there is no home, and
no away or anything like that. #ach team has to have enough players to play the game, or they
forfeit.'
$That means everyone shows up or she posts it on the company bulletin board on Monday.' *ar
announced. $If youre gonna do this, do it, or stay the hell home.'
#veryone swiveled to look at their 3I9, who raised one eyebrow and gave them all a stern glare.
.ilence fell briefly, until Mark cleared his throat.
$,es, boss.' %e said, in a mild tone.
$"hem8' Mari put her hands on her hips. $*o you want to run this+'
$*o you want me to run this+' *ar returned the volley neatly. $Bet the other teams end up regretting
it like everyone else here who )ust realized theyre going to be sharing space with me and a baseball
bat.'
"fter a seconds pause, everyone laughed, even *ar. (erry reached over and tweaked her nose, giving
her a look of loving e&asperation.
$%ats+ "nyone want hats+' Mari chuckled herself. $%ow about pizza+'
That got everyones attention, and all heads turned as thought the crowd were a collection of spaniels
at dinnertime.
$I thought that might work.' The %6 14 lifted her hands. $9kay, everyone to .antorinis after this, on
me. But as for the team ? for every game you show up for your name gets entered into the drawings
for the donated prizes.' .he said. $.o, the more games you attend, the better your chance to win
some pretty nice stuff. $
$/ike what+' .omeone asked.
$"h, altruism.' *ar chuckled softly under her breath.
$"t least its not some thousand buck a plate dinner )ust so you can put your mug in front of some
politician.' (erry reminded her. $Its a good incentive.'
$Mm.'
$0ell, we have a three night stay in 3ozumel2' Mari was drowned out by oohs and aaahs. $" cruise
to Bermuda, shopping spree at Macys2 some crazy tech company threw in a certificate for a new
computer2'
$*id we ever decide if we really wanted to do a cruise+' (erry asked. $9r did we finally decide we
wanted to sail on one of those things about as much as we wanted a root canal+'
*ar glanced at the cloudy sky, and breathed in a lungful of air deeply tinged with ions. $0e dropped
the !uestion.' .he said. $%ey Mari.'
$"nd that.. what+' Mari put her hands on her hips and gave *ar a look.
*ar pointed up at the sky, then held her hand out as she felt the first droplets of rain, bringing a cool
down that was worth the dampness. $Take it up at the pizza shack+' .he suggested, as the rest of the
crowd started to scramble down from the benches.
$.ure.' Mari raced by her, shielding her head with her clipboard, as the rain started to come down in
earnest. $,ou can grab the damn hats8' .he pointed behind her. D"hhhhh8888'
(erry hopped off her bench and started for the bag with *ar right at her heels. $%ow do we get
ourselves into stuff like this+' .he yelled over the thunder. $:esus8 *ar were going to be soaked8'
$0e volunteer.' *ar grabbed the bag and got it and its contents over their head as they ran back
towards the parking lot looking like a moving lily pad with the droops. $Bet Mari didnt figure on this
being a wet tshirt contest.'
$9h. *ont you even go there.'
;;
(erry rested her head on her fist, tapping her pen on the pad of paper on her desk. .he wrote a few
words, then she paused, and studied them, a frown on her face. $0hat in the hell am I supposed to
talk about+'
.he heard a soft ding, and turned to see a new mail alert on her pc. .he clicked it, and brought up her
personal mail folder to find a note from "ngie. $"h.' .he clicked on it.
Hi sis.
Please dont hate me too much. I realized after I talked to that woman that I probably should have
asked you first. It just sounded pretty innocuous, you know? he kind of tricked me, she started to talk
about knowin! you and the reunion and all that and before I knew it I spilled the beans. orry about
that " but hey, how bad could a little speech be? #emember your senior event?
(erry grimaced. $9h yes. I sure do.'
$nyway, Ill take you to that brewpub you liked afterward to make it up to you, okay?
$#eeehhhh2. 9kay.'
%om said she wants to have dinner with us. &hat I didnt commit to. I told her wed be really busy
movin! stuff, and she !ot pissed off because she thinks I should have just hired the movers to pack up
everythin!. 'an you believe that?
(ookin! forward to seein! you "
$n!ie
(erry scratched the side of her nose with her pen. %er last meeting with her mother hadnt been the
most cordial, and though shed spoken to her since, she didnt really want to spend that much time in
the house. .he hit reply, and started typing.
Hey $n!.. eh, I !ot over bein! pissed. It is what it is, and )ar thinks it mi!ht be funny for me to do a
speech there so whatever.
I can do dinner with mom, but lets !o out. I dont want to sit at that table if I dont have to. Im not
lookin! for lectures and if she really pisses me off its not !oin! to be fun for any of us. If were out in a
restaurant, shell probably behave.
ee you on aturday.
*.
(erry turned back to her pad, but after a few more minutes of staring at it, she gave up and dropped
the pen on it, getting up and stretching before she left her office and trotted off down the steps to the
lower level.
.he crossed the tile floor and entered the bedroom she and her partner shared, its soothing blue
walls already making he feel more rela&ed. $*ar+'
$7h+' *ar was stretched out on their waterbed.
$*o we actually know how to play baseball+' (erry trudged over, and dropped onto the waterbed,
making *ars body rock back and forth. $Boy that hottub felt good.' .he added. $But it gave me time
to think about what weve gotten ourselves into here.'
$0ell.' *ar folded her hands over her stomach. $It cant be that hard, (erry. .omeone throws a ball at
you, and you hit it with a bat and then you run like hell.'
$True.' (erry s!uirmed over and put her head on *ars stomach, e&tending her body at right angles
to her. $But tennis looks pretty easy too, and I really suck at it.' .he paused. $"nd dont you tell me I
dont )ust to be nice.'
*ar chuckled softly. $I wasnt going to. ,ou really do suck at tennis.' .he told her partner. $But then
again, so do I. .o what does that say about tennis+' .he laid her arm over (errys midriff. $Im sure
we can handle it.'
$0e should practice.'
$5ow+'
(erry rolled onto her side, looking up at *ar. $,oure so silly sometimes.' .he said. $I meant, before
we go and make fools of ourselves out there. I want to know at least what Im supposed to be doing.'
.he e&plained. $0e can practice here, cant we+'
$0e can practice over near the golf course, sure.' *ar agreed. $Tomorrow we can go get some gloves
and balls and whatever, and work it out.' .he said. $*id you decide what position you want to play on
defense+'
(errys green eyes narrowed. $If you even start to suggest shortstop Im going to bite you.'
*ars lips twitched. $"ctually, I think Im better for that.' .he admitted. $/ong arms, fast refle&es.' .he
studied (erry for a moment. $I bet youd be a good pitcher.'
%er partner snickered. $,ou never saw me throw anything other than a -risbee.' .he said. $%ow
about I try outfield first+' .he suggested. $I think I can manage to catch the ball out there.'
$0ell see.' *ar ran her fingers through (errys hair. $/ooks like a decent bunch showed up for it ? if
they keep showing up, this should turn out all right.'
$,ep.' (erry e&haled, closing her eyes. $Im tired.'
$/ong day.'
$/ong day, and having to chase you all over the hot tub at the end of it.' (erry opened one eye and
winked at her. D9ne of these days a night vision camera tape of us is going to end up in the hands of
4anic E and boy, are we going to have our fifteen minutes of fame.'
$%mm2. Thatll make for an interesting intro to the ne&t board meeting.' *ar mused. $I think at this
point, they look forward to stuff like that.'
(erry chuckled, and closed her eye again, e&haling in contentment. $0e have to pack.' .he said. $Im
trying to figure out what I should wear for the speech.'
$3lothes+'
(erry bounced her head against *ars stomach twice. $4unk.' .he moaned. $3mon, *ar. I thought
about )ust wearing a suit.'
*ar yawned.
$Business suit, not bathing suit.' (erry clarified. $I figure if they really want to hear from some
business chick I can do that.'
$,ou really think they want to hear from some business chick+' *ar asked, lacing her fingers and
putting her hands behind her head. $I think theyre looking for some crazy rebel who used to be who
they are.' .he studied the ceiling, as she felt (errys hand come up to rest on her shoulder, thumb
rubbing against the bone at the front of it. $6ebellion sort of thing.'
(erry had to admit she suspected the same thing. .he remembered, vaguely, being that senior in
high school and the last thing shed have wanted to hear was some boring old lady in a suit talking
about career paths. $I still dont know what the hell Im going to say to them.'
$0hy not ask them.' *ar suggested. $Get up there and say. Dokay, you asked for me. Im here. 0hat the
hell do you want+'
(erry laughed, her breath warming the skin under *ars shirt. $.weetie, that works for you. 5ot for
me.' .he sighed. $9h well. Ill think of something.'
$0ear something sophisticated and se&y.' *ar spoke up after a moments !uiet. $"nd if you cant
think of anything to tell them, )ust open it up for !uestions. They know more about you than you do
about them.'
.ometimes, (erry reflected, *ar had a knack for bringing home to her in sudden, vivid ways the
reason shed been so successful in life. "side from her being smart, she had a lot of what (errys aunt
would have called Dgood horse sense. $I love you.' .he replied simply, turning her head to kiss *ars
chest through her shirt. $#veryone else has Google. I have *ar.'
$I love you too.' *ar smiled. Then she unfolded her hands from behind her and half sat up, resting on
her elbows. .he waited for (erry to lift her head up, then she rolled over and stretched out
lengthwise on the bed as her partner s!uirmed around to )oin her. $Im sorry Im going to miss that
speech, by the way.'
(erry pulled the covers up over them and sighed as *ar shut the bedside light and twilight shadows
settled over them. It wasnt !uite dark in the room ? the blinds let in moonlight and the outside
lighting ? but it was comfortable and familiar and shed come to be so used to falling asleep here
shed forgotten really anything before.
.he eased over and snuggled up ne&t to *ar. $"re you going to miss it+ Im probably going to end up
sounding either boring or crazy.'
$,ou think Id want to miss that+' %er partner in!uired. $I love watching you give speeches. I duck
into the back of the presentation room when you do at the office.'
(erry blinked, invisible in the darkness. $,ou do+'
$.ure.'
$%ow come you never told me that+'
*ar put her arms around (erry and half turned onto her side. $*idnt want to make you nervous.'
.he said. $The setup staff started leaving me chocolate cupcakes back there.'
(erry started laughing silently.
$Maybe I can have a little refrigerator installed with milk chugs. ,ou think+'
$Ill order one tomorrow.' (erry assured her. $5ow go to bed, cupcake. 0eve got a long day ahead of
us tomorrow.'
;;
(erry sat down on the carved wooden bench and studied her new toys, as she waited for *ar to come
out of the condo and )oin her. 9n the bench ne&t to her was a bucket with si& balls in it, and her lap
was a leather glove, its new hide smell making her nose twitch as she e&amined it.
" baseball glove. .he fitted her left hand into it, pausing when the edge of the glove caught on her
ring. $"h.' .he put the glove down and removed the ring, unlatching the chain she had around her
neck and stringing the ring on it. $There. $
.he put the glove on again and fle&ed her hand, feeling the strange constriction as she tensed her
fingers and made the leather move. It felt stiff and awkward, and she reasoned that shed have to
work it a little to get it more fle&ible.
"t least, thats what *ar had said.
#&perimentally, she picked up one of the balls in the bucket and dropped it into the glove, e&amining
how the leather fit around the ob)ect as she closed her hand around it. .he held her hand up and
turned it upside down, agreeably surprised when the ball stayed in the glove and didnt fall out.
.he opened her fingers and the ball emerged, dropping to land in her other hand. .he reversed the
position of her arms and dropped the ball into the glove again. $%m.'
The far off sound of a door closing made (erry look up, and across the short grass sward to where the
condos were nestled. .he spotted *ar trotting down the stairs immediately, and leaned back against
the bench to watch her partner cross the road and head towards her.
.he was carrying her own glove, and a bat resting on her shoulder, and an e&pression that could best
be described as Dhere we go again.. (erry stood up as she approached and held her hand up in its
glove, fle&ing the fingers like a leather crab. $%ey.'
$%ey.' *ar greeted her. $Got it on, huh+' .he tucked her own glove under her arm and e&amined
(errys, tugging the back of it to make sure her fingers were all the way in. $-its all right.' .he
decided. $%ows it feel+'
$It feels like I have a honking chunk of leather on my hand.' (erry responded, with a cheeky grin.
$%ows yours+'
$Mm.' *ar put the glove on. It was a bit larger than (errys, and a deep russet color. $%m.'
(erry glanced at her partners throat in refle&, seeing the slight bulge under the fabric of her shirt
that meant *ar had, as usual, thought ahead to remove her ring. $0hats wrong+'
$5othing.' *ar turned her hand around. $It )ust feels weird.' .he left the bat near the bench and
picked up a ball. $0ant to start with some catch+'
$.ure.' (erry walked with her onto the grass and they faced each other. *ar tossed the ball at her
without much preamble, and instinctively (erry put up her free hand, the one with out the glove on
it, and caught it. $,ow8' .he dropped the ball and shook her hand out. $That stung8'
*ar put her hands on her hips, best as she could with the glove on. $(er.' .he said. $,oure supposed
to use this.' .he held up her gloved hand.
$I know that.' (erry picked the ball up and e&amined it. Then she faced *ar, and tossed it back to her,
unsurprised when her partner caught it in her glove. $,ou )ust surprised me.'
$9kay.' *ar put the ball in her free hand. $6eady+'
$6eady.' (erry watched her partner toss the ball back, and she concentrated on grabbing it with her
glove, finding the thing awkward and clumsy but managing to clamp it around the round target
anyway. $7gh.'
$0hats wrong+'
$This is hard.' (erry frowned at the glove. $*ar, a billion children do this every year, why does it
seem so weird to me+'
*ar walked over to her. $%on, youve only done it once.' .he said, in a mild tone. $Give it a few
minutes.' .he pulled her own glove off and ad)usted (errys again. $Its stiff.'
$,eah.'
$.tiffer than mine.' *ar removed the glove and handed over hers. $Trade.'
$I think that ones too small for you.' (erry protested, but she fitted the new glove on her hand and
found it to be a lot more comfortable. $9h.' .he murmured in surprise. $That feels nice.'
$9kay, lets try that now.' *ar retreated, putting on (errys glove before she turned around and held
the ball up. $6eady+'
$6eady.' (erry held her hand up, and when the ball came at her, she reached out and grabbed it,
feeling the round surface hit the palm of the glove in a very satisfying way. $/ots better8' .he yelled
back, removing the ball and tossing it to *ar.
The new glove )ust seemed to fit her hand better, and it was easier to close her fingers. It felt like a
more natural e&tention of her arm and not !uite so much of a club hanging off the end of it.
0eird. (erry caught the ne&t throw, already getting use to the feel of the ball hitting the glove. .he
tossed the ball back, pitching it overhand instead of the underhand theyd been using. $3atch that,
*i&iecup8'
*ar stretched out one arm and snagged it, )ust barely. $%ey8'
(erry grinned.
$Told you youd make a pitcher.' *ar tossed it back to her, with a grin of her own. $(er, this is going
to be a lot of fun.' .he tossed the ball back at her partner, watching it get caught with a touch of
nascent confidence. $"tta girl.'
(erry felt better about the whole thing, too. The last thing shed really wanted to do was make a fool
of herself in front of half the office, so it was a little reassuring that she could at least handle the
basics of baseball.
.o far, anyway. .he dropped the ball into her hand and tensed her fingers around it, then she faced
*ar and whipped it back at her, aiming as close as she could to her partners midsection.
*ar caught it, and returned it, and they spent the ne&t half hour playing catch with each other as the
sun slowly dipped behind the trees and brought a bit of relief to the warm, muggy air.
Then they took a break, and met back at the bench. (erry sat down and picked up the water bottle
shed brought with her, taking swig from it as *ar traded her glove for the bat. $Thats the hard part,
isnt it+'
*ar put her hands around the bat and took a step back, away from the bench before she e&tended her
arms and took a few tentative swings.
(erry leaned back and watched. $I thought you said you never played softball.'
$I didnt.' *ar swung a few more times. $5ot on team, but we played catch and lot sandball on the
base when I was growing up and I played a little with *ad.'
*uh. (erry smiled wryly. 9f course she did. $I cant imagine for a second my father playing a sport.'
.he mused. $0ell, maybe golf.'
*ars face wrinkled up into a scowl.
$,eah, me either.' (erry admitted. $Golf was acceptable for girls, in a Dlets ride in the cart and sip ice
tea while gossipping sort of way. 9r Tennis.'
$I played football with the guys.'
(erry tipped her head back and gazed fondly at *ar. $9f course you did, honey.' .he said. $.o I guess
you know how to use that thing+' .he set her water bottle down and picked up a ball, walking out
into the grass and turning to face her partner. $6eady+'
*ar assumed a very credible batters position, setting her feet at shoulder width and cocking the bat.
$Gwan, toss.'
"miably, (erry complied, throwing the ball at her partner. " second and a soft crack later, a white
missile was coming right at her face and she only barely evaded it by diving for the grass with a
startled yelp. $*ar888'
$0hoops.' *ar let the bat rest on her shoulder. $.orry about that.'
$:esus8' (erry got to her hands and knees, then stood up, brushing the grass of her. $0hat in the hell
was that+'
*ar actually looked mildly abashed. $7m2 $ .he shrugged her shoulders. $" hit+' .he walked over to
where (erry was. $*idnt mean to buzz you with it.' .he handed (erry the bat and trotted over to
where the ball had ended up, on the other side of the green space.
(erry recovered her breath and removed her glove, tossing it onto the bench and addressing her
attention to the wooden pole she now held in her hands.
It felt weird. .he wrapped her fingers around the handle and swung it. $,ow.' .he only )ust kept from
hitting herself in the knee. It was top heavy and awkward, and heavier than shed e&pected. .he
looked up as *ar came back with the ball. $.how me how you did that.'
%er partner came around behind her and pressed up against her back, wrapping her arms around
(erry and taking hold of the bat. $9kay, 5ow.'
.he paused, to reposition her hands, then became suddenly aware of (errys warm body, pressed
against hers. $7m2 now.' .he repeated, a bit bemused.
(erry leaned against her, tipping her head back and batting her eyelashes. $5ow what+' .he asked.
$*id you say something+'
It was an interestingly sensual moment, une&pected and public and *ar had to force herself not to do
what had become natural for both of them. Instead, she nibbled a bit of (errys hair and bumped her
with her nose. $*o you want to learn this or..'
$9r+' The green eyes took on a warm twinkle.
$9r do you want to get another homeowner complaint letter+' *ar reminded her. $Theres some guys
behind us driving a golf cart. 0ant to cause an accident+'
(erry sighed melodramatically. $9h, all right.' .he turned back around and focused on the bat again.
$5ow where were we+' .he felt *ar move her hands back. $9h.'
$9kay. .tand like this.' *ar nudged (errys feet apart a little. $%old your arms like this.' .he shifted
her grip and the bat lifted a bit. $5ow, the thing is, you cant look at the bat.'
$5o.' (erry agreed. $I have to look out for the ball, or Ill be taking the helmets off anyone in the
vicinity.' .he let *ar swing her arms through a stroke, twisting her body around to the right as she
imagined connecting with the ball. $6ight.'
*ar released her, and picked up the ball, then she walked twenty feet or so away and turned. $6eady+
0atch the ball.'
$0atching.' (erry focused on the ball intently, watching it as it left *ars hand and headed her way.
.he swung at it, but it didint connect and the force of her swing turned her all the way around and
made her sit down abruptly on her butt. $9w8'
.he looked !uickly up at her partner. *ars face had that stony e&pression she often used in
important board meetings when she didnt want everyone in the room to really know what she was
thinking. (erry accepted that as the compliment it was, and got to her feet. $Thanks for not cracking
up.'
The dark haired womans lips twitched.
(erry picked up another ball from the bucket and tossed it to her. $3mon. Its getting dark.' .he took
up her position again, gripping the bat tightly.
*ar tossed the ball at her, and she swung at it again, this time catching a small piece of the ball and
sending it ricocheting off the bench, nearly beaning herself in the kneecap with it. $,ow8'
$(er+'
$,es+' (erry peered over at her, a touch frustrated. $*ar, this is ridiculous. /ittle kids do this.'
$.top trying so damn hard.' %er partner told her. $:ust rela&.'
(erry put the bat end on the ground and wrapped her hands around the top of it, taking a deep
breath and letting it out. Twilight was coming on in earnest, and she had an abrupt desire to trade
the muggy, gnat filled air for the cool of the condo, leaving this odd and frustrating activity behind.
Immediately, then, she was ashamed of herself. $:erk.'
$(er+'
$5ot you.' (erry lifted the bat and faced her . $.orry, one more time+'
*ar waited, the ball held in her right hand, her left hand perched on her hip, watching (errys body
posture until she saw her partners shoulders drop )ust a bit, the muscles in the sides of her neck
rela&ing. Then she gently pitched the ball towards her, as (errys eyes tracked its progress, and then
she swung at it.
" soft crack split the gathering gloom, and *ar tipped her head back as the ball arched away from the
bat and up into the sky. $5ice8'
(erry blinked in surprise. $I hit it8'
*ar got herself under it and caught the ball as it fell. $,ep.' .he walked back over to where (erry was
standing and leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the lips. $,ou sure did.' There was relief in her
partners eyes, and she bumped against her lightly. $5ot bad for the first try.'
It was really almost stupid. (erry bumped *ar back. $,eah, not bad.' .he agreed. $Its harder than I
thought it would be though. Im glad we got some stuff to practice with.' .he tugged *ars shirt. $/ets
go chase down those balls.'
$.ounds good to me.' *ar collected both of their gloves and the bucket. $0e can play around the rest
of the week with this, before we travel.'
(erry walked along with her for a few steps. $I know no one e&pects us to be really great players.'
.he said. $But2 um2 I dont know, I )ust ..'
$0ant to win.' *ar finished her sentence.
$5o, its not really that.' (erry protested.
$,oure competitive as hell, (erry. 9f course you want to win.' *ar disagreed placidly. $Theres
nothing wrong with that.' .he collected the last ball and draped her arm around (errys shoulders as
they headed back towards the condo.
$,ou make me sound like a soccer dad.'
They both chuckled as they climbed the stairs up to the door. $Better than a soccer mom.' *ar said, as
they went inside. $I cant even imagine what that would be like.'
$If you had a mini van, itd have a machine gun turret.' (erry closed the door behind them, and
finally, had to laugh. $"nd a satellite dish.'
$"nd a beer keg for you.'
;;
(erry slowly opened her eyes, aware of the warmth of sun coming in the window on the bare skin of
her back. .he was curled up in the waterbed, the condo around her !uiet save for some muffled
sounds in the living room.
.he looked at the clock, then she yawned, and rolled over, reveling in the comfort, and the pretty
sunlight and working hard to ignore the fact shed have to get up soon and drive to the airport. $4eh.'
.he reviewed her schedule, glad shed packed the night before.
" morning flight had been an option. %owever, *ar had an afternoon flight out, and so shed decided
to match her partners itinerary so they could go to the airport together. .illy, really. They were on
separate airlines and different terminals but %ell, she wasnt looking to spend more time in Michigan
than she had to.
.o, a .aturday afternoon flight. (erry smiled. Theyd pack "ngie up on .unday and Monday and
probably Tuesday, shed do her speech on Monday night, so one more day of messing with her family,
then Thursday shed head out to #urope to meet *ar as part of the integration team for their new
agreement there.
5ot so bad, really. :ust a couple of days.
$%ey.'
(erry turned her head to see *ar standing in the doorway of the bedroom. $%ey.'
$.ure you dont want to change flights+'
(erry rolled her eyes in mock e&asperation. $*ar8 3ut that out8' .he pulled the covers back and got
out of bed. $,oure such a punk8'
*ar entered and intercepted her, putting her arms around (errys naked body and pulling her close
in a hug. $.orry. .he kneaded her partners neck. $I )ust hate the thought of you being in that state
and me being across an ocean.' .he said. $/ast couple rounds with your family werent much fun.'
(erry returned the hug, s!ueezing *ar so hard she could hear her bones creak. $Thanks.' .he
murmured. $*ont think that hasnt crossed my mind. Im glad Im going to help "ng, and I want to
spend a little time with her, but my hometown hasnt been a happy place for me for a very very long
time.'
$I know.' *ar rubbed her back. $.o dont kill me for wanting to kidnap you from that.'
(erry smiled. $I dont.' .he said. $Ill be okay, *ar. Im a big girl.'
*ar peered down at her. $5o youre not.'
$4unk.'
$.ometimes.' The dark haired woman agreed. $But youre my one and only. Im allowed.'
The casual confidence in *ars tone almost took (errys breath away. -or all the chaos of their recent
past, it had brought *ar a closure that was wholly une&pected and totally delightful. (erry had
always felt a sense of confidence in their relationship but there had always been that shadow of
uncertainty in her partner before.
5ot anymore. The change had taken her a little by surprise, but in a good way $,es, I am, and yes,
you are.' (erry agreed. $Thanks, hon.'
They released each other, and (erry continued on her path to the bathroom, removing a tshirt from
the hook behind the door and sliding it over her head. "s she brushed her teeth, she glanced at her
disheveled reflection, noting the slightly overlong bangs and the image of ,osemite .am flipping
everyone off plastered over her chest. $Maybe I can wear this to dinner with mom. ,ou think+' .he
watched her eyebrows hike. $,eah. Maybe not.'
.he finished up and wiped her lips with a tissue, the bathroom still feeling a little damp and scented
with apricot scrub from *ars shower. Then she headed for the kitchen, pausing to greet 3hino along
the way. $%ey, puppy. 0hats up+'
3hino presented her with a stuffed lamb and a hopeful e&pression. 9bligingly, (erry tossed it across
the living room, escaping into the kitchen as their pet retrieved the toy. $0hat are you doing+' .he
asked *ar, who was standing ne&t to the counter.
$Me+' *ar turned her head. $Making breakfast.' .he moved aside to display the fruits of her labor,
which had fruits, but little else in the way of solid nutrition.
(erry observed the platter, and sighed. $3heesecake.' .he said. $0ell, it has cheese in it. Thats
protein.'
$"nd strawberries.' *ar pointed.
$,ep.' (erry selected a strawberry half and popped it into her mouth. $,um.' .he slid around *ars
tall form and poured coffee into her cup, already resting on the counter. $"ctually, thats a perfect
thing for breakfast considering where Im going.'
$Me too.' *ar licked a bit of strawberry sauce off her fingers. $Its already almost dinnertime there.'
.he added. $But I figured having a beer with it would be pushing things.'
(erry paused in mid sip and looked at her. .he put the cup down. $%ow long are you going to be in
#urope before I get there+' .he in!uired, in a wry tone. $"ngies going to wonder why Im duct taping
her bo&es and throwing everything into the back of that pickup.'
$0hat pickup+' *ar in!uired, getting her own cup of coffee. $,our sister has a pickup truck+' %er
voice rose in disbelief.
$5o. I rented a pickup truck.' (errys eyes twinkled. $I figure I can pick my mother up for dinner in it
an start the trip off right.' .he picked up the plate of cheesecake and settled it onto the nearby
breakfast counter. $.it.'
*ar took the stool ne&t to her and they shared their breakfast in silence for a few minutes. Then *ar
sucked on her fork tines, and gave (erry a look. $0hat color pickup truck+'
$Bright red.'
$5ice.' *ar chuckled. $5ow I really wish I was going )ust to see that.' .he rested her head on her
hand, waiting for (erry to finish her cheesecake, content to merely watch the morning light bring out
the golden highlights in her partners hair.
$0ell..' (erry neatly cut a bit of cake and ate it, pausing to swallow before she continued. $I figured it
would be useful to move things, and its what they had. #ither than or a sedan and you know, I )ust
wasnt in to a sedan.'
$7h huh.' *ar murmured in sympathy. $(ind of like when I rented the motorcycle to drive to %F in
%ouston.'
(erry looked up and grinned. $#&actly.' .he said. $I know its really silly and a little )uvenile.' .he
admitted. $"nd I know my mother was really pretty cool about us the last time we were there, its )ust
that this time you wont be there and I dont want any crap from her. $
$Maybe she caught a clue from the last time.' *ar suggested. $"fter you told her off.'
$Mm.' (erry sipped her coffee. $Maybe.' .he conceded. $.hes been all right on the phone, its )ust that
she gets these family idea things and )ust doesnt understand where Im coming from.' .he went back
to finishing her breakfast, leaving *ar to study her in silence.
$,know.' *ar said, after a long enough pause to be awkward.
(erry put her fork down and wiped her lips neatly with a napkin. $I know.' %er lips twitched into a
reluctant smile. $I know that I was the one who was all over you to reconcile with your mother, and
did my damndest to aid and abet that by any means I could think of.'
*ars eyes warmed.
$But your mother didnt stand by while your father threw you in the looney bin, *ar.' (erry went on,
in a more serious tone. $"nd even though you had issues, they werent those kind of issues, were
they+'
*ar didnt immediately answer. .he sat !uietly for a few minutes, sipping the remainder of her coffee,
a thoughtful e&pression on her face while (erry finished up. $"t the time.' .he finally said, as (erry
stood to take the plates back over to the sink. $They felt like a lot worse issues.'
.he got up and took (errys cup, following her partner over to the counter. $But I was young, and
clueless, and looking back, yeah.' .he set the cups in the sink and gave (erry a kiss on the back of her
neck. $I didnt have those kind of problems.'
(erry waited. $But+' .he asked, after a pause.
$But nothing.' *ar reached around her to wash off the dishes, trapping her neatly. $Gonna show her
your tattoo+'
(erry chuckled, a low throaty sound as she wiped off the dishes as *ar washed them. $4ick her up for
dinner in my red pickup truck in a leather no strap bustier. %ows that+' .he smiled, her good humor
restored. $"ctually, Ill show it to my sister. .hell tell my mother because she cant keep her mouth
shut about stuff like that.'
$%ere we go with that sibling thing again.' *ar put the plates up and they walked back through the
living room, 3hino trotting behind them. $,ou want to grab a shower+ I threw the bags in the car
already.'
$.ure.' (erry stifled a yawn. $0hen are your folks due by+'
$.i&.' *ar said. $"ssuming dad doesnt cause chaos in Government 3ut again.'
$7h oh.'
;;
"irports generally sucked. (erry shouldered her carry on and eased her way through the crowded
terminal, assaulted on all sides by a loud volume of voices in many languages echoing off the terrazzo
floor. The Miami airport was large, sprawling, disorganized, and difficult to navigate at times around
the groups of travelers standing with what seemed like months worth of luggage.
.hed )ust left *ar by the International gates, their e&tended hug completely unnoticed by the surging
crowd as they parted and shed continued on to her domestic gate further down the concourse.
"nnouncements echoed overhead, but she let them bypass her as she got in line for the security
check and tried to pretend she wasnt bummed.
.he put her backpack on the belt, pulling her laptop out and placing it in a tray along with her
cellphone and her 4*". Then she watched it disappear into the Gray before she walked through the
portal as a bored looking guard waved her on. $Thanks.' .he picked her things up and restored the
laptop to its place, then she shouldered the bag and headed down a long, badly carpeted slope
towards the waiting area.
%er gate was crowded, apparently the flight before hers was late getting out. .o (erry bypassed it
and went to the small brewpub at the end of the terminal and claimed a seat, letting out a long breath
as she eased her pack to the floor.
$3an I get you something+' The bartender stopped by, glancing around the mostly empty space.
$"mber, and a plate of wings.' (erry answered, after reviewing her options. $Thanks.'
$5o problem.'
The bartender moved on, and she turned sideways in her high bar chair, resting her elbows on the
back and the bar top and hooking her feet on the rungs.
.he was bummed. (erry fle&ed her hand, rubbing the edge of her thumb against the ring on her
finger. .he wasnt really sure why, since she and *ar traveled independently on fre!uent occasion
and anyway, shed be flying to )oin her in a week.
It was )ust that she really wanted to get on *ars airplane and not her own, and that was sort of
pissing her off. $Thanks.' .he accepted the cold glass of beer from the bartender, and took a sip. %er
4*" alert light stuttered red, and she put the beer down and picked it up.
Hey. +hy the hell would they put a ,udweiser ,rew House in the international terminal?
(erry chuckled in refle& and typed out an answer. $re you in there? .he was glad of the distraction,
her unease calmed by this disassociated communication that had become their way of staying in each
others pockets when they were separated.
It was either that, ,ur!er *in!, or a heath food place. +hat do you think?
(erry thought that the fact theyd both ended up in the same bar in two different terminals was
pretty funny and also predictable, but she only chuckled and sent back a -njoy your win!s.
.ou too.
$5ow, why cant we both be having wings together+' (erry sighed. $"h well. .top being a )erk.' .he
reminded herself, taking another sip of her beer, and forcibly putting aside her gloom. The bartender
came back and deposited her plate of wings, and she nibbled on one, leaning back and watching as
her gate cleared itself of its crowd, and things around her started to settle down.
"fter a moment, she put her wing down, divested of its flesh, and licked her lips. $.hould have
packed that damn bustier.'
$Maam+' The bartender looked up from cleaning his glasses.
$:ust talking to myself.' (erry said. $,ou know us crazy travelers.'
$,eah.' The bartender eyed her, moving a little ways away to continue his cleaning. $%ave a great
trip.'
" loud sound made them both turn, looking out into the concourse to see a woman racing across the
carpet, her arms outstretched, her voice panicked as she chased a white chicken across the hall.
(erry watched the crowd dodge out of the way of the women and bird, then she turned and looked at
the bartender.
%e shrugged. $Its Miami.'
(erry picked up her beer and took a healthy swig, then she toasted the terminal. $Its Miami.'
;;
*ar climbed the spiral stairs up to the first class section of the big EHE, giving the flight attendant a
brief smile as she went down the aisle and put her briefcase in the overhead, settling into her seat
and leaning back to observe the space around her.
It was !uiet. Two other travelers had taken seats, on the other side of the plane from her but it didnt
look like the section was going to be very full. *ar was glad for that, even though she certainly had a
decent amount of space and a seat that reclined into a bed, still, she didnt like people crowding in all
around her.
0ell, e&cept for (erry.
$3an I bring you a water+' The flight attendant stopped by her. $9r perhaps a glass of wine+'
*ar considered, glancing up at the woman. $Got any milk+'
The womans eyelashes blinked. $,es of course.' .he rallied. $:ust one moment.'
$Thanks.' *ar watched her move off in search of her re!uested beverage. "fter a moment, she got up
and opened the overhead, rooting in her back for two magazines, then sitting back down and tucking
them into the pocket on the side of her seat.
-lying bored her. *ar folded her hands in her lap and studied the tops of her thumbs, wishing she
could )ust fall asleep and wake up on the other side of the world. 5o matter how comfortable her
seat, it still meant she had to stay relatively still for eight or nine hours and suffer the dry air and
incessant drone of the engines for all that time.
$%ere you go.' The flight attendant returned with a goblet of milk and a cocktail napkin, depositing
both in the tray ne&t to *ars right hand. $#n)oy.'
$Thanks.' *ar picked up the glass and sipped from it. %er tongue was still tingling a little from the
e&tremely spicy chicken wings, and the cool, rich milk both tasted and felt good in her mouth. .he got
halfway through it before her ears popped slightly, and the flight attendant came over the 4" system
announcing the door had been closed and everyone should get ready to leave.
*ar put her milk down and fastened her seat belt, noticing her 4*" flashing as she did so. 0ith a
glance to see where the flight attendant was, she opened it and peeked at the screen.
$' in the planes not workin!. 'an I take my shirt off?
*ar spent a pleasurable moment imaging her partner scandalizing the first class cabin in her short
haul )etliner, then she sighed. /nly if you !ive me a chance to pop the door on this one and come over to
watch. .he paused, then she sent it, closing the cover on the 4*" and folding her hands over it as the
flight attendant walked by checking that her seatbelt was fastened.
$5ice and !uiet tonight.' The woman said, gazing at her three passengers. $It will be good flight.'
*ar had to admit being pretty much alone in the upper cabin with no one ne&t to her and a lack of
noise and people would be very nice. $#asy for you.' .he said, with a smile for the flight attendant.
The woman inclined her head in agreement, then she went to the service area, and busied herself
getting ready for takeoff.
*ar went back to her 4*", which was, in fact, flashing again. .he opened it up. +aaa00 &heres a
bi!mouthed salesman with more !old rin!s than a carnival yellin! on his cell phone in here0
*ar winced, having been there, and done that. Put in your earplu!s. .he advised ee? &oldja you
should have come with me. Its almost empty on my fli!ht.
Punk0000000 (erry answered back immediately. 1ust wait till I catch up to you in -urope youre toast0
The plane started to move, pushing back from the gate, and the bright lights in the cabin dimmed as
the late afternoon sunlight poured in the windows. *ar scribbled an answer for several minutes, long
enough for them to ta&i out to the runway, and pause, waiting for permission to take off.
"s the engines spooled up, *ar finished and sent the message, tucking the stylus away and putting
the 4*" in her pocked as the sound rose around her and gravity shoved her back into her seat. .he
laced her fingers together and closed her eyes, willing the plane into the air and the trip to begin.
.he hoped (errys flight would end on a better note than it had started on.
;;
(erry folded her hands together with her 4*" between them, e&changing a brief smile with the
harried looking flight attendant at the front of the plane. The clammy, hot air wafted over her, over
ripe with perfume, sweat, and aviation kerosene. $%ell isnt fire and brimstone.' .he mused. $Its a
perpetual ECE on a hot tropical afternoon.'
$Maam+' The flight attendant bent over her. $3an I get you something+'
$Ice cream. Ill share with you.' (erry suggested. $9r how about a pina colada.'
$9h honey.' The woman sighed, giving (erry a pat on the shoulder. $*ont I wish. Give me a few
minutes and Ill see if we have anything cold in the back, okay+'
$Thanks.' (erry took a deep breath, and e&haled, hoping they got the air conditioning issue fi&ed
before they started flying to Michigan. .he could hear screaming children behind her, and far from
resenting them, she found herself in sympathy with their frustration and almost let out a s!uawk of
her own before she recalled her upbringing and merely sighed instead.
%er 4*" flashed. .he eagerly flipped the lid up and tilted her head to read the message, her eyes
slowly traveling across the words and then down to the ne&t line in what was for *ar a very long
note.
I !ot stuck on an airplane like that once. I had just started travelin! for the company and I was on this
late ni!ht fli!ht to Pittsbur!h with a load of hi!h school !irls !oin! to a cheerleadin! convention.
"t this point, (erry had to stop, and put her hand up to cover her mouth, stifling a giggle. $9h my gosh
there are so many things going through my imagination right now.'
.he knew her beloved partner hadnt been the most patient person in her younger years. .he could
picture *ar slumped in her seat, scowling at the girls with that dour glare and those narrowed blue
eyes.
&hey would not shut up the whole damn fli!ht. ,y the time we were close to landin! the crew, the rest of
the passen!ers, me, and even the co pilot were ready to open the door at altitude and let the little
nitwads !et sucked ri!ht out of the damn airplane.
(erry tried to imagine the scene. Then she grimaced a little, as a brief memory of being a high school
student on the way to 0ashington for a class trip made her blush.
I finally stood up and yelled there was a rat between the seats. &hey all took off for the back of the plane
and the damn fli!ht attendant nearly kissed me.
(erry blinked. $0as it a guy or a girl+' .he muttered.
$fter that, I fi!ured out how to hack into the airline database and find out who else was on the fli!ht
before I booked it.
$,ou little hacker.' The blond woman chuckled, shaking her head.
+ere outta here. &alk to you in ei!ht hours or so. I(.. )).
(erry e&tended her denim covered legs and crossed her ankles, resting her elbows on the arms of her
seat as the crew struggled to get the last of the unwilling passengers onboard and deal with the
environmental annoyances.
$"re we going to have to suffer like this the whole flight88++' " woman standing in the aisle asked,
loudly. $This is unacceptable888 I paid good money for this damn ticket8'
0hat, (erry wondered, constituted bad money+ *id the woman think anyone on the plane had )ust
walked on for free+ .he rested her head on her hand and tried to block the noise out, flinching as the
woman slammed the back of her seat in the middle of her tirade.
$Maam, please sit down. Theyre working on the problem. ,elling about it doesnt help.' The flight
attendant came forward and force the woman to take a step back. $"nd please stop banging the seats.
4eople are sitting in them.'
(erry looked up at her with a grateful smile.
$%orrible airline8' The woman said, but she retreated to the back part of the plane, grumbling loudly
all the way. $Ill sue8'
The flight attendant sighed. $Boy its going to be a long flight.' .he turned and looked at the people in
the small first class section at the front of the plane. $0ere about to close the door, ladies and
gentlemen. 9nce we get up at altitude, we can ad)ust the temperature so its more comfortable.' .he
went on down the aisle, looking right and left as one of her co workers accepted a sheaf of paperwork
and helped the airport workers close the front door.
9n one hand, that meant they were leaving. 9n the other, without even the little air that was getting
in from the )etway, the heat started building and (erry felt herself start to sweat under her light
cotton shirt.
$%ere you go.' The flight attendant reappeared suddenly, handing (erry a glass. $I didnt forget about
you.'
$Thanks.' (erry said, glancing at her name tag. $"nn.' .he met the womans eyes. $I really appreciate
it, and I appreciate you getting that woman to stop whacking my seat.'
The woman smiled at her. $5o problem, Ms. .tuart. :ust be patient, well try to get going as soon as we
can.'
.he was about to move on, but (erry held her hand up. $%ow did you know my name+' .he asked,
curiously. $%ave we met+'
"nn chuckled. $5o, maam, your boss called and gave us a few special re!uests for you, /ike that. $.he
indicated the glass. $It must be nice to have your company value you like that, I have to say.'
(erry glanced at the glass, which she realized was full of chocolate milk. $"h.' .he murmured. $My
boss.' .he looked up at the woman. $,ou know, I love my boss.'
$0ish I did.' The flight attendant chuckled, and patted her on the shoulder. .he moved off down the
aisle leaving (erry to ponder her une&pected gift.
.he sipped the milk, finding it cold, and very chocolatey. The annoyance of the heat faded a little, as
she focused her thought on *ar, the little bit of thoughtfulness making her feel )ust a tiny bit giddy
inside. It wasnt at all unusual, they both tended to do soppy little things for each other, but for *ar to
do it in such a public way was somewhat new.
5ice.
.he wondered what else she had in store, suspecting perhaps shed even be spared either chicken
-lorentine or three cheese vegetable lasagna for dinner.
%ot planes, screaming women, and her mother notwithstanding, life was good. (erry smiled. /ife
was very good indeed.
;;
(erry flicked the high beams on for a brief moment, before she returned the lights to their usual
position and settled back in her seat. The -ord 6anger pickup truck handled better than shed
anticipated, not really that much different from her /e&us to cause her any an&iety as she traveled
down a reluctantly remembered road.
It was in the mid fifties, cool enough for her to have dug her sweatshirt out of her bag, but
comfortable as she walked to the car rental lot and picked up her buggy.
"head of her lay the bland drive to "ngies house. .he turned on the radio, punching the buttons and
finding a station she could listen to, then turning the sound down a little as her cell phone rang. .he
checked the caller id, then she keyed the speakerphone. $%ey "ng.'
$%ey.' %er sisters voice emerged from the speaker. $0here are you+'
$"bout twenty minutes out.' (erry responded. $5eed anything+'
$5ah, were good.' "ngie said. $"ndrews sleeping tight. Im looking forward to hanging out with my
sister.'
(erry smiled. $,eah, its been a while.' .he admitted. $Glad I made it up here.'
$Me too.' "ngie said, her voice warm. $.o much has gone on the last year its hard to take in
sometimes. "nyway, let me let you off the line, sis. .ee ya in IA.'
$.ee ya.' (erry hung up the phone and turned up the radio. 5ow that she was here, she was glad to be
getting a chance to spend a little time with "ngie, and her brother Michael said hed be over to Dhelp
too.
5ot that (erry had any illusions that Michael would do so much as pick up a book to put in a bo&, but
she was looking forward to seeing him anyway. There were parts of him that she understood so
much better now.
There were parts of herself she was starting to understand a lot better now. (erry smiled, and
shifted her hands on the wheel, her eye catching the faint reflection of the streetlights on her ring.
The visit might turn out to be interesting after all.
.he let the miles slip by until it was time to turn off the main road, and onto the sloping one that led
up a gentle hill to the house her sister had until recently shared with her e& husband 6ichard who
had sued her for divorce upon finding out her second child wasnt his.
-inding out her sister was an adulterer was almost as surprising to (erry as finding out her sister
was sleeping with the man (erry had been supposed to marry. 0hile finding out (erry was gay had
apparently been no surprise at all to "ngie, who had seemingly known it all along.
/ife was funny, that way. (erry chuckled under her breath as she pulled into the stately, curved
driveway of the house her sister lived in, seeing "ngies Mercedes parked along the front curb. 0ith
a grin, she parked her little red pickup right behind it, shutting the engine off and opening the door.
.he drew in a breath of air, then paused, aware of the scent of pine and honeysuckle so completely
different from her adopted southern home. It tasted strange on the back of her tongue, and she had
to shake her head as she closed the drivers side door and opened the e&tended cab door to retrieve
her bag.
9ne of her bags, anyway. .he shouldered the overnighter, leaving her suit bag inside and circled the
truck as the door to the house opened and she spotted her sisters outline in the light streaming out
of it. $%ey.'
"ngie emerged from the house and stood on the porch as (erry walked up the sloping path. $%ey
stranger.' .he held her arms out and greeted (erry with a hug, which her older sister returned
promptly. $3mon inside.'
"ngie was taller than (erry was, and she had dark hair and their mothers hazel eyes. #ven though
(erry was the elder of them, "ngies conservatively coiffed hair and clothing made the opposite seem
true.
They entered the house, the hallway brightly lit and smelling of wood wa& and chocolate. "ngie shut
the door behind them, and )oined (erry as they walked across the marble tile. $#lana, can you take
this, please+' "ngie addressed a middle aged woman in a neat uniform standing nearby. $,ou
remember my sister (errison, dont you+'
$,es maam, I sure do.' #lana took (errys bag. $0elcome back, Miss (erry.' %er face was mild and
there was no hint of either approval or disapproval at this invasion by their families blond haired
black sheep.
(erry felt her nostrils flare, but she smiled anyway. $Thanks #lana. 5ice to see you again.' .he
watched the woman leave, then she turned to her sister. $%i.'
$%i.' "ngie responded agreeably, stepping back and looking her over head to toe. $,ou look great.'
.he said. $"nd its really good to see you.' .he added, with a grin. $-eels like its been way too long.'
(erry grinned. $6ight back at you.' .he said. $Got a cup of something hot around+ Its been a long
day.'
$"bsolutely, cmon.' "ngie led the way back into the large kitchen. .he was dressed in a pair of slacks
and a red pullover, casually elegant and a definite contrast to (errys worn )eans and sweatshirt. $*id
you have a decent flight at least+'
$#h.' (erry took one of the seats around the kitchen table, everything around her clean and spotless,
but in some disarray due to the impending move. $5o "3 on the way up.'
$7gh.' "ngie brought an already prepared tray over. It had two cups on it, and a plate of chocolate
cookies. .he set it down and sat down across from her sister. $%ows *ar+' .he watched (errys face,
seeing her e&pression shift into a grin as warmth erupted into her eyes at the !uestion.
$Great.' (erry responded. $0e both had flights out today. .hes on her way to #ngland.' .he picked
up her cup and sipped from it. $Mm.'
$*id I get it right+' "ngies eyes twinkled. $,ou havent stopped being a chocolate addict, have you+'
$5ope.' (erry rela&ed, leaning back in the chair and resting her elbows on the arms as she cradled
the cup in her hands. $*ar and I both are. Its hopeless.' .he admitted. $Ive given up worrying about
it I figure if Im going go to %ell, might as well en)oy it.'
"ngie laughed. $(erry, youre not going to %ell.' .he said. $,ou look fantastic. /ast time I saw you it
was such a stress fest I was worried about you but looks like you bounced back )ust fine.'
.tress fest. Mild way of putting it. $,eah.' (erry remembered how shed felt coming back from
Michigan the last time, and long it had taken her to throw off the effects. $I felt like crap when I got
home. They almost had to put me in the hospital for my blood pressure.'
"ngies eyes opened wide. $0hat+' .he leaned forward. $"re you kidding me+'
%er sister shook her head.
$(er, thats awful. "re you taking anything for that+' "ngie looked concerned. $Thats not anything to
)oke about, you know+'
$I know.' (erry said. $But no, Ive got it under control. I cut down on my salt, and we went out on the
boat for a week to chill out. *id wonders.' .he sidestepped the issue. $0e went down to the
3aribbean and got involved with pirates. It was crazy.'
$4irates8'
$0ell, we cant )ust have normal vacations, you know+ *ar and I could walk to the grocery store and
wed end up causing a riot without meaning to.' (erry chuckled. $0e have the damnedest stuff
happen to us. "nyway, so whats up with you+' .he regarded her sister. $Glad youre moving+'
"ngie gazed shrewdly at her for a moment, then allowed herself to be sidetracked. $I am.' .he
admitted. $I dont really feel bad about what happened with 6ichard, you know+ It was my choice and
I knew what could happen. "t least we ended up with split custody of .ally.'
$Mm.' (erry selected a cookie from the plate and nibbled on it.
$Thats a lot of why I decided to move in with mom.' "ngie studied her cup. $Its )ust easier.'
(erry understood that. .he remembered being both elated, and scared when shed moved out ? after
so many years of having everything in her life taken care of for her and provided without !uestion.
$,eah, I know what you mean.' .he agreed.
$5o you dont.' "ngie burst into laughter. $,ou never did anything the easy way the entire time Ive
known you.'
(erry had to grin at that and raise her cup in her sisters direction in acknowledgement of the truth.
$Touche.' .he admitted. $The only easy thing Ive ever really done was fall in love with *ar. That was
fast and painless. #verything else2 eh.' .he shrugged her shoulders. $I dont think Id change
anything though.'
$I bet you wouldnt.' "ngie agreed. $"nyway, thanks for coming up to give me a hand packing all this
stuff up. I really need help deciding what to get rid of. I didnt think I was a packrat until I started
looking in the closets here.'
(erry finished her hot chocolate and dusted the cookie crumbs off her fingers. $I got off sort of lucky.
.he said. $0hen I moved in with *ar, it was over a couple months so I moved stuff a little at a time. I
still think Ive got like three times the )unk she does though.'
$5ot a keeper+'
The green eyes twinkled. $.hes definitely a keeper, she )ust doesnt collect friviously.'
$"hh.' "ngie stood up. $3mon, lets get you settled in.' .he waited for (erry to )oin her and they
walked through the hall, their footsteps echoing against the marble as they got to the wide, wood
tread stairs and climbed upward. $I wont miss these stairs.'
(erry felt the slight strain as she climbed. $Theyre steeper than moms.' .he noted. $I think youve
got higher ceilings.'
$,es. 6ichards point of pride.' "ngies voice took on a sharper note. $%e made a point of mentioning
that whenever he could.'
(erry rolled her eyes. $.orry "ng, hes an ass.' .he said. $The only thing he had going for him was our
father liked him, and that should have told you something right there.' .he looked around as they got
to the I
nd
floor, trying to remember if shed ever really paid attention to the inside of her sisters
house before.
$0ell.' "ngie sighed. $I was )ust glad to get past that whole approval thing. Im not a renegade like
you are.'
6enegade. (erry pondered that title as "ngie led her over to an open door, and they entered a nicely
proportioned, robins egg blue room with a canopied bed and a bay window. $I dont think I ever
thought of myself like that.'
$0e did.' "ngie went over to a rocking chair in the room and sat down on its padded surface. $Mike
and me, anyway. #specially when we got older.'
(erry went to her bag, which was resting on a low bench near the window. .he unzipped the top of
the leather case and removed her sundry kit and a long tshirt, setting it down on the bench before
she pulled her sweatshirt off and folded it. $I dont think I felt like a renegade until I told our father
about *ar.' .he turned and faced "ngie. $That night is when I crossed the line between being a
passive aggressive milktoast and being my own person.'
"ngie slowly nodded.
$7ntil then, I was trying to have it both ways.' (erry put her hands on her hips. $,ou cant, you
know+'
$I know.' %er sister sighed. $But thats why youre different than we are, (er. I was )ust grateful he
was already dead before 6ichard filed for divorce. I cant take that. I cant handle being that strong.'
(erry came over to sit on the edge of the bed. $%ows Brian doing+'
"ngies e&pression grew wry. $.cared spitless to see you.' .he confessed. $(er, hes )ust not ready to
settle down. Im not sure Im even mad at him, or.. $ %er lips pursed. $That I even want to be in a
relationship right now.'
It was (errys turn to shrewdly study her sisters face. .he half suspected "ngie really )ust wanted to
keep the peace over the days she was there, but after all, it was her relationship wasnt it+ Maybe
"ngie really wasnt ready to rush into anything, much less force Brian to.
(erry could respect that. #ven if it was a farce for her benefit. $0hatever makes you happy, sis.' .he
said. $Im the last person on earth to preach conformity, remember+' .he straightened and reached
down to grab the hem of her tshirt and pull it up and over her head. $.peaking of which, let me get
this out of the way.'
$0hat are you..oh my god8' "ngie bolted upright in her chair. $"re you kidding me+ Is that really a
tattoo+'
(erry let the shirt rest on her denim covered knees and glanced at her chest. .he drew her bra strap
aside a little to give a better view of her artwork. $,ep.'
$%ow could you do that+' %er sister got up and came closer to see. $9h my god, (erry.'
(erry studied her face with some interest, not e&pecting her sister to be as shocked as she obviously
was. $"re you freaked out+'
"ngie looked up from e&amining the design on (errys chest, the colors standing out in muted
brilliance against her tan. $I cant believe you did this.' .he said. $(erry, what were you thinking8'
0hat was I thinking+ (erry looked at the tattoo, then back up at her sister. $I was thinking that I
wanted something I felt so strongly about to be visible on the outside of me like it was on the inside.'
.he said. $Talks cheap. Tattoos are e&pensive and painful.'
"ngie sat down ne&t to her on the bed, still studying (errys skin. $0ow.' .he finally murmured.
$0ell, its beautiful, at any rate. 0hat did *ar say+'
$5othing.'
$5othing+' "ngies brows shot up.
(erry shook her head. $.he )ust started crying. .he didnt have to say anything.' .he rested her
elbows on her thighs. $It was worth the pain.'
%er sister sighed. $0ow.' .he repeated. $I really didnt think youd do something like that.'
(erry felt obscurely satisfied, at shocking her sister. "ngie seemed to take anything and everything
she did in stride, so it was oddly nice to provide her with a truly radical change she hadnt
anticipated. $0ell, I love it. " couple of days after I got it I wore a strapless gown to 6adio 3ity in 5ew
,ork and it felt great8'
"ngie covered her eyes. $9h my god.'
$Maybe I can talk you into one. $
"ngie got up and retreated to the door. $Go to sleep.' .he suggested, as she escaped from her
surprisingly dangerous sibling. $,ou obviously need the rest if you think Id get anywhere near some
guy with a bunch of needles.'
$5ight.' (erry chuckled, as she disappeared, leaving her in splendid isolation in her pretty room with
her colorful tattoo. .he got up and took her )eans off, tossing them over her bag as she put her sleep
shirt on. $I knew I should have brought that damn bustier.'
;;
$*ar8'
%earing her name, *ar turned from signing her registration card and spotted a familiar figure moving
towards her. $Morning, "lastair.' .he turned and met his outstretched hand with her own. $Good
flight+'
$5ot bad.' The 3#9 of I/., *ars boss, was dressed in what was for him an astonishingly casual pair of
courderoys and a chain knit pullover sweater. $,ours+'
$*ecent.' *ar put her corporate credit card back in her wallet and returned that to her )eans pocket.
$" little rough leaving, but I got some sleep.' .he looked around at the stately confines of the hotel,
its tall ceilings and anti!ue furniture giving an air of a well kept castle to the lobby she was sure was
!uite intentional. $This is fun.'
$%ave you had breakfast+' "lastair asked. $Theyve got a nice )oint in here for that, or so Im told by
the locals.'
*ar handed over her bag to a !uietly waiting bellman. $/ead on.' .he told "lastair. $/ast thing I had
was cookies on the plane.' .he followed her boss through the lobby and into a mahogany trimmed
dining room, giving the host a brief smile as he picked up two menus and motioned for them to move
on.
It was )ust nine "M, and the room was reasonably full of well dressed men and women en)oying their
breakfasts amidst the soft tinkle of china and the hum of !uite conversation.
$If its any consolation, the trip from %ouston wasnt any better, )ust a couple hours longer.' "laistair
commiserated with her. $I gotta tell you, even in first class these days its like being back in the
school cafeteria sometimes. 0hat in the hell are we paying all that damn money for+'
$/egroom.' *ar answered succinctly. $-or me its worth it even if it was on my dime.'
%er boss turned and regarded her length, *ars head topping his by a few inches, and lifted one hand
in concession. $4oint taken.' %e smiled. $"nd even if you were two feet shorter itd be worth it to lose
the aggravation. 0e get enough of that as it is.'
The host led them to their table, and gestured for them to sit, giving them both a !uite smile as they
eased past. $#n)oy your breakfasts.'
*ar settled into a comfortable chair at a table for four across from "lastair, and leaned on one arm of
it as she studied the menu. $-unny how this all worked out, huh+'
$-unny+' "lastair glanced around, and lowered his voice. $/ady, Ive seen a lot of pulling furry
woodland animals out of ones ass before, but this has to be the best one ever.' %e removed his
reading glasses as a waiter came by and stood ne&t to the table diffidently. $3ould I get a couple of
poached eggs and toast with some coffee, please+'
$.ir, of course.' The man said, turning to *ar. $Madame+'
"lastair winced in refle& as *ar looked up, but his often tempestuous employee merely folded her
menu shut and put it down on the table.
$#ggs over easy, sausage, and potatoes.' *ar said. $"nd coffee.'
The waiter nodded and left.
*ar turned her attention back to her boss. $"nyone else )oining us for this+'
$*avid and -rancois.' "lastair responded. $Theyre due in tonight, said theyd )oin us for dinner.
Meetings at ten tomorrow morning+'
$Ten.' *ar confirmed, as the waiter returned with a pair of cups, a sugar caddy, and a silver pot of
coffee. .he waited for the man to pour out the beverage and leave, before she continued. $%ans said
hed )oin us tonight too, so we can touch base.'
$/ucky meeting the two of you, eh+' "lastair sipped his coffee. $.ometimes I think the gods of
commerce have a crush on you, *ar. Things happen around you that are damned unpredictable.' %e
smiled at *ar. $"nd always to our advantage.'
*ar shrugged. $This was a tough one.' .he admitted. $I didnt think we were going to get a damn thing
other than a black eye out of it, to be honest. $It really was )ust dumb luck this time.'
$Ill take it.' "lastair leaned back and folded his hands on the table. $But it wasnt dumb luck for you
to come up with a pitch and an end around using that new contact, *ar. That was good thinking, no
matter how it worked out.'
$.eat of my pants.' %is 3I9 disagreed. $I )ust couldnt let it go. 3ouldnt let them win after all that crap.
Bastards. Theyre lucky I wasnt here when those ships got in or Id have found that )ackass and
smacked him.'
"lastair regarded his companion with a look of healthy respect. *ar had a sharp intellect, a lot of
business sense, and an iron will but behind it all he knew was a potent temper and though she was a
woman, and a nerd, and not crazy there was a danger about her he recognized.
5ot entirely safe. But he knew it was a tradeoff hed decided to pay when he chose to take advantage
of that intelligence and take the risk on the rest. .o far, it had paid off in spades. $%ell, *ar. If Id have
seen the little creep Id have probably kicked him.' %e said. $Gave me indigestion for weeks.'
They made small talk until the waiter returned with two steaming plates, which he put down in front
of them. $Is there anything else I can get for you+'
$5othing for me.' *ar picked up her fork. $Thanks.'
$More coffee here.' "lastair said. $%ey, *ar, did I hear right that you were going to hire that gal from
.ynergenics+ 0hats her name, Graver+'
$Thinking about it.' *ar neatly cut her sausage patty into s!uares and ate them.
"lastair fiddled with his eggs for a moment. $Isnt she the one who sent me those pictures+'
$7h huh.'
I/.s 3#9 paused to study his dining companion. *ar was munching on a mouthful of sausage, gazing
back at him with those big blue eyes so full of completely fake innocence. Though his 3I9 had a
mercurial temperament, hed discovered she also had an une&pected 4uckish side that had emerged
in the last year or so. $"h huh.'
$3ant beat em, buy em+' *ar finished her sausage and started on her potatoes. $5ah, Michelles
pretty sharp, and we banged heads enough over the ship disaster to get her viewpoint changed.' .he
chased her mouthful down with a sip of coffee. $0ell see if she bites.'
"lastair wisely decided to simply nod in response and change the sub)ect. $Thats a nice ring.' %e
commented, stifling a smile as *ars hand stopped in midmotion, and her already sun darkened skin
darkened )ust a shade further. $*ont think I noticed it before.'
$Ive had it for a while.' *ar recovered her composure from the une&pected !uestion. $6emember
that damn disaster up in 3harlotte+ 0hen we lost the network+'
%er boss made a whining, groaning sound.
$,eah, well, we took a few days off after that up in the mountains and got engaged.' *ar paused and
thought about that, then she chuckled and shook her head. $#ver been in /ondon before, "lastair+'
Bemused, he cleared his throat before answering. $.ure, once or twice. 0e had a few international
board meetings here. :ust a day up and back. ,ou know.' %e dipped his toast into his eggs and took a
bite of it. $0hy+'
$0ant to go do one of those double decker bus tours+' *ar asked. $Ive never been here but I dont
feel like walking around all day.'
"lastair blinked at her. $0h.. ah, you mean us+ ,ou and I+'
*ar looked around. $0as there someone else here you think I was talking to+ %ow often do I get to
hang out with you+'
%er boss stared at her for a long moment. $0ell, absolutely, *ar.' %e finally said. $Id love to. The
missus always dings me for not seeing a damn thing when I travel. /ast thing I brought her back was
a bottle of )alapeno )elly from Ti)uana and let me tell you she didnt much appreciate it.'
$Great.' *ar returned her concentration to her eggs. $(eep me from falling asleep and screwing up
my body clock too.'
$Isnt that the truth. $"lastair agreed. $Isnt that )ust the absolute truth.'
;;
(erry brushed her teeth, leaning on the marble sink as she regarded her reflection in the mirror. It
was early. The sun was )ust rising outside, and she was glad that she hadnt overslept since they had a
lot to do and she really had no desire to get kidded about sleeping in.
.he finished up in the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom, rolling up the sleeves on her
tshirt as she crossed to the window and looked outside. The slope "ngie lived on gave her a view of
/ake Michigan in the distance and it brought back memories to her of her childhood.
5ot altogether bad ones, really. (erry had to admit as she watched a flock of birds wing towards the
huge body of water. .he decided to take time out for a walk down to the lake before she left, wanting
to recover a few of those better times from the place shed spent most of her life.
%er 4*" beeped softly, and she turned and picked it up, flipping the top open to find a message from
*ar waiting for her. $%ey honey8' .he tapped the message, bending her head to read it.
Hey *er.
)amn, I miss you.
(errys eyes closed briefly, and she smiled.
I just had a decent breakfast with $lastair and talked him into !oin! si!htseein! with me. I think I
freaked him out askin!.
(erry snickered.
o were !oin! to !rab one of those buses and !o see the si!hts. +ant anythin!?
$,ou.' (erry answered. .he pulled out her stylus and scribbled an answer, checking the time of the
message and seeing a few hours had passed.
Hey sweetie0 Hows the si!htseein! !oin!? I just !ot up and found your messa!e waitin!. &ell $lastair I
said hello, and dont do any shoppin! until I !et there0 Have fun. Its !oin! pretty !ood here e2cept I
think I freaked $n!ie out with my tat.
.he tapped the stylus against her chin.
%aybe you could come up here with me sometime and we can stay by the lake and !o sailin!. $side from
my family its not really so bad.
*
" soft knock came at the door, and she turned. $,eah+' .he closed the 4*" cover and stuck the device
in the mid leg pocket of her carpenters pants
The door opened, and "ngies head poked inside. $%ey, you up+'
$Believe it or not.' (erry turned and walked towards the door. $I am.' .he smiled at her sister.
$6eady for breakfast+'
$/ets go.' "ngie opened the door all the way to let (erry out. $Those are cute pants.' .he studied her
sisters clothing. $They look comfortable.'
$They are.' (erry agreed, as she followed "ngie down the hallway. $%ows "ndrew+ %e up+'
$*ownstairs waiting on us. ,ou dont catch him missing a meal.' "ngie chuckled as they walked down
the stairs together. Today she herself was dressed more casually in deference to their impending
packing, a pair of sweatpants and a cotton shirt and she had her hair pulled back into a tail as well.
$"h, we must be related.' (erry smiled easily as they reached the bottom of the steps and headed into
the kitchen. $/ooks like its going to be a rainy one outside, perfect day for packing.' .he looked
around as the entered and spotted her nephew in his highchair, and diverted immediately to head in
his direction. $%ey cutie8'
"ndrew looked up from his tray, his eyes opening wide at this new distraction. %e pointed at (erry
with his spoon and gurgled, his head tipping back to follow her as she approached. $Gah8'
(erry crouched down ne&t to the high chair and offered him a finger to s!ueeze, his dark cap of hair
and blue eyes making her smile. $0hat are you up to, little man+' .he in!uired. $Is that good stuff
there+'
"ngie motioned for the !uietly waiting cook to put their food down, and she took a seat on one side of
the table, watching her sister with a indulgent smile. $,oure a natural with kids.' .he observed, as
her son giggled in delight, dropping his spoon and slapping at his aunts wiggling fingers.
(erry looked up from playing patty cake with the baby. $%es adorable.' .he said, then turned back to
the chair as the cook came back with two plates. $Tell you what, Tiger, lets both eat, then we can play
some more, okay+'
.he got to her feet and ruffled "ndrews hair, then she )oined her sister at the table, taking a seat and
putting the crisply pressed linen napkin over her lap. $I love kids.' .he said, as she picked up her
fork. $/ong as they arent mine.'
"ngie cut off a bit of her egg white omelette and put it on her toast. $6eally+'
$,up.' (erry tasted a bit of the egg, finding it as bland as shed feared. $Tell you what.' .he said. $Ill
do all the heavy lifting today but you have to let me cook breakfast tomorrow.'
%er sister chuckled. $I forgot to warn them we had a chow hound descending on us.' .he said. $,ou
still do the cooking down in Miami+'
$.ure.' (erry got up and went to the sideboard, evading the cooks belated attempt to intercept her
and using the container of milk meant for the coffee to provide her with a glassful instead. $*ar
doesnt mind cooking, but when she does, we either get something scientifically bizarre or like
breakfast the other morning. .he sat down with her milk. $.trawberry cheesecake.'
$,ikes.' "ngie watched her sister tear into her breakfast with some bemusement. $.o you dont want
kids+ %ave you talked to *ar about it+'
(erry looked across the table, for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly.
$9o.' "ngie waved a fork at her. $.orry. *idnt mean to piss you off. I was )ust asking.'
"fter a moment, (erry rela&ed, and she gave her sister an apologetic look. $.orry.' .he said. $7sually
people who ask me invasive personal !uestions dont have any good reason to.' .he admitted. $*ar
and I have talked about it, sure.'
$"h.'
$*ar thinks she doesnt have the patience for it.' (erry said, after a pause. $I, on the other hand, know
damn well I dont have the patience for it, and I )ust dont want to be a parent.' .he went back to her
plate. DIt may sound selfish, but I like my life the way it is, and I like the freedom of being able to go
and do what I want to do when we want to do it.'
$I dont blame you.' "ngie inter)ected mildly. $I was )ust curious (er, because you really seem to like
kids, thats all. ,ou always said you never wanted to end up a soccer mom.'
0hich was true. $0e have a dog.' (erry said. $Thats enough for us, though I do have to admit I once
told *ar she had to have kids so the gene pool wouldnt lose out on hers.' .he paused as she heard a
beep from her pocket. $.peaking of.' .he pulled the 4*" out and opened it. $I have no desire to
perpetuate mine.'
"ngie motioned for more coffee, prudently letting the sub)ect drop. %er sister had, without a doubt,
certainly grown up a lot in the last couple of years and taken on more than a hint of the steely will
"ngie remembered all too well from their father.
*efinitely not the time to bring that up either.
;;
$,ou know, *ar.' "lastair politely held the door open for his 3I9 as they reJentered the hotel. $I have
to say, going to mediaval torture show in the Tower of /ondon with you has to be one of the most
uni!ue e&periences Ive ever had.'
$Glad you en)oyed it.' *ar strolled into the lobby, a bag slung over her shoulder and a rela&ed grin on
her face. $Gonna hang that flail up in your office+'
$#rm..'
$Tell everyone I gave it to you.' *ar cheerfully suggested. $Thatll stop people in their tracks.'
"lastair looked at her sideways for a long moment, then he burst out laughing. $*o you have any idea
what my wife would say+'
$0heres mine+' *ar bantered right back. $%ey, it beats a )ar of )alapeno )elly.'
%er boss clucked his tongue and shook his head. $I can see this trip is going to get me in a world of
trouble.' %e sighed, as they walked through the lobby to the elevators, entering one of the narrow,
woodlined cars and pressing the old fashioned round button for the top floor.
*ar leaned against the back wall of the lift and folded her arms over her chest, watching the floor
indicator rise slowly. $0hat time are we doing dinner+' .he asked. $"re they late or early here, I
forget.'
"lastair folded his hands in front of him, his back against the side wall. $#arly, I think.' %e said. $I
think were set to meet at seven. Theyve got a car arranged to take us somewhere or other.' %e
glanced sideways at *ar. $"nything you dont care to eat+ Im not sure what they have in mind.'
$1egetables.' *ar said, succinctly. $"nything else Im all right with. I want to check in with the office,
and get a shower, so seven sounds fine.' .he stifled a yawn with one hand, as the doors opened. -or
a moment, neither of them moved, then *ar gave her boss a wry look and e&ited the lift. $.orry.'
$5ot into the old courtesies, *ar+' "lastair chuckled.
$Im usually the one holding the door.' %is 3I9 admitted. $/earned it from my dad.'
$Me too.' The older man agreed cheerfully. $%e was a proper .outhern gentleman who brought his
sons up to be courteous to ladies, and respectful to men even if you didnt like em.'
*ar grinned. $My fathers .outhern also, but he played by a little different rules.' .he admitted, as
they bot left the elevator and emerged into the hall. The space had sedate carpet, and surprisingly
striped wall paper but the lighting was dim, and it made the hall a little dingy.
$.o I remember.' "lastair murmured. $I think we finally )ust did all the mildew out of the carpet up in
the kitchen near my office. $%e really did mi& it up with "nkow, didnt he+'
$9h yeah.' *ar said. $Bastard was lucky he got out of there in one piece. 0hat ever happened to him,
anyway+'
$0ent to work for his father.' "lastair replied succinctly. $Bad egg. Good riddance.' %e added.
$Though, worlds gotten more conservative lately. $
$Mm.' *ar grunted.
$0ell, meet you in the lobby at seven, *ar. Get yourself some rest.' %e paused at the door to his room,
as *ar went down two doors past him. $Thanks for the entertaining afternoon.'
$"nytime.' *ar opened her door and pushed it inward, giving "lastair a wave as she entered and let
the portal shut behind her. Inside, her bag was sitting !uietly on a luggage rack, and the room was
dim and peaceful, the sounds of the city below muted by the thick glass of the window.
.he checked her watch, then she went over to her bag, unzipping it and removing the inset that held
her dress suits. Tomorrow shed have to slip into her corporate persona, but she was glad enough to
put the suit bag in the closet, giving it a shake to loosen the wrinkles, and remain casual for the night.
.he took her sundry kit from her suitcase and went into the bathroom, setting the leather case on the
marble counter and opening it. .he removed her various toiletries and set them up neatly, feeling the
)et lag starting to catch up with her.
*ar e&haled, and glanced at her reflection, then she turned the water on and splashed some of the
cold li!uid on her face. It had a rich, mineral tang very different from the water at home, and she
e&perimentally licked a few droplets, finding it as brassy tasting as it smelled. $4eh.'
.he wiped her face with one of the thick hand towels and retreated back into the bedroom, bypassing
the danger of the bed and going to the small desk near the window instead, pulling her laptop out of
her backpack and sitting down to open it.
%er cell phone rang. .he glanced at the caller I*, then she keyed the answer button and set the
speakerphone on. $%ey cute stuff.'
$%ey hon.' (errys voice echoed slightly from the speaker. $0hatcha up to+'
*ar was very glad of the distraction. $:ust about to check mail in the office.' .he replied. $,ou+'
$/ugging bo&es.' %er partner supplied promptly. $*id you go sightsee+'
$.ure.' *ar booted her laptop, resting her head on one hand. $Took "lastair to a torture e&hibit and
then shopping in a whip and chain shop.'
*ead silence.
$(er+'
$%oney, we do actually work for him, you know+'
*ar chuckled. $%e en)oyed it. %e bought a flail.'
(errys flaring nostrils and blinking eyes were clearly audible through the phone. $-or w2 no, never
mind. -orget I asked that.' .he muttered. $-lush cache. -lush cache. -lush cache.' .he paused. $9kay,
better now. 4lease dont reload.'
$9kay.' *ar agreed. $%ows the packing going+' .he could hear birds in the background, and guessed
her partner was taking a break from the work and possibly her family. $#veryone there being nice to
you or do I have to have a case of live gerbils delivered there to distract people+'
(erry laughed. $5erd.' .he said. $#veryones being fine. Im having fun playing with my nephew, and
Mikes on his way over now so Im sure whatever progress were making will grind to a complete
halt.' .he said. $"nd hon, if I ever become as big a packrat as my sister you need to kick me to the
curb.'
*ar gazed at the phone. $9ver my dead body.'
$0hat+'
$,ou get kicked to the curb over my dead body no matter what )unk you collect.' %er partner
informed her. $I dont care if you pile crap up to the ceiling as long as theres a couple of s!uare feet
open in the bed for us to sleep in.'
(erry sighed. $I love you.' .he said.
*ar chuckled as her laptop booted up and she plugged in the internet port in the room. $.o did your
sister really freak out about your tat+'
$,eah.' %er partner said. $.he was like, how could you do that+ 0hich is sort of what I asked myself
the morning after I did it but I love it now.'
$Me too.'
(erry sighed. $0ell, back to digging through bo&es.' .he said, with a touch of reluctance. $,ou going
out to dinner tonight+' .he asked. $I think we are.'
$0ith your mom+'
$7h huh.'
*ar could read the several levels of commentary in the single grunt without much effort. .he could
also picture (errys face. $.end me a te&t if you want me to invent a tech nightmare for you to come
save the day on, huh+'
(erry chuckled. $Ill )ust make them go to a barbe!ue )oint. Im in the mood for ribs and a nice loaded
baked potato.'
$%edonist.'
$Takes one to love one.' (errys voice sounded a lot more cheerful. $9kay, hon, talk to you later. %ave
fun at dinner, and watch out for the haggis.'
*ar closed the phone and went back to her laptop, smiling as she reviewed the mail careening wildly
into her inbo& and whistling softly under her breath.
;;
(erry clipped her phone back onto her belt and took a last long breath of cool air before she turned
and reJentered "ngies house, to be greeted by her brother coming in the other door. $%ey Mike.'
$(erry8' Michael rambled across the tile floor and flung his arms around her. $Good to see ya8'
$9of.' (erry returned the hug. $Glad you see you too.' .he released him. $5ice haircut.'
Mike ran his hand through what was almost a mohawk, the sides shorn close to his skull and the top
longer. $/ike it+' %e looked at her. $%ey, you got short cut too8'
$5ot that short.' (erry shook her finger at him. $I thought you were working for some big shot
company. They let you look like that+'
%er brother put his hands on his hips. $9h now look whos talking.' %e said. $Im working for a
marketing company, sis. They like outrageous. %ey.. want a )ob+'
$I have a )ob.' (erry replied. $"nd besides, your company probably couldnt afford me.'
$9oo2' Mike stuck his tongue out at her. $/isten to the big shot.' %e turned as "ngie entered,
carrying a tray. $I cant believe you dragged her all the way up here )ust to carry bo&es for you8'
"ngie put the tray down and put her hands on her hips, giving her brother a withering look. $.he
volunteered.' .he said. $:ust like you did. Its not my fault she didnt come up to help you move the
last si& times this year.'
$5ow now.' (erry maneuvered her way through the lines of bo&es on the floor of the living room,
most partially filled with various things. $5o fighting, children.' .he accepted a glass from the tray
and took a sip of it, agreeably surprised to find it lemonade. $.o now that theres three of us here, Im
sure well get even less done.'
"ngie took a seat on one of the stools. $4robably.' .he admitted, scrubbing her hair out of her eyes.
$Boy, this is a lot of crap.' .he glanced at her sister, who was leaning against the bar. $Maybe I should
have )ust hired someone to pack it all up and take it.'
(erry studied the living room floor. Theyd been working since breakfast to sort out a lifetime of
memories, trinkets, and items that even "ngie had some trouble identifying. There were fifteen
bo&es on the ground, and thirty or forty plastic bags piled haphazardly around full of trash and things
her sister could bear to give up. $,oud have )ust ended up having to sort it out over at the house.'
.he predicted. $,ou know that place. Its got no closets and this stuff wont fit in the attic.'
$Mm.'
Mike surveyed their work. $%oly cow.' %e said, after a moment. $0hat is all this stuff+'
"ngie sighed. $.tuff.' .he admitted. $.tuff from us when we were kids. .tuff from my kids.' .he gazed
!uietly at the bo&es. $/etters.'
(erry rested her chin on her fist. $0ell get through it.' .he said. $5ow that were started, and Mikell
help. 6ight+'
$7m2' Mike looked at his older sister, seeing her brow arch. $,ep8 I sure will.' %e hastily agreed.
$Besides, I hear we get dinner out of all this.'
(erry rolled her eyes.
"ngie snorted. $9h, yeah.' .he addressed (erry. $Mom called.' .he said. $.hes got reservations at the
3learbrook. "re you going to freak+'
The 3learbrook Golf 3lub. (erry remembered so many .unday dinners at the 3learbrook, a stuffy and
conservative bastion of very decent food she had been unable to fully en)oy. It had been her fathers
favorite Dneighborhood place to show off his family and hold a very informal court. $%m.'
$-oods not bad.' Mike said. $If you get past all the frilly crap on the plate.'
$(er+' "ngie moved closer to her. $I didnt say yes or no. ,ou worked your ass off all day, if you want
to go get pizza, Im there.'
(erry gazed !uietly past the bo&es for a moment. $5ah.' .he finally said. $/ets get it over with.' .he
straightened up. $/ike Mike said, theyve got decent food and I can shock three !uarters of the town if
I start a belching competition with him in the middle of dinner.'
$(er.' "ngie covered her eyes, while her brother snickered. $4lease dont make me have to listen to
her bitch for si& months.'
(erry chuckled and patted her sister on the shoulder. $Ill be good.' .he promised. $5ow cmon. /ets
get through this side of the room at least, before dinner.' .he circled the counter and pushed Mike
ahead of her. $Grab that bo&.'
$7h.. shouldnt I watch for a while to get clued in on your system, sister+'
$3lue this, you lazy punk.' (erry lazily turned and roundhouse kicked him in the ass, sending him
nearly head over heels across the room. $3mon, the faster we do this, the faster its done.'
$9w8' Mike yelped. $Bet you wouldnt talk like that to *ar8'
$Bet shed kick you a lot harder.'
;;
*ar leaned back in her chair, the soft murmur of conversation around her as she watched "lastair
order a bottle of wine from a very deferential waiter.
%ans was seated ne&t to her, looking pleased. "cross the table, *avid McMichael and -rancois "ubron
were in obvious high spirits, bestowing happy looks in her direction as they waited for the server to
leave and conversation to resume.
$*ar, Im very glad you chose to )oin us for this meeting.' *avid said. $Its so nice to finally meet you
after all these years.'
$5ice+' *ars eyebrows lifted, but she smiled to take the edge off. $0ouldnt have missed it.'
$I am thinking we would not be having this meeting if not for you in any case.' %ans chimed in. $9r
for me either, in fact.' %e added, after a pause.
$0ithout a doubt, without a doubt.' *avid said. $Its a great opportunity for us to gain brilliant new
partners, and investigate new business avenues.'
$*o you talk to these people regularly+' %ans asked *ar, in German.
*ar nodded. $9n the phone.' .he clarified.
$*o you make faces at them+'
$3onstantly.'
$Gut.' %ans smiled benignly at his new colleagues.
*ar steepled her fingers and tapped the edges against her lips, hiding a smile. $0hat do you
recommend her, *avid+'
$#verything.' The #uropean .ales e&ecutive answered without hesitation. $If you eat the napkin youll
be fine.' %e advised. $Im for the o& tongue, myself.'
*ar eyed the menu, and wondered if she could get away with having a rabbit appetizer without
having to admit that to (erry. "fter a brief wrestle with her conscience, she folded her arms and
looked up to see the waiter patiently waiting for her.
%uh+ *ar started to frown, then realized it was because she was the only woman at the table.
%eroically managing not to roll her eyes, she gave the bunny a last regretful thought and glanced at
the menu one last time. $Ill take the scallops and the lamb roast, please.'
$#&cellent.' The waiter responded immediately. $.ir+' %e turned ne&t to "lastair.
0omen, then older men+ *ar wondered if it was a courtesy method or the way they planned to
evacuate the restaurant in case of fire. .he picked up her glass of white wine and sipped cautiously,
finding it mild and a little sweet. $5ice.' .he lifted the glass towards *avid.
%e beamed at her.
$.o.' "lastair put his reading glasses into his pocket. $"re we all ready for tomorrow+ %ans, I
understand you have a well established relationship with our new partner in this venture.'
$I do.' %ans agreed. $%e is uncompromising, but he is fair.'
$,ou brushed up on your #nglish since the last time we met.' *ar remarked dryly, in German,
chuckling under her breath when he blinked innocently at her. $4russian fraud.'
$"h, we all have our secrets.' %ans acknowledged. $"nd speaking of this, how is your charming wife+
$*oing )ust fine, thanks.' *ar smiled. $"lastair, lets make sure we put together a comprehensive
package for this one. 5o ala carte.'
The two sales e&ecutives looked at their boss, who pursed his lips for a moment before he answered.
$I dont want to be hasty.' "lastair said. $If thats the plan, and I think its a good one, *ar, then we
need to take enough time to make sure we get all the wants and needs crossed and tied up.' %e
picked up his wine glass and swirled it, then took a sip. $This is a big deal, and I want to be sure we
can deliver what we promise.'
%ans grunted and nodded, but didnt say anything.
$Theres a lot riding on this. /ots of people watching.' *avid spoke up. $,ou know, weve always been
reasonably successful here, but that whole "merican company thing is tough to get past in a lot of
places.'
*ar lifted her hand, and let it drop. $0e cant change that.' .he said. $"nd besides, were high
technology. Its not like "merica doesnt have a history of that.'
$True.' *avid said. $"nd thats why weve been as successful as we have, because thats e&actly where
a lot of this starts, and a lot of it generates from. $
$It also helps.' -rancois spoke up. $That the offices here are all local people.'
"lastair sniffed, and sipped his wine. $0ell, )ust because I grew up on a farm outside %ouston doesnt
mean Im dumb.' %e said. $9f course people want to deal with folks they can talk to, who understand
their culture and share the same views and values.' %e said.
$,ou grew up on a farm+' *ar interrupted. $"lastair I cant imagine you in overalls.'
#veryone around the table laughed, as the I/. 3#9 gazed drolly across at *ar. $Thanks, *ar.' %e
sighed. $6emind me to swap donkey tales with you later on.'
They paused, as the waiter returned with a busboy and a tray, and their first courses were delivered.
*ar studied the three dimensional food artwork in front of her and picked up her fork, not entirely
sure where she was supposed to stick it in.
9h well. There was always room service if she couldnt figure it out.
;;
(erry got out of the truck, closing the door and brushing a bit of cardboard scrap off the sleeve of her
blue sweater as she waited for "ngie and Mike to )oin her.
It was soft, and cashmere, and had a casual elegance about it that she liked, especially when paired as
it was with her )eans and leather boots.
$Moms gonna croak.' "ngie indicated her sisters denims.
$5ot my fault.' (erry said. $I came up here to move bo&es. .he picked the pretentious place to eat at.'
.he ad)usted the three !uarter sleeves and ran her fingers through her hair. $/ets go get this over
with.'
$,know.' Mike spoke up. $I dont think she wants to piss you off again, (er.' %e walked ne&t to his
older sister as they crossed the parking lot and approached the entrance of the club, where valets
were busy handling a parade of well dressed diners. $It didnt sound that way to me.'
$Me either.' "ngie chimed in. $%onestly (er, hes right. I think she wants to )ust make peace.'
$0ell.' (erry grunted as they reached the sidewalk and headed for the double doors. $Thats up to
her. I hope youre both right.' .he politely edged around a group of three older women standing on
the stairs, ignoring the looks she got as she pinned the doorman with her eyes and dared him to say
anything. $Good evening, 3harles.'
3aught by surprise, the elderly man gaped at her for a second, then he collected himself and reached
for the door handle. $Good evening, Miss (erry. Its been such a long time.'
(erry gave him several points. 9ne for recognizing her, and two for smiling, with a bonus added on
for treating her as though she was a very welcome guest. .he returned his smile and gave him a pat
on the arm as they entered. $Is my mother here yet+'
$,es maam, inside.' The doorman answered briskly. $%ave a great evening.'
$Thanks.' "ngie said, as she followed (erry and her brother inside. $Im sure we will.'
(erry paused for a moment as she cleared the door, sweeping her eyes over the interior and finding
it not much changed since the time shed been gone from her hometown. " fresh coat of white paint,
and some new pieces of furniture appeared to be the only difference, and she continued on towards
the dining room confidently.
The hall was moderately crowded. (erry caught a few familiar faces in her peripheral vision, not
usual for as small a town as this was. .he kept her focus forward though, and spotted a man in a suite
hovering near the maitre d station who had the air of a political aide.
"ccordingly, she changed her path slightly, and addressed the man in the suit as he watched them
approach. $"re you waiting for us+'
The man blinked. $"h2 $ %e spotted "ngie and Mike behind her, and his face rela&ed in relief. $,es,
absolutely. 0e have a table waiting, wont you come with me+' %e waited for her to nod, then turned
and started into the large dining room.
"ngie poked her. $.top scaring people8'
$Me+' (erry looked over her shoulder innocently. $I havent done anything. ,et.'
$I should have brought my camera.' Mike lamented. $This is probably going to be the first and only
time I have a good time in this dusty old place.' %e caught up with (erry as they turned a corner and
entered a more or less secluded cul de sac, where a beautifully set table was waiting, their mother
standing at the head of it.
There were three aides milling behind her, and Mike realized everyone was more than a little freaked
out. %e saw the guy who had met them scurry out of the way, and then (erry )ust took control of
everything with a manner that made him cover his mouth not to laugh.
$Mother.' (erry went to the head of the table and e&tended her hands, giving the aides a brief nod of
greeting. $Good to see you.'
3ynthia .tuart was caught faintly aback, but she rallied. $(errison, its lovely to see you as well.' .he
took (errys hands and clasped them. $I am so glad you were all able to come tonight.' %er eyes
flicked over (errys outfit, but to her credit, she sailed right past it. $0ont you sit down+ /ets have
some wine and celebrate being together.'
(erry allowed a real smile to emerge, seating herself )ust to her mothers right hand side as "ngie and
Mike took seats ne&t to her and the serving staff replaced the hovering aides. $That sounds
wonderful.' .he took her napkin and flicked it open e&pertly, settling it over her lap as her crystal
goblet was filled. $They havent started serving chili dogs here, have they+'
$"h2'
$Too bad. I wonder if theyll make me one. $
;;
*ar was pathetically grateful to close the door to her hotel room behind her and trudge across the
carpet, tossing her )acket down on the chair and continuing on through the room to the bathroom.
Inside, she stripped off all the clothing shed been wearing, and put it into the linen laundry bag
hanging neatly on a hook beside the door. Then she turned the water on, waiting for it to come to a
reasonable temperature before she stepped in and simply stood there, letting it rinse over her.
"fter a minute, she picked up her scrubbie and body wash, and scrubbed her skin all over, sneezing a
few times as she soaped her face, then following that with three washes of her hair with as much
shampoo as she could fit in the palm of her larger than average hand.
"fter a good rinse, she shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry
herself with. .he opened the door, wrapping the towel around her as she picked up the laundry bag
and took it with her back to the door. .he unlocked it and dropped the bag outside, then went to the
phone and dialed the number for the concierge.
$Good, ah, morning.' " polite, male voice answered. $Ms. 6oberts, what can I do for you+'
5othing. *ar was convinced, nothing was better than a hotel with a IH hour concierge. $I have a
laundry bag outside my room. 3an you get it picked up and taken care of+'
$9f course.' The man answered. $Ill send someone right up.'
*ar considered. $"nd could you get me some warm milk and honey sent up as well+'
$"bsolutely.' The concierge said. $6ight away.'
$Thanks.' *ar hung up the phone and went back to toweling her now thankfully smoke free self off.
It was )ust after one "M local time, but her body still thought it was eight 4M, and she hoped the
warm milk would let her get to sleep. $"ll I need is to be a zombie tomorrow.' .he muttered under
her breath, looking up as a knock came at the door.
0as it physically possible for anyone to come up that many flights that fast+ *ar wrapped her towel
around her again and tucked the ends in then ran her fingers through her wet hair before she went to
the door and opened it.
$"h.' "lastairs eyes widened. $/isten, *ar2'
$/isten, "lastair.' *ar cut him off. $/ets get this clear. The ne&t time you drag me into a bar full of
cigarette smoke and drunk assholes and force me to stay there, consider my resignation on your
desk.'
"lastairs mouth closed with a click.
$I am not bullshitting.'
$5ever would have thought youd bullshit about that.' "lastair recovered. $.orry about that, *ar.' %e
said, in a more conciliatory tone. $I know the boys are )ust so thrilled about the opportunity here,
they went a little overboard.'
$Grr.' *ar glanced at the man from housekeeping, who sidled up and took the bag as !uickly as he
could and ducked back out of the way again. $Thanks.' .he turned and looked at "lastair. $I
appreciate its a cultural thing, "lastair, but ne&t time, )ust leave me out of it. I cant stand being in
places like that, no matter how good the beer was.'
$I forgot.. well, no, really, I never even thought to ask but you dont smoke, do you+' %er boss mused.
$9r (erry, I suppose. I guess its what you get used to, and with all the new laws on our side, you
dont bump into that as often.'
$,eah, well.' *ar glanced down the hall. $Thats true, I guess.' .he conceded. $0ell, let me get back
inside and try and get some sleep before we have to go act like world killers tomorrow morning.'
%er boss lifted a hand and started off towards his own room. $Good idea, *ar.' %e turned at the door
and looked back at her. $But you know, you play a mean game of darts.'
*ar paused before she shut her door. $It could have been a lot meaner.' .he said, giving "lastair a
brief smile, before she ducked inside and left the hallway in stately silence again.
The knock at the door made her turn and grab the handle, yanking it open as she started to yell, only
to swallow her outrage and muster a smile instead for the young woman holding a silver tray. $9h.
.orry. %i. 3ome on in.'
.he backed away from the door and the server entered, placing the tray down and removing a soft,
!uilted cover from the pot on it. $Thanks.'
$,oure very welcome.' The woman presented the billfold to her, and *ar signed it, handing it back.
$0ill there be anything else you need this evening+'
*ar glanced at the clock. $I hope not.' .he sighed.
$0ell then, have a good night.' The server disappeared out the door, and *ar sat down ne&t to the
table holding the tray as it got blessedly !uiet again. .he picked up one of the nice, big stoneware
cups and poured a glob of honey into it, then added steaming milk and stirred.
It smelled wonderful. %er throat, scratchy and sore from the night spent yelling over bad music and
breathing in smoke was aching for the sweet taste, and she picked up the cup and took it over to the
beside table, setting it down and going back to her bag to get her sleep shirt.
.he picked up her 4*" on the way and brought it back to bed with her, setting it down as she
replaced her towel with the worn baseball shirt and shorts she seldom wore anymore. They smelled
like home, though, and she sat down and picked up the 4*", flipping it open and checking for
messages before she took out the stylus and scribed one of her own.
Hey.
Im alone in my hotel with a pot of hot milk and a bad attitude. " where are you?
)
.he set the 4*" down and stretched out on the bed, picking up the cup and sipping from it. The milk
tasted a little different than she was used to, but not in a bad way and she at last allowed the stress
and aggravation of the day to dissipate.
:ust like the old days. .he glanced at the 4*", waiting impatiently for the red flash to appear. 0ell,
almost )ust like the old days.
;;
$"re these some of your new staff, mother+' (erry put her glass down, rela&ing a trifle as the servers
gently interrupted the silted conversation by placing salad plates in front of them.
$%m+' %er mother glanced around, as though first noticing the hovering aides. $9h, yes. ,es they are.'
.he said. $" nice bunch of young people. I will introduce you to them tomorrow.' .he said. $"ngela
says you all have been very busy today+'
$,es.' (erry sliced up her salad and decorated it with appropriate amounts of dressing. $.orting
through things, packing, you know.'
$0ell, I really dont understand why you )ust didnt have someone take care of that for your, "ngela.
%aving (errison come here for that seems very silly to me.' 3ynthia frowned. $1ery silly.'
(erry took a moment to eat a big mouthful of the salad, because it would take some time for her to
chew it, and because she knew if she answered right at the moment the dinner probably would start
sliding downhill faster than shed anticipated. .he swallowed, and washed down the crisp lettuce
and greens with a sip of wine. $%ow could some hired firm decide what to keep and what to throw
away+' .he asked. $I dont understand that.'
$,es.' "ngela stepped up. $6eally, mother, you didnt want me bringing a lifetime worth of old plastic
cups and shopping lists back, did you+'
$0ell.' 3ynthia paused, and frowned. $I suppose not.' .he conceded. $But really, all that hard work.'
$*efinitely worth it.' "ngie said. $Besides, its been fun spending some time with my sister )ust
hanging out.'
$,eah.' Mike added. $Its hard catching up in email or on the phone. ,ou cant see her goofy faces.'
(erry looked across at him, her eyes twinkling a little. $"h, my secrets out. 5ow you know why I do
all those conference calls.'
$Im sure, Im sure.' Their mother replied. $But surely you dont need the e&cuse of rummaging
through all that to speak to one another. Im positive (errison was glad to visit )ust to see you. Isnt
that so+' .he looked at (erry.
$9f course.' (erry replied !uietly.
$There, see+' 3ynthia said. $.o to have you endure this manual labor is )ust senseless, really.'
$#h.' (erry made a noncommittal sound. $Its not that bad.' .he went back for a second mouthful of
salad, pausing when her ear caught the faint beep from her 4*". .he put her fork down and
unclipped the device from her belt, opening it and peering at its screen. $#&cuse me.'
$0hat on earth is that+' %er mother asked. $" calculator+'
$" personal digital assistant.' (erry replied absently, as she scanned *ars message. $0ith a note
from *ar inside it.' .he e&tracted the stylus and started answering her partners note, a smile tugging
at her lips.
Honey, if I could click my cowboy booted heels three times and disappear from havin! dinner with my
mother just to share your milk and your attitude Id be there in a heartbeat.3
*
$%ow strange.'
(erry covered the 4*" and put it on the table. $5ot really.' .he picked up her fork again. $0e use
many different types of communications in our line of work. This is )ust one of them.' .he selected a
wedge of tomatoe and ate it.
$*ars in /ondon right now, isnt she+' "ngie spoke up. $Its late there.'
(erry nodded, and swallowed. $.he is, she got there this morning. .he )ust finished meeting with our
international team there, and she has a client meeting tomorrow morning.'
$/ondon+ %ow lovely.' 3ynthia took back the conversational ball. $Ive always wanted to see /ondon
and 4aris. .o lovely and cultured.' .he looked past (erry to where "ngie was seated. $Isnt that
something youd be interested in, "ngela+ To see the continent+'
"ngie put her glass down. $0ell, sure I guess. 0ho wouldnt+' .he said.
$4erhaps we can plan a visit there.' 3ynthia said, with a glance at (erry. $I would invite you as well,
(errison but I know how busy you are with your.. work.'
Mike snorted. $Too late. .hes going there ne&t week.' %e was plowing through a bowl of soup and
rolls, having turned away the salad. $/ondon, 4aris, some place in Germany.. then what was it, (er, a
vacation in the .wiss "lps+'
(erry wiped her lips. $Thats the plan, yep.' .he said, mentally making a note to give her brother a
hug for the !uick response. $0eve got business meetings for the first week, then I think were taking
some time and doing some touring around, the "lps, maybe hang around for 9ctoberfest.'
$0ell.' 3ynthia said. $Isnt that lovely+'
$.ure is.' Mike said. $%ey, can I come work fro you, (erry+ I can carry your briefcase around and
pretend I understand one word in ten youre saying.'
The 4*" beeped softly. (erry opened it, and glanced at the screen.
&ell your mother to kiss my ass.
(erry looked up from the screen, directly at her mother.
$,es, (errison+' 3ynthia peered back at her. $*id you want to say something+'
It was tempting. But (erry knew she )ust couldnt, not )ust like that. 5ot yet, anyway. $*ar says
hello.' .he reported. $.hes sorry the timing of our travel worked out like it did. I know she would
have liked to have been here to help too.'
$5ow..' %er mother smiled. $Isnt that so gracious of her. I am certainly glad shes en)oying her
travels. *o you know where youre staying in /ondon+ .ome friends of ours )ust got back from there.'
(erry looked back at the note.
Ive just spent the ni!ht in a dive bar with twisted -n!lish karaoke !oin! on in the middle of a smoke pit
with darts added into the bar!ain. I told $lastair if he did that to me a!ain I was 4uittin!.
$I think shes en)oying the culture.' (erry commented mildly. $Theyre at the .tafford. *ar said it was
nice.'
&hese people are pissin! me off. .ou better !et over here fast, before I cause an international incident.
)
$"nd shes looking forward to me )oining her.' (erry scribbled a reply and closed the lid. $The
feelings mutual.' .he wiped her lips as the waiter removed her salad plate. $.o, Mike. 0hats up with
your new )ob+ ,ou started telling us about it before we left for dinner.'
$0ell2'
;;
(erry welcomed the cool breeze as they stepped outside into the wide entranceway. .he moved to
one side to let her family emerge behind her, and stood on the top of the drive, her hands shoved
casually in her front pockets.
$That really wasnt too awful.' "ngie murmured in her ear. $0as it+'
$5ah.' (erry licked her lips. $That was great creK me brulee.' .he drew in a breath of air tinged with
pine and waited as her mothers aides attended to bringing her car around. Mike came up to stand
ne&t to her, and she bumped him with idle affection. $%ey.'
$%ey.' Mike responded. $Im glad youre here, even if you arent.'
$#h.' %is sister shrugged her shoulders a trifle. $"ctually I dont mind it. Its great to see you guys.'
.he glanced past Mike as her mother approached them. $Being the black sheeps not so bad.'
$(errison.' 3ynthia was fussing with her bag. $Im very upset with you8'
5ews flash. $-or what+' (erry turned to face her. $4aying for dinner+'
$9f course. .o inappropriate.' %er mother frowned. $My staff had it taken care of.'
(erry rolled her eyes a trifle. $Im the vice president of a multinational corporation. I can afford it.'
.he said, in a mild tone. $I think I actually get paid more than a .enator does.' .he added.
$(errison8'
Mike made a sound like a duck being shot at. %e shuffled a step away from (erry, while "ngela
merely covered her eyes with one hand.
$0ell, were a public company. Its published in our annual report.' (erry shrugged. $"nyway, its no
big deal, mother. I was glad to do it. %ow often to I get to take my family out for dinner+'
3ynthia took a breath, then she merely pursed her lips.
$Im glad Im in a position where I can do that.' (erry continued, in a !uieter tone. $Im not sure why
thats upsetting.'
$Maam+' 9ne of her mothers aides approached. $,our car is ready.'
$9ne moment.' 3ynthia held a hand up. $9f course, I understand.' .he said. $-orgive me, (errison. It
was a generous gesture, and I do appreciate it.'
(erry smiled at her. $5o problem.' .he said. $I guess well see you at the house tomorrow, once we
get all those bo&es packed up.'
$Indeed, yes.' %er mother looked happier. $It will be so nice to have you all there. Im very much
looking forward to it.'
There was a truth there, (erry felt. $Im looking forward to it too.' .he replied.
.atisifed, her mother lifted her hand and then followed the aide towards the limo waiting for her.
.he got in the car, and waved at them, and they waved back.
$It would have been funny if you offered her a ride home in the back of the truck.' Mike commented,
smiling as he waved. $9r even in the front seat.'
$Mike.' "ngie chuckled. $,oure a bigger troublemaker than (erry is.'
$I gotta be better than her at something.' Mike replied, as they descended the steps and crossed the
parking lot, dodging between the cars busy trying to leave. $Thanks for dinner, sis8' %e put his arm
around (errys shoulders. $,ou rock.'
(erry chuckled wryly. $"ctually you guys are cheap dates.' .he told her siblings. $,ou should see the
bill when *ar and I go out for a night on the town.' %er lips twitched into a grin.
$4arty city+' "ngie asked. $I dont know, *ar didnt seem the type to me.'
$0ell.. no, not really that kind of stuff.' (erry said. $0e go out for dinner, maybe a little bit of dancing.
*ar doesnt drink much, but she likes champagne.'
$%m.' Mike mused. $I figured her for a :ack *aniels woman.'
$5o way.' (erry beeped open the doors to the trunk. $Bubbly, and the good stuff too. 0eve got a few
seafood restaurants we like to hit.' .he opened the drivers side door. $It doesnt take much stone
crab and 3ristal to beat what we )ust had in there, let me tell you.'
$-ancy fancy.' Mike got in the back and sprawled across the bench seat.
$,eah.' (erry closed the door and started the truck. $Then the ne&t night we stop at Burger (ing. My
lifes a study in eclectic.'
%er siblings laughed. $,ou actually eat Burger (ing+' "ngie asked.
$.ure.' (erry carefully pulled out of the parking lot, waiting until she saw her mothers limo drive off
in the other direction. $0endys is my favorite fast food though. They have killer spicy chicken
sandwiches.' .he settled back into the seat and concentrated on driving, the roads not !uite as
familiar as they used to be.
"ll in all, she had to admit, it hadnt been that bad. %er mother, after those first few )abs, had kept her
conversation to superficial matters and theyd talked mostly about Mikes new )ob, the weather, local
news, and a light mention of the conservative rumblings at the national level.
%aving her mother be a .enator was very strange, and (erry found herself almost unable to wrap her
mind around it. In a way though, it gave her some small insight on how perhaps her mother felt about
her, since her life in Miami and with *ar was so outside her e&perience as well.
.o odd.
$%ey (er+' "ngle half turned in her seat to face her sister. $*o you really get paid more than mom+'
(erry laughed. $9h, hell yes.' .he said. $"ny bets she has her goons google our annual report when
she gets home to find that out+'
Mike snorted.
$0ell.' "ngie chuckled. $"t least this bunch is a lot nicer than the old ones were. They dont give me
the creeps, and they stay out of the way, mostly.'
$,eah, theyre okay.' Mike agreed. $I think one of them is gay, but dont tell mom.' %e advised. $I
caught him and one of the cleaning staff out behind the kitchen door the last time I was at the house.'
$0hat were you doing back behind the kitchen+' "ngie asked, her brows arching. $Mr. 5osy Butt.'
$7h oh.' (erry could hear a very familiar argument starting. $%ere we go.'
$%ey, its not my fault you never see the fun stuff.' Mike retorted. $If youd get your butt out of the
library once in a while you would.'
$/ibrary this, monkey face.'
(erry smiled, keeping her eyes on the darkened road as she let the good natured trading of insults go
on around her. It felt like home used to be, back when they were all running around on the second
floor of the big house, when the biggest thing they had to worry about was knocking over one of the
alabaster statues near the stairs.
George 0ashington had toppled to his demise from a ill )udged tackle on her part. .he could almost
see his white, startled head tumbling down the steps, thumping and cranking all the way down until
he reached the bottom, and the marble floor, and shattered into dozens and dozens of pieces.
.he chuckled.
$,ou think thats funny+' Mike poked her. $%ah8 "nd I thought you were on my side88' %e poked her
again. $%oly crap.' %e grabbed her shoulder and s!ueezed it.
$Mike8' (erry hissed. $Im driving8 0hat the hecks your problem+'
$,ouve got muscles like a wrestler8' %er brother accused her.
$%ow would you know+' "ngie )ibed him, giving him a shove back against the seat. $/eave her alone,
you weirdo.'
(erry suddenly felt fifteen years younger. $.top pawing at me and Ill take my shirt off and show em
to you back at "ngies.' .he warned her brother.
$"nd your tattoo.' "ngie teased.
$0hat++++' Mike s!uealed, crawling up from the back seat and up halfway into the front of the truck.
$,ou got one+ ,ou did+++++' %e slid forward and almost landed on his head, between his sisters.
$Bowah2'
$9h for the love of..' (erry released one hand off the wheel and grabbed him. $Mike, if I have an
accident driving this damn thing I will never hear the end of it so cut that out8 .it still8' .he checked
her mirrors, glad to see she was almost alone on the road. $,ou want us to get pulled over by the
cops+'
Mike twisted around and hung his legs over the seat back, his head almost hitting the console. $That
would be funny as hell.' %e said. $3an you see the headlines in the .entinel+ 0ed be the talk in the
coffee shop for a month.'
$9h god.' (erry heard her cell phone go off. $5ow what+ .hh, both of you.' .he pulled it off her belt
and keyed the speaker. $(erry .tuart.'
$%ey.' *ars voice emerged from the speaker, a trifle tinnily.
$%ey.' (erry glanced !uickly at the display. $0hy are you up+ Its three "M there, isnt it+'
$I cant sleep.' *ar complained. $,oure not here in bed with me.'
9h god. (erry felt a sudden rush of blood to her face, as her siblings burst into laughter. $Thanks,
hon.' .he sighed. $Things werent chaotic enough in the cab of this pickup with my nutcase family
here.'
*ar chuckled. $%ey, its the truth.' .he said. $%owd dinner go+ *id you guys scandalize the town+'
$5o, we didnt.' "ngie spoke up. $%ow are you *ar+ %ows #ngland+'
$"nnoying the crap out of me. Thanks for asking.' *ar answered. $9ther than that, Im fine thanks,
"ngela. %ows the packing going+'
$7gh. %ard work.' Mike announced, folding his hands over his stomach.
$/ike youve done any.' (erry gave him a withering look.
$#verythings going fine, thanks for asking *ar.' "ngie covered her brothers mouth. $Thanks for
lending me your .9 for a few days to help.'
*ar chuckled again. $0ell, she wouldnt let me rent her.' .he sighed. $But you better take good care of
her or Ill reroute your paychecks to feed starving wolves in 9regon.'
Mike was laughing so hard he was making the seat shake.
$,oure so romantic.' (erry said, affectionately. $Thats one of the things I adore the most about you,
*ardar.' .he said. $*inner went fine. 0ere headed back to "ngies house now.' .he slowed before
the turn up to her sisters road. $,ou should try and get some sleep.'
$9kay.' *ar agreed. $:ust wanted to find out how things went. Talk to you later, (er. /ove you.'
$/ove you too.' (erry closed the phone and put it on the seat ne&t to her, aware of the sudden and
almost awkward silence from her siblings. .he let that go on for a few minutes, then she glanced at
them )ust before she pulled into "ngies driveway. $/east she got you two to stop fighting.'
$,eah.' "ngie sighed. $,ou guys sound so storybook married.'
(erry smiled, as she parked the truck, turning off the engine and popping the door open. $Thats
probably the nicest thing youve ever said to me, sis. Thanks.' .he got out, and "ngie hopped out on
the other side.
They looked at each other, then they both slammed their respective doors, leaving Michael hanging
upsideown in the front seat.
$%ey8' %e yelled through the door. $%ey8 %elp me out of here8'
(erry and "ngie bolted for the house, running up the sidewalk toward the front door as the horn
started honking behind them, laughing as they headed for the door.
;;
*ar woke up as the window across from her started to glow with early light, her internal clock as
oddly dependable as it was at home despite the five hour time difference. .he studied the outline of
the sill, content to lay there wrapped around her pillow as sleep slowly receded.
.oftly, far off, she could hear the sounds of the city. %orns, and the sounds of machinery, no different
than any other city shed ever woken up in save the one where she lived. 9ut on the island, there was
no real traffic, and if anything penetrated the soundproofed walls of the condo it was the roar of the
ocean and the occasional hoot of a barge.
9r sometimes a mating peacock.
The peace there was something shed come to appreciate. It gave her a period of space in which to
live, and get ready for the day before she had to cross the water, and enter the insanity of Miami
traffic and head to work.
.pending the morning with (erry, going through their routine, the gentle banter, the morning run, or
walk over to the gym in bad weather, )ust talking together, or being silent together ? she found that
with a start like that, her entire attitude at work had completely changed.
4eople used to absolutely avoid her. *ar realized that. .he knew that shed done a lot to foster the
notion that she was likely to bite peoples head off in the morning unless shed at least gotten a gallon
or two of cafe< con leche into her, and that if you wanted anything, youd better wait until after lunch,
to be safe.
5ow+ 4eople actually approached her in the damned elevator on the way up to the fourteenth floor.
*ar rolled over and stretched her body out. .ometimes some of them even smiled at her, and
occasionally, when she was in a particularily mellow mood after one of their long )oint showers, she
smiled back.
/ess coffee, less stress, less screaming, more fun. *ar smiled at the ceiling. /ife was charming the hell
out of her at the moment despite the fact shed had to spend the previous night in a smoky pub.
.tifling a yawn, she pulled the covers back and rolled up out of the bed and onto her feet, stretching
her limbs out as she wandered over to the window and peered out.
6aining. *ar pondered the gray e&terior, glad she had her long coat handy. The meeting was not that
far away, perhaps ten minutes, and she reveled in the notion that she had a reasonable amount of
time to order breakfast up and shower before she had to get ready.
5ice.
.he sat down at the sleek desk near the window and flipped the room service menu open, propping
her head up on one hand as she studied its contents. "fter a minute she closed the book and touched
the speakerphone keypad, dialing room service and placing her order with the amiable and cheery
voice on the other end.
That done, she opened the screen to her laptop and started it up, leaning back in the chair as she
waited for it to boot. .ince it was in the middle of the night back at the office, she really didnt e&pect
there to be much mail but you never knew, and anyway, sometimes Maria forwarded her
unintentionally funny )okes shed come to en)oy.
The room was pleasantly cool, and she felt a sense of contentment as she watched some birds fly past
outside the window, turning her head back only when her laptop beeped, wanting attention. .he
keyed in her password and let it continue, connecting to the surreptitiously hidden wifi connection
and starting up her secured session to the office.
Mark had found them biometric laptops. They had a scanner attached that took fingerprints. *ar had
tried one for a period of a week and ended up almost tossing it off the balcony on the @H
th
floor as the
technology was )ust not ready for her prime time apparently.
#ither that, or she had weird fingerprints. Mark swore it worked for him. They were going to try
retinal scanners ne&t, but she figured if the stupid things couldnt even read her inde& finger, they
had scant chance of being able to read her eyeball.
$Technology sucks sometimes.' .he informed her laptop, as it presented her inbo& to her. $Its )ust
never where we want it to be, is it+'
The laptop bleeped back at her.
$.hut up.' *ar leaned forward and reviewed her mail. "s e&pected, there was nothing much urgent
and she picked through them with casual interest, pausing to smile at a forwarded picture of a
sunbathing cat from (erry, and to shake her head at yet another re!uest for people to stop cooking
fish in the building from Mariana.
$"h. .he saw another one from the %6 14 and opened it. It was the softball team lineup, listing (erry
as captain and laying out the game schedule. .he reviewed it, nibbling her lip as she realized theyd
only be back from #urope a few days before the opening night. $%m.'
Mariana had told everyone that winning wasnt as important as participating. *ar understood that
intellectually, but she knew fully well that no one wanted to lose, least of all her, and really least of all
her curiously competitive partner.
.o. .he opened a message and addressed it to Mark.
Hey. %ake sure everyone shows up for those practice !ames since well be out here. I dont want to look
like a jerk when we play the first one.
)
.he reviewed it, then sent the mail. That left the problem of when she and (erry were going to
practice, and she frowned. Maybe getting involved in the softball thing when they were traveling
wasnt the best idea.
9n one hand, she figured she could probably handle a game without much preamble, trusting what
she thought of as a reasonable set of athletic skills and a cursory memory of the sport to carry her
through.
(erry, however, though she had good refle&es and could handle her body really had nothing to go by
in terms of knowing what to do in the game and *ar had gone and volunteered her as captain.
$That was idiotic.' .he remarked to herself.
" knock came at the door, and she left the problem to sit as she went and answered it, letting in the
room service waiter complete with a little wooden cart full of her selected breakfast. .he signed the
check and handed it back, then sat down as the waiter left and closed the door.
In the midst of opening her cereal bo&, her cell phone rang. *ar cursed, launching herself over the
bed to the nightstand where the device was rattling, and grabbing it. .he opened it and managed to
get it to one ear without falling off the bed, but without time to see who it was. $,es+'
$%ey honey.'
*ar stuck her tongue out and stifled a laugh. $%ey.'
$,ou okay+ ,ou sound weird.'
$Im upside down.' *ar s!uirmed into a more comfortable position and rela&ed. $0hat are you doing
up+ Its late.'
$I cant sleep.' (erry told her. $,oure not here in bed with me.'
*ar chuckled. $.orry about that.' .he said. $I didnt realize you had me on speaker until it was too
late.'
$5o problem.' %er partner assured her. $I absolutely loved having my brother and sister hear what
you said to me. "ngie said we sounded so married.'
$"w.'
$.o hows it really going+' (erry said. $I almost threw peas at my mother here. .he finally stopped
with the snarky bs about halfway through dinner.'
$Its fine.' *ar assured her. $I was pissed off about the bar, but thats no ones fault. Im looking
forward to the meeting at ten. ,ou got more packing to do+'
$,eah.' %er partner agreed mournfully. $Then were going over to the house and haul everything in
there. Im having fun with "ng and Mike but boy, Im not looking forward to hanging out with my
mother.'
$0ant me to invent a disaster for you to fi&+'
$,ou keep teasing me with that offer.' (erry reminded her dryly. $*ont )in& us, hon. 0ere both out
of the office and we dont really need something to crash, yknow+'
$Mm.'
$0ed )ust have to fly back to Miami and fi& it.'
$%m.' *ars low grunt grew far more cheerful. $0ed be in the same place then.' .he offered. $That
cant be all bad, can it+'
(erry laughed softly, for at least thirty seconds. $/ets see.' .he said. $Its been, what2 two days now+
That must be a record for us before we start whining about being apart.' .he said. $0ere so nuts.'
$But in a nice way.'
(erry was silent for a brief moment. $In a very beautiful way.' .he said. $Being with my mother, and
my sister, and my brother who is on his fourth girlfriend this year made me realize all over again )ust
how blessed my life is.'
*ar studied the ceiling, feeling a stupid grin stretch her lips. $,oure better than -rosted -lakes for
breakfast, you know that+' .he said. $"h, (er. Go back to sleep. ,oure going to be toast tomorrow if
you dont and youll end up going off on everyone.'
(erry made a small, grunted sound.
$0ont you+'
$4robably. %er partner sighed. $This beds )ust not comfortable, and I miss my dog, and I want some
chocolate milk.' .he admitted. $"nd youre the only one I can say that to who wont look at me funny
or tell me to grow the hell up.'
*ar chuckled.
$Im not sure I even know who these people are anymore.' (erry added. $I feel like I hardly know
them.'
$They hardly know you.' *ar said. $Give it a few days. ,ou sounded pretty rambunctious with them in
the car.'
" small silence. $,eah, I guess I did. Its all right. I think I )ust keep freaking them out. $
*ars eyes flicked over the ceiling, her sensitive ears catching the change in her partners tone. $%ey.'
$%ey.'
$:ust be who you are, (er.' *ar advised gently. $Theyll get used to it. *ont be afraid to not pretend,
you know+'
(erry sighed. $Thats e&actly what Im afraid of.' .he confessed. $Its hard to make everyone change
the way they see me. Its easier for me to pretend Im someone else. It always was.' .he paused. $But
you know something, I dont think I can do it anymore.'
$0ould it help if I sent you flowers at your moms house+' *ar asked, with a hint of a wry chuckle.
$,ou know I always get you the most e&pensive ones.'
-inally, (erry chuckled, after a long pause. $I can do this.' .he said. $Ill be fine. I )ust needed a *ar
time out.'
Talk about freaking out. $"nytime, sweetheart.' *ar assured her. $Ill always be there for you.' .he
heard the slight inhale, and the faint sound of (erry swallowing. $5ow go to bed, and let me eat my
#nglish -rosted -lakes and weird tasting milk for breakfast.'
$I love you.' (erry replied, simply. $Talk to you later, okay+'
$/ater.' *ar hung up the phone and let it sit on her chest for a few minutes. Then she chuckled and
got up, taking her bo& of cereal with her back to the tray. $*ar time out.' .he shook her head and
poured the cereal into the waiting bowl. $"nd she thinks %#6 lifes changed.'
;;
(erry hummed softly under her breath as she neatly flipped a set of pancakes, a plate of omelettes
and bacon already waiting nearby. .he had her back to her sisters servants, aware of their nervous
an&iety and she wondered briefly if they were more worried about her getting burned or if that she
was auditioning for their )obs.
5ot really much danger of either. .hed cooked long enough and often enough to know how to avoid
getting hurt and even when shed been younger and willing to take about any )ob, short order cook
had never been in her personal horizon.
.he didnt mind cooking for herself, or for *ar, or for family. 3ooking for strangers, however, was
another story especially after a night of little sleep and a morning full of gray rain outside. %er ears
pricked, as she heard footsteps in the hall, and she caught the nervous )erks from the staff as they
heard them as well.
$0h.. (erry8' "ngie entered, spotting her at the stove. $0hat in blazes are you doing+'
(erry looked at the pan, then she turned her head and looked at her sister, then she looked back at
the pan. $,ou have done this, "ng. I know you have. I used to live with you, remember+ *ont tell me
you never told these guys about those banana brownies you used to make.'
"ngie came over and peered over her bare shoulder. $,oure cooking.' .he said, avoiding the brownie
issue.
$I am.' %er older sister confirmed. $I said I was going to. ,ou didnt believe me+' .he scooped the last
of the pancakes into their dish and covered it, then she turned off the gas to the stove. $I didnt get
much sleep last night so I figured Id better make something I liked for breakfast so I didnt whine all
day.'
"ngie picked up one of the dishes, a bemused but understanding look on her face. .he gave her staff
a wry smile as she turned and headed after (erry to the dining room. $*ont worry about my sister.
.hes )ust got a mind of her own.'
$Got that right.' (erry set the plates she had in her hands down. $0ell, good morning.' .he greeted
her brother, who was rubbing both eyes. $-ine state of affairs when Im the early bird in the family.'
.he took a seat near one end of the big table, the warm light bathing her tanned arms very visible in
her tank top.
$4issant' Mike grumbled, sitting down across from her before he peered at (erry, and )erked upright.
$%oly shit. ,ou did get a tattoo.' %e scrambled out of his chair and came around the table, as (erry
continued to calmly butter her toast. $0ow.'
$#at breakfast first, gawk later.' (erry advised him. $Its not going anywhere.' .he dumped some
pancakes, an omelette, and a slice of bacon on her plate.
$*id it hurt+' Mike asked, curiously. $0hat made you get it+'
"ngie motioned the staff to bring coffee over. $I think its pretty.'
$3an I touch it+' Mike asked.
(erry put her fork down and half turned to face Mike. $.ure.' .he moved the strap of her tank top
over to give him a better view. $,es, it hurt.' .he said, as he bent closer. $It hurt a lot, but it was worth
it.'
$0ow.' %e repeated, putting a finger out hesitantly and touching the design. $9h.' %e said. $It )ust
feels like skin.'
"ngie appeared on her other side, running her thumb over it. $It is.' .he said, in surprise. $I thought it
would be raised up, like those inoculations.'
(erry felt herself twitch, )ust a little, as they touched her. $0ell, when he first did it, it was kinda.' .he
said. $It was pretty swollen.'
$It was+' "ngie looked up at her at close !uarters, nearly making her eyes cross. $Is it like a burn+'
$Its.. yeah, I guess.' %er older sister said. $I mean, they take needles and )ab them into your skin over
and over again, so it kind of gets all sore and puffy. But it heals pretty fast.' .he went on. $It stops
hurting really bad as soon as they stop sticking needles in you.'
Mike shook his head and went back to his seat. $,ou are totally crazy.' %e announced. $But it is really
nice looking, (er. *id *ar like it+ .he should. Its her name there.'
(erry went back to sorting out her breakfast. $.he did. I think one of the reasons maybe that I got it
was because I knew it was something I could do that she probably wouldnt.'
$.he doesnt like tattoos+' "ngie eased away from her and went back to her place at the head of the
table.
$.hes scared to death of needles.' (erry responded, with a wry grin. $*ont you remember in the
hospital+'
"ngies eyes widened, as she helped herself to the plates. $9h my gosh, I do. Thats right8' .he gave
the woman at her shoulder a nod, and sat back as coffee was poured into her cup. $.he almost went
crazy there before everything got horrible.'
They all fell briefly silent as they started breakfast, and (erry was left in peace to think about Mikes
first !uestion.
0hy. 0hy had she really gotten the tattoo+ -or herself+ -or *ar+ (erry chuckled a little under her
breath and shook her head. .he still really didnt know for sure. $.o anyway.' .he broke the !uiet. $I
love the thing. *ar was in 5ew ,ork when I got it, and I had a day or so to let it heal before I showed it
to her. I could see it was going back and forth in the back of her mind if she wanted to get one too.'
$(erry+' Mike looked up. $Thanks for making breakfast. This rocks.'
"ngie looked around, but the two servant women had retreated back to the kitchen. $,eah.' .he said.
$Thanks2 I know I used to make brownies but I have no idea how to tell these people to make things
I like.'
(erry waved a fork at them, busy chewing.
$%ave you decided what youre going to speak about at the ban!uet tonight+' "ngie asked. $,ou
know, Marga .mithton called me last night and said she saw us in the restaurant with mom and she
said everyones been talking about it.'
(erry rolled her eyes.
$%ey, slow news week.' %er sister held a hand up. $3mon, (erry. ,ou used to live here. %ow many
weeks did duck racing make the front page+'
(erry swallowed and wiped her lips with her napkin. $They need to get a life.' .he said. $Ive figured
out two different ways to go tonight, and it depends on how they react when I get there. #ither
theyre going to get my professional presentation, or theyre going to get the radical biker dyke. "ll up
to them.'
Both her siblings blinked at her.
$"h. -orgot to tell you I got a motorcycle too.' (erry grinned, and took a sip of her coffee. $"ctually, it
was a )oint purchase. *ar and I use it down by the cabin in the (eys.' .he e&plained. $0hich by the
way, you both have to come down and stay at sometime.'
$Ill take you up on that.' Mike said. $3an I ride the bike+'
$.ure.' (erry could still sense the faint waves of shock rolling around the table. $0e go down on
weekends a lot and )ust bum around there. Its !uiet, and its right on the water, I love chilling out on
the beach in front.'
$.ounds gorgeous.' "ngie recovered and picked up the conversation again. $Is it a long drive+'
$0ell.' (erry answered. $Its about an hour and a half, I guess, but we also take the boat down there
and thats a little longer. 0e dont care though because we stop and dive on the way down.'
$Man. %er brother shook his head. $0hat a life.'
(erry smiled and took a forkful of pancake to eat. .he felt a faint buzz in her pocket and pulled out
her phone, setting it on the table and opening it. $#&cuse me.' .he put the forkful down and pressed
the answer button. $(erry .tuart.'
$%ello, Ms. .tuart+' " male voice answered. $This is ops. 0e have kind of a situation here and we
need someone to make a decision.'
$3alled the right person.' (erry regretfully glanced at her plate. $Go on. 0hats the problem+'
$Theres a new sales account, the International 3ellular group+' The tech ventured. $*o you know
about them.'
$.ure.' (erry said.
$9kay, well, they were supposed to come live ne&t week, but it turns out their stuff came early so they
want to bring up the circuits into the network, but the change controls not ready.'
"h. (erry leaned back and folded her arms, considering the issue. $*oes Mark have the network
provisioning ready+' .he asked.
$%e says he can have it.'
"h. (erry almost laughed. That meant everyone really wanted to help out their new customer, and no
one wanted to stand on procedure ? but no one wanted to cross her strict insistence on documented
change control either.
9nly *ar would casually do that, and often did. But to be fair, if anyone else asked *ar if they could do
it, *ar sent them to (erry. .he reserved the right to bypass the rules for herself and (erry had
accepted that without much !ualm, not only because *ar was her boss, but because she trusted her
instincts. $9kay, you have my verbal to proceed, so long as Mark files the paperwork in the system
and it comes up after business hours.'
$6ight oh, maam.' The tech sounded happier. $Marks on the way to do that now. Thank you8'
$"nytime.' (erry hung up the phone and went back for her fork, glad the issue had been simple.
$.o who was that+' "ngie asked.
(erry held up her finger, and managed to get a mouthful of her breakfast. .he patiently chewed it and
swallowed. $9ur operations center in Miami.' .he said. $0e put some new policies and procedures in
place and theyre determined to stick by them.'
$.o you really do run that place, huh+' Mike said.
(erry nodded, but kept eating.
$.he does.' "ngie said. $I dont know if mom googled you last night, but I did. %oly bananas, (erry.
,oure an e&ecutive vice president.'
$7h huh.' %er sister nodded again.
$.o, I have a !uestion. $"ngie leaned forward a little. $If you make what you do, and *ar makes what
she does, and you live in a gillion dollar condo on some ritzy private island, and you own a boat, and a
snazzy cabin in the (eys2 why the heck do you cook for yourself and drive your own car+
(erry stopped chewing and looked up at her, head tilted slightly to one side. "fter a second she
hastily swallowed and picked up her coffee cup, washing her mouthful down. $%uh+'
$,eah.' Mike had no such worries. %e plowed through his pancakes as he talked. $%ow come you
dont have a half dozen people chasing after you holding your briefcase+ I could be one of them.'
%ow come+ (erry was honestly perple&ed, never having even considered anything remotely like it.
$0ell.' .he said, after a long pause. $I like cooking, and I like driving. 0hy would I let someone else do
it for me+'
.he looked at her siblings, and they looked back at her, and she suddenly felt the gulf between them
like it was a physical void. It was strange, and upsetting, since shed grown up in this same type of
home, in this same type of environment and yet living like her sister lived, like her mother lived, was
as alien to her as winter had come to be.
$%uh.' Mike grunted. $I like people doing things for me. 0ho likes to do laundry and stuff+ Id rather
have clean clothes appear like magic.'
$Me too.' "ngie agreed. $If I didnt have someone helping me with "ndrew, Id go crazy.'
(erry sucked on her fork tines, then she shook her head. $I dont have time in my life for that.' .he
said. DIts way too complicated, dealing with people doing stuff for me. Its a lot easier )ust to do it
myself.'
"ngie looked at the plate, and then she )ust chuckled and shrugged. $0ell, no one can argue you know
what youre doing, sis. 0hatever makes you happy.'
$6ight on.' Mike agreed. $,ou can cook for me anytime.'
$Thanks.' (erry went back to her breakfast, more than a little bemused. $5ow can we shut up and
eat+' .he added. $Before I have to get up and cook it all over again+'
$9o.. shes the boss.'
;;
*ar took advantage of being slightly behind "lastair to take a moment to pull her cuffs straight as
they stood waiting to enter the sturdy oak doors to the conference room. .he then put her hands
together over her leather binder, shifting her shoulder a little under the weight of her laptop case as
she listened to "lastairs cheerful chatter with their hosts.
.he was the only one with a laptop, naturally. The rest of the team with them were sales e&ecutives,
who had thick leather portfolios clasped under their arms, dark suits, light shirts, classy ties and
appropriately confident, but reserved e&pressions.
/ike theirs, *ars business suit was a conservative charcoal grey, but thats where the resemblance
stopped. .he was wearing a kneel length skirt and a creamy beige silk shirt, and her lapel was
impudently decorated with a )ewel encrusted microchip )ust to drive the point home that she wasnt
one of the front of the house boys.
5erd. *ar licked her lips and hid a smile, straightening her shoulders as she heard the doors start to
open, and the chatter died down.
$0ell, here we go.' "lastair turned, glancing behind him as if to make sure *ar was there. $6eady,
lady+'
*ar wrinkled her nose at him, and chuckled.
$Gentlemen.. $ The polite man opening the door paused. $"h, and lady. 4lease come inside. 0elcome.'
$Thats twice in si&ty seconds.' *ar muttered, as she followed "lastair inside, the rest of the team
deferring to her. .he glanced around as she crossed the thick carpet, appreciating the high ceiling
and e&pansive proportions of the conference room.
"t the head of the table sat .ir Melthon Gilberthwaite, who was such a stereotypical -orties movie
style British magnate *ar half suspected there was a film crew around somewhere. .eated ne&t to
him was %ans, who solemnly winked at *ar as their group entered.
$"h, .ir Melthon.' "lastair advanced confidently. $Its good to see you again.'
$Mc/ean.' The magnate barked gruffly. $Good start. ,ou lot showed up on time. I hate slackers, like
this godson of mine.'
%ans smiled benignly.
"lastair reached the table and took .ir Melthons e&tended hand in a firm grip. $0e try not to slack,
though I have to tell you this time difference smacks the heck out of us.' %e released the mans hand
and turned. $/et me introduce my team here.'
*ar stood !uietly waiting, letting "lastairs genial introductions of the sales team roll past her as she
waited her turn, fairly sure that he would introduce her last as he usually did when they were in a
group. .he wasnt sure if it was something to do with her being a woman, or )ust her being her, but
she realized the magnate at the end of the table was waiting as well as he looked right at her the
whole time.
$"nd of course, our 3hief Information 9fficer, *ar 6oberts.' "lastair concluded, turning to give *ar a
nod. $The architect of our infrastructure.'
$.ir Melthon.' *ar inclined her head in response, meeting his eyes. $Its good to meet you.'
The magnate stood up and walked around the table to where she was standing, shooing the others
out of the way. %e stopped in front of her, his head nearly but not !uite even with hers, and put his
hands on his hips. $,ou the git who kicked my godson in the rear+'
$I am.' *ar replied mildly, aware of "lastairs widening eyes behind him.
$,oure one of those smart mouthed women, arent you+' .ir Melthon accused. $9ne of them who
thinks they know everything+'
$"bsolutely.' *ar agreed. $I wouldnt be here otherwise. I dont waste my time on small potatoes and
two bit thinkers.' .he could hear the air being sucked out of the room around her, and wondered if
the two #uropean sales managers were going to pass out right on the conference room floor. $I dont
think you do either.'
.ir Melthon grunted. $%ah.' %e turned and went back to his chair. $0hats the world coming to, hah+
-oreign women in my boardroom..candalous8' %e looked at the rest of them. $0ell, you idiots8 .it
down8 ,ou think Im going to talk to you getting a crook in my neck+ #specially that smart mouthed
woman8 .it8'
#veryone hastily grabbed for a chair e&cept for *ar, who meandered around to the other side of the
table and set her laptop case down first before she took a seat in one of the comfortable leather
chairs. $5ice.' .he commented to %ans in German.
$It will get better. %e likes you.' %ans advised her, in a low mutter. DI think perhaps he wants to take
you to bed.'
*ar nodded, steepling her fingers as the sales team prepared their presentation. $*id you tell him I
was married+'
$I did so.' %ans replied, in a regretful tone.
$To another woman+'
The German half shrugged. $5ot so much.'
*ar chuckled under her breath and removed her laptop from its case, opening it and starting it up.
$This is going to be a party I can tell already. %es going to love it when (erry gets here.'
%ans smiled and folded his hands over his stomach, beaming contentedly at the room.
;;
$That it+' (erry nudged the bo& shed carried and lifted into the flatbed of the pickup into place. .he
stood up and dusted her hands off, glad shed decided to keep her tank top on to work in as the
afternoon sun warmed her skin.
$7gh. I hope so.' Mike sat down on the tailgate of the truck. $That was hard work.'
$,ou carried three bo&es.' (erry took a seat on the edge of the truck side, resting her elbows on her
knees and removing the pair of leather work gloves shed put on. $Give me a break.'
Mike looked up at her. $%ey. 0ere not all athletic like you are.' %e swung his legs a little, watching
his sister out of the corner of his eye as they waited for "ngie to )oin them. "s hed e&pected, (erry
did in fact have visible muscles, but they werent the kind you saw on sports shows or in those freaky
infomercials.
They were )ust there, along her arms and shoulders, )ust under the skin where you could see them
move when she did. They didnt look bad, he decided, and they didnt look like a guys, either. But with
her cropped hair they presented a picture of her that )ust didnt match the one hed held in his head
for a very long time.
.he leaned back and crossed her ankles, resting her hands on the truck side and tipping her head
back to look up at the sky, and Mike felt suddenly that this was a person he really didnt know that
much about. $%ey (er+'
$%m+' .he rolled her head to one side and looked at him. $:ust kidding, Mike. Im glad you showed up
even if you didnt carry a bo&. Its good to see you.'
%e grinned. $I was gonna say pretty much the same thing.' %e said. $.o much craps gone on the last
couple of years, its been a bitch, you know+'
$I know.' (erry agreed. $Its been tough for me, all that stuff.'
$,eah.'
$Im glad I have *ars family around.' (erry said, gazing at her work boots. $I dont think I was ready
to )ust not have anyone but me and her. I missed having people around me and her folks are
amazing. Theyre at our place now, dog sitting.'
$They seem really cool.' Mike agreed. $*ars mom scares me.'
(erry chuckled. $.hes hilarious.' .he said. $Theres so much of her in *ar, and neither of them will
admit it. *ar looks )ust like her dad, but really, her wits )ust like her moms.'
Mike got up and climbed into the bed of the truck with her, sitting down ne&t to (erry on the side.
$0e had some fun before, though.' %e said. $It wasnt all bad, growing up together. I didnt think so,
anyway.'
$There were good times.' %is sister said. $I had fun with you and "ngie. I )ust wish we could have
stayed like.. around ten. 9nce I started growing up is when things got weird.' .he pondered the
bo&es around them. $Im )ust really glad I didnt figure out I was gay until I left home.'
$That didnt go over really well.' %er brother agreed. $0as it weird for you+'
(erry thought about those long, confusing days, and after a moment of silence, she nodded. $It was
really hard.' .he said. $-or a while I wasnt sure2 I knew if I had to tell the folks it would be the end
of me being a part of the family.' .he paused. $I thought a lot about whether it was worth it.'
$Telling them+'
$/iving.' (erry answered briefly.
Mike turned and looked at her, with a shocked e&pression.
(erry looked back at him. $,ou have no idea what its like.' .he said. $Being hated that much for
something you cant change.'
Mike was silent for a minute. Then he nodded. $,oure right.' %e said. $I have no idea what thats like.
I think2 well, I know the folks thought you were )ust being stubborn, or rebelling or whatever.' %e
frowned. $It was like, why did you have to do that+'
$-or a long time I didnt.' (erry said. $I )ust lived with knowing I was going to have to say something
sometime but I was too scared to take the ne&t step, until the day I met *ar.' .he studied her hands,
her thumb rubbing against her ring. $Then I knew I couldnt pretend anymore. I had to fish or cut
bait, as they say in the marina.'
$"ng and I felt.. $ Mike paused. $0ell, we kind of felt like you picked *ar over us.'
(erry glanced up at him. $"ctually what I did was pick me over the rest of you.' .he answered. $I
decided my being happy was more important than my family, and you have no idea how much it hurt
to have to make that choice.'
Mike was !uiet for a few minutes. They both looked up hearing the house door close, and saw "ngie
making her way towards them with one last bo&. $Im glad you picked you, (er.' %e said, in a serious
tone. $,oure one of the few people I know who honest to God is happy.'
$%ey you two.' "ngie thumped the bo& down. .he was in )eans, and a sweatshirt. $Thats it. Im over
packing. "nything else goes to charity.' .he pushed the bo& into the truck and sat down on the tail.
$:esus, what was I thinking keeping all that stuff+'
$#h.' (erry leaned back again, rela&ing. $I have to admit, if I had to move now with all the toys and
gear and what not *ar and I have, I probably would need to hire a moving company myself.' .he
said. $.o are we ready to get this stuff over to moms+ I need some time to get changed for the shindig
tonight.'
$,ou going like that+' "ngie pulled one knee up and wrapped her hands around it. $I have to bring the
camera for moms face if you do.'
(erry considered it, then a cool draft hit her between the shoulderblades and she looked up at the
sun. $5ah.' .he decided. $Ill throw a sleeved shirt on. Im going to freeze my ass off if I dont and its
not worth the freak out.' .he got up and went to the other side of the truck, putting her hands on the
side and vaulting over it to land with some grace on the other side.
$9kay, well wait out here for you.' "ngie agreed.
(erry raised her hand and waved it as she trotted off towards the house, taking her gloves off and
stuffing them in her belt as she went.
"ngie leaned back against the wall of the truck and reviewed her pile of stuff. $5ot that moms not
going to freak out as it is, us pulling up in a pickup in )eans.' .he remarked. $But what the hell. (erry
didnt rebel until her late twenties, maybe its our turn.'
Mike eyed her dubiously. $,oure not going to get a tattoo are you+'
%is sister gave him a look.
$:ust asking.'
;;
(erry dropped into the swing in the solar, glad to get off her feet after a day of hauling bo&es. .he
looked around at the !uiet, glass lined room, the air rich with the scent of carefully tended plants
around the borders of it.
It was !uiet here, though she could hear voices through the door coming from the direction of the
hall where shed left her sister getting her things arranged in their new surroundings, though surely
this house was almost as familiar to her as her own since she knew "ngie spent a lot of time here.
"h well. (erry let her head rest against the chain holding the swing up, savoring the peace around
her. .hed always loved the solar, and now as she leaned back and gazed around her, she allowed
memories of scampering around hiding behind the plants surface in her minds eye.
It smelled so green, and there was so much for a small child to look at. 4lants with their big leaves,
and the rich potting soil, and the occasional ladybug to capture and watch.
.he glanced back into one corner, where there were now rose bushes but where there once had been
a stand of potted pines, clustered in a clump shed learned to worm her way into and which had
provided a haven for her whose 3hristmas tree scent she could remember still to this day.
.he stretched her arms out along the back of the wooden bench seat, and rocked back and forth a
little, looking up as she heard footsteps to see her mother approaching, and inwardly she bit off a
curse, not really wanting to face an interaction with her at the moment.
$"h, there you are, (errison.' 3ynthia .tuart said. $My goodness, what a lot of work you children did.'
$It was.' (erry had to agree, as her mother seated herself on the bench across from her. $But we
ended up with a lot of stuff that can go to charity, and I think "ngies happy to have her things the
way she likes them.'
%er mother smiled. $I think so too.' .he replied. $I have to say it will be nice to have at least one of
you back in the house. Its been so !uiet.'
(erry rela&ed a trifle. $,ou should have seen us last night.' .he said. $0e ended up locking Mike in
the truck and having a pillow fight in the living room. .ure you want that much e&citement around+'
$*id you really+' %er mother asked. $My goodness, and youre all grown up.'
$0ere still brothers and sisters.' " smile crossed (errys face. $0e had fun.'
$It certainly sounds like it.' 3ynthia said. $Im very glad you have had some time to spend with "ngela
and Michael. I know they have both missed you.'
$Im glad too.' (erry answered.
%er mother cleared her throat. $.o youre speaking at the reunion tonight+'
(erry nodded. $They asked me to.' .he said. $I wasnt going to go.'
$0hy not+' %er mother asked, in a mild tone. $"fter all, you were going to be here this week.'
$I )ust didnt want to.' .hed gotten the invitation. *ar had even encouraged her to go, and had said
shed work around the #urope schedule to be there if (erry wanted to, and wanted her there. $I dont
much like being the celebrity freak show, I guess.'
%er mother straightened. $9h, but surely thats not the2 $ .he paused, and frowned.
That, at least, made (erry smiled, if only a bit wryly. $"nyway, Ill do the speech then were going out
to the pub for dinner.' .he said. $.o I guess we should get back to "ngies old place so I can change.'
.he stood up, stretching her body out and reaching back to free her shortened hair from her polo
shirt collar.
$"h, yes of course.' %er mother said, rising hastily. $0e thought perhaps we could all have brunch
here tomorrow. 0ould that fit in your schedule+'
(errys ears twitched. $.ure.' .he answered, after a moments hesitation. $I think were done with
packing. 0hat time+'
%er mother looked pleased. $#leven, I believe.' .he said. $:ust the family, really. I )ust want to get a
chance to chat with all of you alone.'
7h oh. (erry nodded. $.ounds like fun.' .he answered, reasoning that at least if they all were there,
the sub)ect could hardly be anything relating to her, personally. $0ell, let me get going.' .he eased
past her mother and ducked under an errant limb, heading back into the hall where she could see her
brother standing.
$(errison+'
7rg. (erry paused and turned, giving her mother a !uestioning look.
$I do like that haircut on you.' 3ynthia said. $It frames your face very nicely.'
(erry ran her fingers through the layers near her eyes and produced a brief grin. $Thanks. It got so
hot this summer I had to get rid of some of it.' .he said. $I like it, though. I may keep it this way.' .he
turned and slipped out of the door and back into the lit entryway, where "ngie was now also waiting
for her. $%ey. 6eady to go+'
"ngie glanced past her to see their mother emerging, then she gave her sister a wry look. $6eady if
you are.' .he slid her small clasp purse under her arm. $Mom, see you tomorrow.'
3ynthia waggled her fingers at them, as they stood together for a minute before the door. $.o nice to
see the three of you together. 0e must get some pictures at brunch.'
They got out the door, and (erry realized a second later that not bringing a )acket wasnt the
brightest thing shed ever done. The cool air blew right through her polo shirt, and she was really
glad shed decided against wearing the tank. $Brr.' .he rubbed her arms with her hands. $0hered
the damn sun go+'
Mike snorted. $Boy did your blood thin.'
(erry didnt deny it. $%ey, it was =L degrees when I left.' .he protested. $Im used to walking outside
in a bathing suit in .eptember.' .he scooted ahead of them and unlocked the truck door, sliding
inside and shutting it after her to block the wind.
"ngie got in the passengers seat, laughing, and Mike slid in the )ump seat also chuckling. $It must be
so bizarre not to have winter.' "ngie shut the door as (erry started the engine. $I cant imagine it'
$0e have winter.' (erry put the truck in gear and pulled around the big stately driveway. $0e have
at least two days where it drops below si&ty. *ar and I make hot chocolate and wear our footie
pa)amas.' .he turned and waited for the big iron gates to open, then she eased out onto the road,
looking both ways first. $I dont miss it. I like not having to think about putting layers of clothing on
and being able to go swimming at midnight outside the whole year.'
$*o you+ $ Mike poked his head over the seat. $Go swimming at midnight+'
(erry had stopped at a traffic light, and now she turned and looked at him. $,eah.' .he admitted.
$0hen we get home from work sometimes. 9r in the ocean when were down at the cabin. 0eve got
a little cove all to ourselves.'
$,ou guys swim naked+'
$MI(#8' "ngie slapped him. $9f course they dont8'
$0ell, actually we do.' The light changed, and (erry moved forward. $.ometimes.' .he answered,
smothering a grin as she heard "ngie nearly swallow her tongue while her brother chortled with
glee. $6ebellion has its good points, yknow.'
$9h my god.'
$.weet8'
;;
The sales pitch over, it was time to get down to the real business.
$0e understand that there are companies here with a lot more built out infrastructure.' *ar faced
the room, holding the remote for her presentation laptop in her right hand. $.o your !uestion for us
likely is, how in the hell are we going to support this application until we can catch up.'
.ir Melthon grunted.
$Its a good !uestion.' *ar clicked the control, and her laptop obediently responded with a lively,
pulsing display, pro)ected against a silver chased, insanely e&pensive screen set up at the far end of
the table. It displayed a reasonably scaled diagram of their global network, long lines of green and
blue tracing across the planet.
$"nimated, eh. "t least thats more interesting than the last idiots.' .ir Melthon interrupted. $Bloody
boring the lot of them. ,ou put me to sleep, woman, and you can go sell your slides out on the street.'
$Thats live, isnt it, *ar+' "lastair remarked from his seat ne&t to .ir Melthon, drawing both the
magnates attention and that of the two men on the other side of him that had been introduced as his
business leaders for the pro)ect. $That screen there+'
$/ive+' 9ne of the men leaned forward. $*o you mean to say thats showing a realtime view of
something+' %e looked around. $0hat the devil are you connected to+'
$It is.' *ar responded. $This is a reflection of the main operations console at our commercial
head!uarters in Miami, -lorida.' .he went on. $I have a cellular link up to our international gateway
and were backhauling the signal from there.'
The man studied her. $.orry, go on.' %e murmured.
.he reviewed the screen. $"s you can see, we are very built out in 5orth "merica, but we also have a
significant presence in .outh "merica, India, "frica, and the -ar #ast.'
The man got up and walked around to get closer to the screen.
$0e do have a basic set of pipes in #urope.' *ar manipulated the control and a set of green lines grew
brighter, across the #uropean continent. $But since we size the infrastructure to the business, we
havent upgraded the port speed to provide a high capacity full mesh. ,et.'
The man looked at her. $%ow long will it take you to do that+' %e asked, sharply.
*ar studied the screen for a moment. $Two months.' .he answered.
$Thats not possible.' The other man ne&t to .ir Melthon said. $0e know it isnt, Im not being a fly in
the ointment here.' %e said, as *ar turned towards him. $0e did a study to put our own network in.
It would take over a year, and thats why were looking to outsource.'
$Two months. $*ar repeated, unmoved. $0e have a certain degree of leverage.'
The man looked at .ir Melthon, and shook his head.
$Mc/ean, is this rot+' Melthon turned his head and peered at "listair. $I dont need a load of hot air. I
have a wife for that.'
"lastair didnt turn a hair. $5ah.' %e said. $If *ar says two months, its two months, and probably
earlier.' %e said. $.he rebuilt an entire networking center in one night, yknow. 6eliable as the day is
long.'
The magnate snorted. $,ou willing to lay a bet on that+' %e asked. $,ou do it in time or the whole
deals off, hows that for a bet+'
$.ure.' The genial Te&an didnt so much as glance at *ar. $But Ill tell you what, we do it in two
months, and you toss in a contract for the rest of your network. %ows that for a bet+'
*ar stood !uietly waiting, gaining an new appreciate for her bosses always surprising wheeling and
dealing side she didnt get to see very often. 7sually she was pulling "lastairs ass out of the fire, this
time, they were both playing a somewhat dangerous game of poker that was making the sales reps
eyes bug out.
.ir Melthon studied the gray haired man sitting ne&t to him, his hands resting rela&ed on the table.
$.ir.' The man ne&t to him murmured. $This sounds dangerous.'
$%ah8' The magnate barked suddenly. $*amn straight it does.' %e turned to *ar. $0ell, smart
mouthed woman, get to talking. 0eve got a bet on.' %e held a hand out to "lastair. $Good enough for
you, Mc/ean+'
$"bsolutely.' "lastair took his hand and gripped it firmly. $*ar+ ,ou were saying+'
#veryone turned back to *ar, and she collected her train of thought, looking back at the screen. $"s I
was saying, the !uestion is, how do we support this pro)ect until I can upgrade those pipes.' .he
illuminated two other lines, a pulsing blue one that landed in /ondon, and another in Germany, with a
heavy tracing of smaller, green lines between them. $%eres how.'
$0ait.' The man still standing near the screen held up a hand. $This is our premier product. 0e cant
rely on a single line back to the .tates. 0hat if it goes down+ #ven for.. ah.. two months+' %is voice
e&pressed e&treme doubt.
*ar walked over to her laptop and put the control down, trading it for her keyboard which she
studied for a moment before she started typing in it. $%eres the average response time across that
circuit to our /ondon hub.' .he enhanced the display, showing the statistics of the two links. $%eres
what happens when it goes down.' .he e&ecuted a few keystrokes, and the blue line landing in
/ondon went dark.
$B..' 9ne of their own sales reps started to stand up.
The rest of the map fluttered, then the pulsing settled down, the link into Germany growing brighter,
and the lacing of green lines e&panding to take up the slack. The response time counter, in its small
bo&, remained steady.
*ar let the silence go on for a moment, then she smiled. $I like to sleep at night.' .he reopened the
link and it surged back into place, the map giving that little flutter again. .he glanced over at .ir
Melthon, catching him with his )aw )ust slightly open. %e scowled at her and shut his mouth with a
click. $.o our proposal is that we will support your infrastructure from our Miami offices until a local
hub is in place.'
$0ith local staff+' The man near the screen rallied weakly.
$9f course.' "lastair said. $*o you know how much it costs to relocate people from 9klahoma+' %e
chuckled. $Ive told the boys here to get ready to move fast, and bring in as many good people as they
can find.'
$%mph.'
$0ere e&pecting to start up a support center with at least one hundred people.' *avid spoke up.
$"nd -rancois here is handling the logistics and distribution facility near 5antes.'
The men looked at -rancois, who merely nodded, keeping his fingers pressed against his lip.
$%ah.' .ir Melthon barked again. $0hat a pack of smart alecks you lot are.' %e turned to "lastair.
$/unch. Then well get down to pen and paper. Ive had enough egghead chatter for the morning.' %e
stood up and headed for the door, clearly e&pecting them to follow.
*ar chuckled and went to her laptop to shut it down. $,ou know what this business is like sometimes
%ans+'
$4igs tail soup.' %e answered succinctly. $But he does like you, that I am sure.' %e reassured her. $It
is mostly an act, yes+ That /ord of the British empire loudness.'
*ar closed the lid on the machine. $0ait until he sees "lastairs contract terms. $ .he advised him.
$Thats mostly an act too, that Te&as good old boy stuff. $
$"h.' %ans got up and )oined her as they walked to the door, the last to e&it the room. $.o it seems
with the big shots acting, the truth of the situation then depends on you.'
*ar held the door and smiled. $0ell soon find out.'
$That we will.'
;;
(erry toweled her hair dry and paused in front of the bathroom mirror, regarding her reflection. .he
hung the towel around her neck and leaned on the marble countertop, wrestling with that age old
!uestion of women everywhere.
0hat to wear.
5ormally, it wasnt much of an issue for her. .he had work clothes, and she had casual clothes, and
she had scroungy old rags in abundance. Twice as many as *ar, in fact, and she didnt often spend
much time deciding which category to put on.
%owever. (erry studied the pale green eyes in the mirror.
$I think I feel like being a grown up tonight.' .he announced, putting aside the fleeting notion of
wearing )eans to her speech. .he finished drying herself off and put on her underwear, leaving the
bathroom and crossing the carpet to where shed laid out her choices.
0ithout hesitation, she lifted the crisply pressed suit up and hooked the hanger on silent butler,
sliding the )acket off and laying it across the seat as she loosened the silk, ice blue shirt and prepared
to slip it over her shoulders.
" soft knock at the door made her eye the closed panel with some wariness. $,es+'
$Its me.' "ngies voice answered.
.lipping the shirt on, (erry started buttoning the sleeves. $3mon in.' .he glanced over as her sister
entered, shutting the door behind her. $%ey.'
$%ey.' "ngie dropped down onto the bed, leaning on one hand. $Thats a nice blouse.' .he said. $.o
youre not going to go strapless+'
$5o.' (erry smiled, finishing her sleeves and fastening the front closed. $I decided to present my
professional side. "side from not wanting to come off as a )erk, I always feel like I have a
responsibility to encourage girls into IT.'
$6eally+' "ngies brows lifted. $Is it really that much a guys world+'
(erry removed her teal skirt from its hanger and stepped into it. $0ell..' .he tucked her shirt in and
buttoned the skirt, then buckled the leather belt. $,eah, it is.' .he admitted. $I think *ars one of the
few female 3I9s, and our technical group is mostly guys though we do try to recruit women.'
$Try+'
(erry went to her bag and removed her )ewelry case. $Believe it or not, for some reason, women
dont seem to gravitate to infrastructure.' .he took out a pair of favorite earrings and started to put
them on. $Ive seen great women programmers, pro)ect managers, service delivery reps, you name it.
But high tech plumbers+ 5ot so common.'
"ngie got up and came over, peeking at the earrings. $(er, those are gorgeous.' .he said. $3an I see
that other one+'
%er sister handed it over, then she retrieved her necklace and ring from the dresser and slid them
into place. .he brushed her hair out, glancing briefly in the mirror as the already drying, shortened
strands settled around her face. $.ure is nice not to have to blow dry this stuff all the time.'
$,ou like it short+'
(erry took back the proffered earring and inserted it. $,eah.' .he studied her reflection, and smiled.
$I think it looks more sophisticated. *ar likes it. I keep trying to get her to cut hers short but she
thinks shell look like a punk.'
$Mm.' "ngie got up and stood ne&t to her. $%er hairs wavy, though. ,ours is straight. It might look
weird unless it was really short.' .he pointed out. $Im sure she doesnt want to look like a guy.'
(errys eyebrow arched. .he turned and looked at "ngie. $.haved bald she wouldnt look like a guy.'
.he said, bluntly.
%er sister gave her a wry look.
(erry made a face. $.orry.' .he apologized. $I think Im getting sensitive in my old age.' .he brushed
her hair out again, feeling a little embarrassed. $.mack me.'
$5o way.' "ngie said immediately. $"re you kidding+ Im not hitting .he 6a. 5ot in this lifetime.' .he
bumped (erry with her shoulder. $Mind if I come along to the dinner+ I know I wasnt in that class,
but Id love to hear you speak.'
$I dont mind at all.' (erry was relieved. $Id love the company.' .he finished her mild primping and
reached for the )acket to her suit. $Thanks.'
"ngie followed her as she pulled the )acket on and tugged the lapels straight with an automatic
gesture, reaching back to clear the short hairs in the back of her neck from the collar. $Is Mike
meeting us after for dinner+'
$"ctually2'
(erry sensed a plot at hand. $/et me guess. %e wants to come too.'
$0ell2' %er sister lifted both hands, as she watched (erry slip into her mid heel shoes. $0hy not+
0e know we dont have much time with you, (er. Besides, if they start giving you a hard time, well
gang up on them.'
(erry entertained herself with a mental vision of her siblings batting her old classmates around. .he
grinned. $,eah sure, why not+' .he said. $/ets go and get this over with.' .he clipped her 4alm in its
case to her belt and picked up the keys to the pickup. $0anna drive+'
"ngie chuckled, then she cleared her throat as they headed for the stairs. $Maybe.'
;;
(erry folded her hands over her stomach and watched as the once familiar landscape whipped by,
only half listening to her brothers chatter from the )ump seat behind her. In her mind, she ran over
what she might say at the dinner, reviewing a few different approaches depending on the reception
she was given.
It would be the easiest if everything was )ust at face value. .he could talk about what was needed to
enter the business world, and ramble on about the state of the technical industry for any length of
time without any danger of either scandalizing anyone or being completely understood.
.he scratched her nose, wrinkling the bridge of it a little as she acknowledged how stuffy and )aded
that sounded even in the privacy of her own mind. It was true, though, that the world she worked in
was full of over arching concepts and buzzwords that tried to describe in laymans terms what its
functions were and most of the time it )ust ended up sounding like dystopian poetry.
$.o (er.' Mike got her attention back. $,ou think this is a publicity stunt or something+'
9n the other hand, (erry smiled grimly, her brother had probably )ust spoken aloud what her own
primary suspicion was, that her school, always in search of funding, had used the opportunity of its
class reunion to gain some press in an otherwise slow year.
0hat was that about any publicity being good publicity+
$Maybe.' (erry said. $I dont see what it really gets them though, e&cept mention in the paper when
the paper covers me.' .he glanced at her sister. $*id you say the paper was going to be there.'
$9f course.' "ngie said. .he slowed, then turned onto a busier road. $Im surprised they didnt call the
house looking for you. $ .he added. $" half dozen other people did.'
(erry blinked. $%uh+' .he said. $They did+ 0ho+'
$Guys wanting dates. 0e told them off.' Mike answered for her, reaching across the back of the seat
and flicking (erry on the back of her neck. $Then 9prah 0infrey called and we told her you were
booked for the ne&t two years already.'
$9h damn.' (erry had to laugh. $"nd here I really wanted to be on 9prah.' .he twiddled her thumbs a
little. $*id I ever tell you guys that I got a call from -ace the 5ation after the hearing, wanting me to
appear+'
$9h my god youre kidding.' "ngie gasped. $They would have had a fit8'
$-ace the 5ation+ Theyre used to weird political scandals.' (erry chuckled.
$9ur parents.' %er sister clarified. $%e hated that show.'
$They roasted him the last time he was on it.' Mike snorted. $*ont you remember that time, (erry+ I
thought I sent you an email he was going to be on, they nailed him on the offshore drilling crap he
was supporting.'
(errys brow creased a bit. $I must have been swamped with something.' .he admitted. $I dont
remember seeing it. Thats not something *ar and I usually watch.' .he spotted the beginning of the
brick wall topped by wrought iron gating that marked her alma mater, and almost wished they would
)ust keep driving past now that it was here, and now.
$/ooks like its busy.' "ngie eased the truck into the turn lane, reviewing the line of cars ahead of her.
The truck was positively out of place, and she could see the people in the car ahead of her staring at it
in their rearview mirror. $3an this go over the top of those little suckers+'
$Bet it can.' Mike instigated immediately. $3reep up on that guys bumper, lets see if we can freak
him out.'
(erry eyed her suddenly radical siblings. $0hat the hecks gotten into you two+'
$,oure a bad influence.' %er brother informed her. $#veryone always said you would be.' %e reached
over again and tugged (errys ear. $3mon, you only live once. /ets get into trouble.'
$"h ah ha.8' (erry grabbed his hand and held it. $Its not you two wholl get in trouble if we crash this
thing, its in my name.' .he pointed out. $/ets )ust get inside. Then you can go around giving my old
anything but pals wedgies if you want.'
"ngie chuckled. .he eased the truck forward as the line moved, holding down the brake, then giving
the engine )ust enough gas to startle the car in front of her. $1room.'
(erry )ust covered her eyes as she heard the crunch of the tires. .he started thinking of what possible
story she could come up with to e&plain why shed totaled a rental car. "t least *ar would probably
find it funny. "fter no further sounds, she peeked out from between her fingers to see the car ahead
of them pulling out of line, and heading off down the street. $0hat the heck+'
$0e scared em.' Mike said contentedly. $0einie88'
"ngie pulled the truck up to the ne&t car in line. $0ant to see if I can do that again+' .he asked. $Get
us through this !ueue in no time.'
$%oly crap.' (erry sighed. $5o, )ust chill, okay+ 6emember, you do live here. I get to go home in a day
or so and I dont have to hear all the gossip.'
$.crew that.' Mike said. $If they want something to talk about, lets give them something. 9therwise
theyll )ust make stuff up about you and you know it. Id rather have them saying we shoved some
/e&us into the wall.'
The line started moving again, though, much to (errys relief, and she rested her elbow on the
doorframe as they made the turn into the entrance to the school and through the tall arched gates.
Mi&ed memories. .he studied the name in the scrollwork as they went under it. .he hadnt really
disliked school, and shed been more or less successful at navigating its social labyrinths since shed
been old enough to know better when shed started attending.
Being 6oger .tuarts oldest had brought both positive and negative attention, and now when she
looked back on all the little things, the parties and invites, the snubs and the suck ups, she was
content to acknowledge that all in all it could have been worse for her.
$*id *ar go to any type of.. ah..' "ngie paused. $5o, probably not, huh+'
(erry smiled. $:ust regular school.' .he said. $But it wouldnt have mattered, I dont think. .hes
brilliant. They could never keep up with her down there, and I doubt they could have here either.'
.he paused as "ngie pulled up to the attendant, who peered inside with a doubtful e&pression. $%i
there. Is this *ominos 4izza+'
Mike fell back in the )ump seat, chortling.
$3an I get a pepperoni and e&tra cheese+' (erry continued pleasantly as the man frowned. $0ith a
two liter of coke+'
$Maam, I dont think2' %e hesitated, thrown off by the sport truck filled with une&pectedly well
dressed people. $"h2'
"ngie removed the invitation from the sunshield and handed it to him. $Maybe this helps.' .he said.
$Before my sister tells you were hauling fertilizer for the dance hall.'
The man looked at the invitation, then looked back at them. $"h.' %e said. $5o problem.' %e pointed
to the left. $1alet parkings over there, ladies.'
$%ey8' Mike popped his head up again. $0atch who you call lady, bub8'
$Thanks.' "ngie closed the window and got the truck moving before they could cause more chaos.
$"nd you say were causing trouble+' .he said. $(er, youre the one who was going to show up in a
tank top and )eans.'
$.houlda.' (erry chuckled, as they swung around the big, paved circle to the porta chachet, where
valets were milling around, taking care of the well kept, e&pensive cars being dropped off. .he had a
moment to look at the crowd before it was there turn, her eyes spotting one or two people she was
pretty sure she knew already.
%eads turned as the pickup pulled into the valet stand, and she was out of time to think about it.
(erry waited for the valet to hesitantly approach, then she opened the door from the inside and
gathered herself to get out. $9kay, kids. /ets go.'
"s the door opened, the buzz of the crowd got louder, and she got that feeling she often did when she
was about to enter a company they were ac!uiring and face the person shed been once for the first
time. .he gave the valet a brief smile and turned to flip the seat forward so Mike could get out.
$#vening.'
$Maam.' The valet reacted to her appearance and ad)usted his attitude from seeing the truck.
$0elcome to the homecoming.'
(erry saw heads turning nearby, and her peripheral view caught the flash of a camera. $Thanks' .he
said, as "ngie came around to )oin them, and they walked as a group towards the steps. $6eady or
not, here we come.'
$3an I tell everyone Im an alumni too+' Mike asked.
$Its an all girls school.' "ngie poked him. $0hat are you going to tell them, you had a se& change+'
Mike grinned evilly.
$%ad to suggest that, didnt you+' (erry said under her breath, as she saw a group of older women
start in their direction. .he recognized several as once upon a time teachers, and the lady in front,
incredibly still there, as the headmistress in charge.
$Ms. %auderthorns coming right at you.' "ngie whispered. $0hat a witch8 .he hated me8'
(erry plastered a determined grin on her face. $6emind me to tell you later why.' .he gave herself a
little shake, and s!uared her shoulders. $But not until weve both had a beer.'
;;
$*ar+'
*ar opened her eyes, to see "lastair standing in front of her chair, holding out a glass. $0hat is that+'
.he asked, eyeing the dark li!uid with some suspicion.
$Irish coffee.' %er boss said, in a wry tone. $I figured you could use it.'
3offee. *ar took the offered mug without further preamble, and sipped gingerly from it. $Thanks.'
.he said. $Time lags still kicking my ass.'
"lastair took a seat ne&t to her. They were in a !uiet lounge off the main meeting space, the soft buzz
of conversation trickling in through the ad)oining door. $0ell, lady, its late in anyones time zone.'
%e glanced at the door. $But I think were close.'
*ar checked her watch, and winced. $9ne "M. I sure as hell hope so.' .he stretched her legs out and
crossed them. $Is he done asking me !uestions+'
%er boss brought one foot up onto its opposite knee and rested his hands on his ankle. $I think so.'
%e said. $"ctually I think hes more tired of getting your answers so I think hes )ust decided to beat
me over the head with the terms again.'
$%es tough.'
"lastair chuckled. $They all are. 5o one in there wants to give money to anyone, least of all a bunch of
smartass ,anks. I think our boys here are starting to piddle.'
*ar snorted.
$Mc/ain8'
$"h.' "lastair sighed. $%ey, theyre bringing some dinner in. 3mon, maybe if we go in there together
hell settle down some.' %e patted *ar on the arm.
$.ure.' *ar obligingly got up. $I was )ust out here because I was bored listening to all the sales crap.'
.he said, as she followed the older man towards the double doors. .he kept her coffee with her,
though, sipping it as they entered the big conference room where .ir Melthon and his team, and their
sales reps were going at it.
"t this point, she figured, it was )ust a chest beating contest, and since she had no intention of
bruising her own infrastructure shed been sitting around merely waiting for a technical !uestion to
come up since shed already gone over their plan four times and had no intention of doing it a fifth.
$6ight.' .ir Melthon looked up as they entered. $"h, there you are, and your little girl too.'
"lastair stopped in his tracks, turned, and looked *ar up and down. %e then turned back to the
magnate. $.ir Melthon+ I know this ladys father, and let me tell you, neither you, nor I want to make
that statement even in )est.'
$5one of that now, )ust get over here.' Melthon waved a hand at them. $I want2'
$I M#"5 T%"T.' "lastair suddenly raised his voice in a loud bark, cutting off all other conversation
and making himself the sudden, startling center of attention. "fter a moment of silence. $I e&pect my
staff to be treated with the same respect we show to yours.'
.ir Melthon leaned back in his chair and studied him. $,ou do say+'
"lastair stared back at him. $*amned right I do say.'
*ar stood !uietly, sipping her coffee, not wanting to do anything to either escalate or downplay the
moment. It went against her instincts to allow anyone to take her part the way her boss was doing,
but she was smart enough to know there were dynamics here her usual bull in a china shop style
would not mesh with.
.ir Melthon pondered a moment. $0ell, then all right.' %e shrugged. $.orry about that. *idnt think
you were the sensitive type.' %e directed the last comment at *ar.
$Im not.' *ar put her cup down and settled into a soft leather seat across from him. $But "lastair is
right. Im the 3hief Information 9fficer of the company. If you sign on, I hold your family )ewels right
here.' .he held up her hand and crooked the fingers. $If you dont respect me, how can you trust me
not to send your business to hell or get bored someday and reroute your datastream to Iran+'
Melthon and his team stared at her, as "lastair took a seat ne&t to *ar. $Is that a threat+' The
magnate asked, in a splutter. $Mc/ain, what is this+'
$5ow, I am sure..' -rancois started to break in hurriedly, stopping when "lastair held his hand up.
$This, is who we are.' The Te&an folded his hands on the table. $.o let me tell you now, if you cant
deal with my people being anything other than whitebread old men like me tell me now, and well
)ust cut the deck and go home. Im not making us both miserable signing a contract with you.' %e
gazed steadily across at the magnate, his blue eyes open and guileless. $I do mean that.'
Melthon actually gaped at him.
$,ou are one fish, in my very very big ocean.' "lastair went on placidly.
#ven *ar was hard pressed not to react, keeping her eyebrows in their customary places and
concentrating on not letting her eyes widen. .he leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers
together instead, appreciating for perhaps the first time how hardball her boss was willing to be
when he felt he needed to.
%ans was watching both men, with a fascinated e&pression as he tapped his fingers on the table,
everyone else in the room was seemingly frozen in place.
-inally Melthon turned and looked at *ar. $I dont like women in business8' %e thumped his fist on
the table.
*ar cocked her head, looking down at herself before she looked back up at him. $Too bad+' .he said.
$Im not going to change into a man anytime soon. .orry.'
$%ah8' The magnate turned back to "lastair. $.hell get married on you, see if she doesnt, Mc/ean8
Then what8+'
"lastair smiled. $*ars already married.' %e said. $%asnt been an issue.'
$"nd have brats8 ,ou know how they are8' Melthon shot right back.
"lastair turned and looked at *ar, one brow edging up )ust a trifle.
$0e have a dog.' *ar could see the twinkle in his eyes. $The mainframe will have kids before I will.'
.he leaned forward and picked up her cup. $Besides, can you imagine there being two of me+'
$5o.' %er boss replied instantly. $I cant afford two of you. My heart would give out.' %e turned back
to .ir Melthon. $.o whats it to be+ Its late, yknow+ 0e can call it off now and I can get my people
some rest before we move on to the ne&t opportunity.'
Melthon eyed him shrewdly. $,ouve got brass ones.' %e said. $This is not a small contract.'
$It isnt.' "lastair agreed. DIts got huge potential for us, and I think we can do a good )ob for you. But
Im not interested if it e&poses my people, especially one of our singe most valuable resources to
being treated like an afterthought. Its not worth it to me.'
$Indeed.'
$,up.'
The magnate leaned back, most of his irascible attitude fading. $1aluing people is very old fashioned,
you know. In this day and age, we are all e&pendable, or so they say.'
$4eople who say that are the only e&pendable ones.' "lastair replied !uietly. $Ive lived long enough
in this business to have learned that the hard way.'
"fter a moments silence, Melthon nodded. $"ll right then. -air enough.' %e said. $I have long been
accused by many..' %e turned and deliberately looked at %ans, who smiled. $9f being old fashioned
myself. I didnt think Id find an "merican who had any interest in anything but the dollar. ,ou
surprise me, Mc/ean.'
$The missus says that on occasion to me too.' "lastair replied. $But that usually involves tacky
Me&ican )ewelry and never comes with good brandy like this.' %e held up his glass, tipping it slightly
in .ir Melthons direction.
The magnate burst into laughter. %e lifted his own cup and inclined it. $0e will do business, Mc/ean.
I like a man who knows how to stand up for himself.' %e glanced aside. $"nd for a woman8'
The sales e&ecs rela&ed and so did .ir Methons minions, as nicely tu&edod servers entered with
mahogany serving trays from the far door. The first one of them paused and looked at the table,
timidly eyeing the magnate before moving any further.
$Bring that in.' Their host waved a hand. $Bring that, and bring me a couple bottles of that rotgut my
godson forced on me the other week. Might as well get rid of it with this lot.'
*ar eased back into her chair and drank her cooling coffee, the rich taste of the li!uor in it burning
her stomach as it settled. .he watched the servers bustle around putting out plates and dishes and
only after the noise in the room dispelled some of the tension did she glance over at "lastair.
.olemnly, he winked at her.
*ar lifted her mug up and behind it, poked the tip of her tongue out at him. .he then glanced at her
watch, and unclipped her 4*", opening it and tapping on the screen with the stylus.
Hey *er.
.ou missed an eyeball bustin! moment here. Its possible I mi!ht not leave this place toni!ht without
kissin! $lastair.
Hope your speech is knockin! them dead. ,uy your family a beer for me when its all over with and make
sure someone took pictures.
)).
$.o.'
*ar closed the 4alm and turned, to find .ir Melthon now sitting in the seat right ne&t to her. $.o.' .he
repeated.
$My godson there.' The magnate spoke conversationally, as though the preceding standoff with
"lastair had never happened. $Tells me you can do some very tricky stuff. Is that on the up and up+'
*ar peered over at %ans, who studiously avoided her gaze. $Maybe.' .he said. $0e have some very
proprietary technology that I developed, to help us provide the best services to our customers. If
thats what he meant, then yes. $
%er 4*" beeped. *ar resisted the urge to look at it while she waited for the magnate to continue,
aware of someone putting a plate down in front of her on the table.
$,ou own it then, eh+' Melthon asked.
$%e owns it.' *ar indicated "lastair, who was sitting by !uietly watching and listening. $9r, more to
the point, I/. owns it because I developed it on their time and their gear.'
$"h hah.' The magnate got up and went back around the table. $"ll right, lets get a bite to eat, and
then well carry on.' %e said. $%ope none of you enlightened "mericans are vegetarians.' %e looked
around the table, his bushy eyebrows hiking.
*ar studied the slab of beef in front of her. $/ooks good to me.' .he put the 4*" down on the table
and casually flipped it open. $Got any katsup+'
The men across the table stopped, and stared at her.
$:ust kidding.' *ar smiled. .he waited for them to start working on their plates again before she
looked down at the 4alm.
5et pictures. +hat the heck, !ive him a kiss for me too. I am about to !o on sta!e and Ive already had
two confrontations with women older than my mother and just about kept my brother from kickin! one
of them in the shins. If I end up in jail, will you come home and bail me out?
+ish you were here. I have a headache.
*.
$#&cuse me.' *ar got up and tucked the 4*" into her hand. $I need to make a phone call.' .he ducked
past the chair ne&t to her and headed for the small antechamber, pulling her cell phone out as she
cleared the door and keying the speed dial without looking.
It rang twice, then picked up. $%ey.'
$%ey.' (errys voice sounded stressed, but also, wry. $0as the whining that loud+'
$Tell me some old witch gave you a hard time. 0hats her name+ Ill hack into her pension and send it
to the ".43".' *ar said. $I knew I should have coJopted you out of this.'
"fter a brief pause, (erry chuckled. $5ah, its not that bad really.' .he demurred. $I )ust ran into a few
of my old teachers, thats all.' .he paused. $"nd..'
"h.
$I dont know. I )ust want to get out of here.' (erry admitted, in a !uieter voice. $Its )ust weirding me
out. Too many memories.'
*ar e&haled, sensing the turmoil. $%ang in there.' .he said. $9ne more day, (er. :ust blow through
this and go have a plate of wings and a beer. Ill be there with you in spirit.'
There was a brief pause on the other end. $(now something+' %er partner finally said. $0hen I get to
#urope, Im going to buy you a tiara.'
*ars nostrils flared and her eyes widened. $%uh+'
$,ou rule my world. Gotta go, sweetie. /ove you.' (erry hung up, leaving a faint echo behind her.
*ar tapped her cell phone against her )aw, before she turned to head back into the meeting room. $Id
look stupid as hell in one of those.' .he sighed. $But Id love to see her try it.'
;;
$0as that *ar+' "ngie asked, leaning against an unused podium as they waited behind the small
stage.
$,eah.' (erry tucked her cell phone away. $%owd you know+' .he glanced up in !uestion.
$,oure smiling.' %er sister replied. $I havent seen you do that all night.' .he put a sympathetic hand
on (errys back. $/isten, Im really sorry I got you into this.' .he added, softly. $I didnt think it would
be such a big deal.'
$5either did I, but I probably should have.' (erry admitted. $"nyway, were here now. I )ust want to
get it done.'
"ngie patted her shoulder. $:ust think about the brewpub. If it gets too obno&ious out there, Ill call
Mike and have him moon the crowd and we can escape out the back.'
The thought was startlingly appealing. (erry smothered a grin, and ran her fingers through her hair
again, feeling the dryness in the back of her mouth and wishing she had a tall glass of ice tea. $0ere
)ust a family full of scandal, huh+'
$%ey, it beats reading about the flower show in tomorrows paper.'
$,eah, well.' (erry sighed, as she spotted one of the event organizers heading her way through the
small backstage area. .he straightened up and twitched her sleeves out a little, taking a deep breath
and e&haling it as shed often seen *ar do before she presented. $"re we ready+'
The woman hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. $I think we are. #veryones seated.'
(erry felt her nerves settle, as the waiting was over and now, at least, she could )ust do it and get it
over with. $9kay, lets go then.' .he said. $%ope I dont cause a riot.'
The organizers face twitched. $/et me )ust go introduce you and2 oh.'
(erry brushed by her. $,ou dont need to. Ill take it from here.' .he unabashedly stole a page from
*ars $do the une&pected book and slipped past the curtains, emerging into a pool of typically wishy
washy school auditorium lighting.
.he crossed to the small podium, mahogany wood and long worn with the forearms of decades of
speakers before her, and rested her hands on it, simply standing there and waiting to be noticed.
It gave her a long few seconds to look out over the room. .hed last been in it for graduation, and her
mind flashed back to long hours spent there listening to religious instruction and lecture s on
morality and her place in the world.
The sudden absurdity of the contrast made her smile, and she felt her shoulders rela& as she let her
eyes scan the crowd as the crowd began to realize she was standing there. It was a full house, a
mi&ture of current students, her old classmates, and teachers and she allowed herself a moment of
surprised gratification that at least someone wanted to hear whatever it was she had to say.
The buzz settled down !uickly, as all eyes turned to her. 7nlike *ar, however, (erry didnt find this
intimidating. $Good evening.' .he in)ected her voice into the room, making sure to pro)ect a !uiet
confidence she almost actually felt.
$My name is (errison .tuart.' .he hadnt intended consciously to use her real name, but as it came off
her tongue, it sounded right. $.ome of you know me. .ome of you only know of me, and some of you
wish youd never heard of me but since you asked me to speak here, you get what you get so lets get
started.'
.he paused, and after a long moment of startled silence, the crowd applauded. $Mph.' .he muttered
under her breath. $3ant be worse than that women in business seminar last year, now could it+'
(erry waited for the noise to die down, then she studied the crowd for a few beats. Then she
removed the microphone from the podium and came around from behind it. $4utting aside whats
mostly public knowledge about me, Im going to take a minute to briefly introduce myself for the
benefit of those of you who are wondering )ust who the heck I am.'
"ngie watched from behind the curtain, bemused at the confident figure that had so recently been
nervous and withdrawn back stage with her. .he could )ust see (errys profile, and her sister had
seemingly transformed herself now that the moment was on her.
(erry had always been funny that way. .hy and reserved, "ngie remembered her keeping her own
council mostly when they were teenagers. 4art of that had been their parents, of course, by then
(erry had gone through the early stages of !uestioning their father and suffered the conse!uences.
4art of it hadnt been though. (erry had once told her that it was )ust too bad she understood as
much as she did. That shed have been a happier person if shed been dumber. "t the time "ngie had
thought she was being dissed, but now, knowing her sister a little better, shed come to realize that it
was )ust the truth.
:ust the truth, that (erry was smart, and though she didnt want to see or admit it, she had their
fathers calculating shrewdness and a certain toughness that she could hear echoing in (errys voice
when she probably wasnt even aware of it.
"ngie sighed. .he and Michael had )ust been Dthe children, but (erry had always been something
special to their father since aside from being smart, and good looking, girl or not shed been his
firstborn and no matter how rough hed made it on her and no matter how awful things had gotten at
the end there were parts of him that had been proud of her.
.eeing her here, now, in front of this crowd ? "ngie knew hed be proud of her again.
$.o now that were past the fact that I went to school here, and lived in town most of my life, let me
tell you what it is I do now.' (erry paused, and considered, aware of all the eyes on her. $The
company I work for is I/.. 0ere the largest IT services company in the world.'
"ngie blinked a little. .he hadnt known that, though she knew (errys company was large and shed
spent a few minutes reading about it on I/.s website when shed hunted down their public filings.
.eeing (errys name in them had seemed very weird, almost like she was reading about a stranger.
0ith a shake of her head, she turned her attention back to the stage.
$Im glad Ive gotten a chance to use the education I started here, and continued in college in the work
I do now. $ (erry was saying. $"s 9perations 1ice 4resident, Ive had the opportunity to take what I
learned and apply it in n industry that engages me mentally and provides me with an e&citing work
environment that Im happy to go back to every day.'
(erry paused, evaluating the crowd. $.o now that I got that far, any !uestions+' .he prompted, seeing
the startled reaction from her old instructors. The crowd didnt respond at first, and she felt a wry
grin trying to emerge. $3mon.' .he said. $I can think of one !uestion I know someone out there wants
to ask.'
"ngie stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with one hand as she heard the audience react, and a low
hoot, definitively male, she knew was their brother.
(erry heard it too. .he managed to suppress a grin, then she turned as she saw first one, then a few
hesitant hands go up. Fuestions were a risk. .he figured shed probably get at least one that would
make her wish she hadnt done it, but *ar had been right. The crowd knew more about her than she
did about them, and she )ust wasnt in the mood to preach the IT line tonight. $"ll right, go on.'
9ne of the current students, a dark haired girl stood up. $0hat made you pick high tech+'
*elightful surprise. $0hy did I pick high tech.' (erry repeated the !uestion into the microphone.
$0ell.' .he thought about it. $It was a lot se&ier than law and it was like being on the frontier of
something really new.'
"nother hand went up. $%ow much money is there in that+'
#ven more delightful. (erry smiled. $In my )ob specifically or in the tech industry+' .he replied. $"s I
was telling my mother the other night, my compensations public knowledge.' .he felt the slightly
startled reaction. $9ur e&ecutive salary structure is e!ual or better than the industry average.' %er
eyes twinkled a a little.$But in terms of high technology ? our lowest entry level is at least twice what
the minimum wage is.'
$5ot really something you find listed in e&citing careers though.' The girl suggested.
(erry shrugged one shoulder. $*epends on how you look at it. 0e usually call the line teams button
down blue collar staff because they do things like set up machines and run cabling but they also
!ualify for mortgages and drive nice cars.'
"nother figure lifted a hand, this time older, one of her own classmates. (erry recognized her and
almost ignored the motion. -airness overcame her though, and she turned and acknowledged it.
$*o you ever get tired of people making comments about you sleeping your way to the top+' The
woman asked, making heads turn towards her in surprise.
"h, yes. (erry resisted the urge to throw the microphone at her. $3mon, .tacey. *o you really think
people say that to my face+' .he asked, above the sudden murmur in the room. $/et me tell you
something about what I do, and who I do it for. ,ou can get a )ob like mine by sleeping with the boss,
but you cant keep it that way in a competitive business like ours. $
9ne of the event organizers was heading purposefully down the aisle towards her old classmate.
(erry caught her eye and lifted a hand, waving her off. $4lease, Ive had tougher !uestions over
croissants in 1ermont.'
The woman slowed, and hesitated, as the crowd looked around, and then back at (erry with
gathering interest. $0e e&pect people to be respectful.' .he glared at the woman who had asked the
!uestion. $9r else well ask them to leave.'
(errys heckler took a breath to answer, then the older womans eyes narrowed and she put her
hands on her hips and .tacey subsided. $.orry about that. I was )ust asking a !uestion.' .he
apologized. $Its not like its a deep dark secret.' .he paused. $These days.'
(errys right brow lifted a little. .he wondered what that was supposed to mean, then she saw her
old teachers face tighten in anger and realized the )ibe possibly wasnt pointed at her.
"h huh. .he heard the crowd buzz, some of the current students snickering a little and it occurred to
her that there might be some drama in the room that had nothing at all to do with her presence.
.omething *ar once said popped into her mind and she scanned the crowd thoughtfully.
%m.
$Its always nice to see how our students mature.' The organizer said. $9r not, as the case may be.'
.he gave the room a severe look, before she returned to a small group of the older teachers and
resumed her seat.
The murmurs died down. $,ou have to walk the walk.' (erry added, as her old adversary finally sat
down and the attention swung back to her. $Besides, if it wasnt people saying that, theyd be saying
my father got me the )ob. 0hats the difference+' .he added, looking right at .tacey. $In the end, it
doesnt matter how you get there, what matters is if you succeed.' .he said. $"nd I have.'
.tacey looked away casually, ignoring her.
"nother current student raised their hand. (erry nodded at her. $Go on.'
The blond girl stood. $*o you face a lot of bias when you deal with men in your same position+
(erry felt pretty good about this class, a lot better than she had about her own. $.ometimes.' .he
answered candidly. $0hen I go out to consolidate a new account, I have to deal with that sometimes
because thats usually an adversarial circumstance anyway and some people, both men and women,
think they can take advantage of me.'
.he went strolled around back to the podium. $If you decide to pursue a career though, youre going
to face that pretty much anywhere. Its )ust something you learn to deal with, and if youre smart you
use it to your advantage.'
$%ow+' The girl asked. $If people treat you without respect, how do you use that+'
(erry leaned on the podium. $/et me tell you a little story.' .he said. $Maybe that will answer your
!uestion, because I wondered about that too, when I first started out.'
;;
$4enny for your thoughts, *ar+'
*ar looked up from her plate of beef. $(errys worth more than that.' .he answered "lastair candidly.
$.hes at her high school reunion tonight giving a speech.'
"lastairs face s!uiggled between surprise and consternation. $"h. 9h.' %e murmured. $0ell, Im sure
shes having a good time.'
*ar looked at him.
$9r maybe not.' %er boss said. $*id she have a tough time in school+ I wasnt that fond of mine, now
that I think of it.'
$3hristian all girls school.' *ar said. $"ctually, shes never spoken badly of it, but shes )ust not that
comfortable going back to her hometown after the last couple of times there and she got roped into
this speech at the last minute.'
$"hh.' "lastair picked up his glass of red wine and swirled it a bit before he took a sip. $,eah, shes
had a tough time up there from what you said. .urprised you didnt go with her.'
*ar paused in mid bite. .he swallowed the bit of potato and cocked her head at him. $"nd missed this
meeting+' .he asked, in a !uizzical tone. $I offered. (erry told me to stop talking crazy.'
"lastair smiled. $,ou know, I never figured you for a family woman, *ar, but you make a damn fine
one.' %e said, putting his glass down and checking his watch. $0ell, damn it all. *oes this guy think
people dont need to sleep+ Its two am8'
$7h huh.' *ar ate another bit of potato. $9n the other hand, Ill be sick to my stomach if I fall asleep
after I eat this so maybe staying up is better.' .he glanced across the table, where .ir Melthon was in
consultation with his minions. $By the way, thanks for kicking him in the ass for me.'
%er boss smiled as he neatly cut his steak into s!uares. $-igured I owed it to you.' %e said, in a
conversational tone. $But yknow, even if I didnt, Ida done it. Man was giving me an itch.'
*ar frowned, her dark brows contracting across her forehead. $,ou owed me what+' .he asked,
puzzled. $*id I miss something+' .he looked around, but the rest of the group was busy with their
own dinners, or talking amongst themselves ? even %ans was leaned over talking to .ir Melthon in a
low mutter.
$"h well.' "lastair chuckled softly. $6emember when that crazy feller "nkow was in our shorts+'
*ar snorted, and rolled her eyes. $:ackass.'
$Mm.' "lastair agreed. $But yknow, I felt like I was the )ackass in all that, *ar.' %e said. $I look back
and that, and I know I sat back and let you take heat you didnt deserve.'
*ar blinked. $0ell2 $
%er boss looked over at her. $%e was after me.' %e said. $"nd the only thing standing in his way was
you.'
*ar blinked again, caught utterly by surprise, and unsure of how to react.
$,ou coulda given him what he wanted, *ar, and done well by it.' "lastair said, his eyes watching her
curiously. $"ny particular reason you walked into a bear trap on my behalf+'
0as there+ *ar felt a little bewildered by the !uestion. $"lastair.' .he said. $It never occurred to me
to do anything else.' .he muttered. $Besides, you asked me to help.'
$I did.' %e said. $.o you know, when I look back at that, and how you were treated at that meeting, I
kick myself every single time.'
0ell. *ar ate a few pieces of her steak, and recalled that tense, angry few days when shed been torn
between the stress of the boards being prodded to fire her and her an&iety about (erry, testifying at
her fathers hearing.
.he paused, putting her fork down and taking a swallow of the wine that had been untouched in her
glass. $,ou know, I almost walked away from it all in that meeting.' .he tasted the unfamiliar tang of
the tannins on her tongue. $There was one minute there, when I )ust almost said to hell with it.'
$Glad you didnt.' "lastair remarked.
$Me too.' *ar smiled, and raised her glass towards him. $"lastair, you dont owe me anything. I )ust
did what comes naturally to me.'
"lastair lifted his glass and touched it to *ars. $#&actly.' %e said. $I cant tell you how much of a
pleasure its been the last year or so getting to actually know you.'
7nsure if that was a compliment or not, *ar decided to smile anyway. $/ikewise.' .he covered her
bases. $I )ust wish Id seen my father kick his ass. I was incredibly pissed off that I missed that.'
$.ecurity cameras caught it.' %er boss said. $Ill send you copy.' %e winked at her, and went back to
his steak.
*ar took another swallow of wine, deciding that her life was enduring an evening of new
e&periences. .he only hoped (errys would turn out as pleasantly interesting.
;;
$,ou know, the truth is that people dont get respect.' (erry moved around in front of the podium,
taking her microphone with her as she closed in on the audience again. $#specially, if you grow up in
the spotlight like I did, everyone assumes the worst of you because in a !uirky kind of way, that
makes people feel better about themselves if they do, doesnt it+'
.he scanned the crowd, finding a lot of very curious eyes mi&ed with those very full of disapproval.
$.o I knew that even before I started working for I/..' (erry paused, and made eye contact with a
few people. $I knew that before I left here.'
(erry walked over to one side of the stage. $I knew that, even though I was a good student, and that
was I smart, even though I went to college and got a degree, that no matter what I achieved, everyone
would assume someone handed it to me on a plate.'
The room had settled into silence.
$.o I eventually decided that I couldnt worry about what other people thought.' The blond woman
said. $0hat mattered is what I thought about myself, and thats why I decided to leave here, leave my
home and my family to try and achieve what would be success in my own eyes.'
" hand lifted. (erry pointed at the girl. $Go ahead.'
$3ouldnt you have done that here+ 0ouldnt it have been more impressive, if you had+'
Good !uestion. $I might have been able to.' (erry conceded. $It would have been harder, staying here
and being so close to everything that I felt was bo&ing me in. But the fact is, I didnt.'
.he paused, then continued. $0hat I did, was take a )ob in the field of my ma)or, in a city far away
from home. It was scary.' .he said. $But the people who hired me had no idea who I was, only that I
could speak #nglish and construct compound sentences, so it was like starting from scratch in a way.'
"nother hand. $0hat )ob was it+'
$Manager of an IT department.' (erry said. $It was a small company, and I actually did well there
until one day a much bigger company bought us.' .he nibbled her lower lip. $0hen that happened,
the person in charge of their IT department came in and told me that we )ust werent wanted or
needed, and wed be getting pink slips in very short order.'
The audience reacted, mumuring a little.
$In a way, that was pretty horrific.' (erry said. $But in a way, its )ust reality. Thats what its like out
there.' .he made eye contact again with a few of the watchers. $That does happen, every day. Its
business. "nd one thing it meant to me was that I was being treated )ust like any other unwanted
worker would have been. There was nothing personal about it.'
It was hard not to smile as she said it, seeing as now she knew )ust how much of a lie they were both
telling themselves at the time. $0hen you grow up in privelege like I did, like a lot of you did2' .he
paused meaningfully. $,ou dont e&pect that. ,ou e&pect someone to come in and fi& things dont
you+
.he could tell at least some of them were thinking about it. It had taken her a long time to be able to.
$.o for me, it was a learning e&perience because I hadnt faced that kind of situation before.'
$0hat did you do+' The same girl asked. $Go to another company+'
$0ell.' (erry smothered a grin. $5ot e&actly. I worked hard to make the transition less painful for the
people working for me. I wasnt worried about myself, but there were people there who really were
depending week to week on that )ob to survive.'
$0ait wait.' %er old friend stood up again, glancing behind her at the headmistress, before she
continued. $,ou cant have it both ways, (erry. #ither you were on your own there, or you were )ust
posing, in which case youre right, you had nothing to worry about.'
(erry smiled. $I was on my own.' .he clarified. $But I knew I was unattached, and I could get a )ob
again fairly easily. Most of the people working for me had families and mortgages they had to worry
about, which I didnt.' .he said. $But it was a very tough time for me, because the last thing I wanted
was to have to come home, having failed.'
.everal of the girls in the front nodded.
$.o then I had my second big learning e&perience.' (erry went on. $That same person in charge from
the bigger company came to see me, and, not knowing me from "dams housecat, told me D%ey.
,ouve got talent. 0ell keep you.'
The crowd laughed, a bit hesitantly.
$%onestly.' (erry said. $It was the first time in my life practically that Id been taken at face value and
been told I was competent ? by a virtual stranger.' .he added. $.o the lesson there was, you never
know where your inspiration in life is going to come from. It could come at you from very une&pected
places.'
$.o you stayed.' The blond girl in the front called out.
$The bigger company was I/.. .o yes, I did.' (erry smiled. $"nd as you can see, it worked out very
much in my favor, which is another lesson ? sometimes bad things can lead to good results.'
$0ould you do the same thing again+'
(errys smile broadened. $In a heartbeat.' .he said. $*o yourselves a favor ? whatever you do,
wherever you choose to do it, follow your heart. *o what feels right to you and youll end up being
grateful for it.'
.he stepped back to the podium, and put the microphone back in its holder. $5ow I think its time to
get this party started.' .he said. $Thanks for inviting me to speak, but this is about old friends getting
together, and rediscovering what they left here, so lets let everyone get at it.'
There was a brief pause, then applause sounded. (erry lifted a hand in acknowledgement, then she
turned and headed back to where "ngie was waiting, resisting the urge to wipe her palms on her
skirt.
$0ow.' "ngie greeted her. $That was impressive.'
$Gag.' (erry made a face. $I wish I could have )ust kicked .tacey in the teeth. 5ow that would have
been impressive in these heels.' 4rivately though, she felt good about her presentation. It hadnt
been her best, but it hadnt been her worst, and at least no one had tossed a balled up program at her.
$3mon.' %er sister gave her a hug. $.top dissing yourself (er. ,ou were great.'
$Im )ust glad its over. /ets get out of here.' %er sister e&haled, rocking her head to either side to
loosen up tense shoulders. $Boy, am I looking forward to that beer.'
"ngie chuckled and she turned to lead (erry out from behind the stage. Theyd only gotten three or
four steps though, before a tall figure intercepted them. $"h, Ms. .trickfield.'
$Girls.' The older woman said. $" word with you please.'
"ngie pulled up uncertaintly. (erry, however, didnt hesitate.
$.orry, Ms. .trickfield.' %er older sister said. $My brother and sister and I have a previous
engagement. Thanks for your hospitality, but we need to be going.'
The older woman seemed surprised. $,ou wont be staying for the recption then+' .he asked. $I
thought perhaps you would en)oy meeting with your classmates. I think your speech was very well
received.'
$5o.' (erry said firmly. $I appreciate that, and Im sure the reception will be )ust lovely, but
unfortunately I have prior family commitments.'
$9f course.' The woman recovered. $Im sure you want to spend time with your loved ones while you
are here. -orgive me ? and thank you for coming, Ms. .tuart. It really was a pleasure to listen to you
speak.'
(erry blinked, caught a little off guard. $Thanks.' .he said. $Bit of a tough crowd, but I did my best.'
Ms .trickfield smiled at her. $Ms. .tuart, I had no fear of that. ,our grace under pressure is very well
recorded in recent years. "t any rate, since we wont have the pleasure of your company at the
recption, have a good evening, and en)oy your time with your family.' .he gave "ngie a brief nod, and
slipped out a side door to the auditorium.
$0ow.' "ngie murmured. $0hod have guessed+'
(erry scratched her nose. $*ar, actually.' .he muttered. $But thats another long story best told over
lager. /ets get Mike before he starts kissing someone and get out of here.' .he resumed course for
the door, straightening her )acket again before she put her hand on the knob to turn it.
$0hy do I get a feeling Im going to get more of an education tonight than I bargained for+' "ngie
followed her with a wry grin. $,ou know, (er, life around you must never be boring.'
$%ah.'
;;
$.o, it is agreed.'
*ar watched in utter relief as .ir Melthon and "lastair clasped hands. .he avoided looking at her
watch, resting her chin against her fist instead as she waited for the rest of the niceties to be finished.
The negotiations hadnt been that lengthy, but it was late, and she was tired, and she was very much
looking forward to that nice big bed with its fluffily soft pillows.
$Good deal' "lastair said, briskly. $Its been a pleasure spending the evening with you good folks, but
now its time for me to get my team some rest so they can start planning the integration transition
tomorrow.'
.ir Melthon nodded, looking tired himself. $6ight.' %e said. $0e can pick up tomorrow at lunchtime. I
will have my lot set up a workroom, and well put a spread on. Mimosasll start the day off right, eh+'
$.ounds great.' "listair waved at his group. $/ets go people.' %e picked up the signed contract paper
in its folder and tucked it under his arm, as the rest of the I/. team stood up and started their
goodbyes.
*ar stretched her back out, and let her hand rest on the back of her chair. .he waited for "lastair to
move towards the door, then she followed him, with a casual wave towards the rest of the team.
$Goodnight, gentlemen.'
$Good night, *ar.' -rancois responded. $.ee you tomorrow.'
%ans caught up with them as she reached the door and smiled, as he opened it. $It was a good day,
yes+' %e asked *ar in German. $/ong, but good.'
$/ong, but good.' *ar agreed. $I think everyone pretty much got some of what they wanted.'
$That is very true.' %ans was at her shoulder as they walked down the long, curving staircase that led
to the ground floor of the big mansion. $I think he is happy. %e likes your boss.'
$I like my boss.' *ar smiled. $In fact, today hes on my " list.'
%ans chuckled.
They reached the outer door, which was opened for them by a uniformed doorman. "nother was
standing by, holding their )ackets. *ar took hers and escaped in the chilly, very early morning fall air
and took a minute to shrug into the soft leather as they stood waiting for their cars.
$*amn good way to end the night.' "lastair commented.
$"ny way youd have ended it would have been good at this point.' *ar said, dryly. $I thought we
were going to have breakfast over fo&hounds or something at this rate.'
"lastair chuckled. $%es a tough negotiator, but I think well do all right.' %e stepped forward as the
first of the cars pulled up. $3'mon, *ar. 0ere in the same place.'
*ar didnt argue. .he settled in the back seat of the sedan and pulled out her cell phone, checking the
time on it before she dialed.
It rang twice, and then was answered. $%ey.' *ar listened, but heard only a !uiet humming in the
background.
$%ey, sweetie.' (erry responded. $"re you finally done+'
$Mmhm.' *ar leaned back as "lastair shut the door on his side and the car started to pull away.
$%owd it go+' .he guessed not that bad, )ust from her partners tone.
$5ot bad.' (erry promptly confirmed. $0ere on our way to the pub now.'
$Glad to hear it.'
$%owd your part go+' The blond woman asked, after a moment of !uiet.
$,ouve got your work cut out for you.' *ar informed her. $Bring your pencils and a bucket of
patience.'
(errys smile was audible through the phone. $*ont worry, I will. 0ere they tough+'
$" little.'
$0ant anything from here+' (erry asked. $I have some shopping time tomorrow.'
$,ou.'
$"nything else+'
$,ou.'
(erry chuckled. $9kay, you got it.' .he e&haled and there was a faint sound of traffic that floated
through. $That really wasnt nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.' .he admitted. $I think I
worked myself into a froth for no reason.'
$0ell.' *ar glanced at "lastair, who was peering out the window with deep and abiding interest. $Its
a good thing for them they didnt give you a hard time.' .he said. $Id hate to think I was stuck here
babysitting "lastair when you needed me to kick some ass.'
%er boss turned his head and looked over at her, eyebrows hiking.
*ar grinned at him.
$Is he there+' (erry asked. $,ou didnt say that in front of him did you+'
$.ure did.' %er partner cheerfully acknowledged. $0hat the hell. Its Iam and Im so wiped if we had
a problem Id have to -ede& myself a bo& of brain cells to take care of it.'
"lastair snorted, and leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. $Glad that fella didnt tell us to
meet him for breakfast.'
$Me too.' *ar agreed. $"nyway, I )ust wanted to find out how your speech went.' .he addressed (erry
again. $Go have fun, and buy your sibs a round on me, okay+'
$"bsolutely.' (erry said. $Bye hon, get some rest.'
$I will. /ater.' *ar closed up her phone and put it away. $I think he was trying to see if he could wear
you down and get those last set of concessions.'
"lastiar snorted again. $/isten, he may be a big shot royal whatever, but lady, Ive played poker with
slicker men than he ever will be.' %e said. $Theyre big here, and I like their setup. Good properties,
good business model ? but in terms of volume its one of our smaller contracts.'
$I know.' *ar said. $*idnt think it paid to mention that though.'
$5ot at all.' %er boss cheerfully agreed. $"nd besides, I like to think we give all our customers top
notch service, no matter what the size of the contract.' %e glanced at *ar. $I dont recall you ever
asking if any of your high wire act schenanigans were worth the size of the deal.'
$%uh.' *ar grunted in agreement. $,eah, never really mattered to me.' .he said. $But all in all, its
been a good day.'
$.ure has.' "lastair said. $#verything go all right for (erry+'
$,ep.'
They were both !uiet for the rest of the ride to the hotel, and they got out in the subdubed !uiet of
early morning to a mostly empty street and a dim, very sleepy lobby.
$#vening.' "lastair greeted the doorman as they entered. $0ell, *ar, I think its safe to say we can all
sleep in. Give me a buzz if you want to do brunch before we go over. If his menu tonights any
indication well probably get whole pheasant or something for lunch.'
$.ure.' *ar got her key out as they rode the elevator up and walked down the stately hallway that
held their rooms. .he left "lastair at his and went gratefully to her own. .he pushed the door open
and let it shut behind her.
It was cool inside, and !uiet, and smelled unnervingly like chocolate. *ar smiled as the scent hit her
nose, and she rested her hand on the back of the chair in the room as she kicked her shoes off and
looked around for its source.
5ear the bed, she spotted it. " small tray was sitting on the table, a silver pot s!uarely in the center of
it. #ven from where she was, she could see the faint steam coming from the spout and as she walked
over, she recognized little dishes of condiments meant to be added to the waiting cup.
*ar pushed these aside to retrieve a small, white card, turning it over to read the words on the back
with an already knowing smile. $Thank you, (errison.' .he put the card down, and inspected the
dishes, selecting a few mini marshmallows and a gummy bear, dropping them in the cup, then
pouring the steaming hot chocolate over them.
Then she left the gooey tidbits to melt as she removed her suit and returned it to its hanger, trading
it for her long tshirt and bare feet.
.he glanced at her laptop, then she deliberately turned her back on it and went back to the bed,
pulling aside the already turned down comforter and sliding under it, appreciating the smell of clean
linen mi&ed with cocoa surrounding her.
.he picked up the cup, lifting it towards the window. $%eress to you, (er.' .he said. $%ope you like
the cake at the pub.' .he took a sip and smiled, and wiggled her toes in contentment.
;;
(erry leaned back in her bench seat, resting one arm along the back of it as she picked up her frosty
mug and took a sip of her second beer. %aving traded her suit for a pair of )eans and a sweatshirt,
and having her speech behind her, she found herself to be in a good mood, and happy with the world
around her.
$0hat in the hell was that one chicks problem++' Mike asked, around a mouthful of )alapeno popper.
$*id she have a tulip stuck up her butt or something+'
$0ho, .tacey+' (erry tried to remember )ust what had been .taceys problem. %er first beer had put
enough of a displacement between her and the event that it took an effort, and she used the arrival of
her coconut shrimp appetizer as a delay tactic while she rummaged in her memory.
$.he was the one you beat in that debating championship your senior year, wasnt she+' "ngie spoke
up. .he had a luridly colorful fruit drink in front of her and she was happily sucking the pineapple
from it. $I remember she pitched a hissy fit at the 4alace afterward.'
$,ou remember that+' (erry found she did also, but very vaguely. .he hadnt known .tacey that well,
theyd gone in different social circles. :ust one of the many girls not too different from her and her
sister that shed known. $I sort of remember that debate.' .he put her beer down and selected a
shrimp to nibble.
$I remember, because I heard her mother yelling at her in the bathroom at the 4alace that night.'
"ngie sucked her da!uiri through its attendant straw. $.he was blaming the fact that .taceyd spent
the night with her boyfriend before the debate on her losing it.'
(erry made a face. $"h, yeah, now I remember.' .he said. $I forgot all about who I was debating
because I was scared spitless having father in the audience.' .he recalled. $I could have been facing
6onald Mc*onald and it wouldnt have made an impression.'
$9h yeah.' Mike reached over and stole one of (errys shrimp. $0hat a big deal he made out of being
there. I think every freaking paper within a hundred miles was straggling in the back of that place
taking pictures.'
(erry glanced casually around, but the pub was !uiet, and she didnt see anyone she knew around
them. 5ot really surprising given that it was a Monday night and it was fairly late. There were a few
men at the bar, and two groups of younger people near the pool table, and there was a low strain of
3eltic music playing she found familiar. $I think that was one of the few times we had our picture
together in the paper.'
.he had a copy of it, that shed saved. " slightly tattered bit of newspaper tucked in a protective
sleeve shed stuck in a scrapbook of her school years and ended up taking to Miami with her. .he
and her father standing ne&t to the wooden school podium shed only recently spoke at, her father
with his hand resting on her shoulder, a pleased and satisfied e&pression on his face.
-or once.
.he wondered what hed have thought hearing her tonight. 0ould he have been able to set aside all
the crappiness between them and )ust been glad for her success+
$,eah, what a photo op that was.' Mike said. $I remember him telling the paper he thought you might
have a career in politics ahead of you.'
$9h gag.' (erry moaned, retreating to her beer. $Id rather have flipped burgers for a living.' .he
stretched her legs out and crossed her ankles. $0e should get drunk and show up to mothers hung
over tomorrow.'
"ngie covered her eyes. $/ets not.' .he said. $"s you reminded me, Ive got to live with her now.'
.he glanced up as the waiter sidled up. $3an I get another one of these+' .he ignored Mikes snicker
and held up her da!uiri glass.
$.ure.' The waiter took the glass. $,our dinners will be coming out shortly, but remember to leave
room for dessert.'
$0ell2' "ngie waggled her hand.
$Trust me, youll want to.' The waiter grinned and sauntered off.
(erry chuckled, taking another shrimp. $0orse comes to worse we can take it home for breakfast.'
.he reminded them. $3heescake in the mornings great.'
$%edonist.' Mike accused.
$If you think thats hedonism, youve got a lot to learn.'
;;
(erry sat cross legged on the bed, writing longhand in a small cloth bound book propped up on one
of the pillows.
It was !uiet in her room, and !uiet in the rest of the house. " glance at the clock told her it was well
after midnight, and she pondered a moment before she went back to writing.
ept 67
th
, 8776.
+ell, today went better than I e2pected it to. I keep sayin! that. +hat was I really e2pectin!? )id I
really think they were !oin! to throw rotten apples at me?
I dont know, %aybe I did. Im !lad the youn!er crowd showed some brain cells and class, and to be
honest I wouldnt have minded talkin! to them a little lon!er if all of my old classmates hadnt been at
the reception.
Is that cowardly? I dont think so. I just think its normal for someone not to like bein! insulted like what
tacey did there. +hat a jerk. ,ut $n!ie was ri!ht " she was a jerk when we went to school here, she
didnt become one just because it turned out I was !ay.
&hat was the one thin! the kids didnt ask about. &hey were more interested in how to succeed in
business. &hats amazin!ly cool. I may even have to join my alumni society and start tossin! them a few
bucks if theyre turnin! out people with those kind of !oals.
)oes it really matter that Im !ay? Its the 86
st
century. People shouldnt care at this point in
humanitys history but you know, I think it does matter to the older crowd because I think they feel like
theyre not in control of thin!s and lifes acceleratin! out of control.
Im used to it. &echnolo!y chan!es every minute. If you spend your life immersed in constant chan!e,
then when the world chan!es around you it just seems normal, doesnt it?
Hm.
I wonder if thats how moms copin! with everythin!. 1ust invest in the chan!e, and maybe you stop
stressin! about how thin!s used to be, and how you wanted them to turn out, and you just start surfin!
the wave and livin! in the minute.
I think I like that. (ife is never borin! if its full of chan!e, is it?
I was worryin! about what mom was !oin! to talk to us about tomorrow, but Ive decided to just not !et
mad about whatever it is, assumin! its somethin! I mi!ht !et mad about. &he only power to stress me
out she has is the power I !ive her.
Isnt that !reat? /nly took me how many years to fi!ure that out? I bet )ar would crack up.
(erry reviewed her words, and chuckled.
"fter a few minutes, she heard footsteps approaching, then she looked up again to see "ngie in the
doorway to her room. $%ey. Thought you were sleeping.'
$"ndrew was fussing.' "ngie e&plained, entering the bedroom. $"nd I saw your light on when I came
back upstairs. 0hy are you still up+'
$9h.' (erry glanced at her little book. $I )ust.. it sounds silly but Ive started keeping a diary.' .he
e&plained, a touch sheepishly. $Im about done. Is "ndy okay+'
$9h sure.' %er sister sat down on the edge of (errys bed. $%es teething.' .he said. $"fter you go
through that the firs time, like I did with .ally, you know what to look for and what to do, but boy, the
first time it freaks you out.'
(erry closed her diary up and capped her pen. $%ows .ally doing+'
"ngie paused, then she shrugged a little. $.hes confused.' .he said. $.he doesnt really understand
whats going on, or why she sometimes is in one place with her daddy, and sometimes here with me,
but for all his other faults 6ichard doesnt play the blame game so I think shell ad)ust after a while.'
$Mm.' (erry tried to imagine what that would have been like, and found it hard. $0e never had to
deal with that.' .he said. $It would have been weird.'
%er sister nodded. $It would have been. -ortunately for the kids, our divorce was a lot like our
marriage was ? passionless and businesslike.'
(erry winced.
$%ey, its true.' "ngie said. $(er, when I see you and *ar, and hear you talk to each other ? you have
something I have no clue about, you realize that right+' .he cocked her head to one side and regarded
her older sibling. $The whole bit with you sending each other notes, and for 4etes sake, sending
fudge covered mousse cakes+ 7nreal.'
(erry made a wry face. $,ou know, weve always done that.' .he confessed. $I thought it was one of
those things you do when youre.. uh.. dating. 9r whatever.' .he cleared her throat. $But we )ust
kept doing it. I guess well stop sometime. Most married couples I know dont.. do that.'
$But+' "ngie watched her, as her words slowed to a stop.
$*ars parents still do.' (erry chuckled. $9h well. Its nice though. That was killer cake.' .he licked
her lips in memory. $I didnt even remember seeing that on the menu.'
$It wasnt.' %er sister said. $The manager told me it was delivered from some bakery in *etroit, hand
carried.'
(erry had the grace to look mildly embarrassed. $"ll I had was hot chocolate sent to her room.' .he
muttered. $"nd you know what+ .he probably had that all planned way before I called her hotel.'
"ngie covered her eyes in mock despair.
$.o.' (erry cleared her throat. $"re you going to stay with mom long term+ $ .he turned her pen in
her fingers. $I know its a lot !uieter here now.'
%er younger sister got up and wandered around the room, pausing to look out the darkened window.
$,ou know, I wish I was you, (er.' .he turned to see a pair of blond eyebrows hiked up. $,ouve got
guts, youre successful, youre in a great relationship2'
(erry remained !uiet, since there was no denying any of that.
$But Im not.' "ngie concluded. $Im a typical second child, and you know what+ I dont want to risk
what Ill have to risk for a se&y, adventurous life. .o yeah, Ill probably stay here with mom, unless
Brian decides to make a commitment and then well see. #ven so, well probably end up living with
her. .he likes Brian.'
$#ven now+'
"ngie chuckled dryly and sat back down on the bed. $0ith everything thats happened in the last few
years, I think shes learned to take her successes where she finds them .he wanted Brian for a son in
law, so if it turns out he becomes one, shell take it even if its not really what she envisioned before
now.'
-air enough. (erry sighed. $I hope that works out.' .he said. $But anyway, if you ever do decide you
want a radical change, you know where to find me.'
"ngie smiled. $.ally wants to come down to see her "unt (errys log cabin. Maybe we can visit for a
couple of days near 3hristmas, when its all snow here, and anything but there.'
$,oure on.' (erry agreed instantly. $The kids would love it down there. Its right on the beach, and
theres a bunch of cool stuff to do all around there, like glass bottom boats and paddle boats and
things.'
$Great.' "ngie got up. $/et me let you get to sleep. Its going to be along day for you tomorrow.' .he
said. $"nd hey, maybe I can even get mom to come down and visit for a day. .how her you really
dont live in the middle of some third world country.'
#h. (erry waved at her, as she left. $"ctually2' Though she loved her adopted home, very often
between the massively immigrant population and the overly graft ridden political scene it did
sometimes seem like they lived on one of the nearby 3arribbean islands.
%owever, she figured her mother would actually be pleasantly surprised with a visit to the condo so
she was content to let the chips fall where they might on that sub)ect. .he got up and put her diary
into her briefcase, then she turned the lamp off and climbed under the covers.
.omewhere, halfway across the planet, she knew *ar would be getting up soon, despite her late night
and she wished suddenly that they would be sharing breakfast with each other. .he wanted to talk to
her partner about the interesting things shed seen and felt the last few days, and she was already
looking forward to her part in the new pro)ect and wanting to get started on it.
0hen she got there, there would be the initial meeting with *ar, to find out what "lastair and she had
promised as part of the contract. (erry trusted her partner not to sell her down the river, but there
were times when *ar would okay a concession if she thought the contract was important enough and
then sometimes they scrambled.
This was an important contract. 5ot for the size of it, but for the visibility and the foothold it gave
them in an area they hadnt really been that successful in before now.
It tickled her to no end that shed been a part of that win, even though she knew that it had been
more pure luck than any real skill on her or *ars part that had achieved it. Take truffles where you
found them, *ar had said.
,um. .o she would. (erry closed her eyes and rela&ed her body, hearing the patter of leaves against
the window and the soft creaks of the big house around her, until it lulled her into sleep.
;;
*ar was glad enough to sleep in, spending most of the morning working off some of the mail overload
that had built up in her inbo& over the past few days. .he was sprawled in the desk chair in her sleep
shirt, the remnants of her breakfast tray nearby and a pot of coffee still handy.
It felt good to )ust rela& for a few hours. The trip had been very frenetic so far, and *ar appreciated
the chance to sit back and get her act together before she had to meet with their new clients again.
They had meeting scheduled most of the afternoon, and then "lastair had arranged to host a dinner
someplace in /ondon for all of them.
Thursday, theyd meet with the local folks, hopefully all day to keep her mind occupied and off the
fact that shed be suffering the nine or ten hours of (erry in the air and unreachable while she flew
from Michigan through 3hicago and then onward to /ondon.
9f course, *ar realized she herself had been in the same state )ust the other day, but ever since
(errys near miss in the storm, shed found herself a nervous wreck whenever her partner flew.
(erry, on the other hand, had put the event in the past and didnt mind the travel and didnt seem to
stress over when *ar flew either.
0hen they flew together, naturally, it didnt bother her. *ar decided not to think too much about
why that was, and went back to her inbo& instead. .he clicked on a note from Mark, and opened it.
Hey boss0
Practice went !ood today. I think well do okay, so lon! as we dont have to do stuff like hit or catch
baseballs. o far, were really !ood at wearin! funny lookin! pants, and trippin! on cleats.
+e miss you !uys. Hows it !oin!?
%ark.
*ar grimaced a little. .he clicked on the little video embedded in the mail and waited for it to spool
up, then watched as she got a Marks eye view of two of her employees crashing full into each other
and bouncing back at least four feet. $5ice.'
.he shook her head. $"t least (er and I wont be the worst ones out there. $ .he clicked on reply.
Hey %ark.
I hope the team can at least not knock each other over by the time *er and I !et back because if thats
whats !onna happen well be lau!hin! so hard we mi!ht as well just forfeit and !o !et drunk.
%eetin!s are !oin! well " be ready to start this one up runnin! because these people are skeptics. I hope
that damn hubs !oin! to come online soon because if theres one customer whos likely to push our
($s to the limit its this !uy.
&hrows decent meals thou!h. +e had prime rib of some creature or other for dinner and unlimited
bottles of !ro!.
)
.he went on to the ne&t mail, glancing down at her news ticker poddling along at the bottom of her
screen. $.low morning.' .he flipped over to the network monitoring screen that always, from habit
ran in the background and she viewed the gauges she seldom saw at this hour of the Miami morning.
5ine "M here, four "M at home, and she rested her chin on her fist, observing the traffic patterns.
.he could see the heavy usage fluttering across their internal networks both in Miami, and in the big
data center in %ouston. Backups, probably, unending streams of data being copied to their storage
arrays, mirrored to make even that precaution redundant.
*ar respected that. .he knew her team took the need to cover her ass very seriously, and she knew
her peers in the company depended on that to make sure if something inevitably did happen, that
they could recover from it with no harm done.
" blinking blue light caught her attention, and she shifted her gaze to the %ouston links, watching the
big routers there chewing over a healthy size chunk of traffic, which she realized was the government
financial datastream going through its nightly reconciliation.
Between the offices, the parallel tie lines were !uiet. They didnt share much data, since Miami was
the commercial hub and %ouston the governmental one, but traffic like payroll and mail, corporate
shares and intranet servers were !uietly replicated so that the IT operation to most people was
pretty much invisible.
:ust how *ar liked it.
:ust then, her messenger software popped up. *ar blinked at in surprise, half e&pecting it to be (erry.
It wasnt.
Ms. Roberts? Sorry to bother you.
*ar recognized one of their night net operators. 9o problem. .he typed back. +hats up?
Were having a little problem with the Niagara 3 node. We were going to call Mark but we saw
you come online.
*ar cocked her head, marveling in the fact that the ops crew felt they could approach her now in so
casual a manner. 6espectful, but casual. .he accessed a secure shell session and navigated through
the net to the node in !uestion, one of the three that surrounded the 5ew ,ork area to handle the
stupendous amount of traffic there. .eah? +hats the problem?
Were seeing routes being inected and then s!uelched. We think its a circuit issue but the "#$
up there swears N%&.
(-' lie like fish. *ar informed him. (et me take a look.
5ode L was her newest, an interlink to 3anada that had only been online a few weeks. .he poked
around in the router, pecking away happily at the device as she went through its configuration. .he
checked the logs, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, and then she went through all the interfaces one
by one. $h hah.
Maam?
:ound it. *ar typed back. 5ive me a sec. .he reviewed the flapping interface, a little surprised to find
a timing mismatch coming in from one of their ma)or service providers. .he watched the errors for a
minute, and then she e&perimentally changed a setting, watched, and then changed a second. The
interface settled down and stopped its gyrations and after another minute the data commenced
flowing normally.
't looks great now maam(
*ar smirked, then she cut and pasted the circuit information into her notepad and got out of the
router. $nytime. .he typed back. 9ow I have to !o find out why the damn vendor chan!ed his clockin!
without tellin! us.
So it wasnt the "#$?
9ot this time. *ar confirmed. ervice provider.
Well maam) sorry about that but you ust won me a bet here and now $huck has to go out and
get me *unkin *oughnuts so thanks(
*ar laughed out loud. .he pasted the information into a new message, and addressed it to the vendor
with a couple of snitty pecks and sent it on its way. Have a ,oston 'r;me for me. (ater.
%hanks again) Ms. Roberts. +ave a great day.
0ell, shed certainly do her best. *ar glanced up as an incoming mail binged softly. .he was very
surprised to see it was from the provider shed )ust yelled at. .he opened it.
%s. #oberts "
+e were about to contact you about this issue. +e had a service interrupt out of the 6<7 +est treet
facility in %anhattan that resulted in a non scheduled recycle of the switch servicin! your account.
*ar translated that without difficulty. $.o. .omeone rebooted the thing accidentally. .ucks to be you.'
&here was a confi!uration anomaly that was under review.
$7h huh, and someone forgot to write the memory before you rebooted it too.'
However, the issue seemed to self=correct, so no further action was taken.
*ar hit reply. &he issue didnt self correct. I went into our router and matched your timin! chan!e. I
dont mind leavin! it that way, but !et your !od damned procedures strai!htened out and tell your
operations people to !et their heads out of their asses and follow the rules ne2t time.
.he reviewed the note and hit send with a satisfied little grunt. $5itwads.' .he lifted her cooling cup
of coffee and sipped from it, then set it back down. 0ith a touch of curiousness, she clicked back to
the network map and went into the graphical view of the node again, reviewing the traffic, then
checking the other two nodes in the area.
Tons of data, even at this hour. 0hat was it they always said+ 5ew ,ork never slept+ 0atching this
she could believe it. 0ith a shake of her head, she closed the monitoring tool and went back to her
mail, realizing there was one there from (erry shed somehow managed to miss. $%ey8'
.he clicked on it.
)ar "
"h, business. *ar knew a moment of disappointment, but immediately chastised herself and read on.
#ven using the corporate mail system, (erry often sent short personal notes to her, and those were
always addressed as something other than her name, so seeing one addressed with it made her
aware it was probably either a problem or a solution to one.
#eviewin! the !rowth chart, I found a hole here, in the mid $tlantic interchan!e.
*ars eyes widened. $9o8' .he said out loud. $3hecking up on me, (errison+ ,ou little scoundrel8'
+ith the new backhaul contract for the cellular consortium I think were !oin! to run out of space
within si2 to twelve if the curve maintains. +hat do you think?
$0hat do I think+M *ar propped her chin on her fist and reviewed the graphs (erry had inserted in
her email. %er brow creased as she studied the bandwidth usage, then she !uickly hunted
something up on her hard drive and looked at it, switching between the document and (errys mail
with rapidJfire flicks of her eyes.
"fter a long moment of silence, she snorted again. $0ell, Ill be damned.' .he said. $0hat in the hell
are those people doing+ Theyre overshooting their per connection bandwidth by fifty percent.' .he
flipped through the original proposal, wondering if shed made a wrong calculation somewhere.
$*id they sign up a billion new users or something+' .he puzzled over the numbers. $0hat the hell
did I do wrong here+' .he went to her browser and clicked on it, calling up one of the consortium
web pages. "fter a moments studying, her e&pression cleared. $"h.' .he came close to slapping her
own head. $*ata. 4ictures. 5o wonder.'
.he clicked over to (errys note, and hit reply.
*erry "
9ice catch. Ill add bandwidth. (ooks like they put in new services ri!ht after they si!ned the contract "
maybe they fi!ured they could !et away with it.
5ood work.
)
Then she added two small GI-., one of a sheep, and one of a rock, and clicked send. Then she got up
and stretched, leaving the laptop behind as she roamed over to the window and looked out.
Today, it was reasonably sunny outside, and the streets were full of walkers. *ar suddenly had the
urge to be outside as well, and she put that plan immediately into motion, closing down her laptop
and heading for the shower.
There was shopping to be had, and cute trinkets for (erry to be bought, and she thought she saw a
couple of street food vendors )ust off in the distance.
:ust the thing to start the day off right.
;;
(erry lay flat on her back on her bed, her hands behind her head as the early morning sun poured
into her window. "fter a moments rest, she continued her crunches, counting under her breath as
she worked through her last set, ending up grimacing on the last few but getting through them.
$7gh.' .he spread her arms out and stretched them, waiting for the burn to fade in her midsection.
Then she rolled over and got up, twisting her torso and making shadowbo&ing motions to shake her
muscles out as she went to the dresser.
%er laptop was seated on it, whirring through its screen saver placidly until she touched the track
pad and it presented her login screen. .he rattled in her password and unlocked it, opening her mail
program and watching the screen fill with dark lines.
$"ha8' .he pounced on the one from *ar immediately, clicking it as the rest of the mail downloaded.
.he leaned on the counter and scanned the words, a relieved and happy grin appearing a moment
later. $,es8' .he pumped her fist in the air. $.core8'
-inding *ar in a mistake was so rare that when it did happen, she spent hours and hours going over
the data )ust to make sure she )ust wasnt looking at it from the right point of view until she felt
secure enough to mention it.
*ar never seemed to get pissed off about it. (erry suspected if she approached her in public with the
issue, her beloved partner wouldnt appreciate it but she never did, and *ars reaction either was an
e&planation of why whatever it was happened to be that way, or else, like this time, a cheerful
admission of guilt and an action plan to fi& it.
"wesome. (erry stepped away from the desk and went to the window, peering out through the teak
wood slats at what was going to be a gorgeous day. Though )ust seven, it was already light outside
and she could see a beautiful, almost cloudless sky through the tree branches.
Great day to go out on the lake. .he sighed. $9h well, ne&t time.' .he turned and went back to the
dresser, picking up her laptop and carrying it back to the bed with her. .he sat down crossJlegged,
and studied her mail.
6elatively uneventful. .he clicked over and opened her morning report from operations, scanning it
lightly until she came across an entry for the northeast sector and saw the outage notation. 9ne
eyebrow lifted. $"nd I didnt get a page, why+' .he clicked the report. $9h, thats why.'
9pportunistic of her night admins. (erry couldnt really argue with the logic of contacting her
apparently available boss, but really, there was a process for that sort of thing. .he blinked as a small
bo& popped up ne&t to her cursor.
Hey.
"h. .peaking of the devil. Hey cowboy. +hats up?
'owboy?
(erry smiled. I saw the outa!e report from this mornin!.
$h. *ar seemed to reflect on that. I sent a nasty !ram to the vendor. I copied you. (ooks like someone
tripped over a power cable at their 9. '/ or somethin!.
+here are you? (erry asked.
1ust about to leave the hotel for the client site. *ar said. I just !ot back from walkin! around outside.
Its !or!eous here today.
(erry smiled again. Here too. I wish I could !o out sailin! instead of to moms brunch. /h well. $re you
doin! anythin! toni!ht?
The sun winked in the window and striped across the bed, warming (errys bare legs. .he wiggled
her toes in it, and wished very briefly and pointlessly that she was having this conversation in
person.
+aitin! for you.
.o apparently the feeling was mutual. Im not leavin! until tomorrow mornin!, sweetie. I have to !et
throu!h the day at moms then I talked $n!ie into !oin! down to the shops near the lake so I can !et
!oofy trinkets for everyone. .he paused. +ish I were at the airport takin! off ri!ht now thou!h.
>#/:(?
(erry cocked her head at the screen. +hats so funny?
&ell you when I see you. I have to head out. &ell your crazy family I say hi and try to have a !ood time,
okay?
/kay. (erry typed. Have a !ood meetin!. (ove you.
(ove you too, later. ))
(erry chuckled and closed the window, and then she ran her eye over her mail. 5ot finding anything
really urgent, she closed the program and got up to put the laptop back on the dresser.
$%ey, you up+' "ngie stuck her head in the door, blinking in surprised to find her older sister in a pair
of shorts and a sports bra apparently wide awake. $Boy, you have become an early bird havent you+'
(erry chuckled. $I have.' .he admitted. $I was doing my traveling e&ercise routine and then chatting
with *ar for a bit. 3mon in.'
"ngie entered, still in her nightgown. $0hats a traveling e&ercise routine+' .he asked. $Is that what
you do every morning+'
$5o.' (erry turned and leaned against the dresser. $"t home, *ar and I usually either go for a run in
the morning, or if its too hot and sticky which is a lot, we go to the island gym or to the pool.' .he
replied. $I )ust have a few things I do when I am out of town like some sitJups and pushJups and
stuff.'
$,oure nuts.' "ngie informed her.
$I am.' %er sister cheerfully agreed. $But it makes me feel good to do it so who cares+' .he spread her
arms out. $%ey, I even )oined a baseball team. 9ur companys doing a league.'
$9h my god.' "ngie rolled her eyes. $,ou always wanted to do that. ,ou used to bitch about it all the
time I remember.'
(erry grinned. $,eah, I know. But this was something that )ust came up. It should be fun though.' .he
folded her arms over her chest. $%ey, want to go roust Mike up+'
"ngie grinned back. $"ctually, I was going to suggest we do that, then we go out and grab some
breakfast somewhere. I gave my cook the morning off because she had a dental appointment.'
$Im all for that.' (erry agreed instantly. $/ets go for it.' .he headed for the door. $0e can get some
ice cubes to get Mike awake.'
$(er+'
$%m+' (erry paused at the door, with her hand on the knob.
$,ou going to go wake him up like that+' "ngie asked, pointing at her sisters lack of real clothing.
(erry glanced down at herself, and then she shrugged. $This is what I go out )ogging in.' .he said.
$3mon. ,ou cant tell me Mikes more conservative than the ghost of 3ommodore 1anderbilt.'
"ngie followed her out, shaking her head. $Guess well find out in a minute.'
;;
*ar resisted the urge to stick her hands in the pockets of her dress slacks as she entered the big
dining room along with the rest of their team and .ir Melthons people. There was a huge sideboard
set up, and everyone was definitely in a much better mood today.
*eal was done. 4apers were signed. 5ow they were partners, and as partners, they were no longer
the bad guys so everyone was chilled out and a lot friendlier.
$%ello, Ms. 6oberts.' The man who had been pounding her mercilessly with !uestions yesterday was
now all smiles. $:ohn .tatus, by the way.' %e held a hand out. $5o hard feelings, I hope+' %e had a
distinct, rolling accent that was almost musical.
$5ot at all.' *ar amiably gripped his hand and released it. $I like hard !uestions. 4eople who dont ask
them either arent serious about dealing with us, or dont know what theyre doing.'
.tatus grinned. $5ow theres a good solid saying.' %e took a seat ne&t to *ar at the table. $Im the
lucky man who gets to be in charge of our company net.'
*ar was mutely delighted to be sitting ne&t to another nerd. .he left "lastair on her other side
discussing grouse hunting with two of the other men. $Gets to be, or is+' .he was aware of the
servers moving around them and the smell of something roasting.
$Is.' :ohn said. $"m. 0hatever.' %e clarified. $Ive been here for about a year, and the first thing I was
asked to do is hook us up with a global network provider.' %e glanced around. $-rom this side of the
"tlantic.'
$"h.' *ar nodded. $0ed heard that.' .he gave the server a nod as he filled her glass with something
that smelled like apples and cinnamon. $Its been tough for us to grow here because of the bias.'
$#h.' :ohn lifted his hands.
$I understand the bias. If the positions were reversed, it would be the same on our side.' *ar said. $5o
one wants to work with people who are different and hard to understand. 9ur business methods are
very polar.'
The man sat back. $,ou know though, most "mericans dont understand that.' %e observed. $They
)ust come over here, and try to ride over people with high pressure sales )obs. They never come in
and say, well, heres what we do. ,ou interested+'
*ar smiled.
$5ow, understand, it helps that %is nibs godson came in like a raving loony about you.' :ohn said.
$0e were all saying, if %ans has his knickers in that kind of an uproar, must be something to it.'
$%ey, *ar, your admin people in yet+' "lastair interrupted them.
*ar checked her watch. $Fuarter to nine+ .ure. Mine is anyway. 0hat do you need+'
$3an you get one of the big portfolios headed this way+' %er boss asked. $The one that shows all the
lines of business+'
$.ure.' *ar opened her phone and dialed her office number. $#&cuse me.' .he apologized to :ohn.
$5o problem.' :ohn turned to his plate, which had )ust been delivered, complete with a selection from
the sideboard. $"hh2 now thats the thing.'
$%ey, Maria.' *ar heard her admin answer. $Good morning.'
$"h, good morning :efa.' Maria replied. $%ow are you+ %ow is the #ngland+'
$.o far, very interesting and successful.' *ar said. $5eed a favor.'
$9f course.'
*ar paused, as her 4*" buzzed. $%ang on a second.' .he opened it and glanced at the screen. $%m.
%ey, Maria, can you ask Mark to check out whats going on over near Boston+ 9ne of the
supplemental links )ust came up and theyre using some unusual bandwidth for the links.'
$.urely.' Maria said. $Is that all, *ar+ %ow is (errisita+ Is she having a good time with her familia+
*ar closed the 4*". $.hes fine, and her speech went great.' .he told her assistant. $"lastair needs
one of the circus tent displays sent over here, can you get that in the works+'
$I will call over to the .ales right away, *ar.' Maria said. $9h, and .enora Mariana has delivered some
packages to the office here for you and (errisita. I think they are your baseball costumes.'
$0hat color are they+' *ar chuckled. $4lease dont tell me theyre either yellow or purple.'
$5o no, it is a pretty blue.' Maria said. $"nd the pants, are white. Mayte was showing me hers last
night, and they are very very cute.' .he paused. $The shoes were very strange. They had nails in the
bottom+ Is that right, *ar+'
%er boss chuckled, and then glanced down as her 4*" buzzed again. .he opened it, and after a
minute, her brows creased. $0hat the hell+'
$3omo+'
$Maria, can you conference Mark on+ Im getting pages that arent making any sense. I think the
monitors gone whacky again.' *ar paged through the messages.
$.urely. %old on for one moment, *ar.' Maria put her on hold.
$.omething wrong+' :ohn asked.
$"h.' *ar shook her head a little. $I think its )ust..'
Maria came back on the phone. $I have Mark, *ar, but2'
$%ey8 Boss8' Marks voice echoed through the phone, sharp with e&citement. $%oly crap8'
*ar felt a surge of adrenaline, but she wasnt entirely sure why. $0hats up+'
$" freaking plane )ust hit the side of the freaking 0orld Trade 3enter8'
$:esu8' Maria gasped. $Madre di *ios8'
*ar absorbed that in silence for a minute. $0hat+' .he finally said. $%ow in the hell did that happen+
.omeone get lost looking for /aGuardia+'
$I have no friggen clue.' Mark said. $But they )ust put it up on 355 and its crazy8 .moke all over the
place8 4eople freaking out8' %e said. $Theres a hole in the side of that thing the size of the space
shuttle8'
*ar pressed the mute button, and leaned over, touching "lastair on the sleeve. $"lastair.'
%er boss turned and looked at her, his gaze sharpening immediately when he saw her e&pression.
$0hats up+'
$0e need to find a television. .omethings going on in 5ew ,ork.'
;;
(erry strolled through the big atrium and paused, looking around and remembering the last time
shed spent time in this space. %er fathers funeral reception. It was much !uieter nowN even the
echoes of that tumultuous time were gone along with his presence.
.he suppressed a smile, and continued on into the formal dining room where the rest of her family
were gathered, getting ready to sit down to the promised brunch.
(erry regarded the trays of salad and light sandwiches with a benignly polite interest, since their
early morning breakfast escapade had resulted in a visit to 4umpernickels, and an #nglish .cramble
that both satisfied her salute to where her partner was, and ade!uately satisfied her appetite before
their visit.
$0ell, (errison, I hear your speech went very well.' %er mother took her customary seat, and the
rest of them )oined her. $*id you en)oy yourself+'
(erry picked up her glass of orange )uice and sipped it, her brows hiking as she realized there was
champagne in the mi&. $Mimosas, mother+' .he put the glass down. $I had a lot more fun at the pub
afterward, but I think it went well.'
$0ell, I thought it would be festive.' %er mother said. $"fter all, its a lovely occasion, having all of you
here. $ .he took a sip of her own beverage. $It seemed to me to be a good chance for a little
celebration.' .he added. $#ven at nine am.'
(erry had to smile. .he set her glass down, and then almost )umped as her cell phone buzzed against
her side. $,ow.' .he unclipped it and glanced at the caller I*, her smile broadening. $#&cuse me a
minute.' .he answered the phone. $%ey hon.'
7nintended, but she could almost imagine the grimace her mother was hiding.
$0here are you+' *ars tone, however, wasnt what shed e&pected.
$My mothers.' (erry said. $0hats up+'
$.he acting like somethings going on+'
(errys brow creased, and she looked across at her mother, who peered back at her with a puzzled
e&pression. $5o. Is there something+'
$" )et flew into the 5orth Tower of the 0orld Trade 3enter.' *ar said. $Theres a lot of confusion
going on, and Ive got some traffic alerts on our net up there.'
$9h no.' (erry gasped. $Thats horrible8 *id it lose an engine, or..' .he glanced up, finding her family
now !uiet, and listening to her. $Theres been an accident in 5ew ,ork.' .he e&plained. $" plane hit
the 0orld Trade 3enter.'
$*ear God8' %er mother straightened, her eyes widening. $%ow incredible8'
The doors opened, and one of her aides rushed in. $.enator.' %e got out. $3ome !uickly. 4lease.' %e
indicated the door. 1isibly confused, 3ynthia stood and started towards him.
Instinctively (erry got up, her body reacting to the sudden tension in the room and the edge in *ars
voice. .he followed her mother as they crowded through the double doors and into the media room,
where a large screen television was on. $9h, wow.'
$"re you watching it now+' *ar asked. $0ere all here at the client site. "lastiars trying to get hold of
Bob.'
$9ur guy in Manhattan+' (erry asked, her eyes studying the horror on the screen. $My god, *ar. /ook
at that hole8'
$%e was supposed to be at a client meeting there at eight thirty.'
$Good heavens.' 3ynthia .tuart finally spluttered. $%ow on earth could they have allowed a plane to
hit that building+ 0hat was the pilot thinking+ 0hy didnt they stop it+'
$9h no.' (erry e&haled. $%ope hes okay2' .he stopped speaking.
#veryone stopped speaking. There was a shocked moment of silence before Mike grabbed the back
of a chair and leaned forward. $%oly shit8' %e said. $Theres another one8'
$-uck.' *ars voice echoed softly down the line. $Thats no accident.'
(erry was stunned. .he was watching the screen. .hed seen a second plane appear, and crash into
the other tower. %er mind was unable to grasp what she was seeing, however, as she struggled to
make sense of the smoke, and the fire, and the sound of screaming and sirens coming from the
televisions speakers.
$9h my god.' .he finally said. .he could hear e&clamations in strange accents from *ars end of the
conversation and it reminded her suddenly of where her partner was. $I dont think were going to
see the "lps, *ar.'
*ar e&haled. $5ot this week. 5o.'
$9h my god.' (erry repeated. $*ar weve got people all over that area.' .he finally forced her mind
into a different gear. $0hat are we going to do+'
$I dont know.' *ar answered. $Ive got to call my parents.'
$Ill get my laptop. Ill call you back.' (erry said. $Ill call you back in ten minutes. $
$9kay.' *ar said. $5o, let me call my dad, and then Ill call you back. .ee if you can get on net.' .he
said.
$Talk to you in a few.' (erry said. $Tell mom and dad I love them.'
$I will.' *ars voice said. $I dont know where this is going, (er. It could get worse.' .he said. $Talk to
you in a few.' .he hung up.
0orse+ (erry folded her phone shut, only to have it ring again immediately, the caller I* showing
the distinctive number at her operations desk. $Mother, do you have an internet connection in the
house>'
%er mother turned, her eyes wide and staring. $0.. what+' .he said. $0hat do you mean+'
(erry shook her head. $5ever mind, Ill find it.' .he turned and started out of the room, as she
answered the phone. $.tuart.' .he paused as she passed "ngie. $Im going to get my briefcase.'
$9kay.' %er sister answered softly. $(erry, whats going on+ 0hats happening there+'
(erry looked at her. $4eople are flying airplanes into buildings, "ngie.' .he said. $9n purpose.' .he
eased past her sister and headed for the door, putting the phone back to her ear. $Go on.'
"ngie watched her go, then turned around to look at the television again. $0hy+' .he asked. $0hy
would anyone want to do that+'
;;
*ar held one hand over her free ear as she waited for the line to be answered. Behind her, the room
was raucous with all the consternation over what they were watchingN only "lastair wasnt )oining in
as he was still, as was *ar, on the phone.
The line picked up. $%ello+'
$Mom+' *ar said.
$0ell. Thats one checkbo& off my list.' 3eci sighed in relief. $By the Goddess, this world has gone
completely insane.'
-or once, *ar found herself in complete and total agreement with her mother. $%ows dad+'
$-reaking out.' 3eci said succinctly. $.o am I. *id you see those poor people )umping+'
$,eah.' *ar said. $Its horrible. I was on the phone with (erry when the second plane hit.' .he glanced
up as "lastair approached, one hand over the mouthpiece of his cell phone. $*id you get Bob+'
$5o.' %er boss said. $But :ohn 3armichael )ust got through to me and he says they think theres
more.' %is face was set and grim. $0e need to start getting our people under cover.'
$6ight.' *ar turned back to the phone.
$I heard.' 3eci said. $*ar, please be careful. ,oure the only child I have and believe me, there arent
going to be any more.'
The moment of macabre humor set her back a step, but *ar smiled anyway. $,ou guys be careful too.
Glad none of us is anywhere near 5ew ,ork.' .he said. $Ill call back in a while. .tay put, that condos
built like a bunker.'
$.o your father said. Talk to you later, *ar.' 3eci hung up.
*ar closed her phone, and looked up as :ohn approached, his face ashen. $0hat a way to ruin a lunch.
%uh+'
$Is there anything we can do+' :ohn asked. $0eve already sent word to our people in upper
Manhattan to get out of town, but I know you probably have a much bigger presence there.'
$0e do.' *ar said. $I need net access. 3an I get it here+' .he looked over at "lastair. $Im going to
activate global meetingplace.'
$"bsolutely, )ust come with me.' :ohn led her out of the room and through a wide, oak door. They
emerged into a smaller room, with several desks positioned around its edges. :ohn indicated one of
them. $There, and give me a minute and Ill get a line run.'
*ar put her briefcase down and got her laptop out, sitting it on the desk and opening the top. .he
started it booting, while she removed her power plug and added the adapter that would allow it to
connect to the 7( power strip fastened neatly to one leg.
It was all mechanical. %er mind was going seventeen ways to .unday in every possible direction, a
brain cell overload that wasnt really helped when :ohn flipped on the television in the corner on his
way back over with an #thernet cable.
.he sat down and took a deep breath, e&haling slowly.
:ohn glanced at the screen, shaking his head. $%ere you go.' %e handed over the end of the cable. $,ou
have an office in one of those+'
*ar plugged the cable in and waited for her logon screen. $5o.' .he said. $I had a three week long
screaming argument with the 5ew ,ork office when I refused to rent space there and put them in
6ockefeller 3enter instead.'
$Bet theyre thanking you now.' :ohn remarked.
$Bet they are.' *ar said. $But we have probably two dozen clients in the towers, and a lot more in that
area.'
$"h.'
"lastair entered the room. $There you are.' %e said. $I cant reach anyone in the 5ortheast.' %e said.
$*amn cell system says all lines are busy.'
$I bet.' *ar entered her password and watched her desktop appear. .he triggered the 145 tunnel to
the office, and watched as the authentication system ran its routine.
"lastair perched on the edge of the desk, watching the television. :ohn sat down in a nearby chair,
doing the same.
"fter a moment, .ir Melthon entered, his face grave. $Mc/ean, how about you and your lot moving
here until this is sorted out. 0eve got space, and better facilities than the damn hotel.' %e glanced
at *ar. $0ho knows where this mess is going to end at.'
"lastair looked at *ar, who nodded. $.ounds good. Thanks, .ir Melthon.' %e said !uietly. $0eve got
things there.'
$6ight. Ill send a man over for them.' The magnate left, all his air of country s!uire completely
vanished. $Things can spread. 0ere closing the gates.'
*ar felt a headache coming on. .he rested her chin on her fist as her work desktop appeared, and
there, in the corner, a violently blinking bo&.
5lobal %eetin! has been initiated. Please si!n in immediately. $.omeone beat me to it.' *ar logged in.
$*amn I hoped wed never have to use this.' .he said, as "lastair came around the corner and sat
down in a chair ne&t to her. $%ere we go.'
$%ere we go.' "lastair murmured. $*amn it.'
;;
(erry shouldered the door to her fathers inner office open, flipping the overhead light on and
scanning the walls as she crossed the carpet over to the wooden desk. %er mind was so packed with
dealing with the situation she felt no emotional charge on entering, focusing intently on finding a
connection instead.
5o wall )acks. .he went to the desk and dropped her laptop on it, pulling the chair back and dropping
to her knees to investigate the space underneath. .eeing nothing, she frowned, and started to get up
again. $Guess its the cell card. *amn.'
%alfway up, she paused, suddenly aware of a soft humming sound. .he thought it was her laptop, but
as she moved away from the back of the desk it got softer instead of louder. .he looked around the
top of the desk, but saw nothing mechanical.
4uzzled, she got back down on the floor and turned over to lay flat on her back, inching forward so
she could look between the desk and the wall to see if perhaps that was where either the elusive
sound or the e!ually elusive connection might be.
There wasnt much space, but she managed to get an eye into position to look up and she
immediately blinked at a bo& with blinking lights and a familiar logo. $%uh.' (erry reached up and
freed an #thernet cable already connected and coiled neatly, and brought it back with her as she
wriggled back into the light.
.he got to her knees and plugged the end of the cable into her laptop, hoping she wasnt about to
e&pose her e!uipment to anything. D-or someone who said they didnt trust technology.. $ .he got up
and pulled the rolling chair back over, seating herself in it and starting to log in. $4retty strange to
find a router nailed to the back of your desk.'
The door swung open and "ngie appeared. $There you are.' .he approached, a nervous e&pression on
her face. $9h my god, (erry. They threw me an Mike out of moms office.' .he looked around. $Is it
okay to turn the T1 on+ ,ou look so weird in here.'
Mike burst in. $.tupid assholes.'
(erry glanced up from typing in her password. .he found her brain completely unable to process this
multiplicity of inputs and went back to the screen instead.
Mike went over and put the T1 on, then dropped into the leather couch against one wall. $These
people suck.' %e said. $-reaking government secrets+ The big secret is the government has no clue
whats going on.'
$Mike.' "ngie sat down and twisted her hands. $This is really serious.'
(erry checked the I4 settings her laptop had received, and then started up her secure 145 session to
the office. It wasnt completely safe. .he really didnt know whose router that was, or who controlled
it, but the line in the back was an Internet circuit and she didnt have a lot of other options.
.he hoped her *ar designed firewall was up to snuff.
$.ee+' Mike said, pointing at the screen. $5o ones sure whats going on, look at those news guys.'
$Give them a break, Mike.' (erry started up her profile and watched as her desktop appeared. $There
are planes crashing into skyscrapers that doesnt happen every day.' The background of her profile
was a picture of sunset from their cabin, and for a split second, the familiar sight made her feel better.
9nly for a split second. .he signed into her management console as she got a barrage of network
popups, the little bo&es multiplying like hamsters across one side of her screen.
$9h8'
(erry glanced up, to see a fresh plume of smoke issuing from one of the towers, and then a ground
shot of people running amidst showering debris. .he )erked her attention back to her screen and
ignored the popups, calling up the administrator access that allowed her control of their various
systems and processes.
.electing the Global Meetingplace application, she activated it, clicking three times on the $"re you
really sure+' warning bo&es then sending it on its way.
.imple act, comple& program. (erry then turned and selected Marks bo& from the popups. $%ey.'
Po4ueto ,oss0
(erry smiled grimly. I just tri!!ered the disaster plan. .ou better assemble your team in the conference
room and !et the situation stuff on the screens.
5otcha.
-or a moment, (erry )ust watched the disaster program assemble itself on her screen, opening up
tabbed layers that broke the company down into regions and offices, placing a bare bones chat area
in the background, and presenting her with a bo& asking for her corporate identification, location,
status, and role in the process.
$(erry .tuart, .augatuck Michigan, safe, moderator.' (erry muttered, as she answered the !uestions.
$0hat was that, (er+' "ngie asked. $They shut the airports down. Isnt that like locking the barn after
the horse left+'
$0hat if theres more planes out there+' Mike asked.
$9h no.' "ngie gasped.
(errys cell phone and 4*" beeped, and she opened her phone first, seeing an .M. message on the
screen that echoed the re!uest on her desktop. .he then checked her 4*", and found a copy of it
there. $9kay.' .he said. $.o we know the .M. and email alerts are working.'
" soft crackle alerted her in the background, and she reached into her briefcase for a small headset in
a back pocket shed never had to use before. .he settled the buds in her ears, clipped the microphone
on her shirt collar and plugged it in.
"lready, information was flowing across the screen. .he could see the senior management
dashboard, icons lighting as their scattered main offices logged in to the system. " bo& opened, with
Marianas icon flashing, the system reporting her status on the header bar and very different from the
normal net pops. Hey. (erry typed in the bo&.
Hey. Mariana answered. Have you contacted )ar?
he was the one who called me and told me what was !oin! on. (erry typed back, aware of the chaos
on the television across the room. hes fine@ shes at the client site in -n!land. $lastairs fine too.
)o you know if he !ot hold of the people in the 9. office?
(erry took a slow breath. 9o.
In her ear, she heard a soft chime. $1irtual conferencing coming online.' .he typed !uickly. Im !oin!
on the conference brid!e, you joinin!? I dont really know whats !oin! on but its a !ood e2cuse to try
the system out isnt it?
Maris answer was wry even in written form. Id rather be doin! shredder comparisons a!ain.
$0hat the hell was the point of this+' Mike asked. $%ow are they going to put those fires out anyway,
drag hoses up a hundred floors+'
$I guess.' "ngie said. $I dont think theres ladders that reach that far.'
$9kay.' (erry said, into her microphone. $Im opening the bridge, this is (erry .tuart. $
3racklings and murmurs answered her. $%ouston ops here.' $/ansing.' $3harlotte.' $/os "ngeles
#arth .tation.'
.lowly, a map built in front of her, stretching out from one side of the screen to the other, an outline
of the world with the 7nited .tates in the center and circles of light that indicated all their ma)or
offices, installations, infrastructure and service centers.
$(uala /umpur calling in.' The acknowledgements continued. $*ubai.' $.ydneys on.'
$Miami 9ps on.' Marks voice echoed softly. $(erry, Im inserting the news crawler into the global
desktop.'
$Thanks.' (erry saw the ticker appear.
$9h, theres the president.' "ngie said. $(erry, look8'
(erry glanced up at the television. The destruction had been replaced by their president, with several
aides, standing in what appeared to her to be a schoolroom. $0here in the hell is he+'
$-lorida.' Mike said. $.ome school.'
$Great.' (erry muttered. $/ike the air traffic isnt screwed up enough.' .he said. $#very time he visits
I end up sitting at some gate for si& hours.'
$(erry8' "ngie turned. $Maybe well find out whats going on.'
$355's got the prez on.' Mark commented. $.ee if the feed updates.'
$Miami e&ec+'
(erry turned back to the screen. $(erry here.'
$This is *anny 3hambers, at the :oint 3hiefs office.' " mans voice said, sounding stressed. $Maam,
its crazy here.'
$I bet.' (erry murmured. $Im sure everyones upset.'
$5o maam, thats not it.' 3hambers said. $They think theres more out there. More hi)acked planes8
There are folks running up and down the hallways around here no one knows where the planes are.'
There was a moment of dead silence. (erry stared at the blinking status lights in front of her, and
then she looked over her screen to the television, where the president was talking.
$%ello+ This is .herren, from the Manhattan office8 I. anyone there+' " voice broke in. $Is anyone
there+ I cant find half our people, and theres sirens and smoke everywhere8 They closed the bridges
and tunnels and theyre saying to evacuate Manhattan8'
1oices now burst in, startled and afraid. (erry took a few deep breaths, and then she spoke up.
$9kay, okay, people, please settle down.' .he said. $/ets not panic. I know its really confusing out
there, but a lot of things are getting said and we dont have all the facts.'
$This is Michael Talmadge up at the air hub.' " new voice spoke up. $(erry, I have a landslide of
re!uests for more voice and video bandwidth for the -"" and essential services. $
$,ou got it.' (erry said at once. $0hatever you need up to link speed up there.'
$This is %ouston ops.' "nother voice said. $0ere getting reports of cell failures on the #ast 3oast, the
government support team here says theyre seeing a lot of dropped calls.'
$#veryones using their phones.' Mark said. $3ant handle it, probably whats going on in 5,. I cant
reach any of the staff there, only .herrens on the 19I4 conf.'
$Thats right.' .herren agreed immediately. $Most everyone whos here is outside, or up on the roof
trying to see whats going on. .irens are going off like crazy.'
(erry thought fast. $Mark, send an .M. blast to everyone in the 5ew ,ork node and tell them to
evacuate north. I dont know whats going on there either, but I think its too dangerous where they
are.'
There was a blast of confused noise, overwhelming the call.
$0hat in the hell.. $ Mark said. $(erry I got that and were working it but half the damn2 oh, crap8 The
secure 1irginia nodes )ust went down8'
$*anny+' (erry asked. $*anny, you still there+'
.ilence.
$9h wow8' "ngie e&claimed. $5ow they think a bomb went off in the capital8'
(erry felt her breathing getting faster. .he could see on her network grid that there were flashing
yellow and red lines now where she was used to seeing sedate greens and blues, and they were
centered around the three nodes they had that ringed the 4entagon military comple&.
$,eah look8 0hat+ 9h.. crap8' Mike half stood. $I think.. did it go off at the 0hite %ouse+ Is that what
they said+'
$4entagon.' (erry corrected him. $I think something happened there. $ .he keyed her mic back on.
$9kay, Mark, get those .M. messages out to 5ew ,ork, and also to anyone in the area of *3,
Maryland, and 1irginia. Tell everyone to get the hell out of there and get under cover.'
$(erry.' Maris voice broke in. $Theyre telling us to evacuate here.'
$There+' (erry leaned closer to the screen. $0hy+'
$9h my god8 They )ust said another plane is heading here8' .herren screamed. $9h my god8'
$They think2 theyre afraid theres more targets.' Mari blurted out. $0ere a tall building, in the glide
path2 the building management )ust called they got a call from Metro *ade and they told them to get
out. Theyre evacuating a lot of the buildings behind us.'
Too many inputs. $.herren, why dont you go ahead and log off, go home, and then either te&t us or
login from there if you can, okay+' (erry suggested. $Mark, did you get those te&ts off+'
$*one, boss.'
$9kay, Im getting out of this office.' .herren said. $%ow do I te&t+ 9h, no, wait, I see here in my
phone, its the first address, right+ "t least I can use this for something8 I cant get a line to no one8'
$(erry, I )ust heard from one of our techs. " plane plowed into the 4entagon.' Mark said. $%es te&ting
me like a crazy person. The damn thing came in almost at ground level and smacked into one side, he
says its on fire there, and walls about to come down.'
$9kay.' (erry considered. $%ouston 9ps, are you there+'
$%ere, maam.'
$3an you take all the monitoring from Miami ops+'
$0ere setting up consoles now.'
$Mari, go ahead and tell everyone to leave the building.' (erry said. $I honestly dont think Miamis a
target but who the hell knows and its better not to take a chance.'
$,ou got it.'
$Mark, see if the tech can find *anny.' (erry said. $Get a te&t blast out and see if we can get a count of
people out there.'
$0orking it.'
$This is .ufir in *ubai.' " voice very !uietly broke in. $I know there is not much that we can do, but
we are all thinking about all of you there and wishing with all our hearts the danger stops !uickly.'
$Miami -inancial.' *uks voice broke in. $%ouston, please stand by were syncing the accounting
systems.'
$.tanding by.' The %ouston 9ps tech said.
(erry looked up at the television, aware that her sister and brother were half listening to it, and half
to her as pictures continued to roll along the screen, more smoke, more screaming people, more
destruction.
0here would it end+
0hat if it didnt+
;;
$3offee+'
*ar glanced up from her screen to find a sever there, standing with a tray of steaming cups. $Thank
you.' .he accepted one, and set it down, nodding as the server placed a small dish with four sugar
cubes ne&t to it, and a container of cream.
"lastair was still sitting ne&t to her, one hand cupped over his ear, the other pressed against his cell
phone. The television was on and %ans, :ohn, and -rancois were seated at the nearby desks watching
the screen with e&pressions of bewildered disbelief.
$"ll right, thanks.' "lastair closed his phone and turned back to *ar. $.o where are we+' %e picked up
a set of ear buds connected to the second )ack on *ars laptop and inserted one in his ear. $(errys
doing a hell of a )ob.'
*ar nodded.
$5ever seen her work before. 1ery impressive.'
*ar nodded again.
$*ar+'
.he looked up at him. $.orry.' .he murmured. $"side from all our people, Im worried about my
friend Gerry #aston.'
"lastairs face tensed. $"h. Thats right. %e works at the 4entagon, doesnt he+' %e studied the screen.
$0hat a god damned mess.'
*ar reached over to drop three of the cubes into her coffee cup, stirring the li!uid with the provided
spoon before she added cream to it. $.o many damn people unaccounted for.'
"lastair sighed. $0hat do we have down in that area+'
$Mostly commercial.' *ar said. $3losest net node is near 4enn .tation.' .he leaned closer to the
screen, listening as voices now echoed again.
$%ello+ %ello+ This is .herren again.'
(errys voice answered. $.herren+ *id you get out of the office+ 0here are you+'
$I did.. but you cant get anywhere.' .herren said. $Im near 3entral 4ark though, at a .tarbucks.'
$Miami ops.' Marks voice sounded. $(erry, Ive gotten the blasts out to *3 and 5,.' %e said. $Im only
getting about fifty percent positives.'
#veryone went !uiet, and "lastair briefly closed his eyes.
$0ell.' (erry said. $,ou know the cell systems pretty overloaded, Mark. /ets wait and see what
happens before we assume anything.'
$9h8' .herren suddenly said. $%ey, its /arry. /arry8 9ver here8 Im online8'
*ar studied the traffic patterns on the network screen behind all the chatter. .he could see the bare
bones chat window filled with lines of talk, the employees online who were not participating in the
conference bridge sharing with each other in this remarkable time.
$5etwork looks pretty stable.' "lastair commented. $But that shouldnt surprise anyone.'
*ar glanced at the keyboard, then turned her head and looked at him, one eyebrow lifted.
$0ell, I have seen you work before.' %er boss said. $.o whats our plan here+ 3an we send help out to
1irginia and 5ew ,ork+ I know its early yet..'
$9% M, G9*8'
Both of them )erked upright as though theyd been shot, and turned back to the screen.
$Good lord8' :ohn blurted. $/ook8'
$Its falling8 9h my god8 9h my god8' .herren was yelling at the top of her lungs. $9h my god8 The
whole tower8 Its falling down8'
*ars heart rate shot up as she found herself unsure of where to look first. The television screen
showed a scene of unreal destruction, hundreds of stories of the 0orld Trade 3enter collapsing in on
itself as though taken down by an e&pert demolition team.
4eople were running.
4eople were screaming.
The air was full of thick, choking gray dust filled with debris that flowed and rushed over everything,
leaving a landscape behind that must have been what 4ompeii had been like )ust before the end.
/unar. %orrifying
.he stood up behind the desk, staring at the screen, unable to imagine actually being there and
realizing she had been, the cross streets now covered in debris places shed walked on her last visit.
$*amn.'
$.on of a bitch.' "lastair added, standing at her shoulder.
%ans covered his eyes, and then shook his head, opening his fingers to look at the screen again. $Mein
Gott.' %e said. $*ie ganzen /eute hinein.'
*ar remembered, then, suddenly, the moment after the e&plosion in the hospital when shed been on
the floor, lying in something like that same gray dust, in a completely different world.
.lowly she sat down and rested her elbows on her knees, and after a moment, "lastair perched on the
edge of the desk, gazing !uietly down at his shoes.
$Miami ops.' Mark said. $(erry, were almost evacuated here.'
$Miami ops, this is %ouston ops.' The %ouston group broke in. $0e are showing large scale outages
now in lower 5ew ,ork.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %erndon.' "nother voice. $0eve had a re!uest to activate the emergency circuits
for 3heyenne, and add seventy two more channels to the tie lines.'
It took a second, and then (erry answered. $"h.' .he said. $.orry. %erndon, go ahead. Take standby
circuits I@AC through I@@A and shut down the failover.'
$Miami %6.' Maris voice. $.orry to break in, but were out of the building e&cept for a few people.'
$Miami e&ec, Miami ops.' Marks voice. $Im staying.'
.ir Melthon entered, his eyes wide. $*id you see that+' %e pointed at the screen. $5ever in my life
have I seen the like of it..' %e turned. $Got your things from the hotel, and theyre settled here.
"nything else we can do+'
"lastair sat back down in the chair and rested his elbow on the arm of it, propping his head up on his
fingertips. $Got any good .cotch+
Melthon snorted with wry understanding. $9f course we do. 0hat do you think this is, "merica+' %e
snapped his fingers at one of the servers. $Bring me a bottle of the Talisker and a couple of dirty
glasses.'
$.ir.' The man inclined his head, and scooted off.
*ar turned back to the screen, and settled the bud more firmly in her ear as she heard her partners
voice, sounding more than a little stressed.
$Miami ops, Miami e&ec. Mark, please shut down the center and leave.' (erry said. $The last person
we need something to happen to is you. 0ork from home.'
$Miami e&ec, youre not here, and you cant make me leave.' Mark said, in a firm voice.
*ar keyed her mic for the first time. $I can.' .he said. $Get your ass out of there before I have my
father drive over and smack you over the head and drag you out.'
Totally against protocol. %owever, *ar figured the two people involved would know who was
speaking without her announcing who and where she was and given that the apocalypse was
showing on television at the moment who really cared anyway+
There was a moment of somewhat shocked silence. Then (erry sighed audibly. $Boy, is it ever good
to hear your voice.' .he said, in an achingly sincere tone.
"lastair chuckled softly under his breath as *ars face tensed into a mildly embarrassed half grin.
$7h.. okay, boss, Im leaving.' Mark responded meekly. $I dont want your pop thumping me.' %e said.
$9r you thumping me.'
*ar cleared her throat. $Good )ob, (erry. .he said, mindful of the global audience. $#veryone please
)ust stay as calm as you can, and follow the plans weve laid out as best you can. This is horrific.' .he
paused and e&haled. $This is unprecedented, and there are a lot people out there both in the company
and our clients that are going to need our help.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %erndon.' The voice almost sounded apologetic. $#&cuse me, Ms. 6oberts, but I
have one of the folks at the 4entagon on a land line and he said part of that building )ust collapsed.
Theyre going to need infrastructure support there.'
0hat ne&t+ *ar rubbed her temples.
$/ets get some mobile units assembled.' (erry said. $/ansing, are you on+'
$/ansing here.' " voice answered. $0e have four vans.'
$/ansing, this is %ouston ops.' The %ouston office stepped up. $0e have portable sat units here.
Miami e&ec, can we roll them east+'
$Going to need those in 5ew ,ork too, Im afraid.' "lastair murmured.
$Miami e&ec+ This is %alifa&.' " crisp male voice broke in. $0e have heard all the inbound
international flights are going to end up diverting to 3anadian airports and theyre worried about the
phone and data backhaul.'
$%ouston go ahead and roll the units towards 1irginia right now.' (erry said. $%alifa& ? *ar, do we
have any spare capacity in that area to shift+'
(erry could, *ar knew, have looked it up in the painfully detailed dynamic utilization chart she
designed but she knew that (erry knew that she would know off the top of her head and in fact she
did. $0ell.' *ar said. $Ive got spare capacity right now in the 5iagara node. Im getting pretty much
nothing from 5ew ,ork.'
" small silence.
$0e can land the net traffic, the phone backhauls going to depend on how much damage the
interchanges took.' *ar went on. $Theres a three carrier interchange that holds most of the big
international circuits that sits right under I 0orld Trade.'
"nother silence. Then Mark cleared his throat. $I guess thats why were seeing red across the board
up there.'
"lastair clicked his mic on. $"h, %ouston+' %e said. $/ets get the community support teams rounded
up and headed out. 5ot sure theyll let anyone near Manhattan but we can get to *3.' %e paused, and
then added. $This is "lastair. I realize Im probably not as instantly recognizable as some other
people.'
$%ouston ops, we copy sir.'
" loud crackle, and everyone )umped. $%ello+ "nyone there+' " breathless voice came through. $9h
%ell. This is *anny at the 4entagon. 0hat a mess. 0e need some help. I )ust managed to get my cell
connected but they took out one whole side of the building and theyre evacuating.'
$*anny, do they need a trunk for backup+' (erry asked. $Im glad youre all right.'
$0ell.' The tech sighed. $Ive got a broken arm or something. 0e got lucky though the side they
plowed into was the side they )ust finished the reno on and we were )ust pulling cable. 5ot many
people were there.'
*ar closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a little relieved.
$But they say theres more planes out there so everyones scrambling.' *anny concluded. $I dont
know if theyre thinking about backup. Ill find out and let you know.'
$:ust te&t us, *anny.' *ar broke in. $,oull probably lose cell.'
" crackle, and there was no answer.
$Miami, this is 5ew ,ork.' " new voice spoke up. $It seems weve moved the office to the 3entral 4ark
.tarbucks, but theres ten of us here now. 0e cant get cell to pick up, even for .M.. 3an we get
someone to log is in okay+'
$5ew ,ork, this is Miami %6 ? go head.' Mariana answered. $Glad to hear from you.'
"lastair clicked off his mic. $0hat the hells going to happen ne&t+ This is nuts8'
*ar merely nodded, and then shook her head.
;;
(erry sucked slowly at a cup of tea, her throat already a touch sore from talking. There seem to be a
slight lull for the moment, or else everyone was )ust a little shellJshocked and holding their breaths
that nothing else bad happened.
.he was resisting the urge to ask *ar to e&plain something esoteric, like node density, )ust to hear her
voice.
$(er+'
(erry looked up over the edge of her laptop screen at her sister. $%ey.'
"ngie took a seat in one of the leather chairs on the other side of the desk and leaned forward. $0hat
are you doing+'
$My )ob.' (erry said. $0ere on a2 I guess you could call it a big conference call, sort of.' .he
e&plained. $But its on the computer. 0e can all talk, and te&t messages to each other and we try to
make sure everyone knows whats going on.'
"ngie got up and came around the desk. $Is it okay for me to watch+' .he asked. $I cant look at that
television any more.'
$0heres Mike+' (erry eased over. $,ou can watch, sure.'
$Getting some food. I think hes getting some for us too.' "ngie settled down ne&t to her sister and
peered at the screen. $0ow. Thats a lot of stuff.'
$Its what we call our Global *esktop.' (erry found herself glad to be )ust talking about something
that wasnt a catastrophe. $Thats a chat room in the back, those are people all around )ust talking to
each other over the computer.'
$7h huh.'
$These folders are all the offices we have, and those dots are the people in them.' (erry indicated the
other side of the screen. $These three over here are for our 5ew ,ork and 0ashington staff, and the
people at the 4entagon.'
"ngie peered at her. $4eople at the 4entagon+' .he asked, in a puzzled tone. $0hy do you have people
there+ Is your company part of the military+'
(erry heard people starting to talk again on the conference bridge. .he keyed the e&ternal speakers
so "ngie could hear also. $The 4entagon is really )ust a humongous office building.' .he said. $0e do
their IT. :ust like we do the IT for lots of other companies. 0e have about two hundred people there.'
$0ow.'
$,eah.' (erry rested her head on her hand. $0e can only find about half of them.'
$9h.'
$Miami e&ec, %ouston ops.' " new voice came on. $This is %arold, Im taking over for this shift.'
$Go ahead, %ouston. This is Miami e&ec.' (erry answered. .he leaned back and tried to ease the
stiffness in her back.
$Maam, the satellite trucks are ready to roll.' %arold said. $0e dug up enough gear for si&.'
$Good work.' (erry said. $Get them on the road, and please send at least three people in each one so
they can spell each other driving and get rest.'
$,es, maam.' %arold said. $0eve got a lot of volunteers. #veryone wants to help.'
$Miami e&ec+ This is *anny in 1irginia.'
$Go on *anny. %ows your arm+' (erry responded.
$7m.. its okay.' The tech said. $0e )ust heard here that another plane is heading towards us.' %e
added. $Two of the guys who were off got through all the barricades and were going to get away
from here for a little while. I think I could use a coke.'
$This is 5ew ,ork8' .herren broke in. $0e )ust heard a bomb went off at the 0hite %ouse8'
$Maybe thats where the plane hit8'
(erry drew in a breath, and then released it. .he turned her mic off. $I )ust had the most 7nJ3hristian
thought of my entire life.' Then she clicked the mic back on. $This is Miami e&ec, lets try to take in
what facts we can, and not react to what were hearing on television or rumors until theres some
substantiation, please. $
$Miami ops here.' Mark said. $-rom home.' %e added hastily. $Im going to start cataloging the down
circuits.'
$Miami ops, this is the air hub.' "n unhappy voice interrupted. $"nother plane )ust went down, but
theyre not sure where. $
$4entagon here.' *anny said. $"t least it wasnt us again.'
$5ew ,ork here. 7s either.' .herren sounded profoundly relieved. $I have a great view of the #mpire
.tate Building from here and thats where everyone said it was headed.'
(erry e&haled. $This is Miami #&ec ? everyone check and advise if there is any indication of an attack
in your areas.' .he said. $"ir hub, do they think theres more+'
$"ir hub, Miami e&ec ? they have no idea.' The voice answered. $Theres a lot of people in tears
around here. They )ust evacuated /"G.'
$/"G+'
$Miami #&ec, "ir %ub, this is /" #arth .tation.' " voice answered immediately. $/ocal news is saying
theyre not evacuating /"G, but they are evacuating a lot of buildings in downtown and the studios.'
$/" #arth, this is .eattle 5etops.' " new voice said. $0e heard they were going to close down /"G
and .-9 also, they think thats where the planes that hit the towers were going.'
$.eattle, this is %erndon control ? thats confirmed.' " woman responded. $"merican -light @@,
"merica flight EE, 7nited flight @EC. Those are confirmed so far as the planes that hit.'
$/" #arth station, Miami e&ec.' (erry broke in. $*o you have transponder space for IH channels+ I
have 5ewark #arth station on te&t, theyre getting overloaded.'
$Miami e&ec, well check. %old on one please.'
$0ow.' "ngie whispered. $This is unbelievable.'
$0hat is+' *istracted, (erry whispered back.
$,ou know more than 355 does8' %er sister said. $Ive heard more about whats going on in the last
five minutes than Ive heard all day on the television.'
$0ell, I wish I didnt.' (erry replied, turning her mic off. $The only reason we know as much as we do
is because were in the middle of it. 0e have a lot of government contracts, I know you remember our
father complaining about that.'
"ngie blinked. $9h.' .he said. $0ow. 0as that what he meant+'
$Miami e&ec, this is /" #arth, were good to take IH channels.' The /" satellite center responded.
$Tell 5ewark to switch to our coordinates.'
(erry turned her mic on. $/a #arth .tation, thanks.' .he typed into the te&t bo& open on her desktop.
$Miami e&ec, Miami %6.' Mariana said. $Miami office confirmed closed, the management company has
locked the doors and verified that the generator is tested and ready to go.'
$Thank you, Miami %6.' (erry said. $%ouston ops, Miami e&ec. *o you see everything stable at the
moment+'
$Miami e&ec, %ouston ops. .tand by were verifying.'
$Macro level looks stable.' *ars voice broke in, deep and rich and reassuring all out of proportion to
what she was saying. $The autonomic programming e&panded bandwidth across the northeast and
its doing a decent )ob of handling the backhaul but I can see retransmits at a very high rate from the
cell services.'
(erry smiled. $Thanks boss.'
$,oure welcome, (errison.'
(erry felt like melting, )ust a little, at the warm affection so evident in *ars voice. .he knew the rest
of the company could probably hear it too but heck, if they didnt know by now about them the hell
with it. .he caught a small bo& blinking at the corner of her screen, and she clicked on it.
I am so damned proud of you.
$"w.' "ngie said. $.hes so sweet, (er.'
$Im sure she wouldnt agree with you.' (erry typed in a response. ,oy do I wish you didnt have to be
ri!ht now. ,ut thanks, honey. Im doin! the best I can.
$9h8' .herrens voice cut in. $9h8 9h, there it goes8 9h8 9h my god8 The 5orth towers falling8 9h8 9h
no8'
(erry and "ngie looked up at the television, and stared as the screen showed a shaking picture of the
second big tower collapsing into itself, the stories )ust dropping down and down and down as smoke
and dust went up and up and up, outlined by people running towards the camera as fast as they could
being chased by a roiling, thundering cloud.
$Miami #&ec, this is the "ir %ub.' The "ir %ub called out. $0eve got a confirmation that the fourth
plane is down, but its in 4ennsylvania.'
$This is *anny at the 4entagon. 0ere still here. 5ow we heard a bomb went off at the state
department and some helicopters )ust took off fast from the yard here.' *anny said. $I can hear
fighter planes going overhead.'
$Miami, this is .eattle 5etops.' "nother voice. $1ancouver hubs asking for more bandwidth. Theyre
taking the 4acific overseas flights.'
$Miami e&ec, Miami ops, 5ewark #arth .tation )ust went down.' Mark said. $0e )ust lost the
international telecom links in the 5ortheast. 9nly the Miami ones are up.'
$3onfirmed.' *ars voice said. $#verything from 5ew ,ork is down. Im shifting the overseas banking
through Miami.'
$This is %erndon, Miami e&ec. 0e )ust got word another plane is inbound to 0ashington.'
$%erndon, this is the "ir %ub ? we heard the same thing.
(erry looked up again as Mike entered, carrying a big tray. $%ow much more of this can we take+'
.he asked. $:esus.'
%e walked over and set it down, looking over his own shoulder at the television showing the collapse
of the 5orth Tower over and over and over again. $This )ust sucks.'
$This is 5ew ,ork.' .herren said. $4eople are screaming all over 3entral 4ark.' .he reported. $:ust
screaming. .creaming. 3rying.'
$Miami e&ec, this is Mid "tlantic 9perations.' " new, female voice interrupted. $0eve gotten word
theyre evacuating all of 0ashington *3.'
$5ew ,ork too8' .herren said. $Theyve got the bridges and tunnels closed south. #veryones trying to
get out north. ,ou cant move. ,ou cant move. #veryones crying. 9h my god.'
(erry took in a deep breath, and then released it. $.eattle, give 1ancouver what they need.' .he said,
!uietly. $Mid "tlantic, are you in a position to shift control to /ansing+ /ansing, can you take that+'
$Miami e&ec, this is /ansing, were working it.' The local to her center said. $0eve got a lot on our
plates.'
$Miami e&ec, this is 3harlotte, we can take it.' The southern center replied. $Mid "tlantic, give us five
minutes and well be set up.'
" soft knock made (erry and "ngie look up at the door to find their mother there, peering back at
them.
$3hildren.' 3ynthia .tuart said. $I dont want you to be alarmed, but some very serious things have
happened. #verything is under control, and I dont want you to worry, but you should plan to stay
here for a few days while everything gets sorted out.'
"ngie looked at her mother, then at (erry, then at the screen in front of them. .he looked back at her
mother, and then she looked at (erry.
(erry merely shook her head, and went back to the screen. $'Thank you, 3harlotte. %erndon ? have
you heard any more about that last plane+ Is it confirmed in 4ennsylvania+ Miami ops is seeing a
trunk down in the west there but we dont want to assume.'
3ynthia took a step into the room. $0hom is she talking to+' .he asked "ngie.
$The rest of the planet.' "ngie said. $*o you think you could ask the kitchen to make some fresh
coffee+ I think (errys going to need it.'
$I beg your pardon+'
;;
$*ar, did you say all the transatlantic phone lines were down+' "lastair pulled his seat a little closer
to his hurriedly typing 3I9.
$"lastair, dont talk to me for a minute.' *ar said. $Im rerouting traffic and you dont want me
sending financial datastreams to Tibet.'
$9h.' %er boss said. $0ell, no, I sure dont.'
*ar kept her eyes on the screen and her fingers on her keyboard, going through the somewhat
delicate task of rerouting traffic across alternate paths they were never intended to travel. "t stake
were a lot of "merican tourists in #urope who needed to get to their "TM accounts, or use their
credit cards.
Including herself and "lastair of course.
There were four links across the "tlantic from 5ew ,ork, from four different providers, going to four
different headends in #urope. "bsolutely rock solid redundancy unless you happened to lose the
ma)or landing point offices for all four providers on the same day.
0hat were the odds of that+ 0ell. *ar e&haled, blinking a little as she peered at the screen. It was too
bad she hadnt taken a bet on those odds, wasnt it. 4robably could have paid off I/.s outstanding
debt with the winnings.
.he finished typing and reviewed the results, switching over to her network monitor to watch the
lines out of Miami branching to .outh "merica, across to the Bahamas, and out to "frica. The traffic
would have to take a back route across "frica to #urope, and the access would be hundreds of
milliseconds slower.
" thousand milliseconds was a second though ? and the end result would be an e&tra tap of
someones fingernails on the top of an "TM before it barfed out the local currency.
$*amn.' *ar sighed. $The worlds getting smaller every damn day.'
$0hats that, *ar+' "lastair turned around in his chair. $3an I talk to you now+'
%is 3I9 sat back and let her hands rest on her thighs. $Im done.' .he said. $-or now anyway, until the
ne&t damn thing happens.' .he fle&ed her fingers a little, reviewing in her head the details she knew
she had to send over to the operations group soon.
Twenty changes that in normal times would have gone through four levels of approval, been
scheduled weeks in advance, with carefully coordinated validation from the individual banks and
networks involved. 5o one e&cept for *ar would have even considered doing it on the fly, but that
was her role in this type of situation.
"nyone could have made the changes, one by one. 9nly *ar had the comprehensive understanding of
the intricate spiderweb that was their network to do it without documentation and trusting her
instincts and so could get the moves done at the speed at which events were actually transpiring.
%ad she not been there, or had net access, it still would have happened. *ar wasnt nearly so arrogant
as to write a single point of failure into either her network design or their corporate processes. 5o
one was indispensable.
.ir Melthon entered. %e crossed over to *ars borrowed desk and stuck his hands in his pockets. $My
people are telling me its no good trying to call over to the .tates.' %e said. $0eve got resources in
5ew ,ork we cant contact, and its a bit worrisome.'
$The main trunks from overseas come into 5ew ,ork 3ity.' *ar said. $The termination point was
underneath the 0orld Trade 3enter.'
$"h.' The magnate grunted. $4utting a kink in your work, Im guessing.'
$5ot really.' "lastair said. $0eve got a pretty comprehensive plan for this sort of thing.'
.ir Melthons head dropped forward a little, as he peered at "lastair. $-or this sort of thing+'
$0ell, disasters.' *ars boss e&plained.
$*ar+' (errys voice echoed softly in her ear. $3an you cover for me for ten minutes+'
$.ure.' *ar put her other earbud back in. Then she removed it, and reached over to trigger the
speakers in her laptop and half turned the machine so that their newest client could see the screen.
$This is a system we developed to direct and coordinate a response to any kind of widespread
disaster.'
$0e+' "lastair moved back so give .ir Melthon a better view. %e folded his hands over his stomach
and twiddled his thumbs. $3harmingly modest as always, *ar, but didnt you design this+'
*ar gave him a look from the corner of her eye. $.omeone had to.' .he went on. $The system alerts
everyone corporatewide where there is an event, either by sending them a network message..'
$5ot much good if theyre not in the building.' .ir Melthon commented.
$9r via a 4*" alert, .M. te&t message, or automated cell phone voice mail. .ometimes all four.' *ar
continued. $Theyre asked to respond in any of those methods, and the system logs their location,
response and status.'
.ir Melthon leaned closer. $%uh.' %e said. $%ow many people+'
$" !uarter of a million.' "lastair supplied. $Its a lot of people to keep track of.'
$Those that can get on net connect to this global desktop.' *ar said, taking advantage of the slight lull
in the chaos. $Theres a chat area, a status tab for all the locations showing whos accounted for and
who isnt, and the global conferencing system, which is a voice over I4 bridge that lets us all talk to
each other.'
$.ome folks call into that with their cell phones if they can, or a landline.' "lastair supplied. $(eeps
everyone informed, and lets us react to whatever we need to react to in real time.'
$Miami e&ec+ This is /" #arth station.' " voice erupted suddenly. $*o we have a go to bring up the
reserve transponders+ 0e are not at capacity yet but I bet we will be and wed like to grab them
before someone else does.'
$/" #arth, this is Miami.' *ar conceded to protocol, mostly for .ir Melthons sake. $Go ahead and
bring up whatever you have and hold it ready.'
$/", this is .eattle 5etops, were getting a re!uest for additional uplink from 1ancouver, can you take
it+ -our channels.'
$Miami e&ec, this is 3harlotte. 3an you advise the status of interbank+ 0e have a te&t from /ondon
asking.'
*ar cleared her throat a bit. $3harlotte, interbank is routing via the southern links, appro&imately an
e&tra seven hops, plus two hundred milliseconds, but stable.' .he reported.
$7h, thank you maam.'
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami ops, were publishing the new routes on the big map.' Mark said. $Be
advised, were assembling technical teams and checking inventory.'
$0hats that about+' .ir Melthon in!uired. $3hecking inventory+'
*ar checked the news ticker, then looked up at the television screen .'"ny word on how long the
flights are grounded+' .he asked. $Theyre getting teams ready to go and help all our customers get
back onto service.'
$Tomorrow noon, at the earliest I heard.' "lastair said. $Ive been e&changing mail with Bea. .hes
trying to see if she can get us international flights into Me&ico and arrange a pickup if you dont mind
going to %ouston first.'
$%uh.' .ir Melthon got up and moved out of the way, strolling back across the room towards the door.
$5ot bloody bad, for "mericans.' %e disappeared, leaving them to listen to the new voices coming
from *ars speakers.
$This is Tom .tanton from the 5ew ,ork office.'
*ar recognized one of the senior salesmans voice. $This is Miami, go ahead Tom.' .he said. $Good to
hear you.'
$I )ust made it up to our office on the 6ock.' The man said. $0e were up in the .outh Tower.'
*ar felt a chill run up and down her back, and "lastair leaned forward, his e&peression altering to one
of grim seriousness. $Go on.' .he said, as the rest of the background chatter faded.
$0hat a nightmare.' Tom said. $0e were up on the ninetieth floor when the 5orth Tower got hit. I
saw the damn plane plow right into the side of the building and saw whatever was in its way come
flying out the back side.'
$Good lord.' "lastair muttered.
$" lot of people stayed to watch.' Tom said. $0e started to head out of the place because seemed to
us the tower might lean over into the .outh. 0e couldnt get an elevator, so we started walking down
and we were )ust past the sky lobby when that second bastard hit.'
*ar caught a pop up bo& from the corner of her eye. .he opened it.
Im back, thanks sweetheart. 9eeded a bio break.
*ar fle&ed her fingers and typed back.
$nytime. I reported the interbank reroute and told eattle they could take four more sat channels from
($ for Aancouver, and told ($ they could brin! up the cold reserve transponder space. .he paused,
glancing at "lastiar who was typing on his 4*". +ish we were home on our couch.
$.o we kept going.' Tom said. $The stairs were full of dust and hot as hell. ,ou could hardly breath,
and there were these firemen trying to go the other direction. 0hat a mess. 4ieces of concrete kept
falling on everyone.'
I wish we were too. %y mothers here listenin!. I want my do!, and my P1s and you and all I have is my
fathers desk and my family not understandin! what the hell Im doin!.
$Tom, this is .herren.' .herren interrupted. $"re you all back+ "re you at the office+ 0ere up at
3entral 4ark, about a dozen of us.'
There was a silence. $:ust me and 5ancy are here right now.' Tom answered. $I dont know where
everyone else is. 0e lost them. Bob stopped to help this lady, and two of the other guys did too, and
then part of the stairwell caved in.'
$:esus.' "lastair whispered.
$9h no.' .herren said. $Maybe we should go back to the office and wait there, maybe theyll show up
ne&t.'
$"nyway.' Tom continued, tiredly. $0e got down to the bottom floor and out into plaza. There were
bodies all over the place. 4eople )umping, I guess. The firemen were trying to move them but they
kept getting called to go this way, then the other way. They were going crazy.'
*ar closed her eyes. .he was aware that someone had muted the television, and the room they were
in was totally silent.
"lastiar clicked his mic on. $Tom, this is "lastair. Im glad you made it out. I know it was rough.'
$Thank you sir.' Tom answered. $0e were )ust past the plaza when everyone started screaming, and I
heard this rumbling in back of me.. it sounded like a big plane, you know, a seven forty seven+ That
rumbling when theyre going to take off+ "nd these huge bangs ? I never heard anything like it. $ %e
took a breath. $There were cops in front of us and they )ust started yelling for us to run, run, run ?
they shoved us down the street and I looked behind me and saw it coming down.'
$9h no.' .herren murmured.
$0e started running, but there were these firemen..' Tom stopped, then went on again. $They started
yelling and running the other way, towards the building and the cops were trying to catch hold of
them and stop them and then the cloud was on top of us and all we could do was get behind some
trucks and lay down and pray we didnt die from it.'
"t the end of the sentence his voice broke, and they could hear him crying. *ar bit her own lip and
looked down at her keyboard. .he folded her hands and rubbed the tips of her thumbs together,
unable to truly fathom what it must have been like to have been there.
"lastair keyed his mic again. $Tom. Is there anything you need done+ 0hat can we do to help out.'
Tom drew a shaky breath. $0ere okay.' %e said. $0e both live down in Greenwich. 0e cant go
home.' %e added. $Is *ar there+'
.tartled, *ar looked up. $Im here.' .he said, after a brief pause.
$God bless you.' Tom said. $God bless you for not listening to us.'
$Tom, were all heading back to the office.' .herren said. $0ell stay together and help each other out.
9kay+ 0ell see you soon.'
"lastair put his hand on *ars arm. $*o they have any kind of facilities there, at the office+ -ood+'
*ar nodded. $.howers, gym, kitchen, vending, yeah.' .he said. $They were so pissed at me for not
putting them in the Trade 3enter I decided to throw in the works for them there.'
$%indsight.' "lastair said, grimly.
$,eah.' *ar typed a response into the waiting message bo&. /n the flip side, at least were both away
from the trouble and safe instead of in the middle of it. /ne buildin! collapsin! on me in my lifetime was
more than enou!h.
(errys response was almost immediate. .ou are so ri!ht. Ill stop my whinin! and !et back to work
now " talk about !ettin! a new perspective.
*efinitely. *ar leaned back and looked around, finding the room full of both their team, and .ir
Melthons people, all !uietly listening. $*amn.' .he shook her head. $5ot a good day.'
5ot a good day at all.
$.cotch all round, I think.' .ir Melthon turned to practical matters. $Think its going to be a rather
long night.'
;;
(erry stood up and stretched, twisting her body right and left. $4entagon, *anny, this is Miami e&ec.
"re you still out there+'
" soft crackle. $This is 6oger, Miami e&ec. *anny is getting his arm taken care of finally.' The voice
that answered was hoarse. $4art of the wall, the outside, )ust fell down. -ires are still burning here,
but a lot of the paramedics are around and taking care of people.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %erndon. 0e believe the outage in .omerset is due to the 7nited =L crash near
there. 9ne of our techs reported its in a large field about BA miles southeast of 4ittsburgh.'
(erry rubbed her neck. $9kay.' .he said. $Thanks %erndon. %ow many people are we looking at for
the outage+'
$Ten ma)or customers, Miami e&ec.' The voice on the other end sounded apologetic. $"nd our
backhaul to %ouston.'
$"h.' (erry sighed. $9kay. %ow many transponder channels are we looking at+ I want to send as
many of the sat rigs to 5ew ,ork as we can, since theyve got so much infrastructure down.'
$0e can probably do it with three megs., Miami e&ec'
(erry considered. $%ang on.' .he glanced across the room, uncomfortably aware of her mother
watching her like some match at 0imbledon. .he keyed her mic again. $Tell you what, %erndon. If
the lines arent repaired by the time the trucks get to your area, Ill send two your way. 3an you
pressure the vendor+'
There was a moment of silence. $7h.. I dont think weve even called them.' %erndon answered
meekly. $#veryones still freaking here.'
7nderstandable. $5o problem, %erndon.' (erry said. $/ets revisit the !uestion in about ten hours.
Itll take that long for the trucks to get out of Te&as anyway.'
$0ill do, maam.' The tech replied. $That sounds like forever. It feels like today is already twenty four
hours gone.'
(erry looked at her watch. $"nd its not even noon.' .he murmured. $,oure right.' .o much had
happened in so short a time it was hard to process it. %ad it really been less than three hours+ .o
short a time for the world to have changed so profoundly.
It seemed incredible. But at least they hadnt had any catastrophic news in the last fifteen minutes.
(erry wondered if there were more planes out there, heading to places further away. 3ould they
have gotten them all+
0hat if there were other things planned+ 0hat if it was )ust the start+
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami %6.' Maris voice caught her attention. $Ive )ust gotten off the phone with
the community support team. 0ere working on sending assistance to 0ashington and 5ew ,ork,
but we need some input on what the re!uirements are.'
$Miami %6, this is 6oger at the 4entagon. 0e sure could use a chuck wagon and a hot spot here.'
$6oger, we already have the big bus headed your way.' Mari said. $Ill tell them to stop and pick up
food.'
$I remember that big bus.' (erry commented to "ngie. $Its what showed up outside the hospital the
last time. I was so glad to see it I almost cried.'
$I remember you told me about it.' "ngie said. $I think you mentioned leather couches and a beer
tap.'
$9h, thanks maam.' 6oger did, truly sound grateful. $0ell tell the guys with guns to let us know
when it gets here. Theyre really tight right now.'
$I can well imagine.' Mari said. $0hich reminds me, Miami e&ec+ *o we know when we can get relief
teams into Manhattan+ I heard the bridges and tunnels are all closed inbound.'
(errys brow creased, then she keyed her mic. $%ang on, let me see what I can do.' .he turned to her
mother. $Mother+ 3an you find that out for me+'
3aught utterly by surprise, 3ynthia .tuart stared at her for a long moment. $I beg your pardon,
(errison+ .he finally spluttered. $0hat are you asking me+'
The irony was almost too much. (erry felt uncannily like she wanted to sneeze. $0e want to send
community support trailers into 5ew ,ork to help our people, and anyone else.' .he e&plained. $I
need to know when theyll let people into the city. 3an you find that out for me+'
%er mother looked honestly perple&ed. $Me+' .he asked.
$,oure a .enator, mom.' "ngie supplied helpfully. $I think (erry figures the government would
probably tell you sooner than theyd tell her if she called.' .he ignored Mike, who had covered his
mouth with one hand. $6ight (er+'
(erry nodded. $I think our nearest ones are in Boston and "lbany.'
$.enator.' 9ne of 3ythias aides poked his head in the door. $I think they are ready to start the
conference call again, apparently the lines are working better now.'
3ynthia regarded him. $"lbert.' .he said. $I need you to find something out for me, urgently.'
The aide blinked in surprise and entered all the way in the room, glancing at (erry and her brother
and sister briefly. $,es, maam+ *o you want to discuss it in your office+'
$5o.' 3ynthia said. $4lease find out at once when the roads into Manhattan will be reopened to allow
assistance in the city.'
$.enator+'
$0as I not clear+' .enator .tuart asked. $I realize there is much confusion in this situation, but there
are resources ready and willing to help some of those poor people and we must assist. .o please go at
once.'
$"h, sure.' The aide said. $0e have resources+'
$,es.' The senator confirmed.
$9kay.' The aide turned and headed for the door. $Ill start working on that right away. *o you want
to come to your office for the conference call+'
3ynthia sniffed. $Based on the last one, I think my time is more valuably spent sitting here. I certainly
have learned far more.'
The aide looked puzzled, then he merely nodded and left.
There was a brief, awkward silence. $%ey (er.' "ngie got up. $0ant some ice tea+ My throats dry
listening to you yak this whole time.'
$.ure.' (erry said.
$Ill help.' Mike followed his sister out the door, leaving 3ynthia and (erry alone in the room.
(erry made a mental note to properly thank her siblings at a later time. .he sat down and rested her
elbows on the desk, half hoping for an interruption from the conference line. $Thanks.' .he said
belatedly. $I know theres a lot going on but we want to help where we can.'
%er mother folded her hands together. $I had no idea how involved you were with this sort of thing.'
.he said. $,our company seems !uite organized.'
$0e try to be.' (erry said. $I dont think you can ever prepare for something like what were living
through today but we do have plans for different types of problems.'
%er mother digested this. $,ou seem very competent.' .he looked up to see (errys e&pression. $Im
sorry. That must sound very patronizing.' 3ynthia said. $But to be truthful, I really had no idea until
today what it is you actually did, (errison.'
(erry grunted.
$"nd, actually, I still dont really grasp what it is you were discussing on that machine.' %er mother
went on. $#&cept that it seems to be very involved with different parts of the government, which
surprises me.'
$It shouldnt.' (erry said. $*ont you remember father saying he wanted our company out of all the
government contracts we hold+' .he said.
3ynthia studied her. $#&traordinary.' .he murmured. $I do remember him saying that. I )ust had no
understanding of what he meant until now.'
It almost made (erry smile. But not !uite. $*ont worry.' .he said. $,oure in good hands.' .he turned
hers over and e&posed the palms of them. $0e know what were doing.'
$It certainly sounds like you do.' %er mother said.
$*oes that surprise you+' (erry asked.
%er mother frowned. $9f course not.' .he said. $,ouve always been !uite clever, (errison.'
$.enator+ The calls starting.' "nother one of the aides popped his head in. $They think theyve gotten
ahold of someone at the 4entagon to give an update, and theyre asking for all of 3ongress to go to
0ashington to be in session tomorrow.'
3ynthia .tuart glanced at him. $4lease put the call in here, to this phone.' .he indicated the console
phone on the desk (erry was sitting at. $Ill take it here.'
$Maam+' The aide looked pointedly at (erry. $Its a secure line.'
$,es, thank you for clarifying that for me.' The senator said. $5ow please )ust do as I asked, and while
you are at it, tell the staff to bring coffee service in as well.' .he added. $I will need to evaluate if can
leave my family here before travel is arranged to 0ashington.'
$"ll right, .enator. If you say so.' The man still looked dubious, but he nodded and escaped out the
door, shaking his head a little.
3ynthia waited a moment, then she turned to (erry. $I would rather we have all of the information in
one place. I trust you understand how confidential it is.'
$Its okay.' (erry rested her chin on her hand. $Ive got a top secret clearance.'
%er mother paused in mid breath, tilting her head to one side as she regarded her daughter. $,ou
do+'
(erry nodded.
$Miami e&ec+ This is the "ir %ub.'
(erry turned to her screen. $Go ahead, "ir %ub, this is Miami e&ec.'
$0eve been alerted to possible power disruptions.' The "ir %ub tech sounded e&hausted. $0eve
only got a four hour generator at the moment since the big ones on service.'
$Ill take this one.' *ars voice broke in. $Im )ust in the mood to scream at someone.'
5ow, (erry couldnt help but smile. $Thanks boss.' .he keyed her mic. $My throats giving out.'
$Miami e&ec, this is /" #arth station. "ny word on 5ewark #arth station+ 0ere running out of
transponder space here.'
(erry checked her te&t messages. $Miami ops, anything from 5ewark+'
$5ada.' Mark answered. $Ill te&t them. .ee what I can find out They probably lost the backhaul. It
went through the @HA 0est station into the 5iagara L hub.'
$#verythings down on that hub.' *ar said. $0e lost a ton of facility.'
$Miami, this is .herren in 5ew ,ork.' .herren broke in. $0ere all back in the office at 6ockefeller.'
.he paused. $5o one else has showed up from the Tower yet.'
$9kay, thanks .herren.' (erry said. $"re you sure you all dont want to leave and go home+'
$5o.' The woman sounded tired, but definite. $0e want to stay together here and wait for the others.'
.he said. $"nnes making some soup for us in the kitchen.'
The aide returned, and went to the phone, picking up the receiver and punching some buttons on it.
$Theyre a little late .enator.'
$Mm.' 3ynthia said. $More than you possibly know.'
$Maam+'
;;
$"llright, thanks Bea.' "lastair closed his 4*", and sighed. $0ell, damn it all. Bea said its hard to
even get the travel agents to talk to anyone.' %e said. $#veryones packed to the gills busy with
people stuck all over the place trying to get from point a to b.'
$Mm+' *ar was chewing on a rib.
$6ight now, there are zero planes flying.' %er boss said. $.o everyones trying to get around that, and
3anadas not letting anything take off so a lot of people are looking to Me&ico.' %e rubbed the back of
his neck, looking more than a little stressed. $Me&ico 3ity and Guadala)ara are booked solid. 3abos
open, but thats a hell of a trip.'
*ar put her rib bone down and selected another from the plate in front of her. $-ly us into 3ancun
and Ill have my parents pick us up in the boat.' .he suggested. $They can drop you at Galveston and
take me home.'
"lastair pursed his lips. $"re you serious+' %e asked. $Thats an awful lot of trouble to go to.'
*ar shrugged. $Itll take days, but its going to take days to get home anyway.' .he said. $*ads boatll
go thirty five knots and hes got a small satellite onboard.' .he said. $0orth a try, anyway.'
%er boss pondered a moment. $0ell, let me let Bea look at that possibility.' %e opened his 4*" gain,
half turning away as he typed. $Beats driving up from 3abo I guess.'
The idea was on the crazy side. *ar had one ear cocked int the direction of the laptop, and she was
listening to the stream of chatter from the conference bridge while she worked her way through
some unbelievably e&cellent barbe!ue. #verything today had been on the crazy side though, and she
saw little advantage in not thinking as outside the bo& as she could.
The pictures on the large screen flat panel television were bleak. .hed watched the crashing of the
planes and the falling of the buildings dozens and dozens of times and she found she was starting to
get a little shell shocked from it.
The pictures of the men and women covered in gray dust were almost surreal, and she had to keep
reminding herself that this wasnt a made for television disaster movie every time they showed the
huge, billowing cloud chasing people down the street.
%ard to believe it was real, until she heard the counterpoint of (errys voice behind her
acknowledging this outage and that, and taking reports from people who were really there, really
e&periencing the horror and trying to stay professional and work their way through it.
%igh point for the company. Bottom of a crater point for humanity.
.ir Melthon entered. $0ell, things seem to have settled a bit.'
$4lanes are out of the sky.' *ar agreed. $0ho knows if thats the end of it though+'
The magnate sat down in the seat across the desk from her. $%ell of a thing.' %e said. $0eve still got
some missing people in 5ew ,ork. 3ould I pass you along the names, and see if your fellows there
have seen or heard of them+'
$.ure.' *ar said. $0ere missing some of our own.'
$.o I heard.' %e replied. $*inner turn out all right for you+ My second chefs from *allas, and he
insisted on making some of this stuff for you lot. Been cooking since last night.'
$Its very good.' *ar said. $I dont get to eat barbe!ue very often. Takes too long, and the local )oints
are all chains.' .he admitted. $Miamis not really a part of the south.'
.ir Melthon snorted. $The wifes been after me to visit there. 0orth it+'
*ar shrugged one shoulder. $My hometown, so I think so. If you want to en)oy it, come in winter. If
you want your wife to ask you to go somewhere else stop by in the summer.'
$/" #arth .tation, this is Miami e&ec.' (errys voice emerged from the speaker, sounding more than a
bit hoarse. $0e have 5ewark on te&t, they not only lost their backhaul, they have a total power
outage and their plumbing backed up.'
*ar turned all the way around and stared at the laptop in bemusement.
$7h. Miami e&ec, this is /" #arth. 0e copy that.' The #arth station replied. $.orry to hear it. 0ell
keep s!ueezing everything we can up to the birds.'
$Thanks.' (erry answered. $9kay, whats ne&t+'
$That one of your people+' .ir Melthon asked. $That gal+ .ounds like a sharp one. Been listening to
her go on for a while now.'
*ar put her rib bone down. $Thats our vice president of operations.' .he replied. $(erry .tuart.' .he
picked up her napkin and wiped her lips. $.hes very sharp.' .he caught sight of "lastair watching her
out of the corner of her eye. $"nd yes, shes mine.'
$"nother one of those smart mouthed women+' But .ir Melthon smiled when he said it.
$I wouldnt have any other kind.' *ar replied mildly. $#specially not in (errys position.' .he picked
up a french fry and bit into it, aware of the faint shaking of "lastairs shoulders nearby.
$0ell, to each their own.' The magnate pronounced.
$%ey, *ar+' "lastair turned around and faced her. $3an you think of a reason why the governments
looking for me+'
*ar stared at him in momentary bewilderment. $0hat+'
%er boss held up his 4*". $Bea )ust messaged me that she got a call from 0ashington asking where I
was, and could they talk to me.'
.ir Melthon held his silence, looking between his two guests with a look of absorbed interest.
*ar folded her hands together. $0ell.' .he considered. $0e do have a lot of accounts with them.' %er
brow creased. $But this is hardly the time for them to be asking about contracts and were already
doing everything possible and some things not possible to keep things rolling.'
$#&actly.' "lastair said. $"h, maybe it was a mistake. .omeone following up on something that doesnt
really matter today, probably.'
*ar nodded. $%appens sometimes. 4eople focus on small stuff when they cant handle the big.' .he
agreed. $0eve got a lot of work to do, though. Those si& sat trucks arent even going to be a drop in
the bucket with all the lines we lost.'
"lastair e&haled, forking up a piece of brisket. $.hould we even be worrying about that, *ar+ /ot of
people lost a lot of things, including their lives there today. 0hat the hell do our circuits matter,
really+ #veryones going to understand if things arent back to normal by tomorrow.' %e looked
uncharacteristically grim. $I feel like a bit of an ass listening to us go crazy there on the link when
people are lying under tons of debris on the south end of Manhattan.'
There was a small silence. *ar picked up a rib and bit into the side of it. $"lastair.' .he said, after she
finished chewing. $0hat are our options+ *o nothing and )ust watch 355 all day+ 0e cant help
those people.'
$0ell, yes but..'
$0e can, however, work our asses off keeping people communicating with each other.' *ar cut him
off. $Thats what our people are doing. Thats what (errys doing, making space for people stuck in
3anada trying to send mail home and make arrangements, or keeping the cell centers connected, or
peoples "TM cards working.' .hes aid. $0e do what we do. 0ere doing more to help the damn
country then ninety percent of the planet.'
$0oman speaks the truth.' .ir Melthon broke in. $Its been damned impressive to watch. 0asnt
looking for a practical demonstration of your abilities, Mc/ean, but Im no idiot not to take advantage
of the opportunity.'
"lastair sighed. $9f course, and thanks.' %e said. $Its )ust such a rotten e&cuse for it.'
*ar finished her rib and wiped her fingers, then picked up her glass of tea and took a swallow. .he
understood "lastairs frustration. "t least she had something she could do, instead of )ust listen. $Im
going to give (errys throat a break.' .he said. $/ast thing she needs is laryngitis.'
%er boss managed a smile at that. $Bet she wishes you were there.' %e said.
$0e both wish we were home.' *ar answered, sliding her chair back to face the screen and keying
her mic. $(er+'
There was a scuffing noise. $%ere.'
$Go take a break.' *ar said. $*rink some hot tea. ,oure starting to sound like a frog. Ive got this for a
little while.'
(erry cleared her throat. $"h. ,eah.' .he sounded grateful. $Thanks boss. "ny word on flights+'
*ar had to smile. $5ot so far.' .he said. $Theyre still working on it.'
%er partner sighed. $9kay. Ill be back in a few.' .he clicked off and *ar settled down to watch the
screen, consciously aware of how far she was from home. $9ne problem, "lastair.' .he glanced over
at him. $0ell be in the air a hell of a long time.'
$I know.' "lastair said, rubbing his eyes. $I know.'
Too much happening, too fast. *ar rested her chin on her hands 5ow that the immediate threat
seemed to be on hold for the moment and she had time to reflect, her mind was starting to churn
over with all the problems she now had to worry about.
Getting home. Getting (erry home. -inding out about their people. -inding out about Gerry.
-iguring out how this was going to change their world.
;;
(erry retreated to the solar with her big mug of tea and honey, curling up on the bench as she let the
silence and the rich, green smell sooth her nerves. %er ears still felt like they were ringing with all
the voices and the sounds from the television and it took her a few minutes before her mind wound
down and she could rela&.
.he hitched the knee of her )eans up and rested one socked foot on the opposite knee, comfortable in
her tOshirt in the relatively warm air.
.he sipped her tea, grateful for the warm sweetness as it slid down her throat, and more than grateful
to her partner for taking over the reins for a while so she could have a chance to chill out and collect
her scattered thoughts.
Thank goodness for *ar. 0hat would she do without her+ (erry thought about some of the things
that had gone on and how if )ust a few things had been different how they could have so easily been
affected more dangerously.
It felt good to )ust sit !uietly, out of the limelight, and away from the watching eyes of her family and
her mothers aides. .he thought shed done a very creditable )ob so far but she felt e&hausted from all
the emotional and intellectual turmoil of the past few hours.
The television had )ust been showing shots of people being recovered from the 4entagon. (erry had
sat there watching with a sense of odd disconnection, knowing some of the people on the screen
were surely known to her by name, but not by sight.
Then theyd shown a press conference from 5ew ,ork. %ow many were dead+ 5o one knew. 9r else,
no one wanted to say, all the mayor would admit to is more than they could bear. 4eople were shell
shocked, literally.
Terrorism. (erry remembered, vaguely, her father once talking about the countrys tendency to
serve its own best interests being good for business, but bad for politics and she wondered if that
notion was finally coming home and proving him right.
9dd. 6oger .tuart had never been a friend of the rest of the world. %ed been an "merica first
supporter for as long as (erry could remember but now, she had a sense that despite his views, hed
understood more of the truth of the world than hed preached to his constituents.
.he thought about how hed have reacted to what had happened. .he suspected hed have been at the
head of the line urging retaliation immediately. #ye for an eye. %ed been that kind of man, something
that had always made her very uncomfortable and had led to him doing his best to interfere in her
life.
It was internally very surprising then to her to find she had more of an understanding of that
viewpoint than shed imagined. .he could think about these people, who had destroyed so much and
hurt so many and knew in her heart what she felt for them wasnt anything close to compassion.
" little shocking.
$%ey (er.' "ngie entered the solar, and took a seat on the other swinging bench.
$Mm.' (erry lifted her mug in her sisters direction.
$I was )ust listening to *ar talk on the computer. .hes got a little .outhern accent, doesnt she+ I
never noticed it before.'
(erry was !uite happy to focus her thoughts on her partner for a minute. $%m.' .he considered the
!uestion. $" little, yeah.' .he agreed. $5ot all the time. It comes and goes.'
$I like it.' "ngie said.
$Me too.' (erry smiled. $0hen shes around her father a lot, it gets more pronounced because he has
one, and sometimes when we spend time down in the keys, too.' .he spent a moment thinking about
*ars voice, hearing the faint drawl echoing in her imagination. $0ish she was here.'
$I bet you do.' "ngie said. $Is mom being in there freaking you out+'
(erry swung back and forth a few times. $5ot really.' .he finally said. $I mean, theres a lot of other
people on there listening to me, you know+'
$5ot in the same room.'
$5o.' (erry admitted. $I think its freaking her out a little.'
$It was freaking me out.' "ngie said. $It was all happening so fast. But you )ust handled everything
like it was an everyday thing.' .he added. $It was such a weird contrast to that conference mom was
on. 5o one knew anything.'
$Mm.' %er sister grunted agreement, as she slowly sipped her tea. $9r didnt want to admit anything.'
.he said. $"fter all, we have whole chunks of the government we pay a lot of money for that are
supposed to keep this kind of thing from happening.'
$0ell, Im sure they tried. I mean, whod ever have thought someone would fly a plane into a
building+' "ngie asked. $I mean, you think about bombs and stuff, not things like that.'
Maybe that was true. (erry leaned back and let her head rest against the chain support of the swing.
The sun was pouring in the windows of the solar and it warmed her skin, providing her with some
!uiet peace as the silence lengthened between them.
$6ichards dropping .ally off here.' "ngie finally said, after about five minutes. $%e thinks he might
have to go to 0ashington for his firm.'
(erry started back to alertness from the light haze shed fallen into. $9h.' .he said. $0ell, itll be nice
to see her anyway.' .he said. $%ow long has he had her+'
$9nly a week. %e picked her up a few days before you got here.' "ngie said. $Im glad. 5ot that he has
to go to 0ashington but Id feel better with her here. Things are so weird.' .he gazed at her sister
with a smile. $"nd she cant wait to see her "unt (erry.'
(erry returned the smile. $"h well.' .he finished her tea. $Im going to go back in there and see what
*ars up to. .hes the one whos under pressure, really. "lastairs right there ne&t to her and theyre
in front of our new clients.'
.he got up, a little surprised at how tired she felt. .he waited for "ngie to precede her and then
followed her sister out of the solar and through the hallway, checking her watch as they emerged into
the big entranceway where several of the .enators aides were gathered talking.
The voices cut off as soon as they were recognized. (erry and "ngie e&changed wry looks. $.ome
things never change.' "ngie commented, as they walked past and pushed open the door to their
fathers former office.
$Isnt that the truth.' (erry glanced around, spotting her mother talking with another aide near the
far wall, while her laptop sat !uietly in the desk, a soft murmur of voices coming from it. .he went
over and sat down behind the desk, reaching down to pull her socks up a little as she glanced at the
screen to see if anything had radically changed.
$(errison+' 3ynthia left the aide standing near the other door and came over to the desk. $It seems
that its felt we all, that is, the 3ongress, should all go immediately to 0ashington to show our
support in this horrible time.'
(erry rested her elbows on the desk. $0ell, I guess that does make sense.' .he said. $But.. is it safe+'
.he asked. $0erent they evacuating 0ashington+'
%er mother perched on the edge of the desk. $0ell, that did come up.' .he said. $But the general
thought was, for that reason especially we should all go and show we arent afraid.' .he e&plained.
$"h, I think the term was, show the flag.'
(erry stared at her for a long moment. $Mother. .he said. $Thats idiotic.'
$(errison.'
$Im sorry, but it is. If you have people who are willing to fly airplanes into buildings, whats to say
theyre not also willing to drive trucks into the front of the 3apitol+' (erry said. $Theyre not even
sure who did it yet.'
%er mother sighed. $That actually did occur to me, as well as to several others.' .he said. $%owever,
as I say, the consensus is that we need to come together and show support and I am not entirely sure
thats wrong either. 0e must set an e&ample for the country, after all.'
(erry caught a motion out of the corner of her eye and she focused on the screen, surprised to see a
familiar figure sitting in the corner of her desktop, holding up a sign. $0ill work for hugs.' .he
murmured. $9h sweetie.'
$#&cuse me+' %er mother said.
$.orry.' (erry tore her eyes from the forlorn looking Gopher *ar. $Mother, I understand what they
mean. I )ust hope it turns out that everyone stays safe, and theyre not part of another catastrophe.'
%er mother looked more than a bit discomfited. $,es, well..' .he looked around, then looked back at
her daughter. $,ou know it was so curious to me that really, you had so much more information than
we did during this mornings horrible events.'
" little surprised at the sub)ect change, (erry resisted the urge to return to her desktop and
concentrated on paying attention to her mother instead. $Information is what we do.' .he said. $0e
have to know whats going on.'
$#&actly.' 3ynthia .tuart said. $Thats what I told some of my colleagues and they were also very
surprised at how much better organized it all seemed for your company.'
(erry frowned. $0ell, they do pay a good amount of money for our services, mother. Id like to think
we give the "merican ta&payers their dollars worth.'
$They were very interested to hear about that.' %er mother said. $They would like you to accompany
me to 0ashington.' .he added. $I was sure youd be more than glad to go.'
-or a moment, (erry sat very still, aware of a flush of cold anger that made her hands tingle and left
her slightly lightheaded. $5umber one.' .he said, after waiting long enough to make sure she wasnt
going to stand up and yell. $,ou had no right to tell them that, and number two, no I would not be.'
$(errison, I dont think thats called for.'
5ow, (erry did stand up, aware her body was tensing and her hands were curling into fists. $I dont
give damn what you think.' .he said. $"nd I certainly dont care what your friends in 3ongress think. I
dont owe them any e&planations.'
%er mother got up off the edge of the desk. $I told them youd come talk to them.' .he said.
$Too bad.'
$(errison8' %er mothers voice now lifted in anger.
$5o, mother.' (erry managed, )ust barely, to keep her own temper from getting completely out of
control. $Im not going with you, and Im not discussing our business with anyone.' .he folded her
arms across her chest.
3ynthia .tuart stared at her, but (errys grim e&pression and trucelent posture didnt alter and she
finally looked away. $0ell, if thats your decision.' .he said, after a pause. $But I think you should
consider carefully, and then we will talk again.' .he motioned the aide out, and followed him to the
door, going through it with as much dignity as she could muster.
5o slammed doors, no yelling.
"fter a brief silence, "ngie made a face, biting her lip as she approached the desk. $.orry, (er.'
$Blech.' (erry finally rela&ed, leaning her hands on the desk and letting her muscles unlock. $My own
god damned fault. I should have kept the earbuds in and not shown off.' .he looked down at the
screen when she heard an odd sound, to find Gopher *ar knocking on the inside, peering at her.
$0ait until *ar finds out. :ust what we didnt need.'
$Maybe shell drop it. I think she knows you were pissed.' "ngie suggested. $That look you were
giving her could have frozen hot coffee.'
$%mph.' (erry grunted, and sat down. $Got any "dvil+' .he sighed. $Im gonna need a case of it.'
;;
$0ell, hello to you too, %am.' "lastair had answered his cellphone in some surprise when it rang for
the first time in hours. $Im in /ondon. 9h, what+ .ure, of course you knew that.'
*ar was half sprawled across the desk, her legs wrapped around the chair base and her head
propped up on one hand. The other hand was wrapped around the mouse, but now it released the
creature and rattled over a few keys instead.
*er?
$*ar+ .hes right here.'
*ar looked up over her screen, one eyebrow lifting.
$5o, shes fine.' "lastair went on. $Beas been keeping my wife and the board filled in on whats going
on. %ave to say, this digital assistant thing *ar made me start using sure paid for itself today.'
*ars screen beeped softly. .he looked back at it.
Hey. 9eed to talk to you.
*ars brows knit. .he unhooked her cell phone from her belt. $If you can get a call in, Im going to try
a call out.'
$%m+' "lastair put his hand over the phone. $%am says he had to call over and over again for an hour
to get through.' %e said. $.eems theres a lot of hullabaloo around his area.'
Their corporate lawyer, who lived, *ar recalled, in Boston. $Tell him I say hello.' .he opened the
phone and started to dial, then looked back at the screen when the speaker crackled.
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami ops.' Marks voice emerged.
$Go ahead.' *ar listened to her phone with her other ear, hearing a fast busy signal. .he hit redial.
$Boss, we cant get a good handle on how many pipes we need to replace.' Mark said. $0e need to
eyeball.'
*ar released the button, and dialed again. %aving someone onsite in both 0ashington and 5ew ,ork
was probably a good idea, especially in Manhattan where most of their presence there was business
services. $,ou think we can wait for the planes to start flying again+'
$%ard to say.' Mark said, honestly. $Id rather )ump on my bike and start up there.'
*ar triggered the dial again, considering the re!uest. $Tell you what.' .he heard the line start to ring.
$6ent a van and take three or four people with you. *ont make me sweat you ending up wrapped
around a tree on that %arley.'
The phone was picked up. $%ello+'
$%ey.' *ar said, only barely remembering to click off her mic. $0hats up+'
$%ey.' (erry e&haled. $I love you.'
Mark cleared his throat. $9kay, I can do that. Ive got a bunch of guys here who )ust held up their
hands to volunteer to go with.'
$I love you too.' *ar replied, with a relieved smile. $*amn, its good to hear your voice.'
(erry chuckled a tiny bit. $%oney, youve been hearing my voice all morning, $
$5ot the same thing.'
$Thanks for sending Gopher *ar to keep me company.'
$That okay, boss+' Mark asked. $0e can leave tonight.'
$%ang on.' *ar said.
$5ah, Ill answer.' (erry replied. $Miami ops, this is Miami e&ec, thats fine. Make sure you pack a case
of :olt. $
$7h. 9kay.' Mark seemed caught offguard with this sudden change. $0ell get moving.'
$0hy dont you take as much spare gear as you can pack in the back while youre at it+ Im not sure
when well be able to ship anything in there.' (erry suggested.
$Good call.' *ar complimented her. $"lastair thinks youre the bomb, by the way.'
$0ill do.' Mark said.
$Miami e&ec, this is the "ir %ub.'
(erry sighed. $"ir hub, hold on a minute, would you please+ I need to take a call.'
$"ir hub, will do.'
$%ey.' (errys voice returned to the phone. $0here was I+'
$.aying you loved me.' *ar was aware of the tiny, startled reactions from "lastair every time she
mentioned the word. $0hats up+ ,ou said you needed to talk.'
(erry sighed again. $ My effing mother.' .he said. $*ar, she told someone else in.. I guess another
senator or something, about all the stuff we were talking about on the bridge and told them Id come
to 0ashington and talk to them.'
$*ar, %am says he needs the list of down customers as soon as we can get them, so he can head off
any legal action.' "lastair said.
*ar glanced over at "lastair, and nodded. $0ell.' .he said. $%ow bad is that, (er+ ,oure doing a first
class )ob, maybe shes )ust proud of her kid.'
*ead, absolute silence.
$(er+' *ar said, tentatively. $Granted the last thing we need to get distracted by is government
bullshit but.. I assume you said no, right+'
$I said no.'
*ar could hear the tone. $*idnt mean to piss you off, sweetheart.' .he said., waiting until she heard
the slight e&hale. $Id rather you go find a canoe and start paddling in this direction.'
$.orry.' (erry said, after a pause. $,ou )ust made my brain go somewhere I wasnt e&pecting.' .he
admitted. $*ar, she has no right to go and tell people in the government the stuff were doing. .he
was all freaked out about how we knew stuff she didnt, I think thats what she wants them to talk to
me about. %ow did we know what we knew.'
$%on.' *ar almost chuckled, but thought better of it. $0e get paid to know what we know.'
$,es, I know that.' %er partner said. $But I told her off. I was so pissed.'
*ar felt a bit out of her league. .he understood how (erry felt about her family, and for sure she
understood what it was like to be at odds with a mother. But she had always felt the evil in the family
had rested with (errys father.
Maybe shed been wrong. $0ell.' .he said. $,ou dont need me to be the bad guy for you, but if you
want to tell her "lastair and I said absolutely no way is anyone from our company going to go and
chat with 3ongress, feel free.'
$%uh+' "lastair craned his neck around and peered at her. $0hat was that+'
$"ny luck on you heading this way+' (erry asked, in a !uiet voice.
$Miami e&ec, this is /" #arth .tation.' " voice interrupted. $0e have the local -BI office demanding
bandwidth we dont have. 5eed some help here.'
Both (erry and *ar keyed their mics at the same time. $%old on a second.' They said together. Then
*ar released hers and cleared her throat. $Beas trying, hon.' .he said. $.oon as I know anything Ill
te&t you on it.'
$9kay.' (erry said. $Is it okay if I go e&pense a hotel room+'
$Buy the hotel if you want.' %er boss said. $4ut it on "lastairs credit card. I think I left the number on
a sticky yellow pad by Marias desk.'
$0hat+' "lastair covered his phone again. $*ar, what trouble are you getting me into+'
-inally, (erry chuckled. $9kay.' .he said. $It may not get that bad, but this is already so stressful I
dont really need my family adding to it.'
$5o problem. Totally understand.' *ar said. $%ang in there, okay+'
$9kay. Talk to you later. /et me go put a hose on this fire.' (erry said. $Bye *ardar.'
$Bye.' *ar closed her phone. $.orry, "lastair. (errys mothers caused a problem and shes thinking
of staying elsewhere.'
$"h hah.' %er boss nodded. $My wife doesnt get along with her folks either. 0ants to serve them the
dogs kibble every time they stop by.' %e went back to the phone. $%am+ ,eah, Im back. 0hats that+
0ell, sure, I understand the boards probably upset, %am, but you know everyones pitching in like
gangbusters to keep things moving along.'
$"ll right, /" #arth .tation. $ (erry came back on the bridge. $Give me a second to clear up the "ir
%ubs issue then well discuss the -BI re!uest.'
$0ill do, Miami e&ec.' The west coast facility said. $0e told them were carrying the #ast 3oast right
now so they backed off for a few minutes.'
$5ice of them.' (erry said. $"ir %ub, go ahead.'
$Miami, we have some spare capacity if you need.' The "ir %ub said. $0e arent carrying any air
traffic other than management layer. #verythings landed.'
There was a moment of silence. $0ell.' (erry finally said. $Im sure we can use it somewhere, no
matter how rotten the reason is. Thanks "ir %ub.'
$,oure welcome, Miami e&ec.'
$9kay. /", who contacted you+ Get me a name.'
$0ill do, Miami e&ec.'
*ar rested her hands on the desk, her phone clasped lightly between her fingers. .he looked across
the room at the big screen television, her thoughts almost completely focused on her partner.
$"lastair+'
$#h+'
$Bea having any luck with flights+'
%er boss peered at her. $%avent heard back yet.'
*ar )uggled her phone. $Im going to call my folks. .ee what they think about taking a run to 3ancun.'
.he said. $.ooner we get back in the .tates the better.'
$-unny.' "lastair said. $Thats e&actly what %amilton )ust said.' %e related. $%e heard from a buddy of
his things are damned bad in 5ew ,ork. 0orse than theyre letting on the television.'
$,eah. 0ell.' *ar opened her phone and started dialing again. $Tell %am the -BIs trying to grab
signal over on the west coast. .ee what he can do about that.'
$#h+'
;;
(erry scribbled down the number, one hand holding her head up as she studied the computer screen.
.he was aware of her sister and brother entering, and she heard the door shut !uietly, but she
focused on what was being carried over their stressed infrastructure and what she was going to say
to the person on the other end of the phone when it answered.
*ar had a way of turning her viewpoint at different angles. (erry tried to recapture her former
indignation, but that calm voice kept intruding into it, forcing her to reassess what she was feeling
and e&amine whether or not there wasnt a different way to look at it.
Ironic, since thats what shed hoped to do for *ar when theyd first started working together, wasnt
it+ 3hange her perspective+ .ometimes, (erry admitted, she had, but more often shed found herself
pulling up short when faced with her new partners internal logic and having to really think about
where the right and the wrong was sometimes.
*ar didnt do or not do things because they were Dright or Dwrong ? she did them because they made
sense, or they didnt. It was a far more profound difference in their mental working than (erry had
ever suspected when theyd met and it had taken both time and effort to get used to it.
Instinctive intellectualism. That odd, sometimes dis)ointed instinct that *ar used to make business
decisions, write her programs, solve her problems. It was what led her to hire (erry, or so she often
claimed.
(erry had enough ego to suspect that was only ninety percent true, the other ten percent being
something a little more primal. 3ertainly it had been on her side of the !uestion. $9kay.' .he opened
her cell. $/ets call the -BI.'
$%uh+' Mike said. $0hat did you do+ 9r what did we do+ ,ou calling the -BI on mom+ %oly crap8'
$5o, Im not.' (erry punched in the number, and waited. $Theyre )ust another customer of ours.'
$-or real+'
$%ello+' " mans voice answered.
$%ello, Im looking for 6obert #rvans. This is (erry .tuart, from I/..' (erry said. $9ur 0est coast
facility advised some help was re!uested.'
$%uh+ 9h.' The man said. $,eah, okay, .orry. This is "gent #rvans.' %e added. $,oure the computer
people+'
$,es.' (erry agreed. $0hat can I do for you+
$/isten, we need to send a lot of pictures over our 0ashington office. Its taking too long. 0e need
more space so it can happen faster.' The man said. $I know your guy there said you already had a lot
of other things happening, but this needs to take over. Its important.'
(errys nose wrinkled. $Mr. #rvans, I can review what traffics on the line there, and certainly we can
prioritize yours because I understand you must be working on critical items..'
$Thats right. #&actly right.' The man sounded approving. $Its really important that we get these files
to 0ashington.'
$But the fact is, youre on our satellite link and the slowness there is due to the latency, the time it
takes for the packets to get to the other side of the continent, rather than a lack of bandwidth.' (erry
e&plained. $I can see if we can find more space, but I dont think the speed will get much better.'
$9h.' #rvans said. $0ell, what can we do about that, then+ My boss said whatever it takes, )ust get it
done.'
(erry sighed. $My boss usually says the same thing.' .he said. $In terms of the latency, theres not
much we can do, since thats caused by the traffic having to go up to the satellite and back down.
9ther than shrinking the circumference of the planet were stuck with it.'
$.o you cant do anything+'
$5ot with the satellite.' (erry said. $But let me see what other options we might have and Ill get back
to you.'
The line abruptly cut off, and (erry gazed at her cell phone in bemusement for moment. $,oure
welcome.' .he closed the phone, and looked up at her siblings. $.o.' .he said. $"m I in trouble+'
Mike snorted, throwing himself down on the couch and slinging one leg over the side of it. $Bunch of
)erks.'
"ngie came over and sat down in the chair across the desk from her sister. $Moms upset.' .he said.
$But I think shes upset because youre upset more than shes upset about the whole going to
0ashington thing.' .he made a face at her sister. $"nyway, I think shes going to go with those aides
to 0ashington tonight so once shes gone it should rela& around here.'
$/ike theyre all going to do anything there e&cept yak.' Mike said. $0hat are they going to say, oh,
this is terrible. 0e have to get the people who did this and make sure it never happens again.' %e
lifted his hand and let it drop. $Bunch of self important little prickheads.'
"ngie looked at (erry, and they both half turned to look at their younger brother.
$0hen, e&actly, did you become a radical+' (erry asked, in a !uizzical tone. $0eve lived as part of the
government in this house as long as any of us has been alive.'
$,eah, well.' Mike said. $5ow I can say how I feel and not worry Ill get thrown in the cellar.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %erndon.'
(erry turned back to her computer. $Go ahead, %erndon.' There wasnt much she could really say to
Mike anyway and not sound completely hypocritical and she suspected he knew that. .hed kept her
own silence in the house for how long+ $Miami e&ec here.'
7ntil life had handed her something more important to her than herself. That was e&actly how long.
$Miami e&ec, we )ust had a visit from some people from the government. They want access to the
center, maam. They want to put taps in place and I dont think they want to hear no from me.'
$Taps+' (errys voice went sharp. $0hat kind of taps+ 9n their own stuff+'
$Maam, Im not sure.' The tech said. $They werent specific.'
(erry put her fingers on the keyboard and rattled a sentence into the open messenger application.
)id you hear that?
*ars voice broke in . $%erndon, this is *ar 6oberts.' .he said. $I have )ust locked all our
infrastructure out with my personal passcode. ,ou tell those people from the government they need
to contact "lastair Mc/ean if they want to discuss tapping into anything.'
$9h boy, she sounds pissed.' "ngie said. $3an she do that+'
$I think she )ust did it.' Mike said. $Good for her8 Government )erks8'
$I hear you, Ms. 6oberts.' The %erndon tech sounded relieved. $I dont know what it was they were
looking for maam, and to be honest I dont think they knew either, based on how they were asking.'
(erry glanced down at a soft beep.
I dont think theyre !oin! to take that from the local folks. &heyll be back and thats a major
commercial link not just a !overnment one.
$.he can do it.' (erry said, !uietly. $*ar isnt someone who does something )ust because someone in
authority tells her too. Believe me.'
$7nderstood, %erndon.' *ar said.
$I back that up completely.' "lastair broke in. $Ill call our contacts in the government, and see if I can
determine whats going on.
$,es, sir.'
$Is that your big boss+' "ngie asked. $The one whos with *ar+'
(erry nodded. +hat do you think theyre after? 'ould this be related to the terrorists, )ar? +e dont
want to be accused of obstructin! anythin!.
I dont know. *ar typed back. +e could be in a bad spot here.
(erry studied the string of te&t, starting with the first message. $.hit.'
$0hat+' Mike sat up.
(erry e&haled, and typed. I should !o there. $ll we have is an infrastructure mana!er. 9ot fair to put
them on the front lines.
%aybe fli!hts will be allowed out tomorrow sometime.
(erry had to smile, no matter how wryly. *ar knew perfectly well what her options were, and what
was best for the company but *ar also made no bones over whose priorities were more important to
her. %aybe I could !o apolo!ize and suck up to my mother and !o out toni!ht.
In no way am I askin! or e2pectin! you to do that. (et them wait. (et them call me. If they want it that
bad, Ill make em send a damn bomber to pick our asses up here.
$God, I love her.' (erry said. &his could seriously be a matter of national security, )ar. +e shouldnt
screw around with this.
$0hats she saying+' Mike asked. $*id you )ust tell your whole company you loved *ar+ That mic was
on. I heard the reverb.'
(erry blinked, and looked at the mic in her hand, and felt the blood rush to her head. $9h, crap.'
&hanks hon. (ove you too. *ar rattled back. $t least, I assume you were talkin! about me.
$Im pretty sure they already know.' "ngie watched her sisters face. $0hoops.'
/f course I was talkin! about you. (erry put the mic down to be safe. $:esus.' .he muttered. $Too
much crap happening at once.'
$nyway, I know its serious. *ar responded. It mi!ht be a matter of national security but you know
what? ,ottom line is, were the e2perts, and thats our facility. +e handle that data. If they need
somethin! from it, we and I mean $lastair too, we have no problem doin! whatever we have to in order
to help but Im not !ivin! the people who let this happen carte blanche access into my network.
$0ow.' (erry murmured, as she read. $Im not sure were going to get away with that.'
$0hat+' "ngie got up and went around the desk. $0hats going on+'
$*ars being *ar.' (erry said, picking up the mic again. $9kay, %erndon ? if you get another re!uest,
let us know as soon as it happens, and you can tell them our senior management is contacting the
government to find out what their re!uirements are so we can do our best to fufill them.'
$That sounds cheesy.' Mike said.
$"re you really going to go suck up to mom+' "ngie whispered. $0ow8'
(erry sighed. $0e learned political compromise early, didnt we+' .he tasted the smarminess on her
tongue like a coating of stale fry oil. $9h, lord I dont want to do that but the bottom line is someone
should be there and Im closer than *ar is. $
$Isnt there someone else they can send+ .urely you two cant be the only responsible people in that
whole ginormous company.' "ngie pointed out. $-or 4etes sake, (erry.'
$Theres lots of people. $ (erry typed back. 'an you see if Hamilton ,aird can !et someone over there
from his department? $The problem is, this is all operations and thats our division. Mine and *ars.
0e dont have anyone else in the company that does that at an e&ecutive level.'
$.he and *ar are the only ones with balls, she means.' Mike said, from his perch on the couch.
$Gorgeous women with bad attitudes scare the crap out of guys. #veryone knows that.'
"ngie turned around and stared at him. $%ow in the hell would you know+' .he asked. $,our
girlfriends are all empty headed bimbos.'
$Thats how I know.'
$lastairs on the line with him now. *ar responded. &his is !ettin! crazy.
'razier. (erry responded. /kay, Im !oin! to bite the bullet and !o find my mother. 'over for me?
.ou sure?
$Im sure Im going to be sick to my stomach.' (erry muttered. $0heres that bucket of "dvil+'
;;
(erry decided a glass of tea was in order, to get her handful of pain killers down before she went in
search of her mother. .he crossed the dining room and pushed open the door to the kitchen,
surprising the woman standing )ust inside. $%ey Mary.'
$Ms (erry.' The cook greeted her. $Terrible things are going on.'
$They are.' (erry agreed, going over to the cabinet and taking down a glass. $Its been a really tough
day.'
$0hat can I get you+' Mary asked. $I have to say its going to be nice having your sister back in the
house with the little ones. Its been too !uiet around here.'
$.ome tea, if you dont mind.' (erry offered up the glass without protest. Mary had worked for her
parents since at least as long as shed been alive, and this kitchen was her territory, no doubt about it.
$%ow have you been, Mary+'
$0ell thanks.' The cook returned with the glass full, and handed it to her. $"nd yourself+ %ows your
sweetheart *ar+'
My sweetheart. (erry had to smile at that. .he swallowed her pills and washed them down with a
mouthful of tea. $*ars fine, thanks, shes in #ngland right now. I think wed both be better if we were
home in Miami though.'
$:ust a good thing you were out of harms way.' Mary said. $"nd I was thanking the /ord that your
mother was here too, and not in the way of those crazy people.'
(erry sipped her tea, leaning back against the counter. $Im glad too.' .he said. $I tried to talk her out
of going to 0ashington tonight.'
$3razy people.' Mary repeated. $5o sense to it at all. I wish she was staying here and not going out to
be with the rest of those government people. It was fine for your papa, he was a strong man.'
$%e would have been very upset.' (erry said, !uietly. $This would have made him very angry.'
$9h yes, maam. Thats very true.' Mary nodded. $5ow, I know you didnt get on with him, Ms. (erry,
but he was a good man to have around when things were terrible like this.'
"nd that, (erry had to acknowledge, was true. $"s long as he was mad at something other than you,
yes.' .he said. $"nd he would have been furious at the people who did this. %ed have been trying to
find out how it happened.'
Mary nodded. $0ould you like more tea, Ms. (erry+ I have to say I do like that haircut you have. It
looks very nice on you.'
$.ure.' (erry handed back her glass. $"nd thanks. I like it too.' .he ran her fingers through her hair,
pausing to rub the back of her neck a little as she willed the "dvil to start working. $I ddint think Id
like it at first, but it ended up being nicer than I thought.'
Mary poured the glass full again. $0ell, dont get upset at me for saying this , Ms. (erry, but short like
that, you do remind me a )ust a bit of your papa.'
0ell. (erry took the glass back. $%ow could I be upset at you, Mary+' .he said. $%e was my father. 5o
matter how much we disagreed, thats not going to change.'
Mary smiled at her. $Glad to hear you say that.' .he said, then fell silent as the door to the hall
opened.
$Mary, I will need for you to..' 3ynthia .tuart entered, then stopped as she saw who was visiting with
her cook. $"h. (errison.'
"h. ,ikes. (erry e&haled silently. $Mother.' .he returned the greeting in a mild tone.
%er mothers e&pression brightened )ust a trifle at that. $Mary, could you please see what we can
arrange for a luncheon in perhaps an hour+ I know its late for it, but everythings so out of sorts
today.'
$9f course, maam.' Mary gave (erry a knowingly sympathetic look. $5ice talking to you, Ms. (erry.
/et me know if you need anything else.' .he ducked out the door into the pantry.
(erry !uickly considered her options. $0ant some tea+' .he finally asked. $I )ust had to take a
handful of aspirin.' .he eased over a few feet and sat down at one of the chairs at the worktable.
%er mother rela&ed a trifle. $,es. Its been that kind of day, hasnt it+' .he went to the refrigerator
and opened the door, removing a small bottle and taking it over to the table in the corner along with
a glass. $Ive had to take some myself.' .he took a seat. $This was the kind of thing your father would
say was a full bottle of whiskey day I believe.'
$,es.' (erry agreed. $I could use a beer.'
3ynthia glanced furtively at her. $That does sound so odd.' .he said. $I dont think either of us was
ever partial to beer.'
$4robably why I am.' %er daughter admitted. $"ll part of that complete rebellion thing.' .he looked
up and found her mother looking back at her in wary surprise. $I was rude before. Im sorry.' .he
said.
3ynthia looked momentarily overwhelmed, as though (erry had gone in a direction she hadnt
anticipated.
0hich she had, (erry realized. .traightforward apology was something shed learned from *ar, not
something shed picked up growing up where admitting fault was never easy. $Ive got a lot on my
shoulders. I wasnt e&pecting complications from the government.'
%er mother nodded at once. $It is I who should have apologized, (err..y.' .he bit off the last part of
her daughters name with visible difficulty. $It completely did not occur to me that I was speaking so
far out of turn.' .he went gamely on. $I didnt meant to cause you difficulty. I )ust saw an opportunity
to help and thought your involvement would be a good thing. I should, in fact, have asked you before
proceeding.'
(erry pondered her glass. $I probably would have reacted the same way, if you had asked.' .he
replied honestly. $Being here is very uncomfortable for me. I dont trust you.' .he looked up again, to
see her mothers eyes wide as saucers. $"nd given what happened, you probably shouldnt trust me
either.'
0ay too much truth in one sentence, she realized. %er mother had no idea how to react, and merely
sat there blinking at her. It was hard, and it was making her headache worse. $Im not trying to be a
)erk.' (erry said. $I )ust cant help how I feel.'
$0ell.' 3ynthia finally said. $I have no idea what to say to that.'
$I know.' %er daughter said. $Its probably going to be easier for both of us if you try not to think of
me as the little kid who used to run through this kitchen, and more like an adult you dont know that
well.'
%er mother set her glass down. $*o you have any idea whatsoever how impossible that is+ I am your
mother.'
$I know.' (erry said, again. $"nd no, I have no idea at all how impossible that is. I )ust dont want to
make this so hard on both of us.'
3ynthia sat back and regarded her. $%ow can you still be so angry+' .he asked, in a !uiet voice. $I
dont understand it.'
6easonable !uestion, (erry felt. -rom her mothers point of view at any rate. $I dont know.' .he
said. $I guess maybe along with the eyes and the high blood pressure, I inherited fathers long
grudges.' %er eyes lifted again and met 3ynthias, watching several emotions cross her mothers faceN
first shock, then a touch of anger, and what might have been a flicker of grudging understanding.
Might have been.
$0ell.' %er mother said. $4erhaps in time we can ad)ust.' .he concluded. $But at this time, I fear we
cannot, since I do have an eight 4M flight and I am sure you will be on your way home before I get
back.' .he poured the rest of her bottle of )uice into her glass and placed the bottle down with a
slightly more than necessary force.
(erry felt her headache start to ebb a little. $"ctually.' .he said. $I do have to go to 0ashington
tonight.' .he watched her mothers eyes start to blink again, this time in confusion.
$,ou2 changed your mind+' 3ynthia said, doubtfully. $Im not sure2'
$5o.' (erry decided honesty was the best route. $The government wants to take over some of our
facilities in the area. I have to find out why, and give them a face to yell at with some authority.' .he
said. $If you dont want me to ride with you, I understand. Ill drive.'
%er mothers lips started twitching. $0ell.' .he spluttered. $(.. surely you arent.. you cant drive by
yourself there. Its dangerous8'
(erry propped her head up on one hand, a faint smile appearing on her face. $0asnt I saying that to
you earlier+'
3ynthias mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again, then closed. Then she sat back and took a
sip of her )uice. $This is all very confusing.' .he said. $,ou said the government was trying to take
over your things+ 0hy would they do that+'
$I dont know, mother. 0hy would they+' (erry asked. $,ou are the government, remember+ .o
maybe if youre going to talk to your committee2 if you still want me to talk to them, we can ask
them that first+'
%er mother frowned. $"re you going to be rude to them, and embarrass me+' .he asked, directly.
$4ossibly.' %er daughter answered )ust as honestly. $But that could have happened anyway.' .he sat
back and regarded her mother. $*idnt you realize that when you told them about me in the first
place+'
3ynthia met her eyes, a thoughtful e&pression on her face. $I should have.' .he conceded. $I think
youre right, you know. I dont think youre the child I raised at all.'
It was almost a relief. (erry merely nodded.
$In fact, Im not really sure who you are at all.' %er mother said. $I dont know that I want to find out.'
$-air enough. (erry said. $0e all make choices we have to live with. I know. Ive had to make a few.'
.he said. $/osing my family was one of the conse!uences of that.'
3ynthia eyed her in somber silence for a minute. $0ell.' .he got up and put her glass in the sink. $0e
do all have to make choices.' .he went to the door. $I will see about adding you to the flight.'
.he left, and (erry tipped her head back and regarded the ceiling, unsure if the situation had )ust
gotten marginally better or a lot worse.
Time would have to tell.
;;
*ar curled her arm around her bundled sweater, putting her head down and allowing her body to
rela& in the semi darkened room. The rest of their team and most of the clients were in the media
room ne&t door, watching three or four different television screens and talking.
*ar had no desire to either )oin them or talk. .he closed her eyes, )ust letting the chatter in the
background of the computer go past her, trying to tune out enough to get a few minutes of rest before
it was time for (erry to go to the airport with her mother.
(errys only comment to *ars !uestion about how that worked out was D7gh.. It made her unhappy
because she sensed her partner was unhappy and there wasnt a lot she could do about it. 0hat was
that "lastair had said earlier+ .hed turned in a good family person+
7gh.
"lastair had gone to the rooms .ir Melthon had prepared for them. %e was waiting for a call back
from one of their contract administrators from the government, but *ar frankly didnt hold out much
hope in that regard because she figured everyone was either glued to 355 or in the middle of the
confusion and didnt have much time to call back some 3#9 of some company.
(errys voice filtered softly into her awareness, and *ar opened her eyes to peer at the nearby
screen. Then, after a moments consideration she opened a browser and clicked over to their
corporate travel website.
(erry hadnt said if she was staying at the family townhouse she knew they had in 0ashington. .he
might, *ar reasoned, but she also might rather escape to one of the high end business hotels they
used when they traveled.
.he reached over and typed in the location, then reviewed the results as the website searched and
disgorged its results. $%m.' *ar grunted. %otels were packed, not unreasonable considering air
travel was at a standstill. #veryone stuck at the airport had to stay somewhere.
There was, however, an obscenely e&pensive suite available and *ar clicked on it without hesitation.
.he pulled down the available profiles on the website and selected (errys, and watched as it filled in
her information and obediently reserved the space.
*ar selected and copied the details, then she pasted them into the open instant message bo& where
(errys last $7gh' was still blinking mournfully. .he clicked send, then settled her head back down
on her sweater.
(errys voice, in the middle of acknowledging Marks status update, stopped in mid word.
*ar smiled, watching as the message came back with a tiny graphic, a small beating red heart that
was a complete, if charming, waste of bandwidth.
$"s I was saying.' (errys voice now had an audible grin in it. $I will be out of contact for a few hours
in transit to %erndon this evening. *ar will be covering for me.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %erndon. 0ere looking forward to seeing you.' " voice answered. $*o you need a
pickup+'
9ne blue eye opened and its dark brow lifted as *ar listened for her partners answer.
$"h.' (erry was muffling a laugh, she could tell. $Im going to rent a car at the airport, thanks. Ill let
you know if that doesnt work out. Im sure its crazy around there.'
*ar reached over, and one handed, typed out a series of instructions into a console session, reviewing
them before she compiled the results and sent the new little routine to run. " moment later, she
heard a soft chuckle come through the mic.
$%ey Miami e&ec ? this is Miami ops.' Mark broke in. $0ouldnt that be god of the clock in #ngland+'
$,es.' (erry responded. $*ars supposed to be getting some rest now so she can take over but I )ust
found out shes actually dealing with some petty details behind the scenes.'
$4etty+' *ar murmured. $0ench.'
$%ow about I burn minutes and watch stuff from the van+' Mark suggested. $Its not like weve got a
lot else to do, you know+'
*ar frowned, considering the !uestion. .he trusted Mark implicitly. %ed been working for the
company nearly as long as she had, and his knowledge and loyalty were un!uestioned.
Trust+ 5ot trust+ *ar reached over and picked up her mic, bringing it over to her head.
$I think thats a great idea, Mark.' (erry answered before she could click in. $Thanks. I appreciate it,
and I know *ar will appreciate it since theres a lot going on over there too.'
Touche. *ar knew re)ecting the offer now would seriously embarrass her partner and make her look
like a cad since it was made in her best interest. (errys little payback for her hotel reservations.
.he clicked the mic on. $I do appreciate it, Mark.' .he said. $#specially since now I can send (erry
offshift to get ready to leave and rela& before she has to fly.'
(erry forgot to turn her mic off, and her laughter echoed through the speaker, a strangely light sound
after so much tension. $6ight (erry+' *ar in!uired.
$6ight boss.' (erry surrendered. $,ou win this round.'
*ar glanced down e&pectantly at the message bo&.
Hoisted, wasnt I? (errys typing popped up.
:i!ured you could use some time to decompress. *ar typed back. .ou dont know what youre !oin! to
!et into when you !et to Herndon.
&rue. %er partner responded. Im !oin! to !o !rab a shower and crash for a few hours. &hanks for the
hotel reservations " I hadnt even started to look into that and I sure dont want to spend the ni!ht in
)'.
I fi!ured. *ar said. ure youre okay with !oin!?
There was a moments pause in the response. .eah. (erry finally answered. I dont know. %aybe Ill
!et a chance to !et this family thin! worked out. I think you were ri!ht about the whole thin! with my
mother. I think she just wanted to have somethin! to show her committee.
*ar smiled. Hell must be freezin! over if Im tellin! you not to think the worst of someone.
$h heh. (erry responded. .eah. I know. Part of me wants to just move past it all and just drop the
whole thin!, and the other part of me just thinks about stuff they did and !ets pissed off all over a!ain. I
just really wish I were home.
#i!ht there with you. *ar sighed, glancing around the room, pausing when the door opened fully and
"lastair entered. Han! on, $lastair just came back.
$0ell, weve got good news and bad news.' "lastair came over and sat down. %e looked tired. $0hich
do you want first+'
$I cant believe theres any good news. .o bad first.' *ar said.
$9kay.' %er boss responded. $Bad news is, theres not one person in the government that can tell me
why someone from some agency is knocking on our doors in 1irginia. This group says they think that
group may be doing it and when you ask that group, they dont know anything about it.'
$7gh.' *ar wasnt surprised.
$%amiltons working on trying to track the re!uest down, but hes coming up against a lot of people
who are in high gear with no brakes, if you catch my drift.' "lastair said. $But on the bright side,
weve got flights to Me&ico 3ity tomorrow morning.'
*ar blinked in surprise. $They found seats+'
$The board instructed me to charter an airplane.' "lastiar looked a touch bemused. $"pparently you
and I are considered a little important. 0eve got a transfer in Me&ico 3ity to an e&ecutive )et service
out to 5uevo /aredo and were being picked up there for the ride across the border.'
$0ow.' *ar said.
$/ucky for us, theres !uite a number of airplanes that are hanging around here unable to fly to the
7.. -inding one to charter was easy, or so Bea tells me.' "lastair said. $"t any rate, sorry well have to
end up in %ouston, but at least we wont be on the other side fo the world.'
$Ill take it.' *ar said. $Maybe by then domestic flightsll be going again.' .he felt a sense of profound
relief, regardless of the destination. $That is good news, "lastair. Thanks.'
%er boss smiled. $I know you want to get back home. Me too.' %e slapped *ar on the shoulder and
stood up. $,ou going to get some rest+'
*ar nodded. $Marks covering for us.' .he said. $%es heading up in the e!uipment van and has a lot of
time on his hands. I sent (erry off to get some downtime before she goes to %erndon tonight.'
"lastair nodded. $"ll right. Im going to go get some rest myself.' %e said. $The devil only knows what
well have to deal with tomorrow, if today was any indication.'
$5ight.' *ar waited for him to leave. Then she turned back to the screen. *er?
There was no response. *ar frowned, then she picked up her cell phone and dialed, getting a fast
busy. .he sighed, and sat back, then rocked forward again when her message was answered.
Hey. +hats up? (erry typed. orry, ,rian just showed up here, same time as #ichard droppin! off ally.
*ar winced. 9ice. .he typed. (ike it needed to be crazier.
Bh huh. (erry agreed. )id $lastair find anythin! out?
9o, Hamiltons still tryin!. *ar rattled her keys. ,ut they chartered a plane for us to fly to %e2ico
tomorrow mornin!. .he hit enter, and waited.
.ahhooooo0000000000
*ar smiled. .eah, well, then we fly local to the border and someones pickin! us up to make the run into
Houston. $t least its halfway home. .he said. $nd maybe by then I can just fly up to )' and meet you.
There was a long silence. *ar almost decided to send a followup, when a response came back.
orry. .ellin! match outside the study here. :or once, not involvin! me.
$9ops.' *ar sighed.
:ly fast. (erry typed, after a pause I need you.
There was a rawness there that made *ars breath catch. .he reached out in refle& to touch the
screen with her fingertips, then let them drop.
Ill try to hold thin!s to!ether in Herndon. (erry went on. ,ut Ive !ot a !ut feelin! this is !oin! to be
somethin! more than a re4uest to track some IP addresses.
*ar nodded to herself. 5o with your instincts, *er. .ou know what Id !o for and what I wouldnt. If its
somethin! you know I wouldnt do, just tell them you cant do it and wait for me to land. I still have the
systems locked down there.
$.ystems control is passing to Miami ops.' Marks voice interrupted. $0e are heading north. 0e
picked up a Trailrider 61 hitched to my truck and weve got every spare piece of gear we had in
inventory with us.'
$Miami ops, this is *anny at the 4entagon. Thats great to hear. 0ell need some of it to get stuff
spooled back up, and some facilites. *o you have 0"5 rigs with you+'
$0e sure do. This things even got a sat hookup and were pulling a generator.'
+e have !ood people. (erry typed.
$Its still on fire here.' *anny said. $But we )ust got asked when all the stuffs going to be back up. 0e
cant get inside, but we think the crossconnect room was burned up.'
+e have the best people. *ar replied.
$9kay, well stop for some si&ty si& blocks. 3an you guys source some three !uarter ply if we need to
rebuild the dmarc+' Mark said.
$0e can do that.' *anny said.
$Then go ahead and get a dozen sheets.' Mark said. $0ell get there, and well get it done.'
$0ill do, Miami ops. 0ell be ready for you.'
*ar keyed her mic. $.ounds like a good plan, gentlemen.' .he said. $Miami e&ec signing off for the
evening. If something happens that re!uires senior approval, try my cell phone first.'
$Try mine second.' (erry added. $/ets all stay alert. 0e dont know what might happen ne&t.'
5o !et some rest. *ar typed.
.ou too. (erry responded. (ets hope tomorrows a much better day.
;;
6est wasnt in her cards, apparently. (erry almost decided to turn around and go take back over
operations when she eased out of the study and found her sister and her e& husband facing off with
an unhappy looking .ally in the middle of them.
6ichard hadnt changed much. Tonight he was wearing a shockingly casual leather )acket and
corduroys though, something hed have never worn in her parents house when her father had been
alive. (erry took a deep breath and forced herself to move forward towards them, hoping her
presence would break up whatever the issue was.
$If you think Im going to leave her here with him here youre crazy8' 6ichard was saying. $.hes upset
enough as it is, she doesnt need that to complicate her life8'
"ngies face was set and angry. $.top being such a )erk, will you+' .he said. $%es not going to
complicate anything. .hes known him all her life, for petes sake.'
$Thats not the point8'
$"unt (erry8' .ally spotted her and bolted, distracting her parents )ust long enough for them to turn
and see her target before she collided with her aunts sturdy legs.
$%ey, kiddo.' (erry gave her sister a brief smile. $%ow about I take her into the library and tell her a
story.'
"ngie looked utterly relieved. $Thanks, sis.' .he said. $That would be great.'
$0ould you like that+' (erry held a hand out to her niece. $0ant to come hear a story+'
$,es8' .ally was hanging onto her leg, looking up at her. .he reached up and grabbed (errys hand,
swinging on it.
$9kay.' (erry gave her e& brother in law a nod of acknowledgment. $6ichard.'
$(erry.' 6ichard answered, stiffly. $,ou look well.'
$,ou too.' .he escaped with her niece through the archway and headed for the library at the other
end. They ducked inside the dim, !uiet room and closed the door behind them. $"ll right, here we
go.'
$"unt (ewwy.' .ally reached up for a hug, and (erry gladly complied, picking her niece up and
wrapping her arms around her. $,ou been gone a long time.' .he put her arms around her aunts
neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
$,eah.' (erry walked over and sat down with her on the big leather couch. $I know. It has been a
long time, huh+' .he sat .ally down on her lap and studied her. $%ow old are you now, almost five,
right+'
.ally nodded, her dark blond hair in its childish curls bobbling with the motion. .he was an engaging
child, with a rounded, cute face and a snub nose that (erry had seen in the mirror once upon a time.
.he had hazel eyes and a dimpled smile, and she smiled now, at her aunt. $0here you been+
$0ell.' (erry said. $I dont live in Michigan anymore. I moved down to -lorida.. *o you know where
that is+'
$%ow come you went there+' .ally swung her legs a little. $Mommy said you live far far away.'
$Thats where I work.' (erry told her. $"nd its warm there, and pretty. I like it a lot. ,our mama came
to see me there, where I live now.'
$9h.'
$Its far from here, but I have lots of friends there, and even a dog.' (erry said. $Maybe you can come
visit and meet her.'
.allys eyes lit up. $,ou gotta doggy+' .he s!uealed. $9h wow8'
(erry smiled at this unrestrained enthusiasm. $I sure do. %er name is 3hino, and shes about as big as
you are.' .he bounced .ally up and down on her lap. $.hes really cute, too.'
$I wanna see her.' .ally said. $*addy wont let me get a doggy.'
5o, (erry bet he wouldnt. $9h, maybe when you get a little older.' .he said. $Theyre a lot to take
care of you know.' .he added. $I didnt get to have a doggy when I was little either.'
.ally pouted.
$"w, cmon.' %er aunt chuckled. $.o you want to hear a story+ I know a good one, about a bumblebee.'
$I want a doggy8' .ally said. $3an I come to where you live and stay there+'
(erry studied her for a minute. $,ou can come visit us, sure.' .he said. $I said so, right+ Then you can
play with 3hino, and go the beach and see the ocean.'
The little girl pouted again.
$0ant to see pictures of my doggy+' (erry suggested.
.ally nodded.
$9kay, cmon.' (erry set her on the floor and stood up, leading the way into her late fathers study,
where her laptop was still resting on the desk. .he sat down as .ally climbed up onto the chair ne&t
to her, and unlocked her screen saver. $/ets see what we have here.'
.he had a folder of pictures, collected specifically together )ust for the purpose she was using them
for right now. .afe pictures of home, and work, of 3hino and humorous ones of *ar. $9kay, see+
%eres 3hino.'
.ally s!uealed. $.hes so cuuuutte8'
$I told you.' (erry gazed fondly at her pet. $Thats her favorite bed. .he loves to swim in the ocean,
too.'
$I want a doggy.' .ally lamented. $"ll I got is a stuffed chicken and its stupid.'
(erry gave her a one armed hug. $"w. ,oull get one someday. I did, right+'
$I dont wanna wait till Im old8'
(erry started laughing. $Gee, thanks8' .he made a face at her niece. $Tell you what, Ill ask your mom
to get you one, okay+'
.allys eyes lit up. $-or real+'
4aybacks were certainly, certainly a bitch. $-or real.' (erry assured her. $Ill tell her to get you one
)ust like 3hino. .hell have plenty of room to run around and play here.'
.ally looked around the room. $Mommy says we have to come stay here now.'
$Mmhm.' %er aunt said. $,ou know, your mommy and I grew up here.' .he said, seeing a sad look in
the little girls eyes. $0e had lots of fun with your uncle Michael, playing hide and seek and running
around.'
.ally looked around. $,ou did+'
$0e did.' (erry said. $I used to close my eyes, right over by the wall there, and your mommy and
uncle Michael would find a place to hide and Id have to track them down.' .he said. $9ne day, I
thought they were hiding in the kitchen, and I thought I would surprise them in there.'
.ally giggled.
$.o I got a basket, and I filled it with dirt from the garden, and I crept along the hallway really !uiet.'
(erry lowered her voice. $"nd I crept, and crept, and when I was at the door, I threw the door open
and ran inside, and threw the basket up in the air.'
$9h8 They got dirty8'
$5ot e&actly.' (erry smiled. $,our grandma was in there talking to a stranger in there and they got
dirty.'
$9oooo..' .ally giggled, her sadness forgotten. $*id you get in trouble+'
$I ran really fast outside and they couldnt catch me.' %er aunt told her. $"nd then I climbed up a tree
and got stuck and everyone got so scared about that they forgot about the dirt.' .he chuckled as her
niece giggled harder.
$That was funny.' .ally said. $3an we play hide and seek+'
D.ure.' (erry said. $I'll get your mommy and uncle Michael to play too, and well see how much
trouble we can get into. *oesnt that sound like fun+'
$,es8'
(erry gave her another hug. $Itll be fun for you here. 0hen your brothers a little older, you can play
with him too, like I did with uncle Michael.'
.ally got !uiet. $*id your daddy live somewhere else too+'
$0ell, sort of.' (erry turned her head and regarded her niece. $*o you remember grandpa+'
.ally nodded. $%es not here no more.'
$5o.' %er aunt agreed softly. $*id you know grandpa was my daddy+' .he asked. $Mine, and your
mommys, and uncle Michaels+'
$9h. %e was+'
$Mm..' (erry nodded. $"nd grandpa had to spend a lot of time in a different place, because of his )ob.
" lot of times we had to go there too, so sometimes we lived there, and sometimes we lived here, and
a lot of times, he wasnt here because he had to do things.'
.ally put her thumb in her mouth. $Mommy told me grandpa went to %eaven.'
(erry )ust nodded. $Im sure he didnt want to go, but I know hes happy there, and waiting for us to
come too. Isnt that what your mommy told you+'
.ally nodded emphatically. $I miss grandpa.' .he was watching (errys e&pressive face intently, and
there was no way for her aunt to dissemble.
(erry e&haled. $I think he misses us too, sweetheart.' .he said. $But we all have things we have to do,
and he had something he had to do in %eaven, so he had go there and wait for us.'
The child threw her arms around (errys neck. $I miss you too, "unt (erry. I thought you went to
%eaven too, but mommy said you )ust went to Miami.'
(erry bit her lip to keep from laughing, despite the pang in her chest. $,oull have to come to Miami
to visit me there, honey. Then you can see if its anything like %eaven.'
.ally released her and sat up, looking back at the computer. $More pitchers+'
$.ure.' (erry was glad enough to leave that conversation alone. .he opened up the folder and the
pictures popped up, tiny little colorful chunks of her life spread out on the screen.
$0hos that+' .ally pointed at one of them.
"h. (erry found herself looking back into a familiar pair of very blue eyes. $Thats my friend *ar.' .he
said. $.he lives in -lorida too.'
.ally studied the picture. $.hes pretty.'
The picture was *ar sitting behind her desk in the condo, chin propped up on one fist, and a look of
bemused tolerance at what (erry knew was a )ust showered, tshirt covered camera wielder on the
other side of the office snapping the shot.
5othing really remarkable about it, save the smile, and the warmth in those eyes, which were looking
right through the viewfinder into (errys.
$I think she is.' (erry said, with a smile. $*ars my best friend. 0e have a lot of fun together.'
$*o you play hide and see+' %er niece asked.
$.ometimes.' (errys eyes twinkled. $0e do a lot of things together. $ .he pointed at another picture.
$.ee that+ Its a fish.'
$Big fish8' .ally said..
$Thats a shark.' (erry told her. $I took that picture, under the water.'
.ally turned all the way around and looked at her. $5o you didnt.' .he said. $,oure not a fish8' .he
looked up as the door creaked open. $Mommy8 "unt (erry isnt a fish, right+'
"ngie entered, looking very stressed. .he took a moment to rela&, then she shut the door behind her.
$0hats that, honey+ 0hat crazy story is "unt (erry telling you now+'
$I was showing her my diving pictures.' (erry turned the laptop so her sister could see them. $That
one.'
$That on.. holy 3hrist, (erry8 Thats a shark8' "ngie came over and sat on the edge of the desk. $Tell
me you didnt take that.'
$I took that.' %er sister said. $%onestly theyre not bad to swim with. ,ou )ust have to remember not
to stick any body parts near their mouths.'
$9h is that all.' "ngie peered at the pictures. $0ell, you still have all your fingers anyway. Thats a
nice shot of *ar.' .he said. $.o, what have you two been up to+'
$Mommy, aunt (erry says youll get me a dog.' .ally piped up. $/ike that one8' .he pointed at the
picture of 3hino. $3an I have one, huh+ 4lease+'
"ngie looked at the picture, then she looked at (erry, who smiled charmingly at her. $,oure lucky
youre my sister, and I love you.'
$3an I mom+'
;;
*ar spread her arms out across the bed and let her body rela&, wincing a little as the stiffness from
sitting as long as she had eased.
It felt very, very good to )ust lay down and do nothing. The day had seemed to her to last at least a
week, and to have it be !uiet, and still, with )ust the sound of a ticking wall clock around the corner
was a wonderful thing.
%er neck ached. .he debated if she should get up and go to her briefcase, which held a supply of pain
killers to address the problem along with her customary bottle of water.
*eciding that getting up and undressing while doing that instead of falling asleep was easy. *ar rolled
over and pushed herself up to her feet, standing and trudging over to the mahogany sidebar where
shed tossed her case.
.he unzipped it and took out the bottle of "dvil and the water, then she opened her suitcase and took
out a long shirt to sleep in. .he draped it over the nearby chair and turned, leaning against the wood
as she opened the bottle and shook out a few pills.
The room was a relatively pleasant space to spend the night. It had a small bathroom with an old
fashioned tub in it, a decent size bed long enough for her legs not to hang off it and a rich tapestry on
the wall that featured dogs and horses in unlikely poses that made *ar smile.
.he swallowed her pills and washed them down with a mouthful of water. Then she picked up the
shirt and walked into the bathroom, glancing in the mirror as she unbuttoned her shirt. .he pulled
the fabric off and crossed her arms, studying her mostly naked upper half with a thoughtful
e&pression.
" game she played with herself, lately.
Tattoo, or no tattoo+ That was the !uestion. 0ith a wry chuckle, *ar studied her tan skin, trying to
imagine what it might look like with the sort of colorful decoration her partner now had spread
across her upper chest.
It felt good to waste some brain cells on triviality after the long day. It was like a tiny slice of
normality in what had become a morass of uncertain stress.
0ould she do it+ *ar rubbed her thumb over the skin on her chest where (errys mark was. .he
found the tattoo se&y, and not even because it incorporated her name. But if she had to choose her
own, she knew it wouldnt be anything like what her partner had.
0hat would it be+
*ar studied her skin, then she shook her head and laughed. $I have no damn idea.' .he finished
changing and brushed her teeth, then she went to her briefcase and pulled a diving magazine from it,
settling down in the leather armchair near the window where the light from the lamp would allow
her to comfortably read.
.he was tired, but not sleepy yet. There was a small television set in the corner of the room, almost
hidden ? but she had no desire to turn it on and listen to yet another retelling and see again the
terror and the destruction shed lived with the entire day.
It was good, )ust to sit, sipping her water, and looking at pictures of colorful fish and clear blue water,
reading about live aboard adventures and what the price of a good rum drink was in 6oatan in the
spring. .he leaned back and turned the page, losing herself in the te&t as her mind remembered the
rich tang of salt air and the deep, rumbling sound of underwater breathing.
" soft knock at the door made her )ump. .he put her water bottle down on the desk, and looked up at
the door. $3mon in.'
The door pushed open, and "lastiars head poked around it. $%ey, *ar I..oh, my gosh. .orry. *idnt
realize you were2 ah2'
$0earing a tshirt+' *ar gave her boss a wry look. $6ela&. Its more than I wore to that damn
%alloween party that time.'
"lastiar cautiously entered. $:ust thought youd like a nightcap.' %e held up a bottle. $9ur host had
this delivered, its good stuff.'
$.ure.' *ar closed her magazine. $/ast time I shared whisky with you I was resigning. 0e should find
happier occasions.'
"lastair walked over and sat down in the chair opposite *ar. %e was still in his slacks, but had his
shirt untucked and the sleeves unbuttoned and partly rolled up his forearms. $I do remember that.'
%e said, pouring a measure of the golden li!uor into one of the two glasses hed brought and handing
it to *ar.
$0asnt fond of how that day started.'
$Me either.' *ar waited for him to pour his own glass, then she lifted hers. $%eres to better times.'
$"men.' "lastair reached over and touched his glass to hers, then he sat back and sipped it. $I )ust
talked to the missus.' %e said. $.eems a neighbor of ours was in the 5orth Tower, and cant be
reached.'
*ar shook her head.
$5ice feller.' "lastair said. $%is familys in tatters, of course. My wife said shed never been so glad to
have me out of the country as she was this morning.' %e studied the scotch in the glass. $3ould easily
have been otherwise. I was in 5ew ,ork last week.'
$3ould have.' *ar agreed !uietly. $0e all travel a lot. It was )ust a toss of the dice.' .he considered.
$But then again, sos driving to work every morning in Miami.' .he sipped the scotch, the unfamiliar
burn making her nose twitch.
$0ell, thats true, or so Ive heard.' "lastair said. $Its not so bad in %ouston, but still.' %e leaned back.
$,ou think though, so many of us work like dogs so we can retire and take it easy, and those boys in
5ew ,ork work harder than most, and then something like this happens.'
$.ometimes it takes something like this happen to make you take a step back.' *ar said, after a sip of
the whiskey. $0e get so damned focused sometimes.' .he held the glass up to the light, admiring the
honey color. $.ome times you have to stop and live. ,ou miss out otherwise.'
"lastair smiled. $/earned that relatively recently+' %e guessed
*ars eyes twinkled wryly. $,ou could say that.'
%er boss chuckled. $0hat are you reading there+' %e took the e&tended magazine and turned it
around. $"h2 your crazy hobby.' %e flipped through the pages. $Those islands do look nice, but the
missus wont hear of it. .he wants to go see 5iagra -alls our ne&t trip.'
$Ive seen them.' *ar said. $"lastair, take her someplace you can spend more than ten minutes at. The
falls are nice, but unless youre going to go over them in a barrel theyre not much fun.'
$%ave you+' "lastair asked. $Gone over them+'
*ars brows shot up. $%ow nuts do you think I am+'
$:ust asking.' %e chuckled again. $0e usually end up at tourist central locations like 1egas. I dont
mind e&ploration, but I like mine to come with a scotch and sour and a limo driver, Im afraid.'
$0ell.' *ar e&tended her legs and crossed her ankles. $0e call our cabin down south Microsoft 6ustic
for a reason. (er and I talk about going camping and hiking in the Grand 3anyon, but I had my fill of
that as a kid and Id rather call room service myself if the truth be known.'
$3amping in -lorida+' "lastair asked. $"nd you lived to grow up+'
*ar smiled. $0e were actually going to take a trip around #urope when we were done here. .ee the
"lps. .ee if Im as bad at skiing as I was the last time I tried, and maybe end up on down in Italy.' .he
e&haled. $(erry was really looking forward to it. .he never got the chance to travel much.'
"lastair set the magazine down and cradled his glass in both hands. $3hancell come again soon
enough.' %e said. $I know weve got a rough patch to get over now, but the worldll keep turning,
yknow+ 0ell get through it. Then you two can take a month and see the place up right here.'
*ar cocked one eyebrow. $Im going to hold you to that.' .he warned.
$*eal.' %er boss said. $.ay, what do you think about (ey 0est+' %e asked. $That was the missus
other idea. .he got some brochures from a little place down there on the water. Id like to try some
fishing myself.'
$Thats the place for it.' *ar turned her head as she heard her cell phone ring. $7h oh. .he got up and
reached across to the sideboard, grabbing the phone and opening it. $"h.' .he recognized the
number. $%ey hon.'
$%ey. (errys voice came through the phone. $0ere you sleeping+ .orry if you were.'
$5ah.' *ar sat back down. $"lastair and I were having a nightcap and talking about our vacation
plans. 0hats up+'
$I had to call you. *anny )ust called from the 4entagon, and he said one of the techs there came to find
him, because someone wanted to get a message to you.'
$,eah+' *ar didnt hear any upset in her partners tone, so she reasoned it was probably good news.
$0hat was it+'
$General #aston.' (erry said. $%e )ust said to say he said hello, and that he needs to talk to you when
you can get through to him tomorrow.'
*ar felt a sense of profound relief. $Thats great news.' .he said, glancing at "lastair. $Gerry #astons
okay. %e wants me to call him tomorrow.' .he turned back to the phone. $0hy arent you sleeping, by
the way+'
(erry cleared her throat. $7m2 well, I was playing with my niece and then we got into a game of hide
and seek.'
$,ou and your niece' *ar asked.
$Me and my brother and sister.' (erry muttered. $It ended up with a broken table leg. *ont ask.'
$7m.. okay.'
$/isten, when you talk to the General, can you find out of his dogs had puppies again+' (erry asked.
$My sister wants one.'
$.he does+' *ars brows knitted. $.he didnt seem like a dog person to me.'
$.he isnt. ,et.'
*ar decided ignorance was probably better for her at this point. $9kay.' .he said. $/isten, have a good
flight, and let me know when you land.' .he said. $Be safe.'
$Ill te&t you.' (erry promised. $Its a commuter plane. Im sure well be fine. I )ust wish there was
more room inside it.'
*ar chuckled briefly. $3atching my claustrophobia+'
$*ont want to be that close to my mother.' %er partner said, succinctly. $/ater hon.'
$/ater.' *ar closed the phone, and smiled. $0ell, thats good news at least.'
"lastair stood up. $.ure is.' %e said. $/et me let you get some rest.' %e picked up his glass. $"nd lets
hope that call tomorrow is )ust him wanting to catch up on you personally.'
*ar blinked at him in surprise.
%er boss smiled wryly, lifting his glass in her direction then making his way to the door. $5ice fella,
glad hes safe.' %e said, as he eased out. $But hes also a big customer.' %e reminded her, closing the
door behind him.
True enough. *ar tossed back the rest of her whisky, grimacing as it burned its way down her throat
and into her gut. Then she e&haled, puffing her dark hair up out of her eyes, and pulled her magazine
back over. $%ope its personal too.' .he opened the pages. $Im not going to have time to call in any
favors.'
;;
(erry zipped her bag closed and set it on the floor, glancing around out of habit to make sure she
hadnt forgotten anything. .hed left her share of travel alarm clocks, toothbrushes, and other
sundries in hotels across the country and learned her lesson the hard way.
$(er+' "ngie stuck her head in the room. $,ou ready+ I told mom Id take you over down to the
airport to meet her so we didnt have to swing back by the house.'
$,up.' (erry shouldered her overnight bag and picked up her laptop case. $/ets go.' .he said. $"m I
safe letting Mike return the truck to the rental )oint+'
%er sister chuckled.
$Thats what I thought.' (erry sighed. $9h well.' .he followed her sister out of the room. It was
already well dark outside, and the kids were tucked in bed in the half empty house, already echoing
with the impending move and a little sadder for it. $%ow much can one of those cost anyway+
"ngie led the way down the steps and over to the front door, picking up a handbag and slinging it
over her shoulder and picking up her keys. $Marco, is the car ready+' .he asked the man standing
near the door.
$,es, maam.' Marco replied. $I filled the tank. *o you want me to drive you though+ 6oads are pretty
dark.'
"ngie regarded her house manager with a smile. $Thanks, but Ill be okay.' .he said. $My brothers
coming with us. %e can keep me company on the way back.'
Marco looked dubious at this proffered safety, and (erry shifted her overnight back and reached up
to scratch her nose.
"ngie seemed to sense the unspoken doubt. $0ell be fine.' .he grabbed the strap of (errys bag and
tugged her out the door. $0ere in .augatuck, for petes sake.'
$Mm.' (erry followed without further comment though, walking down the steps towards where Mike
was waiting by her sisters big sedan as the cool air hit her face. .he blinked into it, feeling the
dryness against her eyeballs, and thought briefly of the sauna bath she lived in most of the year.
That had been hard to get used to. 5ow this was hard to get used to. (erry shook her head as "ngie
opened the doors and went around to the drivers side.
$%ere, gimme.' Mike took her bag and tossed it in the back seat, sliding in after it.
(erry got in the front passenger side and closed the door, glad enough to rela& into the leather seat
for the relatively short drive to the regional airport. $Think moms still pissed off+' .he asked. $My
shoulders killing me where I hit that table.'
"ngie started the car and gave her sibling a wry look. $,our shoulders killing you+ 6emember you
bounced into me after you broke the furniture. I feel like I was hit by a truck.'
$I was )ust glad it wasnt me for a change.' Mike commented from the back seat. $It was worth it to
see moms face when she came around that corner and saw you sitting there with all that broken
china around you holding that stupid leg.'
$I felt like I was si&.' (erry admitted. $But it was funny.'
$It was freaking hilarious.' %er brother said. $I mean, after that whole lousy day it felt great to )ust be
stupid and laugh and not worry about what building was falling down on the television or if a plane
was going to crash on my head.'
They were all momentarily !uiet. $,eah.'"ngie finally said. $It sure was a horrible day.' .he looked at
(erry from the corner of her eye. $I think you and mom are crazy to be flying tonight. I cant even
believe theyre letting you.'
$I know.' (erry said. $But this is different. Its a private plane.'
$" crappy tiny commuter.' Mike said. $Ive seen the inside of it. Id rather drive.'
$I should have gotten a van, like that guy of yours did, (erry, thrown the kids in there and we could
have all taken a road trip.' "ngie said. $#ven mom.'
(erry covered her eyes with silent elo!uence.
$"ng, youre a retard.' Mike said. $That didnt work when we were ten.'
$.hut up.' "ngie said. $0ere adults now. 0e could have made it work.'
Mike slid around and e&tended his legs behind (errys seat. $"h, maybe.' %e conceded. $I looked up
that thing (errys guy got, its not a van. Its an 61. Its pretty cool.' %e said. $Its got a kitchen and a
bathroom and everything.'
$Its a long trip from Miami.' (erry said. $Im glad they found something comfortable. /ast thing Id
want is for them to zonk out on the ride and have an accident. It takes.. I think ten or twelve hours
)ust to get out of the state.'
$%ave you driven that+' "ngie asked.
(erry shook her head. $:ust to 9rlando. 0ith *ar.' .he said. $But *ars driven up the east coast. .he
says unless you take the scenic route through the mountains its a snore.' %er eyes flicked to the
dark countryside they were passing through.
$,ou staying with mom+' %er sister asked. $%otels must be crazy there.'
$5o.' (erry shook her head. $*ar made me reservations on the edge of town. I can )ust pick up a car
or have the office pick me up in the morning, then maybe stay out there after that.' .he let her head
rest against the back of the seat. $I havent told her yet. I think she assumes Im going to the
townhouse.'
$.he does.' Mike supplied. $.he was telling some dude over there to get a room ready, like you care
what the view is.'
$.ometimes I do.' (erry ob)ected mildly. $But then again.. $ .he pondered. $7sually Im with *ar so
the view inside the rooms better anyway.' .he chuckled under her breath as her siblings both
groaned. $I hope her flight goes okay tomorrow.'
$.hes flying into Me&ico+' Mike asked. $I heard on the news thats nuts there, the airports are
crammed.' %e said. $%ope they dont give her a hard time coming back in the country.'
(erry e&tended her legs out and crossed her ankles. $I hope not.' .he said. $I can imagine theyll be
pretty freaked out, and *ar does get touchy sometimes about official stuff. .he gives the airport
people grief when they want her to start up her laptop.'
$Glad I dont travel much.' "ngie sighed, as she turned onto the access road for the small local airport.
$#specially now. Id be scared to death to get on an airplane.'
(erry thought about that. .he remembered thinking once that you had no idea, really, who you were
going to share a plane with, who was sitting ne&t to you, what their motives were.. or even, what
viruses they were going to gift the rest of the passengers with.
.cary. 5ow, it was a lot scarier. .he imagined being on those planes that had taken off, and finding out
that passenger sitting ne&t to you was a killer.
7gh.
%er flight, and *ars, would at least be private this time. But the ne&t+ (erry sighed, hoping that the
domestic flights wouldnt start flying so soon that *ar needed to hop on the first one available to
come out to meet her. Much as she wanted to see her partner, and she certainly did, shed rather her
be safe.
0as there a train from Te&as to 0ashington+ (erry drummed her fingers on the armrest. %mm. *ar
might like a train ride.
$0ow, look at those lights.' "ngie interrupted her musing. $"t the gate..'
(erry peered through the windshield to see the entrance to the field approaching, bracketed by a line
of emergency vehicles with their flashing lights on. $0hats that all about+' .he wondered.
$Maybe moms limo crashed into the guardhouse.' Mike suggested.
$Michael.' "ngie scolded him. $Thats not funny.'
$0hy+' %er brother retorted. $That things built like a brick. Id feel sorry for the guy in the
guardhouse not anyone in that tank.'
"ngie slowed the car as they approached, shadowy figures emerging from the vehicles and blocking
the entrance. $9h. 0ow.'
$Guns.' (erry observed. $I hope its the Michigan 5ational Guard.'
$Me too.' Mike agreed, in a far meeker voice. $I dont like guns.' %e slid back against the back of the
seat, moving over to (errys side of the car. $Bet *ar does.'
$Bet she doesnt.' (erry watched as "ngie rolled the window down. $Im the registered gun owner in
the family.'
$This airport is closed, maam.' The man was dressed in guard uniform, and sounded very stern, but
polite. $4lease turn around and go back the way you came.'
(erry heard a sound behind her. .he glanced through the window and saw three more soldiers,
standing with their rifles pointed not !uite at the car, but not !uite at the ground. $9h boy.' .he
fished for her identification in her briefcase.
$Thank you officer.' "ngie replied in her most polite voice in return. $I know the airport is closed. My
mother, .enator .tuart, asked us to )oin her here. I am dropping my sister off to accompany her to
0ashington.'
The soldier looked at her doubtfully.
"ngie removed her wallet from her purse, and e&tracted her drivers license. .he handed it over to
the man. $Glad I had my name changed back.' .he muttered. $This doesnt need to be any more
complicated.'
Mike prudently )ust kept his mouth shut, for a change.
(erry leaned slowly over and handed her own I* over, in a leather folder that held not only her
drivers license, but her passport, and her corporate I*. $%ere you go.'
The soldier took both I*s and stepped back. "nother man )oined him , and shone a flashlight on the
documents.
$Got moms cell phone number+' (erry asked, keeping her voice low.
$,ep.' %er sister answered. $%ope we dont need it.' .he glanced behind her. $Give me your license,
Mike.'
$I dont have it with me.' %e answered, in a small voice. $I left my wallet in my car.'
"ngie closed her eyes and e&haled. $"nd you called me a retard.'
$3an you open the trunk, please, maam+' The guard said.
"ngie and (erry e&changed looks. $9h boy.' "ngie triggered the trunk lock. $Im trying to remember
what I have in there. %ope it wasnt the diapers.'
(erry faced forward and folded her arms over her chest, very aware of the men watching through the
window. $I guess given what happened, "ng, they dont have any choice. Id rather be sure, even
though this is creepy as hell.'
$True.' "ngie looked out as the soldier came back, and she heard the trunk slam.
The soldier handed her back her I*, then he leaned forward and handed (erry hers with a little duck
of his head. $maam.'
$Thanks.' (erry took the leather portfolio, and put it back in her briefcase. Then she gave the soldier
a smile. $/ong night+'
$/ong day.' The man responded. $Gonna be a lot of them.' %e looked back at "ngie. $Go down the
road there, maam, theres a guard in front of that little terminal. Theyll ask for I* again. The
.enators not here yet, but I got a radio shes on the way and will be here in a few minutes. .aid she
was e&pecting you.'
$Thank you.' "ngie said. $1ery, very much.'
$,ou ladies be careful, okay+' The soldier said. $This is not a night to be out drivin.' %e lifted his
hand, and the other soldiers went over to pick up the barrier, moving it aside to let them through.
"ngie put the car into drive and eased through the gates, passing the cluster of soldiers and their
trucks and gaining the relative safety of the short road that led to the airport terminal building. $I
dont think he noticed Mike.'
$5ot if he called me a lady he didnt.' Mike finally scraped up the courage to lean forward and sling
his arms over the seat. $I think he liked (erry. %e was nice to her.'
$,es, he was.' "ngie glanced at her sister, with a grin. $But then, she was always the magnet in the
family.'
(erry eyed them. $%e probably recognized the logo of the company that handles his paycheck.' .he
remarked dryly. $But if its like this here, whats it going to be like where were going+'
"ngie parked the car. $I dont know, but no matter how much its needed, I dont like it.' .he indicated
the s!uad of armed soldiers waiting for them, complete with helmets and sidearms.
$Me either.' Mike agreed. $Too forties movie like.'
(erry zipped her )acket up and opened the door, letting in a rush of pine scented cold air. $0ell, lets
)ust hope for the best.' .he got out of the car and picked up her briefcase, seeing the lights bright on
the small plane in the field beyond. $3ause Im not sure weve got a lot of choice right now.'
$3razy.' "ngie said, as they walked towards the line of armed soldiers. $:ust crazy.'
;;
(erry slipped past the crowd of aides and found a seat near the front of the plane where it was
!uieter. The aircraft had eight seats, plush and comfortable, and she settled into the one nearest the
cockpit and stowed her briefcase.
%er mother and her three aides were clustered towards the rear of the plane, where the four seats
were turned facing each other and there were small tables to work on.
(erry leaned back and crossed her legs at the ankles, glancing at the two empty seats nearby and
wishing her siblings werent back in "ngies car waiting to watch them leave.
.afety in numbers+ (erry had to admit shed always felt more comfortable and a bit more anonymous
in the presence of her siblings at family events. #ven though she tended to stick out with her fair hair
and shorter stature, still, it had diluted the attention.
0ell. .he folded her hands in her lap and twiddled her thumbs. %ere she was.
$(errison+' %er mother was looking around the plane.
(erry looked past the set of seats opposite her. $9ver here.' .he lifted one hand and let it drop.
$Thought Id )ust stay out of the way.'
$9h.' %er mother studied her for a moment. $If you like, one of my aides can sit over there, and you
can sit her with the rest of us.'
(erry smiled. $Im sure you have work to do.' .he demurred. $Im fine over here. "fter all, Im )ust
hitching a ride.' .he caught a look of relief out of the corner of her eye from the aides. $Its not that
long a flight.'
$True enough. 4ossibly two hours.' 3ynthia said. $1ery well, we will continue our business.' .he
went back to her discussion, dismissing (erry to sit !uietly in her corner.
That suited (erry )ust fine. .he fished in her briefcase and removed a magazine from it, laying the
pages open on her lap and turning the reading light on.
3olorful fish faced her. .he turned to an article on underwater photography and rela&ed, leaning
against the chair arm as she read.
.he glanced at her watch, then she went back to the review of new models of underwater cameras.
.he had seen divers with rigs the size of small minivans taking pictures, and she knew the results
were often spectacular but she herself was more prone to moderation in her gear, preferring to trade
off professional !uality for ease of use and handling.
%owever, the enticing possibility of filming *ar swimming underwater in high resolution, now2..
$(errison+'
$%uh+' (erry looked up to find her mother looking back at her, two of the soldiers at her side. $"h,
yes+'
$This gentlemen wishes a word with you.' %er mother indicated one of the men. $I hope theres no
problem.'
(erry wondered what problem her mother thought would involve her and the Michigan 5ational
Guard. $.ure, what can I do for you+' .he asked, closing the magazine and setting it aside. $.it down. $
.he indicated the seat across from her.
The man came over and sat down gingerly, moving his automatic rifle out of the way. $.orry to
bother you, Ms. .tuart.' %e said. $But I got a favor to ask.'
(erry was aware of a silence behind the man, as everyone else listened in. $If I can help, sure.' .he
gave the soldier a smile. It was her friend from the gate, she realized, a tall man with sandy brown
hair and a s!uare, Midwestern face.
$My brother :oshua works for your company.' %e said, without preamble. $%e works out in
Manhattan+ %e runs cable for you all'
$9kay.' (erry nodded. $0e have a service office there, yes.'
$0e havent been able to talk to him since last night and my mothers about having a heart attack.' %e
said. $*o you know if hes okay+'
,ikes. (erry took out her 4*". $/et me see if I can find out for you.' .he said. $%is name is :oshua.. $
$*ouglass.' The man supplied. $%es my brother.'
(erry typed out a !uick message to Mark. $Ill give that a minute, and if not I can log onto our systems
and check.' .he said. $I know theres a lot of people that couldnt be contacted. The phones are
)ammed up, and a lot of lines are down.'
The soldier nodded. $Thats what they said on the television.' %e glanced behind him. $.orry to cut in
here, maam.' %e addressed the .enator. $7h, and you know ? the press is here too, wanting to take
pictures, I guess.'
$"re they+' 3ynthia asked, sharply. $9h my. I didnt think we notified them we were leaving tonight,
did we 3harles+'
$Ill go see them.' 9ne of the aides immediately rose. $.hall I bring them onboard+'
$0ell..'
$/et me see what their angle is.' The aide said, scooting for the door. $It could be a good op.'
$Guess I shoulda said that first.' The soldier said to 3ynthia. $.orry about that. Maam.'
$4lease.' 3ynthia held a hand up. $,our family is more important than the press, or I should hope8'
.he came over and took the seat on the other side of (erry. $/ets hope for good news.'
(errys 4*" beeped, and she opened it, crossing her toes as she scanned the note. $%m. .he picked
up her cell phone and dialed a number. $/ets see what this is about2 Mark+'
$%ey, (erry8'
Marks voice sounded rela&ed, which made the sudden knot in her gut rela&. $0hats up+ *o we have
anything on the name I sent you+'
$Thats why Im calling.' Mark said. $I thought it was so completely freaking weird that you sent me
that note when I was actually on the phone with that same guy.' %e said. $%ow did you do that+'
$,ou were+' (erry said. $9h, wow8'
$.till am.' Mark said. $.o whats the deal with him+ %es one of our line techs. .pent the whole damn
day getting out of Manhattan and ended up upstate near Buffalo.' %e said. $%e got the alerts on his
cell but couldnt answer and then he turned it off for a while.'
(erry looked up to see her mother and the soldier watching her an&iously. Behind them, the sound
of people approaching echoed. $3an you conference me in+ I have his brother here.'
$-or sure.' Mark said. $%ang on a sec.' %e clicked off, then clicked back on. $9kay, were here. .ay hi
to (erry, :oshua.'
$7hhh2. %i maam.'
(erry smiled. $%ang on.' .he held the phone out to the soldier. $%ere. 0ant to say hello+'
The man stared at her, then he reached out for the phone, his eyes wide. $"re you kidding me+' %e
put the phone to his ear. $%ello+' %e paused. $:osh, is that you+ ,eah8 ,eah its Mike8 I cant believe
youre on the phone8 :esus 3hrist, bro, mamas about sick to death with you8'
(erry leaned on her seat arm, a big grin on her face, very satisfied to have pulled this particular
undeserved rabbit out of her navel in typical coincidental fashion. "cross the aisle, her mother was
also smiling as she listened, and behind them she caught the flash of a camera capturing it all.
$5o, no man, Im guarding the airport here8' Mike was saying. $I saw that lady from your company
come in and so I came and asked her what was up2 what+ 0here are you+ Buffalo+' %e paused.
$0ell go have some damned chicken wings then8'
(erry chuckled. $Mm.' .he said. $I love chicken wings.' .he saw her mothers eyebrows hike.
$9kay, okay, listen8' Mike said. $3all mama8 .hes crying, man8 9kay+ ,eah, you used to make fun of
me for being in the Guard, and look who was nearer the hard stuff, huh+' %e glanced around. $/isten,
I gotta go. Im holding these people up here. ,ou call mama+ 9kay. Bye8' %e hung up the phone and
turned to face (erry.
$-eel better+ $.he took the proffered phone.
$Man, that was cool.' %e said. $That was great. I cant believe you )ust called up and found him. 0e
have been trying and trying all day long we were so scared cause he was supposed to be downtown
today.' %e wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. $0ow.'
(erry reached over and patted his arm. $Im really glad we found him.' .he said. $It was )ust really
great timing that you asked right after he called us.'
%e grinned at her. $.ometimes you gotta have some luck.' %e said. $"fter a crappy day like this, man,
that was )ust cool.' %e looked over at the .enator. $Thanks for letting me on the plane, maam.'
$9h8 9f course8' .enator .tuart said. $Im so glad, so very glad it was good news, and my daughter
could help. Its fabulous. .imply fabulous.' .he told him. $0orth every moment of the delay, without
!uestion.'
The soldier stood up and carefully lifted his rifle so it didnt smack (erry in the head. $I can go out
there with a light heart now.' %e said. $,ou want everyone to be safe, but when its family, man, thats
)ust different, you know+'
$I do know.' (erry also stood up. $0e had a lot of people in harms way, and we care about all the
people who work for us. Its not e&actly like family, but its close.' .he said. $I hope you have a !uiet
night after this.'
$Me too.' The soldier said. $Thanks again, maam. I really, really appreciated what you did.' %e said.
$/et me get out of your way now.' %e edged into the aisle and headed for the door, ducking past the
television camera and the man holding the still, with a third person ahead of them with a
microphone. $Man, that was the best.'
(erry tucked her cell phone back on its clip. $That was pretty awesome.' .he commented. $0e have
so many people unaccounted for in 5ew ,ork, Im glad his brother wasnt one of them.'
%er mother stood up and twitched her )acked sleeve straight. $0ell, I shall go talk to the press.' .he
said. $They might want to speak with you.' .he warned. $I believe they are looking for any bit of
news in our area about this.'
$0ell.' (erry eyed the reporter. $They could also want to talk ot me about a lot of other things. But
thats fine. $ .he put her hands on her denim clad hips. $Im up for it if they want to.' .he took a deep
breath, feeling the finely knit wool of her sweater tighten around her body.
$That is another lovely sweater.' 3ynthia remarked. $:ust lovely. 0hat are those designs, are they
animals+'
$Beavers.' (errys lips twitched as she muffled a grin. $*ar gave it to me.'
$"h.' %er mother said. $Is she a supporter of wildlife+'
$,es.' %er daughter answered. $.he loves wildlife. "nd beavers.'
%er mother merely nodded, then she turned and walked down the narrow isle to where the reporter
was waiting. The television light went on immediately and the aides closed in on either side, blocking
(errys view.
0hich was fine. .he sat back down in her seat and picked up her magazine, glancing at her watch
again. $.hould have kidnapped "ngie and drove.' .he shook her head and started reading.
;;
*ar woke up in complete darkness, disoriented and not entirely sure of where she was. The smells
and sounds were wrong for home, and she remembered light pouring in her window from the street
in her /ondon hotel.
%ere, )ust darkness, and lots of !uiet.
"fter a second of confusion, she remembered, and her tensed body rela&ed back onto the goose down
topper on the beds mattress.
.ir Melthons estate, set back from the road and surrounded by hedges and land, and thick gates. -ar
enough from the city sounds to be silent, much like it was in her own condo back in Miami.
But no ocean sounds. If she concentrated, she could hear crickets though.
$.heesh.' *ar rolled over and lifted up her watch, pressing the side button and checking the digital
display. $5gh.' .he set it back down. $-our "M.' .he counted back, then reached over and picked up
4*" to check for messages.
.ure enough. *ar clicked contentedly and opened it.
%ade it. lept most of the way. %other wont hear of my !ettin! a cab this late so shes sendin! me in
the car to the hotel once we drop her off at the townhouse. (esser of two evils. I will end up bein! on
the local late news in %ichi!an thou!h there was a press bunch that cornered us at the airport.
Interview wasnt bad " they were too busy with all the disaster news to ask me stupid 4uestions about
my se2 life. %om likes my sweater by the way. he thinks you have !ood taste if a rather odd fi2ation on
small mammals. (ove you. *.
*ar started laughing, the motion waking her up enough to make going back to sleep immediately out
of the !uestion. The tone of (errys note was a little resigned, but amused, so she figured things
werent going along too badly.
.he sat up and pulled her legs up crossed under her, leaning her elbows on her knees as she removed
her stylus and started an answer.
Hey *er "
Ive commissioned a knitted pullover for you with the 5opher from my pro!ram in poses !uaranteed to
!et you thrown out of +almart. &ell her that.
5lad you made it okay. Hope everythin! is calm in the city, mother or no mother Id have rathered you
!o directly to the border and not stayed near anythin! white and colonnaded just in case. I know that
sounds callous and obno2ious but I am sometimes.
*ar could almost hear (errys ob)ection to that, but it was true, and she knew it.
end me a note when you !et to the hotel. I have no doubt the %andarin /riental will have a room ready
for you, but Id sleep better if I knew you were in it.
)).
*ar clicked send and laid back down, letting the 4*" rest on her chest. "side from the early waking,
shed slept pretty well, the !uiet and comfort of the room allowing her to get more rest than shed
really e&pected to.
.he wasnt really tired. .he didnt want to spend hours lying in bed staring at the ceiling either. "fter
a moment more of it, she sat up and swung her feet off the bed, reaching over to turn the lamp on. "
soft, golden light filled the room and she took a moment to stand and shake her body out before she
walked over to retrieve her laptop.
It was !uiet enough that the zipper of the case sounded loud, and she glanced around a trifle guiltily,
though she knew full well the sound wouldnt penetrate the walls.
"t least she hoped it wouldnt. .he removed the machine and its cable from the case and took it
back with her to the bed, laying it down and then returning to the sideboard where there was a tray
resting with cups and several bottles.
6eviewing her options, she poured a cup of still warm milk out of a very efficient thermal carafe and
brought it back to the bed with her. .he set it on the bedside table and sat down, opening the lid of
the machine and pressing the power button.
%er 4*" was blinking.
*ar smiled and opened it, bending her head slightly to read the message.
I would wear 5opher )ar on my chest any time, honey. ,ut tellin! my mother that here in front of her
little aides is not !oin! to make this road trip any shorter if you catch my drift.
$4robably not.' *ar had to agree. $"nd youd have to e&plain it anyway.'
$nd Id have to e2plain it anyway. .ou know I would.
*ar started laughing.
+hy are you up? Its four $% there. ,ut if you are, after we drop mom off, can I call you? I want to try
and !et throu!h, and it would be nice to talk for a few minutes before all the crazy stuff starts up all
over a!ain. Im sure tomorrows !oin! to be worse than today " I think everyone@ the business people I
mean, are in shock. &omorrow itll be " well, okay, but when will I be back up?
*ar nodded in agreement. $,up.'
Its so 4uiet here in the city. I know its sort of late, but theres hardly a car on the street. Its almost
spooky its so 4uiet, and I realized just earlier how funny it was to not hear airplanes. .ou never think of
that, but we have them all the time at home over head and Ive been here a couple hours and not one
e2cept for fi!hters. o stran!e.
&here are lots of soldiers around. It almost feels like were at war. $re we?
*ar gazed thoughtfully at the message. $Good !uestion.' .he said aloud. $%ave we ever not been at
war+'
$nyway, were pretty close to the townhouse now. o hopefully Ill be callin! soon. Hope youre up just
because youre up and not because youre doin! stuff.
*ar glanced guiltily at the laptop. Then she half shrugged and decided to look forward to talking to
(erry instead of worrying about it. .he took a sip of her warm milk and logged in, waiting for the
machine to present her desktop before she started the cellular card up and connected.
It wasnt nearly as !uick a connection as she was used to, of course. The cellular service provided
speed more or less like a fast modem though, and it was enough for *ar to start up her 145 session
and connect to the office. $Might as well clear some mail.' .he decided. $0ith any luck, everyone will
have been a lot busier with everything else than sending me a lot of it.'
.he took another sip of milk, licking her lips a little at the strange but not unpleasant taste. *ifferent
grass, maybe, or )ust a different way of processing the milk.. she wasnt sure. .he suspected shed get
used to it after a while.
The computer chimed softly, and she started up her mail program. $9f course, Im not gonna get the
chance.' .he sighed. $Bastards.'
It wasnt logical for her to be upset, and she knew it, because given what so many others were going
through her lack of a touring vacation was so petty shed have been embarrassed to mention it to
anyone other than herself.
But she was mad. .he was pissed off her life had been disrupted. .he was even more pissed off that
she wasnt going to get to en)oy some simple wandering with (erry shed looked very much forward
to. $Bastards.' .he repeated. $Theyre damn lucky its not my finger on the nuclear button cause if it
was Id have pressed it.'
.elf centered, shocking, and unworthy of even thinking it. *ar watched her inbo& fill. " thought she
wouldnt consider repeating to (erry. But the venal stupidity of the act chewed at her, since the
reasoning behind most of the worlds ills right now was based in the unthinking animal tribal instinct
that humanity had no real hope of getting rid of any time soon.
There was no logic there. The instinct to hate what you werent was written so deeply, *ar felt, in the
genes that on some level it wasnt something you could address with words or thoughts. It was a
burning in the gut. " fire in the brain that resisted any attempt at change.
It was easy for people, and shed heard many of them in the last few hours, point at particular group
and act like those people were so alien and so isolated in their hatred. #asy, especially on a day like
yesterday had been. But the truth was, the ravaging need to destroy what wasnt you was universal.
*ar sighed. $.o I go and say something like, yeah, I want to blow them off the face of the earth, and
thereby prove out my species.' .he shook her head. $"sshole.'
.he scanned the mail, seeing not a lot that wasnt either group sent mails or brief acknowledgements.
%er brows raised in surprise. $I know I said I ddint e&pect much mail but I did e&pect some.'
But really, there wasnt any. *ar reasoned that maybe the fact that theyd all be in a huge conference
call all day accounted for that. .he could imagine sitting down to write some mundane note and )ust
stopping, and clicking the close button instead.
.he minimized the mail program and called up her status screen instead, waiting for it to draw and
the counters to settle in and show what the latest was across the company. There was no audio, she
wasnt about to trigger the voice link over the slow connection.
Instead, she studied the lists of employees, checking first the one from the 4entagon area, and then
the one from 5ew ,ork.
#ach persons name had a red, a green, or a yellow tag ne&t to it. Green meant theyd been heard
from, and were okay. ,ellow meant theyd been heard from, but were having problems. 6ed..
*ar e&haled slowly, her eyes running over all those little red dots. " dozen in 0ashington, and three
times that in 5ew ,ork. .he studied the names, her stomach dropping when she saw Bobs name still
stubbornly crimson.
They hadnt e&actly gotten along. .he hadnt e&actly en)oyed his company. But he was an old friend of
"lastairs and now, his proud enthusiasm about his city caused a pang in her chest as she
remembered very clearly not wanting to hear a second of it.
.hed argued with him )ust the other day, over parking spaces at the office there. %e wanted to spend
money for covered parking.
5ative -loridian *ar had thought that was crazy. Bob had gotten frustrated, and almost hung up, but
then had gotten lucky in the form of (errys arriving and e&plaining to her tropical lover. trying to get
your door open in an ice storm.
.aved by the Midwest. Bob had almost seemed embarrassed, but theyd ended up splitting the cost
and now, she was glad.
.he was glad theyd ended the meeting not screaming at each other.
%er 4*" flashed. *ar was glad enough to push aside the laptop and pull the smaller device over,
opening it up to find another message from (erry there.
treets full of soldiers, )ar. &hey blocked off most of the streets. I dont think were !oin! to be able to
!et close to the townhouse Im not sure whats !oin! on.
*ar sat up straight in alarm, feeling a surge of adrenaline hit her.
omethin! about a car bomb. 'rap.
*ar reached over and grabbed her cellphone, hitting the speed dial button. Instead of a fast busy, the
call went through and she heard it ring twice before it was answered. $%ey.'
$%ey.' (erry cleared her throat.
*ar could hear (errys mother in the background, and a male voice, lower and official sounding.
$/isten, you want me to call up the hotel and make reservations for the whole lot of you+ (erry, you
are not going anywhere near a damn car bomb.'
There was a moment of silence. $,es, I would like you to do that. " lot.'
*ar yanked the laptop over and rattled in the travel website. .he stopped on hearing noises in the
background on the phone. $0ere those gunshots+'
$I dont know.'
The website responded, and she typed in the information. $%ell, your suites got three rooms you
could probably cram everyone in there if you had to.'
(erry cleared her throat again, this time with a completely different inflection.
*ar scanned the response. $They have two rooms available.' .he said. $Im grabbing them. Must be
last minute cancels because they werent there earlier.'
$9kay, let me get things organized on this end.' (erry sounded resigned. $0ish me luck. Thanks
sweetie. Ill call you back in a minute.'
$,oud better.' *ar clicked the reserve button. $"nd get away from those damn sounds8'
;;
$Maam, I do understand but I cant let you go any further. Its dangerous. They have the road
blocked off, and they called the bomb s!uad.' The soldier said. $5o telling when theyll get here.
Theyve been all over the city tonight. 4eople are real nervous.'
.enator .tuart folded her hands in e&asperation, turning to look at her aides. $This is ridiculous.' .he
said. $I understand security, but what are we supposed to do, sleep here in the car+'
$.enator, please.' The most senior of the aides, a middle age man with a bearded face said. $/et me
arrange an alternative. Im sure theres a hotel in the area we can go to. I have your overnight bag in
the trunk.'
$Thats a good idea maam.' The soldier added, respectfully. $Though you might need to call around, I
hear its pretty busy.'
3ynthia sat back, distress apparent on her face. $0ell, my goodness.'
$Mother.' (erry leaned forward and touched her knee. $My hotel had two rooms left. I had them
held.'
%er mother glanced around at the four aides. $I certainly do appreciate it..however2'
$My suites got three rooms.' (erry accurately intercepted her concern. $,oure more than welcome
to share it with me.' -rom the corner of her eye she saw the aides rela&, their shoulders dropping and
veiled looks of gratitude being nudged in her direction.
%er mother though, still hesitated.
$I mean.. $ (erry could feel the irony right down to her toes. $0e are related.'
That seemed to snap the .enator out of her reverie. $9f course we are.' 3ynthia said, briskly. $9f
course, and thats a perfect solution. Thank you so very much, (er..ry.' .he motioned to the window
separating them from the driver. $4lease tell him to drive on to..' .he glanced at her daughter.
$Mandarin 9riental' (erry supplied. $Its on the edge of town.'
%er mothers eyes blinked. $,es, it is.' .he agreed, in a mild tone. $/ovely hotel. I attended a ban!uet
there )ust last month.'
$Mandarin 9riental.' 9ne of the aides told the driver. $/ets get out of here.'
The car turned, and headed away from the blockaded area, and every settled back in their seats as
they moved through the almost deserted city.
$0ell.' 3ynthia said, after a moment. $That was une&pected.' .he folded her hands in her lap. $Im
glad you had the forethought to call the hotel, (erry. That was very proactive of you.'
$Ive been called that before.' (erry decided her boss wouldnt mind her taking credit for her !uick
thinking )ust this once. $Im glad they had the space. Its been a really long day.' .he said. $Im looking
forward to )ust getting some rest.'
The aides nodded. $,oure right there, Ms. .tuart.' The senior aide said. $It certainly has been a
rough time today.'
(erry realized it was the first time the aide had addressed her directly. $This is one of those things
where, I think, youll remember where you were when it happened.' .he remarked. $I know I will.'
The other aides nodded.
3ynthia pursed her lips for a moment. $I do honestly think Im very glad I was at home when I did
hear.' .he said. $"nd that all my children were there also. ,ou do worry about your family at times
such as this, and we had so much going on.'
.urprisingly, (erry found herself in agreement. $Im glad too.' .he said. $Im glad you werent in
0ashington, and Im glad I didnt have to chase around looking for Mike and "ngie to make sure they
were okay and that Mike wasnt off in 5ew ,ork on some promotion or other.'
$"bsolutely.' %er mother murmured. $*o you still have people unaccounted for+'
(erry nodded. $But we hope its )ust because so much communication structure is not working.' .he
said, !uietly. $Maybe well hear from them tomorrow.'
" pensive silence fell. (erry let her head rest against the window. %er eyes burned, and she checked
her watch, seeing the hands pointing nearly to midnight.
It had been a very long day. The time shed spent doing crunches in the early morning light now
seemed to be from a different time.
" different lifetime.
.he glanced out the window, seeing a blast of flashing lights. " line of police cars blazed past, heading
in the opposite direction in an eerie, sirenless silence. .he studied the buildings going past, most
with darkened windows, some with entryways blocked by large, solid looking vehicles.
7nder siege+
(erry supposed thats what it must feel like. 5o one really knew if there would be more attacks, and
if there were, what form they might take. 3ar bombs+ Maybe. %uman bombs+ %appened in the
Middle #ast every day.
$3razy.' 9ne of the aides was also watching out the window. $0hat the hells wrong with these
people+'
$0ell.' .enator .tuart spoke up. $I would guess that they2 whomever they are, probably are saying
much the same about us, wherever they might be.' .he said. $Theres )ust too much intolerance in the
world. Thats really the problem.'
$.enator, these people are crazy. 4eople who fly airplanes into buildings arent intolerant, theyre
nuts.' 9ne of the younger aides said. $Thats not human.'
$They were celebrating over there. *id you see that on 355+' The young woman aide said. $There
were people over there cheering when they saw bodies dropping from the tower to their deaths.'
.enator .tuart laced her fingers together. $5ow, why would they do that+' .he asked. $0hat kind of
hatred can they have that makes them celebrate such a horrible thing+'
$I dont think I want to know why.' The woman aide said. $Theres no way to understand that. 0e
should )ust send our own planes over there and get them back.'
$Make them stop cheering.' The young male aide agreed. $Theyre )ust animals.'
3ynthia frowned. $Im sure we will do something as a response.' .he sighed. $"nd yet, what will that
bring in the long run+ More disasters.' .he shook her head. $I fear though, you are correct. 0e have
no common reference.'
(erry tilted her head to one side and poked her finger in her ear, wiggling it vigorously.
$.omething wrong+' %er mother asked.
$.orry.' (erry gave her head a shake. $Thought I felt my brains leaking out there for a minute.' .he
laced her fingers together in her lap. $/ack of tolerance and understanding is not uni!ue to the
people who drove those planes.' .he said. $I think its something thats part of human nature, to not
like and fear things we dont really have a handle on.'
%er mothers eyes narrowed slightly, but (erry managed to retain a mild e&pression. $But still,
theres no e&cuse for what those people did. There would be no e&cuse for us if we did it. 1iolence
isnt the answer.'
The senator nodded immediately. $#&actly what I meant.'
$#specially not in this circumstance.' (erry went on. $/ets say we do send planes over and drop
bombs. Then what+ 0e dont know where the people who planned this are, so we drop a bomb and
kill a couple thousand innocent people. %ow does that help+ %ow does that make us any better than
they are+'
$0ell..' The woman aide said.
$.o they )ust send more people to do more horrible things, and we send more bombs2 whats the
point+ That doesnt get you anywhere.' (erry sighed. $My mothers right. 0e have no common frame
of reference with this group of people who have been a civilization for twenty centuries at least more
than our country has even e&isted. They might as well be #T.'
3ynthia looked a bit overwhelmed by the agreement. $,es.' .he said, after a pause. $My point e&actly.'
.ilence fell, as they drove on past another block of police cars.
$That was a really good movie.' The young male aide ventured. $#T, I mean.'
It almost made (erry giggle. .he leaned against the arm of the limo door and rested her head against
the glass again and hoped the hotel wasnt that far off. The conversation was veering towards the
positively dangerous.
;;
The hotel lobby was definitely !uiet. (erry had her bag over her shoulder, and she headed for the
reception desk where two receptionists were standing, backs turned to her, watching 355 on the
television.
9ne of the aides hurried to catch up to her. $/isten, Ms. .tuart..'
$%m+' (erry turned her head and regarded him. %e was a medium sort of person. Medium height,
medium coloring, medium shade of brown hair. The only thing that stood out was a set of beautiful,
long, well maintained eyelashes that looked very much like they were fake.
.he hoped they werent. $,es+'
$Thanks for getting the rooms.' The man said. $I wasnt looking forward to sleeping in the car.'
(errys brows creased a little. $*ont you have an apartment here+' .he asked. $,ou dont sleep in the
towbnhouse garage, do you+'
The man chuckled. $5o, theres a staffers apartment building but its right across the street from the
.enators place. 0e live there.'
$"h.' (erry removed her wallet as she approached the desk. $Good evening, folks.'
The two receptionists spun around. $9h.' The one on the left hurried forward. $.orry about that. 0e
were )ust2'
$0e know.' (erry held a hand up. $Its okay. I have a reservation.. actually, probably three of them..
under the name of either .tuart or 6oberts.'
The aide looked at her, his brows knitting over his outstanding eyelashes.
$My married name.' (erry was unable to resist, adding a smile after it as the man )erked a little. $I
never know how *ars going to book it.'
$,es, we do have them, Ms. .tuart.' The receptionist interrupted. $I have two delu&e rooms with two
beds, and the 4residential .uite.' %e glanced behind her. $Is there luggage we can take care of for
you+'
$5o.' (erry handed over her corporate card. $I have )ust my overnight, and the rest of our party
wasnt e&pecting to need a hotel. *o you have a sundry kit available for them+'
$9f course.' The man said, instantly, handing her back her card. $This is prepaid, maam.'
(erry rolled her eyes. $9f course it is.' .he chuckled under her breath. $9kay, we need two keys for
each room, please.' .he tapped the card on the desk. $"nd could I get a pot of hot tea sent up to the
suite+ My heads pounding.'
$"bsolutely.' The receptionist scribbled something on a pad. $"ny particular type+ 0e have a
selection.'
$Green :asmine+' (erry asked, hopefully. $0ith honey+'
$5ot a problem.'
$*o we want to mention.. $ The aide glanced behind them, into the depths of the spacious lobby
where the .enator and the other aides waited'
$4robably not.' (erry said. $5o sense advertising, even if my mothers not really a hot potato on the
international scene like my father was.' .he caught the receptionists furtive glance, and smiled.
$Good point.' The aide agreed. $4residential .uite huh+ Ive seen pictures of that. Its swank.'
(erry collected the keys being handed to her. $"fter a while, they )ust all look like hotel rooms.' .he
handed the aide the other keys. $5o matter how nice, its )ust not home.'
They walked back across the lobby floor to where the rest of the group were waiting. The other three
aides stopped talking as they walked up and glanced at each other.
The female aide cleared her throat. $Basil, you want to share+ 0e went to college together.'
$.ure.' The other younger aide said. $5o problem.'
The aide with (erry passed out the keys. $That means Ill share with you, 6obert.' %e said. $Ms. .tuart
asked them to bring us up necessities.'
$That was very thoughtful of you, (erry.' .enator .tuart said. $I am very glad I thought to bring my
little overnight bag, myself.'
(erry hefted her own bag. $9kay, have a good night, folks. Time to get some rest.' .he herded them
towards the big elevators, already imagining she could feel the softness of a bed under her back and
the taste of hot tea on her tongue.
$6obert, please make sure my schedule is set for the morning.' .enator .tuart said, as they entered
the elevator and it started to rise. $I think we convene at ten "M tomorrow.'
$,es, maam, thats correct.' 6obert said. $Im sure the roads will be clear by tomorrow at breakfast.'
$I hope so.'
The elevator doors opened on the H
th
floor, and the four aides got out. $%ave a good night, .enator.'
6obert gave her and (erry a little wave. $Ms. .tuart.'
$,ou too.' (erry waved back, as the doors closed and they headed up to the top floor.
$0ell.' %er mother said, as the e&ited, and headed to the door of the suite. $This was certainly an
une&pected end to a very une&pected day.'
(erry opened the door and entered, holding it for her mother. .he detected the competing scents of
fresh wa&, steaming tea, and chocolate, and even she blinked at the grand entranceway, and
e&pansive stretch of the room they were staying in. $0ow.'
$My goodness.' %er mother stopped and peered around. $Is that a grand piano+'
$Is that a telescope+ (erry muttered in response. $0ell, mother, I think weve got enough space here.'
$To play tennis, it seems.' 3ynthia remarked, with surprising humor.
$I had them send up some tea.' (erry felt a little nervous, and more than a little unsettled, now that
they were there, and alone and she realized it. $%ave some if you like. My throats a little sore.' .he
moved past the ornate living room and found her way into one of the bedrooms.
$Theres a large basket here. Is that from the hotel too+' %er mother called in. $%ow nice of them.'
$Is it fruit or chocolate+' (erry responded.
$I believe its2 yes, some type of candy.'
$5ot the hotel. *ar.' (erry looked around the room. $%m.' .he set her bag on the credenza and
opened it. $-eel free to have some of that too.' .he untucked her shirt from her )eans and unbuttoned
it, kicking off her sneakers at the same time.
The windows had an e&pansive view, and she turned to look out them as she removed her shirt. It
was a little hard to believe she was here.
9kay. It was impossible to believe she was here. (erry went back over to her bag, removing her bra
and trading it for a long, soft tJshirt that she pulled over her head. .he unbuttoned her )eans and
slipped them off, folding them in thirds and laying them down with her shirt on the dresser.
Then she s!uared her shoulders and faced the door, heading back out to where she could still smell
the tea and hear her waiting parent. $Be good, (erry.' .he muttered under her breath. $Be good.'
;;
The basket was a typical *ar basket. (erry studied it, loosening the ribbons as she pondered
whether her partner had some cosmic internet shopping service with her favorite things predefined
and simply pressed the correct button at the correct time or whether she took the time to select each
item.
(nowing *ar, if shed had the time, it was the latter. .he was single minded about certain things, and
(erry knew she was one of them.
The basket held several types of chocolates, a pair of soft, fluffy socks, an aromatherapy eye shade
that smelled of peaches, and a beanie baby that was the image of her pet 3hino.
The crinkly plastic came off. .he set it aside, glad her mother had decided to retreat into the second
bedroom. $%mm.' .he selected a wrapped /indt chocolate ball and took it with her over to where
the teapot was sitting along with the socks.
There were comfortable wing chairs to either side of the small table, and she sat down in one, putting
the socks on her feet, then e&tending them across the marble floor and crossing her ankles. *ropping
two sugar cubes in a cup, she poured out some of the steaming beverage, releasing a strong scent of
)asmine in the air.
.he unwrapped the chocolate and bit into it, en)oying the rich, creamy center. .he washed it down
with a sip of the hot, mildly astringent tasting tea, the clean freshness contrasting with the indulgence
of the chocolate in a nice way.
$That smells lovely.' %er mother emerged, wearing the a plush robe and slippers. $*o you still favor
tea+ I remember you did always like it better than coffee.' .he walked over to the table and prepared
a cup for herself.
$I do.' (erry said. $Ill drink a cup of coffee in the morning, but tea after that unless Im doing an all
nighter or that sort of thing.' .he took another bite of her chocolate. $This is pretty good.'
%er mother sat down in the other chair on the other side of the table with her cup. .he took a sip.
$Its !uite good. I prefer tea myself. I find it more delicate.' .he said. $I think its calming.'
(erry thought so too. $Might be the illusion of Pen.' .he said. $But it works for me.'
They were silent for a minute. (erry got up and went over to the basket, picking up a couple more of
the /indt balls and bringing them back with her. .he sat back down and stifled a yawn, unwrapping
a chocolate.
$That was very kind of *ar.' 3ynthia ventured. $1ery thoughtful. *oes she do that often+ I seem to
remember "ngela saying shed gotten you a cake at the restaurant the other night or something like
that.'
(erry rolled a /indt ball over in her direction. $9n special occasions, sure.' .he said. $0hen were
apart, we try to do little things for each other.' .he sipped her tea. $5ot always baskets, but like
reserving each other the nicest hotel room, or renting each other a fun car.'
%er mother paused, and looked around the hotel room completely. Then she picked up the /indt ball.
$I would say she did well in this round.' .he commented. $Its nice to here that you two get along so
well. ,oure really !uite unlike each other.'
$4robably why we get along as well as we do.' (erry said, briefly. $0e like a lot of the same things
though, and naturally weve got our work in common.'
$9f course.' %er mother said. $"nd you are both so clever.' .he said. $,ou know, I was listening to *ar
speak earlier. 0hat a charming voice she has.'
3harming. There were lots of things about *ar (erry found charming, but she half suspected her
mother was trying to be a little over the top nice, to avoid any uncomfortable discussion between
them. That was okay by her. It was very late, and she was both tired and emotionally overloaded
from the day. $I could listen to her talk all day.' .he responded with a smile. $But really, you should
hear her sing.'
$6eally+'
(erry nodded, taking a sip of her tea. $0e have a lot of fun together.' .he said. $Im sorry shes going
to be flying so long tomorrow. " lot can happen in ten hours.'
$Goodness.' %er mother murmured. $Isnt that the truth. I dont really know what to e&pect, actually. I
think everyone was )ust overwhelmed today, and tomorrow all the reactions will start.' .he said. $Its
been very curious to be involved in the government, you know. "fter being a spectator for so long I
mean.'
$I bet it has.' (erry said. $-rom the interviews we were seeing on the news, it seems like most of the
people in 3ongress are pretty much in agreement with each other though.'
$0ell.' 3ynthia curiously inspected the unwrapped chocolate, then bit into it. $My, that is wonderful.'
.he said. $In any case, there is the things one is e&pected to say to the press and in public, and then
there are the things everyone says in private in the council chambers, and that is what made me
understand )ust how much of a charade we do play here in 0ashington.'
(erry blinked a little in surprise. 5ot from the revelation that 3ongress often said different things to
the press than to each other, but that her mother seemed so disapproving about it. $I )ust hope
everyone sits down and thinks about what to do instead of )ust reacts.'
$I hope so too.' %er mother agreed. $0hat will your plans be for tomorrow+'
The long day was now creeping over her. (erry blinked a few times. $I have to go to our offices in
1irginia in the morning, to see what the problem is with the government officials showing up
wanting to tap our circuits.' .he said. $Then well probably go to the 4entagon. I want to visit my
team there.'
3ynthia pondered this for a minute. $0ell, if there is anything I can help with on the government
side.' .he offered diffidently. $4lease let me know.'
(erry nodded. $Thanks. %opefully, its )ust a misunderstanding.' .he replied. $Ive gotten re!uests
like that before, where people ask for things because theyve either been told to, or someone
mentioned a buzz word and there really isnt a full understanding of what theyre asking.'
%er mother finished up her tea and set the cup down. $0ell, it has been a long day, so I will leave you
to get some rest. 4erhaps you can )oin us for breakfast before you leave+'
$.ure.' (erry was too tired to even mind. $Good night2. 9h.' .he felt a little sheepish. $.orry about
the table.'
%er mother, already at the door to her bedroom, turned and peered at her, a faintly bemused
e&pression on her face. $I have to admit.' .he said. $"fter all your talk about being this terribly
different person, finding you under my dining room table amongst broken crockery was really !uite
amusing.'
There wasnt really any defense to that. (erry rested her head against her hand and gazed back at her
mother through her somewhat disordered bangs. $5ot everythings changed.' .he admitted, with a
wry smile.
$5o.' 3ynthia smiled back. $5ot everything Good night.' .he turned and went into the bedroom,
shutting the door !uietly behind her.
$5ight.' (erry remained slouched in her chair, sipping her cooling tea. .he finished her chocolate,
then she stood up and set the cup down, heading for the refuge of her room as the days tensions and
discomfort started to rub against her like sandpaper.
.he sat down on her bed, resting her hands on the mattress as she looked out the window.
.he could see the :efferson Memorial. It was shrouded in shadows, its normal brilliant lighting
dimmed for safety she supposed, but she felt somehow that the somber sight reflected her attitude
about the events of the day.
.he felt like the world was overcast. 0ith a sigh, she got up again and turned out the desk light, then
she went to the already turned down linens and started to get under them.
%er cell phone rang. (erry cursed under her breath at it, then she leaned over and grabbed the
phone, turning and using her momentum to land back on the bed as she opened it. $(erry .tuart.'
$%ey se&y. ,ou naked under the sheets yet+'
The mental whiplash made her sneeze. $Buh8' .he rolled over onto her back, her gloomy thoughts
lifting like magic. $I forgot to te&t you8'
$Is that a yes or a no+' *ars voice sounded amused. $9r were you partying with your mother+'
(erry started laughing, ending a wry sound. $"ctually we had tea and chocolate together. Thank you,
my love. The socks are warming my toes as we speak.'
$I was )ust standing on my head for twenty minutes. My nose is throbbing.' *ar informed her. $Its
goddamn boring in a country mansion in #ngland at five in the morning you know that+' .he
complained. $Im afraid to go out and run in case they have fo&hounds or something out there.'
$0ell.' (erry smiled. $,oure a fo&. Its a valid concern.' .he heard a conspicuous silence on the other
end and her smiled grew wider. $9ooo.. I gotcha.'
*ar chuckled softly. $,ou did.' .he admitted. $.o hows it going+' %er voice altered. $Im stopping you
from sleeping so Ill keep it short.'
$*ont.' (erry said. $I could easily talk to you all night long.' .he added. $#ven my mother thinks you
have a charming voice.'
$%uh+'
(erry cleared her throat a bit. $Its not bad.' .he said. $This thing you rented for me could hold our
entire department with room for our dog. Moms being okay. I think after that blowup shes )ust
staying away from a lot of stuff. 0hich is fine by me.'
$,eah.'
DI wasnt in the mood for a fight tonight anyway.' (erry said. $"nd after I made that whole speech
about being grown up and everything we were playing hide and seek in the house and I knocked a
freaking table over. #nded up breaking a bowl the size of our sink at home.'
.he could hear *ar muffling a snicker. $5o, go ahead and laugh.' (erry sighed. $Talk about blowing
my image. I could have smacked Mike. %e tripped me right into the damn thing and I hit the legs
sideways.'
$Table didnt have a chance.' *ar commiserated. $,ouve hit me in the knees. I know what that feels
like.'
$My sister was laughing so hard she was crying.' (erry admitted. $"nd the look on my mothers face
when she came around the corner to see what the hell was going on was pretty much priceless.' .he
paused. $It reminded me of the fact that growing up in that house wasnt always a horror show.'
*ar chuckled aloud.
$"nyway.' (erry sighed. $.o its not going too bad. %ow about you+ "re you ready to fly+'
$,eah. "ctually, the timing is going to give me a problem trying to get hold of Gerry.' *ar said. $If I
dont get him before I take off, I might need you to call him.' .he said. $Ill message you if thats the
case. Itll be really early your time when I leave.'
$5o problem.' (erry said. $I think Im going over there in the afternoon so I can touch base with him.
.houldnt be an issue.'
$Good.' *ar said. $0e can stop taking about business now.' .he said. $%ow did my voice come up in
conversation+'
(erry closed her eyes and smiled, narrowing her world down to the sound in her ear. .he reached
over and turned the bedside light off, leaving her in darkness that only made their conversation all
the more private. $.he was being nice. .he was listening to you when you were on the conference call.
"ngie said something too, about your accent.'
$My what+'
$,our cute little .outhern twang.' %er partner clarified. $Im so used to hearing you I dont really
hear it anymore but they both noticed.'
$I dont have an accent. My father has an accent.' *ar said. $,ou have an accent.'
$5o I dont.'
$.ure you do.'
$I do not8'
$,ou do8' *ar insisted. $#veryone had an accent.' .he said.' #&cept me.'
(erry started laughing. $,oure so funny.' .he said. $Thank you for calling me. I was starting to really
get bummed out.'
$0hy+' *ar asked. $,ou said things were going okay.'
$I know. I dont know.' (erry replied. $I )ust was. "ll the stuff going on and thinking about our people
who are still missing, and not knowing whats going to happen with the government tomorrow2 it
was )ust bumming me out.' .he thought about that. $*o I sound like a weenie+'
$5o.' *ars voice deepened a little, warming audibly. $I was getting bummed here too. I feel like Im so
far away from everything.' .he admitted. $Im glad were leaving today, but knowing Ill be out of
touch for that long is driving me insane.'
$Me too.' (erry agreed, in a wry tone.
They were both !uiet for a moment. $0ere a couple of goddamned idiots.' *ar said. $0ed give Mr.
6ogers diabetes.' .he sighed with e&aggerated e&asperation. $0ait. /et me go out and see if I can find
a bo& of bonbons and a pair of pink fuzzy slippers.'
(erry started laughing. $I have the bonbons and fuzzy slippers here, honey. 3omen get them.'
$If I could.' *ar said. $If I could close my eyes and will it, and be there, I would in a heartbeat.' .he
sighed. $But unfortunately Im not a refugee from a bad science fiction movie of the week. I did tell
"lastair Id need to head out to 0ashington as soon as we got in the states though. Im hoping the
planesll be flying by then.'
$Me too.' (erry could feel the beginnings of a disassociation that meant she was falling asleep.
$0ould you do me a tiny favor+'
$,ou have to ask+'
$.ing to me. :ust for a minute.'
*ar hesitated. $9h. 7h.. okay. .ure.'
$I )ust remembered when I was talking to mom what that sounded like and I want to hear it. I love
your singing voice.' (erry smiled, as she heard *ar clear her throat softly, and she took a deep breath
and released it as her partner complied, easing her into sleep so gently she didnt even remember the
tune.
;;
*ar turned the collar of her leather )acket up to protect her neck against the damp, chilly wind as she
waited for "lastair to finish his goodbyes. .hed made the mistake of dropping off to sleep again after
talking to (erry and now she felt as foggy as the sky appeared, waking up again only ten minutes
before they were supposed to leave.
The only thing that had saved her ass was that shed grabbed a shower and packed while waiting for
(erry to get to her hotel, so she )ust had to throw her clothes on, brush her teeth and hair and try to
pretend her brain wasnt somewhere in the southern 3aribbean where her dreams had taken her
before she woke.
9n the boat, in the sun, (errys warm body curled up ne&t to her and the late afternoon sky getting
ready to set and provide them with an evening entertainment.
God damn she wished it hadnt been a dream.
%er cell phone rang. .he unclipped it from her belt, glancing at the caller I* and hoping it was Gerry
#aston. It wasnt, but she was glad to see the name anyway. $Morning, Mark.'
$%ey Boss.' Mark sounded absolutely e&hausted. $0e )ust crossed into 5orth 3arolina. 0hat a
bastard of a drive.'
$It is. %ow are things going+ I didnt have time to login to the desktop this morning. 0ere about to
leave for the airport.' *ar felt a distinct sense of embarrassment.
$-or us, were cool.' Mark said. $5othing big new on the board, and all that, since its like two thirty
am. But we )ust heard they closed down 5, again and found some truck bomb trying to cross one of
the bridges.'
$.hit.' *ar e&haled. $(errys in 0ashington.'
$,eah, I know.' %er MI. chief sounded unhappy. $But hey, shes probably safe someplace, right+ .hes
not like, at the 4entagon, is she+'
$5o.' *ar caught motion of the corner of her eye, and saw .ir Melthon and his staff walking towards
her, the magnate still in discussion with "lastair. $.hes in a hotel, but Im about to get on an airplane
and be out of touch for ten hours. Im going to lose my mind.'
$0ell, *ar, we ready+' "lastair said, as they closed in on her. $#verything all right+'
$%ang on Mark.' *ar put her cell phone on mute. $:ust getting a status.' .he said. $.ir Melthon, its
been a true pleasure working with your team, despite the circumstances.'
$/ikewise.' The magnate said. $5ow, I know this is not really the time to discuss this, but I have a
schedule to meet. I need to know how this event is going to impact that.' %e held a hand up. $Mc/ean,
this changes nothing in our pact. Im not an idiot. I know full well this disaster re!uires attention.'
"lastair and *ar e&changed looks. $Ill know better once we get back to %ouston.' *ar said. $The
resources tied up normally in that side of our organization would not be dedicated to your pro)ect,
but Im going to have to pull people in so I need to assess.'
The #nglishman frowned, but he also nodded at the same time. $-air enough.' %e said. $My godson
tenders his regrets. %e had to hurry back to %amburg last night. "n aunt of his was taken sick.'
$%ope shes doing better.' "lastair said. $"s *ar said, let us get back and sort ourselves out, and well
be back in touch soon as we can.' %e held his hand out, and the magnate gripped it. $Thanks for your
hospitality. %ope I can return it sometime if youre in my neck of the woods.'
$3ould be Ill take you up on that.' .ir Melthon said. $0ouldnt mind seeing your head!uarters, but
not until after all the frooha passes on.' %e e&tended his hand to *ar. $Ms. 6oberts, believe me when
I say it has truly been an honor.'
*ar took his and traded strong grips with him. $Im glad youre a customer.' .he said. $,oure the kind
I dont mind going two hundred percent for.'
.ir Melthon smiled, looking for a moment as though twenty years had been erased from his face.
$%ave a good flight home, you lot. /et us know if you get in safely. My man here will get you to the
airport fast as /ondon traffic allows. 0hich means2 hold on to the armrests and close your eyes if
youre smart.'
*ar waited until they were in the car before she unmated the phone. $.orry about that Mark.'
$5o problem boss, I got a grilled cheese sandwich and a Bawls out of it.' Mark replied, in a somewhat
muffled tone. $These 61s are awesome. 0e should keep one around the office.'
*ar sighed. $Ill put it on the budget list.' .he said, in a distracted tone. $5ow, where were we+'
Mark rustled some paper. $0e were )ust talking about stuff going on.' %e said. $,ou were bitching
about having to be out of touch for ten hours.'
$"h.' *ar glanced at "lastair. $%ang on again.' .he waited for her boss to turn his head. $Mark says
they reported a truck bomb in Manhattan.'
$*amn it.' "lastair e&haled. $*amn it all to hell, this has to stop.'
$.orry.' *ar went back to the phone. $:ust catching "lastair up.' .he braced her elbow against the
door and rested her head against her hand. $I talked to (erry earlier and there were bomb threats in
0ashington too.'
$,eah, they were saying.' Mark murmured. $.ome place near the 3apitol, and two other ones around
there.' %e hesitated. $/isten, boss, you want me to go find her instead of heading through+ If we keep
driving, well probably make it before you land.'
*ar was silent for a moment, weighing her personal desires against her )udgement.
$%ey *ar+' "lastiar touched her arm. $,ou all right+ ,ou look a little pale.'
*ar felt a little pale. $,eah.' .he said. $:ust woke up with a headache.' .he drew in a breath. $(eep
going, Mark. Im not sure where (ers going to be by the time you get there, and itll be a wild goose
chase.'
$,ou sure+' %er MI. chief asked.
$,eah.' *ar said, briefly. $.hell be all right. Theyre going to need you in the city.'
$9kay.' Mark said. $Ill drop her a note with my cell and remind her Ill be passing through though,
okay+'
*ar managed a small grin. $.ure.' .he said. $"t worst maybe shell need you to rescue her from her
mother.'
$7h.'
$%ey, you volunteered.' *ar felt her neck muscles rela&ing a trifle. $0hat else is going on+ 0e find
any more of our folks+'
$Two, in 0ashington.' Mark replied. $They werent even at the 4entagon, like they were supposed to
be. They got sent on a run to get freaking doughnuts, and got in a car wreck.'
$9h.' *ar murmured. $%ope theyre okay.'
$.ure.' Mark said. $5umbskulls didnt have a cell with them, and decided to take the rest of the day
off with a freaking doctors note and went hiking.'
.he could hear the frustration in Marks voice, a mi&ture of relief that the two workers were all right
and anger at their desertion. $*id you talk to them+'
$,eah.'
*ar watched "lastair watch her, distracted by the realization that her boss had never really seen her
e&ercise the management part of her position. It got her mind off (erry, and her discomfort, and she
felt her concentration sharpen. $%ow old are they+'
Mark chuckled wryly. $Twenty.' %e admitted. $-reaking kids.'
$*o you remember what you were like when you were twenty+' %is boss asked him, suppressing a
smile. $%m+'
$.ure.' Mark replied. $But thats s!uashed by the fact I also remember what you were like when you
were twenty so I dont wanna cut them that much slack.'
The une&pected retort made *ar laugh, despite everything. $"hh, yeah.' .he said. $I was an anal
retentive workaholic control freak, wasnt I+'
$0as+' "lastair asked, his blue eyes twinkling.
$0as+' Mark asked, at the same time.
$%ey.' *ar growled. $,ou cant have it both ways, the two of you.' .he said. $#ither Ive mellowed or I
havent. 4ick one.' .he knew the answer, though. .he wasnt the asshole she had been back then,
because if she had been she and (erry would never have lasted together.
That was her yardstick. .he could look back now on things shed done and things shed said, and she
)ust knew it wasnt in her to be like that anymore. $0ell+'
$5ow, *ar.' "lastair patted her knee. $Im )ust kidding you. -or heavens sake.'
$:ust messing with you, boss.' Mark chuckled. $,ou sounded down.' %e added. $These guys pissed
me off, but theyre pretty good techs.'
*ar was glad of the distraction. $They werent in the right place at the wrong time.' .he said. $I think
they probably know that, and theyll remember it.'
$,eah.'
$Besides, were going to need every hand weve got. .o make em feel guilty and get them back to
work.' *ar concluded.
$9kay. Im cool with that.' Mark said. $I think theyll be cool with it too.'
$"nd if that doesnt work.' *ar mused. $Tell them Ill show up there and spank their asses.'
$Blurp.' "lastair had been drinking from a bottle of water, and nearly sprayed it over the inside of the
car. $0ho approved that bonus plan+'
There was a moment of silence from Mark. $,ou want me to give them a perk after they pulled a stunt
like that+' %e !ueried. $:eez, boss. Ill be hiking to 4aris ne&t week. 3an I get in it+'
*ar actually felt herself blush. -ortunately, the car was too dark for it to be visible. $0hat a bunch of
kinks I work with.' .he rallied, watching her boss chuckle. $"ll right. /et me let this line loose for
someone else to get bad news on.' .he added. $Talk to you later, Mark. *rive safely.'
$0ill do, boss.' %e answered. $%ave a good flight, okay+'
7gh. $9kay. Bye.' *ar closed the phone and let it rest in her hand as she leaned back in the car seat.
$*amn it.' *espite the levity, she couldnt dismiss the knot of worry in her guts. $Too much going
on.'
"lastair watched her !uietly for a moment, as she rubbed her eyes. $.ure youre okay, *ar+' %e
asked. $Ive got some aspirin if you want it.'
$5ah.' *ar tapped the briefcase by her right knee. $Ive got some in there. I )ust woke up on the wrong
side of the "tlantic this morning.' .he pressed her fingers against one throbbing temple. $,ou think
those bomb threats are real, or )ust people being nervous+'
"lastair took in his 3I9s tense body posture. %ed seen *ar in a number of business situations now,
and he knew how hard it was to rattle her. Being almost fired by the board hadnt. .tanding up to
new clients like .ir Melthon hadnt. #ven being in a hospital collapse had produced nothing more
than that cool, collected front that put forward total confidence and total belief in self.
This was different, and he recognized that. This was personal. $(erry make it to 0ashington+' %e
asked casually. $.he doing okay+'
*ar went still for a minute, then she looked up, an openly vulnerable look on her face that probably
surprised both of them. Then she took a breath and glanced out the window. $.hes fine.' .he said, in
an even voice. $Im )ust not crazy about having her around things that might blow up.'
$0ell.' %er boss folded his hands over his knee. $Tell her to get in a damn car, and start driving away
from the place and keep going. Get the hell out of town or.. hey. %ead back to Miami.'
*ar refused to meet his eyes. $Its her )ob to be there.'
$9h, screw that.' "lastair snorted. $4lease. Give me a 3hristly break, *ar. *o you really think this )ob
or any )ob is worth harming a hair on her, or yours, or mine for that matters head+'
$5o.'
"lastair waited. $But+'
*ar took a breath. $I cant tell her not to do her )ob.' .he said. $5ot if everyone else is doing theirs. .he
wont take that from me.'
%er boss studied her in silence for a moment. $Thats complicated.' %e said, eventually. $*ar, I dont
envy your balancing act there.' %e reached over and clasped her shoulder. $0ant me to tell her+'
.he appreciated, truly, what "lastair was saying. %owever, shed agreed with (erry that she needed
to go to %erndon to do what it was the company paid her for, and at this stage, it was all in motion.
$5o.' .he glanced up at him. $.hes a big girl, and she can make her own choices. .ending her off to
hide somewhere is only going to royally piss her off.'
"lastair pondered that, then he nodded. $I can buy that.' %e said. $But lady, its tough watching you
sweat, know what I mean+'
*ar smiled faintly. Then she was saved by her cell phone ringing again. .he opened it up and glanced
at the screen, a prickle making her nape hairs stand when she saw Gerrys name. $"h.' .he pressed
the talk button. $Gerry++'
$*ar8 0here in the hell are you8' The general asked.
$/ondon.' *ar said. $Glad to hear your voice.'
$0hat+ 9h.' Gerald #aston paused. $Bastards.'
$Mm.' *ar agreed. $(er said you were trying to get in touch with me.Im on my way to the airport.'
.he e&plained. $#veryone okay on your end+'
The General sighed. $The familys fine.' %e said. $/isten, *ar, I need to speak with you right away.' %e
cleared his throat. $,oure in /ondon, are you+ 0e can fly you back here.'
*ar glanced at "lastair, whose brows were twitching. $0eve already got a plane chartered, Gerry.
But what did you have in mind+'
$%ang on.' %e clicked off.
*ar e&haled. $0ants to fly me back to the states. .ays he needs to talk to me.' .he told her boss.
$*oesnt sound good.'
$Mm.' "lastair grunted. $*epends what he wants to talk about, I suppose.'
$%ello, *ar+' Gerry came back abruptly. $0e can have a transport pick you up )ust near dinnertime
there. %ows that+'
$9ur flight leaves at ten "M, Gerry. I think itll be faster, but..' *ar considered. $0ere flying into
Me&ico and driving to %ouston. I could use a lift from there.'
$%ouston8' General #aston spluttered. $0hat in the hells the.. oh, thats right. Thats where your
paychecks cut, isnt it+' %e said. $9kay, call me when you land in Me&ico. 0e can swing that easier
than the overseas flight.'
$9kay.' *ar said. $(errys in 0ashington. "nything she can help with+'
$Is she+' General #aston said. $I think I should talk to you first, *ar. Its a little sticky.'
$"ll right.' .he responded. $Gerry, this doesnt have anything to do with a bunch of suits showing up
at our %erndon office does it+'
/ong pause. $#h+' The General grunted. $0ell, to be honest, its hard to tell from here right now what
has to do with anything, *ar. *o yourself a favor though, will you+ *ont say no to anything right off.
Theres a bit of a headless viper lashing around and I dont want you to get bit.'
7h oh. $9kay.' *ar said. $Ill call you from Me&ico 3ity then. I have a commuter scheduled for the
border.'
$6ight. Gotta go, *ar. Good to hear your voice too. Glad you were out of harms way.' The line went
dead, leaving a faint echo in the car.
$%m.' *ar closed the phone. $%eadless viper.' .he looked at her boss. $That doesnt sound any way
good.'
$.ure doesnt.' "lastair murmured. $.ure doesnt.'
;;
3ynthia .tuart sat !uietly, sipping her morning tea and watching the sky outside turn from black to
gray with the coming dawn. .hed woken early, as she always did, and treasured the peace of the
early morning to think about the coming day and go over her busy schedule.
.he opened her organizer and flipped to the last page shed updated from the day before, going over
her notes, rereading again the horrors shed put down in brief entries.
9nly by reading the words was she really able to absorb the fact that all the terrible things had, in
fact, happened. .itting here in this lovely hotel room, it cut through the surrealness. "fter a moment,
she closed the book and got up, walking silently across the floor to the )ust a)ar door across from the
table.
.he pushed it in and peered inside, her eyes ad)usting to the dim light as she studied the large bed
inside with its still asleep occupant.
(erry was curled on her side, her head on one pillow and her arm wrapped around a second. 6ela&ed
in slumber, she was far less threatening a presence, and seeing the familiar position reluctantly made
her mother smile.
%er eldest. 3ynthia sighed, and closed the door, retreating back to the table and settling down to
resume her notes. .he picked up a pen and found her place, scribing a careful addition as she shook
her head over the sub)ect. $Terrible.'
The world was still gripped in its peculiar insanity, it seemed. .he picked up her morning news brief,
delivered !uietly by her staff, and reread it. If she looked out the big windows at the edge of the hotel
room, she knew she would see flashing lights, and the oddness of military transports in the streets
and for a moment she honestly regretted her decision to complete her husbands government term.
It would indeed have been better to be home. There was "ngela and her children to get settled, and
many small things re!uiring her attention and perhaps she could have had another day of (erry and
Michaels presence to make it seem as though her family wasnt !uite as fractured as in truth it was.
%ard on the furniture that it might have been. 3ynthia glanced up and smiled, hearing the echoes of
that laughter the day before, and (errys e&asperated $Michael888' that had brought back so many
more pleasant memories.
$Good morning.'
3ynthia )umped a little, not e&pecting the sound. .he looked up to find (erry in the door to her
bedroom, still dressed in )ust a tshirt. $Good morning' .he replied. $*id the room service wake you+
Im sorry if it did. %e was trying to be very !uiet.'
$5o.' (erry came over and sat down at the table. $Ive been up. I didnt really sleep that well.' .he
rested her forearms on the table and laced her fingers together. $Too many things on my mind, I
think.'
The older woman studied her daughter. The tanned, serious face under its mop of shaggy blond hair
was a little unfamiliar to her nowN the planes had gotten a little longer, the )awline a touch more
rounded, and there was a definite wariness shadowing the light green eyes that hadnt been there
before.
The tJshirt she wore pulled tight over her shoulders as she leaned against the table, showing the
outline of muscles 3ynthia didnt find really appealing in her eyes, not really approving of women
working so hard and gaining the attributes she more properly applied to men.
Though, it really wasnt terribly unattractive. 0hen her daughter was properly dressed it lent her
body a pleasantly tapered shape despite her carrying more weight on her frame than ever before. It
wasnt really fat, and it wasnt really the slimness she preferredN it )ust seemed odd to her eyes.
3ynthia supposed it gained her nothing to mention it. (erry was obviously content with the way she
looked and perhaps her own view was a little biased as shed heard from friends around town how
everyone else seemed to think she looked !uite good, really.
"h well.
.he glanced at the strong hands on the table, her eye catching a glint as the light reflected off a ring
on (errys third finger. It was attractive and refined, and it fit her well. $Thats a lovely ring.' 3ynthia
said. $Is it new+'
(erry glanced at her hand. $5o.' .he said. $*ar gave it to me at our commitment ceremony.' .he
e&plained. $0e e&changed rings.'
3ynthia pondered over that. 3ommitment ceremony+ $Is that2 $ .he paused, not wanting to upset
her daughter with any assumptions over breakfast. $0hat e&actly is that+ 0hat does it mean+'
(erry tapped her thumbs together. $0hat does that mean.' .he mused. $Im not sure what it means
to everyone else, but to *ar and I, it means we belong to each other.' %er fingers fle&ed a little. $0ere
married.' .he clarified.
.he glanced up to gauge her mothers response, seeing mostly a mildly encouraging thoughtfulness
there. $"s legally as we can be, of course, since our government seems to think gay marriage is as
dangerous as an unstable nuclear stockpile.' .he added a wry smile. $*ar and I had to spend a long
time with a lawyer to get the same legal protection a five minute blood test and signature get for
everyone else who isnt gay.'
3ynthias face twitched.
There was a soft knock at the door, and (erry got up. $6oom service.' .he said, as she went to the
door and opened it. $%ello.'
$Maam.' The room service waiter, a slim woman, entered. $,our breakfast+'
$Thanks.' (erry indicated the table. .he followed the server over to the table, and waited for her to
set the tray down. The woman did, then she turned, with a leather billfold in her hand, which (erry
held her hand out for, then signed.
$*o you need anything else, maam+' The woman asked, as she handed the bill back.
$5ot right now.' (erry smiled at her. $Thank you.'
The woman smiled back. $My pleasure.' .he gave (errys mother a respectful nod and left, closing the
door !uietly behind her.
(erry opened a packet of raw sugar and poured it into her cup, filling it with hot coffee before she
added some cream and sat down to en)oy it. .he sipped from the cup, aware of the faintly pained look
on her mothers face. $,ou dont like that word, do you+'
3ynthia looked up, startled. $I beg your pardon+'
$Gay.' (erry said. $,ou dont like it.'
%er mother frowned, stirring her tea as she added a bit more hot water to it. $It makes me
uncomfortable.' .he admitted finally. $,es.'
(erry uncovered one of the dishes on her tray and picked up a cheerful looking cherry and cheese
*anish. $Me too.'
3ynthia blinked, and her brows creased again.
$I dont think I should have to define myself by who I sleep with.' (errry studied the *anish and
selected a spot, biting into it an chewing. .he swallowed, and wiped her lips with her napkin. $Its
kind of stupid.'
$0ell.' %er mother took a sip of her tea. $,ou know, I think I agree with you on that sub)ect.' .he
watched her daughter chew her breakfast. $6eally, it shouldnt matter, should it+'
(erry looked up at her, eyes glinting with wry bemusement.
3ynthia seemed to appreciate the irony. .he remained silent, fiddling with the teaspoon in obvious
discomfort.
$It shouldnt.' her daughter finally said. $.o whats going on this morning+' .he shoved the
conversation onto a different track forcibly. $"nything new+'
%er mother sighed. $Im afraid they stopped a bomb, a truck bomb from crossing into 5ew ,ork last
night.'
(erry sat up, her brows creasing. $Good lord.' .he said. $.o theyre still doing things+'
3ynthia shook her head. $"pparently so.' .he said. $I was waiting to hear further details. 4erhaps.. $
.he hesitated. $4erhaps your people have heard more+'
$/et me get my laptop.' (erry set her cup down and got up. $"nd *ars flying. Im going to be nervous
wreck all day.' .he disappeared into her room, leaving the living space in silence.
3ynthia folded her hands in her lap and bowed her head for a moment, her lips moving as she
whispered a short prayer. Then she straightened back up as she heard (erry coming back in the
room, taking a deep breath as her daughter reappeared holding her computer in her hands.
It was e&hausting, dealing with this child of hers. Though (erry was certainly being civil, the hostility
she felt was obvious to 3ynthia )ust under the surface, and she wondered when, not if, that
simmering anger would erupt again.
1ery difficult. %ard to know where to start, really. .he didnt want to be so much at odds with her
eldest daughter, but everything shed tried so far to smooth the waters between them had ended
bewilderingly badly and she wasnt truly sure why.
.he knew (erry was angry about all that had happened before, but really now ? it was in the past.
3ouldnt be changed.
$0hat about what we ran into last night+' (erry asked, as she opened the device and started it up.
$0as that real+ Mother, honestly, if there are bombs in the city, its insanity to go into the center of it.'
.he sat down and glanced across the table. $0hat if they already planted something at the 3apitol+'
%er mother pursed her lips. $Its a concern, certainly.' .he agreed. $My staff was calling around to
find out what the rest of my colleagues are intending on doing.'
(erry leaned on the table with both hands, waiting for her laptop to boot up. Then she straightened.
$/et me go throw some clothes on.' .he said. $Ive got a feeling its going to be a busy morning and
your staff probably wont appreciate my nerdish pa)amas.'
.he left the laptop where it was and went back into the bedroom, rubbing the back of her neck to
work the crick out of it from her nights tossing and turning. .he went into the bathroom and
stripped out of her shirt, turning on the shower and taking the sponge and bottle of body scrub from
her kit bag.
Ignoring her reflection in the mirror, she ducked under the spray and s!ueezed a blob of wash onto
the scrubbie and started using it. The faintly rough te&ture felt good against her skin, and the
pounding of the water across the back of her neck was working to loosen the muscles there.
.he felt a little an&ious. .he wasnt sure if it was the situation she was in, or some subliminal worry
about *ar, or perhaps even a reflection of *ar worrying about her but it was rubbing her nerves raw
and she really wished she was alone in her palatial hotel room and didnt have her mother to deal
with.
$5ow.' .he muttered to herself over the water. $Im guessing she probably feels the same way.' .he
glanced at the reflection of her eyes in the small, surprisingly unsteamy mirror fi&ed to the wall.
$3ause I know Im not being little miss sunshine.'
.he got a handful of shampoo and soaped her hair, scrubbing above her ears and standing under the
water to rinse the suds out. Then she let her arms drop and simply stood, appreciating the powerful
pulse of the water against her body.
" bad dream had woken her, this last time. .he couldnt even remember now what the dream was,
e&cept that she could recall feeling sad, and scared and alone in some strange otherworld of her
sleeping imagination.
5ow she felt tired, and irritated, and an&ious, with a day of conflict and confrontation with the
government ahead of her. $6ats.' (erry folded her arms across her wet body. Then she e&haled and
reluctantly left the warmth, shutting off the water and grabbing a towel hanging on a rod nearby.
.he dried herself off, her ears picking up low voices in the room ne&t door and making her glad shed
decided to get changed when she did. 7nlike *ar, who pretty much completely lacked body
consciousness, she really had no comfort level in facing fully dressed people in her sleepware.
3razy, really, since she walked around in what amounted to less at home all the time, on the island,
either a pair of shorts and a tank, or shorts and a bathing suit, or )ust her bathing suit which was
absolutely more revealing than a damn tJshirt.
:ust a weird crick in her brain. (erry studied her choice of clothing, then she pulled on a pair of )eans,
buttoning them before she added a bright red polo with their company logo on it. .he ran a brush
through her damp hair and studied the results.
%m. .he set the brush down and tucked the polo in, reaching into her bag and adding a braided
leather belt and buckling it around her waist. 0ith a satisfied grunt, she clipped her phone to the
belt and slid her 4*" in her pocket, and headed back out to face the world.
;;
*ar woke to the smell of sizzling steak nearby, the dichotomy of the view around her, the drone of
the engines, and the scent making her look around in utter bewilderment before she remembered
where she was.
$-eeling better+'
*ar glanced to her right, across the wide aisle where "lastair was ensconced in a leather lounger
much like hers, a reading light glowing dimly on the sheaf of papers he was reviewing. $I was until
someone started roasting a steer somewhere.' .he said. $0here the hell did the barbe!ue come
from+'
%e removed his reading glasses and peered back at her, a bemused e&pression on his face. $,ou
know, Ive been on private )ets before, but I bet you havent.'
$5o.' %is 3I9 readily admitted.
$They asked Bea how to cater the plane when she reserved it.' "lastiar put his glasses back on and
went back to his papers. $I took the liberty of ordering for you. Ive been with you traveling long
enough that I figured I could guess right on what you eat.'
*ar glanced at her watch, surprised to see theyd been flying for four hours and shed slept for three
of them. $"h, okay.' .he said. $,eah, the nap helped.' .he eased a little more upright, running her
fingers through her hair. $0hats so interesting+'
"lastair picked up a glass with ice and li!uid in it and took a sip. $9ur .#3 preJfiling report for
!uarter three.' %e said. $0ant to read it+'
*ar eyed him. $I )ust woke up.' .he said. $,ou want me to go back to sleep+ ,oull have a lot of dinner
to eat by yourself.'
"lastair chuckled. $I was trying to put myself to sleep, to be honest.' %e set the report to one side, and
tossed his glasses on top of it. $.ometimes I look forward to retiring, when the most urgent thing I
have to look at is an // Bean catalog.' %e admitted. $,ou get tired of all the fine print, yknow+' %e
put his hands behind his head and stretched out.
$*o you+' *ar half turned onto her side, drawing one knee up as she faced her boss. $0hat would you
do if you retired+'
"lastair tilted his head back and regarded the ceiling of the private )et, pondering the !uestion.
*ar took a moment while he was to look around the )et she hadnt paid much attention to when
theyd boarded. It was reasonably large inside, but had two single lines of fully reclining leather
couches on either side of a wide aisle instead of the usual rows of upright chairs.
It was !uiet, the drone of the engines muted, and it felt e&pensive, and *ar realized this was likely
what it was like for the truly elite when they traveled.
.he liked it. It meshed well with her view of appropriate personal space and comfort and the leather
loungers were )ust big enough that she and (erry could possibly s!uish together on one.
That thought made her wish (erry was on the plane with her, and she frowned, turning back to
"lastair as he cleared his throat and started to answer.
$0ell you know I have the ranch.' "lastair said. $Id love to spend more time with the horses. Ive got
a granddaughter whos learning to ride the circuit and it would be great to watch her out there
instead of sit on my ass in my office in %ouston.'
$.ounds nice.' *ar said. $I like horses. I saw the pictures in your office, those are beautiful animals.'
$Good blood.' %e turned his head a little. $0hat about you+ 0hat would you do, if you retired, *ar+ I
know it sounds crazy for you given how old you are, but youve got fifteen plus years in. #ver think
about it+'
$.ure.' *ar responded, with a smile. $Id move down to the (eys and spend my days diving and
bumming around on the beach, with an occasional consulting stint to pay the bills.'
"lastair smiled. $"h, the child of the sea. %ow could I forget.'
$0hich is e&actly what Id do if you decide to retire. By the way.' *ar continued, her smile widening
as she caught the look of honest surprise on her bosses face. $I have no intention of doing this for
anyone else.'
"lastair looked at her in silence for a long moment. $"re you serious+'
*ar nodded. $"s a heart attack.'
%er bosses eyes twinkled. $That might be the nicest thing you ever said to me.' %e said. $Thank you,
4aladar.' %e paused. $5ow let me tell you something. ,ou remember when you sent me that
resignation letter+'
*ar nodded.
$%ad mine written out too, stapled to it.' "lastair said. $.o its probably a pretty good thing for the
company you decided to stay.' %e considered. $Though, gotta admit there have been times lately I
almost wish you hadnt.'
$,eah.' *ar said. $I know what you mean.' .he hoisted herself out of her chair and stood, stretching
her body out before she crossed the aisle and knelt ne&t to where her boss was sprawled. $Thanks,
"lastair. I know Ive been a pain in the ass over the years.' .he held her hand out, and as he reached
over, she clasped his in a powerful grip. $%ope it was worth it.'
%e chuckled again. $Bet your ass it was.' %e released her hand. $,ou know, the one bright spot of that
whole mess with .teven and you was getting to meet (erry for the first time.'
4redictably, that made *ar grin. .he got up and strolled down the aisle, e&ploring their little world.
$.he was so pissed at me for !uitting.'
$.hes a firecracker.' "lastair said. $,ou know she called me up and told me I had to get my ass on an
airplane and get over there because everyone in that office was an idiot who didnt have a clue.'
*ar turned and looked at him, both eyebrows lifted up to her hairline.
$5ot in so many words.' %er boss admitted. $But that was the gist, couched in soft, gentile
Midwestern politeness and it was at that point I realized you were gone hook line and sinker for very
good reason.' %e smiled at *ars sheepish e&pression. $.he was your match.'
*ar leaned back against the wall of the cabin. $.he is.' .he said !uietly. $.he changed my life.'
$.he up for being a beach bum too+' "lastair asked. $I thought she likes the craziness.'
$"fter this last cluster, shes open to it.' *ar responded. $.he does like the )ob. .he likes the energy of
it.'
$But+'
*ar looked mildly embarrassed. $.hell go wherever I do.'
$/oyal kinda gal.' "lastair commented, with a smile. $But then, youre two of a kind in that regard so
Im guessing the companys in for a world of hurt some day.'
$Mmph.'
The door to the front of the plane opened, and a tall, lanky young man entered. %e was dressed in a
pair of pressed black slacks and a ribbed black pullover, with striped epaulets on his shoulders.
$Maam, sir..' The man said. $0eve run into a weather issue and wanted to advise you on it. "
tropical depression has formed in the Gulf, and the outflow is going to e&trude into our course and
make it a very rough ride.'
$3an we go around it+' "lastair asked. $My kidneys are not in the mood to be rattled tonight.'
$I can certainly ask, sir.' The man replied. $It might make us need to change our flight plan though.'
%e said. $0ere taking a very long route over the .outhern 3aribbean to avoid 7. airspace and this
would mean a shift nearer to the coast of .outh "merica.'
*ar and "lastair e&changed looks. $*epression look like its going get worse++' *ar asked.
$.trengthen+'
The man nodded. $They e&pect it to become Tropical storm Gabrielle tomorrow.'
$/ets avoid it if we can.' *ar said. $5othing against your pilots skills but Im not in the mood for a
swim off Tortola today.'
$Im not up for a swim off Tortola any day.' "lastair chimed in. $#ven though I do float like a cork.'
The man nodded, and disappeared again.
"lastair grunted. $-igures.'
*ar leaned back against the wall again. $That time of year.' .he said. $0ish Id taken Gerry up on his
offer now.' .he admitted. $%e sounded like he had a thousand irons on the fire though.'
"lastair regarded her. $/ady, if you think these old bones wanted to spend eight hours crossing the
pond in an "irborne )umpseat youre nutty as a fruitcake without any rum in it.'
*ar chuckled, and started to roam again, walking to the front of the cabin past the service bulkhead
shed been leaning against, then turning and moving along the rows of chairs to the back where a
small suite of bathrooms were tucked. $Im pretty sure he meant a civilian transport, "lastair. Im
sure they had other people that needed a ride home, diplomats and whatever.'
$/et them ride in a steel bucket seat.' "lastair said. $*amn politicians spend most of their time
busting my chops anyway.'
*ar went over to where their carryon baggage was stowed and dug in hers, removing her bathroom
kit and retreating with it into the typically small airplane facility.
-or shorter people, it was bearable. -or *ar, the e&perience usually left her with a crick in her neck
and so she brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face as !uickly as she could. The nap
had definitely cleared her head, but now that she was awake, the uncertainty of what was going on
below was starting to gnaw at her again.
.he checked her watch. (erry was up and working by now, she was sure. It was maddening to know
her partner was in the middle of who knows what and not be able to help. 5ot that she thought
(erry needed her in order to do her )ob ? her performance the day before amply demonstrated that ?
but they were in uncharted territory right now and she had the greater e&perience.
*ar gazed at her reflection on the mirror, seeing the somber furrow in her brow. $.hes going to be
fine.' .he told herself. $.hes )ust going to %erndon, and she knows how to deflect someone if she has
to.'
(erry did. .he could politely, charmingly, and warmly tell the most demanding, insistent customer
they werent going to get what they wanted and leave them unable to voice a complaint about it. *ar
had seen her do it on more than one occasion, and she had no doubt she could handle whatever
re!uest awaited her there.
.he studied the blue eyes reflected in the glass surface. $.o why are you chewing nails+'
0as she afraid (erry would do so well, shed show how much she didnt need the support+ *ars
nose wrinkled. $,eesh I hope not.' .he really didnt think so, though. It was actually a pleasure to be
able to count on someone and not have to worry about babysitting them at work.
0as she worried her prolonged contact with her family would change the way she felt about
anything+ "bout anyone+ *ar watched her own eyebrow lift, and her lips curve into a smile. 5o. .he
was not worried about that.
.he was )ust, she reasoned, worried about the person she loved most in the world simply because
thats what people in love did. They worried.
.he packed up her kit and bumped the door open, emerging into the main cabin of the plane and
restoring her sundries to her bag. "lastair had turned his reading light off, and was standing near the
front of the plane, peering out the window in the boarding door. $.ee any good birds+'
$I see a lot of ocean.' "lastair responded. $Imagine what it was like for the first fellas who crossed
that thing in a boat. That took a lot of guts.'
$Its a big ocean.' *ar agreed, coming over to stand by him. $Ive only sailed part of it, and those long
stretches of )ust water really hit you sometimes.' .he said. $"nd Ive been caught in storms that made
me wonder how sun and star navigators ever made it across.'
$"h yes. 3aptain 6oberts, isnt it+' "lastair glanced at her, with a grin.
.he smiled back. $,es, it is'
The door behind them opened and the steward came back in. $9h.' %e turned, evidently surprised
not to see them sitting in their seats. $The captain says hes filing an amendment to our flight plan,
thatll bring us )ust north of the Grenadines, and along the south coast of 3uba and then across to
Me&ico. It means adding a hour to the flight, but it will end up being a lot smoother. 0e were
intending on slipping between 3uba and -lorida before.
"n hour. *ar sighed inwardly. $*amn I wish we could )ust land in Miami.'
The steward looked sympathetic. $7s too.' %e agreed. $0ell try to make it as comfortable as
possible.' %e gave them a brief smile. $0ere about ready to serve, if you want to freshen up.' %e
slipped out again, closing the door behind him.
$0ell.' "lastair said. $Thats a damn shame.' %e eased past *ar and went back to his seat. $But I think
its better than flying through a storm.'
*ar gazed out the small window, feeling more than a little trapped. .he hoped things were going well
for (erry, and that the company plan was proceeding.
.he hoped there were no more attacks.
$*ar+'
$%m+' *ar turned and pushed off from the window, walking back down the aisle and stopping by her
seat. .he sat down on the arm of it, and rested her elbows on her knees. $Guess all we can do is put up
with it.'
$Itll be fine.' %er boss reassured her. $0eve got good people running the show, dont we+'
*ar nodded.
$0ant a drink+'
*ar slid backwards into her chair, leaving one leg slung over the arm of it. $5ot yet.'
$%ow about a tran!uilizer+ Got a bottle of em.'
*ar turned her head and looked at him, her eyebrows lifting.
$If you dont take one, Im gonna have to.' "lastair informed her. $If youre going to pace like a cat for
the rest of the flight.'
*ar chuckled wryly. $/et me see if they have chocolate milk first.' .he sighed. $Thatll probably be
less destructive for both of us.'
;;
$9kay.' (erry had her headset on, and she checked her watch as she glanced over the screen of her
laptop to see her mother emerge from her room. $.o whats the status there before we go any
further.'
.enator .tuart paused, as she fastened her earring. .he was dressed in a well fitted business suit, and
an aide was standing !uietly by holding her briefcase. $"re you sure we cant offer you a ride+'
(erry covered the mic with her hand. $Im fine. 9ur office is sending a someone to pick me up.' .he
said. $Ill rent a car out there.' .he paused. $But thanks.'
%er mother hesitated, then nodded. $0ell, take care in that case. Things are very unsettled.' .he
warned her daughter. $4lease let my staff know if there is anything you need.'
$%old on.' (erry hit her mute button. $Thanks. I think we have it covered. Take care yourself.' .he
watched her mother follow the aide out, feeling a sense of relief as the door closed behind them.
$9kay.' .he went back to the line. $/isten, Ive got about ten minutes before I go mobile. .o give it to
me fast.'
$Boy.' The male voice answered her. $Thats going to be tough, Ms. .tuart because its more like, what
isnt going on+ 0eve got a ton of stuff hitting now because of deliverables that were missed
yesterday.'
"s shed e&pected, the world that had stopped turning the day before had now started up again.
$9kay.' (erry said. $0ell, obviously we need to put out the message that were in a holding pattern
ourselves for a lot of things.'
.he sat down and picked up her third cup of coffee, sipping it as she reviewed the laptop screen. 9n
her status map, large chunks of the 5ortheast were blinking red, and to one side, she now had a list of
accounts with stoplights by them most of them also red, though with a few yellows sprinkled in here
and there.
$Miami e&ec, this is %ouston ops.'
(erry checked her watch again. $Go ahead, %ouston.'
$Miami, weve got a list of demands from the government groups here.' The voice answered. $More
circuits, more bandwidth, some e&tra processors.. and they want it all right now.'
$Miami e&ec, this is /" #arthstation.' " very tired voice broke in. $0ere getting the same kinds of
re!uests too. Ive e&plained transponder space about three hundred times already and its only si&
"M here.'
(erry thought a minute. $9kay.' .he said. $/ets )ust start gathering up re!uirements, and getting a
list together of our available resources. 0e cant give everyone everything.'
%er cell phone range. $%ang on.' .he said, then muted, as she answered the phone. $(erry .tuart.'
$Ms. .tuart+ This is *aniel Green. I work for the 5.".'
,ikes. /ovely. $0hat can I do for you+' (erry asked. $Its a pretty busy morning.'
$I can appreciate that.' The man said. $"s I am sure you can appreciate its the same for us.' %e added.
$My department has been trying to secure the cooperation of your facility in 1irginia since yesterday,
and weve had some problems. I was told you could help.'
(erry paused to draw in a steadying breath. $9kay. %old on one moment, please. I am in the middle of
a conference call. Ill be right back to you.' .he put the call on hold. $-olks, I need to duck out. I have
the government on the line here.'
$Great.' The voice from the #arth .tation sighed.
$9kay. /isten up.' (erry stood. $6ight now, no one gets anything.' .he decided. $:ust take detailed
notes of what is being asked for, and post that to the desktop workspace. Miami ops, are you on+'
$6ight here, boss.' Marks voice answered. $0ere rolling up the road past you right now.'
$3an you please get me an updated resource list and post it on the desktop+' (erry said. $I dont want
to start pulling circuits until I know what the real priorities are.'
$#veryone thinks theirs are., Miami e&ec.' %ouston replied. $,ou know how it is.'
$I know.' (erry agreed. $Maybe this guy Ive got on the phone can get me to someone who can tell me
what the real first in lines are.' .he said. $7ntil then, we )ust listen. #veryone understand+'
$7nderstood.' %ouston said.
$-ine by us.' /" answered. $0e dont have any spare capacity anyway.'
$9kay.' (erry said. $Im signing off until I pick up on mobile. Mark, cover me.'
$3overing.' Mark replied. $If you need anything, te&t me, boss. 0e can pull over.'
$Ill be back on shortly. Im off.' (erry hung up the connection and started to close down her laptop,
while she took her cell phone call off hold. $Mr. Green+'
$Im here. The man answered. $Ms. .tuart, I really dont have much time to discuss this with you.'
(erry closed her laptop and maneuvered it into its case one handed. $0ell, Mr. Green, let me tell you
something.' .he said. $I have hundreds of customers, including the government, all having all kinds of
problems all over the country and halfway across the planet right now.'
$Im sure you do.'
$.o I dont have much time to talk to you either. I would like to help you. $ (erry said. $I would like to
understand what it is you need from us. I am on my way to our offices in 1irginia right now, would
you like to meet there+'
.he waited for him to answer, draining her coffee and picking up the last bite of the *anish her
mother had professed to be horrified by and popping it into her mouth.
$That will be good.' Green finally said. $Two of my men are already there, but they arent being
allowed inside the building.'
$Its a secure facility.' (erry came perilously close to having to speak with her mouth full, swallowing
)ust in time. $.o that sounds right.'
Green sighed. $I will meet you there.' %e said. $I hope we can come to an understanding, Ms. .tuart,
without me having to get my upper eschelons involved. ,ou wont like dealing with them.'
(erry licked her lips. $/ikewise.' .he said. $.ee you there.' .he hung up the phone and clipped it to
her belt. .he scanned the tray for any remaining edibles, then she lifted her )acket off the back of the
chair and slipped into it.
It wasnt really cold enough to need a )acket, but it gave her a place to clip her identification badge to,
and she felt it was )ust slightly more formal than her )eans and polo shirt were. Technically, since she
was making an official visit to the office, she should be wearing a business suit but she hadnt brought
it, leaving the folded suit bag shed intended on bringing to #urope with her with "ngie instead.
.o they had to deal with her in casual clothes. (erry spared a moment to wonder if it would put her at
a serious disadvantage, then she shrugged and decided if it did, there were plenty of stores in the
capital she could remedy the situation with.
5o time to worry about it now, at any rate. .he pocketed her room key and shouldered her bag,
heading for the door to the room. The conference call would wait until she was in the car, and the
few moments silence as she rode the elevator gave her a space of time to think about what *ar was
up to.
Besides LC,AAA feet, that was. (errys eyes flicked the inside of the elevator, noting the
advertisements for the hotels spa and making a mental note to investigate it after what she was sure
would be a long, painful day.
.he hoped *ar was getting some rest on her trip across the "tlantic. "t least the private flight would
be !uiet, and she was sure her partner would be well taken care of by the professional crew. Maybe
shed have picked up some new magazines to read on the way.
%er 4*" beeped, and she )umped, grabbing at it and wondering if her clever partner had found some
way to send messages from the sky. 9pening it, she was profoundly disappointed to find that was not
the case, and in fact, the message was doubly unwelcome since it bore the address of the national
hurricane center on it. $9h please.'
000
WTNT44 KNHC 131458
TCDAT8
TROPICAL DEPRESSION EIGHT DISCUSSION NUMBER 4
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042001
0900 AM EDT MON SEP 12 2001
$:ust what we need.' (erry read the rest of the advisory as she e&ited the elevator and crossed the
lobby, keeping an eye on the path with her peripheral vision in an odd, dis)ointed sort of way
common to nerds who had to learn to communicate and walk at the same time.
.he studied the coordinates, giving the doorman who opened the door for her an absent greeting as
she emerged into the hotels front entranceway, her brows creasing as she pictured where the storm
was forming. $.hit.'
$Madame+' The doorman looked at her, his head cocked to one side.
$.orry.' (erry tucked her 4*" away and glanced around, seeing no obviously waiting cars. $:ust got
some bad news.'
The man nodded, and stepped away.
(erry rummaged in her briefcase and pulled out her cellphone earbuds. .he set the case down and
untangled them, trying not to be impatient as the slim cables knotted stubbornly. It re!uired a more
intense concentration than shed anticipated, and so she was surprised when someone cleared their
throat une&pectedly close to her.
$#&cuse me, Ms. .tuart+'
(erry looked up, to find a young, slim, dark haired woman standing at the curb. $%ello.' .he glanced
at the I* clipped to the womans crisply pressed shirt. $5an+ I dont think weve ever met.'
$5o, we havent.' The woman replied, with a smile. $I thought I recognized you but wasnt sure.'
$0ell, you guessed right.' (erry held a hand out. $,ou my ride+'
$,es, maam.' The woman smiled, and returned her grip. $.orry if I startled you. They made me park
the car down the slope.'
(erry got her buds sorted out and shouldered her briefcase. $/ead on.' .he followed the woman
down ward towards where she could see a one of the standard issue company .71s parked. 5an
was a technical supervisor at the %erndon center and (erry had both spoken to and emailed her on
countless occasions before.
/aid back and competent. (erry had formed a favorable opinion of her from their previous
interaction and nothing so far had contradicted that. .he had a fine boned face and a well shaped
profile and a slender build that matched her relatively short stature.
$Its been frantic crazy.' 5an said, after a brief silence. $I know the 4TBs are really glad youre here
though. 0ere running out of e&cuses and coffee for the government guys.'
$I bet.' (erry said. $Their boss is meeting me out at the office. Im sure well get it straightened out.'
.he opened the passenger side door of the .71 and settled into the seat, putting her case down
between her boots.
/eather boots, )eans, leather )acket. There was nothing western about any of them, but (erry had to
smile privately at )ust how much her taste in clothing had changed and the look of dubious surprise
on her mothers face at that.
.he didnt look bad in it. 9ne glance in a mirror attested to that. *ar had told her, in fact that she
actually looked really se&y in the clothes and (erry was fully willing to bow to her opinion in the
matter.
It was, however, probably not what her colleagues here e&pected.
5an got in the drivers seat and started the .71 up. $.eat goes back if you need.' .he said. $I ad)usted
it before I left but youre taller than I e&pected you to be.'
%uh+ (erry stopped in mid motion and turned her head, both eyebrows shooting up. $0ell, thats the
first time I ever heard T%"T comment before.' .he blurted. $#&cuse me+'
5an chuckled wanly. $Beg your pardon.' .he said. $I know weve etalked a lot but the only pictures
Ive seen of you are on the intranet.'
$"hh.' (erry started chuckling. $0here Im always standing ne&t to *ar. ,eah. Im surprised most
people dont think Im a circus midget.' .he e&tended her denim covered legs and crossed her ankles.
$/et me get back on the conference call. .ounds like things are going to hell this morning.'
.he pulled her earbuds from her pocket and put one in her right ear, then dialed the conference line.
$%ow long have the 5." people been there today+
5an glanced !uickly at her, then back at the road. $Is that who they are+' .he asked. $0ow. They
wouldnt tell us. They were there when the admins opened the guest center at seven.'
$5ice.' (erry e&haled, shaking her head as she typed in the conference code. $*o you know what it is
theyre asking for, or are they still being vague+' .he heard the call connect, but she left her mic on
mute for the time being, electing to listen to 5an instead.
5an paused at a light, and waited for it to turn. $They were pretty obscure. They have some big black
bo& with them.' .he said. $"nd they told us they wanted to put it in the center, and have our core
switch hooked up to it.'
(erry eyed her. $,ou have got to be kidding me.' .he said. $*o they realize what goes through that
center+ 0hat do they think theyre looking for+ Those are internal government systems.'
$0e told them that.' 5an agreed. $They think they can see traffic coming in from the outside to them.
They say theyre looking for terrorist hackers.' .he continued. $They seem to be convinced that the
whole attack thing isnt over and theyll be making an attempt at our systems ne&t.'
(erry folded her arms over her chest, her brows contracting. $0hat in the hell do they think
connecting something to our core switch is going to do to stop that+' .he asked, in a puzzled tone.
5an shrugged. $Its the government.' .he said. $,ou know how they are. .omeone tells them to do
something and whether or not it makes sense goes out the window. I talked to their lead tech guy.'
.he confided. $%e told me we )ust have to do it, or else well get in really big trouble.'
%m. (erry pulled out her 4*" and glanced at the ne&t to last message, one from *ar.
weetheart.
Im about to !et on this damn plane. I talked to 5erry, and somethin!s up but not somethin! he wants
to talk about over the phone, and not to anyone but me. ounds screwy. He doesnt know anythin!
about whats !oin! on where you are, but says not to say no automatically to anythin! because
everyones flyin! blind and theres a lot of knee jerkin! !oin! on.
9othin! !oes in our facility. :eel comfortable about sayin! that to them, because hon, its locked under
my lo!in and thou!h you know it, youve !ot a perfectly !ood reason not to. (et them wait for me and
$lastair " were le!ally responsible for the contracts anyway.
(ove you. +ish I could fly ri!ht to )' to be with you. Han! ti!ht.
))
$0ish you could too.' (erry muttered under her breath. $0e can talk to them, and try to find out
specifically what theyre looking for.' .he told 5an. $If I cant convince them theyre barking up the
wrong tree, then we )ust have to tell them to wait until *ar lands.'
5an nodded. $They said the systems were all locked.' .he said. $Its making the network guys
nervous.' .he added. $/ike I said, theyll all be glad to see you. 5o one minds making decisions but
man, when youve got the dark side of the government camped on the doorstep its freak city time.'
$,eah.' (erry rested her head against the back of the seat, listening with one ear to the chatter on the
call. $-reak city+ 0ere living on -reak 4lanet right now.' .he shifted and drew one knee up a little,
resting her hand on it as she cupped the other over her ear. $Thats for damn sure.'
5an leaned back in her seat, watching (erry from the corner of her eye.
$0hat+' (erry caught the look.
The dark haired woman appeared to be suppressing a smile. $,oure really not what I e&pected.' .he
e&plained.
$In a good way, or a bad way+' (erry asked, wryly.
$9h. Good way.' 5an said. $*efinitely.'
5ow what, (erry wondered. *id that actually mean+ $0ell, glad to hear it.' .he clicked her mic on.
$.cuse me a minute2 Miami ops, this is Miami e&ec back on. 0hat was that about a power outage+'
5an drove on in silence, passing !uickly through unusually empty streets, for once the lack of traffic
causing no one any cheer.
;;
*ar leafed through her magazine, reading the technical articles then amusing herself by viewing the
ads that luridly bracketed them.
$0hatcha reading+' "lastair asked.
*ar held up the front page.
%er boss rolled his eyes. $:esus, lady.' %e folded his hands across his stomach. $*ont you ever go off
duty+'
$I like technology.' *ar protested mildly. $.hit, "lastair, what do you think you pay me for+ My typing
skills+' .he had one leg slung over the arm of the chair and now she leaned on her knee a little. $This
stuff changes every damn second. ,ou have to keep up.'
"lastair chuckled. $I dont have to keep up. Thats why I have you.' %e put his hands behind his head
and stretched. $0asnt bad dinner, eh+'
$1ery good, matter of fact.' *ar agreed. $.ure beats chicken -lorentine or three cheese pasta, which
would have been our choices otherwise.' .he put the magazine down and got up to wander to the
back of the cabin and stretch her legs.
There was an open space there, enough for her to stand and e&tend her arms. .he did so, and twisted
her body back and forth to loosen up the stiff muscles in her back.
$5ow what are you doing+' "lastair asked.
$:umping )acks.' *ar replied. $0anna )oin me+'
%er boss leaned on his chair arm and craned around to watch her. $My last )umping )ack was in basic
training when I was eighteen years old way before you were born.' %e informed his 3I9. $My idea of
strenuous e&ercise is letting the caddy drive the cart on the golf course.'
$7gh.' *ar tested the luggage racks strength, then she gripped them and let her body drop back,
tensing her shoulders as they took her weight. $I cant handle golf.' .he said. $I dont have the
patience for it. I end up hunting for grasshoppers and losing track of what hole Im on.'
"lastair snickered. $,know, I can picture that.' %e said. $,ou do sports though, dont you+ I thought I
remember seeing some pictures of you winning some karate tournament or something and Bea said
you were all )oining a baseball league down there+'
*ar lowered herself to the ground and decided on a few pushups. $I do sports.' .he conceded. $Ive
been doing martial arts since I was a kid.' .he settled into a smooth rhythm, glad for the distraction.
$/ets me let off some steam.' .he paused, her body held up off the floor and peered up at "lastair.
$,ou saw pictures+'
$.ure.' "lastair said. $(errys !uite a photographer.' %e watched *ar as she merely looked at him,
remaining in place. $%ow long can you stay like that+'
$/ong as I have to.' *ar pressed herself up into a handstand and felt her back rela& as gravity
inverted. $Id forgotten she put that in the department news blurb.' .he crossed her ankles and
pondered the matter. $They wanted me to continue on in that circuit but I figured Id !uit while I was
ahead and not push my luck.'
$Mm.' %er boss got up and sat on his chair arm to better watch her, e&tending his legs across the
aisle.
$,eah, Id rather you didnt risk getting kicked in the head.' %e said. $,ou get into enough damned
situations as it is.'
*ar bent her elbows, then she pushed off gently from the floor of the aircraft and flipped herself
upright, shaking her arms as blood returned from her head to the rest of her where it belonged. $Its
been a little crazy the last year or so.' .he conceded. $Maybe Im )ust doing more.'
$Maybe you actually got a life.' "lastairs eyes twinkled. $I used to worry about you sleeping under
your desk down in that office.'
*ar snorted softly. $Ive got a perfectly good couch in there. 0hat kind of a nitwit do you think I am+'
But she smiled to take the sting from the words. $But yeah, maybe.' .he sat down on the arm of the
chair across from "lastair. $-eels like its been busier.'
$Been good for you.' %er boss concluded. $%asnt it+'
$%ell yeah. 0ouldnt have traded a minute of it.' .he stuck her hands in the pockets of her cargo
pants. $But I dont think what were going through now counts.'
"lastairs face grew serious. $5o.' %e said. $Im sure this is going to have a lot of conse!uences.' %e
folded his arms over his chest. $,ou can bet on a military response. I sent a note to %am to review our
contracts with the service branches to see what were obligated for.'
*ar nodded. $I thought of that.' .he said. $Im having Mark spool up the new tech groups to start
reviewing everything they can get their hands on.' .he said. $I dont know what theyll ask for. I have
a feeling Gerrys need to talk to me is something along those lines.'
$I figured the same.'
*ar e&haled and looked around the plane, then back at "lastair. $"re we there yet+'
%er boss chuckled wryly.
They turned as the forward door opened, and the steward appeared. $The captain wanted me to tell
you hes submitted the new flight plan, but hes been told it needs to be cleared by the 7.
Government, even though were not going to encroach on 7. airspace.'
$"h.'
$Its very tense.' The steward e&plained. $0e had to forward a manifest to them. I hope neither of
you has any outstanding issues in the .tates, because that could be a problem.'
"lastair and *ar glanced at each other. $0ell. $ "lastair said. $0e both have dozens of outstanding
issues but theyre not personal ones. I believe theyll be glad enough to let us by.' %e thought a
moment. $Maybe we can ask them for permission to land, while were at it.'
$I dont know about that sir.' The steward looked mildly alarmed. $The people I heard the captain
talking to really didnt sound very friendly.' %e said. $0e really dont want trouble. 0e didnt
contract for that.
"lastair held a hand up. $%old on there, son. 0ere not looking for trouble either. 0e work for a
company with a lot of government contracts, and its possible theyd make an e&ception because
theres issues theyre looking to us to solve. 3hances are when they put our names into their
system...'
$0hich I wrote.' *ar commented, in a mild tone, peering back at her boss when he looked at her in
surprise. $That was before I got a life.' .he clarified, her eyes glinting with amusement. $I had more
time back then.'
"lastair scratched the back of his neck, and shook his head. $"nyway, when they call us up, they
might say something about it.'
The steward didnt look reassured. $0ell, Ill let the captain handle all that.' %e said. $Is there
anything I can get you in the meantime+'
$Got any ice cream+' *ar in!uired.
$"h, yes. I think we do.' The steward nodded. $.ir+' %e turned to "lastair. $0ould you like some as
well++'
"lastair reseated himself. $5ot for me, thanks.' %e lifted a hand. $I'll take a glass of cognac though.'
$1ery good, sir, Ill be right back.' The steward disappeared again behind the service door, leaving
them in solitude.
*ar fell backwards into her seat, sprawling sideways across the chair with her legs over one arm and
her head resting on the other. .he studied the ceiling of the airplane and wished the time would )ust
go damned faster. $%ope they dont give them trouble.'
$Got a lot of scared folks down there.' "lastair said. $*id you really write that system+'
$7h huh.' %is 3I9 said. $Its )ust a fle&ible relational database with a custom inde&. 5ot that big a
deal.' .he said. $The biggest pain in the ass was writing the "4I they wanted so they could connect it
up to other government systems and e&change data.'
$Mm. 0hat other systems did they hook up to+'
$5one.' *ar crossed her ankles. $Thats why it was a pain in the ass. I wrote it so it was a standard
data e&change interface, and every other god damned system in the government was a, different, and
b, proprietary so no one could talk to them anyway.'
$9h, for 4etes sake.' %er boss said. $.o what do they do+'
$#&port to a flat file and reimport.' *ar folded her hands across her stomach. $(now how long that
takes+'
$#specially in a situation like this+ Too long.' "lastair shook his head. $0e should do something about
that.' %e took out his 4*". $Ill have Ivan work up a white paper to pass around after this is settled
down a little.'
*ar considered that, as she waited for the steward to return with her much needed dessert. $0onder
whats going on in %erndon+' .he asked. $%ope theyre not giving (erry too hard a time. $
"lastair gave her a wry look, which she missed. $Im sure she can handle it.'
$Im sure she can too. Its )ust that people try to take advantage of her because shes not a big mean
looking macho dude.' *ar said. $Then she has to kick them in the ass a few times before she gets
their respect and frankly, that sucks.'
The steward slipped back in, with a tray. $The captain will be coming back to speak with you both in a
few minutes. 0eve got some further !uestions from the 7. government.' %e moved forward,
pausing as *ar shifted her position to a more normal one and swung her tray out in place. $6ight
now, they arent clearing us to fly south of -lorida.'
$I thought they only control their local airspace+' *ar asked. $%ow in the hell can they stop someone
from flying to 3entral "merica+'
The steward put a bowl down on her tray. $Maam, I dont know. ,ou can ask the captain.' %e turned
and put "lastairs snifter down, filled halfway with a clear golden li!uid. $6ight now, were
considering )ust withdrawing the re!uest and continuing on our original flight plan, which was
approved. It will be a rough ride, but at least well get there.'
"lastair sighed, and picked up the glass. $0ell.' %e swirled it. $.orry if it caused a hassle. If thats
what we need to do, then we do. Got any seasick pills+ I dont tolerate turbulence well and Id hate to
hand you back your nice dinner.'
$0e can provide some, of course.' The steward looked relieved. $Maam, I can get you some as well.'
*ar waved her hand in negation at him, busy with her mouthful of ice cream.
$3aptain 6oberts sails the bounding main on a regular basis.' "lastair chuckled. $I dont think she
needs any help.'
The door opened again and the captain stuck his head in. $-olks, weve got trouble.' %e said, his face
serious. $Im being instructed to land in 5assau. The 7. military are grounding us for inspection.'
*ar licked off her spoon. $0hat+'
$Thats crazy.' "lastair put his glass down and got up. $3mon, son. /et me go talk to these people.' %e
headed for the door to the service area. $Ill throw some names around. 0ell get it sorted out.'
$.ir I.. $ The pilot had to either back out of the way, or get hit by "lastairs forward motion, and he
chose the better part of valor and moved. $0e can see if theyll talk to you, but they were pretty
e&plicit.'
$Ill be e&plicit, too.' "lastair shooed him towards the cockpit. %e glanced back at *ar. $5ow let me
see if I can go earn my paycheck.'
*ar shook her head. $3razy.'
$I hope the gentleman knows what hes doing.' The steward said, unhappily. $I heard those people on
the other end, and I dont think theyre going to appreciate someone !uestioning them.' %e looked at
*ar. $This is very intimidating.'
*ar found herself caught in the dilemma of both being concerned about the situation, and guiltily
happy about the possibility of being on the ground with the ability to get ahold of (erry. $Im sure itll
work out.' .he told the man. $Its probably )ust a misunderstanding.'
$I sure hope so.' The steward muttered. $I knew I should have called in sick today.'
;;
(erry was glad enough to bypass the stately main entrance to their %erndon office and use the staff
door instead. There were two big, black, ominous looking .71's parked near the front and she
wanted a few minutes to get herself settled before she had to interact with the people whod come in
them.
$This way.' 5an led her through the door, pausing to scan her badge, then her handprint at the glass
double door inside. $0ait for me to go through, then scan. It should validate you.' .he waited,
nodding her head a little bit as the system pondered for a while then clicked and turned green.
$#ventually.'
$Guess well find out.' (erry waited for the door to close behind her guide before she removed her
badge from her lapel and held it against the sensor, then presented her palm on the glass plate when
it glowed.
It turned green instantly and the door opened. (errys brow twitched a little, but she pushed the
door open and let it close, then opened the inner door which clicked when the outer locked. .he
re)oined 5an and glanced around, finding the sedate gray and maroon interior weirdly familiar. $I see
we had the same interior decorators.'
5an chuckled. $,ou mean, here and Miami+' .he asked. $Is it the same+'
$4retty much.' (erry followed her down a long hallway inset with cherrywood doors. It was thickly
carpeted, and !uiet, despite all the unsettled chaos. $Ill need a workspace.' .he said. $But Id like to
stop in at 9perations first.'
$6ight.' 5an nodded. $Bob 0illingsly is getting an office set up for you. %e said it would be about five
more minutes.' .he indicated a large security door )ust ahead in the corridor. $Thats ops.' .he stood
back to let (erry pass her. $Im not credentialed for that.'
(erry gave her a brief smile. $0ell, thanks. I appreciate the ride, and the tour.' .he said. $Ill be back
shortly, I )ust want to check things out.' .he went over to the door and pressed her badge against the
sensor, then offered her palm to the reader. The door clicked without hesitation, and she pushed it
open.
$%ey, Ms. .tuart+' 5an called after her. $,ou do something special to your badge to get it to clear that
fast+ 0ed love to copy whatever it is. Takes ours forever.'
(erry glanced back. $I know the designer.' .he admitted. $Ill see what I can do.' .he entered the ops
center and let the door closed behind her, turning to face the operations staff who were standing as
they spotted her. $Morning guys.'
The operations center, like the one in Miami, was a half circle of admin stations behind a heavy desk
spaced with chairs on the inside curve. 7nlike the one she was familiar with though, behind the
console there was a big, intimidating plate glass double wall separating the operators from the data
center e!uipment they managed.
$Ms. .tuart8' " man hurried forward, e&tending his hand. $*ave *raper. 0eve talked many times.'
$0e have.' (erry smiled at him. $Its good to meet you, *ave, but I wish it wasnt for this reason.' .he
said. $I hear we have visitors already.'
$.ure do.' *ave said. %e was a man in his mid fourties, with thinning dark hair and a s!uare )aw.
$0ere real glad youre here. Those folks are getting pretty mean.' %e told her. $My boss, (en, is with
them but I know hell be glad to see you too.'
$I bet.' (erry put her briefcase down on a nearby chair. $9kay, before I go mess with them, give me
the five cent and bring me up to speed on what the status is.'
$.ure.' *ave turned and faced the room. The console operators were all busy at their desks, but each
had turned their chair )ust a bit so they could watch what was going on.
(erry could see the global meetingplace screen on their monitors, split with various console ops
applications that monitored the traffic and data that ran through the center.
$,know weve got a mi& here.' *ave said, pointing to the secured space. $9ne sides the government
racks, theyre green, and the other sides the commercial ones, their that flat gray color. 0e keep the
cabling and everything color marked so no one gets confused and connects the wrong thing to the
wrong infrastructure.'
(erry nodded. $/ooks very good.' .he complimented him. $*ar would approve.'
*ave managed a grin at that. $"nyway.' %e said. $The only thing they share is the net dmarc. Ms.
6oberts put in a parallel infrastructure, but they all terminate to the same blocks in the back. Thats
where this guy wanted to put his thing.'
(erry folded her arms. $0hat did he want to connect it to+'
$Thats )ust it.' *ave said. $%e wanted us to let his guys in there, and let them connect it to whatever
they wanted to.'
$9h hell no.' (erry said. $0hat are they, nuts+'
$I heard them, maam.' The nearest of the console ops had turned around. $They said they were
trying to find the terrorists, and we had to let them.'
$Thats right.' *ave said. $.o we have console ops here, split into two sides. The left side is
government, the right side is commercial, and :ohn here was the man on ops when it all came down
yesterday on the government side.'
(erry remembered the voice. $%ello, :ohn.' .he e&tended her hand to the tech. $Thanks for the great
)ob.'
The lanky blond man blinked, and accepted her grip. %is eyes had shadows under them, and he
looked tired. $Thank you maam. I hope I never, ever have to do that again.'
$Me too.' (erry agreed. .he looked up at all the operators, who were now openly watching her.
$#veryone did a good )ob. #veryones doing a great )ob today, and were )ust beginning. I think
everyone here knows that the hard parts )ust starting.'
The men all nodded.
$.how me the big board.' (erry turned to *ave. $I want to see what were up against in bringing
services back before I talk to those folks in the guest center.'
$.ure.' *ave walked over to the other side of the ops console and turned, pointing at the large screen
display with the tracework of connectivity for the resources the office was responsible for.
(erry e&haled, seeing the big red circle around the 4entagon, and the scattering of outages around
that area due to the loss of infrastructure. $Boy, thats a lot of damage.'
$4roblem was, we were using one drop room.' *ave said. $3ause the other one was in the section that
got taken out.' %e sighed. $.o youd figure wed be fine, but the other droproom was at the inner edge
of the area and it got trashed and the one under construction is.. well..'
$.till under construction.' (erry finished for him.
$,es maam.'
$9kay.' (erry knew there wasnt much she could do from the office. $Im going to need a ride out
there after I finish with these guys. I have resources coming up, but I want to see the lay of the land
firsthand.'
$5anll take you.' *ave said. $.hes all yours whatever you need.'
(erry retrieved her briefcase. $Then lets get this over with.' .he motioned for him to precede her.
$/ead on. I could guess where the guest conference room is based on the floor plan but you probably
dont want me wandering around knocking on doors.'
*ave managed a smile at that, and led the way out the door. %e opened the door with his badge.
$,oull have to clear through after me. 0e have a scan in scan out policy.'
$.ure.' (erry waited for him to pass through, then followed. .he took the few minutes the walk
through the halls afforded her to concentrate on rela&ing as much as she could, and preparing herself
mentally for what she suspected was not going to a pleasant confrontation.
.he didnt really mind confrontation any more. .he hadnt liked it much when shed first started with
I/., but over the months shed gradually gotten herself used to the stress of it, getting her mind
around the fact that it wasnt so very different than her debating challenges had been way back when.
$%ope theyre not too pissed.' *ave said. $Id hate to have them )ust go off at you, maam.'
$Im used to it.' (erry said. $Ive done a lot of new client consolidations and contract challenges.' .he
assured him. $"nd my very first confrontation with I/. was with *ar 6oberts. It kind of goes
downhill from there, you know what I mean+'
*ave produced a surprised little laugh. $Ms. 6oberts sure is something.'
$.he sure is.' (erry readily agreed.
They passed through a larger hallway, and came around corner where a security door blocked the
way. $Guest sections past there.' *ave said. $,ou want me to go with you+'
(erry was pretty good at reading body language, but in this case she had no need do. *aves voice
told her everything she needed to know. $5ah.' .he patted him on the shoulder. $%ang in there, *ave.
:ust try to keep what we have working, running as smoothly as possible, and call me if anything starts
going to hell, okay+'
$,ou got it.' *ave said, watching as she held her badge to the door. $Good luck.'
$Thanks.' (erry went through the door, finding herself now in the two level, stately lobby that
featured a big reception desk on one side, and a glassed in conference space on the other. .he could
see several people inside the conference hall, and she paused to settle her nerves before she headed
for them.
$9h, Ms. .tuart+' The receptionist spotted her. $.orry, didnt realize you were here. The gentlemen
were asking for you.'
$I bet.' (erry gave her a wry smile.
$0ould you like some coffee brought in+ 0eve been holding off.' The woman said, her nose
wrinkling. $They werent really very nice.'
$Go ahead.' (erry patted the desk. $/et me go see what I can do with them.' .he shouldered her
briefcase and approached the entrance to the conference center, pausing at the door way )ust long
enough to interrupt the heated conversation inside before she entered. $Good morning.'
The men had been caught by surprise. They turned and watched her as she made her way around the
table to the head of it, setting down her brief case and leaning her fingertips on the polished wood
surface. $9kay. /ets start with who you gentlemen are, what department of the government you
work for, and who your bosses are.'
The men glanced at each other in some slight puzzlement.
$Ill start. My names (errison .tuart. Im the 1ice 4resident of operations for I/..' (erry said. $I think
you can appreciate that I have a slate of issues to deal with taller than I am so if we can discuss what
your issue is !uickly and efficiently, Id really appreciate it.'
5ow they all looked at one of the men, an older gentleman of middling height, with copper curly hair.
They all had dark suits on, and Bluetooth earpieces and (erry suspected their )acket pockets held
identical pairs of dark sunglasses they had no use for at the moment.
$9kay.' The ginger haired man said. $Im *an 3utter. Im the agent in charge for this area for the
.ecret .ervice.'
$9kay.' (erry said. $.o, I guess youre different people who want something from us than the
gentleman from the 5." whos on his way here.'
$5."+' 9ne of the other men said. $0hat do they want+'
$The 5."s on the way here+ 0ho' 3utter asked. $This is not their )urisdiction.'
9h :esus. $4lease sit down.' (erry did so, folding her hands on the table. $.uppose you tell me what
you need, before they get here and confuse things.'
3utter did. $/isten, Ms. .tuart. 5o offense, but your people here dont seem to know theres a crisis
going on.'
$They know.' (erry said. $#very single person in this corporation knows.'
$0ell, then they dont seem to want to cooperate.' 3utter said. $0e have a surveillance appliance we
need to install here, and they wont let us.'
$I wont let you.' (erry corrected him. $The people here dont have the authority to either grant or
deny that re!uest.'
$0hat+' 3utter stood up. $/isten, lady, who in the hell do you think you are+' Im a Treasury officer8
,ouve been blocking my men since yesterday and Im not going to put up with it a minute more8'
(erry remained seated. $I am the vice president of operations for this company.' .he repeated. $I am
under no legal obligation to allow you to enter this facility, in fact, I have a mandate to not allow
anyone unauthorized from entering it ? and please dont try to browbeat me.' .he merely gazed up
at him. $0hy dont you start by e&plaining to me what e&actly you need to do, and what information
youre looking for+'
$I dont have to do that.'
(erry shrugged. $I dont have to continue speaking to you. This facility is secured. There are high
level government accounting systems that process through it. If you seriously think I am going to let
some people from some agency with some unknown device come in and connect to that frankly sir,
you are nuts.'
$I can arrest you.' 3utter said. $-or obstruction.'
$,ou can.' (erry agreed. $But thats not going to get you your information. These people here not
only will not help you, they can not. 9ur systems are in security lock down mode.'
3utter stared at her.
(erry gazed back at him. $0ould you like to tell me what you gentlemen are looking for+ Before you
go off arresting me and causing yourself a lot of trouble it would help to know if what you need is
even in here.'
$3utter, sit.' The man seated at the far end of the table spoke up. %e was tall, and dark, and had a
/atin accent. $Ms. .tuart, my name is /opez.' %e stood up and came around the table. $I know you
have your responsibilities to take care of, but so do we.'
(erry decided this apparent bait and switch was legitimate, and that this was the actual boss of the
group. .he and *ar played that game sometimes, with new companies. $Mr. /opez.' .he tapped her
thumbs together. $5o, I dont think you really do understand what kind of responsibilities I have
here.' .he stood and opened the whiteboard at the back of the room.
/opez stopped and waited.
.he turned and faced them. $I have a !uarter of a million employees.' .he said. $I have two doze n of
them missing in 5ew ,ork, and a dozen missing in 0ashington.' .he turned and scribbled on the
board. $I have most of the infrastructure for communications down in Manhattan. I have an entire
secure multipoint structure to restore in the 4entagon. $ .he scribbled again. $I have overseas links
down, a ma)or satellite uplink used by the 5avy down, bandwidth shifted in gigabits to cover planes
in 5ewfoundland and 1ancouver, satellite endpoints to establish, cellular backhaul to rebuild, and
last by not least, several hundred ma)or finanacial and banking customers who are depending on us
to put them back in operations and prevent a ma)or financial crisis.'
.he turned and faced him. $5ow e&plain to me again why I am in this room, listening to you bitch at
me for something you wont e&plain instead of letting me go and do my )ob bringing this country back
from crisis+'
/opez blinked at her.
$"s my late father would have said, put it on the table, or take a hike.' (erry found the irony almost
painful, but the !uote fit. $I dont have time to play games with you.' .he could feel an e&!uisite
tension in her guts, and knew she was playing with fire. .he could see in /opezs face that he wasnt a
goon, and he could, in fact, drag her ass off to )ail and might very well do so.
$This is a matter of national security.' /opez said.
$I have a top secret clearance.' (erry shot right back. $5e&t e&cuse+'
/opez sat down in the chair ne&t to hers. $9kay.'
(erry sat down, and folded her hands.
$3lose the door.' /opez looked at 3utter. $Is this room secure+'
$It is.' (erry said. $0e had them sweep for security yesterday after you first got here.' .he paused.
$Though, I would still love to know where the 5." fits in.'
/opez frowned. $-irst things first. $%e waited for the door to be shut, and glanced up as the air
compressed a little around them. $.oundproofed+'
$,es.' (erry said, !uietly.
$9kay.' /opez looked a little more rela&ed. $Im sorry.' %e said. $I didnt realize the e&tent of your
companys involvement in all this. I was told you were simply a service provider.'
(erry nodded. $Then I understand your approach' .he said. $4lease go on.'
$This device.' /opez said. $0e suspect that the people who planned and e&ecuted the atrocities
yesterday are still here, still planning, still e&ecuting more horrible things. 0e have to find them. *o
you understand how critical that is+ 0e have very little time.'
(erry nodded again. $9kay, what e&actly is this device looking for+' .he held a hand up when he
started to protest. $I dont want to know specifics. I need to know what type of datastream youre
hoping to intercept. "re you thinking these people will be trying to attack the government financial
systems+'
$They could be.' /opez nodded. $This device analyzes conversations and determines if they are of
interest to us.'
$3onversations from where+ Inside the government+'
$5o. -rom the public.'
(erry sighed. $Then youre in the wrong place.' .he said. $Theres no public access here.'
/opez frowned. $There isnt+'
$5o.' (erry said. $These are all closed systems. Isolated.'
/opez turned to 3utter. $*idnt you say they had internet access from here+'
$Thats what I was told.' 3utter said. $The guys in accounting said they had internet.' %e looked
accusingly at (erry. $ ,ou saying theyre lying+'
$5o.' (erry said. $They get internet via our secure gateway.' .he said. $But thats not here. They go
out to the internet via three different nodes, in 5ew ,ork, 3hicago, and *allas.' .he got up and drew
a rough circle, with three points on it. Then put an G near one edge. $The re!uest goes through two
5"T. and three different gateways. Theres no outside access.'
$.hit.' 3utter muttered.
(erry could see the consternation around the table. .he almost felt sorry for the men. $If its any
consolation, the systems here are protected. I wont !uote my boss and say theyre unJcrackable
because it gets us into trouble but they are secure. -eel free to run tests against them.'
$.hit.' 3utter repeated. $0e wasted a whole fucking day.'
/opez rubbed his temples. $Ms. .tuart, are you telling us the truth+' %e looked up into (errys eyes.
$4eoples lives can depend on your answer. 0e have to find these people.'
(erry gazed gravely back at him. $Im telling the truth.' .he said. $If you really want to tap public
access, you need to go to the tier @ providers, and put your appliance there.' .he said. $0e provide
our own access for our customers, but the rest of the country uses one of them.
$Tier @+' /opez got out a pad and scribbled that down. $3an you give me the names+'
(erry promptly provided them. $There are lots of smaller companies, but those three form the public
backbone.' .he told him. $5ow. I will tell you that we maintain a lot of filtering capability on our net
access nodes. If theres something, some phrase or type of information you are looking for in specific,
I would be glad to put a scanning routine in place and output the results to you.'
$,ou would+' /opez lost some of his menace. $,ou can do that+'
$:ust let us know.' (erry said. $The security of the country is very important to us. The government is
one of our biggest clients.'
5ow, the men were nodding, and the whole atmosphere had completely changed. $9kay.' /opez
handed her his business card. $0ell be in touch, Ms. .tuart. Thanks for the info.'
(erry selected one of her own cards and handed it over. $Good luck.' .he said sincerely. $5ow if
youll e&cuse me, Ive got to head out to the 4entagon.'
/opez e&tended a hand. $.orry about this whole thing, Ms. .tuart.' %e shook (errys hand.
$#verythings in a lot of flu& right now. 0ere all scrambling.'
$7s too.' (erry felt a sense of relief, and more than a little pride. $Gentlemen+'
They filed out, and headed for the door, walking !uickly and bending their heads together as they left
the building. (erry watched through the smoked glass as they got into their .71's and pulled away,
and shook her head. $0ow.'
The receptionist looked over at her. $"re they gone+' .he said, as a service person arrived with a cart
of coffee. $0ow. That was fast.'
(erry shrugged modestly. $Bring that up to wherever theyve stuck me.' .he told the service person.
$Im sure Ill be needing it.' .he turned to the receptionist. $Im e&pecting someone else from the
government looking for me. Ill be here for another thirty minutes or so, and if theyre not here by
then, Im heading for the 4entagon.'
$,es maam.' The receptionist scribbled a note. $Good to have you here.'
(erry smiled and headed for the security door, her shoulders straightening. $0ish *ard seen that
one.' .he muttered to herself as she swiped through. $.hed have loved it.'
;;
The small cockpit was getting very crowded. *ar stood )ust outside the door, her hands braced on the
frame as she listened to "lastair arguing somewhat forcefully on the radio.
The steward had edged back way out of the way, and was busy in the galley, seemingly glad not to be
involved in what was going on.
*ar didnt blame him. In front of her, "lastair was perched on a small )umpseat behind the seats that
the pilots were in, crammed in ne&t to the slim, dark haired navigator.
#veryone was nervous. .he could see the pilots all trading off watching their instruments with
looking back at "lastair, as the intractable voices on the other end of the radio got angrier and more
belligerent.
5ot good. $"lastair.' *ar leaned forward and put a hand on his shoulder. $.hould I try to get Gerry
involved+'
"lastair glanced back at her. $%old that thought.' %e turned back to the radio. $/ieutenant+ "re you
there+'
The radio crackled. $/isten mister, I dont know who you think you are but you better )ust listen to
instructions and shut the hell up before I send planes up there to blow you out of the sky.'
$5ice.' *ar said. $.ad to say, I grew up with )erks like that.'
$.on.' "lastair kept his voice reasonable and even. $,ou dont really need to know who I am. If youve
got your last paycheck stub, )ust pull it out and look at the logo in blue on the right hand side on the
bottom. Thats the company I work for. 0ere not terrorists.' %e said. $.o stop threatening us.'
The radio was silent for a bit. "lastair let the mic rest against his leg, and shook his head. $0hat a
mess.' %e said. $I appreciate things are in chaos down there, but for 4etes sake we dont even want
to land in the damn country.'
The pilot nodded. $Thats what I tried to e&plain to him.' %e said. $%e )ust kept saying security threat,
security threat2 I couldnt get a word in edgewise.' %e glanced back at *ar. $"re you in the military,
maam+'
$5o.' *ar felt a surprising sense of relief at the admission. $My father was career 5avy. I grew up on
base.'
The radio crackled. " different voice came on though. $This is 3ommander 0irkins. Is this Mr.
Mc/ean+'
$"h.' "lastair picked the mic up. $Maybe were getting somewhere.' %e clicked it. $It is.' %e said. $Go
ahead, 3ommander.'
$Mr. Mc/ean, weve established who you are. 0e understand you are trying to file an amended flight
plan.' The commander said. $*ue to a situation in the area, I have to ask you to please instruct your
pilot ot land in 5assau. This is not negotiable.'
$.omethings going on.' *ar shook her head. $*amn.'
$3ommander.' "lastair gathered his thoughts. $I appreciate that you have your own issues.' %e said.
$.o let me ask you this. If we land in 5assau and your people are satisfied were not going to hurt
anyone, can we get cleared to fly on into the .tates so your pit stop doesnt cause a delay in what we
have to do+'
$Mr. Mc/ean, youre not in a position to bargain with us.'
"lastiar sighed. $"ll right then, please put your ass in your chair and call the :oint 3hiefs of .taff. Get
Gerald #aston on the line.' %e said. $Im about out of patience with you too. %e was going to send a
plane for us, damn well shoulda let him.'
.ilence on the radio.
$If they force us down.' *ar said. $3hances are theyre not going to let the plane take off again.'
The pilot glanced over his shoulder at her. $0ell be out of air time anyway.' %e said. $5o offense
folks, but the storm would have been a better option.'
$"greed.' "lastair held his hand up. $My fault. .orry about that.'
The radio remained silent.
$Its only about four, five hours from Miami by sea.' *ar said. $0e can charter a boat to get there.'
The co pilot turned and looked at her. $Maam, are you crazy+ Thats not a trival trip across the
Gulfstream.'
*ar didnt take offense. $I know.' .he said. $Been there, done that.'
$Ive been to the Bahamas. ,ou wont get a captain to take you over like it is now. Theyre not stupid.'
The co pilot said. $They dont like risk.'
$Ill captain it myself.' *ar shrugged. $4ay enough money and theyll rent us a tub.'
Both flyers looked at each other, then shook their heads. "lastair merely chuckled wryly.
-inally the radio buzzed. $Mr. Mc/ean, this is 3ommander 0irkins.'
$Go ahead.' "lastair said. $"t least weve got a plan B.' %e added, in an aside to *ar. $Though
spending four hours bouncing over the "tlantic aint my idea of fun.'
$Mr. Mc/ean, were in a state of national emergency here and I do not appreciate, and my command
does not appreciate you asking for special dispensation.'
$Too bad.' "lastair said, in a genial tone. $0e have a )ob to do, mister, and youre keeping me from it.
,ou may think thats not nothing to do with you, but if you do about ten minutes research on who we
are, youll catch a clue thats not the case.'
The commander cleared his throat into the open mic. $I have done that research, or believe me,
buddy, thered be two fighters up there blowing your ass out of the sky right now.' %e said. $.o like I
said, I dont appreciate you dropping names, no matter how )ustified you think you are.'
*ar held her hand out. $Gimme.'
$3'mon *ar.' "lastair bumped her knee with his elbow. $%es about to cave. %es )ust pissing all over
the wall so everyone knows what a big guy he is first.' %e clicked the mic. $-ish or cut bait,
3ommander.'
$0ell, Mr. Mc/ean, sorry to tell you, but youre not getting to where you want to go today.' The
commander said, a note of smugness in his voice that made both *ar and "lastairs lips twitch. $,ou
can call me an asshole if you want to, and report me to whoever you want to, but Ive got a )ob to do
too, and Im going to do it.'
$.houlda given me the mic.' *ar sighed. $"t least wed have gotten some laughs out of it.'
$.o my controller is going to instruct your pilot to land that plane at the 9pa /ocka airport, where
were going to have you met with a security team so that I can get my )ob done. I dont much care
about yours.'
$0hooho.' *ar laughed. $.core8' .he lifted her hand and "lastair smacked it with his own, surprising
the crew.
$%ow you get your affairs in order after that isnt my concern.' The commander said. $But its a nice
long drive to Te&as. .o have a great day.'
$0ell. %ow do you like that+' "lastair chuckled. $-irst time I had someones sand up their ass work to
my favor. $If thats what your decision is, 3ommander, then well have to take it.' %e said, mildly. $It
sure is a long drive from there to Te&as.'
The radio clicked off with a snitty hiss, and "lastair handed the mic back to the navigator. $0ell,
gentlemen, after all that crap in a handbasket I think we ended up winning that round.'
$,ou didnt want to go to Te&as+' The co pilot half turned. $I dont get it.'
$0ell.' *ar said. $%ouston is where our main offices are, and where "lastair here lives.' .he said. $9n
the other hand, Miami is where our main operations center is, and where I live, and we both need to
end up in 0ashington and 5ew ,ork so this guy )ust did us a big favor trying to screw us over.'
$,ep.' "lastair nodded. $Be sorry not to see the wife and the kids, but this cuts what, two days travel
for you+' %e nodded. $That cloud sure had a silver lining. Maybe by the time we sort things out we
can get a flight up from your friend the General.'
$9therwise Ill go pick up my truck at the airport and we can drive.' *ar said. $But that gives us a lot
more options. ,ou can even stay in the Miami office and run things if you want, while I head up.'
"lastair nodded. $.o, sirs, please do what the nice men want and land us in Miami.' %e chuckled.
$Beas gonna kill me after all the arrangements she had to make.'
The pilot nodded in relief. $,ou got it.' %e said. $Get us out of the air faster, we dont have to fly
around a storm, and if were all still grounded I get a layover on .outh Beach. *oesnt get any better
than that.' %e looked at his co pilot. $,ou up for that :on+'
The co pilot shook his head and laughed. $Im up for that.' %e said. $Man, I thought this was really
going to end up like crap.' %e looked back at "lastair. $,ou sure have brass ones, sir.'
The older man chuckled. $/ive as long as I have, you learn to figure out how much you can poke the
stick at the bear, if you get my drift. 9nce that fellah knew who we..' %e indicated *ar and himself.
$0ere, I figured he knew better than to be serious about shooting us down.'
$I dont know. %e sounded pretty aggressive.' The co pilot said. $0eve heard from other pilots that
the attitude is theyve got carte blanche to do whatever they want in the name of national security.'
$.omeone still has to be accountable.' *ar said.
$*o they+' The co pilot asked. $I sure hope they do. Ive been on the wrong side of an I5. officer in a
bad mood. "lmost cost me a paid flight.'
The pilot half turned in his seat and addressed the navigator. $#gar, you okay with us landing there+ I
forgot to ask you.'
The tall, slim man nodded. $I have family in Miami.' %e said. $I am very happy were going there. Its
good.' %e smiled. $I achieved my pilots license at that airport. Its very nice.'
"lastair stood up and waited for *ar to clear out of the way so he could e&it the cockpit. $0hat a
relief. 5o offense to your boating skills, 4aladar, but Im no yachtsman.' %e slapped *ar on the
shoulder as they retreated back down the aisle to the passenger compartment. $Besides, fella was
probably right. 0ed have to end up buying the damn boat and then what+ Be tough to e&plain a
motor yacht on our inventory list.'
*ar chuckled. $0e could have auctioned it off. $ .he was, however relieved. Much as she would have
stepped up to sail an unfamiliar craft across what were sometimes very treacherous waters, she was
damned glad she wasnt going to have that particular bluff called.
.ilver lining. "bsolutely. $0e lucked out.'
$.ure did.' %er boss agreed. $0ell, sometimes we have to, yknow+' %e added, as they resumed their
seats. $0ish it hadnt gotten so nasty, though. I know the fella has a lot of issues hes contending with
but my god.'
*ar pushed her seat back. $They teach you to do that.' .he said. $Be a bastard, I mean. ,ou try to
overwhelm whoever your opponent is with loud, aggressive talk to knock them off balance and put
them on the defensive.'
$They teach you that in the military+' "lastair asked, in a !uizzical tone. $I thought you never went
through that.'
$They teach you that in most of the negotiating and nin)a management classes these days.' *ar
informed him dryly. $But a friend of ours whos a cop in Miami says taking the offensive when youre
confronting someone is a well used tactic of theirs too.'
$,ou use that, yourself.' %er boss commented.
$.ometimes.' *ar admitted. $If someone knows youre going to be an asshole, they usually do what
you want, faster. /ike our vendors. They know if they dont do what Im asking, Ill )ust keep going up
their ladder and get louder and louder until they do.'
$/ike what I )ust did to that fellah.'
*ar nodded. $Thats why they like dealing with (erry better.' %er eyes twinkled a little. $.hes got the
best of both worlds. .he gets to be nice, and they like her, and shes got me in her back pocket to
threaten them with.'
"lastair laughed. $0ell, all in all, I guess I can forgive that guy. I know he must be dealing with a
thousand different problems. I was )ust his most annoying one that minute.' %e folded his hands over
his stomach. $%e must be laughing his head off thinking about how he showed us though.'
*ar suspected he was. 4robably cursing about them, and telling everyone around him how he
showed these damn )erks who was boss. *ar couldnt really blame him either, since they had asked
for special treatment, and had threatened him with going up the chain, and in fact, were the )erky
pain in the asses he actually considered them to be.
%owever, it had gotten them what they wanted, in a rather classic case of the end )ustifying the
means. *ar checked her watch. .o theyd end up in a few hours in Miami. "wesome. $Ill send him a
note telling him how much he helped us out after this is all over.' .he said. $My bodys so screwed up
I cant figure out whether to take you out to breakfast or dinner when we get there though.'
$0ell, itll be different than burritos in Me&ico 3ity.' "lastair put his hands behind his head. $0asnt
looking forward to all that, or the drive to %ouston.'
*ar smiled at the ceiling, rela&ing for the first time since shed woken up. .he was already looking
forward to landing, her mind flipping ahead to the messages shed need to send, and more
importantly, how happy she knew (erry would be to hear from her. $Ill have someone go to MI" and
bring my car down.' .he decided. $-igure itll take a while for them to get through the paperwork
once we land.'
$Take me a few minutes to call Bea and get everything s!uared away anyway.' %er boss said. $Its
going to feel good to be back home.'
*ar e&haled. $.ure is.' .he said. $.ure damn is.'
;;
(erry settled her earbuds in and peered at her laptop screen. $9kay, Mark, did we get an inventory
availability from the vendors yet+ I know youve got everything we had with you, but from what
theyre telling me here we lost the whole 0"5 room.'
$They got.' Mark said. $But they cant get it to us faster than a truck. The distros in 3alifornia.'
(erry looked down at the pad on the desk. $0ell, tell them to start driving.' .he said. $By my count
here, rebuilding that will take most of the inventory on your truck, and were not even started yet.'
$0ill do.'
$Miami e&ec, this is the "ir %ub.'
(erry blinked. $Go ahead "ir %ub.'
$0ere hearing rumors that they might let some flights up tomorrow, maam.' The voice answered.
$.orry we cant be more specific. Its pretty !uiet here.'
$Miami, hello+ This is .herren in 5ew ,ork.' .herrens voice interrupted. $0eve got good news8 .i&
people )ust showed up here. Im logging them in now8'
$Thats great, .herren.' (erry e&haled slowly. $*o they know about any of the others+ %ave they seen
them+'
$5o, no they dont.' .herren said. $#veryone got separated, they said. Theyre all taking showers,
theyre covered in that white stuff. They said a lot of people went south, too, towards the battery.'
(erry watched the red leds slowly change to green. Too few. $Im really glad to hear that, .herren.
%ow are you all doing+ "re you all right+ *o you need anything+'
.herrens voice sounded calmer today. $0ere doing okay, you know+' .he said $0e needed some
clothes, we went out and got some. 0e got bagels. The dog carts are there. 4eople are out there. ,ou
cant stop this city. 4eople are in shock, but we keep going.'
(erry thought about the empty streets shed traveled through the night before. $,ou sure do.'
$Im sure the rest of the office will be here any time now.' .herren said, confidently. $0ere going to
get some coffee on. I wish we could get the phones working.' .he added. $I know some of our
customers need us.'
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami telecom.' " new voice broke in. $0ere handling the inbound BAA service
trunks for 5ew ,ork. 0e can get messages to the people there, if you can get us a mailing list built.'
$9h, that would be great8' .herren said. $,ou can get calls out, if you try hard enough. 9r maybe if
they have email, we can email them. That works a lot better than the phones.'
(erry nodded. $Good idea.' .he glanced at the screen. $Miami server ops, are you on+'
$,es, maam.' " !uiet voice answered. $0ere here.'
$Build a list based on the reported list onscreen.' (erry said, after a brief pause. $"nd get that to
telecom.'
$0ill do.'
$Miami e&ec, this is /" #arthstation. I have 5ewark #arthstation on landline. They need generators.
Theyve got a seven day estimate on repairs to the power station there. .omeone told them it was
sabotaged.'
$9h my god.' .herren said.
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami ops.' Marks voice replied. $That needs industrial. That little trick you and I
pulled aint gonna cut it.'
(erry tapped her pen on the desk. $.houldnt their facilities operator be handling that+'
$Miami, no ones doing anything there. #veryones been sent to staging to go into the city.' /"
#arthstation reported. $If we want help, we need to do it ourselves, thats what they were told.'
$6ight.' (erry scribbled a note on her pad. $/et me get in touch with "43. #veryones going to be
hitting the usual providers lets try the high tech ones.'
$Ms. .tuart+' 5an stuck her head in the door. $I have some president or other of "TT on the line for
you.'
$Tell them hang on a minute.' (erry finished writing.
$Miami e&ec, this is *anny. The bus is here.' *anny sounded relieved. $Man, are we glad to see that.'
%e added. $0ere waiting for clearance to start going in there but were going to need some help.'
$*anny, were almost there.' Mark said. $%ang in there, buddy. I got ten people with me.'
Ten+ (erry glanced at the screen, then back at her paper. $%ope thats a big 61.' .he muttered under
her breath. .he looked up. $9kay, you can transfer whoever it is from "TT here.' .he pointed at the
phone. $Thanks.'
5an disappeared.
$Mark, were looking for you man.' *anny answered. $*id you say you have a truck+ 0e havent been
able to shake loose and get that plywood yet.'
$5o prob.' Mark said. $Miami e&ec, any word on when we can get into lower 5,+'
(erry keyed her mic. $/ets concentrate on *3 for now since we have access to the facility. 0ith all
the damage in Manhattan it could be a while.'
$Miami e&ec, this is /ansing.' The Michigan center broke in.
$%old on, /ansing. I have to take a call.' (erry put her mic on mute and hit the speaker phone. $(erry
.tuart.'
$Ms. .tuart+' " mans voice answered. $This is 3harles Gant from "TT. I think we met at that
technical conference in 9rlando a few months back.'
$0e did.' (erry nodded. $0hat can I do for you+ I assume this is something critical.'
Gant sighed. $Much as Id rather be )ust asking to meet me for coffee and chat about high end routers,
it is a critical issue. I )ust want to bounce a !uestion off you, since I know of all the private providers
you guys are the biggest.'
$9kay.' (erry picked up her bottle of water and took a sip. $Im listening.'
$0e lost everything in lower Manhattan.' %e said. $I think you probably know that, since we had a lot
of tie ins to you.'
$0e know.' (erry said. $0e have almost nothing coming in to our three nodes in the region at all. "
lot of customers are affected.'
$0ell, let me give you the laundry list.' Gant said. $0e lost the triple pop. 1erizon said nothings
recoverable. They also lost their 0est office. 4owers out for the area, including all the cell towers,
and the ones that do have power either dont have backhaul or are overloaded.'
$0ow.' (erry murmured.
$I got my counterpart at .print on the other line. Between us, we lost everything overseas, and so did
M3I.'
$0e realized that.' (erry said. $0e had to backhaul a lot of overseas financial via our southern
circuits.'
There was momentary silence. $.o how badly are you affected+'
(erry took another sip of water. $0e obviously cant service the local accounts in lower Manhattan,
and we lost our ma)or switching office in the 4entagon.' Then she stopped speaking.
There was another moment of silence. $.o you have service otherwise+ Transatlantic++'
$0e have data service, yes.' (erry confirmed. $0e rely on your interchanges, and the other telcos for
phone service, naturally, so thats down but were backhauling everything else across our redundant
links, or sending it up to the birds.'
$Interested in renting some bandwidth+' Gant asked, in a wry tone. $0eve got nothing between 5ew
,ork and our main service centers. I cant even guess whats down because our systems cant
connect.' %e cleared his throat. $I figured Id ask you before everyone else does.'
(erry thought about all the times shed had to browbeat the telco vendors for everything from bad
circuits to late ones. $%ow much do you need+' .he said. $"nd what would it take for you to get a tie
into our 6oosevelt Island node+'
$Ill take ten meg if you have it.' %is voice sounded utterly relived. $I think our sub station on the
island can carry the traffic over. I can check but my notes here show were in the same building.'
Mentally, (erry did a !uick calculation. *ar had provisioned a larger than normal spare of bandwidth
in the area, thankfully, but she knew thered be more re!uests to come. This was )ust the first. $0e
can do that.' .he said. $Get me your /9" and Ill send it to my internal provisioning group.'
$God bless you.' Gant sighed. $.orry if I sound overwhelmed, but damn it, I am.' %e said. $My
brothers missing in that mess and I cant think straight.'
$3harles, Im glad we can help.' (erry said gently. $0e have some people missing ourselves. Most of
our office in Manhattan were in the Towers for business meetings yesterday morning.'
$My god.'
$.o were sweating right along with you.' (erry said. $"nd speaking of that, could you possibly do me
a favor+'
$If I can, for sure.' 3harles said.
$My 6ockefeller 3enter office is down hard.' (erry said. $"ny chance of getting one of our lines up+'
$Give me the circuit id.' %e answered instantly. $0eve got service near the 6ock. ,ou probably are
)ust terminated closer to the triple2 to where the triple was.'
(erry typed a !uestion into her search applet, and was rewarded with a number. $%ere it is.' .he
gave it to him. $It would help the people left there. Most of them lived down in the affected area and
cant go home.'
$,ou got it, (erry.' 3harles said. $#&pect that /9" in the ne&t five minutes.'
$3all me if you need anything else.' (erry said. $Talk to you later.' .he hung the phone up, and went
back to her screen. .he clicked her mic on. $Miami e&ec to 5ew ,ork, you still on .herren+'
$Im here.' .herren responded promptly. $Two more people )ust showed up8 0ere all like kids here,
screaming.'
(erry smiled. $Im very glad. 0ere working on getting you some phones there, too.'
$9h, thats great8' .herren said.
$Maam+' 5an poked her head back in. $*o you want a 355 feed in here+' .he indicated a dark panel
on the wall. $0eve got one running in ops.'
$.ure.' (erry said. $"ny sign of more government visitors+'
$5one yet.' 5an shook her dark head. $0hen did you wan to leave for the 4entagon+'
(erry checked her watch. $I think I need to spend a little more time here, maybe an hour. /ets say
eleven+' .he said. $Marks almost at the 4entagon and hes going to be tied up for a while when he
gets there.'
$9kay, Ill be around.' 5an said. $0ell push the feed in here.' .he ducked out and closed the door
behind her.
(erry scribbled a few more notes, listening with one ear bud in to the conversation going on in the
background. " flash of motion caught her eye, and she looked up at the screen )ust in time to see a
shot of the inside of the 3apitol, where the hall was full of men and women all milling around.
%er mother was there, she realized. .he spotted her immediately off to one side of the chamber, with
two other senators who were vaguely familiar to her. $%i mom.' .he briefly waved at the screen,
remembering the odd occasion when shed flip past 3.4"5I and find her father talking.
.he always stopped and listened.
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami %6.'
$Go ahead.' (erry keyed her mic. $Good morning, Mari.'
$Good morning.' Mariana replied. $5ot sure if you caught the news, but its all over the local here that
theyve issued search warrents for a bunch of locations in Miami.'
(errys head )erked up and she stared at the screen. $0hat+'
$5o ones really sure whats going on. *uks says one of his people had a police raid in their
apartment comple& around four am.' Mari said. $0e heard something about some of the hi)ackers
coming from here.'
$-rom Miami+' (erry found this hard to believe.
$Thats what theyre saying.'
%oly crap. (erry stared in bewilderment at the television, reading the crawl on the bottom that
repeated what Mari had )ust said. %i)ackers from Miami+ $But didnt they say yesterday this was
something from the middle east+'
$I dont know.' Mari said. $:ust wanted to give you the heads up since believe me, theres a lot of crazy
nervous people down here at the moment. 0e have about half the office in. " lot of people stayed
home.'
$0ow.' (erry said. $9kay, thanks for the warning.' .he scanned the lists again, then sighed. $Im
going on hold for a minute, to call "43.'
$Good luck, Miami e&ec.' The /" #arthstation chimed in. $Those guys sound pretty tapped.'
$Mari, can you find out how close our community support teams are to 5ewark+' (erry asked, as she
searched her address applet for the phone number of their racking vendor. $Make sure they stop for
a cold keg of beer.'
.ilence. $I dont think thats spec, (erry.' Mari said.
$*ont give damn theyve been there all night.' (erry said. $Its as muggy there as it is here. %ave
them bring fans and make sure theyve got si& volt to @@A converter lines so they can run them.'
$9kay, will do.' Mari said. $,oure the boss.'
$7ntil three thirty 4M, I sure am.' (erry sighed. $.omeone turn the planet faster please.'
;;
(erry checked the time, then she put her pen down on her pad. $9kay folks.' .he said. $I have to head
out of here. Mark, Ill see you in about thirty.'
$Gotcha, boss.' Mark replied. $0ere waiting for clearance to pull this rig in. $
$Mark, this is *anny.' *anny said. $0ell come over there and talk to them. Give me five.'
$0ill do. (erry, Ive got it.'
$"ll right. Miami e&ec off. $ (erry pulled out her ear buds and stood up, walking around in a circle to
shake the cramps out of her body from the tension of dealing with issue after issue for a solid hour.
.he had a headache from it, and even two cups of tea hadnt prevented her throat from gaining a
painful rasp.
The door cracked open, and 5an stuck her head in. $6eady to go+ .ally at the front said no one else
showed up for you.'
$0ell, good.' (erry fle&ed her hands and walked back over to the desk, picking up her )acket and
slipping it on. $Maybe they changed their mind, or figured out something else to do, or talked to the
.ecret .ervice. #ither way, Im outta here.'
.he shut down her laptop. $Is there a 0endys between here and the 4entagon+' .he asked. $/ove my
hotel, but they have seriously deficient continental breakfasts.'
5an smiled. $,eah, there is. ,ou sure you dont want to stop somewhere else+ Theres some great
restaurants around there.'
$5ah.' (erry buckled her briefcase and slid the strap over her shoulder. $.o little time, so many
fubars.' .he followed 5an out the door and down the hallway. $Ive got my fingers crossed hoping I
get a call back from "43. They have a manufacturing plant in 4ennsylvania.'
$"43.. the rack people+' 5an asked. $*o they need that many new ones for the 4entagon+'
$0ell, they need some, but I called them for a couple of 74.s.' (erry shouldered the staff door open
and held it as 5an went through. $-or the #arthstation.'
$"h, yeah. 6ight.' 5an pulled her keys from her )acket pocket. $Those poor guys. They were being
pounded yesterday. I think they were almost glad they lost power because everyone stopped bugging
them for space.'
(erry slid into the passenger side seat. $6ight now, I need to get the pressure off the station on the
other coast, so hopefully we can get them some power and get them running again.'
5an started the .71 and pulled out of the parking lot, pausing at the gate as the security guards
waved and the big iron portal slowly slid aside to let them out. The big doors were set into well
made concrete and stone walls, that stretched around the facility to an impressive height and came
complete with a set of serious looking security guards whose bulk and stance were staunchly
professional.
(erry liked the guards in Miami, but most of them were what *ar called domesticated tabbies, nice
men and women, and very competent but they focused on watching the building, and checking for
fire alarms, helping the staff out when they locked their keys in their car, and manning the badge
issuing e!uipment.
They werent the I/. 4olice. Most of them were far less intimidating than some of the marketing reps
were with their big white teeth and aggressive tactics.
These guys here, on the other hand, looked like they were ready to turn back a platoon of Marines.
(erry was pretty sure she didnt want to swap them for her uniformed friends down south, but it was
nice to have them here, especially given the shifting uncertainties of the situation they were in. $5ice
guys+' .he asked, as they waved on the way out.
$9h, absolutely.' 5an said. $In a no neck, space ranger kind of way.' .he pulled out of the entry road
and onto the main street. $They really take themselves very seriously, if you know what I mean. Most
of them are e& military.'
$Mm.' (erry remembered her time at the 5avy base with *ar. $"re they reserve+' .he asked. $I have
a feeling this situations going to end up with us fighting someplace again.'
$0ell, I dont know that much about them.' 5an said.' But I thought I heard someone saying that
they had to be completely retired, not in the reserves to be hired. .omeone was complaining that it
was wasnt fair, because being a reservist or 5ational Guard is supposed to be a good thing.'
(erry considered that. .he rested her elbow on the armrest and leaned back, watching the buildings
flash by. $Boy, I can see both parts of that.' .he admitted. $I do think serving your country is an
admirable thing, and shouldnt be a reason to block someone from employment.'
$Thats what that person was saying.' 5an said.
$9n the other hand, if my whole security department was reserve and guard, and they all got called
up, Id be a pickle.' (erry said. $Its a really tough !uestion,, especially these days. 7sed to be, if you
were guard, the worst thing youd have to deal with is helping with a flood, or being asked to patrol
streets during a riot.'
$0ell, yeah.'
$5ow, its not like that.' (erry said. $Before, employers didnt really worry about hiring someone who
had that commitment, because it wasnt likely to impact them more than that one weekend a month
or whatever. 5owadays, youve got a reasonable chance of being sent overseas for si& months, a year,
who knows+'
$0e shouldnt stop people who want to do it though.' 5an said, with a frown. $That seems selfish, I
guess.'
$Business very often is.' (erry agreed. $Its all whats in the companys best interest.. $ .he had to
smile, however wryly at this. $.ometimes. But actually I agree, you shouldnt stop people from
serving and it shouldnt be a bar to employment, so I am going to find out from Mariana why thats so
for this group since it doesnt apply to anyone else that I know of. $
5an nodded. $Thats cool.' .he said. $My brothers in the guard. %e didnt have to go the last time, but
his boss pretty much told him hed never promote him to anything really critical because he )ust
couldnt afford to have to replace him on short notice and it was too much of a hassle.'
0ell. (erry felt very ambivalent. .he thought about how shed feel if someone, say, Mark, had
decided to )oin the guard and what that would mean for them if he had to leave and go overseas.
$0ell, you know, you have to deal with that all the time in business. I mean, people get sick or they
!uit and find other )obs.' .he commented. $Im not sure thats fair of his boss, though.. I have to admit
I do see the mans point.'
$Thats what my brother said, pretty much.' 5an sighed. $%e understands, but it still sucks. %e really
likes being in the Guard, and he has a lot of friends there. But hes also got a kid on the way, and he
also needs to make more money.'
(erry folded her arms. $0hat does he do+' .he gazed out the window, watching trees flash by that
had the first tinges of leaves losing their green color on them.
$:ava developer.' 5an said, succinctly. $Theres the 0endys. .ure you want that+'
$,ep.' (erry could already taste the spicy chicken. $Tell your brother to send me his resume.' .he
added. $Mariana was saying last week she was desperately looking for more developers for two or
three new pro)ects were doing.'
5an slowed, and pulled into the driveway of the fast food restaurant. $"re you serious+'
$.ure.' (erry reached down and removed her wallet from her briefcase. $*ar once hired an out of
work police receptionist with a nose ring off the streets in 5ew ,ork who now runs the data entry
department at our largest payment processor in Fueens.' .he said, straightening up. $0hat+'
5an was looking at her as though shed grown a horn. $6eally+'
$6eally.' (erry assured her. $0e look for talent everywhere. Its a bitch trying to keep up with the
turnover on a !uarter of a million people, you know+ .o if hes interested, have him email me his
resume. Most of the developers are fle&ible work space, so they can work from home, or here, or go to
one of the local centers.'
5an studied her for a brief moment, then she smiled. $7m.. you want to get this to go or eat in+' .he
asked, after a second. $"nd thanks. That wasnt my motive in mentioning it, but Ill tell him. %es
always asking me to get him into I/., but I never felt comfortable recommending my own family.'
$*rive throughs fine.' (erry said, opening the wallet and flipping past her drivers license to her
corporate credit cards. .he selected one and waited, as 5an pulled the car up to the ordering kiosk.
$.picy chicken sandwich with cheese, sour cream and chive baked potato, and a medium -rostie. Get
whatever you want, lunch is on me.'
5an took the card she held out, then she rolled down the window to place their order.
(erry had a moments peace, then her cell phone range. .he put her earphones back in and answered
it. $(erry .tuart.'
$(erry+ This is Michael from "43, we spoke earlier+'
5ever had she been so glad to hear from a salesman. $%i, Michael, you got good news for me+'
$0ell, I think I do.' Michael said. $0eve got two big units, the #4. model, that wed )ust finished
fitting out for a road show, you know+ To show the capabilities+ "nyway, theyre truck mounted, with
a diesel generator and we can have them over to your 5ewark location by tonight.'
(erry did a little nerd dance in her seat. $Michael, thats awesome. *oesnt even matter how much it
is, )ust send me the bill.'
$*o you one better.' Michael said, sounding pleased. $0ell do it for the promotion, since the names
all over the truck, but in return give me a shot at providing the racking and power for everything you
rebuild.'
$,ou got it.' (erry answered instantly. $Ill tell Mark to start sending you a list of what well need.'
$Great. Ill get the guys rolling.' Michael said. $Ill let you go, I know you must be swamped. 3all me if
you need anything else, okay+'
$0ill do. Talk to you later, Michael and thanks again.' (erry hung up, chortling softly under her
breath. $9ne down, a hundred to go.' .he finished dialing in and waited, as the phone connected to
the global conferencing system.
They pulled forward to the delivery window. $Guess that was good news+' 5an handed (errys card
over to the cashier. $Thanks for lunch, by the way. It beats heat up pizza in the data center.'
(erry held up her hand. $Miami ops+ This is Miami e&ec.' .he said. $.omeone please get 5ewark on
the landline or te&t, tell them well have power generators there around dinnertime.' .he listened to
the ragged cheers. $9kay, Im off again. Mark, see you in a few. ,ou inside yet+'
$:ust let us in, boss. 0ere driving over to the far side.' Mark said. $I can see part of it. %oly crap.'
(erry considered. $Thanks Mark. Be there shortly.' .he closed her phone and turned in her seat. $,ou
know what, wed better pull over here and munch before we get there.'
5an nodded, as she handed over (errys bag. $,eah, its probably going to be pretty busy. Thats a
good idea.'
$6ight.' (erry waited until 5an pulled the big .71 into a nearby spot, and parked it. .he then opened
her bag and removed her sandwich, settling her frosty in the cup holder and unwrapping her chicken.
$"ctually.' .he said. $Ive been around a collapsed building. Its not some place you want to have a
picnic near.'
5an took a sip of her drink, setting her taco salad down on her lap. $0as that the hospital thing from
last year+'
(erry nodded. .he took a bite of her sandwich, en)oying the spicy taste.
$That was scary as hell. I was at pro)ect management training in 5ew Me&ico that week, but I saw it
on the television, and the papers were full of stories about it for days after I got back.' 5an speared
her salad with a fork. $,ou must have been scared in there.'
(erry chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed. .he wiped her lips with a lurid yellow napkin and
reached for her frostie. $I sure should have been.' .he said. $But I was too freaked out to be scared. I
know that sounds bizarre, but I )ust wasnt. I was pissed off and wanted out of there, that was for
sure.'
$*id you get hurt+'
(erry nodded. $*islocated my shoulder.' .he swallowed a spoonful of her frostie and went back to
her sandwich.
$9w.'
(erry nodded again, but remained silent as she chewed.
$%ow in the heck did you climb out that window with a dislocated shoulder+' 5an asked, suddenly,
after theyd eaten !uietly for a minute.
$*ar put it back in place after it happened.' (erry e&plained.
$Good thing she knew how.' The dark haired woman spluttered. $Thats no )oke8 Ive seen someone
dislocate a shoulder on the football field and they were screaming8'
(erry chuckled softly. $%er list of talents never ends.' .he finished up her sandwich and folded the
foil wrapper, putting it neatly inside her back before she removed the baked potato in its container.
.hed gotten the top off, and the sour cream applied when her phone rang again.
$5iblets.' (erry got the mic clipped into place and answered it. $(erry .tuart.'
5an glanced at her, eyebrows hiking briefly, then she put the cover on her now empty container and
put it away in its bag. $Ill get us moving again.' .he said, starting the car and releasing the brake.
$%ello, (errison+'
(erry sighed. $%ello Mother, hows the meetings going+ I saw you on T1 this morning.' .he mi&ed
her potato up and ingested a forkful as they pulled out of the parking lot and back out onto the main
street.
$*id you+ "h, well, things are about as e&pected.' 3ynthia .tuart responded. $#veryone is terribly
upset, of course. But my committee would really like to speak with you if it can be arranged.'
$0hich committee is it+' (erry asked.
$The intelligence committee.' %er mother replied. $They were very interested in how much more
information was available to you yesterday, and I know you were upset when I mentioned it, but
really, I cannot take that back now.'
5o, she couldnt. (erry had to admit.
$I did tell them I would ask you, if you could arrange a little time, to speak with them but could not
promise anything.'
-air enough. $9kay.' (erry decided. $Im on my way to the 4entagon now. I have to do a situational
analysis there, and see what needs to be done to get everyone back up and running. 9nce thats done,
Ill give you a call and we can arrange something.'
$#&cellent.' %er mother sounded profoundly relieved. $"re things going well for you today+'
(erry peered through the windscreen as she spotted the unmistakable bulk of the 4entagon looming
in front of them. $.o far, yes.' .he said. $0e found some of our people in 5ew ,ork, and my staff made
it up here from Miami safely.'
There was heavy traffic around the entrance to the crash site, backing up onto the roadway. 5an
slowed to a stop and they both looked through the trees at the building. $%oly Moses.' 5an breathed.
$That looks totally different than it did on 355.'
$Im glad to hear that.' 3ynthia said. $4erhaps we can have dinner together tonight+'
(errys eyes were fi&ed on the huge black hole, smoke still drifting from it. $.ure.' .he answered
absently, her mind trying to sort out the horror. $Ill call you later. 9kay+'
$#&cellent. 7ntil later then.' The phone clicked off and (erry merely closed it and put it on her lap,
still peering out the window. $My God.' .he closed up the remnants of her lunch and put it into its
bag, rolling up the opening and putting it down between her boots.
It was shocking. .he had a clear, though somewhat dim memory of the building in all its imposing,
concrete glory and somehow seeing it s!uatting there in the grass, a black gouge taken out of it
seemed completely unreal. $Its like a bad movie.'
They inched up, towards the police guarding the entrance until they were even with them, tired,
harried looking men trying to move cars past with impatient gestures. 5an rolled the window down
and visibly braced herself for the argument she was sure was coming.
$4lease move along, ladies.' The man said. $3mon, we have to get emergency people in here.'
5an took a breath, but (erry put a hand on her arm, and leaned over. $%ello, officer.' .he said,
already holding out her badge in her hand. $Ill make this !uick because I know the last thing you
need is a stopped car out here.'
The police officer leaned on the door and peered in at her. $,es+'
$My company handles the IT for the building.' (erry said, nodding towards the 4entagon. $0e want
to get things rolling again.'
The officer looked at her I*, glancing over it to look at (erry. $9ne of your guys )ust went in there.'
$9ur e!uipment van.' (erry nodded. $0ith generators.'
The officer nodded. $,ou people dont waste no time. Go on in, Ms. .tuart. They told us youd be here.'
%e stepped back and motioned to the ne&t officer, who dragged aside a barrier blocking the entrance
to the big inside parking lot.
$Thanks.' (erry said, taking back her badge. $Tell your guys to come by our truck later. 0eve got
food and coffee there. I bet you could use some.'
The policeman managed a smile. $Thanks.' %e said.
5an rolled the window up and maneuvered the .71 through the opening in the barriers, the wheels
bumping up over debris as she edged into the parking area.
$9ver there.' (erry spotted Marks truck, with the 61 behind it, not far from the company courtesy
bus. $Thats our area.' "lready there were techs surrounding the spot, in )eans and company polos.
They were in the back part of the lot. The front was filled with emergency vehicles and military ones,
with a huge cluster of press tents behind the lot and separated by a fence.
5an parked, and they got out. (erry stepped away from the .71 and faced the building, her eyes
taking in the smoking, gaping gap in disbelief.
.he could smell the smoke. Mi&ed with that was the tinge of fractured concrete, the smell of burning
electrical and shot through, with every other breath, a darker hint of decay and ruin. .he took a few
more steps towards the building, and stood, arms crossed as her eyes slowly scanned the area, seeing
wreckage, and people, and e&hausted faces.
"nger. Grief. .adness.
To one side, a huge "merican flag was draped, as though in defiance. (erry felt tears sting her eyes as
she saw it and knew a moment of solemn kinship with everyone around her.
$.ucks.' Mark came to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
$,eah.' (erry drew in a long breath. $-ifty states, right and left, ,ankee and redneck, two billion
opinions and twice as many assholes but right now were all "mericans.' .he turned and gave him a
brief hug. $/ets get to work.'
;;
*ar was sideways in her chair again. .he had both legs over one arm of her seat, and her head resting
on the opposite padded rest. .he had her eyes closed and her hands folded over her stomach, the
drone of the engines filling her ears.
%er an&iety had faded, buoyed by the knowledge that shed be landing hours before shed e&pected
to, and be in a position to immediately )ump back into the problems she knew were waiting rather
than facing international immigration, a second flight, a cross border drive, and a long haul up into
%ouston.
"cross the aisle from her, "lastair was finally napping himself, and the lights had been lowered in the
cabin along with the windowshades producing a dim, peaceful atmosphere and *ar was content to
sprawl where she was in a state of half waking, half sleeping.
.hed started out by trying to think ahead to what was going on down on the ground, but the long day
and the stress had caught up to her and now she was merely daydreaming, letting her mind run free
with thoughts of where shed wander with (erry in #urope after world events calmed down.
0here would (erry really like to go+ .hed seemed enthusiastic about the "lps, *ar mused. 0ould
she rather go to one of the ritzy winter resorts+ *ar opened her eyes and looked around the inside of
the private plane. .he reluctantly admitted privately that she wouldnt mind spending time in
someplace niceN she suspected that though (erry poo pood high society trimmings that she wouldnt
argue too hard against an in room marble :acuzzi or chocolate dipped strawberries before bed either.
But would she rather be in some nice lodge somewhere !uiet, where they could go outside and
simply sit on a hill and look at the stars, rather than go outside and sit in a cafe< looking at other kinds
of stars living the high life+
Maybe they could find a compromise, like their cabin. .he loved the comforts of it, and the contrast
of that, against the raw, weatherworn dock outside and the pro&imity of the wildness of the sea. .he
and (erry could go out and get as sandy and seaweed ridden as they pleased, and then rela& on the
couch in the air conditioning with a bowl of microwave popcorn.
0ere they wimps+ Maybe. *id she care+
%mm.
*ar let that thought drift for a moment, then pondered the notion that it might work out that they
were on vacation during (errys birthday. 0hat would she like to do for that+ *ar decided her
partner would probably want to do something special, maybe something e&citing and new to her for
her birthday.
Maybe they could go to 1enice. 9r 6ome. *ar smiled. 9r maybe the Greek Isles.
" soft sound made her open her eyes, and she turned her head to see the door opening !uietly, to
allow the steward to enter. %e paused when he saw her somewhat odd position, but then continued
moving, shutting the door behind him.
$It looks like we picked up an escort.' The man said, !uietly, as he stopped ne&t to *ars seat. $I dont
think it anything to worry about. They see to be keeping their distance.'
$-ighters+' *ar asked.
$I guess.' The man agreed. $5ot my area of e&pertise. But the captains okay with it.' %e continued.
$They called him and )ust told him to keep on course, which is e&actly what we want to do.'
*ar smiled. $,ep.' .he said. $Ill be damn glad to be home, even if its )ust for a little while.'
$I can well imagine.' The steward smiled back. $Im going to go get my passport. Im sure theyll want
to see it when we land.' %e moved past *ar and went into the back of the plane, leaving her to
resume studying the woven cloth ceiling.
"fter a moment, though, she sat up and reached across to the window shade, opening it to peer
outside. 9ff the wing, at a reasonable distance, was a 5avy fighter. $"h. %ornet.' *ar put the shade
back down and e&tended her seat out again.
.he wasnt sure how she felt about the escort. 9n one hand, she suspected theyd rattled more than
one cage and no one was taking chances. 9n the other hand, she knew damn well there was a good
chance whoever had sent the planes up recognized her name.
That was arrogant. *ar acknowledged it with a smile. But it was also true that there were a lot of
people who would remember her either for better or for worse. .ome now, for a lot worse. %er
smile disappeared as she remembered 3huckie and what a mess that had turned out to be.
.he wished again, for the nth time, that she could go back and do that all over. .he thought maybe
her father did too.
%er father. *ar found her thoughts moving to a different track. 0hat would this mean for him+
0ould the 5avy try to get him to come back+
5o way.
0ould he+
*ar was troubled to realize she honestly didnt know the answer to that !uestion. .he knew her
father was very much invested in how hed spent his life for all those years, and he had friends by the
hundreds and probably thousands still in service.
But then there was her mother. "fter what he went through, *ar had to think that at the very least he
had to seriously consider the !uestion if they asked.
"nd if they did ask, she knew shed go to the wall to convince him to say no. -or her mother, for
herself, damned if she was going to lose her family again. .hed get (erry to help her if she had to.
.he picked up the bottle of orange soda on the table and took a swig of it, and checked her watch,
wondering what (erry was up to. .hed probably made it to the 4entagon already, and *ar was sure
shed have plenty to tell her when she called.
9nce she got the s!ueal out of the way.
.he felt a faint pressure change against her ears, and let the thoughts go as the steward came back
through the cabin, giving her a smile as he passed. $%eading down.'
$0e are.' The steward nodded. $Boy, Ill be glad to get on the ground.' %e went to the front of the
cabin and started preparing it for landing, bringing up the lights a little and fastening the curtains
back.
*ar reached across the aisle and gave her bosses sleeve a tug. $"lastair+'
$#h+' "lastair blinked and lifted his head. $0hat+ More people need yelling at+'
*ar chuckled. $5o. 0ere starting down.' .he moved her seat upright and reached for her briefcase,
digging in it to retrieve her leather I* holder, which had her passport and her company badges in it.
.he also got her 4*" and cellphone out, and set them on the small table ne&t to her seat.
$"h. 0ere there.' "lastair stretched. $*amn, thats great. But I could definitely use a cup of coffee.'
%e rubbed his eyes and rummaged around, getting his things together. $This is the tough end of the
)et lag. 0eve got a whole damn day to get through now.'
$True.' *ar sighed. $"h well, theres always 3uban coffee.'
"lastair eyed her. $I heard about that the last time I was in the office here. 0hat e&actly is it+'
*ar settled back in her chair. $.trong espresso coffee, essentially, not that different from Italian but
when they make it right, they take a pyre& mi&ing cup, put a half pound of sugar in it, and a half cup of
the coffee then they whip it in to a froth, before the put the rest of the coffee in, mi& it, and there you
go.'
%er bosses eyebrows knitted. $"re you telling me its coffee and sugar one to one+ %alf and half+'
*ar nodded.
$"nd you actually drink that+'
*ar nodded again. $I like it.' .he said. $,ou can also mi& hot milk with it, and then its cafe< con leche.'
"lastair covered his eyes with one hand. $0hen was the last time you had your blood pressure
checked+'
$9ne ten over si&ty si&.' %is 3I9 replied, her eyes twinkling a little.
$*isgusting.'
*ar chuckled. $.tress does more to you than coffee' .he said. $Best thing I did for my health in the
last couple of years was get an assistant.' .he held up a hand as "lastair started to laugh. $"h ah.. not
a )oke. "side from everything else.'
$I told you for years to get an assistant. $"lastair shook his finger at her.
$I couldnt.' *ar said, swallowing a few times as the air pressure started to increase. $#veryone I even
interviewed either drove me crazy, or was out to knife me in the back. *o you know how many of
them were brought in by other people inside the company+'
"lastair sighed. $,eah, Im glad those days are behind us.' %e admitted. $But youre not going to B.
me and tell me the only reason you hired (erry was her business skills.'
*ar was silent for a few minutes. Then she turned and regarded "lastair. $The only reason I hired her
as my assistant was her business skills.' .he said. $I wasnt about to screw either of us over by
putting her in a spot shed end up looking like a )ackass in.'
$6eally+'
$6eally.' *ar said. $9h, I wont say I wouldnt have brought her in to some other position. I liked her. I
knew we were attracted to each other. I knew there wasnt much else she could do in that piss ant
little company she was in.'
$7h huh.'
$But she had brains, and the guts to stand up to me, and I could tell by how she kept changing her
game depending on what I threw at her that shed be able to step in and handle us at an e&ecutive
level in ops.' *ar rested her elbows on her chair arms and laced her fingers together. $"nd I was
right.'
$,ou sure were.' "lastair agreed cheerfully. $.he does a damn fine )ob. If that wasnt true, your ass
would still be back in /ondon on the conference call because I wouldnt have risked having you in the
air with me for this whole time.'
*ar nodded. $,ep.'
$"nd it was a good opportunity for her. Im sure she appreciated that.' %er boss went on. $.eems like
she has ambition. Im not surprised she )umped at the offer.'
"ll very true. *ar acknowledged. $Im )ust glad she did.' .he rubbed the edge of her thumb against
the cool band of her ring. .he swallowed again, and leaned over to pull the shade up. The %ornet was
no longer visible outside, but the ground was, and she smiled as she recognized the very familiar
outlines of the #verglades passing under the wings. $/anding from the west.'
$%ow can you tell+' "lastair lifted his own shade and peered out. $0hat in the hell is that+'
$The 6iver of Grass.' *ar said. $The -lorida #verglades.' .he added. $In reality, one whomping big ass
swamp.'
$"h.'
The steward poked his head into the cabin. $0ere about to land. 4lease stay in your seats until we
do, and try to keep your seat belts fastened. Its not a lot of fun bouncing off the inside walls if we
have to stop short.'
*ar obediently clicked her seatbelt in place and tugged it snug. .he was already looking forward to
feeling the ground hit their tires, and she flipped open her 4*", tapping it open to a new message and
scribing it as she heard the landing gear e&tend, and felt the distinctive motion as the plane moved
from a nose down, to a nose up posture for landing.
$#ver wanted to learn to fly, *ar+' "lastair asked, suddenly. $9ne of these things+'
$5o.' *ar shook her head. $Ill stick to boats, thanks. ,ou+'
$%ave my pilots license.'
*ar stopped what she was doing and looked over at her boss, in real surprise. $,ou do+'
"lastair nodded. $Bunch of fellas and I went in on two of the little single engine putterbouts.' %e said.
$Its a nice way to spend a .unday, when you get tired of golf.' %e fastened his seat belt and folded his
hands, letting them rest on one knee. $I buzzed the country club last time I flew and scared two ladies
right into the lake. Im living in fear theyll find out it was me.'
*ar started laughing.
$"ll those years in the boardroom sure came in handy when the wife came telling me all about it.' %er
boss chuckled, glancing out the window as they approached the landing strip. $0ell, here we go.'
The plane slowed, its wings drifting to one side and the other as the edges slid down to cup the air.
9utside the windows, clouds were replaced by buildings and trees, flashing by as they settled down
through the atmosphere and lined up with the runway.
" shocking sound made both of them )ump, and look, but it was only the %ornets breaking off and
roaring past, their engines sounding a brass thunder that rattled the interior of the cabin and made
*ars ears itch.
$Thanks for stopping by, fellas.' "lastair remarked. $Good to see my ta& dollars at work.'
*ar finished her message and hit send, waiting until the wheels of the plane touched down with a
thump and a bounce before she activated the 4*"s comm link. Then she picked up her phone and
opened it, dialing the first speed dial number on the list.
%ome. .he could almost feel the humidity and the smell of rain tinged hot air already.
;;
(erry blinked in the thick dusty air, sucking in breath through a white mask that covered her mouth
and nose. In front of her was a door hanging off its hinges, and half a wall. 4ast that was a mass of
concrete and metal, fused into unrecognizable lumps with a scattering of cables drooping out of it.
$.hit.' Mark e&haled, directing the beam of his flashlight into the wreckage.
$0ell, thats a total loss.' (erry concluded. .he folded her arms over her chest. $.omeone )ust needs
to confirm the inventory list for that room so I can have legal claim it against our insurance.'
$I dont have nearly enough crap to replace this.' Mark said. $There was at least ten racks of gear in
there.'
$It was )ust a fluke.' "nother masked man said on her left side. $,ou see, this corridors pretty okay.'
(erry looked around. $I see.' The hallway was broad and mostly silent, only a few ceiling panels and
bits of concrete knocked out near where they were, and then nothing but long e&panses of carpet and
concrete walls further off. $.o we were duplicating this on the other side, *anny 0ith a link between
them+' .he glanced at the man on her left.
$,es, maam.' *anny nodded. %is arm was in a sling, but it was encased in a thick compression
bandage rather than a cast. %e was a fairly short man, with gymnasts build and thick curly brown
hair. $But theres nothing in it yet. 5ot even racks.
$*o we have runs in there from the distro closets++' Mark asked. $They were really doing duple&+ 5ot
)ust runs from half to this room and half to that one with a crossover+'
*anny shook his head solemnly. $6uns from each distro to each core room.' %e said $Ms. 6oberts told
em to, and you know whatever Ms. 6oberts says2'
$,es we know.' (erry and Mark said at the same time. $God bless *ars forethought again.' (erry
went on, with a sigh. $"ll right. /ets go over to the new room and get a list started.' .he turned and
waited for Mark to precede her with his flashlight. $Im not going to be able to count the favors Im
going to have to call in on this one, and were nowhere near Manhattan yet.'
$5o shit.' Mark shook his head. $I can start having everyone get their spare stuff ready to ship but I
heard from the office today they wont even let -ede& or 74. pick up.'
(erry thought about that. $0ell, how do you make sure all those brown packages arent bombs+'
$They want to blow up -ede& trucks+' Marks brows knitted.
$Maybe they want to blow up -ede& trucks delivering last minute bou!uets to 4ro 4layer .tadium.'
$9h.' Mark said. $,eah.'
,eah. (erry tried not to think about *ar, flying over the "tlantic in a potentially enticing to terrorist
plane since it was coming so close to the 7.. .he was sure the company had chartered the plane from
somelace reputable, but after yesterday, anything could happen.
.he didnt want anything to happen. $:ust get down, and have a margarita.' .he muttered under her
breath.
$Maam+' *anny leaned towards her. $*id you say something+'
$5o, )ust clearing my throat.' There was no power, and the smell of crushed concrete and burning
debris brought back surprisingly strong memories of the hospital collapse. $%ows the roll call doing,
*anny+' (erry asked, to get her mind off that.
$0ere still down three, maam.' *anny said. $(en Burrows, our lead punchdown guy, his assistant
3harlie, and /ee 3han, our 0an specialist.' %e wiped the dust out of his eyes with his free hand.
$They were all in the section that took the hit, we think.'
(erry involuntarily glanced behind her, at the crushed room. Then she turned her head and looked
resolutely ahead, picking her way through the fallen ceiling debris carefully. $"nd you said five
people are in the hospital+'
$,es, maam.' *anny said. $0e logged them in yellow, though. The other four we were missing turned
up last night. .aid they were helping people get out all day and didnt get a chance to get online.' %e
e&plained. $It was really crazy here yesterday.'
They moved through inner hallways, mostly empty, the air still and almost stale. (erry felt sweat
gathering under her shirt and she fought the urge to pull the mask off her face as she followed the
group along one wall.
#veryone was pretty !uiet. The masks muffled speech and the lack of power and air conditioning let
them hear creaks and pops in the walls around them. (erry felt an&ious, and she walked a little faster
even though theyd been told several times the building was safe.
Inside, it was hard to picture the destruction shed faced on the outside of the building. The walls of
the structure looked very much like some huge giant had taken a hatchet and whacked the top side of
one of the five sections, cutting right through the concrete and e&posing inner offices as it collapsed
inward.
3hillingly bizarre. "t the edge, you could see file cabinets. 3hairs. The beige inevitability of computer
monitors.
It felt so unreal. :ust as it had when shed been in the hospital collapse, the familiar turned strange
and frightening, making her want to get past it, get out, and feel cool, fresh air again. .he heard
voices ahead, and she looked up and past Marks shoulders to see a cluster of men in work clothes
ahead at the )unction of two hallways.
$7h oh.' *anny said. $Those are the electrical guys.'
(erry patted him on his unin)ured shoulder and eased past, coming up even with Mark as they
approached the crowd. There were men in fatigues mi&ed in with the workers, she now realized, and
several others were in more formal military uniforms. $*amn.'
$0hat+' Mark whispered. $0hats wrong+'
$0ish *ar was here.'
Mark eyed her wryly. $HH EC QB, boss.'
(errys brows knit, as she allowed herself to be briefly distracted. $%e&+' .he finally hazarded a
guess. $5o, not for the reason youre thinking. .hes )ust a lot better at relating to the guys in
uniforms than I am.'
$7h huh.' Mark slowed and came to a halt since the crowd was blocking the hallway. $/ets see whats
up with this now.' %e removed his mask. $*riving me nuts.'
(erry had about enough herself. .he eased the mask off and sniffed the air, relieved to smell nothing
more ominous than a little dust, this far from the destruction. The rest of the crew did the same,
clustering warily behind (erry and Mark as they eased closer to listen.
$9kay, heres the plan. #veryone has their clipboard+' 9ne of the men in uniform was saying. $,ou
have your sectors. I need to know the power, status, ability to work in, and damage in every s!uare
inch of the four sections not involved in the crash.'
%e glanced up as he sensed motion and spotted (erry and her group standing there. $#&cuse me.' %e
said, in a stern tone. $0ho are you people, and what are you doing in here+'
(erry nudged her way to the front and met his eyes. $0ere from I/..'
The man looked blank.
$Those are the IT people, chief.' 9ne of the men in fatigues supplied. $The computer guys.'
$9h.' The officer nodded at them. $0ell, none of the computers are working.'
$0e know.' (erry agreed. $Thats what were here for. To get them working again.' .he stuck her
hands in her pockets.
The officer looked at her with interest. $9kay, hang on a second.' %e turned to the group. $Move out,
gentlemen. I e&pect you to report back here in four hours.'
The men dispersed, easing around (erry and her crew and moving down the hallways in groups of
three or four. They led the way with flashlights, the beams flickering around the half darkened walls
in an odd and dis)ointed rhythm.
$5ow.' The officer faced (erry. $.orry, lets start this again. Im Billy 3haseten.' %e held a hand out,
which (erry gripped firmly. $,ou said you were from what company now+'
$I/.. (erry said. $My name is (erry .tuart. My team and I are here to start the process of restoring
communications to the facility.' .he glanced at his name plate. $*o you know when theyre going to
turn the power back on for starters, 3aptain+'
$.till got people cutting the live lines into the bad section.' The captain said. $They cant turn the )uice
on until thats secure.' %e added. $,ou all the ones who handle the internet, and the phones and all
that too+'
$Thats right.' (erry said. $9ur main core space was destroyed. 0e need to get rolling on replacing it.'
.he smiled at the captain. %e was tall, and had a handsome face under a brown buzz cut. $I know
everyones scrambling.'
$That we are, and I dont want to get in your way, maam.' The office smiled back at her. $"nything I
can do to help you+'
$0ell.' (erry cleard her throat gently. $"ctually you can get out of our way. ,oure standing in front
of the door to our backup core center.'
The man blinked, then he turned, shining his flashlight on the big metal door hed been leaning
against. $0ell, shoot. I am.' %e moved aside. $.orry about that.'
$Ive got the keys.' *anny moved forward, going to the door and fishing a set of thick silver keys from
his pocket. $They hadnt even put the scan locks in yet.'
The soldier sidled over closer to (erry as *anny sorted amongst the keys. $,ou folks lose a lot of
stuff+ I was talking to the security system people and they said they had a ton of rewiring to do.'
$Got it.' *anny unlocked the door and opened the room, pulling the metal portal towards him and
back against the wall.
The inside of the room was dimly lit with emergency lighting, and they all shuffled inside, Mark and
one of the other local techs shining their flashlights around to illuminate the space.
$0ell.' (erry sighed. $0e lost enough e!uipment to fill this room.' .he glanced at the captain, who
was still interestedly at her side. $7nfortunately.'
$9uch.' The captain shook his head. $I heard my 39 going on or really, going off about nothing
working in the rest of the building. %e know you all are here+'
$4robably not.' (erry admitted. $0e.. well, my team came up from Miami with our e!uipment truck
and I .. )ust got here from Michigan. 0e didnt talk to anyone first.'
The captain looked at her strangely.
$0e know what to do.' (erry smiled briefly. $Its not like someone had to call us to tell us there was a
problem.'
$%ey boss+' Mark called over. $This room wasnt near ready for occupancy. They havent run the
power, or the environ.'
$"h.' (erry removed her hands from her pockets. $#&cuse me.' .he eased between two of the local
techs and went to Marks side. %is flashlight was shining on a very unJterminated power distribution
bo& and a set of wires hanging from the ceiling. $9h, boy. 5othing easy here.'
$They were supposed to put that stuff in ne&t week.' *anny agreed glumly. $0e didnt even have
storage yet, thats why we told them to hold delivery of the gear.'
*amn. (erry e&haled and took a step back, somewhat at a loss. 0hat was that *ar was always telling
her+ Think out of the bo&+
Think out of the bo&. $I think this bo& )ust got slammed over our heads.' .he muttered. $*anny, can
you take me to whoevers in charge of the building electrical+'
$7h. .ure.' *anny nodded.
$Mark, start calling in a list of 4*7s and racks to "43.' (erry said. $Bring what you can in here. /ets
)ust do what we can to start.'
$Got it, boss.' Mark said. $9kay guys, go get the lanterns, and get the trolleys out and unfolded. /ets
get moving.'
The techs trooped out. (erry and *anny were the last ones out, and he turned to close the door and
lock it behind him. The captain was still standing there, leaning against the wall.
$"h, hey. Ms. .tuart+' The captain pushed off as she cleared the door. $%eard you say you needed to
talk to the building people. Maybe I can help with that+ My 39'. got some push.'
(erry patted his arm. $Ill take any help I can get. 3mon with us.' .he motioned *anny ahead of her
and they trooped off down the hallway. $Thanks for the offer, 3aptain.'
$3all me Billy.' The officer said. $"ll my friends do.'
$Maam+' *anny cleared his throat. $Maybe we could invite the facilities chief to the bus for lunch+'
%e suggested. $%es been here all night.' %e peeked over at the captain. $Maybe we could all go+'
(erry chuckled wryly. $%ungry+' .he asked. $.ure. I think thats a great idea. 0e can meet in the bus
if the chief is up for it. ,oure invited too, Billy.'
$.ounds good to me.' Billy was more than willing to go along. $/ets take a shortcut through here..'
%e indicated a guarded hallway. $Ill stop and give my 39 a heads up. I know for sure hes very
interested in this whole computer thing.'
$/ead on.' (erry checked her watch. $:esus.. half past one already+'
$*ays flying.' Billy said. $5ot like yesterday.' %e added. $#very minute yesterday lasted an hour.'
They all sobered, as the guards opened the doors on their approach and the entered a cooler, grayer
hallway, with metal doors on either side of it. Billy headed for one, his hand on the knob as (errys
cell phone rang.
$%ang on.' (erry unclipped the phone and glanced at the caller I*, stopping and staring at it for a
long moment before she hastily opened it. $*ar+'
$%ey, love of my life.'
(erry felt like she had electrical prickles heating her skin. $,ou guys go on. I need to take this.' .he
told Billy and *anny. $Ill catch up with you.'
$,es maam.' *anny went over to where the captain had paused. $Thats our big boss.' %e e&plained,
as they entered the office, and closed the door behind them.
(erry leaned against the wall. $0here are you+' .he was glad the hall was empty. $"re you in the
air+'
$5ope.' *ar said. $:ust landed in Miami.'
"nother surge of pricking across her skin. $Miami+' (erry s!uealed. $"re you kidding me+ ,oure
really home+' .he said. $0hat happened to Me&ico+ They let you land+ *id you call Gerry+'
$/ong story.' *ar said. $Bottom line is, we )ust landed at 9pa /ocka.. I figure weve got some
e&plaining to do to the local officials then they should let us out of here.'
$#&plaining+'
$/ike I said, long story.' *ar replied, in a wry tone. $Im )ust glad to be on the ground.'
(erry felt une&pected tears stinging her eyes. $Im glad too.' .he said, lowering her voice. $I feel like
fifty pounds )ust came off my shoulders. I was worried about you.'
$Back at you.' %er partner said. $0here are you+'
$4entagon.' (erry sniffled and wiped her eyes.
$Bad+'
$,eah.'
$0hat do you need me to do+'
(erry sighed. $0here do I start.' .he tried to put her thoughts in order, s!uirming through the
emotion with some difficulty. $3an you lean on :ustin and get us gear+' .he asked. $Im trying to deal
with facilities here.'
$,ou got it.' *ar said. $I know what was in that room. Ill get it out there.'
$The black bo& thing2 that was )ust a foul up. They were looking for something we didnt have.'
(erry said. $I sent them to the Tier @s.'
$Good girl.'
$I want to s!ueeze you so hard your eyeballs pop out.'
*ar started chuckling.
$Im not kidding.'
$I know. I wish I could have wangled them letting us land in *ulles. %ang in there, hon.' *ar said.
$0ere getting surrounded by tin soldiers. I have to go be me. Ill call you back once Im getting a cafe<
con leche with "lastair and we figure out the ne&t twenty minutes of the plan.'
$9kay.' (erry rela&ed against the wall, smiling whole heartedly. $/ove you.'
$/ove you too.'
(erry closed the phone, letting out a long, heartfelt sigh. Then she clipped the phone to her belt,
s!uared her shoulders, and headed for the 39s office. $/ets hope my lucky streak hauls its ass right
on.' .he pushed the door open. $But its going to be hard as hell to beat that.'
;;
*ar got up and clipped her phone onto her front pocket, stripping off the pullover shed worn and
leaving herself in )ust a tee shirt. .he folded the pullover and tucked it into her briefcase, as "lastair
closed his own phone and sighed. $Bea pissed+'
$6elieved, actually.' "lastair pulled his own briefcase over and started to gather his things. $.he said
at least she knows me landing here means I probably wont be dancing on some table with a bottle of
te!uila.'
*ar paused, and glanced over her shoulder. $0e could arrange for that if you really wanted to.'
$%a hah.' %er boss said. $Bea seems to think youd be a good influence. I dont think we have any
pictures in the archives of you with a flowerpot on your head.'
$Im sure you dont.'
"lastair chuckled. $%ows (erry+' %e watched *ars face crease into a brief grin. $.he doing all
right+'
$,eah.' *ar said. $.hes at the 4entagon. .he needs me to take care of some things but wed better
wait to get off this tub.'
$0aiting till then to call the wife, myself.' %er boss said. $I can hang up on Bea and not get in too
much trouble.'
*ar chuckled.
The steward came in and went over to the door to the cabin. $-olks, please take your seats until we
get the plane fully secured here. Theyre going to come inside.'
*ar dropped into her chair, setting her briefcase down by her feet as she tucked her passport and
identification into one hand. .he looked out the window, not surprised to see several military
transports pulling up. $"h. 3mon.'
$0hat+' "lastair looked up from rooting out his passport.
$I have too much to do with too few energized brain cells to deal with pissed off officials.' *ar sighed,
bracing her foot up against the small desk as the steward opened the door and carefully lowered it
with its attached stairs. $"lastair, )ust cut them a check.'
%er boss chuckled and shook his head, then straightened as three men in uniform came into the
plane, with machine guns pointed right at them. $"h.'
$#veryone stay where you are and dont move.' The first man said, in a firm voice.
*ar took in the tense posture, and the flicking eyes, and had the sense to stay still, )ust watching as
two of the men came down the aisle and the third slammed the steward against the wall. $*ont
move, "lastair.' .he said. $Thats loaded and hes )acked enough to pull the trigger.'
The lead soldier swung his muzzle around and pointed it at her, his face obscured behind a gas mask.
*ar met his gaze evenly. $My father taught me not to point at something unless Im going to shoot it.'
.he remarked. $#specially civs.'
%e stared at her briefly, moving the muzzle of his gun away from her, then he )ust continued on down
the aisle, moving to the back of the plane and kicking open the bathroom door.
The second man, after sweeping the area around them turned and headed for the cockpit. $Get him
secured, and come with me.' %e instructed the third man. $They said these people are all right.'
The third man hustled the steward out to hands they could see reaching in the door, then he whirled
and ducked through the door and headed up to the front of the plane.
$0ell.' "lastair folded his hands on his lap. $"int this nice.'
$"t least were Dall right.' *ar got out her 4*" and started typing on it. $I was definitely not in the
mood to be body slammed.'
$,oure pretty cool in front of a gun.' %e commented. $5ot that youre not pretty cool in most
situations.'
$I was hoping I was talking to a pro.' %is 3I9 admitted. $They really do know how to do this. Military
training is not the o&ymoron most people think it is.'
$"h.'
The third man came back down the aisle and passed them without comment. %e went to the door and
motioned to someone, then he, too, headed for the cockpit.
%eavy steps sounded on the stairs and two men entered, dressed in dark uniforms complete with a
gunbelt and mace cans. They approached "lastair and *ar with very no nonsense e&pressions.
$%i.' "lastair greeted them. $%owre you doing, fellas+' %e held up his passport. $0ant to start with
this+'
The man in the lead did take the passport, opening it to study the contents while his companion held
out his hand to *ar for hers. $Maam+'
*ar obliged. .he watched him flip through the pages, then noticed behind him that two more soldiers
had come in and were standing in the aisle, blocking her view of the front of the plane. They werent
facing towards her, though, they were facing away.
%m.
$,ou folks say you boarded in #ngland+' The first man asked "lastair.
$That we did.' "lastair agreed. $/ittle airfield in /ondon. 5ice place. 5ice folks.'
$0here did you e&pect to land+' The man asked.
$Me&ico 3ity.' *ar answered.
The customs officer turned. $I didnt ask you.'
*ar merely looked at him, one eyebrow lifting.
$Me&ico 3ity.' "lastair spoke up, in a dry tone.
The customs officer turned back to him. $*id you know your pilot asked for a course change+'
$.ure. I told him to.' "lastair leaned on his chair arm. $I didnt feel like flying into a storm and
spending a couple hours losing my lunch.' %e added. $.o yes, I knew. I asked him to fly south, and go
around the storm. -or some reason, that wasnt appreciated.'
$5o, it wasnt.' The man said. $0hat was your business in Me&ico+'
$Its the closest place I could land to %ouston.' "lastair said. $Thats where we actually were going.'
$%ouston+ ,ou live there+'
$I live there.' "lastair confirmed. $9ur corporate offices are there.'
There was a hustle of motion near the front, and *ar got a glimpse of the crew being crowded out the
door, surrounded by the soldiers. .he got a look at the pilots face, and saw utter fear there. $0hats
going on there+' .he asked, pointing at the door.
$Thats not your concern maam.' The other customs officer studied the rest of her I*. $I see you have
a -lorida drivers license in here.' %e glanced up at her. $3an I ask what thats for+'
$*riving.' *ar answered. $,ou need one. Its the law.'
The officer looked hard at her. $,ou need a -lorida license in Te&as+ Thats news to me. 0hat about
you, 6oger+'
$5ews to me too.' The other officer said. $3an you e&plain why you have a -lorida license if you live in
Te&as+'
$I dont live in Te&as.' *ar was starting to find the conversation irritating. $I live in -lorida. "t the
address on the license.' .he pointed at the passport. $Thats why the passport was issued in Miami,
too. -lying to Te&as to get one would have been pointless.'
$But you were going to Te&as+' The man ignored her sarcasm.
$0e were going to Te&as because it has a country on its border we could fly into.' *ar e&plained.
$"nd we were trying to get home. But trust me, Im a lot happier to be in Miami.' .he paused. $0here
I live. "t the address on the license.'
$Im not, given this conversation.' "lastair said. $Id rather have played poker with the agents in
/aredo.'
The first officer swung around to him. $,ou may think this is funny, but I can assure you its not.'
$I dont find it funny at all.' "lastair shot back. $3onsidering youve had our names for four hours and
a five second visit to Google would have identified us, and the company we work for, and since weve
got to now go bust our asses fi&ing things for the government Id )ust appreciate it if you agree we are
who the passports say we are and let us get on with it.'
$"lastair, youre getting grumpy in your old age.' *ar remarked. $3mon, the only pressing thing we
have to deal with is getting the government payroll out and bringing the systems back up for the
4entagon. Im sure theyll understand we had to spend time with customs.'
"lastair sighed again. $Bring back the fellas with the guns.'
The customs officer studied "lastairs passport. $*o you have anything to declare+' %e asked. $I
assume they didnt get you entry cards.'
$5ope, and nope.' "lastair said. $*idnt even stop for a bottle of .cotch.'
The second man handed her back her identification. $Maam, anything to declare+'
*ar took her passport and tucked it into her briefcase. $5o..wait, yes.' .he said. $"bout four hundred
bucks worth of stuff I got for friends before the planet crashed in on us.'
The customs agent nodded somberly. $.ouvenirs+' %e watched *ar nod in response. $*id you bring
in any tobacco, alcohol, or prohibited products+'
$5o.'
$6oger+' "nother man stuck his head in the door. $0e need you guys over here. 0e may have
something with these pilots.'
6oger handed "lastair back his passport. $0elcome home.' %e said, briefly. $5o one wants to give
you a hard time, Mr. Mc/ean. 0e )ust have a )ob to do.'
$I appreciate that.' "lastair said, sincerely. $Its )ust been a very long day, and its only half over. Im
sure yours is too.' %e added. $"nd I realize its not our affair, but is there a problem with the fellas
who flew us here+'
6oger hesitated, then he shook his head. $I cant discuss that.' %e answered. $Theyre being
investigated. They may )ust be allowed to go on their way. They may not.' %e motioned his
companion to move towards the door. $%ave a good day, folks. 0atch your step on the way down.'
They rattled down the steps and there was a sound of engines revving outside, then silence.
"lastair looked at *ar, as a gust of hot air blew in the door. $.o thats it+'
*ar got up and went to the door, peering out. The tarmac was now empty, the cars disappearing into
the distance where a big hangar was abuzz with military activity. There were no other planes
anywhere near them, and they were alone. $Guess so.'
$/ord.' "lastair sighed. %e got up out of his seat and came over to where she was standing, poking his
head out to look around. $,know *ar+ Im not getting much out of today.'
$3mon.' *ar went to the back of the plane and unlatched their luggage. $Glad they didnt put this
underneath. Ive lost my chops for breaking into aircraft.'
%er boss came over to claim his rolling bag. $*id you used to do that+' %e asked curiously. $I didnt
think you had a larcenous youth, *ar.'
$I didnt.' *ar followed him down the aisle, pulling her own bag behind her. $:ust a wild one. 0e used
to run all over the base getting into things. 4ersonnel carriers. 9ld airplanes.'
$"h.'
$Tanks.'
They climbed down out of the airplane, awkwardly dragging the luggage behind them. 9uside, it was
a very typical muggy Miami afternoon, and after about ten seconds *ar was direly grateful shed
stripped down to her T.
.he paused, something odd niggling at her senses. The airfield was dead !uiet, and there was a warm
breeze that moved the muggy air and the thick foliage of the trees at the perimeter of the field. It was
partly cloudy, and everything seemed normal.
$*ar+'
$%ang on.' *ar turned all the way around, then slowly, she tipped her head back and scanned the
sky. It wasnt something odd, she realized, it was something missing. $Its so !uiet.'
"lastair looked at the sky, then at her. $5o planes+'
$5o planes.' .he answered. $The only time before this I remember no planes is when "ndrew hit. "nd
it sure as hell wasnt !uiet.'
$%uh.' "lastair shaded his eyes. $0ell..'
$,eah.' *ar turned and started walking. $0here were we+'
$Tanks+' "lastair asked, as they trudged across the steamy tarmac towards the terminal.
$Tanks.' %is 3I9 confirmed. $"sk my father. %e loves to tell people how I took out the dining hall with
one.'
$*id)a+'
$5ot on purpose.' *ar admitted. $I ordered a car for us.'
$"re those two statements related+' "lastair asked. $0e could take a cab, yknow.'
$9nly if youd be amused at me knocking the driver out and taking control of the air conditioning and
the radio. I lost my love for sweat and someone elses taste in music years ago.'
$0ell, all righty then.'
$Besides, with our cab drivers the cars cheaper.' *ar opened the door, standing back to let "lastair
enter. The inside of the terminal was cool and empty, only a single security guard slouched in a bored
posture at the entrance desk. %e looked up and studied them, then went back to reading his
magazine.
$"h.' "lastair mumbled. $%igh security.'
$Guess he figures if the goon s!uad let us loose were safe.' *ar gave the man a brief nod. They
passed the desk and e&ited the front of the small terminal and back out into the muggy sunshine. The
drive in front was full of empty cars, military vehicles lined up against the curb and some pulled up
randomly. $Must be using the 3oast Guard base here.'
$.ure.' "lastair took advantage of a small bench and sat down on it, glancing at his watch. $%ope that
cars fast.' %e said. $9r hell end up pouring me into the back seat.' %e rested his elbows on his knees.
$Im too old for all this crap.'
*ar took a seat on the concrete, leaning against one of the support posts that held up the seventies
era concrete overhang that would in a rainstorm almost completely fail in protecting anyone from
getting wet. .he could smell newly cut grass, and the dusty pavement, and drawing a breath of warm
damp air, admitted privately to herself that no matter how uncomfortable it was, it was home.
.hed been in prettier places, with better weather, and nicer scenery but there was something in her
that only rela&ed, only felt Dright when she was in this air, with these colors and the distinctive
tropical sunlight around her.
.he wondered if "lastair felt like that too. $0ere you born in %ouston, "lastair+'
$"bout an hour north of there.' "lastair replied. $/ittle place called 3oldspring, near /ake /ivingston.'
%e glanced at her. $0hy+'
$:ust curious.' *ar said. $,ou ever want to live anywhere else+'
"lastair leaned back and let his arms rest on the bench, e&tending his legs and crossing them at the
ankles. $,know, I never did.' %e admitted. $0hen I was younger, I traveled a lot and saw a lot of
places. I thought about moving, maybe to 3olorado. Its pretty there.'
$Mm.'
$But Id come back, and look around, and say, well, why move+' %e continued. $#very place has its
peculiar problems. 5othings a paradise. I like Te&as. I like the people, I like the attitude. It fits me.'
$Thats how I feel about here.' *ar watched a lizard scamper down the pylon she was leaning against
and regard her suspiciously. $I bitch about the traffic and the politics but its home.' .he glanced at
her watch, then she turned and looked at the long, tree lined approach to the terminal. $%ere we go.'
"lastair leaned forward and spotted the car approaching. $0ell that wasnt too bad, now was it+'
$5o.' *ar got up off the ground. $I wanted to wait until we were rolling before I started yelling at
people on the phone.' .he studied the big /incoln Town 3ar that was rapidly approaching them.
$%ope they remembered the ,oo%oo.'
$#h+'
The driver stopped the car and got out, coming around the front of the car rapidly. $"fternoon, folks.'
%e said. $I had a little trouble getting past the police barricade, and I dont think they want me in here
so we should make a little haste.' %e reached for their bags, popping the trunk with his remote in his
other hand.
$4olice+' "lastair frowned, handing his bag over. $4lace is closed2 why do they need police+'
The driver threw his bag in the trunk and grabbed *ars. $I guess you havent heard whats been
going on here, huh+ I was real surprised to get a note to pick up here, tell you that.'
$5o, we havent..' *ar headed for the now open back door. $0eve been in the air for nine hours2'
"lastair was getting in the other side as the driver slammed the trunk and trotted for the front seat.
$.omething going on here in -lorida+ More terrorist activity+' %e got in and )oined *ar, as the driver
slid behind the wheel and threw the car into gear. $Theres not a problem here, is there+'
$4roblem+' The driver turned the car in a tight 7, heading back down the approach as si& police cars
came rolling down the opposite lane. $/ady, theyre arresting people and kicking down doors right
and left around town.' %e watched intently in the rear view mirror as he drove, turning it so he could
see the police cars. $My brother works for *ade 3ounty and he )ust told me the guys who took over
those planes lived down here.'
$%ere+' "lastair said. $0hat the hell+' %e looked at *ar. $They lived here+ I thought they were
saying on the news before we left this was from some group outside+'
$0ho knows at this point+' The driver said. $%ey, Im *ave, by the way.' %e added. $,ou gave me an
address off Brickell, right+' %e looked !uickly behind him. $Guess those guys forgot about me.'
$6ight' *ar murmured. $This all doesnt make sense.'
$5othings made sense since yesterday morning.' *ave said. $That cooler in the backs got the drinks
you asked for. They arent very cold yet, I had to stop by 4ubli& to get them.' %e glanced at them in
the rearview. $%owd you folks end up landing here anyway+ 0e heard there were no planes allowed
to land. Its been real dry for us. I sure was glad to get the call. ,ou need to go anyplace else+ 0ant to
stop and pick up some )ava+'
*ar met his eyes in the mirror. $*o we look like we need it+' .he asked, wryly.
$"nyone flying for = hours needs it.' %e neatly sidestepped the !uestion. $,ou a .tarbucks or
1ersailles kinda lady+'
$1ersailles, please.' *ar had to smile. $I promised my boss here a cafe< cubano.'
$,ou got it.' The driver said. $.it back and rela&, and Ill get you right there. I figured you were local.'
$Thanks.' *ar did, in fact, sit back in her seat. .he opened her 4*" and looked up a number. $Might
as well get this started.' .he was about to dial, when the phone rang. $*ar 6oberts.' .he answered it,
only to have it beep for a second incoming call.
"lastair was already on the phone, waiting for it to be answered. $*oes that )ava come in buckets+'
%e asked. $I think were going to need it.'
;;
(erry felt a sense of odd de< )aK vu as she took her bottle of ice tea and settle down in one of the thick
leather chairs in the courtesy bus. $Gentlemen, thank you very much for taking time out of your day
to talk with me for a minute.'
The facilities chief, an older man with a bristly gray buzz cut and a weathered face dropped into the
chair across from her with a tired grunt. $"ny e&cuse to sit down.' %e glanced up as one of the bus
workers approached him and offered a tray. $0hats that+'
$6oast beef sandwich, sir.' The young woman supplied. $"nd we have chips and fresh potato salad.'
The chief didnt hesitate, reaching over to envelope one of the rolls in a large, callused hand. $%and
em over. -irst thing I had since dark of the clock this am.'
%aving supplied herself with spicy chicken, (erry was content to watch as the military men were
served, *anny and two of the other techs already busy at the nearby counter chowing down. .he
opened her bottle of ice tea and sipped from it, )erking )ust a bit as her 4*" went off. .he pulled it out
and opened it, unable to repress a smile when she saw the messages sender.
Hey.
+ere out of the airport and headin! for coffee. )id you know all hells breakin! loose down here?
People !ettin! arrested and all that?
1et la! sucks.
+e are !oin! to the office after this. Im workin! on your !ear. I !ot two calls from clients up in 9ew
.ork who complained they were down and told them off. I think I scared $lastair. ome !uy from the
9$ called me, but hun! up before he could tell me what he wanted.
(eft a messa!e for 5erry. %aybe he can !et me up there toni!ht.
(errys eyes widened. $Tonight+++'
$Maam+' The bus attendant was in front of her. $0ould you like a sandwich+'
Tonight+ (erry blinked at the tray, completely distracted. $7h2 no.' .he held up her tea. $Im fine
thanks. I stopped and had lunch on the way here.' .he waited for the server to move away, then
looked down again at her 4*".
I need a !ood ni!hts sleep with you wrapped around me.
$.o now, whats this all about.' The chief said, wiping his lips with a company logod napkin. $,ou
people the computer people+'
(erry hesitated, then she closed the 4*". $,es, were the computer people.' .he fought the urge to go
back to *ars note. $But we work with a lot more than computers. 0e handle the systems that let you
communicate with the rest of the military infrastructure, and run most of the programs that bring in
information and send out things like accounting and payroll.'
The chief chewed his sandwich, studying her with faded blue eyes. $.o what youre saying is youre
important.'
(erry shook her head. $5o. ,oure important.' .he disagreed. $The people here working their tails off
to get things back up and going are important. 9ur mission here is to help you do that.'
9ne gray eyebrow cocked. $Good answer.'
The 39, a tall, lanky man with straight, dark hair chuckled softly under his breath. $Ms. .tuart, Ive
been trying to get hold of your management since yesterday.' %e said. $,ou dont need to sweet talk
me into pushing to get you what you need.'
$0ell.' (erry paused. $0e had to evacuate our commercial operations center and they took the brunt
of that over in %ouston. I know they were slammed. I was traveling yesterday here, *ar 6oberts, our
3I9 and our 3#9 "lastair Mc/ean were in transit back from #ngland.'
$.eems like you were putting together a plan to come help us anyway.' The 39 said. $But then, you
people always do. I hate computers.' %e said. $I wish I could throw the lot of them into the 4otomac
but at least you make ours work.'
$Most of the time.' (erry accepted the compliment with a smile. $Theyre machines. They break. $ .he
paused a moment. $.o what I need, to bring this conversation to a point ? is power in our backup core
space.'
$9ne that aint finished yet+' The chief asked.
$.ure.' (erry replied. $0e never do things the easy way.'
$0hats the point of that, Ms. .tuart+' The 39 asked.
$4lease, call me (erry.' (erry said. .he stood up and went to the side mounted white board and
picked up a marker. $,our systems are laid out like this. $ .he !uickly sketched in the five sided
building, and its rings, putting s!uares in place rooted out of her memory of *ars planning sessions.
$#ach area has a wiring closet, and those closets are connected with a fiber backbone.'
.he glanced behind her, finding the military men watching her intently. $#ventually, everything has
to come back to one place, so we can take it out of the building. In this case, for this facility, we had
two central locations for redundancy.'
$"h huh.' The chief said. $6emember you all bitching about all that space that took up+' %e turned
and looked at the 39. $%ad to hear that from you for a month.'
$,ou did.' The 39 agreed. $Thought it was a waste of time until I got told I didnt know my ass from a
teakettle and to leave the IT stuff to the IT people.'
(erry eyed him. $Talked to *ar, huh+'
$3ertainly has a smart mouth.' The 39 said. $I was about to kick up when she went off talking for
about twenty minutes and I have to admit to you I did not understand one single word she said.
Might as well have been speaking Turkish.'
$The mouth goes with the rest of her.' (erry said, in a mild tone. $.hes brilliant. .ometimes she goes
on for twenty minutes and I dont understand a word.'
$,es, well, I realized that when we went through the plan for the reconstruction of the wing there,
and figured out if we hadnt had a spare, wed have been in a world of hurt trying to work around
that. .o alls good.' The 39 said. $But here we are, nothings working.'
$6ight.' (erry went back to the diagram. $There is no way we can !uickly recover the destroyed
room.' .he looked over at the chief. $I think you probably realize that.'
The man nodded. $-ind all your folks+' %e asked, the tone of the conversation suddenly growing
!uiet, and grim.
$5ot all of them.' (erry said. $0ere still missing a few.'
The chief studied her. $Might have been in there. ,our folks were, a lot.'
There was an awkward silence. (erry folded her arms, gripping the marker in her right hand. $That
had occurred to me.' .he said. $But I hope thats not the case. I hope theyre )ust out of touch and
well hear from them today.'
The 39 cleared his throat. $.o you need power in this new space.' %e said. $3hief, can we do that+'
The chief chewed his sandwich thoughtfully as they waited in silence for his answer. (erry went over
to the table and got her ice tea, leaning an elbow on the counter as she gave in and opened her 4*"
again.
I need a !ood ni!hts sleep with you wrapped around me.
$I need that too.' (erry muttered under her breath. $Maybe I can call Gerry and ask him.'
$%ow much power you need+' The chief spoke up suddenly.
(erry glanced over at *anny. $*o you have that handy, or do I need to get it from the master doco
server+'
*anny stopped in mid chew. $7h..'
$"h hah.' (erry went over to where her laptop was resting on the counter and unlocked it. .he
opened a browser and typed in an address, waiting for the page to display over the satellite link
before she entered a re!uest. $%ang on.'
.he glanced back at the 4*" on the counter.
Ientered a re!uest. $%ang on.'
.he glanced back at the 4*" on the counter.
+ere drivin! throu!h (ittle Havana now. &heres a lot people on the street talkin!. +ant some cafC con
leche? $lastairs tryin! a cro4ueta.
$9kay.' (erry reviewed the list on the screen. $Boy, there was a lot of stuff in there.' .he ran the
calculations. $Ten racks at si&ty amps per rack.' .he looked up at the chief. $.i& hundred amps.
Twenty LA amp lines.'
The chief stopped chewing and stared at her. $In that little room++++'
(erry nodded wryly. $0e also need "3.'
$.on of a bitch8'
$3an we do it, chief+' The 39 broke in. $0ho the hell cares how much it is+ Its not like we have a
budget for it. 0hat does it mean, a bigger cable+ 3mon now, you know whats at stake here. 0ere
blind without that e!uipment.'
$,ou dont even have e!uipment for me to plug in there.' The chief turned around and said to him. $I
know it aint here, because I heard those IT people talking about it.'
The 39 looked over at (erry. $0hats the story with that+'
(erry leaned against the counter. $*ars working on it.' .he said. $Itll be here. 9ur racking vendor is
already preparing a truck heading here with the framework.'
The chief looked around at her. $0e can do it.' %e said, surprisingly. $Ill have power pulled in there
by tonight. That do you+'
$Thank you.' (erry smiled warmly at him. $,es, that takes a big weight off my shoulders. I wouldnt
want to call in the markers Im calling in )ust to get everything here and not be able to use it.'
There was a little silence. The military men subsided into pensive thought, and (erry took a sip of her
ice tea. .he took a breath, and from one moment to the ne&t, seeing those tired faces, they changed
from a problem she had to solve to human beings she )ust wanted to help.
.hed never felt a kinship to the military. .hed always regarded that world with a wary respect, not
understanding it, or the people who chose to be a part of it. Getting a closer look had never really
been in her plans, right up until her partnership with *ar.
*ar had been her window into that world, however une&pected that had been. .he still wasnt sure
she understood most of it, but having talked with 3eci, and knowing and loving both her and "ndrew,
shed gained at least a sympathy for these people who chose to serve.
$0hat else can we do+' (erry asked, gazing at them. $3an we get something, do something for the
people here+ *o people need help+ "ccess to their systems for emergencies+ 0ere bringing up an
internet hotspot here and if you send your financial people to see me, I can get them into
workstations here on the bus, or in our %erndon center.'
The chief leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. $3an you take back yesterday+'
(erry put her tea down and went over to where he was sitting, taking a seat on the couch ne&t to him.
$I wish I could.' .he said. $I think every single person I know would.'
The chief looked at her. $%ave you ever wanted to hit someone but you aint got a target, young lady+'
%e said. $I )ust want to find the people who thought this was a great and noble thing to do and keep
hitting them until their guts come out on the floor.'
$0e all feel that way.' The 39 put a hand on the chiefs shoulder. Billy remained silent, eyes wide, )ust
watching behind them. $0e all lost friends. 0e all have people in the hospital, and families hurting.'
%e looked at (erry. $But we have a )ob to do. 0e have )obs that only we can do, so we can turn this
around.'
(erry nodded. $0ell get you back in operation.' .he stated. $0ell get everything fi&ed. 0e have the
resources and the will to make it happen.'
The bus attendants came back in, with chocolate cupcakes and hot coffee. The scents filled the
interior, and the men all looked up, visibly brightening as the women came over.
$I know youre not part of the military.' The 39 addressed (erry.
$5o, Im not. But my father in law is retired 5avy, and my partner grew up on a 5avy base down in
south -lorida.' (erry replied. $I wont pretend to understand your world, but I dearly love people who
were a part of it.
The 39 nodded, after a pause. $Good enough.' %e said. $0ell get you what you need, (erry. ,ou get
us what we need.'
$%ey, boss+' Mark entered, then stopped, and sniffed. $9oo.. 3hocolate.' %e looked hopefully at the
trays. $Got e&tra+'
(erry patted the chiefs knee and stood. $0hats up+'
$#T" si& hours for the sat trucks.' Mark said, succinctly.
$.i& hours+ -or the trucks that came from Houston +' (erry asked, in disbelief. $0hat the hell did
they do, put afterburners on the pickup trucks+'
$*idnt ask.' Mark said, through a mouthful of cupcake. $*ar taught me sometimes its better not to
ask stuff like that.'
The 39s eyes swung from one to the other. $0hat does that get us+'
Mark licked his fingers. $3ouple of long ass cables and it gets your critical systems back online in slow
motion.' %e said. $But itll work. Ive got enough gear in the back of my truck to get rudimentary
routing moving as long as we can bring 5ewark back up.'
$In si& hours+' The 39s eyes lit up. $,oure serious+'
$.ure.' Mark nodded. $They said the power generator trucks would be there by then, didnt they+'
$They did.' (erry said. $They sure did.'
$Great. 0ell start cabling up the gear and running the lines in.' Mark said. $Im gonna need )uice
though. I cant run those enterprise switches and routers off my truck battery.'
The chief stood up and latched on to his arm. $3mon boy.' %e said. $I got your power for you. 3ome
with me.'
The 39 and Billy got up and started after them. $/ets see what we can do to help' The 39 said. $Billy
round up some of those carts of yours.'
$.ure thing.' Billy turned and waved at (erry. $Thanks, maam. -or everything.'
$Bwf2' Mark grabbed another cupcake as he was hauled bodily out of the bus. $/ater boss8'
$/ater.' (erry went back to the counter and picked up her tea, her eyes flicking to the 4*" waiting on
the shiny surface. .he sat down on the stool nearby and took a cupcake from the tray, studiously
unwrapping it as she went back to her message.
.he had a lot to do. There were things to arrange, and the conference call to get back to, her mother to
call, the government to worry about2 but she blocked out a space of time to sit, and have her
cupcake, and recover her e!uilibrium.
Time for a *ar break.
;;
*ar led the way towards the front doors to the office, better for a handful of cro!uettas and a large
.tyrofoam cup of cafe< con leche inside her. $(now what+' .he said suddenly. $I forgot to tell them
you were with me.'
"lastair chuckled deep in his throat. $"s though the world isnt topsy turvy enough, I show up you
mean.' %e glanced up at the tall building. $0erent you going to move out of this place+'
$I still might.' *ar waved at the guard as the doors slid open, releasing a blast of cold air at them.
$"fternoon, gentlemen.'
$Ms. 6oberts8' The guard nearest the door came around the desk and approached her. $Boy are we
glad to see you8' %e said. $They said you were overseas8 0e had the building management here five
times already today asking for plans, and emergency authorizations.'
$I bet.' *ar paused and clipped her badge to her tshirt. $Give me a half hour to get into my office
upstairs then send them up to me.' .he spotted a few familiar faces crossing the floor, and with an
effort, wrenched her brain back into place to deal with being back at the office. $3mon.'
$6ight behind you.' "lastair had regained his cheerful good nature. $,ou know, that was some damn
good coffee, *ar. ,ou were right.'
Mariana had )ust e&ited the elevator. *ar put two fingers between her teeth and let out a loud
whistle, making the %6 14 stop in her tracks and look !uickly around, scanning over them twice
before she stopped and stared, then let out a yelp. $"%8'
%eads turned. *ar caught the looks of recognition and then the double takes as "lastair was spotted
at her side. .he waited for Mariana to reach them, then was surprised almost beyond speech when
the woman threw her arms around her and gave her a hug. $7h.'
$Thank god youre safe.' Mariana released her. $"lastair, you too.' .he added hastily. $Great to see
you8'
"lastair burst into laughter. $9h hell.' %e chuckled. $5ice to see you to, Mari.' %e patted her on the
shoulder. $It aint home, but its damn nice to be on home soil again.'
$0hy didnt you tell me you were back+' Mariana turned on *ar. $*oes (erry.. no, of course she
knows youre here.'
$.he knows Im in Miami, sure.' *ar said. $But she didnt know until I landed because we didnt know
until we landed. 0e were supposed to still be in the air heading to Me&ico right now.' .he looked up
as a group of people surrounded them. $%ey o..'
/ater on, she had time to reflect on the fact that her relationship with (erry had slowly but surely
gotten her used to physical contact and how lucky that was for her co workers.
:ose grabbed her arm, and got a hand around her back. $.hit8 ,oure here8 :esus, thank you.' %e
wrung her neck a little, then grabbed "lastairs hand. $Boss, good to see you.'
#leanor gave her a !uick hug. $5o bull, *ar.' .he said in a !uieter tone. $Glad youre safe.'
More hands. More voices.
$:efa8'
*ar turned and found herself enveloped by Maria. This at least she welcomed. $%ey Maria.' .he
returned her admins hug. $Glad to be back.'
Maria released her. $But not for so long, no+' .he said. $I think you will go find (errisita and help her.
.he is doing so much.'
$I think youre right.' *ar smiled.
$%ey *ar8' *uks elbowed in and got an arm around her shoulders. $5ow things are looking up.' %e
announced, giving "lastair a pat on the shoulder. $.ir. 0elcome to our banana republic.'
$Thanks.' "lastair patted him on the side. $Good to see you /ouis.' %e glanced at the crowd. $I think
we should move this upstairs, folks. 0ere blocking the lobby.'
$%ey, Ms. 6oberts. 0elcome home.' 9ne of the ops techs timidly clasped her hand. $Boy, were glad
youre here.'
*ar felt a little overwhelmed.
$"ll right, everyone to what our friends in #ngland call the lifts.' "lastair took charge. %e handed off
his bag to a willing :ose. $.omeone want to get *ars roller here+ /ets go, march people. 0eve got
work to do.' %e put his hand on *ars elbow and started herding people simply by the act of moving
and presenting them with the choice of moving with him or being bowled over.
Mariana fell in ne&t to *ar. $*id you get any rest at all since yesterday+ *oesnt look like it.'
$5ot a lot.' *ar collected herself. $3atnaps. I was covering for (erry while she was traveling.'
$0e know.' Mari gave her a sympathetic look. $"nd Mark was covering for you both while he was
traveling. ,ou know, we recorded the entire global meeting place, *ar. 9ne day, a long time from
now you should sit down and listen to it.'
$That was something, wasnt it+' "lastair had been listening with one ear, apparently, carrying on
two other conversations with the other.
$I think it was the finest moment this company ever had.' Mari said, simply.
$0ell.' *ar reached the elevator and got in, going to the back corner and turning to face those
following her in. $Maybe we can look at it sometime. 6ight now, its a drop in the bucket.' .he clasped
her briefcase in both hands as the elevator filled, and they started up.
$"lastair, Ill have an office set up for you.' Mari said. $:ust give me a few minutes when we get
upstairs.'
$9h please.' "lastair said. $0hat in blazes do you think Im going to do here+ :ust give me a damn
phone and a chair so I can let people bitch at me.' %e glanced sideways at *ar. $(eep them off the
back of the people who do the real stuff.'
$0ell..'
$.hut up, "lastair. ,ou do plenty.' *ar said, in a loud enough voice to cut through the chatter in the
elevator. $3ut the B..'
%er boss looked over at her, both gray eyebrows hiking.
*ar mirrored his e&pression right back at him.
The doors slid open, and everyone escaped out of the car into the hallway, pouring into the gray and
maroon space as they cleared the way for *ar and "lastair to e&ist. *ar turned and headed towards
her office, and after a second, her boss followed her.
Maria also followed her. $:efa, do you want something from the cafe< +'
$More coffee.' *ar said. $"nd some of the cheese pastalitos. They make them better here than at
1ersailles.' .he glanced back at "lastair. $0ant coffee+'
$.ure.' "lastair agreed. $Im )ust going to borrow your outside office to make a call until they finish
setting up whatever poobah area theyve come up with for me.'
*ar snorted. $,ou can go work in (errys office if you want. .hes got a bo&ing dummy in there if you
get bored.' .he led the way into her office, pushing the door open and feeling a sense of relief as her
eyes took in the familiar surroundings.
It was all a little too much, coming back like this. It had been too long a day, too long a flight, too
many strange happenings to end with this clamor of familiarity rubbing her nerves so raw.
.he opened the door to her inner office and went through, slowing down a little as she took in the
plate glass walls, and the view of the ocean. %er desk was clean, as always, only the fighting fish and
her monitor disturbing the sleek wooden surface.
$0ell, you do have a couch in here. 0hat do ya know.' "lastair poked his head in.
$,es, I do.' *ar put her briefcase down and settled into her comfortable leather chair, its cool surface
chilling her back a little through her thin tshirt. .he reached under her desk to boot her computer,
giving the trackball a spin as it started up. $9kay.'
$9kay.' "lastair came inside. $Ill take you up on that office offer. :ust tell me where it is and Ill get
out of your hair.
*ar gave him a wry look, and pointed at the back door. $Go down that hall, door at the other end is
(ers.'
"lastair looked at the door, then at her. $,ouve got to be kidding me.'
*ar lifted both hands up in sheepish acknowledgement. $,ou can go out in the hall, turn left, find the
kitchen, and go in the front way if you want to. *ont scare her admin though.'
$The two of you. I swear.' "lastair chuckled, making his way to the door and passing through it.
"t last it was !uiet. *ar sat back, then she turned her chair around to face the water. The surface was
ruffled with white waves, a cavalcade of boats heading up into the bay and reminding her of yet
another potential issue. $-irst things first.'
.he turned back around and tapped her speaker phone, dialing Gerrys phone number. %er desktop
came up, and she typed her password in, watching as her backdrop came up, along with the global
meetingplace login bo&. .he logged in, and changed her status.
(o!inD #oberts, )ar
(ocationD %iami /perations 'enter
#oleD %iami operations e2ecutive.
tatusD %issin! my wife.
.he backspaced over the last, and typed in !ood instead, and sent the bo& on its way.
The phone range twice, then it was answered. $General #astons office. 3an I help you+' " womans
voice answered, sounding harried and a touch out of breath.
$Id like to speak to the General please.' *ar said. $Its *ar 6oberts. %es e&pecting my call.'
$9ne moment.'
*ar scanned the screen as the status boards popped up, and there was a soft crackle that warned her
the conference bridge was starting. .he lowered the volume, as the phone came off hold.
$%ello, Ms. 6oberts+' The womans voice came back. $%old on a moment, the General is getting to his
desk.'
$.ure. Tell him to take his time. I bet hes as tired as I am.' *ar remarked.
$,ou know it.' The woman said, her tone warming. $%ang on, Im transferring.'
" click, and then Gerrys voice boomed over the line. $*ar+ That you+'
$Its me.' *ar acknowledged. $%ows it going there, Gerry+ Im in Miami.'
$Miami8' The general said. $0hat the hell+ I thought you were heading for %ouston8'
$Me too. /ong story.'
There was a rustling noise and the sound of a door closing, then Gerry cleared his throat. $0ell, Im
damn glad to hear youre back and on the ground safe.' %e said. $Things are a little better today. %ad
everyone on my backside this morning until I got a call from the fellas down trying to make sense out
of this place and found out your people are already moving on everything. 0onderful8'
*ar smiled. $I sent the best I have there, Gerry.' .he said. $Mark 4olenti, my chief techhead, and
(errys there, too.'
$,know, thats what my fella said.' #aston agreed. $.aid your people are the best. Bringing in
cupcakes and fi&ing everything. I really appreciate that, *ar.'
$"nytime.' *ar said. $.o does that mean you dont need my ass up there+ Im sure (ers got it under
control.'
$"h.' Gerry sighed. $0ell, no.'
*ar knew a moment of perfectly balanced conflict, as her desire to be where (erry was battled
against her knowledge that whatever Gerry was going to ask of her was by definition worse than
what she was dealing with there already. $0hats up+'
$,ou someplace !uiet+'
$Im in my office.' *ar said. $The only thing listening is my fish.'
$6ight.' Gerry said. $/isten, *ar.. I dont usually get involved in the civilian side of things, Ive got
more than enough on my plate right now, you see+'
$.ure.'
$:ust had the head of the 0hite %ouse financial office in here kicking me in the kiester.' Gerry said.
$Thing is, they lost a lot of facility there in 5ew ,ork.'
$I know.' *ar said. $0e have a lot of customers down.'
$0ell, youd know more about that than I would. "nyway, yknow they shut down the .tock
e&changes, right+' Gerry said. $"ll the financial stuff down in the south tip of Manhattan+' %e paused.
$,ou knew about that right+'
$I didnt.. well, I probably heard that in all the clamor yesterday but didnt pay that much attention.'
*ar admitted. $There was so much going on.'
$0ell, dont you know+ %ere too8' Gerry said. $-eller from the 0hite %ouse seemed to say Id been
derelict in my duty because I didnt know a bull from a bear.' %e sighed aggrievedly. $.o this guy
comes over here and tells me its a national emergency about those stock houses. %ave to get them
back working. Government is counting on it. 0orld stability is at stake.'
*ars brows contracted. $Granted.' .he said. $%aving the markets down sucks but didnt they say
yesterday they shut them down on purpose to stop a run on them+ I thought I heard that in a sound
bite.'
$4ish tosh.' #aston said. $I got an earful about keeping consumer confidence up and all that, but the
fact is, all the blinking things and doodads in there cant work because of all the damage. They dont
want to admit it, trying to make everything seem like it wasnt that much. ,ou see+'
$"h.' *ar murmured. $I see.' .he paused. $0hy the hell are they after you for that, Gerry+ .ince when
is the :oint 3hiefs in charge of telecommunications repair+'
$0e arent.' Gerry stated, with a snort. $0hich is what I told this feller and he told me he didnt want
to hear my problems, he wanted me to get his solved. $ The general cleared is throat. $"pparently
because I.' %e said. $(now you.'
$Me+'
$,ou.' #aston confirmed. $.omeone told this guy that youd be able to fi& this thing.'
$Me+' *ar repeated. $Gerry, theyre not customers of ours. 0e have nothing to do with the #&changes.
Thats all private line work.' .he protested. $I dont even know anyone down there.'
$0ell, *ar, I dont know what to tell you, but this guy said I should get hold of you and make you fi&
this problem for the 0hite %ouse.' Gerry said. $5ow, he said I wasnt suppose to tell you it was for
the 0hite %ouse, but I told him if he wanted me to ask you to do something you had to know why or
youd tell them to..ah..'
$(iss my ass+' *ar e&haled. $To be honest, Gerry, I really wouldnt tell the 0hite %ouse that, even
though I think the current occupant has the mental capacity of a woodchuck and the personality of
what it e&cretes.'
General #aston cleared his throat.
$I )ust dont know what we can do about it.' .he went on. $%onestly. 5one of that is ours, and they
lost so much infras2'
.he paused, thinking hard.
$*ar+'
$,eah, sorry.' *ar said. $I was )ust considering something. .o what do they want me to do, Gerry+'
" soft buzzing sound came through the phone. $*amn thing.' Gerry sighed. $*ar, honest, I dont know
because all that whoo hah you do is )ust so much mumbo )umbo to me. I think you need to come up to
talk to this guy. Tell him the straight facts. If you cant do it, you cant.'
$9kay.' *ar agreed. $3an you get me a lift+ Ill do him one better, Ill bring my boss with me so we can
dispense with the Dlet me talk to your boss routine right off.'
$.ure can.' #aston sounded pleased. $/et me get my girl on it, and shell call you with the scoop.' %e
said. $/isten, *ar.. $%e hesitated. $If you can do anything for this guy, you might want to think about it.
%es big. %e can cause you a lot of trouble, if you catch my drift.'
$,eah.' *ar murmured. $I catch your drift.'
$Good. .ee you tonight then.' #aston said. $/ater, *ar.'
$/ater.' *ar hung up the phone, leaning back in her chair with her hands laced behind her head.
$0ell, shit.'
The door opened, and Maria poked her head in. $6eady for cafe< , )efa+'
*ar looked at her. $9h yeah.' .he said. $I sure am.' .he waited for Maria to enter. $/ooks like Ill be
flying out to *3 tonight, Maria. "ny chance of getting someone to run by my place and grab another
overnight bag+'
$9f course.' Maria said. $Mayte has already mentioned she would be glad to do that if you needed her
to, and also to bring anything (errisita might need. 0e want to do our part as well.'
*ar smiled at her. $This is a hell of a time, isnt it, Maria+'
%er admin set her coffee and pastries down and came around to the back side of the desk, leaning
against the edge of it as she studied *ar. $I was crying so much, all day.' Maria said. $I was so scared,
for everything.'
$Me too.' *ar replied.
$/istening to (errisita, she sounded so upset also.' Maria said. $But you know, when you came on to
the big conference, and what (errista said+ 0e all said the same thing, all of us. #veryone.'
*ar cocked her head in momentary puzzlement. $9h, you mean about being glad to hear my voice.'
$.i.' Maria nodded.
*ar e&haled. $5ow that yesterday is over though, its hard to know where we go from here.' .he said.
$It all )ust makes so little sense.'
$My Tomas says the same.' Maria said. $/et me leave you to get your things done. I will send Mayte
over to your house right away.'
$Ill call my folks and have them have a bag ready.' *ar said, leaning forward and reaching for the
phone. $"nd I guess I better warn "listair.'
$3omo+'
$I think I got us into a hell of a situation.'
;;
(erry leaned on the steering wheel, waiting for the lights to change so she could continue her slow
progress towards the 3apital. .he glanced at her watch, then pulled through the intersection and
continued along her way.
.he checked her watch. Thirty minutes until the time shed told her mother shed be there, and she
figured she would even have time to find her way without having to run through the hallowed halls.
$Talk to 3ongress.' .he drummed her fingers on her steering wheel. $%ow completely freaky that Im
considering that taking a break from what I was doing all day.'
.he picked up a bottle of )uice from the cup holder and unscrewed the top, tossing a few tablets into
her mouth and washing them down as she found the cross street she was looking for and turned
down it. 9n one side was a stately office comple&, its limestone front the same sedate cream she
remembered and she entertained a few old memories of the place as she turned into the parking
area.
The first time she visited the 6ussell building to visit her father in his offices there, shed been about
eight. (erry remembered, dimly, the feeling of wonder as she walked at her mothers side between
the trees and up into the solemnly colonnaded rotunda.
5ow she took a moment as she got out of the .71 to collect herself, and tug her )acket sleeves straight
before she shouldered her brief case and closed the door. The cool air puffed against her hair as she
crossed the road and walked down the sidewalk, giving the armed soldiers there a brief smile.
They glanced at her, but none of them made a motion to stop her. "pparently blond haired
Midwestern looking chicks werent on the watch list. (erry reached the visitors entrance and went
inside, not surprised to see more armed soldiers there.
.he approached the visitors desk and stood !uietly, waiting her turn as two men spoke to the
receptionist ahead of her. The room was !uiet, several people sitting in chairs on one side, one or
two people working at tables, and the soldiers, looking shockingly out of place in their field uniforms
with guns slung over their shoulders.
0hat e&actly, she wondered, were the soldiers supposed to do in case someone wanted to blow
themselves up in the room+ :ump on them+ .urely not. .hoot them+ 0ould that stop whoever it was
from pressing a button+
Technology moved faster than people. (erry knew that better than most. If someone in the room had
e&plosives strapped to their chests and pressed a button, there was nothing on earth that could stop
that signal from reaching its target.
.ecurity, men with guns, presupposed the threat they were guarding against could be reasoned with
or intimidated. If your aim was killing yourself and everyone around you, like those pilots, how
secure could you really make anything outside re!uiring people to go around naked and putting
them through plastic e&plosive detectors every si& feet+
Bad. (erry e&haled. 1iolence never really was the answer, was it+ "t best, it was a temporary roll of
duct tape in a series of escalating contests of humanities drive to claw its way to the top of whatever
anthill they occupied. $"s a species, we sure suck sometimes.'
$Maam+' The woman behind the desk was looking at her, one eyebrow lifted.
The men had left, and (erry apologetically stepped forward to the edge of the table. $.orry.' .he
murmured. $I have an appointment with .enator .tuart.'
The woman studied the book in front of her. $,our name, please+'
$(errison .tuart.'
The receptionist glanced up and studied her face for a moment. $,es, shes e&pecting you.' .he said,
after a pause. $.eargeant, can you please escort this lady to suite LCQ.'
The nearest soldier came over, and gave (erry the once over, then nodded. $,es, maam.' %e said.
$3ome with me please.'
(erry obediently circled the table and followed the soldier through the back door and into the
building. The hallways too, were !uiet. .he could hear the far off sound of typing, something that had
become an alien sound in the office buildings she now fre!uented.
It smelled of stone, and polish, and old wood. The buildings were from the early @=AAs, and you
could sense the history in the place as they walked along the wide corridor.
$Maam+' The soldier glanced sideways at her.
$,es+'
$*o you know where youre going+'
(erry repressed a smile. $,es, I do.' .he said.
$Thats a good thing. 0e )ust got here this morning, and I dont know even where the bathroom is yet.
The soldier confessed. $Theres a lot of little rooms around here.'
$There are.' (erry agreed. $It used to hold around ninety different senators offices, but now its only
about thirty of them, since everyone needs more people, more computers, more conference tables2
its a warren with all the interconnections now.'
$,eah.' The soldier said. $,ou know the senator+ I met her this morning. .eems like a nice lady.'
$.hes my mother.' (erry replied.
$9h, wow. Thats cool' The man seemed to rela& a little. $My mother would come in this place and
want to right off paint it some other color. 4ut some plants around, you know+'
(erry chuckled. $I know.' .he said. $This is more or less the same color as the walls in the house I
grew up in, unfortunately. Id go for a nice teal myself.'
.he led the way to the doors to her mothers offices. $0ell, here we are.'
$9kay. Thanks for showing me.' The soldier said. $,ou have a good day now, okay maam+'
$Thanks.' (erry pushed the door open, giving the man a smile. $By the way, the bathrooms are down
the ne&t corridor, on the left.' .he winked at him, and ducked inside the office, closing the door
behind her.
The soldier digested that information, and nodded. $That was a nice woman. 0ish we had more
people around like that.'
%e turned and started back towards the reception area, whistling softly under his breath.
(erry was spared the need to interrupt the harried looking staff when her mother came out of one of
the side doors, and spotted her.
$"h, (erry.' 3ynthia .tuart looked relieved. $Im glad you could make it over here. 4lease, come inside
and tell me how it is over at the 4entagon.'
(erry followed her back into what she remembered had been her fathers office and knew a very
strange moment of skewed de< )aK vu as she crossed to a chair across from the desk and set her
briefcase down. $%ow are things going here today+'
3ynthia seated herself behind the desk. $Troubling.' .he said. $I hardly know where to start in
addressing all of these issues. I )ust am !uite glad my home area was not one of the ones affected.'
(erry sat down. $Im sure you heard -lorida was.'
%er mother blinked a little. $I had heard. ,es. Thats so very strange.' .he said. $I remember your
father saying so many times how he felt uneasy about Miami, and now to hear all this makes me
wonder if he didnt somehow know more than he realized.'
$I dont think thats what he had in mind.' (erry said, after a brief pause. $I always got the sense he
didnt trust Miami because of all the immigrants there. %ispanics are a ma)ority. But I never got the
idea that they were part of anything dangerous to the country.'
$4erhaps.' %er mother said. $0e will have to see what it is they found there. Maybe those men felt
they could blend in more than in other places.'
(erry half shrugged. $/ike any other ma)or city.' .he said. $0ere working with the people at the
4entagon to get their systems back up. 0e should have some basic connectivity back in a few hours.'
$I see.' %er mother folded her hands. $9r, well, let me not lie about it. I assume that means something
positive since I dont really understand what it is you mean.'
(erry rela&ed a trifle in her seat. $It is.' .he paused. $They depend on computers to e&change
information with everyone and everything. 6ight now, they have some dialup ability with a few
servers, but its very limited. 0hat well do tonight is get their main computers to talk to the rest of
the world using a portable satellite truck while my team is rebuilding the pieces that were destroyed
in the attack.'
$I see.' 3ynthia said, again. $%as *ar returned+ I know you were concerned about her.'
(errys face broke into a grin. $Believe it or not, shes home in Miami.' .he said. $I heard from her
around one thirty or so. .he may be heading up here tonight. Its a big load off my shoulders, thats
for sure.'
$%ow lovely8' 3ynthia said, with sincere warmth. $Im so glad shes back safely. Its impossible to
believe how dangerous simple travel now is. I was talking to one of my colleagues today about it, and
hes terribly worried about tourism, and how that will affect the economy.'
(erry blinked. $Because people will be afraid to fly+'
$,es.' %er mother nodded. $,ou may not realize it, but many of our airlines are on the borderline in
terms of being profitable. This sort of thing devastates them. Its a domino also, as so many state
economies depend on tourism, you know.'
$/ike -loridas.' (erry nodded. $Maybe people will )ust start staying closer to home. Travel in a car.'
%er brows twitched. $I always wondered what that was like. The longest car trip Ive made is from
Miami to 9rlando.'
%er mother looked thoughtful. $0e never did have time for that as a family.' .he allowed. $I think I
would have en)oyed driving through the Grand 3anyon area. Its so beautiful.'
$Its on our list too.'
$0ell, at any rate.' 3ynthia sighed. $.everal of the intelligence committee would like to meet up with
us in the caucus room at four. *oes that suite you+' .he watched (errys face carefully. $It shouldnt
take more than perhaps an hour, and then I thought we could have some dinner.'
$.ure.' (erry agreed readily. $Thats fine by me. I was actually grateful for a reason to get out from
under my staff at the 4entagon and let them do their )obs. 0hen Im around they tend to hover.' .he
smiled briefly. $"nd really, there wasnt much for me to do there once I got the facilities straightened
out and arranged for power and air conditioning.'
$#&cellent.' %er mother said.
$.enator+' 9ne of the aides stuck their head in the door, and paused as they spotted (erry. $9h, hello
there.'
$%i.' (erry smiled at the aide, the older man whod been with them the night before. $%ow are you
doing+'
$Much better for not having slept in the car, thanks.' The aide briefly smiled. $.enator, theyve
confirmed it. It was the 0hite %ouse and "ir -orce 9ne that was targeted. 5o doubt at all.'
$Goodness.' The senator frowned. $Then that last plane in 4ennsylvania, it was headed there+'
$They think so, yes.' The aide nodded. $Im not sure how they were going to target "ir -orce 9ne, but
it was flying all over the place yesterday so..' %e shrugged, and ducked back out.
$Thank goodness that came to nothing.' 3ynthia said. $0hat a horrible thing this is. .o many people
hurt. .o many people killed.' .he looked up as her phone rang, then glanced at (erry. $#&cuse me,
(erry. I have to take this.' .he picked up the phone. $%ello+'
$.ure.' (erry checked her 4*", gratified to find a note from *ar waiting for her like the fudge at the
bottom of a sundae. .he leaned on one arm of the chair and opened the note, half listening to her
mothers end of the conversation.
Hey babe.
(erry smiled, hearing *ars voice saying the salutation. That was a recent development too.
Im sittin! here at my desk tryin! to !et over bein! hu!!ed by -leanor.
(erry stopped reading, her eyes going wide. .he leaned closer to the 4*" and reread the line, not
!uite able to believe what she was seeing. $%uh+'
$Im sorry, did you say something, (erry+' %er mother asked, putting her hand over the receiver.
$7h+' (erry looked up. $5o, sorry. I was )ust reading something here.' .he indicated the 4*". $.tatus
report from *ar.'
$"h, good.' 3ynthia went back to the phone. $#dgar, Im sure youre concerned, and I know we have a
somewhat large community of.. well, yes, I agree its possible. 4eople are very upset.'
(erry wrenched her eyes back to the 4*".
I definitely have to head up there. I talked to 5erry, and I need to fill you in, but Id rather do it in person.
Me too. (erry agreed readily. I dont frankly care why he wants you up here, matter of fact. They
could want us to light the 0hite %ouse with double redundant tin cans and strings and I wouldnt
care.
o Im waitin! to hear from 5errys secretary about fli!hts. Ill drop you a note or call you when I find
out anythin!. $lastairs !ot everyone in a twitter " hes workin! out of your office.
(erry stopped again. My office+ .he ran !uickly over what shed left on her desk, rela&ing when she
remembered cleaning it off before shed traveled. $They couldnt find him an office in that
mausoleum+' .he muttered. $.heesh.'
%ari wanted to !et him space, but I told him he could work out of there and punch your dummy if he !ot
frustrated.
9h. (erry scratched her nose. $%ope he likes having you looking back at him, sweetie. Thats a big
picture of you on my desk.'
$nyway. I hope thin!s are settlin! out there for you. Id rather not spend the ni!ht confi!urin! routers
a!ain.
5ope. (erry could think of much better things to spend the night doing.
Im !oin! to !o !rab a sandwich. %y bodys all screwed up from the damn time chan!e.
(ater )).
$0ell, thanks for keeping me informed, #dgar.' 3ynthia sighed. $4lease tell the chief to keep his eyes
out for anything. I understand how people feel, but we have to uphold the law.' .he listened and put
the phone back in its cradle. $0ell. Thats worrying.'
$0hats up+' (erry gazed across the desk.
$,ou know, there are !uite some number of Muslims that live in Michigan.' %er mother said. $#dgar
Braces, one of the commissioners in *eerborn, is afraid there might be some repercussions against
them.'
$"h.' (erry grunted. $I hope people dont react like that.'
$I hope so too.' 3ynthia said. $But you know, anger makes people so unreasonable sometimes.'
%ow true that was. (erry felt a sting of possibly unintended reproach in the words. .he decided the
retort that was in the back of her throat wasnt appropriate and her mother didnt deserve to hear it.
.he was being as gracious as (erry had ever seen her, and she, herself had the inner grace to feel a
little abashed at herself for her previous behavior. $It kind of proves the theory though, that violence
usually breeds nothing but more violence, doesnt it+'
3ynthia nodded. $0e learn from our lord :esus that we must turn the other cheek, and love our
neighbor, but sometimes I think that lesson stops when our neighbor does not share our values, or
our faith, or our history.' .he studied her hands. $"t times, it doesnt even e&tend to our families.'
$.ometimes it doesnt.' (erry gazed back at her evenly. $It doesnt even take much of a difference.'
%er mothers face wrinkled a little, then she nodded. $1ery true.' .he looked at her watch. $Its time
to go down to the caucus room. "re you ready+'
$"s I will ever be.' (erry closed her 4*" and tucked it into her briefcase. $/ets go.' .he stood up and
locked the tab on the case. $9kay to leave this here+'
3ynthia paused in the act of standing up. $9f course.' .he said. $0e wont be long.' .he gestured
towards the door, and followed (erry towards it. $*id you have something in mind that you would
like for dinner+'
$%ow do you feel about sushi+'
$.ushi.' 3ynthia murmured. $I suppose I could try that. It certainly cant be any worse than the
.amoan cultural dinner I attended last month.'
;;
"lastair took a moment to stroll around his borrowed office space. The room was neat, but he
noticed at once that there were more personal items in it than there were in *ars. 3ertificates on the
walls, for one thing. %e e&amined them.
*ar most likely had the same, and probably more, but he decided his 3I9 was so secure in her
technical reputation she found no use for the things as wall hangings. (erry hadnt been at it as long,
so she probably felt she had something to prove.
Both attitudes worked, he decided. %e moved along to the front of the office, pausing to study the full
size bo&ing dummy complete with what were obviously used gloves. 0as it something he e&pected
to find in a vice presidents office+
4robably not. %e turned and wandered back to the desk, pulling the chair out and taking a seat in it.
The first thing he noticed were the pictures near the monitor. 9ne big one of *ar, another of her and
(erry together, and one of *ars parents with a small one ne&t to it of the dog.
5ot very different at all from his own desk. "lastair tapped his thumbs together. Then he pressed the
speakerphones button and dialed the e&tention to his office in %ouston.
$"lastair Mc/eans office.'
$0ho the hells that+' "lastair in!uired. $.ome old crackpot+'
Bea chuckled. $%ello, boss.' .he said. $0here are you now+'
$3aribbean %ell.' "lastair answered. $I )ust got introduced to a demons brew of coffee and sugar they
suck down here by the gallon and my eyeballs are bouncing off the walls.'
$0ell that e&plains a lot about *ar.' Bea said. $I )ust got off the phone with :ohn 4eter at travel, and he
said he heard theyll let planes start flying again tomorrow. ,ou want me to book you home+'
"lastair e&haled. $.ee what you can arrange.' %e said. $Ive got a feeling Im not going to make it back
there before I have to go talk to some double breasted pair of wingtips in 0ashington, but it pays to
be prepared.'
$0ill do.' Bea said. $%ows *ar+'
$Typically *ar.' %er boss said. $,know though, Im glad I got to travel with her for a few days. Ive
come to the conclusion I think I like her.' %e added. $"s a person, I mean, not as my top ass coverer.'
$,oure deciding this now+' %is admin asked, in a puzzled tone. $I always thought you liked *ar.'
$I always liked *ar 6oberts, my often pain in the ass but fre!uently brilliant beyond belief employee.'
"lastair clarified. $I didnt really know *ar the karate e&pert who does handstands on airplanes for
fun.'
$"hh.'
$.hes neat.'
Bea started laughing. $9h, "lastair.'
"lastair chuckled along with her. $0hat a stinking damned mess this all is.' %e said, after a moment.
$I have to say, though, Bea, I honestly couldnt ask for a better response than we had from everyone
in the company. "cross the board.'
$"bsolutely.' Bea agreed. $:ac!ues was )ust here, and he was saying the same thing. %orrific
situation, absolutely, but we did the right things so far.'
$,up.' "lastair glanced up as he heard someone coming down the back hallway. $%ang on, I think Ill
know in a minute if you can book those flights or not.'
" moment later, the door opened and *ars tall form eased inside. .he had a look on her face that
"lastair had come to characterize as here comes trouble. $%i there. Beas on the line.'
$%i Bea.' *ar responded promptly. $%ow are you+'
$Ive had better weeks, 4aladar.' Bea said. $Im sure you have too.'
$"int that the truth.' *ar sighed. $"lastair, how do you feel about ending up in 0ashington tonight+
Gerrys offering a flight for us. I got hold of him.'
$,eah+' "lastairs brows twitched. $0hats the scoop+'
*ar sat down in one of (errys visitors chairs. $Its2 at first I thought he needed to pressure me to get
the systems back up there, but he said hes been in touch with the folks on the ground and hes very
happy with our response.'
"lastair smiled. $Thats what I like to hear.' %e watched *ars face, its sharp planes twitching into a
wry acknowledgement. $But+'
$But.' *ar repeated. $The loss of facility down in the tip of Manhattans knocked out the financial
sector.'
$0ell, sure.'
$They seem to think we can fi& that.' *ar said. $I e&plained to him that its not our piece of business.
0e dont deal with 0all .treet, thats all private service.'
$%m.' "lastair looked thoughtful. $5o, its not our piece of business.' %e agreed. $,et.'
*ar tilted her head in acknowledgement of the unspoken words. $The government people put
pressure on Gerry to get me involved, because theyve got some idea I can do a fast fi&, and thats
their interest. They dont much care, I got the sense, of whos business that really is, they )ust need it
taken care of because they need to open the markets.'
$"hh.' %er boss nodded sagely. $I was wondering about that. I know they closed the inde&es with
some mention of market stability, but knowing where they are.. yes, I see their point. They cant let
the bastards know they hit us that hard in the monetary groin.' %e nodded. $Get in there, *ar. Thats
not only important to them, its also important to us. 9ur li!uidity is tied up in those markets.'
*ar gave him a look. $Gee, thanks.' .he groaned. $0hat in the hell do you e&pect me to do, go to 5ew
,ork and start running balls of twine and tin cans+ "lastair, thats a lot of destruction in someplace
we usually have to unearth hundred year old conduit to run through and have thirty seven pissed off
unions to deal with.'
$"nd+' "lastair in!uired. $0e lost a lot of facility there too, *ar. ,ou were going to have to have
people in there fi&ing things anyway. This is )ust one more tick on the task list. 3all "TT and 1erizon,
find out what their plan is, you know the drill.'
$I know the drill.' *ar said. $.o back to my !uestion. ,ou ready to fly up and talk to the 0hite %ouse
about all this+'
"lastair leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. $7nlooked for, *ar, and I hate to sound so
mercenary given the circumstances, but this a first class opportunity for us. 9f course Ill head up
there with you. "re you kidding+'
*ar nodded. $9kay. I told Gerry you would.' .he acknowledged. $Im waiting to hear back from his
people on the pick up details.'
$Great.' %er boss seemed !uite pleased. $Bea, can you write up something about this )ust to keep the
board informed+'
$"bsolutly,' Bea responded. $.o I wont bother trying to book you a flight then, I guess. ,ou going to
break the news to your wife or you want me to+'
$%ow big of a chicken do you think I am+' "lastair spluttered. $Good grief8'
*ar started laughing.
$.top that.' "lastair pointed at her. $,oud be a basket case if you had to tell (erry you werent
coming up there and you know it.'
*ar blushed visibly, but kept laughing.
$4ah.' %er boss finally chuckled too. $Ill call her, Bea. I think she suspected it would end this way,
after I told her about the 4entagon.' %e said. $I think Ill have to end up holding the fort there while
our dynamic duo here go take on the real work.'
$*ar, I have an ear in to the global conference.' Bea said. $Its getting a little hectic in there. ,ou
might need to drop in ? theyre asking for Miami ops and I dont think Marks on. %is representative is
getting s!uashed.'
*ar got up. $0ill do.' .he said. $Ill leave you to beg your forgiveness in private.' .he sauntered over
to the door and disappeared through it as her boss searched for something to throw at her. $-orget
it.' .he stuck her head back inside the office. $(erry doesnt leave trash around.. whoa8'
" rubber ball bounced off the wall, deflected by a rapid motion of *ars hand. $0atch it. I have darts
in my office.' .he warned, pulling her head back in and closing the door.
"lastair chuckled, then sighed. $9h boy.' %e said. $I wasnt really ready to go up and duke it out with
the 0hite %ouse this week. Bea, do me a favor and fill %am in, will ya, while I call my wife'
$.ure.' Bea said. $,ou tell *ar to take care of you, okay+ 5o stabbing you with darts.'
$0ith the amount of coffee Ive had so far here, Id probably be better off with a pair of darts in my
ass.' %er boss informed her. $3all you back, Bea.'
$0ill do, boss. Talk to you soon.'
;;
*ar dropped back into her seat, and gave her trackball a spin. .he barely had a moment to review the
information on the screen when her phone buzzed. $,es, Maria+'
$:efa, I have your papa on the phone for you. /ine uno.'
*ar pressed the key. $%ey dad.'
$/o there, *ar.' %er fathers deep voice emerged from the speaker. $That little girl helper of (errys
)ust done left here.'
$That was fast.' *ar said. $Thanks for pulling a bag together for me. Im waiting to hear back from
Gerry.'
$*ont they need you two in this here office+' "ndy 6oberts asked. $.eems like youd be more use
here then messing with those crazy people up north.'
*ar leaned on her elbows, regarding the phone with some puzzled bemusement. $0ell.' .he said.
$Im sure (erry would much rather be here than in 0ashington, and Id rather not get on a military
transport when Ive been up for what feels like three days but we dont really have a lot of choice.'
$0hy not+'
$Because its our )ob, *ad.'
$.illy ass company.'
*ar chuckled a little. $%ey, the 0hite %ouse is calling for me. $ .he said. $0hat I am I supposed to day,
no, Id rather go lay in the sun with my partner+'
"ndrew sighed. $0orlds )ust gone nuts.' %e said. $"h )ust heard on the television that some of them
people who took them planes down got trained to fly here.'
$%ere+' *ar said. $In the states+'
$%ere in this here town.' %er father corrected her. $They arrested some folks, and rousted a bunch
more and they aint finished yet.'
*ar scanned the news ticker, seeing the confirmation there. $3rap.' .he muttered. $/ike we arent
called a banana republic already.'
$"nyhow.' "ndy said. $,ou kids be careful with them govmint people. 0orse than alligators
sometimes. *ont let Gerry get you into nothing, *ar. %e candied assed his way out of that last
damned mess we did get into.'
*ar had to privately admit that was true. $I know.' .he said. $I dont think this really involves Gerry
though, *ad. %e was )ust passing the message. Im taking my boss with me, so we should be okay.'
$That "lastair feller+
$,eah.' .he said. $"nd our corporate lawyers going to be up there too.'
$That coon ass+'
*ar snorted, and started laughing. .he covered her mouth to stifle it. $"h.. yes.' .he cleared her
throat. $%amiltons not that backwoods, dad. %es lived in Boston for years.'
$3oon ass.' "ndrew grumbled.
The speaker buzzed a little. $Miami e&ec, this is 5ewark #arth.'
$%ang on *ad.' *ar opened her mic. $Go ahead 5ewark. *id you get cell back+'
$-or the moment, Miami ? )ust wanted to let you know the trucks )ust got here from "43. Theyre
setting up now to generate some power for us. 0e )ust sent some of the ops staff out to get .. uh..
supplies.'
$Get them an entire barbe!ue with beer on me.' *ar replied. $0e have a dependency on your birds
coming live for the uplink at the 4entagon.' .he said. $0hen that happens, that traffic takes priority.
Tell everyone else to contact me if they have a problem with that.'
$,es maam8' The voice sounded e&haustedly ecstatic. $I sure will tell them that.'
*ar clicked off. $.o anyway, *ad. $ .he said. $ My plan is to get everything s!uared away, get the
teams working, and then get my ass and (errys ass back here and out of it. ,ou get too close if youre
on the ground sometimes.'
$Good girl.' "ndrew said. $Too damned easy to get sucked in. %ad me a call from some old buddies
before all hopped up and pissed allem off telling them to )ust sit and wait for the arm waving to settle
down some.'
*ar studied the phone somberly. $This isnt going to end here.'
$5aw.' %er father grunted. $"int going to end no where, long as folks got what other folks want and
everybody hates everybody.' %e paused. $4olitics fight.'
$True.' *ar murmured. $There arent any real winners anywhere in this.'
$"int my fight.' "ndrew stated. $Got my fill the last time. 5o body damned learned nothing out of
that and a lot of good people ended up losing from it.' %e sounded pissed off. $:ackasses.'
$,ou tell mom that+'
$0oman has been listening to me hollar about it since o dark.' %er father said.
$,es.' 3ecis voice broke in from the background. $Its nice not to be the anti government radical in
the family for twenty minutes. 5ovel e&perience. Im en)oying it a lot.'
*ar laughed softly. $I bet.' .he laced her fingers together and studied them. $%ey *ad+'
$,eap+'
$0ant to come with me+'
There was a slight pause. $0hat in the hell do you think I am on this damn phone for+' "ndrew said.
$That button down feller and that coon ass aint going to do s!uat with them people.'
$9kay.' *ar smiled. $Ill let them know, and call you when the arrangement are done.'
$Thank you, rugrat.'
$I love you too, dad.' *ar replied. $.ee you soon.' .he hung up the phone and considered her
decision, then after a minute she nodded. $,eah.' .he said. $"nother pair of strong hands never
hurts.' .he went back to the conference call, turning up the volume a little as she let herself absorb
the flickering information. $5ever hurts.'
;;
(erry was conscious of the eyes on her as she entered the caucus room, a step or two behind her
mother. The last time shed seen some of these men and women, she realized, was at her fathers
hearing. " few, at her fathers funeral reception.
.he resisted the urge to fuss with her hair and merely followed her mother across the floor to one of
the desks, letting her hands rest on the back of the chair behind it as the room started to fill with
harried looking, upset looking, tired looking people.
.he sat down and rested her forearms on the table, having a vague memory of her father showing her
this room, impressing on her the history behind it. The investigation of the sinking of the Titanic had
been held in this room, for instance, along with 0atergate to put an alpha and an omega on the
rooms dignity.
.he tried to imagine what it would have been like to stand in a corner, and listen to men in handlebar
moustaches and top hats argue about icebergs and lifeboats in a matter where the vessel was British
and the seas international.
The senators were still gathering. %er mother wandered over to talk to one of the newcomers and
she took a moment to lean back in her chair and stretch, easing her shoulders back and popping them
into place to relieve the stress.
/ong day. (erry e&haled, wishing her sleep had been better. %er eyes felt sore around the edges, and
she blinked, rubbing them as she straightened up and rested her elbows on the table again. .he
checked her watch, wishing the session was already over so she could hurry the evening along, get
past dinner, and then with any luck end her day in *ars arms.
:ust the thought made her eyes sting )ust a bit more. .he glanced down at the table, rubbing her
thumb over the lightly scarred wooden surface that reminded her faintly of the old pews in the
church shed grown up going to.
$Ms. .tuart+'
(erry looked up, to find an older woman standing in front of the table she was seated at. $,es+' .he
responded politely.
$"licia 0oodsworth.' The woman e&tended a hand. $Im .enator Marcos security analyst. 3an I have
a word with you before we start+'
$.ure.' (erry indicated a chair nearby. $I )ust hope Im not going to have to say all this more than
once. Its been a long day.' .he cautioned, in a mild tone. $Ill e&tend the courtesy to you though, since
the .enators from my state.'
"licia perched on the edge of the ne&t table instead of taking a chair. .he was a ginger haired woman
with an athletic frame, a bit taller than (erry was. $Thanks.' .he said. $I understand, and Ill be brief.'
.he paused. $Thats right, you do live in -lorida, dont you.'
$I do.' (erry nodded. $0ish I was there right now, in fact.' .he studied her une&pected in!uisitor,
deciding her often off kilter gaydar was possibly accurate this time and she was in good family
company. $But Im sure everyone feels that way.'
The woman nodded. $Im sure the .enator does.' .he commented. $%e was scheduled to fly home to
attend his daughters !uinces this coming weekend.' .he cleared her throat. $"nyway.' .he folded
her hands. $Ill leave the why and how and when to my bosses esteemed colleagues. My !uestion for
you is this.'
Fuinces. (erry felt her attention drift a little, the word bringing back the memory of her and *ar
attending Marias daughters !uinces, there in the heart of conservative /ittle %avana surrounded by
the scent of saffron and mint and the buzz of passionate /atin speech. $Boy Id love a mo)ito right
now.'
$.o given that2 e&cuse me+' "licia paused and started at her. $*id you say something+'
$:ust clearing my throat.' (erry rested her chin on her fist. $Go on.'
$"s I was saying, given that your company is so integral to national security, what security processes
do you have in place to keep terrorists from getting a )ob with you+' .he asked. $Thats my concern.
#specially after whats been going on down in Miami.'
$0ell.' (erry leaned back and propped her knee up against the table, her peripheral vision watching
the room fill behind them. $I dont think theres really a way to prevent that, honestly.' .he admitted.
$%ow do you filter for someone who did what those men did+'
$They didnt come from Idaho.'
(erry studied her face. $0ere an international company.' .he stated. $Most of our employees dont
come from Idaho. I dont come from Idaho.' .he considered. $0e run a reasonable battery of
background checks. 9ur staff that works in secure facilities has to undergo security clearance
processes.'
$0ould you have hired one of those men who piloted those planes+'
4ointless !uestion. $If they were a skilled IT worker with no criminal background, they filled a )ob
need and could legally work wherever they were applying, we might.' (erry said. $I dont think any
company can say differently. %eck, I dont think the military can say differently.'
$0e have to do something.' "licia said. $0e have to protect ourselves from these people. Thats the
trouble down in Miami. Thats why they hid down there. Too many people from other places.' .he
frowned, glancing around as the senators started to take seats. $I cant say that to my boss. But you
understand.'
(errys pale green eyes narrowed a little. .he straightened up in her chair, her body coiling up a little
as she brought her feet under her.
" man walked to the dias in the front and knocked a wooden gavel against it. $/adies and gentlemen,
please sit. This is an informal session, but given the circumstances we should keep it a short one.'
"licia stood up, and nodded slightly at (erry. $/ater then. Thanks.' .he walked over to where
"le)andro Marcos was settling himself down, and bent over him, talking in a low voice.
$Good heavens, (erry.' %er mother was back, taking the chair ne&t to her. $I wasnt e&pecting so
many people to still be here. They must have gotten tied up in committee.'
$Mm.' %er daughter grunted. $:ust my luck.'
3ynthia gave her a half nervous look. $Im sure it wont be that bad.' .he said. $6eally, its )ust a few
!uestions.'
$"t fathers hearing, they )ust had a few !uestions.' (erry pronounced the words carefully. $That
ended up with me escaping in a cab from a mob.'
%er mother didnt say anything.
(erry laced her fingers together and rested her chin against them. .he didnt really feel that
intimidated, somewhat to her surprise, more annoyed to have to face !uestioning about a company
she knew was performing as well as anyone had any reason to e&pect.
$"ll right.' " tall, distinguished looking man stepped to the dias. %e had gray hair, and an impeccably
cut suit, and he glanced over at (erry for a long moment before he assumed a pair of reading glasses
and studied the contents of a folder he opened.
"lan Markhaus. (erry drew in a little breath, remembering him from numerous visits in her younger
years. "n ally of her fathers, and always a welcome guest to her parents. .on of a 4resbyterian
minister, she also recalled, the senior senator from Minnesota and as conservative as they came.
Great. (erry sighed silently, and waited, hoping her fathers old friend would keep his !uestions to
the emergency at hand.
$/et me start off then.' The .enator removed his glasses. $Thank you all for attending. I know were
all tired, and I hope this wont take long.' %e waited for the murmuring to die down. $Based on the
information we received from my esteemed colleague from Michigan..' %e gave 3ynthia a nod. $I
thought it would be a good idea for us to get some clarification before things started running away
from us again.'
.everal of the group nodded.
(erry stayed where she was, aware of the eyes watching her. .he was conscious of her own
breathing, a little faster than normal, and the uneasy knot in her gut as she sensed the edginess in the
room. $5ow I really wish I had that mo)ito.'
$(erry+' %er mother leaned closer. $0hat was that+'
$:ust clearing my throat.' (erry lowered her hands and folded them. $0ish Id brought my briefcase.'
$Ms. .tuart.' .enator Markhaus half turned to face her. $Its come to our attention that during the
crisis yesterday, when attacks were being made in various places, that you had a good deal of
information, immediate information, as things were happening.' %e paused and waited.
$,es, I did.' (erry answered.
The .enator waited, but when it was obvious nothing more was coming, he glanced back at his notes.
$Its been suggested that you had more accurate information than we were provided.' %e returned
his eyes to her. $Is that true+'
$I have no idea.' (erry replied. $I dont know what you were being told.'
Markhaus nodded briefly. $-air enough.' %e commented. $.uppose you tell us, then, what your
e&perience was, and how this information was provided to you.'
(erry stood up, always more comfortable standing when she had to address others. 4art of that, she
suspected, was her relatively short stature, but she also found it easier to pro)ect her voice that way.
$3ertainly.'
3hairs shifted and she waited for everyone to turn to face her. .he took a moment to collect her
thoughts, then returned the gazes evenly. $Its fairly simple.' .he said. $/et me give you some
background on what my company does, however, so you will all understand the conte&t of the
information we gathered.'
.he stepped around the table and put her fingertips together in front of her, putting out of her mind
her history with some of the people in the room not the least of which was her mother. $I/. has been
contracted by a number of government agencies, including the military services, the general
accounting office, the logistics office, among others to provide information technology services.'
$0hat does that actually mean+' "n older woman asked. $Information technology services+'
$It depends.' (erry backtracked. $0e provide a wide range of services ranging from onsite help desks
to programming, to network management.' .he paused, but the woman didnt speak up again. $0e
also manage a wide area network that carries most of the data between government agencies, and
from the government and military to the public internet.'
$0hat kind of data+' Markhaus asked. $3onfidential data+'
$"gain, it depends.' (erry said. $" large percentage of the data we carry, yes, is confidential at the
least, and up to top top secret encrypted on the other end of the scale. "ccounting traffic. 4ayroll for
the civil service. 3ommand and control datastreams for the armed forces.'
.he could see eyeballs starting to roll back in some heads. $In any case.' .he said. $0e do a lot of
work for the country. 0e have a presence in most military bases, in the 4entagon, at 3heyanne
Mountain, and we maintain a good percentage of the computers all of our ta& dollars pay for.'
$Incredible. 9ne company+' The woman turned towards Markhaus. $%ow was this allowed+'
Markhaus merely looked at (erry, raising his eyebrows.
$Its called the free market.' (erry dryly informed her. $The government sends re!uests for pricing.
0e bid on them. .o do a number of other companies.'
$Ms. .tuart.' Markhaus said. $/ets get off the sub)ect of contracts. I am sure this is interesting to my
colleagues, but frankly, I know all about your companys portfolio so please move on to the
information we asked.'
(erry studied him for a moment. $Im sure you are aware.' .he said, with a faint smile. $In any case,
during the attacks yesterday we instituted a process we have for crisis management that involves the
widespread communication of all of our resources.'
.he walked towards the dias. $9ne of the components of this process is the rapid collection of
observations, information, and statistics between all parts of our company.'
$But how did you get the information.' The woman said. $Thats what I am interested in. I understand
passing it among yourselves, though I have to !uestion the security around that.'
$Boots on the ground.' (erry replied, in a mild tone. $The information comes from the people who
were there. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to describe what youre seeing with your own eyes. 0e
had people in the 4entagon when that plane hit. 0e had people handling data centers who were
affected by the buildings collapsing. 0e handle the telecommunications for the airlines.. of course we
knew what was going on.' .he lifted her hands a little and let them drop. $0e were in the middle of
all of it. 0hen the planes were rerouted to 3anada, and they needed e&tra bandwidth to send reports
and let people call home2 we get that re!uest.'
" soft buzz of conversation followed her statement. (erry watched the faces opposite her carefully,
seeing surprise, doubt, suspicion, and boredom facing her. $ I get that re!uest.' .he clarified. $0e
spent most of the day dog paddling like a 3hihuahua on 3uban coffee trying to keep things going.'
$0ho did you inform of all this+' " man asked.
$Inside our company+ #veryone.' (erry said.
$In the government.' The man said. $0ho knew what you were doing+'
$5o one.' (erry replied. $Thats not what were paid for. 0e get paid to know what to do and do it.'
$0hat+' "nother man stood up. $5o wonder no one could tell us what was going on. %ow could you
work in a vaccum like that+'
$There was no vaccum.' (erry felt her body tense, as she reacted to the rising emotion in the room.
$,ou were meddling in the government during a disaster8' The woman stood up, clearly outraged.
$0hat do you mean, you didnt tell anyone what was going on8'
3ynthia stood as well. $5ow, please.' .he said. $I did not ask..'
$9h shut up8' The man said. $0e know where your part is..'
$%#,8' (erry startled even herself, as a loud bark erupted from her chest. .he took a step towards the
man as he whirled to face her. $(eep a civil tongue in your head to my mother.' .he glared at him. $9r
you can take your !uestions and shove them up your ass.'
There was a moment of utter, total silence after her yells echoes faded.
$.it down.' (erry followed that up with another bark. $0ho in the hell do you people think you are to
be !uestioning me+' .he felt the anger surging through her, making her vision lose a little color and
bringing a flush to her skin. $9f course we didnt tell anyone. 0hy should we+ 0hat in the hell use
would that have been+ 5o one had any control over what was happening the least of all the people in
this room.'
$Ms. .tuart.' Markhaus said. $4lease recall where you are.'
$I know where I am.' (erry retorted.
$Then please act like it.' The .enator said. $0ere due respect. I know you were raised knowing that.'
(erry turned her head and looked at him. .he put her hands on her hips. $.omeone once told me.'
.he said. $Those who can, do. Those who cant, become consultants. Those who have no clue at all run
for 3ongress.'
Markhaus lips twitched, his eyes narrowing a little.
$I can, and I do.' (erry said. $If you people did not have proper information from your regular
channels, take that up with them. *ont stand here asking me why I didnt stop what I was doing to
send updates to anyone. $ .he spoke slowly and forcefully. $That is what my customers who happen
to include the government pay me for.'
Markhaus studied her, as the rest of the room shifted angrily. 7ncomfortably. $.o let me
understand.' %e said. $"ll these people calling, all this chaos going on. 4eople needing information,
needing whatever it is.. what did you call it, bandwidth+'
(erry nodded.
$0ho decides what takes priority+' The woman asked. $I know my offices were down. 0hy werent
they considered+'
$I make those decisions.' (erry stated. $Based on a set of priorities we catalog and ad)ust to fit the
circumstances.'
$,ou+' Markhaus asked.
$Me.' (errys green eyes took on )ust a hint of wry amusement. $5ow, lets not get too dramatic about
it. 0ere a very large company. 0e have a very large number of contracts and customers and
worldwide resources. 0e handle minor emergencies all the time 0e plan for this.' .he paused. $0e
know what the priorities are.'
$I am very disturbed.' 3ynthia .tuart came out from behind the table and )oined (erry. $(errison and
her colleagues performed amazingly yesterday. I heard !uite some parts of what they were doing.
They deserve our thanks not this horrific in!uisition.'
$3ynthia, we )ust..' Markhaus waved a hand. $4lease.'
$4lease nothing.' (errys mother frowned at him. $I am sorry I asked (errison to appear here. I am
even sorrier that I confided how competent her staff was yesterday. ,ou make me very ashamed, as
though you asked me to do this so you could take out your frustrations, our frustrations, on my
daughter.'
$Maybe we did.' Markhaus agreed. $0elcome to the %ill.' %e didnt look apologetic at all. $,oure
damn right Im frustrated. .tanding up in front of the rest of the world with my pants around my
ankles makes me that way.'
$Then why not take that out on someone who deserves it+' 3ynthia said. $It seems to me that we have
spent the day in ridiculous debate about how terrible this was, and we have not even discussed the
fact that someone allowed it to happen.'
Go mom. (erry eyed her mother with wry surprise.
Markhaus grunted, and shook his head.
$The !uestion is.' The woman ne&t to her spoke up, but in a !uieter tone. $0hy did they know so
much, and no one else seemed to.' .he eyed (erry briefly. $I didnt mean to be rude.'
(erry altered her body posture, removing her hands from her hips and sticking them in her pockets
instead. $0ell.' .he said. $Its called Information Technology for a reason. (nowing whats going on is
what my business is. 0e have a good communication plan, we all speak the same language, and
were used to passing data to each other without the constraints of different agencies, different
politics, or different chains of command.'
Markhaus grunted. $4robably got a point there.' %e admitted. $I )ust heard the police and firemen in
Manhattan couldnt even talk to each other because their radios were incompatible.'
#veryone got !uiet again.
$*id you hear, on 355 earlier, those sounds+' The woman said. $"ll those chirps, from the
firefighters pagers they said.'
(erry let her eyes drop to the ground, as the silence lengthened after that. .he )erked a little, then
when her cell phone buzzed softly, and she looked up in apology before she removed it form her belt.
$Im sorry, e&cuse me.'
Marks cell phone. $%ey.' (erry kept her voice low. $0hats up+' .he moved away from the now
whispering .enators, and turned her back to them.
$%ey.' Mark sounded subdubed. $/isten, I was )ust listening in on the bridge. They found our big guy
in 5,.'
$Bob+ 0here+' (erry murmured.
Mark hesitated. $%es um2 he didnt make it.'
(errys heart sank. $*amn.' .he e&haled. $*oes *ar know+'
$.he was on the bridge.' Mark said. $.he went to go tell the big cheese. The 5, people are pretty
slammed.'
$*amn it.' (erry sighed. $%e and "lastair were good friends.'
$,eah.' %er MI. 3hief murmured. $%ows it going there+'
$Im about to kickbo& a few senators and get my ass thrown in )ail.' (erry admitted. $Tell *ar to bring
cash.'
That got a tiny laugh out of Mark. $%ey, listen. Good news is, they got the 5ewark # up. Birds are
synced, and Im doing some bandwidth hacking while I wait for power here.'
$Good )ob, Mark.' (erry sighed, and glanced over her shoulder. .ome of the people were moving
towards the door, and she realized the session seemed to be over. $/et me wrap this up, and Ill get
back to you. The boss said shed be heading out here tonight.'
$0oo fucking hoo Ill be glad to see her.' Mark said.
$Me too.' (erry agreed. $Me too.' .he repeated, closing the cell phone. .he turned and walked back to
where her mother was standing, talking to .enator Markhaus. $.orry.'
$Is everything all right, (erry+' %er mother asked. $,ou look upset.'
(erry gazed past them. $9ne of our people in 5ew ,ork was killed in the attack.' .he said. $They )ust
confirmed it.'
$9h dear. Im so sorry.' 3ynthia put her hand on (errys shoulder. $0as it someone you knew well+'
$5o.' .he shook her head. $But weve been trying to support our people there, and its very hard news
for them.' %er eyes flicked to the door. $"re we done here+'
$-or now.' .enator Markhaus said. $5ice bit of fencing, by the way. Fuoting your father back at me.'
%e studied her coolly. $0onder what hed say if hed heard you do that.'
(erry stared right back at him. $%ed tell you not to piss me off.' .he glanced at her mother. $#&cuse
me. Ill wait outside.' .he eased past them and made for the door, twitching her )acket across her
shoulders as she cleared it and went out.
$0as that called for, "lan+' 3ynthia asked. $4lease dont e&pect me to ask (erry to come in here
again.'
Markhaus put his hands in his pockets, regarding the now empty doorframe. $Interesting kid.' %e
said. $Turned out more like him than he ever dreamed.' %e said. $%ed have popped a button listening
to her tell us off like that.'
$(erry has !uite a temper.' %er mother agreed. $But in this case, I agree with her. .he did our country
good service, and was rewarded with accusations and your mean tongue. 0hy not turn that on your
dear friends in the administration instead+ Is it )ust so much easier to yell at a young woman+'
Markhause gave her a sour look.
$4erhaps 6oger was right.' 3ynthia straightened up. $0e are ruled by fools and cowards. -ortunately
for me, my daughter is neither.' .he turned and marched out, slamming the door with a resounding
bang behind her.
;;
*ar sat !uietly in the chair in (errys office, listening to the !uiet conversation on the speaker phone.
"cross the desk from her, "lastair was crouched, leaning forward towards the phone with his head
resting on both fists.
.hed had to deliver bad news more than once in her lifetime, but usually it was bad news of an
impersonal sort. Telling "lastair about Bobs death had been anything but impersonal. It made her
feel sad, and angry all over again at the senselessness of it all.
%er guts were in knots. .he could see how upset "lastair really was, though his e&pression was
merely somber and his voice even as he spoke into the phone to the devastated 5ew ,ork office.
$Theyre sure, :ohn+' "lastair said.
$,es, boss.' " somber voice came back. $I got a call from .t. 1incents. They thought they were going to
get swamped, but they didnt. 9nly a few.. ah. "nyway, one of the doctors there knew him.'
$*amn it.'
$Most of the people here are in the big room. Theyre pretty upset. I came in the conference room to
talk to you.' :ohn Brenner added. $I think were all still in shock.'
"lastair sighed. $%as anyone called his family+'
$5o sir.'
*ar watched her bosses face tense into a grimace, and she felt a wallop of sympathy for him. .hed
known Bob in a casual way, met him once or twice, and argued with him e&tensively but "lastair had
been a personal friend.
$"ll right. I will.' "lastair said. $*amn, Im sorry to hear it. :ohn, is there anything I can do for the
folks there+ I know they must be taking it hard.'
:ohn Brenner sighed. $0e all hoped everyone made it.' %e said. $"fter people started showing up
today, we all thought, hey, well get through this and itll )ust be getting things moving again.'
$,eah, I know.' "lastair murmured. $0e all hoped that.'
$%e stopped to help some people. It must have )ust taken too long, I guess.'
"lastair glanced across the desk, watching *ars somber eyes watch him. $.ometimes Id rather our
people be a little less heroic.' %e said. $But he did what he had to. $
$,es, sir. %e did.'
$"ll right. 0hatever the folks there need, people, alcohol, whatever, make sure they get it :ohn.'
"lastair said. $Ill get hold of Mari here and see if we can get a councellor down there.'
:ohn hesitated. $I think wed appreciate it.' %e said. $It would be good to have someone to talk to.' %e
admitted. $Ill call you later, boss, if we hear anything else. Im going to go back inside with the rest of
them.'
$9kay :ohn. Take care.' "lastair e&haled, reaching forward to release the speakerphone. %e then
settled back in (errys chair and gazed across at *ar. $God damn it.'
$.orry.' *ar murmured. $I know he was a friend, "lastair.'
$%e was.' %er boss said, in a sad tone. $%is familys old friends of mine for a couple generations back,
matter of fact. My granddad and his great granddad were business partners.' %e shook his head.
$0hat a damn shame.'
$,eah.' %is 3I9 nodded !uietly. $They were all down there "lastair. The odds werent great in our
favor to begin with.'
"lastair gazed past her. $%ow many times in bad odds did you bring us out without a scratch+ Maybe
I got used to thinking we were )ust lucky that way.'
*ar didnt know what to answer to that, so she )ust sat there !uietly, wincing at the upset in her
stomach.
$*amn it.' "lastair whispered. $*amn it, damn it, damn it.'
*ar )umped a bit, as her cell phone range. .he unclipped it and checked the caller I*, then opened it.
$Gerry.' .he warned "lastair, before she answered. $*ar 6oberts.'
$%ello, *ar. Gerry #aston here.' The General said. $0eve got you all set up. They want to grab you in
a helo, you have space for that there+'
*ars brows creased. $" h2 a helicopter+' .he asked. $Gerry, we can drive to the damn airport. Id
have to clear half the parking lot to get one in here unless it was the size of one of those traffic
copters.'
$0ell, hang on a minute.' Gerry put her on hold.
*ar looked across at "lastair and shook her head. $%elicopter. :esus.'
"lastair pressed his fingertips against his lips. $,know *ar.' %e said. $Given the news, I think Id
better renege on my offer to go with you.'
*ars eyes opened wide. $0hat+'
$I think Id better get Bea to book me to 5ew ,ork tomorrow morning.' "lastair said. $Those people
need support. Bobs family needs support. The government can wait.'
$%ello, *ar+' Gerry came back on. $Theyd rather pick you up. Got their pants on fire, now theyre
scuttling I guess. Man said he can put the chopper down near by you. -ifteen minutes+' %e said.
$%ate to push the point, *ar, but weve got several hells in handbaskets around here and everyones
in a rush.'
*ar studied her boss. $Ill be ready.' .he said. $.ee you soon, Gerry.'
$0ell done. Good )ob.' The General said. $Talk to you later.'
%e hung up. *ar closed the phone and held it in her hands, her e&pression thoughtful. Then she
opened the phone again and dialed. $*ad+ %ey. /ast minute crap. They want to helo me out of here in
fifteen. 3an you.. ah, you are. 9kay, see you in a few'
.he closed the phone again with a wry grimace. Then she cocked her head and looked over at the
man behind her lovers desk. $.o.'
$Think Im throwing you to the wolves again+' "lastair asked.
$5o.' %is 3I9 answered. $But does this give you a better perspective on why I went to be with (erry
when you needed me in %ouston that time+' .he asked. $0hen she was in Michigan+'
"lastair tilted his head, and frowned. $0as I mad about that+' %e !ueried. $I wasnt, was I+' %e
watched *ars brows lift. $I was, now that I think about it. That General of yours was threatening God
only knows what, wasnt he+'
*ar nodded.
$.cared the pants off me.' %er boss mused. $Then Bea came in and told me what a )ackass I was to
even think about yelling at you.' %e admitted. $0ith (errys father passing on. I )ust let that get lost in
all the craziness. .houldnt have pushed you.'
$0e did all right out of it.' *ar half shrugged. $But there wasnt any way I was leaving. .o I
understand. -amily comes first. -riends come first. Business is )ust business.'
$It is.' %er boss agreed, mildly. $But I am sorry about that, *ar.'
$"h.' *ar cast her mind back to that dark time, when (errys father had passed away and everything
seemed to be turned against them. .hed never regretting getting on the plane to Michigan. $I didnt
care.'
$"bout me yelling+'
$,eah. I felt bad about selling a piece of my soul to Gerry but it didnt matter. (erry needed me there.'
*ar remarked. $#veryone else could have gotten screwed three ways in a leaky raft as my father says
for all I cared.'
"lastair nodded. $4eople matter. Glad you understand, *ar. I dont want to pitch you into the fire,
but I know you can handle it.'
$I can.' *ar agreed. $Its my infrastructure anyway. I grew out of needing a buffer a long time ago.'
.he eyed her boss. $,ouve been stepping in front of trucks for me for a week. I could get insulted. /et
me go bust my own balls for a while.'
%er boss managed a half grin. $I am throwing you to the wolves, *ar.' %e said. $Im sorry. But I cant
go dick around with a bunch of politicians when I know those people in 5ew ,ork are hurting. I gotta
go.'
$I know.' *ar got up. $Im going to grab my stuff and go say hi to my dad. %es on the way up to my
office.' .he said. $Go take care of those people, "lastair. They need it. 0ell be fine.' .he circled the
desk and put a hand on "lastairs shoulder. $/eave the politicians to me.'
"lastairs pale eyes met hers. $Thats supposed to make me feel better+'
*ar chuckled. DThink of how theyll feel.' .he gave her bosses shoulder a s!ueeze. $Mariall take care
of a hotel for you for tonight and getting you to the airport. :ust let her know what the details are.'
"lastair reached up and clasped her hand with his own. $Thanks. I will.' %e said. $Be careful, willya+
%aving you get dinged again because of this place aint worth it, lady.'
$,ou too.' *ar smiled, her voice warm with affection. $Give the people in Manhattan my regards. I
have a feeling Ill be seeing them soon myself.' .he straightened up and headed for the door, slipping
through it and closing it behind her.
"lastair e&haled, letting his elbows rest on the chair arms. Then he reached out and punched Beas
e&tention in again, waiting for her to answer. $Its me.'
$I heard, "lastair. Im so sorry.' Bea said. $0hat a shame. *o you know if theres any arrangements
yet+ 0hat can I do for the family for you+'
"lastair closed his eyes, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose for a long moment before he
answered. $*ont know yet.' %e answered, briefly. $%avent talked to the family.' %e fell silent, biting
the inside of his lip.
Bea was !uiet for a moment. $Tough day, boss+' .he said, eventually.
$,eah.' %e agreed. $:ust got a whole lot tougher.'
$*ars admin )ust messaged me with your hotel details.' Bea said. $.hes such a sweetheart. Ill start
working on getting you a flight up tomorrow morning. ,ou want the first one out, I guess+'
$,eah.' "lastair cleared his throat. $.ounds fine. #arly as you can.'
$,ou want to stay somewhere near the office there+ I can try getting something close. %ard to say
whats available though.'
$Get me whatever you can.' %er boss answered !uietly. $*oesnt matter.'
The inner door opened, and he looked up !uickly, to find *ar emerging in to the room again with a
set of keys in her hand. $"h.' %e cleared his throat again. $Thought you were out of here.'
$"lmost.' *ar set the keys down. $I know you can get a ride from anyone here, or a cab, but
sometimes its good to have your own transport. :ust leave it at the hotel, and Ill get it picked up.'
.he knelt down and put her hand on his knee. $4ick a causeway and find a beach. Thats where I go to
chill out.'
%is eyes met hers, and he managed a faint smile. $Thanks, 4aladar. Ill try not to crash into any palm
trees.'
*ar patted his leg, then stood up. $/ater.' .he disappeared again, leaving silence, and the faint scent
of leather in her wake.
"lastair )ingled the keys lightly in his fingers. $,know, Bea, if I was thirty years younger, (erryd have
a fight on her hands.' %e chuckled wryly. $5o offense to my wife.'
$,ou know, "lastair, youre right.' Bea said, after a pause and a long sigh. $.he is really neat. %ow did
we miss seeing this side of her all these years+'
$*ont know, and really dont care. Im )ust glad we have her because shes damn good people.'
"lastair regarded the pictures facing him. $Im going to get out of here, Bea. "rrange what you can,
)ust drop me the details.'
$0ill do, boss. %ave a margarita for me.'
"lastair stood up. $,ou can bet on it.' %e said. $0ho knows+ Maybe Ill go get myself a tattoo. Its been
that kind of week.'
$"lastair.'
$,eah, I know. My wife would kill me.' "lastair sighed. $Talk to you later, Bea.' %e hung up the
phone and circled the desk, heading for the door. :ust short of it, he stopped and regarded the bo&ing
dummy.
Its face, what there was of it, was scuffed. %e picked up one of the gloves and looked at it, the laces
loosened from the last hand it fit over. %e put it over his fingers and slid it on, finding the inside of it
snug, but well worn.
*id (erry really spend that much time beating the daylights out of something+ 0as the stress here as
bad as all that+
#&perimentally, he faced off against the dummy and socked it one in the puss, making the spring
loaded torso rock back and forth energetically. Its stolid face looked back at him as it wobbled back
and forth.
%e hit it again. $%uh.' %e was faintly surprised at how satisfying it felt. Then, after a moments
thought, he wasnt surprised. Fuietly, he removed the glove and hung it back ne&t to its mate, giving
the dummy a pat on the head.
The corridor was empty when he left the office, and he took advantage of that to stroll to the elevator,
slowing when he spotted Maria approaching him. $%ello, Maria.'
$.enor Mc/ean.' Maria responded politely. $*ar has asked me to make sure your bag is put in her car,
yes+ I sent Mayte down to take care of that for you.' .he said. $I think the army has come for her and
her papa out in the parking lot. I was going to go see that.'
$Ill )oin you.' "lastair punched the elevator button. $Thanks for grabbing my things. *oes *ar always
think of everything+'
Maria merely looked at him, both her dark eyebrows lifting.
$.illy !uestion. I know she does.' "lastair held the elevator door and followed Maria inside. $.hes
thought of everything ever since Ive known her.'
The door closed and they rode down in companionable silence.
;;
(erry held the door for her mother as they entered the small, typically decorated :apanese
restaurant. It was !uiet inside, too late for the happy hour crowd, and she was glad enough to settle
in a comfortable ban!uette to one side of the sushi bar.
It felt very good to simply sit. #ven with her mother across from her. $7gh.' .he leaned back and let
her arms rest on her thighs. $0hat a bunch of posers.'
3ynthia looked up from e&amining the menu, peering at (erry across a pair of half glasses. $"re you
speaking of my colleagues+'
$,es.' (erry lifted her hand a rubbed the back of her neck, too tired to worry about being rude.
$0ell, I have to agree.' %er mother said. $I cant believe they disregarded all of the things we
discussed earlier in favor of a senseless attack on your company.'
" waiter came by, bowing to them and waiting in silence.
$3an I get a (irin, please+' (erry asked. $Mother, would you like a drink+'
3ynthia pondered a moment. $I would.' .he decided. $3ould I perhaps get a glass of white wine+'
$,es of course.' The waiter said. $,ou want some thing to start+'
(erry glanced at the menu. $Trust me to order+' .he asked.
3ynthia hesitated, then nodded. $9f course.' .he said.
The waiter turned to (erry, his eyebrows cocking.
$"h.. two orders of the #damame, please, two of the watercress salads2 mother, I think youd like the
tuna tataki roll, and Id like the sushi and tempura plate, please.' (erry glanced across the table. $"ll
right with you+'
%er mother looked a touch nonplussed. $0ell, certainly. That sounds lovely.' .he handed her menu
back and settled back in her seat. $I cant say Ive tried sushi. ,our father wasnt partial to oriental
food.'
(erry remembered that. $.trictly old fashioned "merican food. I recall.' .he said. $I didnt ac!uire a
taste for it until I moved down to -lorida. Its too hot to eat that heavy all the time.' .he played with
her fork. $:apanese food is usually cool or room temperature, looks great on the plate, and its good
for you on top of it.'
$%m.' 3ynthia murmured. .he glanced up as the waiter returned, bearing a tray with (errys beer,
her wine, and two plates of green pods. %e put the pods and the drinks down, gave them another
little bow, and retreated.
(erry picked up her glass and took a sip of her beer. It was cold, and light, and it went down easy.
.he leaned back against the padded surface and rela&ed, glad the day was almost over.
"lmost. .he )ust had this dinner to get through, )ust had to drop her mother off back at her office, the
make the drive back to her hotel and wait for the crowning end to her day that with any luck would
involve her, *ar, and being naked.
9r her, *ar, and footy pa)amas. 9r her, *ar, and remaining fully clothed. .he really didnt care as long
as the her and the *ar part were in there. .he missed her partner something fierce, and now the
constant strain and aggravation were starting to wear on her.
$"re these like peas+' %er mother asked, studying the edamame.
$.oy beans.' (erry put her beer down and picked one up, s!ueezing it and popping the resulting bean
into her mouth. $0ith a little salt.'
$9h.' 3ynthia picked one up and e&amined it, then put pressure on the end and started a bit as the
pod split and the bean almost went across the table. $My goodness.' .he captured it and put it
cautiously to her lips, chewing it as though it might e&plode.
(erry finished her pod and went on to the ne&t one. $*ar and I play games with these.' .he related. $I
can s!ueeze one into her mouth from across the table.'
%er mother stared at her. $(errison.' .he said, after a moment. $,ou dont really.'
(erry smiled wryly. $,eah, I do.' .he said. $Its our neighborhood )oint near the office. They all know
us there. They dont care if we throw food at each other.' .he picked up another pod. $0e do lunch
there a lot. It gets so hectic and stressful at the office, its nice to )ust sit and blow off steam
sometimes.'
$That seems very strange.' %er mother said, then she sighed. $But really, what isnt strange these
days. I dont understand what the world is coming to.'
True. (erry felt like the world had stopped, and started spinning the opposite direction. .o much had
changed in so few days, and looking forward she saw only more change ahead of them. 5ot good
change, either.
It was an uncharacteristically pessimistic feeling. .he didnt much like it.
3ynthia ate another bean slowly. .he picked up her glass and sipped her wine, watching (erry over
the rim. $Its been a terrible day, hasnt it+'
$/ousy.' %er daughter agreed. $/ousy couple of days. The only bright spot for me today was *ar
telling me shes heading up here.' .he paused. $0ell, that and you telling the other senators off.'
3ynthia blinked. $0ell, I dont think2 $ .he stopped. $9n the other hand, perhaps I did. They made
me very upset.'
$Me too.'
$I am sorry about that.' 3ynthia said, in a sincere tone. $I really did not e&pect them to do what they
did. I knew they had !uestions, but I thought they were more interested in finding a way to better
communicate. 5ot2' $
$5ot find someone to blame+' (erry half shrugged. $0ell, its over. I hope they learned something
from it, but if they didnt, they didnt. I dont have time to worry about it.' .he gave the waiter a
smile, as he returned with their salads. $Thanks.'
3ynthia picked up her fork and investigated the watercress. $9h, this is lovely.' .he said, after tasting
a bite. $Fuite delightful.'
(erry maneuvered her chopsticks e&pertly and spent a !uiet moment ingesting the greens. They
were crisp and fresh, the dressing a touch spicy, and with more than a hint of citrus. $That is good.'
.he said, after wiping her lips.
%er mother took another sip of wine. $This is really very nice, (erry. $ .he said. $Is this some place
you plan to bring *ar to, when she arrives+'
(erry slowly finished her salad, considering the !uestion. $Maybe. .he loves sushi.' .he allowed. $I
dont think were going to be here long though. $
$9h, really+'
$,es.' (erry wiped her lips on her napkin. $.oon as we get the backups running here, my guess is
well both be needed in 5ew ,ork.' .he studied her glass. $Theres a lot more to do there.' %er
brows knit a little. $.o many people. .o much damage. 0hat a total waste.'
.lowly, her mother nodded. $I was very sorry to hear about your colleague. *id you know him well+'
Bob. .he hadnt really known him at all. %ed been a name on an email, a voice on the phone. %ed
been the guy *ar had been with when (errys plane had gotten in trouble, and that was the one set of
personal memories she had of him.
%ed been touring *ar around the city, so very proud of it, her partner had said.
5ow, being in that city had ended in his death. (erry was sure hed never even considered having
something like that happen to him a remote possibility. 5o one did.
:ust a routine day for them. :ust a regular visit to clients, a bid in process, a day that had probably
started with coffee at the deli across from the office at 6ockefeller 3enter, and plans for lunch down
in the business district.
$%e was our senior sales e&ecutive in the 5ortheast.' (erry said. $I spoke to him often. %e was a nice
guy.' .he paused. $%e loved 5ew ,ork.'
3ynthia shook her head. $Terrible.'
$%e was a good friend of our 3#9s.' (erry went on. $*ar had to tell him they found his body.'
$9h my.' %er mother put a hand to her mouth. $%ow terrible for her. $
(erry nodded, taking a swallow of her beer. $Im sure it was tough. .he and "lastair are pretty close.'
.he leaned back again, stretching her back out a little. .he felt stiff, and her body felt tired, a bone
deep ache that made her hope she wasnt coming down with something.
$6eally+' 3ynthia took a sip of her wine. $I thought he was an older man.'
$%e is.' (erry agreed. $But *ars worked for him for a long time. .hes pretty much his right hand. %e
depends on her all the time to get things right.' .he smiled as the waiter returned, placing down their
plates with a flourish. $Thanks. That looks really great.'
$Maam, e&cellent. 3an I get you another beer+'
$.ure.' (erry readily agreed. $Mother+'
$0ell, yes.' 3ynthia handed over her empty glass. $This looks lovely, and smells delicious.' .he
concluded. $6eally, I cant think why I havent tried this before. 3ertainly we have plenty of oriental
places here in 0ashington.'
(erry was busy with her sushi, mi&ing her soy sauce and wasabi )ust so, and adding a bit of the
pickled ginger to it. $*ar tricked me into trying it the first time.' .he related. $.he said I could have
)ust teriyaki chicken and a salad, and she had this big plate of really gorgeous colorful sushi in front of
her.
$9h my.'
$I ended up eating half of it.' (erry selected a piece of her meal and dipped a bit of it into the soy
sauce, then she popped it into her mouth and chewed contentedly.
$This is wonderful.' 3ynthia tried her tuna. $.o light.'
(erry merely nodded. It had been a long time since her spicy chicken sandwich and the cupcakes
hadnt done anything to stabilize her blood sugar. .he had a nagging headache, and she )ust hoped
the sushi would settle her body down and let her get through the rest of the night and back to her
hotel.
/ast thing she needed was a migraine.
$"ngela was telling me you have a vacation cabin+' %er mother asked. $It sounded lovely.'
(erry swallowed, glad of the sub)ect change to safer and less tense waters. $0e do.' .he said. $*ar
and I decided we liked spending time down in the (eys, so we found a place )ust south of (ey /argo
and restored a cabin down there.'
$%ow charming8' 3ynthia smiled. $I know you and your brother and sister both used to love the
cabins down by the lake in the summer.'
$,es, we did.' (erry took a sip of her freshly filled beer. $Its really cute. It has a kitchen, and a nice
big living room, a bedroom, and two offices that also have pulldown beds.' .he said. $Its right on the
water. 0e love watching sunsets from the porch.'
$,ou always sound so busy. Im so glad you take time out to rela&.' %er mother said. $It was so hard
for us to take family vacations with your father so occupied all the time. I know you children went to
camp, but its not the same thing.'
(erry chuckled. $I told *ar about my camp e&periences a few times and we had to laugh because her
idea of camp and my idea of camp were way far apart. $
$6eally+ But of course, she grew up in -lorida, didnt she+ Im sure its very different there than up in
the mountains.'
$.he grew up on a navy base.' (erry said, !uietly. $I think she wanted to be in the navy until she was
in high school. .o yes, it was very different.'
3ynthia glanced at her. $Goodness. 0hat on earth would she have done in the navy+ .hes far too
clever for that.'
0hat would *ar have done in the navy+ (erry used the e&cuse of ingesting more sushi to give her a
moment to ponder the !uestion. .he knew *ar had wanted to be a .eal, like "ndrew had been, but if
not that then what+
$Im sure shed have ended up in some position in intelligence, or planning.' (erry wiped her lips.
$But Im very glad she decided to go into IT instead, since I dont think Id have had a chance to meet
her if shed gone into the service.'
There was a small silence. $0ell.' 3ynthia said, after a pause. $Im glad too.'
(erry looked up from her plate in surprise.
$I am glad.' %er mother said. $That you found someone who makes you so happy, (erry. 5o matter
who that person turned out to be.'
(erry studied her mothers face, reflected in the sedate light of the restaurant. $Thanks.' .he replied
in a !uiet tone. $I never had a choice about loving *ar and I never wanted one, but losing my family
because of it really hurt.'
$I know.' 3ynthia said. $It hurt your father and I too, though I know you probably find that hard to
believe. 0e did things that I look back on now and wonder how I could have thought they were right.
They werent.'
(erry e&haled. $I did some of those things too.' .he admitted. $I think I figured if you hated me
anyway, it didnt matter what I did.'
%er mother reached over and touched her hand. $0e never hated you.' .he said. $"s angry and
frustrated as your father was, he truly felt in his heart what he did he did because he loved you.'
$,ou know.' (erry studied her mothers face again. $I believe that.'
$*o you+' 3ynthia seemed surprised.
%er daughter nodded. $Because despite everything that happened, I didnt hate either of you.' .he
fiddled with her chopsticks. $I didnt e&pect you to like or accept what my choices were.'
%er mother ate !uietly for a few minutes, giving (erry the chance to do the same. The air had
lightened though, and (erry felt a wary sense of relief along with a hope that the thaw would
continue.
.he didnt really like conflict. *ar reveled in it, taking every opportunity she could to dive into the
deep end of the combative pool, relishing the challenge of going head to head with anyone who cared
to argue with her.
#&cept (erry. *ar didnt like arguing between them any more than (erry did.
$0e didnt really understand. $ %er mother said, after a while. $I dont think your father ever did,
really, though I believe he did come to respect *ar and her family. $ .he took a sip of her wine. $I
decided after he passed away that I would educate myself and try to gain an understanding of how
you have chosen to live and really, (erry, its not terribly different than anyone else.'
(erry felt like a Martian had )ust taken a seat at the table and was asking for popcorn. $"h2 youre
right. Its not.' .he managed to respond. $0e wake up, go to work, hang out, go to the gym, come
home, balance the checkbook, watch television, go to bed2 its not any different from anyone else.
0e )ust both happen to be women.'
%er mother nodded. $.o it seems. I cannot pretend I do not wish it was otherwise, but I have come to
accept that it is your choice, and that is all right with me.' .he said. $I like *ar and her family very
much. They seem like very sincere people, and I do not find much of that around here. I often wish I
hadnt decided to take this task on.'
$,oud rather be home+' (erry guessed.
$I would, yes.' %er mother replied. $I understand the politics around me, but I truly do not like them.
It often makes me !uite disgusted with humanity.'
(erry nodded wryly, knowing a moment of personal growth she hadnt e&pected. $I hear you.' .he
could almost hear *ars knowing chuckle. $Maybe you can come with "ngie and Mike and visit us.
0ell give you a ride in our boat, and you can meet my dog.'
%er mother was !uiet for a long moment. $I would like that.' .he said. $"fter this horrible emergency
is over, we shall make plans to do so.'
(erry smiled, and lifted her beer glass, waiting for her mother to hesitantly do the same before she
reached over and clinked them together. Then she put the glass down and went back to her sushi,
determined not to waste a single bite.
;;
It was late when they pulled back into the parking lot outside 3ynthias offices. (erry briefly
regretting the need to retrieve her briefcase, then she shrugged and shut the .71s engine off,
opening the door to hop out of it.
.he took a moment as her mother got out of the other side to check her cell phone. "gain. $*arn it.'
.he frowned at the instrument, conspicuously lacking in messages from *ar. $0here are you,
*i&iecup+'
0ith a sigh, she returned the phone to her belt and circled the front of the .71, )oining her mother as
they walked across the still half full parking lot in the brassy glare of the security lights.
$0hat are your plans now+' %er mother asked. $Its a shame your things are at the hotel, you could
easily have stayed in the townhouse.'
(erry stifled a yawn. $Best laid plans.' .he remarked. $In any case, *arll probably come in late
tonight and she knows to go there.'
$"h, yes. 9f course. 0ell..' 3ynthia lifted a hand. $If you stay over another night, please, both of you
are more than welcome to stay at our home here.'
(erry appreciated the offer, honestly. %owever, she remembered the somewhat cramped and often
busy confines of the townhouse and knew her partner would appreciate the space and hot tubs of the
hotel instead. $Thanks very much.' .he replied. $I really appreciate that, mother, and I know *ar will
too. %otels can get old after a while. $
%er mother smiled.
$It )ust will depend on our task list once *ar gets here.' (erry demurred. $I think I mentioned that
shes got some confidential information she didnt want to discuss over the phone, no telling what
that involves.'
$9f course.' 3ynthia nodded. $Ive had a lovely time tonight. Im so glad we got a chance to visit a
little.'
They entered the door, and got only the briefest of looks from the soldiers standing guard, all of them
looking tired and more than a little discouraged.
$Good evening.' 3ynthia greeted them.
$Maam.' 9ne of the soldiers responded. $*o you know how late everyones supposed to be here+'
(errys mother paused. $0ell, its hard to say.' .he said. $7sually, perhaps nine, perhaps ten pm, but
with the e&traordinary events going on, possibly people will be staying later. I myself am leaving as
soon as my daughter here retrieves her things from my office.'
The soldier sighed. $Thanks maam.' %e said. $0ish theyd put some vending machines in.' %e
muttered. $They even turned off the coffee pot.'
3ynthia looked around the small reception room. The soldiers were the only occupants, the
receptionists having long gone home for the day. $"re you staying here all night+' .he asked. $My
goodness.'
$,es, maam.' The soldier agreed. $/ong as you all are.'
$I vote we pull a fire alarm and clear the building then.' (erry spoke up for the first time. $I think you
all need your sleep more than the senators need to grouse and wring their hands.'
$(erry.' %er mother eyed her. $Im sure everyone here has a good reason to be at work.'
(erry e&changed wry glances with the soldier, who reached up and touched the brim of his camo cap.
.he pulled her cellphone from her belt and dialed a number. $%ey Mark, its (erry.'
$%ey boss.' Mark said. $0ere in the trailer, chilling.'
$If youre chilling, that must be good news.' (erry smiled. $5ewark up+'
$,eah, and soon as they finish the power feed we can do something for this place, at least barebones.'
Mark replied. $,oure gonna have to come play ref on them though, everyones a prio @ in their own
minds around here.'
(erry nodded. $,eah, I know. "nyone there free to take a little ride+' .he asked. $If youve got some
spare chow, the poor guys down here guarding my mothers office could use some.'
$%ang on.' Mark put the line on hold.
(erry looked at the soldiers, who were now focused on her with imperfectly hidden hopefulness.
$.o.. you want stuff over at your moms office+' Mark got back on the phone. $I got a couple of
volunteers here to bring it. %ow many guys+'
$.i&.' (erry smiled. $.i& big, hungry Marines.'
$3an do, boss.' Mark said. $,ou sticking around there+ Be cool if you could make sure they get in all
right.'
(errys brows twitched. $"h2 sure.' .he said. $But tell them not to sightsee on the way over. Im
about out of steam.'
$5o problem.' Mark replied. $Theyll be right over. ,ou )ust hang tight.'
$Thanks Mark.' (erry said. $,ou get some rest, okay+ /et me know when the power gets put in.'
$.ure will. /ater, boss.'
$Isnt that lovely.' 3ynthia said.
(erry replaced the phone on her belt. $9kay guys.' .he said. $Itll probably be sandwiches and chips,
but at least its better than a vending machine. " couple of our guys will be over in a company truck
with it.'
The Marines grinned. $5ow thats service. Thank you maam.' The senior one said. $0e were
supposed to get a relief three hours ago but theyve got our whole platoon out all over the place.'
$My pleasure.' (erry said.
3ynthia clasped her hands. $.hall we go to my office+ Im sure it wont take them long to get here.
-or once the traffics not so abominable.' .he gestured towards the inner door, then followed (erry
as she eased past and headed for it. $Gentlemen.'
$Maam.' The soldiers all smiled at her, more cheerful now.
(erry e&haled as she walked along the marble floor. The building was !uieter now, some offices
showing lights and shadows, others !uiet and dark. .he wondered, briefly, what the difference was,
between those whod gone home, and those whod stayed.
$(erry, that was wonderful of you.' %er mother said. $.o thoughtful, to take care of those soldiers.
Tomorrow, I will find out why they were left there like that, to be sure.'
$5o problem.' (erry said. $I was pretty sure we had e&tra. 0e always order enough food for three
times the people we have.'
$6eally+'
$5erds eat anything and everything as much as youll give them.' %er daughter chuckled a little.
$0hen we have lunch meetings we put the e&tras in the breakroom and get out of the way. Its like
locusts descending.'
3ynthia made a small sound of surprise. $In any case, it was a lovely gesture. I know they appreciated
it.'
The door to the .enators office was closed, and the panel dark behind it. 3ynthia removed a key
from her purse and unlocked the door, pushing it open and reaching inside to turn the lights on. $I
see everyones left.'
$They had a long day.' (erry entered and moved past the !uiet desks, and now silent computers. .he
entered her mothers office and went to her briefcase, fishing her 4*" out of it and opening it up.
Three messages, none from *ar. .he frowned, and glanced briefly at the ones that were there, finding
nothing more than automatic notifications. "fter a moment, (erry closed the device and took out
her cell phone again, dialing the first speed entry with impatient motions.
%er mother entered. $The intelligence committee is still meeting.' .he commented. $Im sure theyre
trying to make sense out of everything thats going on. I wonder2 perhaps I will )oin them for a few
minutes to see whats happening.'
(erry listened to the ringing on the other end. $.ounds like a good idea.' .he said, scowling as the
phone went to voice mail. .he listened to *ars gruff message, waiting for the beep.
&his is )ar #oberts. If I am not answerin!, Im probably too busy for a messa!e, but you can leave one at
the beep.
"t other times, it would have made her chuckle. But (erry was starting to get a knot in her gut, a
shadow of worry over the absence of any sign of her partner. $%ey hon.' .he said into the phone.
$0here are you+ Give me a buzz, huh+' .he closed the phone. $*amn it.'
3ynthia blinked. $.omething wrong+'
(erry tossed her phone up and caught it as it fell. $I cant reach *ar, and I dont know where shes at.'
.he said. $.he said they were trying to fly her up here tonight, but I havent heard anything since.'
.he leaned on the back of the chair. $.o Im a little worried.'
%er mother went behind her desk and sat down. $Is there someone we can call+' .he asked,
practically. $.urely if as you say, the military was allowing her to fly on one of their planes, someone
must know about it.'
(erry sat down in the chair, setting her briefcase on the floor. $Im sure someone does.' .he said. $I
)ust dont know how to get in touch with anyone2 it was probably General #aston, and hes a family
friend of *ars. I dont have his direct number here.'
%er mother frowned, and sat back. $General #aston+' .he asked. $Gerald #aston, you mean+ -rom the
:oint 3hiefs+'
$,es.' (erry nodded. $9ur dog 3appucino came from one of his /abrador "labasters litters.' .he
paused. $.he was a gift.'
$9h.' 3ynthia didnt seem to know what to make of that. $%ow lovely.' .he pondered that. $I have to
admit, I am not terribly fond of dogs. $ .he said. $Is yours large+'
(erry nodded. $.hes beautiful.' .he replied. $.hes so smart, and so funny. .hes almost human.' "
thought occurred to her. $%ere, let me show you.' .he opened her briefcase and removed her laptop,
opening it and starting it booting. $Ive got pictures.'
$0onderful.' 3ynthia said. .he got up and went to a small, wood paneled refrigerator in one corner of
the office. $I have some water here, would you like some+'
$.ure.' (erry put her laptop on the desk and waited for it to finish starting up. $I've always liked
dogs.'
$I know.' %er mother came back with two glasses, and two small bottles of 4errier. $I remember how
terribley upset you were when your little pet passed on. I felt terrible for you even though as I say, I
am not fond of them myself.'
(erry gazed at her slowly forming screen, then she looked up over it at her mother as she seated
herself. $*id you know (yle had her put down+'
3aught right in the act of sitting down, 3ynthia stopped, half standing, one hand on the desk and the
other on the bottle of water. .he stared back at (erry.
he didnt (erry felt an odd wash of relief as her skill at reading body language detected the honest
shock in her mothers posture. $%e paid off an intern at the hospital. $ .he added !uietly. $%e ended
up working for us and came in and confessed to me two or three months ago. .aid it haunted him.'
(erry paused, blinking a few times. Then she shook her head and concentrated on her laptop, calling
up her photo albums as she pushed aside the memories. $%aunted me too.'
The sound of a body hitting a leather seat was loud in the room as she clicked. $My god.' 3ynthia
finally said. $5o, I did not know that.. 0hat a b..' .he stopped. $3ertainly, your father didnt know.'
(erry looked up at her, one brow lifting.
$0e spoke of it.' %er mother seemed to sense the skepticism. $%e wanted to get you another one.'
.he watched (errys face. $Im afraid I talked him out of it. But if Id known2 ugh8' .he got up, visible
agitated. $I look back and wonder how we could have been so unaware.'
.he turned back around. $(errison, are you sure+ This is true+'
(erry nodded. $Im sure.' .he said. $%ell, mother, he killed my fish when he broke into my apartment
in Miami and searched it. The man was a psychopath.'
3ynthias )aw dropped slightly. D0.. what+'
$,ou knew he visited me there.' (erry felt an odd mi&ture of regret, relief, and curiousity. $-ather
sent him. *ont tell me now he was acting all on his own. I wont believe it.'
%er mother blinked. $,es.' .he said. $,our father sent him. %e sent him to find out how you really
were doing. %e thought you were perhaps not doing well, but too proud to tell us.' .he murmured.
$(yle said nothing about a fish, or breaking into anyplace, he )ust.. he told us he felt you were hiding
something from us.'
$0ell.' (erry e&haled. $I was.'
$But he said he spoke with you.' 3ynthia sat down. $*idnt he+'
$%e did. %e came back the ne&t day.' (erry said. $%e started to threaten me but *ar was there.' .he
shook her head. $"nyway.' .he got up and turend her laptop around, coming to kneel ne&t to her
mothers chair. $%eres 3appucino.'
0ith a visible effort, 3ynthia focused on the screen. $9h8' .he murmured. $.he is !uite large.' .he
studied the profile on the screen. $But !uite attractive, as well. /ovely color, almost white, isnt it+'
$3ream.' (erry agreed, calling up a second picture. $This is our cabin.'
6elieved as the sub)ect changed, her mother leaned forward. $3harming.' .he said. $Is that stained
glass+ %ow lovely with the sun coming in.'
$Thats our bedroom.' (errys lips twitched a little. $%eres the kitchen, and thats the view out the
bay window in the living room.'
$.tunning.'
$Thats our motorcycle.'
$9h my.'
$.tay with me, mom.' (erry had to fight to stifle a laugh. $Its a %onda.' .he heard the sound of
footsteps, and looked up, as the inner door opened. $"h.'
3ynthia also looked up. $%ello "lan.' .he said. $I didnt realize you were still here. Its late.'
Markhaus entered, pausing when he spotted (erry behind the desk. $I was hoping to discuss some
matters with you in private.' %e removed half glasses from his eyes and gave (erry a disapproving
look. $0e have a serious situation here.'
3ynthia merely gazed back at him. $Im afraid my family is !uite the most serious matter in my life at
the moment. 0hatever it is, "lan, can wait until tomorrow. $
$It cant.' %e said.
$Then feel free to discuss it in front of my daughter.' 3ynthia replied. $I believe shes cleared for this
sort of thing, "rent you, (errison+'
$,es.' (erry confirmed briefly. $But Ill be glad to step out, mother. I wouldnt want to add any of our
confidential information into the mi&.'
Markhaus openly glared at her.
$3ertainly not.' %er mother said. $"lan, please be brief. (errison has been kind enough to provide a
meal for our guards since no one else seems to have remembered them. 0e are merely waiting for
that to arrive, then we are going home for the evening.'
$3ynthia, are you not aware of whats going on here+' Markhaus came closer to the desk. $This
countrys been attacked. 0e are effectively at war. I realize you have no e&perience in any
international matters, but at least pretend to give a damn.'
(erry slowly stood up.
$I do.' %er mother folded her hands on her desk. $I )ust seem to have the sense to know that all of us
sitting here burning the midnight oil so to speak and talking about it is simply pointless. 0e do not
have any information. "ll we have is speculation, and rumor. 9r has the 0hite %ouse responded to
your !uestions+'
$They were trying to kill the 4resident.'
$"t least hes a valid target.' (erry said !uietly.
$0hat+' The man looked at her. $0hat kind of nonsense talk is that+ These people are insane8' %e
waved his free hand. $0e have to have plans. 0e have to find out how this happened. 0e have to put
together a strategy to get back at them, and make sure this never happens again.'
$*o you know why they did it+' (erry countered.
$It doesnt matter8' Markhaus shot back. $I dont care why they did it.'
$Then you wont ever keep them from doing it again.' (erry folded her arms over her chest. $0hat
are you going to do, send bombers over there and blow them up+'
$Thats an option.' Markhaus said. $If it were up to me, Id have them send a nuke over there and )ust
sterilize the whole damn region.'
$"lan8' 3ynthia stood up. $ 0hat are you saying+'
$5o bleeding hearts here.' %e said. $9r pansys.' %e looked directly at (erry. $Thats what the problem
is. 0e dont have enough right thinking people. :ust perverts and peaceniks.'
$"re you calling me a pervert+' (erry asked, sharply. $%old on a minute, mister. 0ho the hell do you
think you are+'
$5ow, hold on.' 3ynthia stood up. $This is ridiculous. 4lease8'
$6idiculous+' Markhaus pointed at (erry. $%ow do we know you didnt help them, since you had all
that information+ %ow do we know you didnt sell us out+'
$"lan8'
$9h yeah sure.' (erry shot back. $I sold out to a fundamentalist organization that probably prefers to
have gay people euthanized. ,eah. Im into that. $ .he put her hands on her hips. $If anyone sold this
country out its you. Its this damn government.'
$(errison8'
$Thats the kind of patriot you raised.' Markhaus pointed at 3ynthia. $Thats what the biggest
problem this country has. .ick minds8' %e turned and left. 3ynthia chased after him in furious silence,
leaving (erry to stand bristling in the middle of the room with no place for her anger to go but inside.
$.hit.' "bruptly she sat down, her temples threatening to e&plode. .he could hear her heart
hammering in her chest, and the throbbing was making red streaks against the inside of her eyes as
she sat there with them closed.
It was too much. .he wanted to throw up, every inch of her body twitching with unreleased anger. It
was hard to think.
%ard to breathe.
Then a hand gripped her knee, warm and sure, a casual familiarity in the touch that made her eyes
blink open. $7h+'
$%ey beautiful.' *ars voice tickled her ears. $3an I buy you a drink+'
.he felt a moment of tingling shock, then the anger and frustration evaporated as she took in the
twinkle in those blue eyes and felt a smile replacing the grimace on her face.
%eaven.
(erry e&haled audibly, slumping sideways against the tall figure kneeling at her side, her head
coming to rest on *ars shoulder as she felt *ars hand come up and cradle the side of her face, the
warmth against her skin into&icating in its own right. $9h thank God'
$Thank Gerry, a couple of "ir -orce pilots, and si& big hungry Marines.' %er partner said. $0ere your
volunteers.'
$7ngh.' (erry captured *ars hand and kissed it relentlessly. $Mark Ds dead for not telling me you
were there. ,oure dead for not telling me you were there. I was a nervous wreck wondering where
you were.'
$.orry.' *ar kissed her on the forehead. $I idiotically left my cell and 4*" in my briefcase thats
sitting back in Miami. I figured another ten minutes wouldnt matter after that and I wanted to
surprise you.'
$,ou did.'
$*idnt mean to stress you.'
$*ont care.' (erry closed her eyes, absorbing her partners scent, and the sound of her voice and the
gentle touch stroking her hair. $"ll better now.'
The inner door closed. (erry heard footsteps and the sound of a chair s!ueaking nearby. .he opened
one eye to see her mother looking back at her, her e&pression distressed. $.orry.'
$*ont be.' 3ynthia said. $The man is an ass.'
(erry felt *ars body )erk with silent laughter. .he smiled in reaction, feeling a physical sense of
relief it was hard to !uantify or describe. $*ars here.'
$,es, I did notice that.' 3ynthia said. $Im glad.'
$My dads outside talking to the Marines.' *ar said. $"lastair went on to 5ew ,ork.'
$"wesome.' (erry mumbled. $3an I have that drink now+'
*ar stroked her hair. $.ure.' .he glanced over at (errys mother. $0ant a drink too+'
$"bsolutely.' 3ynthia .tuart said. $I think we should get out of here at once.'
$Best idea Ive heard all day.' (erry managed to stand as *ar rose to her feet, the wrapped her arms
around her partner and hugged her as hard as she could. $7nnngh.'
*ar returned the hug fully. $*amn I missed you.' .he said, in an undertone. $*amn, damn damn.'
$*amn, damn damn.' (erry repeated, rocking them both back and forth. $,ou got that right.'
;;
$,ou must be e&hausted.' (erry nevertheless was content to sprawl half across *ars lap in the back
of the .71, her head resting on her partners thigh as *ars hands worked the kinks out of her neck.
$*o you even know what time it is+'
$*o you even think I care+' *ar glanced at the drivers seats, where her father was ensconced at the
wheel with (errys mother directing him. It gave her a Twilight Pone feeling and she !uickly
returned her attention to (erry.
$4robly not.'
$,oure probly right.' *ar was tired, but not sleepy. In truth given all the travel she really had no
sense of what time her body thought it was, but regardless she was looking forward to a dark hotel
room an a nice soft bed with her partner in it. $Mark made some good progress over there.'
$I know.' (erry said. $I really wanted to get out of there because I was more in their way than
anything once Id gotten the brass on the same page as us.'
*ar chuckled. $9ur technology bus has become the social center onsite. If the 46 department were
here theyd be pissing in their pants at all the good press they didnt arrange or pay for.'
(erry smiled, her fingertips tracing the seam line of *ars )eans. Then her smile faded. $Its awful
about Bob.'
$,eah.' *ar e&haled. $"lastairs pretty shaken up over it. I think he really wanted to be here with us,
but his familys old friends of Bobs.' .he kneaded (errys shoulders, feeling the tension in the tight
muscles there. $I think the rest of the staff there will be glad to see him though.'
$7ngh.'
$%ows your headache+'
$Better.' (erry murmured. $:ust having you here makes me feel better. 0hy is that+ ,ou always do
that to me.'
*ar gazed !uietly down at her. $I dont know.' .he said, after a pause. $I know I feel better )ust being
here. ,ou think were nuts+'
$4robably.' (erry acknowledged. $*o you care+'
$5ope.'
$Me either.'
$I need to call Gerry in the morning. $ *ar said. $Im sure he tried to call me tonight but the only place
I have his private number is in my cell.' .he sighed. $Ill have to have Maria get it for me.'
$I cant believe you forgot your briefcase.' (erry mumbled. $:esus, *ar. That has your laptop in it.'
$"lso had my wallet in it.' %er partner informed her. $/uckily for me I did remember to bring my
father.'
$0hats that, *ardar+' "ndrew asked, from the drivers seat. $,ou kids all right back there+ 0ere
almost to that there hotel of yours.'
$I was )ust telling (erry about our trip.' *ar said. $I hear that hotel has a nice bar.'
$0ith leather chairs.' (erry supplied. $The big cushy ones.'
$"h do believe a beer would be right nice about now.' "ndrew allowed. $Been one hell of a day after
another damn hell of a day.'
$It was so nice of you to come along, commander.' 3ynthia said. $,ou have always been so
supportive.' .he added. $I believe you need to turn2 ah, no left there. "h. 9h.'
$%old on there.' "ndrew directed the .71 across several lanes of traffic. $:est be a minute.'
$(eep your eyes closed.' *ar advised her partner, who had stirred and started to get up. $*ont look. I
)ust got that knot out of your back.'
$Mmph.' (erry grunted and rela&ed again. $3ompany has insurance on this thing, right+' .he had
her knee braced against the back of the front passenger seat, and with *ars grip on her, and her hold
on *ars leg, she figured she was pretty safe.
It was getting late, and she was really feeling it. .he wished she could ask "ndrew to )ust drop them
off.
$Thank you again for bringing all those supplies for our poor guards.' 3ynthia went on. $They were
very happy with what you brought I believe.'
$*amn sure shoulda been.' "ndrew said. $That was some nice roast beef, *ardar. ,ou all sure dont
fool around with grub, do ya+'
$5erds re!uire a lot of protein liberally applied.' *ar said. $(eeps the brain cells running.' .he riffled
through (errys pale hair, as one eyeball appeared and rotated up to watch her. $.o yeah, we dont
eat !uiche.'
"ndrew chuckled.
$%ave you ever eaten !uiche+' (erry asked, in a low mutter.
$5ot knowingly.' *ar confided back. $%ave you+'
(erry nodded mournfully.
*ar leaned closer. $0hat is !uiche+' .he whispered.
$9vercooked egg omelette in a cake pan with a bunch of weird stuff it in and not enough egg.'
*ar made a face. $#w.' .he leaned back against the seat and peered through the front windshield,
spotting their hotel rapidly approaching. .he could feel a vague disassociation clouding her senses, a
product of the long days worth of overwhelming input and though she knew there was lists of things
she should be doing right at the moment she also knew she wasnt going to do them.
4eople made mistakes when they were as tired as she was. /ike leaving briefcases full of important
documents, machines, and credit cards somewhere. *ar gently kneaded the back of (errys neck
with one hand as she watched the streetlamps go by in silence.
They pulled into the hotel valet lobby, and reluctantly *ar released her partner and gave her a
scratch on the back. $%ere we are.'
0ith an audible sigh, (erry pushed herself up and sat back, running the fingers of one hand through
her hair. .he waited for the valet to open the door and hopped out, blinking a little in the cool air as
the sounds of the hotel abruptly surrounded her.
It all looked a little different. .he glanced around her as they walked up the steps and into the lobby,
wondering if she was )ust not remembering what it had been like or if she was imagining differences.
.he followed "ndrew into the big bar, among only a few other patrons, most gathered at the bar
watching the television.
.he sat down in one of the comfortable looking chairs, and e&tended her legs as the rest of them
settled around her, a waitress in an impeccably cut suit gliding their way at once.
Bad day for business, she guessed. 9r, maybe they recognized her mother. .he glanced to one side.
9r maybe the tall, scarred "ndrew caught their eye.
$Ms. .tuart, welcome back.' The waitress addressed her directly. $0hat is your pleasure+'
Beh+ $7h+' (erry felt her brain wrench off onto a siding. .he turned her head and looked at *ar for
)ust long enough for her partner to start snickering.
$I think she means to drink, hon.' *ar drawled. $Ill take an Irish coffee, thanks.' .he told the waitress.
$"nd shed probably like a mo)ito if you can manage it.'
(erry got lightheaded, as the blood rushed to her face. $Thank you. ,es. That will be fine.' .he
muttered, rubbing her face. $.orry, its been a long day.'
$9f course.' The waitress didnt even turn a hair. .he swiveled and addressed 3ynthia. $Maam+'
*ar patted (errys knee. $.orry.' .he leaned on the chair arm. $,ou okay+'
(erry slouched back into her chair, and simply took a moment to study the angular face across the
chair from her. Thats what was different, she realized *ar was here, and that made everything
different.
.he felt different, having her partner here. .he felt less defensive, less on edge. %er eyes met *ars
and she tried to !uantify the change, seeing both e&haustion and happiness reflected back at her.
$Im really glad youre here.' .he said, watching the smile appear on *ars lips.
$Im not glad Im here.' *ar replied. $But Im really glad were together.'
"h. ,es. (erry felt that nailed down her feelings completely. $,eah.' .he felt the blush finally fade,
and she was able to glance across the low table at her mother and *ars father. $Thats e&actly what I
meant.'
$(erry.' 3ynthia said. $I have to say Im terribly sorry for what happened at my office. I was wrong. I
should not have involved you at all. $ .he said. $I thought I was doing a good thing, bringing
information to my colleagues. Instead, it seems to have only made them angry.'
$:ackasses.' "ndrew commented. $Govmint people got caught with their shorts round their ankles
now theyre hollering foul.'
3ynthia half turned and regarded him. $"re you saying they should have known this was going to
occur, 3ommander+'
$"nybody with a eyeball and half an ear knew that.' The e& .#"/ responded mildly. $Them folks tried
to blow up them buildings before. They aint got no voice. Thats how they talk. Blow things up. Blow
up buildings, blow up police stations, blow up their own folks.'
3ynthia blinked at him. $9h. My.'
$"h been there.' "ndrew added, almost as an afterthought. $"int no love there for us. 9nly thing we
got between us is money.'
" silence fell, as the waitress returned with a trayful of drinks. .he set down (errys first, then went
around the table, her motions !uick and efficient.
$4lease put this on my room.' (erry finally made the connection as to why shed been addressed first.
%er waking in the palatial suite seemed to be from another time, and had happened to another
person. $"nd do you have a dessert menu from the restaurant+'
$9f course.' The waitress smiled at her. $%ere you are.' .he handed (erry a leather bound folio. $Ill
be right back.'
(erry leaned on the chair arm and opened the menu, immediately gaining a dark head resting on her
shoulder as *ar peered at it as well. $0hat do I want.' .he mused.
$That.' *ar pointed at the brownie sundae. $Get it twice the size and Ill share it with you.' .he
suggested, her shoulder bumping (errys. $#ither that, or this.' .he pointed ne&t at a peach cobbler
with ice cream.
$0ere going to be bouncing off the walls all night.' (erry said. .he turned her head to see that tiny
bit of mischief erupt in her partners eyes )ust a moment too late. $:esus. *ont say it.' .he sighed.
$5ot twice in ten minutes.'
*ar snickered, but held her silence.
$0ell.' 3ynthia sighed. $Im not sure really what to do at this point. 0hat I am truly afraid of is that
some of my colleagues will use this as an e&cuse to put in place some ideas that might not have found
wide acceptance before.'
(erry put the menu down and sat back, picking up her mo)ito and taking a sip of it. The cool minty
sweetness almost hid the bite of the rum and she licked her lips and put it back down on the table.
The waitress came back, and (erry pointed at both herself and *ar. $.undae.' .he glanced at
"ndrew, who nodded, then at her mother. $Mother+'
3ynthia frowned, then she shrugged. $0hy not+'
$-our.' (erry felt her second wind kicking in. 9r perhaps it was her third or fourth by this time. $*ar,
can you let us in on what the issue is with Gerry+'
*ar glanced at (errys mother, then at (erry. 9ne brow twitched, then she half shrugged herself.
$.ure.' .he said. $Take this with a grain of salt, since I havent talked to anyone but Gerry about this,
and he was pretty vague.'
.he paused, and glanced around, but they were !uite alone in their corner of the bar, the television
providing an irresistible draw to everyone else including the staff. $The problem is, they lost all the
local feeds into the stock e&changes and the banking centers down on the tip of Manhattan.'
(erry nodded. 3ynthia nodded. "ndrew grunted. $9kay.' (erry added, after *ar paused. $"nd+'
$"nd, they need to get them back online, and not let out how damaging that is to our financial
infrastructure.' *ar supplied.
#veryone nodded again. $0ell, thats understandable.' 3ynthia ventured. $But Im not !uite sure.. I
mean, surely everyone knows that, and by now its being worked on.' .he paused. $Isnt it+'
(erry folded her arms across her chest. $4robably not yet.' .he said. $The place where all those
connections were is buried under the debris from the .outh tower.'
$9h.' (errys mother murmured. $0ell, then2'
$0here do we come in to this+' (erry looked at *ar. $5one of thats ours.' .he added. $0eve got
some customers down there, sure, and Im already working on plans to get them rerouted, but we
dont touch the markets. I remember them saying how we were locked out of those contracts.'
$.omeone told someone we could fi& it.' *ar said, succinctly. $Thats what Gerry wants me to talk to
that someone about. $
3ynthia was looking from one of them to the other. $I dont understand. 0hat is this about locked
contracts+ $
$4olitics.' *ar and (erry said together. Then (erry half turned to face her partner. $They think we
can fi& it+ *ar that makes no sense. 0e dont have anything down there. 5o contacts, nothing. ,ou
remember what happened the last time they tried to put a bid in+'
$It doesnt make sense.' *ar agreed. $Thats why we need to talk to them. -ind out why they think
that. "lastair said I should get in and do whatever I needed to2 but (er, he doesnt get it. %e doesnt
know whats the score there. I think hes )ust not thinking straight.'
(erry shook her head. $0ell, okay.' .he said. $9n one hand weve got part of the government pissed
off because we know everything, and on the other, weve got part of the government thinking were
Thor, god of the Internets. 0ho knows whats going to happen tomorrow.'
$Thor, god of the internets.' *ar mused. $Im going to get a tshirt that says that.'
"ndrew chuckled. 3ynthia paused, then she laughed as well, and the mood lightened a little.
$6eally, it should wait for tomorrow.' (errys mother said. $Its very late, and Im sure were all very
tired. I hope the morning will bring some return to normal, I hear airplane flights are resuming.' .he
looked over at *ar. $I am glad you arranged to arrive this evening, however, *ar. I know (errison
missed you terribly.'
$Mother.' (erry sighed.
$*idnt you+' *ar reached over and took (errys hand in her own. $I sure as hell missed you.'
$9f course I did.' (erry felt a little flustered. $But sheesh2 you came for other reasons.' .he eyed her
partner, who had a faint smile on her face. $*idnt you+'
*ar shook her head.
$*ar.'
The dark haired woman shrugged. $Im too tired to lie.' .he said. $It )ust so happened Gerrys plan
coincided with where I needed to be. If it hadnt, Id have told him he had to wait.' .he gazed back at
three sets of eyes, then looked over at (erry. $*ont give me that look. ,ou were going to start driving
for %ouston yesterday.'
(erry scratched her nose, and looked faintly abashed.
$"nyway.' *ar sipped her coffee with her free hand, the fingers of the other tangled with (errys.
$,ou and I will go down to the offices of whoever it is Gerry talked to and straighten it all out
tomorrow. $
$The other sat trucks are holding out side 5ewark.' (erry informed her. $ 5ot sure if you got that on
the call. They wont let anyone down into lower Manhattan yet.'
*ar nodded. $0e can compare notes tomorrow morning. .ee where we want the plan to go from
here.'
$I know what my intentions are.' 3ynthia spoke up suddenly. $I have decided to return home, as
early as I can. 0e have many things back in Michigan that Im worried about.' .he said. $I realize
there is much debate going on here, but there are people there that might be in danger.'
(erry nodded. $I think thats a good decision.'
$I already know what will happen here.' %er mother said, in a !uieter tone. $I already know speaking
against it will do nothing. 9ne of my colleagues spoke with me earlier today, shes afraid even to ask
!uestions. #veryone is so angry.'
$"h get that.' "ndrew said. $"h know what that feels like. .omeone done kicked you, all you want to
do is get up and kick back.' %e folded both arms over his broad chest. $That whole turn tother cheek
business never did much take hold in this here country.'
3ynthia sighed.
(erry took a swallow of her mo)ito, glad of the warmth of *ars fingers around hers. -rom the corner
of her eye she could see ice cream heading their way, and she could sense the end of the evening
coming as well, when shed walk with *ar across the lobby and take the elevator to her .. no, their
suite.
#verything was changing around her. The world, her family, her relationships with people.. the one
constant being the hand holding hers, the steady confidence in *ars eyes, the knowledge that she
would sleep tonight wrapped in the warm comfort of love.
.he had no idea what tomorrow would bring. But for tonight, life was doing the best it could and she
was glad enough to take what she could get.
$0ant my cherry+'
"nd then again.
;;
(erry lay flat on her back on the bed, her arms outstretched and her legs hanging off the edge with
her bare feet on the floor. .he wasnt doing much of anything e&cept listening to *ar prowl around
the suite, the faint snickers and sounds of things moving making her smile.
.hed teased *ar, of course, about the suite. *ar had scoffed at her, accusing her of blowing the place
out of proportion until she opened the door and stepped back to let her skeptical partner enter.
*ar had, stopping in the lobby and looking around with an honestly startled e&pression. $%oly crap.'
(erry had merely smirked and strolled past her, securing a piece of chocolate from the waiting
basket before heading for the bedroom and the waiting, already turned down, comfortable looking
bed leaving her partner to e&plore their miniature palace. $Tol)a.'
$%oly crap.'
(erry smiled benignly at the ceiling. .he was totally spaced, and totally e&hausted. .he studied the
tiles for a while, then drifted off for a while, then started as a sound at the doorway made her turned
her head and lift it up off the surface to look towards the opening. $7h+'
*ar was in it, leaning casually against the frame, her body now draped in a clean tshirt and a glass of
milk in her hand. $9kay, youre right. %er partner said. $,oure going to have to bust your ass to beat
this one.' .he said. $Its got three bathrooms. I had an entire shower and didnt make enough noise to
wake you up.'
(erry smiled, and lifted one hand, curling her finger in a come hither gesture. $Glad I did now.
3mere.'
*ar obliged, setting the glass down on the bedside table before she launched herself into the bed ne&t
to (erry, making the smaller woman bounce. .he rolled onto her side and settled down, taking hold
of (errys hand and bringing it to her lips for a kiss.
5ow that they were alone, and they could say anything to each other, she really didnt feel like saying
anything at all. (erry angled her head and pulled *ar closer, reveling in the tingle in her guts as *ar
abandoned her fingers and kissed her lips instead.
.he looked up and found *ar looking back at her at close range, her partners slightly bloodshot eyes
e&pressing gentle affection that seemed to seep right through her. $I shouldnt have had that second
mo)ito.' (erry murmured mournfully. $I see three of you.'
*ar grinned, the skin around her eyes crinkling up and glints of mischief coming into them. .he
leaned forward and kissed (erry again, then rolled over and captured her partners body, tangling
her legs with (errys and pulling her over until they were in an untidy s!uash in the middle of the
bed.
$7rgh.' (erry reveled in the heat where their bodies were pressed against each other. *ars skin felt
typically warm, and her skin held a hint of the apricot scrub from her shower. It was utterly familiar,
and comforting out of all proportion. $,ou smell good.'
$*o I+' *ar bit her ear gently. $Im )ust glad to get the smell of airplane off me.'
$0hat kind of plane did you come here on+' (erry eased up onto her elbows, the air conditioning
suddenly cold against the spot on her ear *ar had been suckling. $*id you have lots of Marines with
you+'
$5ah. It was a transport.' *ar slid her arms around (errys waist and studied her face. $/ots of
nervous looking guys in suits. Id have rather had the Marines. The ones in your moms office were
nice guys.'
$They were. $ (erry nodded. $I liked them.'
$They really liked you.' *ars eyes twinkled. $9ne of them said he was going to try and get a )ob with
us after his hitch was up and find you again.'
$9h for 4etes sake.' (erry started laughing. $"ll I did was get them freaking sandwiches.' .he let her
head drop, and they kissed for a few minutes, ending with heightened breathing as they paused, and
(erry let her forehead rest against *ars. $Mm.'
$(eeerrrry.' *ar warbled in her ear. $I mmmiiisssed you.'
$.weetie, I sure as hell missed you too.' (erry nibbled at her partners neck. $I think more than
anything I missed being able to talk to you.'
$More than anything+' *ar gently cupped one of (errys breasts, rubbing her thumb teasingly over
the nipple.
$%eheh.' (erry chortled softly. $9kay, point taken.'
$I can do that too.' *ar tweaked her. $But yeah, it was frustrating as hell for me to have to listen to
you on that call and not be able to )ust talk back however I wanted to.' .he admitted, closing her
eyes a little as (errys hands slid across her hips. $I felt so far away.'
(erry leaned forward and kissed her again, her hand slipping under *ars shirt. .he felt her ribs
move as she inhaled and a warm surge of desire flushed her skin as she felt *ars thigh ease between
hers. $,ou sure dont feel far away now.'
*ar cupped her hand behind (errys neck and drew her down again. .he rolled onto her side and
took (erry with her, as she felt her shirt peeled up and the cool air hit her skin. .he felt flushed and
the chill felt good, goose bumps raising as (erry ducked her head down and kissed her breast. $%ope
not.'
(erry smiled. .he felt the e&haustion lifting as her body reacted to her partners touch, a burning in
her guts igniting as *ar unbuttoned her shirt and slid the bottom of it up, glad shed already shed her
)eans.
Impatiently, she ducked her head as *ar pulled her shirt off, busy herself with doing the same to her
partner. " moment of chill, then *ar pressed against her and all she could feel was a burn that felt
like it was washing her clean.
0ashing the last two days out. 0ashing the tension of dealing with her family out. *riving aside the
memories of the destruction and the accusations at her mothers office.
*ars hand slid over her hip and down the outside of her thigh. (erry abandoned herself to the
growing tension in her guts and simply lived the moment, savoring the ragged edge to her breathing
as the light touch became more deliberate and her body arched, wanting the release.
0anting that deep burn, and the knowing )olt. $God, I love you.' .he breathed, )ust as the sensations
became to intense for words and her body was shuddering in reaction, her arms clamping around
*ars as she let out a yell.
*ar chuckled, breathing hard as (errys weight bore down on her, pushing her back over onto her
back as she nuzzled the side of her neck. $/ove you too.' .he closed her eyes as (erry started her
attack. $.pecially when you do that.'
(erry laughed on an irregular breath, as she felt tears sting her eyes at the same time. $That+'
$7ngh.'
$Thought so.'
;;
(erry was content to lay where she was, her body rela&ed as she gently traced an imaginary line
across *ars bare skin. It was hard to keep her eyes open, but the steady, light stroking on the inside
of her thigh was stoking a lazy desire and keeping her from dropping off into sleep.
.he didnt mind. It felt good. It wasnt too demanding, )ust a teasing sensuality that made her very
aware of *ars near presence and focused her on the sound of her partners breathing and the scent
of her skin.
*ar kissed her shoulder.
$%ey *ar+' (erry returned the kiss, letting her fingers trace her partners nipple. $0ere you really
serious+'
*ars eyes opened. $"bout what+' %er voice rose. $This+ %elllo+ #arth to (erry+'
(erry leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. $5o.' .he rested her elbows on either side of *ars
head, and gently rubbed noses with her. $"bout coming here.'
*ar looked up at her for a long moment. $*uh.' .he said. $Give me a break, willya+'
$I feel so crummy then.' (erry ducked her head for another kiss. $I should have tried harder to go to
you.'
$I was in #ngland, (er.'
$I can swim.'
*ar chuckled, and wrapped her arms around her partner. .he felt (errys body shift against hers,
and she savored the moment. $,ou had a lot to deal with here. Ill cut you some slack.' .he advised.
$Besides, if you had paddled over wed )ust have had to fly right back here. $
$I know.' (erry kissed her neck, nipping her collarbone a bit. $Its been crazy.' .he admitted, resting
her head against *ars shoulder as she felt *ars hand resume its stroking $-irst my family, then
yesterday. :ust nuts.'
$,ou seem to be getting on okay with you mom.' *ar ventured cautiously. $"t least based on tonight
anyway.'
(erry was silent for a moment. $,eah.' .he said. $9nce we got a few things out of the way2 it hasnt
been that bad, really. I took her for sushi tonight.'
$6adical.'
$5o, she liked it.' (erry smiled, nestling closer. $I had her get the safe stuff, like what you did to me
the first time.'
*ar chuckled softly. $,ou ended up eating most of mine that night.'
$I told her that.' (erry admitted. $I talked about you a lot.' .he rubbed the edge of her thumb against
*ars breastbone. $.he said she was glad we met.'
*ars eyebrows hiked up. .he studied the curve of (errys )aw, seeing the muscles move under the
skin. $,ou think she meant it+'
(erry was silent for a bit, then she e&haled. $,ou know, its so hard for me to tell. I want to think she
did, because she said that and some other stuff about how she and my father really werent aware of
stuff (yle did2 but I dont know whether shes saying it because its true, or because she wants it to
be true and she wants me to stop being so damned pissed off.'
*ar started gently massaging her partners neck again. $*o you want to stop being pissed off+' .he
asked. $,know, when I finally got back together with mine, thats what I decided. Id )ust blow off the
past thirty years of my life, and start fresh. Too much crap to dig through.'
$Is that really fair+'
*ar shrugged. $Is life really fair+' .he countered. $0hat makes you feel good in side, to let that all go,
or )ust let it fester+' .he felt the warmth as (erry e&haled, her breath warming the skin over *ars
breast.
$0ell, duh.' (erry murmured. $0hod feel good festering+ It )ust seems so2 I dont know. 0ussy to
)ust say, okay, forget it, lets )ust move on.' .he pondered a bit more, feeling her body slowly rela&ing
again, the room around her retreating a little. $That whole turn the other cheek thing is a really tough
sell.'
*ar hugged her. $-or what its worth, I think your moms legit.' .he said. $I think she was a
chickenshit when your father was alive, but shes got to live with that. /ifes short enough.'
(erry remained silent for a few minutes, then she stifled a yawn, and wrapped herself firmly around
her partner. $.ave it.' .he said. $I )ust want a nice long night of listening to your crazy heartbeat. To
heck with everything else.'
$0orks for me.' *ar s!uirmed backwards, hauling (erry with her until they hit the pillows. $/et it
wait for tomorrow along with all the other problems.' .he tugged the covers loose, helped more or
less by a silently giggling (erry and managed to get them wrapped over them without rolling them
both out of the bed.
That left only the light, and that was a short matter well within *ars long reach. .he slapped the
button and they were in darkness. The sound proofed windows blocked the noise from the street,
and only the soft hum from the air conditioning and two simultaneous sighs were heard.
$That hole in the side of the building is pretty terrible, isnt it+' (erry asked, softly.
D,eah.' *ar whispered back. $.urreal. .eeing the flag draped there made me tear up.'
$Me too. They said it happened so fast no one had a chance to get away.' (erry took a little tighter
hold. $Must have been horrible.'
$/ike in the hospital, for us.'
$,eah.' The silence lengthened a bit. $0e were really lucky that night, werent we+'
$1ery.' *ar replied, in a soft voice. $1ery, very lucky.'
(erry thought about that for a long moment. Then she pressed her body against *ars, lifting herself
up a trifle and kissing her with simple passion. .he rode the surge of energy and felt *ar respond,
their bodies tangling again as the covers became irrelevant.
It was a moment to )ust live life, without regard to what happened ne&t.
;;
"mazing what difference a day made. (erry whistled under her breath as she settled her headset on
her ears, her laptop already alive with information. .he was seated in front of the window, with a
view of a breezy fall day outside )ust at dawn.
"t her side rested a cup of steaming coffee and a croissant neatly piled with eggs and swiss cheese.
.he picked up a sliced of strawberry and ate it, her eyes scanning the screen as she tried to assess
what the status was.
Behind her, *ars low burr was audible as she talked to Maria, and behind her partner the big
television was on showing 355s attention deficit disorder inducing screen complete with its new
ticker scrawl and live footage behind the announcer.
$Good morning, this is Miami #&ec currently in 0ashington.' (erry announced as the conference line
connected. $%ope everyone is doing good.'
" brief crackle, then a host of voices responded. $Morning, maam.' $Morning (erry.' $%ello, Miami2
welcome back. $ $Glad to hear you on, #&ec.'
$Morning boss.' Marks voice echoed slightly a little afterward, sounding tired. $5ow that youre on
Im gonna go catch a few zs. Is the big kahuna there+'
$.he is.' (erry smiled as she said it, glancing up to see *ar framed in the entranceway, leaning back
against the stately dining table dressed in )ust her tshirt. . $,ou sneaky little bugger. Ill get you for
that.'
$%ey, she told me not to say anything.' Mark protested. $,ou think Im dumb enough to not to listen+'
(erry chuckled, a warm, rich sound that echoed a little on the call. $.o where are we+ Give me a
status then go get some rest.' .he picked up her coffee and took a sip, stretching one leg out and
fle&ing her toes against the thick carpet.
7nlike the previous day, when shed woken up tired and tense, defensive in the presence of her
mother ? today she felt a resurgence of her usual optimistic nature and a sense of animal well being
she wasnt stupid enough to deny the cause of.
$0ell, we got some good stuff to tell and some bad stuff.' Mark said. $The good stuff is 5ewarks up,
and theyve stopped beating up on the /" #arthstation.'
$Miami ops, thats almost true.' " voice interrupted. $0e )ust had a re!uest from the governor here to
belay a full IH channels for the national guard.'
Mark sighed. $%old up a sec, /".' %e said. $"nyway, they got the power up here about two hours ago,
and I was able to get a link up to 5ewark, but holy molassas, boss, its like shoving an elephant
through a punchdown. 0e aint doing crap for traffic.'
$/atency+' (erry asked.
$5ot )ust that, everyone wants to put up on the wire. I cant get a priority list out of anybody cause
they all think theyre the most important.'
$5ot like we never heard that before.' (erry said. $9kay, hang tight and tell 5ewark to hang tight. Ill
be over there to beat back the arm wavers shortly.'
$Miami e&ec, this is 5ewark.' The #arthstation spoke up. $0ere fully online now. 4lease tell those
folks at "43 were all going to buy stock in them.'
$Me too.' (erry agreed, smiling again. $They really came through for us. .o now we have to turn that
around and come through for everyone else. :ust prioritize best you can until I can sort everyone
out.'
" window popped up, and she glanced at it. 5ood mornin!. .ou sound more chipper today.
$*uh, Mari.' (erry switched to the window. .eah and I even !ot some sleep. )id $lastair !et off okay?
1ose and -leanor took him to the airport and said theyd stay with him until his fli!ht at E. He said he
took )ars advice last ni!ht down on outh ,each. )are I ask?
(erry glanced at her partner. Hopefully she just !ave him the name of a !ood steakhouse. .he typed
back. /therwise I dont wanna know.
$Miami e&ec, this is /ansing.'
$Go ahead, /ansing.' (erry got back to business.
$Maam, we had si& installs due today, but we have them all on standby. -ede& advised us they dont
know yet when they are going to be able to come off ground hold and deliver anything.'
7gh. (erry picked up her croissant and took a bite as she thought. .he chewed and swallowed
before she answered. $Thats a problem.' .he acknowledged. $"nyone from /ogistics in Miami on+'
$Its *ogbert here, maam.' " voice answered. $Theyre telling us the same thing. 0e were e&pecting
a lot of stuff today.'
*ogbert. (erry repressed a smile. $3an you get me a manifest of what weve got held up in -ede&, 74.
and *%/+' .he asked. $/ogistics in %ouston+'
$%ere.' " gruffer voice answered. $My brothers a director in *%/. %e told me theyre not even
allowed to open the warehouses. Theyve got soldiers crawling all over them with dogs.'
(erry e&haled. $9kay, everyone out there ? whoevers in operations for your respective areas, I need
a list of activities in )eopardy due to non delivery, please. /ets get a calendar up and running and on
the desktop so we can see the impact.'
$Miami #&ec, this is %erndon.' "nother voice. $0e got word flights will take off this morning, but
passenger only, and there s a lot of activity on the wire.'
$Miami, this is /ansing again. The two installs we had gear for, the guys are telling us theyre being
denied access to proceed.'
*ar came over and sat down ne&t to her, resting her chin on one hand. $This is gonna be like a slow
motion train wreck.' .he commented. $9ur ops schedule is not designed to )ust stop for a few days.'
(erry knew that was true. The intricate webwork of installers and technicians, product deployments
and implementation scheduling was designed to be fle&ible, but only up to a point. .he often had to
shift resources around if a facility wasnt ready in time, or if a part was on backorder.
This was a completely different scope of interruption. $9kay, once we get a schedule up I need
someone to run a match against the e!uipment we have tied up in transit against our distributed
inventory. 0e may need to start driving.'
$Maria says shes getting a lot of calls from clients.' *ar said. $.hes been in the office since five thirty.
Im waiting on a callback from Gerry now.'
$3lients from 5ew ,ork and around here+' (erry asked, clicking her mic off. $.heesh.. dont they
know whats going on+'
*ar shook her head. $-rom all over. Im not really sure why theyre calling. Maria said it was almost
like they )ust wanted to know everything was all right.'
(errys brows knit. $%uh+'
*ar shrugged. $.hes pulling my address book off the phone and shell email it to you for me.' .he
said.
$3ant she )ust.. $ (erry let the thought trail off. $5o, I guess she cant )ust -ede& everything to you.
*amn. ,ou dont realize how dependent you are on some things until they dont e&ist.'
$.he offered to fly with it.' *ar said.
(erry studied her face. $.he hates flying.'
$I know.' %er partner smiled briefly. $I told her Id wait. ,oure here. Its not like Im out wandering
the streets sleeping under a bench.'
$Thats true.' (erry covered *ars free hand with her own and s!ueezed her fingers. $Ill definitely
take care of you.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %ouston /ogistics.' The gruff voice came back. $0e )ust got notified we cant
move tapes to storage. -acilities been ordered closed by the -eds.'
$9h god.' (erry covered her eyes. $Thanks, %ouston. -or how long+'
$5o idea.'
*ar shook her head. $#veryones running scared now.' .he said. $Ill order up some storage
containers for them and us. (eep working it.' .he got up and headed back to the room phone, the
early rays of sun splashing over her bare legs.
$9kay, %ouston. 0e got that. 0ell see what we can do to help.' (erry said. $5ewark, have you had
any indication on an #T" for your city power+ I have a feeling were going to need those trucks in
Manhattan.'
$0ish I could say yes, Miami e&ec.' The #arthstation sounded apologetic. $My boss called this
morning, and 3on#d had a message on )ust saying to try calling in a couple days.'
$5ice.' (erry took another bite of her croissant. $0ell, Im sure theyve got a ton of other issues.
*oesnt help us much though.'
$Miami e&ec, this is the "ir %ub.' " womans voice broke in. $"ir traffic control is back online. $ %er
voice held a note of e&citement. $0e )ust got a re!uest to host a big share for them for repositioning.'
$Go ahead.' (erry said. $%ouston ops, watch the links and make sure they get space.'
$9n it.' " male voice answered. $0e are running a little hot across the board.'
(erry glanced over at *ar, who was on the phone, cupping one hand over her free ear. $Ill get the
pipe meister to look at it in a minute. .hes on another call.'
*erry?
(erry looked at the popup, then she clicked on it. 5o ahead %ar.
I heard from our office in prin!field. &hey had a bi! riot up there last ni!ht, apparently people
protestin! a!ainst people from the %iddle -ast.
9h great. (erry remembered what her mother had said, and e&haled. *neejerk.
$!reed. hould I send an alert out thou!h? People dont stop to think sometimes.
$%ey *ar+' (erry turned her head as she heard her partner hang up. $Mari said they had some antiJ
"rab ugliness in Illinois last night. .hes asking if she should send out a bulletin+'
*ar came over and sat back down, taking a sip of (errys coffee. $To do what+ Tell our employees
who happen to be Middle #astern they should hide in the office+' .he asked, practically. $Im sure
355 is covering it, and Im sure theyre watching 355. $
(erry studied her face. $0hat pissed you off+'
*ar put the cup down. $*id I say I was pissed off+' .he asked, arching her brow as (erry continued to
look at her. %er lips twitched. $I )ust got yelled at by Gerry for ten minutes for being the forgetful
nitwit I know I was yesterday.'
$0ell, sweetie2'
$I know.' *ar set the cup down. $,es, she should send out a note. I think people are )ust starting to be
stupid and I dont know where its going to end.'
(erry turned back to her keyboard. )ar says yes. -veryone should be very aware of what is !oin! on
around them.
$0e have to go to the 0hite %ouse.'
(erry stopped typing in mid word, going very still, before she turned her head and looked at her
partner. $#&cuse me+'
$%ope you brought your rainbow nerd tJshirt.' *ar got up. $Im going to take a shower. /ets hope
they dont want to see my drivers license before they let us in.'
(erry stared at the retreating figure in somewhat stunned silence for a long moment before she
wrenched her attention back to the laptop. $"h.. Im going to have to go offline for a few minutes.' .he
managed to get out. $#veryone )ust hang tight.'
$0ill do.' $.ure.' $5o problem Miami e&ec.'
(erry got up and headed for the bathroom, hoping *ar hadnt really said what she thought shed
heard her say. .he ducked inside the door, already hearing the water running, to find *ar in the
middle of taking her shirt off. $The 0hite %ouse+'
$Theyre sending a car.' *ar tossed her shirt on the counter. $3mon. 0e dont have a lot of time.
"pparently weve pissed a lot of people off and weve got a lot of e&plaining to do.' .he opened the
shower door, allowing a healthy blast of steam to enter the room. $*ads already down at the
4entagon helping.'
$%elping to do what+' (erry hurriedly got out of her shirt and )oined her partner in the shower. $*ar,
what the hell.. the 0hite %ouse+ 0hat did we do+ 0ho did we piss off+'
$0ish I knew.' *ar s!uirted gel on a scrubby and started indiscriminately washing both herself and
(erry. $But Im guessing well soon find out.'
$7gh.'
;;
*ar folded her arms and glanced out the tinted window as the car sped through the streets. (erry
was sitting ne&t to her, earbuds planted firmly in her ears as she directed the conference call in
muted tones.
$*ar+' (erry looked up. $%amilton Baird )ust dropped into the call, said hed meet us.'
*ar nodded. $Good.' .he said. $5ever thought Id be glad to see his puss, but annoying as he is hes a
first rate lawyer.'
$,our father is listening from the 61.' (erry said. $0hats a coon ass+'
*ar snorted in laughter, covering her mouth and then her eyes with one hand. $%e didnt say that on
the call, did he+'
$7m. 0ell, actually2'
$Its a slang for someone from 3a)un /ouisiana. Its not really a compliment.' *ar peered through her
fingers. $.ort of like being called a hillbilly. 9nly worse.'
$%e laughed.'
$My father+'
$%amilton.' (erry said. $Then he called your dad a redneck. I think the entire companys stunned to
complete silence.'
$Mari must be on the floor behind her desk out cold.' *ar sighed. $6ound out the electroshock
therapy by calling dad *ad and telling them to behave.'
$0hatever you say, boss.' (erry went back to her headset with a grin on her face.
*ar returned her gaze to the streets of 0ashington, working to ignore the twisting in her guts and
faintly envying (erry the distraction of her current task. .hed been in many high profile situations
for the company and certainly she had a lot of confidence both in herself and her organization but
being called to the carpet at the 0hite %ouse was both a new and very nerve wracking e&perience for
her.
.he didnt like politics. Based on her previous e&perience, she didnt much like politicians. *ar felt
that in order to be elected by a ma)ority, politicians had to become the lowest common denominator
and promise everything to everyone, delivering not much to anyone in the end.
#&cept, in .outh -lorida, to their relatives. *ar unfolded her arms and let her hands rest on her
denim covered knees. 3orruption wasnt viewed so much as a scandal in Miami as a bit of
entertainment for the residents to discuss over cafe< along with the latest news of 3astro, the traffic,
and whether or not hurricanes would be heavy or light this season.
#&pected. 4oliticians were wheelers and dealers where she lived, and while it did earn Miami the
banana republic reputation it had, *ar also found the up front acknowledgement !uite a bit more
refreshing that the usual political pretending to virtue and desire for public service as a reason for
election.
.traightforward, and local. The county and city leaders didnt much give a rats ass about the rest of
the state, or in fact, the rest of the country. Their focus was on drawing people and businesses in,
pushing development to its limits, scooping in as much in ta&es as they could, and spending money
on whoevers pet pro)ect they got the most kickbacks for.
5o euphemisms about bettering humanity. 5o long harangues about family values. 1ery commercial,
very crass, very ethnic. *ar liked that. .he remembered hearing one local politico talking to some
moral values types at a fundraiser shed been roped into attending and theyd asked him about the
dangers of a gay neighborhood springing up in a certain area.
$/et them come.' The politico had said. $They improve any area they live in. 4roperty value goes up,
ta&es go up. .how me that around a soup kitchen.'
Blunt. .hocking. 1ery Miami. *ar remembered after %urricane "ndrew, when there had been
hundreds of thousands of tons of debris to get rid of, and the state and federal government, citing
pollution regulations, had forbid burning to get rid of it.
Theyd burned it anyway. The county manager had told the regulators to come arrest him if they
didnt like it.
*ar felt a certain sympathy with the attitude.
The car turned into a long driveway, and pulled to a halt at a large, iron, guarded gate. $Maam, Ill
need to show them your identification.' Their driver half turned to look at her. $3an you pass it up
please+'
$5o.' *ar laced her fingers. $"ctually, I can give you (errys. 5ot mine.'
The driver looked at her.
$Im not deliberately being an asshole.' *ar correctly interpreted his e&pression. $I )ust dont have it.
My wallet and all my I* is back in Miami.'
The driver continued to stare at her. $Maam, they wont let you in there without I*.'
$0ell.' %is passenger cleared her throat. $That could be true. But the government paid a lot of money
to bring me up here from -lorida on a military airplane and then send you to fetch me to the 0hite
%ouse. 3hances are, someone in there knows who I am or at least will trust that I am who they think
I am.'
The driver shrugged, and turned back around. $.ee what they say.' %e drove the car forward a space,
waiting for the rest of the line to clear the gate. *ar took the opportunity to fish inside (errys
briefcase, bringing out her I* and holding it in one hand.
(erry glanced up at her in !uestion, one hand still cupped over her ear. *ar held up her passport
folio, and she nodded, then went back to her conversation, reaching out with her other hand to pat
*ars knee.
The car pulled forward, and the driver opened the door, putting one leg out and standing up to talk to
the guard rather than opening the window. *ar didnt much envy him, since she figured he was
probably telling this armed, an&ious, hyper alert man that he had some chick in the car who wanted
in to the 0hite %ouse without even a drivers license.
$*ar, %oustons saying theyre running really high on usage across the net.' (erry said. $,ou probably
need to check it out.'
*ar wiggled her fingers, and looked down at her empty lap, raising her brows at her partner. $They
havent put the chip in yet, hon. 3an I borrow your laptop+'
$9f course.' (erry nudged her briefcase over with her foot. $,ou have to ask+'
$I have to ask because I'll need to sign in with your cached credentials and then rig the 145 system to
ask for mine.' *ar was drawing the machine out and putting in on her lap. $I usually ask nicely when
Im hacking my .9s system.'
(erry gave her a fond smile. $I love you.' .he said, then paused, and looked down at her mic, cursing
silently. $0hats that+ 5o, no, I was2 okay, never mind. 0ho has the name of the guy I need to talk
to+'
*ar chuckled under her breath.
$,ou get me in so much damn trouble.' (erry overly obviously keyed the mic off this time, scribbling
on a pad with her other hand. $:esus.'
The driver dropped back into the car. $Maam, they need to verify with the folks inside. Im going to
pull off over here so we dont block the gate.'
$.ure.' *ar clicked away at the keyboard. $Ill )ust be back here rerouting all of your paychecks to the
-rench -oreign /egion.' .he inserted the cellular card and waited for the computer to fully boot, then
opened a command line window and started typing.
$*idnt you rig the 145 system so no one could log in with someone elses laptop+' (erry asked, idly.
$,es.'
$Mm.' (erry paused, then cleared her throat. $,es, Mr. Mitchell+ This is (erry .tuart from I/..' .he
paused again, listening. $,es, I understand2. Mr. Michell, I do un.. sir.' (errys voice lifted. $Thats not
correct. I do understand what has been going on the past two days, since Im sitting in a car outside
the gate to the 0hite %ouse right now waiting to talk to the folks inside about it.'
*ar finished her typing, then she triggered the 145 connection. It obediently presented her with a
login bo&, which she entered her credentials into and sent it on its way. $4roblem+' .he asked, in a
casual tone.
$5ot *ar level yet.' (erry covered the mouthpiece, then removed her hand. $6ight. .o e&plain to me
now why my technicians, who are busting their asses to try and keep their schedules on track, arent
being allowed to complete your install+ The one you contracted for+ ,ou did ask us to do this, didnt
you+'
*ar drummed her fingers on the palm rest, as her desktop formed itself in front of her. .he could
have actually used (errys, but their working style was so different it drove her crazy trying to find
things on it.
.he opened her custom monitoring application, glancing over the top of the laptop screen towards
the driver. %e was sitting !uietly, rela&ed and reading a notepad, occasionally looking up to watch the
guards at the gate to see if they were going to come over to them.
*ar pondered what to do if they got turned away. Go to the 4entagon+ Maybe Gerry could get her
some temporary credentials. $Im such an idiot.' .he sighed, as the gages formed up and she studied
the results.
$9kay, then we have an understanding.' (erry said. $Ill send my team back up there, and theyll get
on with the work. It shouldnt take long.' .he added. $Thanks.' .he hung up and went back to the
conference call. $:erk.'
*ar keyed on the government routers that were managed from %ouston, separating them out in a
window and reviewing their statistics. $,oure such a hardass, (er.'
$4fft.' (erry keyed her mic. $9kay, Im back.' .he said. $/ansing, this is Miami #&ec. 4lease resend the
techs up to Browerman and -ine, theyre cleared to enter.'
$This is /ansing, will do.'
*ar heard the driver shift, and she peered past him to see the guards approaching. .he put her head
back down and typed !uickly, her eyes flicking over the sets of numbers that flashed on and off the
screen.
The window opened and the guard leaned down to peer in at them. $Good morning.'
$Good morning.' (erry closed her mic.
$0hich one of you is 4aladar 6oberts+' The guard asked.
$Thatd be me.' *ar glanced up, but kept typing. $Im the )erk who showed up with no I*.' .he added.
$"nd I am sorry about that.'
The guard nodded. $Thats posing a big problem for us.' %e watched *ar nod back. $But the people
inside said to let you in with an escort, so Im going to let you in, with an escort.' %e patted the
window on the drivers side door. $Go on, :ack. 0ell send two guys with you, and two guysll meet
you at the stairs.'
(erry regarded him with a touch of concern. $"re we that dangerous looking+' .he asked.
The guard )ust shook his head and waved, and the window closed as the driver put the car in gear
and edged his way between two other vehicles towards the gates.
$%oustons right' *ar was clicking away. $Theyre eating up the wires. Im going to throw some
reserve at them.'
$0ithout finding out why+' (erry !uestioned.
$0ouldnt even know where to start asking.' %er partner admitted. $Im sure its all T34>I4
encapsulated frantic arm waving and ass covering mi&ed with legitimate intelligence movement but
theres really no way for me to step in and !uestion it.'
(erry nodded, and went back to the call. $-olks, Im going to have to drop offline in a few minutes
here. If anything comes up, )ust call my cell and get me back on.'
$There.' *ar finished her configuration changes, saving them and cutting and pasting a large swath of
tiny te&t into an email message. $Ill tell %ouston I did that, but they need to keep it under their hat. I
dont want anyone getting the idea we have ine&haustible bandwidth.'
$9kay, Im out.' (erry said, then she closed the phone, peering out of the window. They were pulling
past a line of trees, liberally guarded by machine gun toting soldiers. "head there was a small parking
area, in front of a huge, almost gothic looking building she only vaguely remembered. $"h. The old
e&ecutive.'
*ar glanced up from her keyboard and looked out the window, peering at the large structure. Then
she shook her head and went back to her keyboard. $"lmost done.'
(erry ran her fingers through her hair. $Theres %amilton.' .he indicated the tall, urban figure
leaning on the gate in a posture of bored waiting. $I have to admit, Im pretty glad to see him given
where we are.'
*ar shut the laptop and leaned over to slide it into (errys briefcase. $Me too.' .he admitted briefly.
$But dont let him know that.'
The car pulled to a halt, and two soldiers approached immediately, signaling the vehicle following
them. $4lease wait and dont open the doors.' The driver warned. $/et the soldiers do it.'
$.ure.' *ar leaned back and twiddled her fingers, as the she watched the soldiers approach
cautiously as though she was some sort of hyper technical land shark. It kept her mind off what
waited for them though, and she only smiled at the man who opened the door, staying still until he
realized she was pretty much harmless.
$Thank you maam, you can get out.' The soldier said, courteously. $.orry about that, were a little
tense here today.'
$I completely understand.' *ar swung her legs out and got up, surprising the soldier when she
straightened to her full height that topped his by a few inches. .he closed the door and paused, as
(erry made her way around behind the car to )oin her, then they started off towards the gates and
their waiting corporate lawyer.
The two soldiers walked along side them. Both were young, but not too young, and they both had five
oclock shadows that probably had started sometime the previous afternoon. They looked tired. *ar
suddenly felt an empathy for them she hadnt e&pected. $%ang in there guys.' .he told the one to her
right. $I know its been rough.'
The soldier looked at her, his shoulders shifting into a more rela&ed posture. $Thanks, maam.'
They crossed the street and %amilton pushed off his post and came to meet them. $0ell, hello there
ladies.'
$Good morning, Mr. Baird.' (erry greeted him politely.
$%amilton. Good to see you.' *ar chimed in. $Thanks for coming down.'
The lawyer seemed to be more subdubed than usual. $Good to see you both.' %e said. $/ets go see
what this whoo hah is all about.'
They started up the steps. $.orry about my father.' *ar commented. $Im not sure he realized how
big his audience was.'
%amilton chuckled. $*arlin, hes your father. 9f course he realized. But hes a gorgeous old salt so it
didnt bother me a bit.' %e glanced to either side, at their silent escort. $"int enough like him and
any how my mama raised me to be proud of being a coon ass.'
$I dont think he meant it as an insult.' *ar smiled. $5ot from where we came from.'
The lawyer laughed. $/ord I hope they dont regret asking us into this place. $ %e waited for *ar and
(erry to enter the big doorway, then followed before the soldiers could. $.orry boys, beauty and
treachery before virtue. $
The soldiers bumped into the frame in their haste to follow. $.ir8 Maam8 0ait8'
(erry shifted the strap on her briefcase and shook her head, resisting the urge to move faster )ust to
get to the end of the waiting. $Going to be one of those mornings.'
;;
*ar had her hands stuck in her pockets, her head tipped back a little as she studied the shelves full of
books in the room theyd been shuffled off to.
(erry was sitting at a mahogany table behind her, working on her laptop as %amilton spoke softly
into his cell phone on the other side of the room.
%urry up and wait, was that the tactic+ *ar rocked up and down on her heels. In the distance, she
could hear the muffled sounds of activity, the halls theyd been walked through to this waiting room
had been full of men and women rapidly moving from one place to another, all with grim, intent
faces.
%amilton )oined her at the shelves. $"l )ust buzzed me. %es still hanging around in that lovely airport
of yours.' %e informed her. $But he does think hes going to get to sit on an airplane in the ne&t
twenty minutes.'
*ar glanced at him. $Given how screwed up everything is, cant really e&pect flights to be taking off on
schedule. %es probably going to get on something thats supposed to be in 5ew ,ork.'
The corporate lawyer nodded. $Its a fine mess.' %e agreed. $But listen, thanks by the by for taking
care of old "l through all this. %e said you were )ust a peach.'
*ars brow lifted sharply.
$In an "l sort of way.' %amilton conceded, with a smile. $"nd speaking of, shall we play this as a bad
cop with a worse cop routine+ 5either you, nor I, are going to be mistaken for a good cop any time
soon.'
*ar pointed over her own shoulder with her thumb. $Brought the good cop.' .he e&plained
succinctly. $Though the way she was telling off some senior senator last night Im not sure they want
to piss her off.'
$0ith any luck theyll all realize theyve got a lunch date and leave us alone.' %amilton said. $I do
think what I am hearing about them being all up in their shorts at us is making me itch in places men
should not.'
*ar folded her arms. $I gotta agree with that. I dont know what the hell they think theyre mad at Ive
had a thousand people working round the clock for two days busting their asses to keep everyones
pie plates spinning. 0hat damn more do they want+'
They both turned as the door opened, and a lot of footsteps echoed into the room )ust ahead of a
crowd of men. $I do believe were going to find out.' %amilton said. $3mon, Igor. /ets go be bad.'
*ar was already heading towards the table that (erry was seated at, since the group of men who had
entered the room were also headed in that direction. .he got in front of them before they reached
her partner, bringing them up short as she simply stepped into the way and blocked it. $Gentlemen.'
.he missed the sweetly amused e&pression on (errys face as she looked up and observed this bit of
unconscious chivalry, and it only lasted a moment before (erry removed her ear buds and stood up
as %amilton )oined her.
The man in the lead, a slim, tall dark haired guy in a suit in his mid forties or so, took a step back and
held his hand up to stop the crowd. $"re you 6oberts+'
$,es.' *ar stuck her hands in her pockets and regarded him. $"nd you are+'
$:ohn -ranklin.' The man said. $Im from the 5.". 5ow, you listen to me2'
$%old up.' *ar didnt raise her voice. .he put her hands back in her pockets and tilted her head a
little, regarding the man carefully. $3an we discuss a few ground rules before we start swinging+'
-ranklin frowned. $I dont think you understand the situation here.'
$I do.' *ar answered, in the same even, almost gentle tone. $,ou obviously want something from me.
.ince Im as horrified as any other "merican over what happened two days ago, and since Im from a
military family, chances are I want to do whatevers in my power to help you in whatever your
problem is.'
$0ell, okay.' -ranklins posture moderated. %e leaned back a trifle, shifting his weight to his back
foot.
$.o please dont start out by yelling and trying to browbeat me.' *ar said. $I dont respond well to
threats, so chances are youll have a lot faster results if you )ust tell me what you need, and let me see
what I can do to give it to you.'
-ranklin motioned the rest of his group to sit down. %e put his briefcase on the table across from
where (erry was standing and rested his hands on the handle of it. $"ll right, Ms. 6oberts we can try
that route.'
$Great.' *ar pulled a chair out and sat down, patting the one ne&t to her which (erry promptly took.
$This is our vice president of operations, (errison .tuart, and our senior corporate legal counsel,
%amilton Baird.'
-ranklin nodded at them. $Mr. Baird. Ms. .tuart.' %e opened his briefcase, as the rest of the men with
him settled at tables nearby. 9ne stayed by the door, as though guarding it. $This is what we need.'
%e took out a folder and opened it. $0e need you to turn over the operation of all your computer
systems to us.'
*ar didnt answer. .he tipped her head back and looked at %amilton, one of her eyebrows lifting. $I
think this is your gig.'
$I think youre right.' The lawyer agreed, with a smile. $Mr. -ranklin. $ %e leaned forward and rested
his forearms on the table, clasping his hands. $If that was in fact a serious re!uest, we can end this
discussion right now, and Ill go call my office so they can start burping up little baby lawyers to
handle all the paperwork for the lawsuits.'
(erry folded her hands together and kept !uiet. .he watched -ranklins face as he stared at %amilton,
and noted that neither the lawyer nor her partner appeared in any way tense.
"mazing. Mostly because (erry knew *ar was strung up like a horse about to start the (entucky
*erby and she could feel the faint vibration of her muscles through the kneecap that was firmly in
contact with her own.
$0hat on earth would make you even think wed consider that+' (erry asked, to break the silence.
$Mr. -ranklin, the government pays us a lot of money to do what we do. 0hat makes you think that a
? we would betray that trust and those contracts, and b, that you have anyone who could take over
them even if we would+'
$/ook.' %e said. $Theyre )ust computers. ,oure not rocket scientists.'
*ar rolled her head to one side, and chuckled. (erry turned and regarded her. $,ou could be a rocket
scientist.' .he remarked. $But in answer to your statement, Mr. -ranklin, no. Theyre not )ust
computers. ,ou dont really even understand what we do.'
$I understand very well what you do.' -ranklin protested. $0e need to have those computers. 0e
have to be able to see everything.'
*ar stood up, and rested her fingers on the desk. $"re you talking about the 1irginia facility+'
$,es.' -ranklin said. $0e went there. 0e were supposed to meet Ms. .tuart there, but she never
showed up.'
$I did.' (erry said. $I was there for hours. ,ou were the ones who never showed up.'
The tension was rising. %amilton lazily removed his hand from his pocket, displaying a tape
recorder. $:ust so were all on the same page.'
$0e dont have any government computers in the 1irginia facility.' *ar said. $0hat we do there is
move data traffic between a number of government offices, mostly for the purposes of accounting.
3an you e&plain to me what the national security need is to see that+'
$9kay.' -ranklin remained calm. $0e think there are people, maybe a lot of people, here in the 7nited
.tates who have been here for a while, and who are working behind the scenes to promote terrorist
activities.'
%amilton cleared his throat. $I do have to remind you there have always been people inside these
7nited .tates who work behind the scenes to promote all kinds of agendas.'
$This is not a )oke.' -ranklin frowned at him.
$Thats a fine thing, because I am not )oking Those very same people, starting way back in the @EAAs,
have included the 3ontinental 3ongress and lots of crazy half frozen men up in Massachusetts who
used to run around in wigs and short pants setting fire to Tory underwear and dumping tea in Boston
%arbor.'
$.ir.'
$That is not a )oke, mister.' %amiltons voice got louder. $In case you grew up in "rkansas and didnt
get history books in school, this country was born in terrorism. It aint nothing new. $ %e leaned
forward on the table. $.o please dont start waving the flag at me saying my companys got to do this
illegal thing and that illegal thing because of this new fangled scary threat. $
$0hat were asking is certainly not illegal. I have the re!uest right here, signed by the presidents
3hief of .taff.' -ranklin took out a paper and pushed it across the desk. $0e are to be given access to
everything.'
*ar let %amilton take the paper and study it. $0ho is performing the access+' .he asked.
-ranklin turned, and indicated the men with him. $This is my team.' %e said, with a hint of a smile.
*ar studied the first of them. $0hat do you do+'
$*ata analysis.' %e responded promptly. $Myself, *avid, and 3arl here are senior data analysts.'
$6obert and I are database specialists.' The man ne&t to him promptly supplied.
*ar nodded slowly. $"ny of you network engineers+' .he asked. $Infrastructure specialists+ /ayer L
people+'
The men looked at each other, then at -ranklin.
$5o.' -ranklin said. $0e dont do that.'
$0e do that.' (erry picked up the ball from her partner. $Thats what we do in the 1irginia facility. $
$Gentlemen and beautiful ladies.' %amilton pushed the paper back over. $Thats legally worth about
as much as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.' %e stated bluntly. $5othing in there applies
to us. 0ere not letting you put a pinky in the door.'
(erry could sense an e&plosion waiting to happen. .he put her hand out, and touched -ranklins arm.
$0hat actually are you looking for+' .he asked. $"ccounting records+ ,ou know its probably going to
be easier if you apply directly to the offices who generate them.'
$That takes too long.' -ranklin said. $0e dont have time for all the red tape.'
%amilton looked at him. $"re you saying its )ust easier to browbeat a contractor+'
$I can get the president to write an e&ecutive order to have the army take over your office.' -ranklin
said. $I dont really care what you say at this meeting, well get in there, and well get what we want.
If you want to end up in )ail today, thats okay with me. I dont like you. ,ou people are )ust trash, and
youre in my way. $
%amilton looked over at *ar. $*arlin, I think this is your gig.'
$I think you Dre right.' *ar agreed. .he turned back to -ranklin. $9kay, )ackass.' .he said. $I dont give
a shit whose weenie youre swinging off of. :esus 3hrist couldnt get into my systems unless I wanted
him to so you go ahead, and go get whatever orders your heart desires because trust me buddy, they
mean )ack nothing to me.'
$,ou really dont understand.' -ranklin said. $Im going to have you arrested.'
$-or what+' *ar said.
$I dont need anything in specific. 5ot anymore.' The 5." man said. $,ou dont get it. The rules all
changed. 0e dont care if what were doing is illegal, well )ust change the laws.' %e stared at *ar.
$0e dont care. I will wreck you, and wreck your family, and wreck your company if yo dont do what
I want, because I can. I can do anything. .o you better decide youre going to take us back to that
office,e and open up everything, and )ust get the hell out of my way or..'
$9r.' *ar said, a short e&plosion of sound. $"rrest me. 3omrade. Take me to the gulag.'
Both (erry and %amilton remained absolutely silent.
$Thats not funny.'
$5either is what you )ust said.' *ar shot back. $That I have no rights+ That as an "merican citizen I
can be tossed in )ail for no reason, with no charges, with no recourse because I wont break the law
for you+ Thats your new world+ .omeone point me out the nearest foreign embassy. Ive got a
passport to burn.'
-ranklin was breathing hard. $0ere at war.' %e said.
$My father is a retired 5avy .eal.' *ar said. $0hat the hell do you know about war he didnt teach me
before I was out of grade school+' .he leaned on her hands on the table, looking him right in the eye.
$,ou can arrest me, you can toss me in the gulag, you can scream and rant and rave and weenie
waggle right across the 0hite %ouse lawn. ,ou will not get into those systems.'
-ranklin stood, and they stared at each other.
$#&cuse me.' (erry held up her hand. $3an I ask a !uestion here+' .he didnt wait for permission,
suspecting correctly it wouldnt be forthcoming. $If youre looking for terrorist financial activities,
why are you looking for them in the records of the civil service health plan, or the department of state
payroll instead of asking the credit card companies to help you+'
#veryone turned around and looked at (erry.
$*o you really think the general accounting office is full of Taliban+' (erry persisted. $9r 5"."s
website+'
$0hat did you say about the credit card companies+' -ranklin asked, slowly.
$/ord, I swear.' %amilton sighed, and put his head down on one fist. $Its enough to make a man want
to move to :apan.'
$If you really want to find people who are trying to do bad things, then you should look at things they
buy. I dont think people can bring things like bombs into the country.' (erry said. $But they can buy
things to make bombs and those places they buy them have to have records of it.'
$0e understand that.' -ranklin said. $0e know more about it than you apparently give us credit for.'
$9kay.' (erry said. $Then Im sure youre already in touch with the ma)or retailers and the credit card
clearinghouses, right+ Im sure youve asked them to crossreference charges for whatever it is that
interests you+ /ike phosphorous or whatever.'
$9r flight lessons.' *ar chimed in. $Im sure theyve already thought of that (erry, if theyre here
asking us to review the traffic to the 5ational 4ark service.'
$.tay here.' -ranklin got up and motioned for a man to follow him, as he left the room, walking
!uickly.
There was a small silence after he left. *ar bumped (erry on the shoulder, then turned to %amilton.
$5ow what+'
The lawyer was already on his cell phone. $Im calling in some backup. This aint even slightly funny.'
;;
(erry clasped her hands, wishing she could continue working )ust to pass the time if nothing else. But
*ar and %amilton had told her to close her laptop down and get off the call, both of them keyed and
nervous in front of the eyes of the watching men around them.
*ar was pacing around in back of her. %amilton was across the room, his head bent over his cell
phone, muttering in a low /ouisiana accent that obscured all meaning from whatever it was he was
saying.
(erry sighed and looked around the room again, her irritation at the whole situation creeping slowly
towards a breaking point.
.he could feel *ars agitation, and her nape hairs prickled )ust as she sensed her partner turning and
heading towards her seat, the rush of energy making her eyes blink a little.
$9kay.' *ars voice lifted, catching everyones attention. $Thats long enough. 0eve got work to do.'
(erry gathered herself up, getting her hiking boots under her as she prepared to stand up, guessing
rightly that *ar intended on leaving.
$I dont think thats a good idea.' 9ne of the men said.
$I dont think you think.' *ar shot right back. $.o unless youre going to pull a gun and keep us here,
move the hell out of the way.' .he tapped (erry on the back and waited for her to rise, then started
for the door
$"nd if you all are going to pull that gun, you betta make sure you shoot to kill and hide the bodies.'
%amilton )oined *ar as she got to the aisle. $Because you aint never going to get loose of the legal
trouble if you dont, I guarantee it.'
$/isten Mister2'
$/isten Mister is a /ousiana lawyer, son.' %amilton waved a hand in his direction. $I aint fooling with
you. I have half the legal staff of I/., which is bigger than most of your government departments
heading here with torts and complaints enough to half bury this building. 0e aint talking no more to
you. Tell your lawyers to call me.'
(erry decided she really didnt have much to add to the conversation. .he merely shouldered her
briefcase and stuck close to her partner, resisting the urge to latch on to the back of *ars belt. The
whole situation was scaring her, and she felt very glad to be tucked behind *ars tall form in relative
safety.
$"gent -ranklin said for you to stay here.' The man said. $I think its a good idea for you to do that.
,ou dont want to get him pissed off at you.' %e was standing in their path, both hands raised, palms
outward. $0ere not going to do anything ridiculous like take guns out, but this is a serious situation,
and its in your best interests )ust to stay put until he gets back.'
$5o.' *ar kept going . $Its in the best interests of our customers, which includes a lot of you, for us to
get out of here and get on with doing our )obs. $ .he s!uared her shoulders and looked the man right
in the eye. $0ere not going to do what you asked us to, no matter how long we stay.'
$0ell, now, )ust think about this a minute2' The man took a step backwards, to wards the door as the
three of them bore down on him. $0ere not asking. $
The door opened behind him before *ar could come up with any more bullshit responses. .he
looked past the man to see -ranklin entering, but from the e&pression on his face, she wasnt sure
now what was going on.
$.ir, but.. let me e&plain.' -ranklin was coming in sideways. $I have a mandate8' %e tried to hold the
door shut but someone was pushing it open from the other side. $.ir8'
$Get the hell out of my way you little weasel8' " gruff, older voice answered. $Take your useless
bunch of yuppies with you.'
%amilton and *ar e&changed glances. $This is getting ticklier than an octopus with athaletes foot.'
%amilton said. $Its never boring around you, is it+ 5ow I know why "l went to 5ew ,ork and sent me
here . The man was probably e&hausted.'
(erry edged up ne&t to her partner for a better view. The 5." agents had stood and now they were
milling a little, looking nervously at the door.
It was shoved open, and -ranklin got out of the way as a tall, grizzled haired man entered, sweeping
the room with his eyes.
$"h.' %e put his hands on his hips. $0hich one of you is 6oberts+'
*ar lifted her hand and let it fall.
$,ou stupid bastard.' The older man turned on -ranklin. $0eve been waiting on this damned person
since yesterday, and youre dicking around with her in here+ Get the hell out of my sight.'
$.I68' -ranklin bravely raised his voice. $I have a M"5*"T#.'
$I dont give a damn8' The man shouted right back. $,ou had a mandate to keep the country safe too,
and you didnt do that either8 5ow get out8'
$9o.' (erry muttered under her breath.
$,ouve got no right to say that8' -ranklin stood up to him. $,ou didnt do anything either8'
%amilton leaned closer. $,all think we should take this opportunity to skedaddle+'
$I dunno.' *ar whispered back. $I think thats the guy who told Gerry to find me.'
$Thats enough.' The older man said. $,ou folks, you IT people. 3ome with me.' %e gestured to *ar
and company. $-ranklin, Id start packing. Take your hairbrained schemes somewhere else.'
.electing the better part of valor, *ar led the way to the door, passing behind the older man and
escaping out into the hallway with a sense of relief. #ven if it was momentary, and she was about to
dive from the pan into the fire.
$"bsolute disaster.' The older man slammed the door and turned to them. $Michael Bridges. "dvisor
to the 4resident.' %e said. $0here the hell have you people been+ 0e e&pected you last night.'
*ar studied him. $/ong story.' .he said. $,ou want to hear it, or )ust get down to business+'
Bridges studied her in return. Then he snorted a little. $/ets go.' %e pointed down the hallway. They
walked along, moving from side to side to avoid the throngs of busy people who seemed to be going
in every direction possible.
$.o youre a friend of #astons, eh+' Bridges asked.
$-amily friend, yes.' *ar agreed. $This is my vice president of operations, (errison .tuart, by the
way, and our senior corporate legal council, %amilton Baird.'
Bridges spared them a bare glance. $%ad to bring a lawyer with you+ I told #aston I only wanted you
here. Bastard.'
$Mamma always called me a son of a bitch, matter of fact.' %amilton smiled at him. $But thanks for
the compliment.'
$Meant #aston.' The older man frowned at him. $*ont get all smart ass with me.'
$Based on the conversation in that room, I dont intend on going to the bathroom here without a
lawyer.' *ar inter)ected, suspecting their legal council was about to get downright 3a)un on the man.
$Ive had people from the government asking me to break contracts and break laws for two days.'
$%mph.' Bridges indicated a door, and shoved his way through it scattering secretaries on the other
side like birds before a cat. $Move it8 Get that damn conference room cleared8'
*ar paused before she entered the room, letting her eyes flick over it and noting the smoked glass
panels in the ceiling. In the center of the room was a large, oval wooden conference table, with
comfortable leather chairs surrounding it.
In the back of the room was a mahogany credenza, looking completely out of place against the lighter
wood of the conference table, and the cream leather of the chairs. It had doors in it that were flung
back to reveal a large screen television, and playing on the screen, unsurprisingly, was 355.
*ar wondered, briefly, if most of the government didnt get their information from the same place
its citizens did. $"ll hail Ted Turner.'
$0hat was that+' Bridges got to the head of the table and dropped into the seat there, conspicuously
larger and more comfortable looking than the rest. %e was dressed in a pair of pleated slacks and
had a white button down shirt on, but the sleeves were rolled up and his tie was loose enough to
reveal an open top neck button. $.it. Margerie, close the damn door.'
9ne of the secretaries looked inside and nodded, then she shut the door behind her. It blocked out
most of the noise in the office, but not all of it.
$"ll right.' Bridges leaned on his forearms. %e was probably in his si&ties, and had a long, lined face
with thick gray eyebrows and light hazel eyes. $Im not sure if you people know how the government
works.'
(erry held her hand up. $I have some idea.' .he remarked, in a !uiet tone. $But you know, Mr.
Bridges, I dont think this situation has anything to do with how the government works.' .he went
on. $Mr. -ranklin told us the rule book got thrown out the window. Is that true+'
Bridges looked at *ar, then at %amilton, then he studied (erry. $0here the hell do I know you from+'
%e asked, instead of answering the !uestion. $,ou look familiar.'
$Thanksgivings at my parents house.' (erry replied. $0e didnt sit at the same table though.'
Bridges blinked, then his brows knit. $9h, son of a bitch. ,oure 6ogers kid, arent you+' %e said
sounding surprised. $0hat in the hell are you doing here+ "h , never mind.' %e turned back to *ar.
$0ere wasting time. %eres the deal.'
(erry settled back in her seat, lacing her fingers together. .he remembered Bridges, all right. "
mover and shaker that even her father had respected, rude and brash and to her mother, a most
unwelcome guest.
5ot someone shed really wanted to get involved with.
$I imagine you know all about the damage to all that technical stuff in 5ew ,ork.' Bridges said.
$Thats all your companys business.'
$5ot e&actly.' %amilton broke in. $:ust want to get that cleared up. That aint all ours.'
$Thats right.' *ar agreed. $0e do have some customers affected there, but most of the business
infrastructure there isnt ours.'
$,ou finished talking+' Bridges said. $,es+ Good.' %e leaned on his forearms again. $I dont give a
damn if it was yours, or Martha .tewarts to begin with. The problem is, its broke.'
*ar shrugged, and nodded. $Its broken.' .he agreed. $0hat does that have to do with us+'
$0ell, Ill tell you.' Bridges said. $I called all those bastard phone company people into this office, and
they all told me the same thing. .ure, they can fi& it, but its going to take time.' %e studied *ars face
intently. $They gave me all kinds of bs e&cuses why. 5ow..' %e held up a hand as *ar started to speak.
$Im not an idiot. I know two goddamn buildings at least fell on top of all that stuff. *ont bother
saying it.'
*ar subsided, then she lifted both her hands and let them drop. $9kay. .o they told you it would take
time to fi&. It will. Theyre not lying about that.'
$I know.' The presidents advisor said. $The issue is, it cant.'
(erry rubbed her temples. $Mr. Bridges, thats like saying the sun cant rise tomorrow because it
would be inconvenient. Theres a physical truth to this. It takes time to build rooms, and run wires,
and make things work.'
$I know.' Bridges said. $But the fact is, it cant take time. I have to open the markets on Monday. That
stuff has to work by .unday so those idiot bankers can test everything. 0e have to do it, Ms. 6oberts.
Im not being an asshole for no purpose here. If we dont restore confidence in the financial system,
we stand to lose a hell of a lot more than a couple hundred stories of office space housed in ugly
architecture.'
There was a small silence after that. Bridges voice faded off into faint echoes. *ar tapped her thumbs
together and pondered, reading through the lines and in between his gruff tones and seeing a truth
there she understood.
"lastair had understood, immediately. There was a lot at stake.
$0hy me+' *ar asked, after a long moment. $,ou had all the telcos in here. Its their gear. Its their
pipe. Its their e!uipment. They have to do the work. 0hat the hell do you want from me in all this+ I
dont have a damn magic wand.'
$"h.' Bridges pursed his lips. $0ell, fair enough. ,oure right. Its not your stuff. ,our company has
nothing to do with the whole thing, other than being a customer of those guys who were in here. But
the fact of the matter is, when I s!ueezed their balls hard enough, what popped out of the guys from
"TT was that if I wanted this done in that amount of time, come see you.'
$Me.' *ar started laughing. $9h shit. Give me a break.'
%amilton had his chin resting on one hand, and he was simply watching and listening, the faintest of
twitches at the corners of his lips.
$0hy is that, Ms. 6oberts+' Bridges asked. $I dont really know who the hell you are, or what your
company does, e&cept that it keeps coming up in the oddest conversations around here about who
knew what when and how people who work for you keep showing up in the right places with the
right stuff.'
$0ell now.' %amilton spoke up for the first time. $0hat old *ar heres going to say is, shes damned if
she knows why but fact is, I do.' %e drawled. $Its in our portfolio, matter of fact. $
$%amilton.' *ar eyed him. $.hut up.'
$*ar, you know I love you more than my luggage.' The lawyer chuckled. $Mr. Bridges.' %e turned to
the advisor. $Those gentlemen from our old friends "merican Telegraph and Telephone told you that
because they know from e&perience standing in front of hurricane *ar here is one way to get your
shorts blown right off your body and get strangled by them.' %e ignored *ars murderous look. $.he
)ust doesnt take no for an answer.'
Bridges got up and went to the credenza, removing a pitcher and pouring himself a glass from it. $I
see.' %e turned. $Is that true, Ms. 6oberts+'
*ar drummed her fingers on the table. $0hen it suits my goals, yes.' .he said, finally. $Ive been
known to be somewhat persistent.'
(erry covered her eyes with one hand, biting the inside of her lip hard to keep from laughing. .he
could sense *ar peeking over at her and worked hard to regain her composure.
$"ll right.' Bridges sat back down. $.o. 0hats it going to cost me then+ I wont waste my time
appealing to your patriotism.'
*ar was silent for a long moment again. $,ou could.' .he said, looking him right in the eye. $"ppeal to
my patriotism. 0hat makes you think I dont have any+'
$:ust a hunch.' Bridges said. $,ou dont seem the type.'
*ars eyes narrowed a trifle. $*o the country a favor.' .he said. $-lush your hunches down the toilet if
theyre all that worthless.' .he got up. $7nfortunately for everyone, my patriotism doesnt count in
this case. There is nothing I can do to fi& whats broken. I dont own any of the infrastructure, none
of those companies has any reason to do me any favors, and that union tangled centurys old mess
down at the tip of Manhattans way beyond my skills to sort out in three days no matter who says yes
or no. It cant be done.'
Bridges leaned on his knuckles and stared at her. $3ant be done+'
$3ant be done.' *ar said. $But for a price, Ill give it my best try.'
The advisor sat down.
(erry felt like she was watching a game of tennis, where the volley was getting faster and faster and
the ball was a small thermonuclear device. .he had no idea where *ar was going with all this, and it
had been a while since shed seen her partner in this kind of a mood.
It was almost like watching a stranger. *ar was focused, and her eyes were like chips of crystal, with
no emotion at all in them.
$0hats your price+' Bridges asked, in a sardonic tone. $Maybe Ill try to pay it if youre only going to
try and do what Im asking.'
$Get the 5." off my ass.' *ar said, ticking one finger off. $Give my people clearance to get into the
city.' .he ticked a second finger off. $Give me some kind of leverage to get through the politics. I'll
give it my best shot. ,ou get whatever you get out of it. Maybe itll work. Maybe it wont.'
The advisor rested his forearms on the table again and gazed at her, with a slightly puzzled look.
$0hats in it for you, then+' %e asked. $0hat do you get out of it+'
*ar managed the faintest of smiles. $.ervice to my country.' .he answered, in a !uiet tone. $Its the
right thing to do, no matter how impossible it is.'
$,ou really dont think its possible.' Bridges mused. $#veryone agrees with that. #ven the
president. %e wanted me to find some way to fake it.' %e looked up to find three sets of eyes staring
at him in disbelief, and he shrugged in response. $Ms, .tuart will tell you )ust how much of the
government is smoke and mirrors, Im sure.'
(erry cleared her throat gently. $Thats true.' .he said. $But we arent smoke and mirrors. If *ar
commits us to this, well go a hundred percent at it.'
Bridges nodded. $3heap enough price.' %e said. $"ll right, Ms. 6oberts, do we have a deal+ $
$I guess we do.' *ar looked at %amilton, who burst into laughter.
That seemed to strike Bridges funny too, and he chuckled. $5ow I understand what #aston told me.'
%e stood up. $Get out of here, people. I have an unending pile of crap to put on a potters wheel and
make into china.'
They were glad enough to escape, slipping out the door and evading the flock of secretaries,
emerging into the hallway where the pace hadnt slowed a bit. %amilton steered them over to a
corner out of the flow and they all took a minute to catch their breaths.
$That.' (erry finally said. $0as seriously freaky.'
$Got us out of the way of the spooks.' %amilton commented. $"nd *ar, no )okes here, darling. That
was some good shuck and )ive in that room. I couldnt have negotiated a better deal.'
*ar e&haled, and shook her head. $/ets get out of here.' .he said. $I dont know what the hell I )ust
got us into, but I sure dont want to spend any more time in this place. /ets go somewhere and
scratch together a plan.'
(erry spotted -ranklin heading down the hall in their direction. .he grabbed *ars arm. $Great idea.
3mon %e hadnt had a chance to talk to Bridges yet.'
They did, heading around a corner, and down a hall, hoping they ended up somehow at an outside
door without getting into any more trouble.
;;
$9kay.' (erry led the way through the visitors entrance to their offices. $*ar, Im going to have to
sign you in.' .he could feel her partner silently snickering. $*o you know what a pile of paperwork
thats going to be+'
$.orry.' *ar said, with not a lot of sincerity. $%ey, if they wont let me in, we can go work out of the
nerd bus. *ads there, and I hear the foods pretty good.'
$*ar.' (erry eyed the receptionist as they approached. $%ow about we get you a loaner laptop and
)ust push your image down to it+ Im sure weve got one in this place that can handle it.'
$Bet they dont.'
$Good morning, Ms. .tuart.' The receptionist greeted her with a smile. $" lot of people were asking
after you inside. Im sure theyll be glad to see you.'
(erry set her briefcase down and removed her sunglasses. $,eah, its been that kind of morning.' .he
agreed. $I need to sign in a corporate employee that doesnt have a badge with them.'
The woman glanced past (erry at the tall, lanky figure behind her. $Thats no problem, maam, I )ust
need to see some I* and I can process that for you.'
$.he doesnt have that either.' (erry said. $"nd we havent installed integrated biometrics here yet,
have we+ #veryone needs a card.' .he took the visitor form that had been held out to her and passed
it back. $-ill this out, hon.'
*ar took the form with its clipboard and started obediently scribbling. $0hats my purpose for
visiting+ "narchy and general disruption of the business+'
The receptionist frowned. $If you mean the government handprint thing, no maam. But I cant issue a
visitor pass without seeing some identification.'
$,oure )ust going to have to take my word for who this is.' (erry told her. $Ill authorize it.. no wait.'
.he turned and glanced at her partner. $Im the re!uester, I cant also authorize. .hoot. I think you
have to authorize it since youre my upchain.'
*ar chuckled and kept writing.
The receptionist caught the clue. $9h.' .he said. $.orry, Ms. 6oberts. 0e werent e&pecting you.'
$5o one ever is.' *ar produced a reasonably se&y grin. $Im the .panish In!uisition of I/..' .he
handed back the clipboard and the pen. $There you go.'
The receptionist took it and studied the paper, then she pulled out a visitor pass and punched in the
programming for it. $9ne of the people from the 5." was here yesterday looking for you, Ms. .tuart,
after you left.'
$I know. 0e found them.' (erry said, leaning against the counter as she watched *ar wander around
the lobby e&amining it. $I think we got that all sorted out. %opefully they wont be bothering us
again.'
$9kay, here you go maam.' The receptionist handed over the visitor badge. $.hould I let them know
youre here+'
$"nd spoil my fun+' *ar took the badge from her and winked. $5ah.'
$Thanks.' (erry smiled at the woman and led her troublemaking spouse towards the inner door.
$0e can use that office they assigned to me. Its big enough to party in.' .he scanned the door open
and held it as *ar went past her. $.o whats the plan+'
$0hats the plan.' *ar sighed, as they walked down the hallway side by side. $I wish I knew what the
plan was. I need to sit down and think for a few minutes and try to figure out where the hell to start.'
.he said. $0ant to stop in at ops first+ ,ou said they were a little rattled at my locking them down.'
$Good idea.' (erry led the way to the security door and swiped through it, leading *ar into the inner
operations center. Their entry caught the group by surprise, and voices fell off as peoples heads
turned as they spotted (erry.
(erry watched their eyes, as they shifted to her companion and stayed there, putting two and two
together a lot faster than the receptionist did. $Good morning folks.' .he said. $"s you can see, I
called in the cavalry. *ar and I have )ust gotten back from the 0hite %ouse, and I think weve gotten
a few things worked out that will take some of the stress off you all.'
5o one said anything for a very long moment. Then the shift supervisor, a different man than the
previous day, came over. $9h, well. 0ow. That wasnt e&pected. Ms. 6oberts, its an honor. %e
timidly e&tended a hand, which *ar clasped in a genial manner. $*on "bernathy. 0eve been on
conference calls a few times.'
$0e have.' *ar agreed. $.omeone want to vacate a seat so I can check things out in here+'
(erry took a step back and amused herself in watching the staff as they scrambled around to make
space for *ar on both the government and commercial side of the monitors. They had all been
e&tremely respectful to her the previous day, but their attitude towards her partner was one of utter
awe, and completely different in scope.
4eople usually did react to *ar differently. (erry e&pected that. But she spent so much time around
her at their Miami office that she often forgot how the rest of the company viewed her since everyone
in Miami was pretty much used to having her around.
*ar slid into an emptied chair and rested her long forearms on the console surface, pausing a
moment to review the screen before she logged the user out and logged herself in with a patter of
rapid keystrokes that sounded ridiculously loud in the suddenly !uiet room.
*ar seemed to realize it. .he stopped, and looked slowly around, first one way then the other.
$4eople, sit the hell down. They dont pay me to teach typing.'
(erry chuckled under her breath, as the staff sidled back to their seats, save *on, who had an e&cuse
to remain standing near the front of the console. $*ar, be nice.' .he remonstrated her. .he walked
over and put her hands on her partners shoulders. $Im going to go get some work done. 3ome get
me when youre done showing off.'
*ar leaned back, her head thumping gently against (errys chest. $Get me that laptop if you can.
0ere also going to need a video conference with %amilton and his friends about what contacts we
have in 5ew ,ork.'
$9kay.' (erry )ust barely resisted the urge to give her a kiss on the top of her head. $Ill get that set up
and let you know when its ready.'
*ar winked at her.
(erry s!ueezed her bosses shoulders and then she stepped back and headed for the door, leaving a
lot of bemused faces behind her.
.he was used to that too. .he made her way through the hall to the office shed been issued and
shouldered her way into it, crossing the carpet and putting her briefcase down on the desk. Before
she opened it though, she went over and used the hot water dispenser tucked in one corner, getting a
cup and a teabag sorted and steeping in short order.
" soft knock came a the door. $3mon in.' (erry looked over her shoulder as the door opened, and
5ans dark head poked itself in. $Good morning, 5an.' .he greeted the woman. $%ow are you doing
today+'
$9h, hi. ,ou are here. Im doing okay, thanks.' 5an slipped in. $#veryones looking for you, though.'
.he told (erry. $In a bad way.'
$5ot the 5." again+' (erry slipped her laptop out and opened it.
$5o. #veryone but them.' 5an said, frankly. $0ere getting pounded for resources from all sides. Ive
been here since si& and the phone hasnt stopped ringing off the hook.'
That sounded a little strange. 0hile the center did house a lot of systems, both government and civil,
(erry didnt really understand why the overall need would have surged now. $9kay.' .he said. $/et
me get booted up, and Ill get on the bridge. ,ou can also have them transfer any real trouble to the
phone here.' .he circled the desk and slid into the chair. $"nd if it gets too scary, well throw *ar at
them.'
5an cocked her head. $/iterally+'
(erry glanced up and grinned over the top of her screen. $.hes in the ops center. If they all know
whats good for them, theyll )ust be understanding and reasonable.'
$0ow. I didnt realize she was here.' 5an said. $I dont think anyone did.. er, does.' .he put her
hands in her pockets. $Im sure Id have heard if they did.'
$0e )ust got here.' (erry logged in as her laptop finished booting. .he reached for her ear buds as
she waited for the desktop to launch and key in the conference bridge. $0e had a meeting we had to
go to earlier.'
$9kay, well, Ill let everyone know youre here then.' 5an said. $I know theyll be glad to hear it.
"nything else you need+'
(erry paused before hitting the mic. $Matter of fact there is.' .he said. $I need to get my hands on
whatever the highest end laptop youve got here is.' .he said. $Biggest hard drive, biggest chunk of
ram, highest screen res.'
Intrigued, 5an removed her hands from her pockets and crossed the office, taking a seat in the visitor
chair across from (erry. $9kay.' .he said. $Most of the staff use the standard type.'
$I figured.' (erry started scanning the screen. $But that wont do, unfortunately. 0hat else do we
have here+' .he read down the list of re!uests posted on the desktop, grimacing a little at the
blinking red lines that had moved from re!uests to demands.
$0ell.' 5an frowned. $,ou want something like what youre using+ I think we have one or two of that
model around, maybe in the test center ? Id have to check on the 6"M though. Mines last years
model and its got a gig.'
(erry glanced at the opposite wall briefly. $5o. %as to be more horsepower than this one.' .he said.
$0ould a server work+' 5an suggested. $Im pretty sure we dont have anything even close to that in
a laptop.'
(erry imagined her partner tucking one of the big suitcase size items under her arm to walk out with.
$"h.. no.. hang on. $ .he clicked the mic on. $Miami ops, this is Miami e&ec. ,ou on+'
$Go ahead boss.' Marks voice answered. $,ou still with the goons+'
$In %erndon.' (erry answered. $,ou have any laptops with you+'
$.ure.'
$Big enough to take the Godzilla image+'
$Miami e&ec, this is 5ewark #arthstation.' " voice broke in. $0ere ma&ed here, and I have the city of
5ew ,ork on the line demanding we give them priority on the birds.'
$%ang on 5ewark. Mark, do you or not+' (erry repeated.
$,owp hang on one sec, Boss, were checking the back tank.' Mark called out, his voice obviously
away from the mic. $Big (ahunas bo& take a dive+'
$Its in Miami.'
$3rap.'
$5ewark, this is Miami e&ec.' (erry said. $0hat traffic are they asking for priority for+'
$Boss, we dont have anything close.' Mark said. $5ot thatll take the image for that beast without
rolling over and crying, even mine.'
$Miami e&ec, this is 5ewark. .ome kind of telecommunications relay. 3ity business they said.' The
#arthstation informed her. $Theyre getting pretty pushy, even for 5ew ,orkers.'
(erry tapped on the desk. $Theyre under a lot of stress, guys. 3ut them a little slack.' .he glanced at
5an and cut the mic off. $0heres the nearest hard core gaming shop+'
5an blinked. $0hat+'
$Miami e&ec, we are, we are.' 5ewark answered. $I told them we could only give them maybe ICQ,
and they went off on me.'
$,eah+' (erry said. $9kay, well get them on the line, and Ill conference.' .he put the mic on hold
again. $" gamer shop. ,ou know, 43 games. -irst person shooters+ L * gaming world sims+'
5an stared at her. $,ou mean, like video games+' .he !ueried. $ .onic the %edgehog+ That stuff+'
$9kay, Miami e&ec, hold on a few.' 5ewark clicked off.
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami ops.' Mark broke in. $5ego on anything we can give big * outside maybe
my setup server. They got anything there+'
$They dont Mark. 3an you find me a gamer hack shop around here+' (erry said. $Ill send someone
to get whatever their top of the line is.'
$.weet. %ang on.'
(erry picked up her tea and sipped it, taking advantage of the moments lull. $9kay, while thats
going on, /ansing, hows it looking there today.'
$Miami, we have a lot of cellular backhaul hitting us today.' %er hometown local office said. $"lso, it
looks like 19I4s getting hit pretty hard in the 5ortheast. Im running hot across the board.'
$3onfirm that, Miami, this is %erndon ops.' "nother voice added. $0eve seen building traffic since
about seven and..eh+ 9h, ah yes. "h, someones looking at it.'
(erry muffled a grin, knowing full well who the someone was. $Thanks, %erndon. /ansing, keep the
shaping in. 0e dont know what were going to be called on to move today with all thats going on.
$,es, maam.'
$Miami, this is /" #arthstation.'
(erry checked her watch. $Good morning, /".'
$Maam, weve got Intelsat on the line. Theyve got a software issue on one of their control systems
and they want to know if weve got anybody there that can look at it. Theyre tapped for resources.'
$9kay po!uito boss, I got a place for ya.' Mark came back on. $Got a pencil+'
5an !uickly grabbed a pad and a pen. $%ow do you keep up with all this+'
$"c!uired attention deficit disorder. 3omes with the )ob.' (erry was scribbling something herself.
$%ang on /". Miami applications support, you on+'
$0ere here.' " male voice answered. $I think were the only ones not that busy today, Ms. .tuart.
0ould you like us to call Intelsat and engage them+'
$I would. Go ahead Mark, weve got a pen waiting.' (erry said. $"pps, see what you can do to back up
ops there too, I know folks must be pretty tired in the center.'
$0ill do.'
Marks voice rapidly recited an address that 5an )ust as rapidly copied down. .he finished and
looked at it. $,ou want me to go get the biggest thing they got, right+' .he asked. $Ma& 6"M, ma&
storage, ma& pi&el.'
$,ou got it.' (erry said, busy making notes. $.hoot, weve got some stuff hitting the fan here.. damn it,
I cant get deliveries in freaking Iowa. %ow in the hell are we supposed to go fi& 5ew ,ork+'
$"ny particular color+'
(erry looked up and over her laptop screen for a long moment of silence. Then her eyes twinkled a
little. $5ot. 4ink. $ .he enunciated very carefully.
$,ou got it.' 5an got up and headed for the door. $Be back in a flash.' Behind her, a burst of chatter
erupted, as issues suddenly scaled over each other, and the tempo rose.
$Miami e&ec, this is /ansing, we )ust got an alert from 3itibank theyre spooling backups from
Buffalo.' /ansing broke in. $Theyre pushing the shaping profile.
$Miami, e&ec this is 5ewark, I have the Governor of 5ew ,ork on the line for you.'
$Miami e&ec, this is the "ir %ub, were seeing a lot of congestion, weve got packets dropping here.'
" loud whistle suddenly cut through all the chatter. 5an paused at the open door and stared back at
the desk, but (erry merely smiled.
$"ll right.' *ars voice briskly followed the whistle. $Thor, god of the internets is here. (erry, go
handle the Governor. Ill start s!ueezing the pipes. #verybody )ust rela&. This is where we earn our
reputation.'
$*ar, what about..' (erry paused, the time limit and the commitment theyd made weighing on her
suddenly. ,es, they told the government theyd go try and fi& their problem but what about all of
their own+
$"lready doing the prep.' *ar answered. $I've got about a dozen reports running thatre going to
need my algorithms. %ope you find that laptop.'
$%ope you find room in your pipes for me to pull your image.' (erry remarked wryly.
$-irst things first.' %er partner said, with easy confidence. $.ee what we can do over at 5ewark.
0ere going to need the leverage.'
"h. (erry punched in the conference line for the #arthstation. 3omplications. $0ill do, boss., will
do.'
;;
*ar leaned against the console, bracing her elbows on the surface and folding her hands together as
she studied the screen. .he was aware, in a disconnected way, that there were a lot of people
watching her but her attention was absorbed by the thin tracing lines and flickering statistics in front
of her.
The barebones diagram she was studying was a scaled down version of what she was used to looking
at in her office, with fewer colors and sketchier details. It was enough, though, for her to see the
imbalances caused by the outages and the need to route around them.
"ny individual outage, was no problem. *ar had built more than enough redundancy into her design
to cope with that. In fact, multiple outages were usually not a problem either. But the combination of
multiple outages of their own, and the suddenly heavy demand from everyone trying to route around
outages themselves was giving her usually robust network fits.
Giving *ar fits. $*amn it.' .he put her hands back on the keyboard and rattled off a few commands.
$0e need to get those damn nodes reconnected north of the city.' .he muttered. $I've got everything
coming south and its crunching the hell out of us.'
$Maam+' 9ne of the console techs timidly leaned closer. $"re you talking to us, or )ust to you+'
*ar glanced up, watching everyone !uickly pretend to look at something else. $0ell.' .he drummed
her fingers. $I was talking to myself, but if youve got any good ideas cough em up.' .he waited, but
the crowd remained respectfully silent. $3mon, people. I dont bite.'
*on came forward, with a air of martyred bravery. $0ell, uh, maam2'
$0hoa.' *ar held her hand up. $-irst of all, Im going to be around for a while. .top the maam crap
and call me by my name, please.'
*ons eyes widened, and his nostrils flared visibly. $7h.' %e said. $9kay, Ms. 6oberts. If you say so.'
*ar gave him a wry look.
$"nyway.' *on glanced at the big board behind them. $7m, what e&actly are you doing+ Its hard for
us to make suggestions when we dont really have a clue whats going on.'
#veryone held their breath when he finished, but *ar merely chuckled. $Good point.' .he agreed,
settling back in her chair. $The networks imbalanced, because of the outages. 0ere pulling too
much, especially on the commercial side.' .he pointed at the big board. $Thats why all the lines are
purple tending to red, instead of blue like they usually are.'
%eads swung towards the board, then back to her. $That makes sense.' 9ne of the techs said. $But
what can we do about it+'
$I think a lot of people are using more data bandwdth than usual too.' 9ne of the female techs added.
$.ending emails, and listening to the internet with all that streaming video going on.'
$"greed.' *ar said. $.ame thing were doing, since some of the traffic is us, on the big bridge.' .he
said. $That global meetingplace isnt a te&t screen and a bunch of black and white pi&els.'
$0ow.' The woman said. $I never even though of that.'
$3an we ask our customers to not do that+' *on spoke up. $%ow can we+ This is something where
people really need to communicate with each other, like what were doing. That global meeting is an
amazing thing.'
*ar folded her hands. $1ery true. .o no, we really cant ask them not to reach out to each other. .o
thats why Im rooting around in the bits and bytes to see if theres anything I can do to optimize
whats going through.' .he went back to the screen and reviewed the results of her last command.
$/ets see2'
.he focused on the black screen again, studying the flows. Then a memory surfaced, and she cursed
to herself, flipping through parts of the configuration, searching through the code with rapid,
impatient flicks of her mouse.
$Boy its really getting stuffed.' *on remarked. $I bet we get calls any minute.'
$,oud think folks would )ust remember whats going on.' The female tech on *ars other side
muttered.
"h. *ar found what she was looking for. $Im such a )erk sometimes.'
$Maam+' *on turned and looked at her.
*ar sniffed and rattled her keyboard, muttering under her breath.
$"ir %ub, are you picking up the feed from the "T3+ Theyre on the line here saying youre dropping
it.' (errys voice crackled over the speakers. $"nd, /" #arthstation, stand by, I managed another IH
transponder channels for you from %ughes.'
$Miami e&ec, this is /" #arth. 0ere standing by. 0eve got a half dozen re!uests for upgrades from
the government side.'
$Miami e&ec, this is the "ir %ub. .tand by please were checking.'
$/" #arth, this is 5ewark #arth, save a few for us, please. 0e have two dozen to your half.' " harried
voice answered. $Miami e&ec, any e&tra for us+'
(errys voice sounded apologetic. $5ewark, were trying. Theyre absolutely saturated The only
reason we got west coast space is the airlines are moving again and the re!uests from 1ancouver
have slacked off.'
$Miami e&ec, understood. "lso be advised we were asked about our power trucks. The 3ity wanted to
know where we got them from. I told them they would need to talk to you.'
*ar kept typing, one ear twitching as the flow of complaints. .he could hear the strain starting again
in her partners voice, and resolved to attend to that critical issue ne&t.
$Miami e&ec, this is 6oosevelt Island.' " new voice interrupted. $I have a crossJconnect re!uest here
for new service+ They said it was priority.'
$6oosevelt, it is. 4lease provide them service at my re!uest.' (errys voice answered. $0eve
provisioned a ten meg slice for them. Its data services for "TT. Tunnel them through to our common
carrier point in 4hilly, please. Theyre e&pecting it.'
*ar looked up at the big board, her eyes lifting a little.
$9kay, maam, will do.'
*ar wrenched her attention back to the screen, a set of changes already inputted, waiting for her
confirmation. .he hesitated, then she saved the changes without e&ecuting, and stood up. $Be right
back.'
;;
$They thought I was crazy. $ 5an set a large cardboard bo& down on the desk (erry was using, as its
occupant was retrieving another cup of tea. $They were saying, $But what are you going to play with
it.. is it for a /"5 party+ 3an you tell us where+'
(erry chuckled as she returned, dropping back into her chair and rocking her head back and forth to
loosen the tightening muscles in her neck. .he glanced at her screen, then shifted her attention to
the bo& and watched as it was opened releasing the scent of new computer e!uipment into the air.
4lastic offgassing mostly, but also a hint of the chemicals inside. "s distinctive as a new car, and
occasionally as e&pensive. $Bet they did.' (erry said. $If they only knew.'
$If only.' 5an agreed. $I told them I was buying it for my brother for his birthday.' .he admitted.
$They wanted me to adopt them.'
(erry chuckled. $5erds.'
$They were glad for the sale.' 5an opened the .tyrofoam bag the machine was carefully encased in
and slid it free, lifting it with both hands and placing it on the desk. $I was the only one in there.'
(erry folded her hands together and peered at the laptop. $.e&y.' .he said. $I think shell like it.'
$/ike what+' " voice at the door surprised both of them.
(erry looked across the room to see *ar entering, a cup in her hand. $%ey boss.' .he said. $%ows it
going+'
$Its going .' *ars nose twitched and she made a beeline for the desk as she spotted the bo&es. $0hat
do we have here+'
5ans eyes widened and she stepped back from the desk , picking up the bo&es and wrapping and
getting hastily out of the way.
$%m. I like the color.' *ar hitched one knee up and took a seat on the desk, handing her cup over to
(erry as she reached over to take hold of the laptop. $*rink that. ,oure froggy again.' .he picked up
the laptop with one hand and set it on her thigh, opening the latch and lifting the screen.
$Thanks.' (erry accepted the cup. $Ive been drinking tea but its not helping.' .he sipped the cold
chocolate milk as she watched her partner. Then she shook her head a little, and glanced up at 5an.
$.orry. My manners went south there for a minute. 5an, this is *ar 6oberts.'
5an cleared her throat. $%ello.'
$5ans been nice enough to run around for us the past two days. .he went out to get your new toy,
hon.' (erry unobtrusively gave her partner a nudge, distracting her from an apparently fascinating
encounter with the laptops BI9..
*ars eyes lifted and met the womans. $0eve spoken on the phone.' .he said after a moment. $,ou
do the inventory recaps.'
5an blinked. $7m.. yes, ,es I do. 5ice to meet you in person finally.' .he stammered a little. $I hope
the machines okay. Its pretty much the best they had.'
*ar bent her head to study the machines screen briefly. $I think itll be fine.' .he said. $Good choice.'
.he added, with a smile. $Thanks for doing my shopping for me. $
5an smiled back. $"nytime.'
$9kay.' *ar got up and circled the desk, dropping to her knees and peering under it. $Got a cable,
(er+'
$9h, wait, hang on.. I can do that..' 5an scrambled forward, hauling up as (erry lifted her hand and
waved her back. $But2'
*ars head popped up over the desks surface, and her eyebrows hiked. $0hat+' .he rummaged in
(errys briefcase and disappeared again, with a grunt. $I hate these kind of )acks. 0hat moron had
them installed here+'
(erry scooted out of her way a bit, and leaned on the top of the desk. $Miami ops, this is Miami e&ec.
%ow are those transfers coming+'
$Miami e&ec, this is %ouston 9ps.' "nother voice broke in. $0e have a bulk backup re!uest from
3heyanne Mountain to secure storage, and a database parse. $
$"cknowledged.' (erry said. $"re you mentioning it )ust because its out of time range+' .he almost
bit her tongue when she suddenly felt a warmth against the side of her knee and realized it was *ars
breath.
$,es, maam.' %ouston answered. $0e can give them their standard bandwidth but if something
comes up while its transferring were tapped.'
(erry glanced down, to see twinkling blue eyes looking back up at her. $0hat do you think+'
$0hat do I think.' *ar drawled, pressing her cheek against the outside of (errys leg. $%m2..' .he
watched the light blush climb up her throat before she relented, moving away and coming back up
from under the desk with the end of an #thernet cable in her fingers. $%ouston, let them go for it. Ill
keep an eye on the pipe and if you start stressing it I can throw some compression on it.'
$9kay, uh.. maam.' %ouston said. $0ill do.'
*ar remained on her knees, plugging the laptop into the #thernet cable after she scribbled some
numbers off the bottom of it. $/et me get at your session for a minute.' .he told her partner. $Miami
ops, this is Miami e&ec. .tand by for a high speed encrypted image transfer. ,oure going to redline.
5o one freak out please.'
$3opy that, Miami e&ec.' Marks voice broke in. $I tanked the alerter.'
$"ll yours.' (erry slipped out of her seat and took her milk, retreating around the side of the desk to
where 5an was somewhat awkwardly standing. .he took up a spot ne&t to the woman and sipped
from the cup.
$Thanks. .os the computer.' *ar dropped into the chair and fle&ed her hands, cracking the knuckles
of her fingers before she started typing on (errys laptop. $%ope to hell this thing isnt different
enough hardware for the image to choke.'
$*ars machine image is a one of a kind.' (erry said, conversationally to 5an. $.he goes through
laptops like popcorn, so we always have a snapshot ready. $
$9h.' 5an murmured. $0hats so different about it+'
$4rograms.' *ar answered without looking up. $" handful of cranky, self written piles of code that do
analytics on pretty much everything.' .he glanced at the paper, and then back at the screen. $"long
with consolidated control consoles for the ma)ority of the infrastructure.'
$"nd Gopher *ar.' (erry commented.
$"nd Gopher *ar.' %er partner agreed. $9kay, Mark, here it comes, I ran it by mac.'
$Gotcha.'
$Im going to clear out my inbo&.' 5an said. $If you all need anything, give me a ring.' .he backed
away from the desk and escaped out the door, closing it !uickly behind her.
(erry watched her go, then turned back to her partner. $I think youre scaring her, hon.'
*ars brows twitched. $Me+ I didnt do anything.' .he protested. $I thought I was being nice.'
(erry gave her an affectionate smile.
*ar hit a few more keys, then turned to watch the newly purchased laptop. It blinked, then the screen
shivered and blanked out, replaced by a spinning pirate flag. $5ice touch.' .he drummed her
fingertips on the desktop. $This snap is from before I left for /ondon, but I didnt have time to do
much with it there so it should be all right.'
$%oly crap8' " voice echoed on the line through (errys laptop.
$*idnt I tell everyone not to freak out+' *ar frowned, and tapped the mic. $%old tight, people. This
wont take long. $ .he muted. $I hope.' .he leaned on the desk and tilted her head, peering over at
(erry. $0ere going to have an issue.'
(erry blinked mildly at her. $"nother one+' .he asked. $*ar, weve got a metric ton of them now,
youre sitting there thinking of more+' .he perched on the edge of the desk, swirling her milk in its
cup.
$4arado&.' *ar said, succinctly. $0ere going to need to be in lower Manhattan to make things
happen.'
$.ure.'
$Theres no damn comms or cell service in lower Manhattan. %ow do we make things happen if we
cant communicate+'
$"h.' (erry frowned. $0e have to bring comms with us then, I guess.'
$Miami e&ec, this is Miami ops, we )ust got a call from the banking center. Theyre saying theyre
seeing degraded response.' " voice interrupted them.
$.hoot.' (erry leaned over and hit the mic. $Miami ops, tell them were aware, and were working to
clear space. 4lease remind them we have a lot going on.'
$,esm.'
D0eve moved big chunks of data before, and not caused that.' (erry looked at her partner. $Is that
you, really+'
$Me, really.' *ar admitted. $I prioritized the stream. .i&ty more seconds and were done. It would
have taken a half hour otherwise.' .he drummed her fingers on the desk again. $I need those damn
programs. I have structure diagrams from 5ew ,ork in one of them that might help us.'
$*o we have anyone local we can call2' (erry let her voice trail off. $Boy, that was stupid. .orry.' .he
muttered. .he got up and went around the desk, coming to kneel ne&t to *ar so she could see the
laptop screen a little better. There was a black window open, full of *ars cryptic typing and she
rested her chin on her fist for a minute, releasing a long sigh.
*ars hand immediately settled on the back of her neck, the strong fingers kneading the skin there
with gentle sureness. $God, *ar. Theres so much to do.'
$I know.' *ar responded. $I )ust feel like taking off and going to the beach when I think about all the
crap weve got to get through.' .he kept rubbing (errys neck, feeling the bones move under her
fingers. $5ot looking forward to it.'
$Me either.'
*ar reached over and hit a few keys. $*one.' .he said, keying the mic. $Miami ops, Miami e&ec.
Transfers complete.' .he draped her arm over (errys shoulders, then she leaned closer and kissed
her on the back of her neck, )ust above her collar. $/ets hope I dont have to do that again.'
$%oney, you can do that whenever you want.' (erry was content to remain where she was, one elbow
resting on *ars thigh as she listened to the chatter on the bridge call. To one side, she could hear the
laptop rebooting and she struggled to gather her thoughts and go back to work as soon as she knew
the machine was ready.
$Thats not a bad idea. *ar said, suddenly.
(erry paused, then cleared her throat gently. $0hat isnt+'
$Getting someone local.' %er partner replied. $0e need someone really local. .omeone who knows
people.'
They were both !uiet. $I think Bob probably really knew people.' (erry said, finally.
$,eah.'
$%ello, hello, Miami+' .herrens voice broke in. $"re you there+'
(erry reached over and hit the mic. $0ere here. %ow are things there, .herren+'
$The phones came back on.' The woman said. $0e were all sitting in the boardroom )ust keeping
each other company, and all of a sudden the phones started ringing off the hook in here. Its a
madhouse now.
$.orry about that, .herren.' (erry sighed. $I did ask "TT to try and work us into their priority
schedule.'
$5o, hey, its great.' .herren protested. $,ou dont know, we couldnt make calls here or nothing, and
now everyone can talk to their families. Its.. thats the calls. 4eople trying to talk to us, find out if
were okay.'
$9h.'
$Its good. 0ere okay.' .herren said. $"nd oh my gosh. 9h, look. Mr. Mc/ean )ust got here. I didnt
know he was coming8'
*ar leaned forward. $%e wanted to be with you all there. %e thought you could use some support,
.herren. %e knows you all have had a terrible time.'
There was a long silence. Then .herrens voice came back on, she was clearly in tears. $9h' .he
gasped. $9h, thats so wonderful. Its so wonderful people care about us.' .he sniffled. $0ere trying
to take care of each other.'
Behind her, *ar could faintly hear "lastairs voice, sounding !uiet and sad. $.herren, tell him were
doing fine here, okay+' .he said. $,ou all )ust hang in there.'
$0e will. 0e will. 0ere tough people.' .herren said. $Ill tell him. Ill be back.'
$Miami e&ec, this is 3ombus I.' " low, deep voice took advantage of the break in the chatter. $0ere
in bound from "lbany and I have 3ombus L about two miles behind me.'
$0ill they let them in+' (erry whispered.
$-rom the north, maybe.' *ar murmured back. .he keyed the mic. $3ombus I, you and L try to get as
far down towards the 6ock as you can.'
$6oger that, Ms. 6oberts.' The deep voice said. $"nything we need to stop and pick up+'
*ar glanced over at the monitor, which was showing desperate scenes of men digging in debris, a pall
of smoke hanging over the air. $-ind a medical supply warehouse.' .he said. $Get breathing masks.
-ilters, whatever you can. .uits.' .he added. $Miami e&ec, Miami -inancial, you on+'
$6ight here, my friend.' *uks answered. $I will have my purchasing people find such a place, and let
the good drivers know where it is. 0e will handle the payment for it.'
$Thanks *uks.' *ar said. $3ombus, see if you can pick up bottled water or Gatorade, too.'
$0ill do maam.'
*ar signed into her new laptop and got up, clearing (errys chair for her. $/et me get out of your
way.. I think I can..' .he stopped, as (erry put a hand on her arm. $0hat+'
$.tay here.' (erry said. $:ust bring that chair around to this side.' .he said. $I want you here.' .he got
up off her knees and settled into the chair. $4lease+'
*ar studied her for a moment, then smiled. $0orks for me.' .he dragged the other chair over and
settled back down. $/ets get back to business.'
;;
The 61 and bus had, in fact, become the social center of their piece of the parking lot. *ar was glad
enough to stick her hands in the pockets of her )acket and head towards the crowd, shifting her
shoulders to settle the weight of a company issued backpack that held her new laptop in it.
It was almost dark. The lot was bright with emergency lights, though, and activity was plentiful and
obvious. (erry walked !uietly at her side, speaking in an undertone to 5an, her own briefcase slung
over her shoulder.
*ar was tired. It had been a long day, and she hadnt !uite caught up to her )et lag, her body
grumbling at her and wanting that soft hotel bed theyd left so early that morning. .he glanced at the
bus, seeing a swarm of activity around it and found herself resenting the need to be in the middle of
that.
$*ar+' (erry put a hand on her elbow.
$%m+' .he turned her head and peered at her partner. .he noted the furrow in (errys brow, and
realized she wasnt the only one tired. $0hats our plan here+'
$9ur plan.' (erry mused, distracted. $Thats a damn good !uestion.' .he sighed. $%ave you heard
from :ustin+ I know thats the first !uestion Ill get when we reach the bus.'
$Maria said he hadnt called me back when I talked to her before we left the office.' *ar said. $Gimme
your cell and Ill call him again.' .he waited for (erry to fish her phone from its clip on her belt. $%e
might actually answer the phone if he sees your name.'
$5ot after what I did during that whole ship thing.' (erry handed the device over. $%e hasnt forgiven
me for that one yet.'
*ar paused to recall the number, then she dialed it, putting the phone to her ear as they walked
between the parked trucks towards their little compound.
The bus was in the back, its e&tended sections fully e&tended, and its roof thick with antennas and
the satellite dish that provided the transport with television and data. In front of it was a work area,
tables covered with various bits of technology on one side, and tables covered with various bits of
daily living on the other.
There were camping chairs scattered around, and the busses integrated barbe!ue grill was out and
being used.
9n the far side of the bus was the 61 and Marks truck, with the big satellite trailer parked in a clear
spot nearby with its dish fully e&tended. There were thick, black power cables snaking everywhere,
and a large /3* television was fi&ed to the side of the trailer, showing 355.
Their techs were busy around the tables, but they were mi&ed with a plethora of military in several
different kinds of uniforms and the combination of high tech and post "pocalyptic camping made
(errys eyebrows twitch.
$:ustin, dont give me that.' *ar was saying. $Im not asking for e&tra e!uipment, )ust what you have
scheduled for us. 0hats the damn problem+'
$7h oh.' (erry muttered. $That doesnt sound good.'
5an glanced past her at the scowling 3I9. $0hos she talking to+' .he whispered.
$9ur network e!uipment account manager.' (erry said, as they crossed the last line of cars an
entered their space. $%ey guys. %ows it going+'
The techs looked up, and their eyes brightened immediately. $%ey, Ms .tuart.. Mark was )ust asking
for you.' 9ne said, $/emme go get him.'
$5o need2 were heading for the bus ourselves.' (erry demurred. $0ell find him.'
$If you dont cut the crap, Im going to 2 what+ 5o, you idiot, Im not going to threaten you with
pulling the contract Im )ust going to tell my customer here youre sitting on his god damned gear for
no good reason8' *ars voice lifted into a familiar bark.
(erry patted her back comfortingly, and gave the staff a smile. .he spotted "ndrew crossing
between the 61 and the bus, and waved to him as he saw them and changed direction. %e had on an
I/. sweatshirt and dark carpenter pants with tools poking from every pocket and )ust seeing him
made (erry feel better. $%ey dad.' .he opened her arms and gave him a hug that he returned
warmly. $0hat a day, huh+'
$:ustin, stop being a moron. 0here in the hell do you think I am+ *id you even look at what order I
was talking about+' *ar said. $*ont give me that crap8 %e did+ Then let me talk to him. 4ut his ass on
the phone8'
$lo there kum!uat.' "ndrew greeted her, giving his growling offspring a wary look. $*ar got
problems+'
(erry gave him a wry look. Then she half turned. $5an, this is "ndrew 6oberts, *ars father. *ad, this
is 5an, shes from our 1irginia office and shes been giving us a big hand in getting things done.'
$/o there.' "ndrew greeted 5an amiably.
$5ice to meet you.' 5an said.
$Got some folks inside I think want to talk to you two.' "ndrew informed (erry, as *ar stepped to
one side and half turned, lowering her voice. $.eems like they got some kinda issue they )ust come up
with. That Mark feller )ust kept saying *ardars name over and over again.'
$7h oh.' (erry winced. $0ell, lets go see what thats all about while *ar straightens out our gear
issues. .he touched *ars arm and pointed to the bus, waiting for her partner to nod before she
started off in that direction.
"ndrew paused, then followed her, evidently figuring his daughter didnt need any help in yelling.
The bus was a beehive of activity, and they had to dodge a flurry of moving bodies in uniform until
they finally made it to the steps and up into the courtesy bus. (erry almost stopped short at the mild
chaos inside, but after a brief pause she edged her way in and got into enough of a corner space to
turn and look around.
Mark was in one corner with three techs, and four or five military men. 9thers were spread around
the inside of the bus, working on clipboards, standing over the fa& machine in the corner, and
munching on some of the snacks laid out on platters in the service area.
9ne whole wall had been taken up by a whiteboard covered in scribbles. (erry was glad to see so
much apparent progress, but slightly overwhelmed at the amount of people stuffed in the bus.
$#vening everyone.'
%eads turned. $%ey, (erry. Glad youre here.' Mark said at once. $I hope you brought big * with you,
cause we need her like crazy.'
(now the feeling. (erry nodded. $.hes outside yelling. 0hats up+' .he edged to one side a little to
give "ndrew room to stand, as 5an plastered her slim figure against the back wall. $This place is
nuts.'
$Tell me about it.' Mark said wryly. $They got me power in the comms space. I got a truck with the
racks due in like si& hours, and what e!uipment I have I can throw in there since they got me aircon
too.'
$Good )ob.' (erry said. $*id you get the demarc installed+'
$If thats them plywood things, I done it.' "ndrew spoke up. $Thats some damn hard concrete in that
room I will tell you that.'
$,eah, I can still hear you drilling in my head.' Mark said. $But thats the problem, po!uito boss. 0e
got the blocks installed and were ready to punch down.'
$Great.' (erry smiled in relief. $.o thats a problem+'
$5u uh.' Mark shook his dark head. $I could tell you, but its gonna be easier to show you. 3an we grab
big * and go look+'
$0ell..' (erry turned as the door to the bus opened, and *ar entered, her powerful charisma clearing
space for her as she made her way over to where they were standing. .he was )uggling the cell phone
in one hand, but looked moderately triumphant. $%owd it go+'
$0hat a moron.' *ar said. $They put a hold on everyones damn orders because theyre scared to
death theyre going to get a call from the government asking for all their inventory.' .he lifted her
hands and let them drop. $I had to yell at some e&ecutive vice president of something or other and
threaten to put Gerry on the phone before they got it through their heads where I was calling from.'
#veryone nodded in agreement. $"nd+' (erry added, after a pause.
$Trucks leaving 3hicago in ten minutes.' *ar replied, glancing around and spotting a tray nearby. .he
reached one long arm over and snagged a brownie. $I told him if they better be flooring it all the way
here.' .he bit into the brownie and chewed it. $.o how are things going here+'
They all looked over at Mark, who grimaced.
$7h oh. Maybe I should have some milk first.' *ar saw the e&pressions. $0hats wrong+'
$/ets go take a ride.' Mark said. $Thats what me and the dudes were )ust talking about before you
guys got here. 0e )ust found out.'
$-ound out what+' *ar grabbed another brownie as she followed Mark out the door.
$3mon. Id rather you )ust see it. Maybe you can tell me its not as bad as I think it is.'
*ar snorted. $If youre looking to me for optimism were seriously in the weeds.' .he handed (erry
half the brownie. $This could re!uire more than chocolate.'
They trooped down the steps to the bus and around the side, where there was a si& seater golf cart
parked somewhat haphazardly, draped in cables and other bits of nerd paraphernalia. *ar cleared a
termination kit out of the way and slid into the front passenger seat, setting her backpack down
between her feet. $/ets go.'
Mark took the wheel and started off, turning the cart in a tight circle and nearly flinging them out in
all directions. $0hoops. .orry.'
$0ow. This has got a hell of a lot more kick than the one at our place.' (erry grabbed hold of the
sides of the cart. $:esus8'
$Gas powered.' Mark threaded the cart through the parked cars and headed for the side of the
damaged building. $4retty cool though. I never realized how freaking big this place was until we had
to hump all our crap out to that room.'
They rode around the side of the building, the cool night air making them blink a little as Mark
maneuvered through the grounds. There was still smoke smouldering up from the destroyed area,
and erratically as they moved along, the air would bring shocking hints of death that made them all
go silent.
.ave "ndrew. $Big ass place.' %e commented. $Built like a damn brick. "int nothing left of what hit
it.'
There was an awkward silence. $"irplanes )ust an aluminum shell.' *ar eventually commented.
$*angerous part was the aviation fuel. $
$*id you hear what people were saying though+' 5an spoke up from the rear seat. $4eople were
saying that there wasnt any airplane that hit the building. That it was a bomb, or something else that
the government was lying.'
"ndrew turned around and peered at her. $Govmints always lying.' %e said. $But thats )ust foolish
talking. 4eople dont know s!uat yapping on the television. I heard that.'
(erry frowned. $0hy in the heck would they lie about that+' .he wondered. $I mean yes, I agree with
*ad, but sheesh. Theres a hole in the side of the building. 0hat difference would it make what made
it+'
*ar cleared her throat as Mark aimed for a s!uare of light. $4robably because its easier to e&cuse not
being able to get out of the way of an airplane than allowing some bunch of )ackasses to plant a bomb
in the biggest military office building in the continent.'
Mark pulled the cart to a halt and put on the parking break. $,ou think thats what happened, boss+'
%e asked, hesitantly. $I mean, thats a pretty big hole.'
$5o.' *ar got out. $I think a god damned plane hit the side of the building. I )ust can see where the tin
foil hat brigade pulled that rumor from, thats all.' .he shouldered her backpack and followed Mark
between two huge personnel carriers and over to a door in the side of the building.
It was open, spilling a bright yellow incandescence out across the ground and there was motion and
voices obvious )ust beyond it. Mark walked through without hesitation and turned to the left, moving
along a hallway filled with bo&es to a brightly lit space that smelled of concrete and plywood. $%ere
we go.'
*ar entered the comms room, pausing to look around before she cleared the doorway and let the rest
of them follow her. Inside, the big, s!uare space was lit by hanging florescent lamps, and the floor
was obviously freshly swept.
4ower cables were hanging everywhere from the ceiling, and the entire back wall had been covered
in sheets of treated, three !uarter inch plywood surmounted by rows and rows of circuit patch down
blocks. $5ice.' *ar commented.
The floor was already marked out for racks, and the floor tiles were half missing, most of holes
containing a tech and a spool of cabling. The smell of plastic and copper were sharp in the air. $Mark,
you made amazing progress. $ (erry added, $Great )ob.'
$Thanks. My guys did most of the humping.' Mark led them to the corner of the room, which had a
large cabinet set in one wall. $"nd speaking of humps, heres my problem.' %e opened the double
doors to the cabinet and stepped back, clearing the way for the rest of them. $That.'
There was a long moment of silence. Then, as if by common accord, everyone looked over at *ar, who
was standing closest to it, her hands planted on her hips.
*ar studied the huge mass of cabling, all a uniform, dull gray and terminating in an absolute hairball
of multicolor strands. $I take it none of this is tagged+' .he asked, finally.
$5ope.' Mark shook his head. $I guess they had a pro)ect planned to come in here before the room
went live to straighten it all out.' %e glanced around at the little group. $.ucks, huh+'
*ar rubbed her forehead. $.hit.' .he said. $Theres a thousand pair there at least.'
$0ow.' 5an murmured.
$.omes phones, somes data, somes wan2 $ Mark agreed. $I had the local telco guys here but they
say most of its not theirs so theyre not touching it.'
*ar turned and looked at him. Mark shrugged.
$/et me see if I can leverage our relationship with the local.' (erry pulled her phone out. $"t least
they can give us a list of the circuits in here other than ours.' .he paged through her directory. $Its
1erizon, isnt it+'
$"nd Fwest.' 5an murmured.
$*oesnt really help us find our stuff though.' Mark commented. $Man, Id hate to break my ass for
two days and get this space up only to have to stay on that freaking sat.'
$0e cant handle the traffic theyre going to ask for over that.' *ar said. $%ow many 0"5 people do
we have here, Mark+' .he shrugged her pack off her back and set it on the floor. $0ere going to have
to do this the hard way.'
.he looked over at him, after he didnt answer for a moment. D0ell+'
$,ou mean, besides you and me+' %e answered wryly. $*ar, the two 0"5 techs I had up here are in
the missing group.'
The room was now conspicuously !uiet, as the techs busy wiring in the floor turned to listen. *ar
leaned back against the punch down, letting her hands fall to her thighs. .he was !uiet for a long
moment, then she e&haled. $Going to be a long damn night then, I guess.' .he said, at last. $*o we
have kits+'
$,eah.' Mark responded glumly.
$Break them out. /ets get started.' *ar shoved away from the wall and fle&ed her hands, turning to
face the mess with an air of grim determination. $Bring all the punchdown kits you have. Might as
well do some on the )ob training while Im at it.'
$,ou got it boss.' Mark turned and trotted out, shaking his head a little.
$Bring some of that damn barbe!ue with you8' *ar yelled after him. $"nd all the :olt you got.'
;;
$(erry, the governor of 5ew ,ork is on the line for you again.' " !uiet, apologetic voice broke into
the chatter. $I told him you were working at the 4entagon but he wants to talk to you anyway.'
(erry rested her head against her fist, her body curled up in one of the buses leather chairs, finally
vacated by one of the busy military officers. $5o problem, give me a minute.' .he clicked her mic on,
resisting the urge to rub her eyes. $Believe me, 5ewark, were going to the wall here to pull the
4entagon traffic off your grid and put it back where it belongs.'
$0e know that, maam2 I tried to e&plain that. I )ust.. $ The satellite supervisor sounded as
e&hausted as (erry felt. $%e )ust doesnt want to take that answer. I think hes as frustrated as we
are.'
(erry reviewed the status on her teams. $Maybe hell let me send the remote sat trucks in then.' .he
mused.
$0ould you like some coffee, maam+' 9ne of the buses seemingly tireless attendants stopped by
with a tray. $0e have some fresh cookies baking too.'
$.ure.' (erry checked her watch, wincing a little at the time. $.trong as youve got it. Thanks.' .he
rattled at her keyboard, then settled her ear buds more firmly. $9kay, go ahead and call my cell,
5ewark. 4atch me into the governor.'
$.tand by, maam.'
5early midnight. (erry leaned against the chair arm, glad it was big enough for her to curl up in,
tucking her tired legs up under her in relative comfort. .he knew herself to be far luckier than her
partner ? *ar was half buried in cables in that dry and dusty room faced with an almost neverending
task before her.
(erry felt a little abashed, in fact, that she was here in the bus instead of at *ars side, but there
wasnt any way for her to connect to the conference in there and there was )ust so damned much to
do.
.o damned much. %er cell phone rang, and she closed the mic off to open it up. $(erry .tuart.' .he
announced !uietly, turning her head a little as the attendant came back with a big, steaming mug that
smelled of hazelnut.
$%ello, (erry+'
4oised to deal with an annoyed politician, (erry had to rapidly ratchet through her mental gears to
deal with another one altogether. $%ello, Mother.' .he said. $.orry, I was e&pecting the governor. $
$9h. 0ell, of course, Im sorry I disturbed you, ah..'
(erry smiled, and picked up her coffee cup. $5o problem. I'd rather be talking to you since you
probably arent going to ask me to do something impossible in a pretty rude way.'
*ead silence for a moment. $"h, well, yes, I see. 9f course.' 3ynthia spluttered. $My goodness, that
sounds terrible. "re you still working+ Its so late. I )ust wanted to find out where you and *ar ended
up this evening.'
0as I supposed to call her+ (erry suddenly wondered. $6ight now, were at the 4entagon.' .he said.
$*ars hip deep in cables and Im still working on issues from our bus.'
$9h my8' %er mother said. $(erry, its midnight8'
$I know.' (erry acknowledged. $It feels like its midnight. But we dont really have a choice. 0e have
to get things fi&ed here, so we can get things moving for the governor, so we can get out of here and
head to 5ew ,ork where apparently were needed to save the 0estern world.' .he paused. $9r
something like that.'
$My goodness.'
$By Monday.' (erry added. $.o anyway. %ow was your day+ 0hen do you head back home+'
%er cell phone buzzed a second incoming call. .he briefly toyed with the idea of letting it go to voice
mail, then sighed. $%old on a minute, okay+ I think thats the governor.'
$9f course.'
(erry put the call on hold and answered the second. $%ello+'
$Ms, .tuart, I have the governor for you.' The sound of the 5ewark ops managers voice echoed softly
in her ear. $9kay to conference+'
$.ure.' (erry sipped her coffee and waited for the click. $Good.. $ .he checked her watch. $Morning,
governor. 0hat can I do for you+'
$,es, Ms. .tuart, good morning to you too. 5ow listen, I know we spoke earlier but things are getting
fairly critical here and..'
$Governor.' (erry interrupted him gently, but with force in her tone. $Things are critical here, too.'
$I do understand that.' The governor said. $But heres the situation. 9ur emergency command center
was in E 0orld Trade. 5ever even been used. 0ere working to set up a center to replace it but
without being connected to anything we might as well be setting it up on a boat on the 5iagira 6iver.'
(erry closed her eyes in frustration. $I know.. please understand sir I do know you need to.. $ .he
stopped and took a breath. .top, think, then act, (er. $0here are you setting up a command center,
sir+'
$4ier =I. $ The governor said. $Its the old passenger cruise terminal. 6ight on the %udson.'
9n the %udson. (erry racked her brains for a long moment. $I dont think we2 $ .he paused. $0ait.
Thats right ne&t to the Intrepid "ir museum, isnt it+'
$,es, yes it is.' The Governor agreed. $:ust down from there. *oes that help+ Is there something you
can do+ 3ome on, Ms. .tuart. 0e contracted with you because you people were supposed to be the
best. 5ow, I need the best. 0e dont have a choice.'
$0e might be able to.' (erry said, after a pause. $I need to pull up our schematics in that area. I will
have to get back to you on it.'
$I need an answer, Ms. .tuart.'
$,ou need an answer thats meaningful and correct, Governor. 5ot bullshit Im pulling out of my ass
)ust to make you get off the phone.' (erry could scarcely believe shed )ust said that. $Ill do my best.
Thats all I can give you right now.'
The man sighed. $0hen can I e&pect to hear from you+ 0ere running out of time.'
$"s soon as I have the answer, youll hear from me. That could be in ten minutes, or it could be
tomorrow morning. *epends on how much detail I need, and if I can get hold of someone on the
ground there.' (erry said. $,ou may need to clear some obstacles for us.'
$9bstacles+' The governor said. $,ou mean people+ Ms. .tuart, you find obstacles, you call me.
7nderstand+'
$I do.'
$%ope to hear from you soon. Goodbye.' The governor hung up .
(erry took another sip fo her coffee, before she clicked back to her call on hold. $%ello, mother.' .he
looked up as a wonderful scent of fresh cookies came close, and found a platter almost at eye level to
her. $Thank you.' .he mouthed at the attendant, capturing three of the cookies, their warmth
stinging her skin a little.
$*ear, I dont mean to keep you. I hope things are going better.' 3ynthia said. $I have a flight back to
Michigan tomorrow. Is there anything I can do for you here before I go+'
$%old that thought a minute, mother.' (erry motioned to the attendant, taking a bite of the warm
cookie as the woman came back over. $3ould you please have a tray of those, and a gallon of cold milk
with cups taken to the work site+'
$"bsolutely, maam. /et me get one of the guys to ride me over.' The attendant said. $5ot a problem
at all.'
$Thanks.' (erry smiled at her, then shifted her attention back to the phone. $Mother.' .he said.
$Thanks for hanging on. Its a little crazy here.'
$I can hear that.' 3ynthia said. $"re you going to get some rest+ 0hat about poor *ar+ .he must be
e&hausted after all that traveling.'
*ar must be. (erry felt faintly abashed. $Im going to go see if I can get her to take a break right now,
matter of fact.' .he said. $But weve got a lot on our plates.. and getting more every time the phone
rings.'
$My.'
$"nyway.' (erry sighed. $Thanks for offering. :ust travel safe, and give "ngie and Mike a hug for me.'
$0ell, Im sure theyd be happier if you were coming back with me, but I will give them your best
wishes. Try to get some rest.' %er mother said. $If theres anything I can do to help, )ust call.'
$I will.' (erry said. $Good night, mother.'
$Goodnight.'
(erry closed the phone and gazed at it, as she broke off a cookie half and chewed. That had ended
pretty much all right, she figured. If one reasonable thing had to come out of the disaster she was
living, maybe it was that she, and her mother, could at least talk again.
.he wasnt ready to let it all go. But she also didnt feel like she wanted to hold the rage inside her so
much anymore, and she was content to think that if things hadnt really moved forward, they also
hadnt moved backwards, and she was in a place where she actually wouldnt mind having her
mother visit their home.
.he chewed her cookie, getting up and making her way through the much smaller crowd to the galley
area to find herself some milk. .he spotted 5an curled up in a chair near the back of the bus sleeping,
and she felt a little bad about keeping the woman around so long.
$%ello, Ms. .tuart.' *anny appeared, his sling covered in concrete dust. $Boy, were sure getting
things done here today, arent we+'
(erry leaned against the counter as she poured her cup of milk. $,ou know, we are.' .he admitted. $It
doesnt seem like that to me, because theres so much left to do, but you guys are doing an amazing
)ob.'
*anny took a root beer from the small refrigerator and opened it, sucking down half the bottle in a
gulp before he answered. $Its dry as heck in that room.' %e e&plained. $But let me tell you, Ms.
6oberts is amazing.'
(erry felt a smile stretch her face muscles out. $.he is.'
$I mean.. I know you know that.' *anny blushed, )ust a little. $But we never got to work with her
before, and you hear all kinds of stories from people but in reality, wow.'
$*ar is an amazing person.' (erry said. $"nd Im not )ust saying that because shes my boss, or
because were partners. .he really is. In fact, I was about to head over there and see if I could get her
to take a break for a few minutes. I know you guys have been at it for hours.'
$Its tough work.' *anny agreed mournfully. $I )ust came back to pick up more zip ties. The other
guys dont want to take a break while Ms. 6oberts is there cause she hasnt.'
$9h for heavens sake.' (erry drained her milk and set the cup down in the small sink. $3mon. /ets
go back over there. Those poor guys.' .he dusted her hands off and wiped her lips on a napkin, as
*anny hurried to finish his root beer. $Im going to tell the bridge Im going offline.'
.he walked back over to her laptop and put her earbuds in again. The chatter had faded off the last
hour or so, only a few sporadic voices coming back on at intervals. (erry keyed her mic and cleared
her throat a little. $-olks, this is Miami e&ec. :ust want to advise Im going offline for a little while. Ill
have my cell if anythings urgent.'
$5oted, Miami e&ec.' " soft voice answered. $This is %ouston night ops. #verythings pretty !uiet
right now.'
$Great. 3heck in with you later.' (erry unplugged herself and shrugged her )acket on, then she met
*anny at the door and they e&ited the bus into the chilly night air.
;;
*ar was pretty well convinced shed actually died and gone to %ell. .he braced her tester with its
one attached wire and reached for yet another dangling strand, bringing it over to touch it against the
probe.
The tester lit up, surprising her. $.on of a bitch.' .he muttered, unclipping the wires and twisting
them together. $Gimme a tag.'
Mark handed over a piece of cardboard with a string. $%ere you go.' %e said, his voice slightly
hoarse. $%ey, thats ten, isnt it+'
*ar shook her head, reclipping the wires and reading off the identifier. .he scribbled it on the tag,
then tied the tag firmly to the twisted cables. $-irst person who gets our circuits gets a IAA percent
raise and a month vacation.'
" soft chorus of voices answered back. *ar glanced to either side of her, where techs were almost
covered in the prickly, copper mass of wiring, testing patiently cable by cable looking for a match.
It was like finding a bird feather, and catching each one you saw to see if it was the one who lost it.
-rustrating, maddening, aggravating, uncomfortable2 if *ar had possessed a machete the chances
were, she decided, that shed have )ust gone amok with it and ended the problem in a mass of copper
fragments.
There was no place to sit, no place to rela&. ,ou had to stand almost inside the cabinet to reach the
wires, and the ones you werent testing were poking through your clothes like tiny needles.
.he and Mark had started off doing the testing. Theyd managed to show three other techs how to use
the testing sets, but though there were four other units, there wasnt any more space in front of the
cabling cabinet so theyd )ust started plugging through it.
*ar knew she could get someone else to take over her set, and do the testing. .he was, after all, their
ultimate boss. But she felt all the eyes on her, and understood she was having to live up to her
reputation, and so she kept slogging.
%er eyes burned. .he blinked a little, then a very different odor penetrated all the concrete and
plastic and she turned to look over her shoulder as a woman entered the room with a tray and a
pitcher. $0hat do we have here+'
$3ookies and milk. $ The bus attendant smiled. $Ms. .tuart told me to bring them over here.'
*ar could smell the chocolate all the way in the back of the room. $"re those )ust baked+'
$They are.' The woman affirmed.
$Is that cold milk+' *ar asked, as she saw the techs all starting to turn around, faces covered in
smudges of dust and eyes e&hausted.
$,es, it is.' The attendant said.
*ar held her hands up, letting the tester fall against her thigh. $*id you bring towels+' .he displayed
her grunge covered palms with a wry e&pression.
$"h.' The attendant had to admit to being at a loss. $0ell, we can go get some.'
$3ookiesll get cold.' *ar eased away from the cabinet, carefully e&tracting her boots from the snarls
of cable. $Take a break, boys. /ets not waste good, warm cookies.'
The techs needed no further prompting. They laid their tools down and scrambled out of holes in the
floor, stretching out sore backs and shaking out stiffened fingers. $Man, what time is it+' 9ne asked.
$I feel like I've been doing this for three days.'
*ar wiped her fingers on her shirt to get the worst of the dust off, before she selected a cookie from
the tray and accepted a cup of milk from the smiling attendant. $Thank you.'
$,ou should really thank Ms. .tuart.' The woman chuckled.
$.hell get hers later.' *ar responded, with a somewhat rakish grin, which grew even more wry as a
short, blond woman appeared in the door way, leaning against it as she looked inside. $0ell well.
.peak of the devil.'
(erry entered, waving at the techs who all called out greetings back. $%ow are you guys doing+ Is
*ar running you into the ground yet+'
$%ey.' *ar seated herself against the bare wall, e&tending her legs out as she took a sip of her milk.
$Im working here too.'
$I know.' (erry sat down ne&t to her, the entire reason for her coming over now moot, but she didnt
care in the least. $I came over to see how you were doing.' .he glanced up at the crowd, but they
were clustered around the cookies, moving away once theyd gotten their share and settling down on
the other side of the room.
9r wandering outside in the hall. (erry wondered if they were being given space out of courtesy or
)ust coincidence.
$Im doing complete and utter suckitude.' *ar gazed down at her now empty hand, its palm scraped
and reddened. $0eve found ten circuits out of a thousand in si& hours.'
$:esus.'
$If he was here, Id give him a phone tester and tell him to get his ass working.' *ar said. $(er, this is
insane. $
(erry took hold of *ars hand and stroked it, clasping her fingers around her partners. $3an I help+'
.he asked. $Im tired of yapping on the bridge. 0hy dont you go yap for a while, and Ill do this.'
$"nd make me feel like a total zero for sticking you with this night mare while I lounge in the bus+'
*ar eyed her. $I dont think so.'
$"re you saying thats what I was doing+'
*ar saw the !uirk of (errys eyebrows, and the sudden bunching of her )aw. The last thing she really
wanted to do this late in this crappy a situation was trigger her partners temper. (erry was tired.
.he was tired. 5o way she wanted a s!uabble. $5o, hon. I sent you to the bus, remember+' .he
replied. $Is there any sense in both of us being miserable+'
(erry studied her face. $,es.' .he laced her fingers with *ars. $Because I was )ust in that damn bus
thinking I was a creep for not being out here with you.' .he admitted. $Im tired of people telling me
all their problems, and politicians calling to yell at me. The governor of 5ew ,ork wants his new
office connected.'
$,ou have got to be kidding me.'
$0ell, its their disaster response office.' (erry said. $/ong story, and anyway, we cant even look at
that until we get through this. .o teach me to use one of those things and let me suffer here with you
like the sappy lovestruck goofball I really am.'
*ar sighed, looking across at the cabinet with its morass of wires. $I feel like )ust !uitting and going
to bed.' .he admitted, in a soft voice. $(er, I dont want to sit here and do this. Its going to take days.
0e dont have days.'
(erry gently rubbed the side of her hand. $Is there any other way to do it+'
$5o.'
$3an we get the vendor in here to do it+ Its really their hairball.' (erry asked, reasonably. $/et me
call them again.'
*ar was silent for a moment, then she nodded. $3all them.' .he said. $Ive had enough of this.'
(erry leaned over and rested her head against *ars shoulder for a brief moment, then she
straightened up and pulled her cell phone out. $,ou got it, boss.'
$Ten freaking lines in si& hours.' *ar sighed, letting her head rest against the wall. $Most moronic
thing Ive ever done.'
;;
$0hat do I want+ I want your technicians standing in front of me ready to go help, thats what I
want.' (erry heard the sharpness in her own tone, and knew she was close to losing her temper.
$Ms. .tuart, I dont have anyone to send you.' The male voice on the other end of the line sounded as
harassed as she felt. $Im not trying to blow you off. I )ust dont have anyone. 0e sent everyone..
everyone we had to 5ew ,ork.'
(erry felt her neck start to get hot. $.o what am I supposed to tell the generals here at the 4entagon+'
.he asked. $"nd by the way, let me make sure I have the spelling of your name right.'
$Ms. .tuart, please. *ont think threats are going to get you anywhere.'
$Im not threatening anyone.' (erry said. $I )ust have to know what the hell I am supposed to say to
the military leadership of this country when they ask me why they have no communications.'
The man sighed. $/ook, were under a lot of pressure from the political people. They told us to send
everyone to 5ew ,ork, and damn it, thats what we did.'
$They told us the same thing. $(erry shot back. $But were intelligent people, and we know better. .o
fine. Thats what Ill tell the people here. That your company abandoned them to go hook the mayors
phone back up and make sure the stock traders can make money.'
$9h come on.' The man said, in e&asperation. $0ould you please cut the crap+ This isnt a stupid
game anymore.'
$Im not playing anything. Thats e&actly what I am going to go tell the :oint 3hiefs of .taff.' (erry
said, in an infle&ible tone. $"nd trust me, when we pull everyones ass out of the fire here, were going
to take every bit of business you had and make it ours, because thats my 3I9 in that demarc room
punching down your lousy circuits.'
The tension, and the e&haustion were getting to her. (erry was on the verge of )ust hanging up.
$0hat is it you want from me, Ms .tuart+' The man asked, after a pause.
$I want linemen in here, sorting out your part of the fucking hairball someone left in this facility.'
(erry responded, in soft, precise tones. $"nd if you cant do that, I guarantee not only with the
4entagon not do any more business with you, we dont either and were a hell of a lot bigger.'
" click sounded down the line, and she was listening to nothing but a busy tone. (erry closed the
phone and e&haled, letting her head rest against her hand. .he was sitting in the hallway, lit by
orange fluorescent lights that made her head pound all the harder.
.he checked her watch. I am. $:esus.' .he leaned back against the wall, feeling the hard surface cold
against her the skin of her back through her shirt. %er skin was covered in dust, and her lack of
progress in getting help for *ar and the rest of their crew made her feel covered in dust inside as
well.
.he heard a sound, and turned her head to see a tall figure approaching her, a little too tall, and too
broad to be *ar, but with the same bouncy stride. $%ey *ad.'
$%ey there kum!uat.' "ndrew came over and slid down the wall to settle ne&t to her. $,ou dont look
so hot.'
$I feel crummy.' (erry agreed. $I cant get anyone to come here and help us. Its so frustrating'
"ndrew absorbed this, drawing his knees up and resting his forearms on them. $%ell of a lot of work.'
%e agreed. $"h was watching *ar do that for a while, made my eyeballs ache.'
$Me too. .he wont let me take over for her.' (erry said. $0eve rotated the other techs in at least
once. But she wont stop.'
$.tubborn kid.' %er father in law agreed. $Gets that from me, I do believe.'
(erry leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder. $3an you go talk her into taking a break+'
"ndrews brows !uirked. $"h could try.' %e said. $But shes outstubborned me before now.'
(erry sighed, and straightened. Then she gathered herself up and climbed to her feet. $3mon. /ets
both try.' .he said. $Maybe thatll work.' .he waited for "ndrew to stand and then she led the way
back to the demarc room, pausing in the doorway to look inside.
Most of the pockets in the floor were now closed. The ma)ority of the techs were now clustered
around the back of the room, where four were stolidly at *ars side working on the cables, and the
rest were doing busy work waiting their turn.
#veryone looked utterly e&hausted. 5o one was even trying to leave. (erry felt a tiny prickle of
pride, the hint of a lifting of her nape hairs at the understated loyalty of their staff and the stolid,
e!ually understated leadership of her steadily working partner.
.he started across the room, gathering her arguments, steeling herself to maybe even get *ar mad at
her, as she straightened her shoulders and sucked in a lungful of air.
$9h8' 9ne of the techs yelped, as though hed been bitten. $Ms. 6oberts.. Ms 6oberts.. I think this is
one of ours8' The man froze in place, gripping the wires in a deathly tight clutch and not taking his
eyes off them. $%oly cow8'
*ar clipped her kit to the wall and crawled over the pile of cabling to where he was standing, the rest
of the techs edging out of her way as fast as they could. .he peered over his shoulder at the readout,
then she clapped him on the shoulder. $It is.'
$9h holy 3hrist.' Mark came in on the other side. $*ude, you )ust won the brass ring. Thats the
fucking backbone management uplink. $ %e looked at *ar. $0e can bring up services on this, boss.
Its only a T@.C, but its a hell of a lot better than that portable sat.'
(erry sidled up in back of *ar and looked over the mans shoulder too, her arm slipping around her
partners waist and giving it a s!ueeze. $0ow. 5ice )ob, (en.'
The tech looked around, and smiled at her. $I feel like I won the lottery.' %e confessed.
$,ou did.' *ar said. $I promised a IAA percent raise and a month vacation. ,ou got it.' .he took the
cables from him and carefully routed them, winding them through the spools on the top of the
punchdown and seating them with a double punch of her tool. $/ittle bastard.'
.he removed a pen from her pocket and scribbled a mark on the punchdown. $.omeone cross
connect that over to the temp rack please.'
$6ight on that maam.' " tech was already routing wires from the other side of the room.
(en looked around at (erry. $Is she serious, maam+'
$"bsolutely.' (erry answered immediately. $.he never promises anything she wont deliver on.' .he
waited for her partner to come back over and bump her lightly, stopping ne&t to her instead of going
back to the hairball. $*ar, if we Dve got basic comms back, I think we should let these folks take a
break and get some sleep. $
$,ou think so, huh+' *ar rested her elbow on (errys shoulder.
$I do.' (erry said. $I know its )ust a drop in the bucket, but you all cant keep this up all night and
e&pect to also keep working again tomorrow. 0hich we have to do.' .he reminded her partner.
*ar slowly looked around the room. Three of the techs were busy running cables and making
connections to the thick panel that then ran out of the room and around the corner, ending at the
satellite rig Mark had set up.
The rest were sitting !uietly, )ust watching her and waiting. #veryone would continue working if she
said to, and *ar knew that. They were no where near in the clear, and stopping now would probably
be a mistake, and certainly would lose them time they could not afford.
%owever.
$I think youre right.' *ar said, after a pause. $Moving the management traffic off the sat will get me
enough wiggle room to work with. 0e can take a break.'
.he could see the utter relief on everyones faces. " glance to her right showed a similar e&pression
on (errys face, and the shoulder she was resting her arm on rela&ed. $/ets go hi)ack one of those
.71s.' .he turned to the rest of the techs. $Take a break, people. Get some rest. ,ou all did great
work here tonight, and itll make tomorrow a lot easier.
$Back at you boss.' Mark said. $Ive got two or three guys in reserve, bunking out waiting for the rack
truck to get here. .hould be any time, so its a good deal were gonna take a break to get out of their
way.'
*ar nodded. $/ets go.' .he slipped her arm around (errys shoulders and steered her towards the
door. $3mon, dad. Time to go back to that scandalous hotel of ours.'
"ndrew had his hands in his pockets, and was nodding slowly. $Been a damn long day.' %e agreed, as
he )oined them in leaving the room. $"h will be glad to wave bye to this here rock pile for today.'
$Me too.' *ar e&haled, as they e&ited the door and walked outside into the night air. It was much
!uieter now, though work was going on at the impact site as they passed it, cranes removing debris,
and people moving in and out, there was a hush over everything that let them hear the flutter of the
big "merican flag draped over the building with startling clarity.
" cluster of motion drew their attention, and they turned their heads to watch a group of si& people
leading dogs fanning out to enter the destroyed area.
$"re those search dogs+' (erry asked.
$/ooks like it.' *ar stifled a yawn. $Guess its safe enough for them to go in now.' .he added. $.o no
luck with the telco vendors+'
$7gh.'
*ar gave her shoulders a s!ueeze. $*ont stress over it. They really cant do any more than were
doing, (er. "t least we can prioritize what circuits come up if were the ones punching them down.'
"ndrew grunted, and waggled his head back and forth. $Them people should be helping though.' %e
disagreed. $5ot right for you all to be doing their work.'
$#&actly.' (erry said. $I know we can do it. The point is, we shouldnt have to. *ar shouldnt have to
be standing there for.. what, eight+ Ten+ %ours sorting through that mess.'
*ar chuckled. $#h.' .he shrugged. $"t least it was doing something productive. Im about out of
options relieving all the throttle points until we relieve some of the congestion in 5ewark. Theres
)ust too much routing that way.'
$7gh.' (erry repeated. $,ou know, I gave that guy such a hard time too, about sending everyone to
5ew ,ork. But were going to have to do that too, *ar. I dont know how were going to do all that
work there, and still get stuff here all going.'
They stepped over the dividers into the parking area and headed for the bus. This late, most of the
activity had settled down, but still there were techs gathered around the satellite rig, and two
unfamiliar ones at the work tables setting up cable rigs. $Good morning all.' (erry called out, as they
arrived.
The techs at the table looked up, then went still, their eyes widening as they recognized the figures
appearing out of the darkness. $9h, hell. Its the big cheezes8'
$Big mangos.' *ar disagreed, with a wry grin. $,ou folks getting ready to cut some traffic over+ 0e
got one link up in that hell hole in there.'
The techs around the sat hurried over. $Thats what we heard.' 9ne said. $Mark called us on the radio.
" T@ he said+ Thats going to be a lot better than the rig here. 0ere so ma&ed on it we can barely get
management traffic through.'
The door to the 61 opened, and two more techs climbed out, rubbing their eyes. $%ey, whats the
scoop out here+' 9ne asked. $"nything interesting.. oh. %i Ms. 6oberts.'
$"h will go get that car.' "ndrew decided. $Be right back.' %e ambled off , disappearing between the
61 and the bus before they could stop him.
$Guess he figures well never get loose of here given our own devices.' (erry whispered. $0ant a cup
of coffee+'
$5ah.' *ar waited for the new techs to )oin them. $6andy, the most interesting thing that happened is
that after ten hours of cable wrangling we got one circuit up. Theyre moving traffic off the sat.'
$%ot damn.' 6andy stretched. $0ere waiting for the rack truck. Mark said it should be here any time.
0ell get them in and constructed, and the 4*7s in and hopefully tomorrow morning the gearll get
here.'
*ar checked her watch. $.ounds right.' .he said. $.hould be about twelve, fourteen hours from there
to here. .o were right on track.' .he turned to (erry. $6emind me to talk to Mariana about bonus
packages for everyone here, will you+'
$.ure will.' (erry didnt miss the veritable forest of pricked ears suddenly around her. $#ven though I
know everyones pitching in because thats the kind of people we have, we need to reward the really
spectacular performance weve seen the last few days.'
$,up.' *ar looked around, nodding in satisfaction. $0ere on the right track here for sure. I think we
can schedule ourselves to move on to 5ew ,ork tomorrow. I hope were as lucky there in terms of
staffing.'
The moonlight shone down on a small group of smiling faces, as the techs en)oyed the praise. $,ou
know..' 6andy said. $0e dont usually get a chance to really make a difference like this. Its kind of
cool.'
The techs nodded. $,eah.' "nother one said. $It sucks big time that this happened, but coming here,
and doing this stuff2 it makes me feel good. My parents are all e&cited back home, that Im here,
helping the country out.'
$Better than being stuck in the configuration room in Miami+' (erry smiled warmly at them.
$%eck yeah. 4lus the bus is here.' 6andy said, with a rakish grin. $0e dont get brownies made for
us back home.'
#veryone laughed, and both *ar and (erry )oined in. $0ell have to look at that when we get back.'
(erry mused. $"nd those fresh cookies were pretty good too.'
$-resh cookies+' 6andy said. $0here+ In the bus+ Man, lets go get some and some coffee before that
truck shows up and weve got to hump all that tonnage inside.' %e trotted towards the bus with his
partner chasing after him. $Thanks Ms. .tuart8'
$"nytime.' (erry called after him.
" low rumble caught their attention, and they turned to see one of the company .71s trundling its
way towards them. $9ur chariot.' *ar said, with a sigh. $*amn, Im so tired I actually dont mind my
father driving it.'
" cheer went up from the sat rig. $3ircuits up8 ,eah8 Im seeing frames from our net8' 9ne of the
techs almost yodled his e&citement. $Boy is it great to see that router again88'
*ar unwound her arm from (errys shoulder and walked over to them, peering over their shoulders
at the laptop propped up on one end of the sat rig. $Thats ours, all right.' .he commented. $Good.'
$0e did it.' The tech shook his head a little. $9n tin cans and strings and a lot of duct tape, but man,
we did it.'
.tanding there, in the fluorescent lit glare, in the shadows of so much destruction, (erry knew a
moment of relieved triumph. They had done it. 5o one would ever probably know theyd done
anything, no one would probably care, save those few people who had worked with them, but here in
the chill of an early morning she knew theyd surmounted a lot of odds in a single facet of the total
disaster.
9ne small step. 9ne small achievement, but in all the chaos and all the grief surrounding them it felt
good.
$%ey, Ms. .tuart8'
(erry turned, to see Billy approaching. $0ell, hello there.' .he greeted the captain.
$My guys )ust told me something )ust happened.' Billy said. $"ll of a sudden, our stuffs moving.'
(erry indicated the sat rig. $0e got one of our circuits up.' .he said. $9nly one, but its a start.' .he
smiled as the techs all started cheering, and doing a little nerd dance around the rig. $I think theyre
as e&cited as your guys are.'
The captain had been talking into a mouthpiece, a cable trailing down from his ear to a radio rig
clipped to his shoulder. $That is one fantastic piece of news.' %e put his hands on his hips and
e&haled. $0eve been feeling a little like second class citizens around here. #veryones focused on
5ew ,ork.'
(erry nodded in understanding. $I got that sense also. But you know, *ar and her father are
personal friends of Gerald #astons. They understand how important it is to get you up and running
again even if other people dont.'
$Thats what I heard.' Billy said. $,oure good people, Ms. .tuart. Thank you.'
(erry felt tears sting her eyes. $,oure good people here too, Billy. Thanks for putting it on the line
for us.'
%e blinked, and (erry saw his )aw muscles clench.
$6eady to go, (er+' *ar came up ne&t to her. $%ello there. Guess you heard the good news.'
Billy nodded. %e held his hand out to them. $Thanks.' %e gripped *ars and then (errys. $Get some
rest, you all. Thats what Im going to do now.' %e walked off, pausing to rub his face on his sleeve
before he disappeared between two trucks and into the shadows.
(erry looked very thoughtful as they walked towards the waiting .71. $,ou really giving (en a IAA
percent raise+'
$,ep.'
$,ou realize hell make more than most of our 14s.'
$*ont give a damn. Its my budget, Ill be glad to be on the line for it.' *ar rocked her head from side
to side, e&haling. $Its worth it. Im so tired I cant see straight. %e probably saved me from crossJ
connecting an electrical lead into my damn navel.'
(erry put an arm around her waist. $Me personally, Id be more e&cited about the month vacation.'
$0e get that too. #veryone involved in this gets that.'
$"fter we fi& 5ew ,ork.'
$,eah.' *ar opened the door and climbed in, surprised when (erry climbed right after her, and
settled s!uished in the seat half sprawled over her lap. Then she laughed faintly and shut the door,
burying her face in (errys shirt and letting the tension roll out of her. $/ets go.'
$,ou got that right, rugrat.' "ndrew started the .71 forward. $This here be the end of this day.'
;;
3rawling into bed was an e&!uisite relief. (erry felt sore and e&hausted, her legs aching from the
constant activity theyd been e&periencing since early the previous morning. .he lay there limp in
the middle of the bed, dressed in )ust a tshirt.
It felt amazing to be laying still. But in the back of her mind, the press of all the things that she knew
still needed doing, needed checking up on, needed arranging for was making her head hurt and her
stomach !ueasy. $%ey, *ar+'
$7h huh+' *ar entered the bedroom, rubbing her eyes. .he dropped onto the bed with atypical
gracelessness and e&haled audibly, stretching her long body out before she rolled over and pulled
(erry into an embrace. $I think I want to stop time for a few hours.'
$9nly a few+' (erry silently savored the heat of the contact. $I )ust want to go home.'
$*o you+' *ar reached over and turned the bedside light off, leaving them in darkness. .he settled
her arms back around (erry and lightly rubbed her back. $0ere caught in a pretty tough situation
here.'
(erry draped her arm across *ars waist and sighed. $I feel so crappy.'
$Tired+ Me too.' *ar nestled closer and nibbled her ear.
$-rustrated.' (erry admitted. $Besides being tired. I feel like were )ust starting to climb a really tall
mountain full of angry people and bad situations.
$,eah, we are.' *ar agreed. $But yknow, (er, I decided tonight when I felt like taking a weed whacker
to that panel that we )ust have to look at the whole damn thing as one big challenge. 0e cant freak
out, and we cant )ust chuck it.'
$#ven if were being asked to do the impossible+' (erry felt her body rela&ing, *ars light touch on
her back easing away the aggravation of the day.
$.ure. 0hat fun would it be if it was easy+'
(erry looked up at *ar, her eyes ad)usting and seeing the angular profile tilted towards her. $,ou
amaze me sometimes.'
$*o I+' *ar smiled.
$,es, you do.' (erry kissed her on the shoulder, pulling the fabric of her shirt down a little so she hit
skin instead of cotton. $I think you did a fantastic )ob of leadership tonight. I was so proud of you, and
the rest of our guys.'
$I was )ust glad that line tech found that damn circuit. $ *ar admitted. $I dont know how much more
of that I was going to be able to take. Talk about timing.' .he nibbled (errys ear again. $The only
worse thing I could think of happening was me starting my period.'
(erry blinked, feeling her lashes brush against *ars skin as she silently called up a mental picture of
their )oint calendar. "fter a moment she thumped her forehead against *ars shoulder. $9h
mushrooms. 0ere both due.' .he e&haled in aggravation. $*id you even bring2'
$Im sure this swanky hotel has a concierge whod love to go shopping for supplies for the owner of
the penthouse mansion in the morning.' *ar reassured her. $I was )ust glad to get out of there before
anything started. Me bleeding on those cables woulda thrown every damn thing into a royal spin.'
$,ikes.' (erry said, after a moments reflection. $I dont think Id want that to end up in the
departmental newsletter.'
$Me either.' %er partner stated firmly.
$5o wonder Ive been in such a pissy mood all day.' (erry now, belatedly, recognized the symptoms.
$:esus I wish youd said something before.'
$I was busy.' *ar reminded her.
$I know. Me too.' (erry sorted through what she had packed, and sighed in relief when she realized
pain reliever was among the items. $*amn were going to have to run around all day tomorrow too.'
.he closed her eyes, as the nibbling moved around the edge of her ear to her earlobe.
%ard to stay in a bad mood with that sensation, she reckoned. %ard to stay in a bad mood when the
warmth of their bodies pressing against each other penetrated all the aches and the stiffness, and she
felt her breathing slow.
-elt her breathing come to match *ars rhythm, an odd synergy shed started to notice more and
more lately.
Tomorrow might be hell. (erry let the worry slip from her, savoring instead the immediate reality of
this comfortable bed and the intrinsically greater comfort of *ars embrace. $Mm.'
$Mm+' *ar e&haled against the skin on (errys neck. $Ive been dreaming all day of this moment.'
(erry felt a little happy chill go up her back. .he slid her arms around *ar and gave her a hug, then
she rela&ed against her body with a satisfied wriggle. $I always dream of this.' .he admitted.
$#specially during sucky days.'
*ar chuckled softly, almost soundlessly, more a motion than a sound.
$I have the weirdest dreams with you and me in them.' (erry closed her eyes. $*id I ever tell you
about the one with penguin+' .he took a breath to go on, then found she couldnt because *ars lips
were blocking the sound.
But that was all right too.
;;
"s it turned out, it wasnt !uite their time the ne&t morning. (erry was glad enough for any reprieve,
and she applied herself to her blueberry pancakes, listening to the conference bridge with one ear
and to *ars pacing ramblings with the other.
It was )ust seven o clock. Getting up that early had been painful, but *ar had gotten a call from the
board, and her consolation prize had been this plate of e&cellent pancakes and acceptably crisp
bacon.
$%ello, is (errisita there+'
(erry swallowed her mouthful hastily and switched on the mic. $6ight here, Maria.' .he said. $Is
there a problem+'
$5o, no problema, (errisita. The -ede& says they can come pick up *ars package. I )ust was wanting
to make sure, where to send it.'
"h. $.o, -ede& is flying again+' (erry said. $Miami ops, did you hear that+'
$Boo yah8' Marks voice erupted, sounding a touch sleepy. $6ight from the 61, boss. I hear it. Thats
great news. %ang on, let me get status here.'
(erry took a sip of her coffee. $%ang on for me too, Maria. /et me talk to *ar and see where were
going to be.' .he clicked off and got up, putting her ear buds down as she went into the ne&t room
where *ar was using the rooms speakerphone. $%ey.'
*ar had stopped and was leaning over the phone with both hands braced. .he glanced up at (erry,
her dark bangs falling into her eyes. $%old up, people. I need to check something.' .he put the call on
hold. $Fue 4aso+'
$-ede& is moving again.' (erry said. $Maria wants to send your I* and phone.'
$Great.'
$0here+' (erry held still as *ar circled the desk and nuzzled against her, licking a drop of syrup from
her lips in a miniature cascade of sensuality. $"h.' .he closed her eyes and they kissed again, the
silence going on for !uite some time.
$0hat was the !uestion+' *ar asked, opening one eye and peering down at her.
(erry had to admit her mind had gone completely blank. $I have no idea.' .he muttered. $Im sure it
was important. I came all the way out here about it.'
$I remember. $ *ar rested her forearms on (errys shoulders. $0here to send my damn wallet.' .he
said. $4arado&, again. Id say here, since itll be easier to get here at the hotel, but we need to go to
5ew ,ork and itll probably be this afternoon. .o to the 6ock, please.'
$9kay.' (erry obediently nodded. $Ill tell Maria. *o you think youll be able to fly though, without
I*+'
$Guess well find out.' *ar gave her a kiss, then she bumped her towards the other room. $Go finish
your breakfast before it gets cold.'
$Id rather finish you before you get cold.' (erry responded, with a rakish grin, as her partners
brows lifted and her eyes widened. $But I guess Ill settle for pancakes for now.' .he winked at *ar
and ambled back into the other room, taking a moment to drink half her glass of orange )uice before
she got back on the phone. $4hew.'
.he clicked the mic. $Maria+ ,ou there+'
$.i, (errisita.I am here. $
$*ar says to have it sent to the 5ew ,ork office, please. .hes e&pecting us to leave from here today
and head up there.' (erry said. $Im )ust hoping theyll let her on the plane with no I*.'
$:esu.' Maria said. $They were )ust saying here on the television how strict it is now. (errisita, did
you hear all the things going on+ They went and took someone off one of the cruise ships even8'
%aving been involved in cruise ships in the not so distant past, (erry somehow didnt find that
surprising. $9ne of the terrorists was on a cruise+' .he asked.
$They did not say.' Maria sounded disappointed. $They found something in the #urope too, in some
countries in the north. 4eople they had arrested.'
(erry sat down and cut a forkful of pancakes. $7nreal.' .he said, before ingesting them. .he chewed
and swallowed. $Maria, call the airline, would you+ /ets find out what *ars supposed to do so we
dont get surprised at the airport.'
$.i I will do that.'
$%ey, po!uito boss.' Mark got back on. $Man, we got good news here. Truck )ust pulled up with the
gear, and the racks are ready and humming for em.. and.. wait for it2 we found another circuit888'
(erry put her fork down and clapped, hearing the echo in her earbuds of the sound. $5ice work8' .he
complimented her team. $Go go go.'
$Miami e&ec, this is 5ewark.' The earth station reported in. $0e do see a decrease in saturation
today. Boy. Is that a welcome site. Good work, you guys.' .he paused, and studied her plate. $Mark,
can you )ust run down where we are, overall.'
$.ure.'
(erry applied her fork to her plate as she clicked her mic off, nodding a little as she listened and
chewed.
;;
*ar sprawled in the leather desk chair, her bare feet propped up against the desk and her elbow
resting on its surface. .he listened to the voices on the conference call with barely contained
aggravation, shifting forward suddenly only to rela& again, as another voice took up the argument.
.he picked up her glass of grapefruit )uice and sipped from it. The astringent beverage was cold, and
she swallowed a few mouthfuls before there was a gap in the discussion and she saw her chance to
dive in. $%ey8'
The phone almost visibly shuddered. $,es, *ar+' "lastair said, after a moment. $/isten, I know things
are tough where you are, but were getting a lot of pressure here from a lot of people.'
$Too bad.' *ar said. $%ave any of you been listening to what Ive said the past twenty minutes+ Its
eight "M. I got back from the work site at three "M. 0e )ust got things moving there.'
$5ow *ar.' %amilton chimed in. $.ettle your shorts. 5obody said you werent working hard. 0e )ust
made some promises to the government and theyre wanting to know when were gonna keep them.'
$I cant see why were delaying' "nother voice chimed in. $This is big. 0eve got a great opportunity
here.'
*ar glanced plaintively at the ceiling. $0hat the hells wrong with you people+' .he asked. $*id you
not see the hole in the side of the 4entagon on 355+ *o you not know what goes on in that building+'
$5ow *ar.' "lastair sighed. $0ell, listen folks. Today theyre doing a big ceremony, and Ive got to go
get ready for it.' %e said. $I know your people there are working like anything, *ar. I understand its
important to get things going there. I know youve got a personal responsibility for the place. But
damn it, I need you here.'
*ar turned her head and glared at the phone. $.o, what part of, yes, Im making arrangements to get
to the city today wasnt clear+' .he asked. $*id that whole five minute spiel from me at the
beginning of this call not mean anything to anyone there+'
"lastair sighed. $I was hoping youd be here this morning.'
$I was sleeping this morning.' *ar said. $"nd frankly, you all can kiss my ass. "nyone who thinks they
can do this better, cmon. Bring it.'
$*ar, no one said that.'
$Then everyone )ust shut up and go do something productive.' *ar turned and slammed her hand on
the desk, raising her voice to a loud yell. $Instead of tying me up when I should be8' .he turned, to
find (erry une&pectedly standing behind her. $,eop.'
$0hat was that, *ar+' %amilton asked. $3at get your tongue+'
$5othing.' *ar leaned back in the chair and let (erry rub her shoulders. $"re we done+'
/ong silence. $0ell, I guess Ill see you here later today, huh *ar+' "lastair said. $The mayor was )ust
on the line, something about an office at the pier.. any chance of looking at that first+'
$.ure.' *ar said. $*one now+'
$Good bye, all.' %er boss sighed and gave in. $Ill do what I can here. Going to be a rough day.' %e
clicked off the phone and it echoed a little, then the room was once again silent.
$%e sounds pissed.'
$%e wants me to be there making him look good.' *ar said. $.crew that, (erry. 0e had work to do
here. $
$7h huh. "nd wed better be taking a train to go there.' (erry informed her. $3ause sweetheart,
theyre not letting anyone fly without I*.' .he said. $If we get packing, we can catch a train in an
hour, and be in 5ew ,ork in three more after that. 0e end up in 4enn .tation. $
$" train.' *ar mused. $Think we can get tickets+ 4robably pretty busy. 5o one wants to fly.'
$"lready got them.' (erry kissed the top of her head. $3mon. /ets )ust get there. Ill give *ad a call.'
.he held a hand out to *ar. $.hower+ 0e'll save time together.'
$%edonist.'
$Takes one to know one.'
;;
$%m.' *ar strolled back down the aisle way and resumed her seat ne&t to (erry. $I think I like trains.'
.he concluded, folding her hands over her stomach as she regarded the inside of the somewhat
narrow first class car.
$I suspected you would.' (erry looked up from her laptop, which shed been assiduously typing on.
$Theres windows to look out, and lots of mechanical stuff around to e&plore. Im not sure I like the
motion though.'
$The wiggle waggle+' *ar stretched her legs out. $Its not bad.'
$Mm. Its making me a little !ueasy.' (erry continued typing, tucking the bud in one ear more firmly
into place. $"t least we can stay in touch riding on this.' .he held a finger up then she clicked her mic
on. $/" #arthstation, what was that+ 0hos asking you for that bandwidth+'
*ar rested her elbows on the arms of her chair, taking the time to sit back and consider an action
plan for when she reached the city. Tough situation. .he reached down into (errys briefcase and
drew out a small pad, taking a pencil from her shirt pocket and hitching one knee up to rest the pad
against it.
.he could have hauled out the big laptop shed been given, but it seemed too much trouble to do that
)ust to take a few notes. $9kay.'
$9kay+' (erry glanced up.
$Talking to myself.'
$9h. 0ell, you know, all the traffic we took off the sat back to the network is being filled with re!uests
from the city.' (erry shook her head. $Theyre stuffed again.'
$I figured they would be.' *ar spent a moment doodling on the pad. $.o lets see. 0e have the pier
office to worry about, right+' .he scribbled a note. $0hats our best option for that+ 0e dont have
much on that side of Manhattan.'
$,ou do, hon. ,oure forgetting the Intrepid "ir .pace Museum you managed to wheedle a contract
out of after you visited the last time.' (erry reminded her.
$Mm. 5ot a big pipe.' *ar groused.
The train hummed along, and a service person appeared, with a tray. .he started down the aisle,
smiling at the travelers and offering them champagne flutes filled with orange )uice. " few people
took them, but most seemed glum and withdrawn, huddled near the windows, or with radio headsets
covering their ears.
(erry wondered if it was always like that, or a reaction to what was going on. .he accepted the glass
from the server with a smile, and waited for her to pass by before she took a sip of it. $9h. %ello.' .he
blinked. $Mimosa. 0asnt e&pecting that.'
*ar set her own down on the table between them and cleared her throat. $-izzy.'
$Miami e&ec, this is the 5ew ,ork office.' " male voice intoned !uietly. $Mr. Mc/ean is asking your
eta.'
(erry checked her watch. $5ew ,ork, were looking at two hours to 4enn .tation.' .he said. $Is there
anything we can do from here+'
$5o maam.' The man said. $Theres )ust a lot of people here from the city and from the state and he
was asking.'
$0ell, were moving as fast as the train lets us.' (erry said.
$Ill let him know, thanks.' The man said.
$God we do need someone on the ground there.' (erry muttered. $/et me check who weve got
accounted for.' .he typed into her keyboard and sighed. $.omeone with some initiative.'
$.end a mail to %ermana :ones.' *ar said. $Tell her to meet us at the 6ock.' .he continued scribbling
on her pad.
(erry paused, and looked at her. $%ermana :ones+' .he asked, her voice !uestioning. $0ho is that+
5ames not familiar to me.'
" blue eye appeared, faintly twinkling. $My friend who now runs the :ersey data center+'
(erry blinked. $9h. ,ou mean.. um2. 0hat was that funny name that sounded like a part from Intel+'
$.cuzzy.'
$.cuzzy.' The blond woman opened her mail. $Thats right. ,ou met her in Manhattan, didnt you+'
.he typed the message, trying to remember if shed ever had occasion to talk to the woman. The data
entry side of the house really wasnt her area, and she decided she probably hadnt.
.he remembered Mariana having a heart attack about .cuzzy though, and *ars mischieveous
laughter when %ermana had turned out to not only be a worthwhile addition to the company but was
promoted to center manager to boot. $0hy did you do that+'
$%uh+' *ar looked up, then was distracted as the forward door to the train opened and "ndrew
sauntered back in after being absent for a good part of the )ourney. $%ey dad.'
$%ey rugrat.' "ndrew sat down in his seat across from the two of them. There was a line of single
seats along one set of windows, and double seats along the other, and there was ample room for *ars
father to stretch out his long legs in front of him. $This here is a nice train. I like it.'
%e was dressed in a company logo sweatshirt, the arms pushed up past his elbows and a pair of
carpenters pants. %is scarred face took in reflections of the passing sunlight from the window, as he
watched the countryside go by in the trains path.
$I like it too.' *ar agreed. $Thanks for coming with us, *ad. I thought maybe youd want to stay back
in *3 with the guys.'+ me off.' "ndrew told her.
$9ur people+' (erry leaned forward a little. $0hat did they do+'
"ndrew glanced up as the server came by and offered him the tray. %e took a glass with an
e&pression of dubious suspicion, and sipped it. $:esus 4 -ish theres alcohol in that.' %e set the glass
down. $5o, kum!uat, not your fellas. Those are good folks there. "h was )ust getting ticked off
because everybodys runnin round in circles and no body wants to own up to how bad things got
screwed.'
$*ar, %ermana )ust answered. .he said D%ell yeah8' (erry seemed bemused. $This should be
interesting.'
$,oull like her.' *ar made another note on her pad. $*ad, its only going to get worse where were
going. Thats all civ.'
$0all, somebodys got to keep you kids out of trouble.'
(erry almost laughed, caught between answering a !uestion )ust posed to her on the bridge and
processing what was going on around her in that slightly dis)ointed way shed had to develop over
the past few days.
0hat was it shed called it+ "c!uired "ttention *eficit *isorder+ $9kay, thats good news guys. Go on
in to the city, and get down to the office. 0ell meet you there, and set up a command center.' .he rR
power, we could use those trucks in the city.'
$Ms. .tuart, this is the 5ew ,ork office again. Mr. Mc/ean would like Ms. 6oberts to call him, please.'
$*ar, "lastair wants you to call him.' (erry muted her cell. $9kay, 5ew ,ork, message passed. 3an
you clear some space for us when we get there+ Is there a big room we can take over for logistics+'
$.hould have brought some of them fellers with us.' "ndrew commented.
*ar stopped writing and looked at (erry. $9kay. Give me a second to draw a cell phone.' .he
remarked dryly. $0hat in the hell does he want that cant wait an hour and forty five minutes+' %er
head swiveled towards her father. $Markll bring the 61 with him after they finish up the install at the
4entagon.'
$I have no idea, sweetheart. Im )ust the messenger.' (erry said. $Borrow dads phone.'
The attendant came back through. $.ir, can I offer you some breakfast+' .he addressed "ndrew. $0e
have cheese omelettes, waffles, or cold cereal.'
$,ou all got any hot dogs+ "h already had my egg things at o dark hundred.'
*ar chuckled, and shook her head. $Better have something. 0ere going to get swept up in a pile of
crap as soon as we get there.' .he warned her companions, giving the server a glance as the now
harried woman turned to her. $9melette for us.' .he indicated (erry and herself.
The server moved on, and "ndrew handed his cell phone across the aisle to her. *ar took it and
flipped it open, frowning a little before she punched in "lastairs number.
$Miami e&ec, this is 5ewark #arth.' (errys ear bud crackled. $Good news. 0e )ust heard from 3on
#d, theyre e&pecting to finish reJtying us in around lunchtime.'
$Great.' (erry smiled.
$3ourse, that means we know its really probably sometime tonight.' The #arthstation acknowledged.
$But soon as were back, well send the trucks to the office with you.'
$"lastair, were on the way. 0hat the hell more do you want me to do+' *ar was saying. Then she
paused. Then her free hand hit the arm of her chair in muted frustration. $Because I dont have a god
damned drivers license8 ,ou want them to put me in as cargo+ -or 3hrists sake, "lastair it would
have taken us three hours to get on a damn plane this morning anyway8'
$#asy honey.' (erry patted her arm.
*ar abruptly cut the call off and closed the phone, tossing it over to her father. $If he calls me back tell
him to kiss my ass.'
"ndrew caught the phone in one big hand and eyed his daughter dubiously. $0hats that fellers
problem+ Thought you two got on+'
$%es losing his mind.' *ar folded her arms over her chest. $I think the pressure there is getting to
him. God damned politicians.' .he glanced at (erry. $5o offense to your mother.'
$0ho tried to hi)ack me into a senate investigation+ 5o offense taken, sweetie.' (erry responded in a
mild tone. $But he is our boss. ,ou sure you should be hanging up on him+'
*ar reclined her chair and put her pen and pad away. $0hats he going to do, fire me+ %ell be lucky I
dont belt him one when I see him.'
(erry patted her arm again, and went back to her conference call. "fter a moment, she found her
hand captured, and her fingers interlacing with *ars. It was inconvenient for typing, but she made
no move to disengage, pecking at the keys with one hand as she studied her screen and faintly shook
her head.
3razy day.
;;
The three of them stopped short on e&iting the train platform, finding themselves in a circular lobby
with people moving around them in pretty much all directions.
It was disorienting. The last part of the trip into Manhattan had mostly been underground and so
theyd arrived in the station without a real sense of being in 5ew ,ork at all.
$5ow where+' (erry looked around. $I dont think Ive ever been in this station. 0here are we in
relation to the office+' .he took in the numbers of 5ational Guard troops, with submachine guns
cradled in their hands and serious faces. $0ow.'
*ar looked around as well, resisting the urge to reach up and cover her ears at the harsh, echoing
clatter from the trains, the people and the announcements bouncing off all the fau& marble walls and
the hard stone floor. $/oud.'
$,eah.' (erry raked her hair off her forehead. $9kay, so..'
$.outh.' "ndrew had been studying the walls. $0e can take that little train up there. 3mon.' %e
shouldered his overnight bag and headed off down one corridor. $"int no point going outside )ust
yet.'
"fter a moments hesitation, *ar and (erry followed him. They made their way down a side corridor
until they reached an area with ticket dispensing machines and turnstiles. $I remember this.' *ar
said. $%ope my e&perience this time isnt as much of a pain in the ass.'
$Mm. .ubways.' (erry fished some folded bills from her pocket and studied the machine. $/ets get a
pass. 0ho knows how long well be here+' .he inserted the bills and punched in her order, rewarded
when a s!uare of cardboard dropped into the dispenser.
.he removed it, then re)oined *ar and "ndrew who had already gotten theirs. $5ot really conducive
to luggage, huh+' .he regarded the turnstiles.
"ndrew took her bag and threw it up on one shoulder. $3ity folks livin like water rats down here. "h
swear.'
*ar did the same with her bag and they made their way through the turnstiles and into the subway
station track area. $7ptown, I guess.' .he indicated a passage, and they walked down a set of steps to
a lower level, with tracks on either side, and a somber group of fellow travelers waiting for the train.
*ar set her bag down and looked around. 5o one was talking much and there was a feeling of
oppression she didnt remember from her last visit.
"ndrew had put down the bags he was carrying and was standing with his hands in his pockets, his
pale blue eyes regarding the crowd.
The loudspeaker crackled, suddenly, and everyone around them )umped, a little. (erry tried to
picture where she was in the city, and realized she was under Madison .!uare Garden. $0ow.' .he
murmured. $Guess people are a little shell shocked.'
$0hats that, kum!uat+' "ndrew asked.
$:ust thinking.' (erry felt a gust of wind hit her in the face down the long, dark, empty tunnel. It
smelled of dust and iron, oil and a sense of time and it made her aware of the age and the history of
the walls around her.
*ifferent than Miami. *ifferent than Michigan.
5ew ,ork was one of those few cities in the 7nited .tates whose bones showed. That raw skeleton
born in the turn of the last centurys industrial revolution that had laid a foundation buried in the
stone Manhattan was built on that was often covered over but never replaced.
%ow many of those bones were e&posed now on the southern tip of the island+
But there was no real time to think about it because in a moment, the train was there, poking its nose
out of the tunnel and screeching to a halt in front of the platform in a rush of silver humming. (erry
took possession of her bag and waited for the door to open, glancing aside at *ar as she did. $,ou
okay+'
*ar had her bag held in both hands in front of her, and she turned her head and peered down at the
!uestion. $Ill live.' .he said. $Its not a long trip. 9nly a couple of stops.'
They entered the train, along with the rest of the waiting people. "t midmorning, it wasnt that full,
and everyone got a seat, waiting in silence until the door alarm sounded, and the door slid shut, and
they lurched into motion, but not before a national guard soldier entered the car from the door
between them, and took a seat at the front, facing them.
%is face had a smear of gray dust across his cheeks, his uniform was half covered in it, and his eyes
were bloodshot. %e e&changed nods with "ndrew, though, and then leaned back, hands resting on
his rifle as the car rumbled through a station.
$,ou going to call "lastair+' (erry asked. $/et him know were here+'
$5ope.' *ar stolidly watched the walls flash by in the shadows. $Im )ust going to walk up behind him
and smack him in the back of the head when we get there.'
$"h.'
$Then well get to work.'
$Mmph. "ll righty then.'
;;
They e&ited the subway right under the building their offices were in. $0hat time is it+' *ar asked,
as she studied the selection of no less than four e&its to the street the station offered.
$:ust eleven.' (erry edged closer to her partner, as the crowd flowed around them. $Is that the stairs
there+' .he pointed.
$Good as any.' *ar started towards it. They crossed the hallway and started up the steps, emerging
from the underground into an overcast sky and a surprisingly un crowded street. $There.' *ar
pointed at the entrance to the tall, distinctive building nearby. There were several men standing
outside, and after a cursory glance, they moved aside to allow them to enter.
*ar ignored them. .he entered the revolving glass entrance and strode through it, entering into the
lobby and heading immediately for the elevator stacks with (erry and "ndrew following close behind
her.
The inside of the building was stunning. (erry glanced around as they stopped in front of the
elevators. It was in an art deco style, and every inch of it spoke of class and money. The people inside
though, werent bustling around much. They were standing in small groups, talking, or watching the
televisions mounted on the far walls.
(erry caught a glimpse of one. $"h.' .he followed *ar into the elevator car. $The 4residents here
today.'
*ar punched the floor button. $Good. Maybe theyll all go mess with him and leave us alone.' .he
waited for the doors to close, then leaned back against the back wall.
They were alone in the elevator and as it ground gamely upward, a pensive silence fell.
$(now what I was )ust thinking+' (erry said, after about twenty seconds of that. $I was )ust thinking
that given what happened here earlier this week, Im pretty sure I dont like being in a building as
famous as LA 6ock and sharing it with 5B3.'
*ar gave her a wry look, then patted her shoulder as the doors opened and they were on their floor.
9bviously their floor, as the elevators spilled out into a lobby with a curved wall of glass with their
logo chiseled into it in all its staid and definitely boring corporate detail.
" big reception desk guarded the opening, curved in the same shape and made of polished teak.
Behind it, a young woman was standing, a headset on her ears, her head bent and cocked to one side
and her hand on the buttons of a big console phone. $.ir.. sir.. please, )ust hold on a minute2 sir.. Im
sure I dont know if2 sir, please stop yelling at me. Im trying to..'
*ar went over and tapped her on the shoulder, make the girl )ump almost into the glass wall.
$Gimme.' .he held out her hand for the headset, glaring at her until the receptionist surrendered it in
bewilderment, staring around and spotting (erry and "ndrew standing there.
%er mouth dropped open.
*ar put one ear muff to her ear and got the mic in position. $0ho is this+' .he asked sharply. $Mister
*obson+ 0hat do you want+' .he paused. $/et me give you some advice. Turn on a god damned
television set. %alf the city is down.'
The receptionists eyes almost came out of her head. (erry stepped forward and put her briefcase
down, giving the girl a smile.
$I dont give a damn. Tell your boss if you dont stop calling and harassing my people Im going to put
him last on the list of things to worry about behind the pushcart vendor outside and some ta&i driver
going by. 7nderstand me+'
$Maam..' The receptionist bravely held her hands out in a placating gesture. $%es a big customer.'
$I dont care.' *ar mouthed back at her. $6oberts.' .he said into the phone. $*ar 6oberts. Im the only
person in the damn company who can help him so stop pissing me off and get off the phone.' %er
voice rose into a muted yell. "fter a pause, she nodded. $Thanks. Goodbye.' .he released the line
and handed the girl back her headset. $%ere.'
The receptionist took them as though they were going to e&plode. $7h2'
$%i.' (erry distracted her. $0ere from Miami. Theyre probably e&pecting us inside.' .he held her
hand out. $(erry .tuart.'
$7h.' The girl merely pointed at the entrance.
$Thanks.' *ar picked up her bag and motioned them inside. $/ets go.'
"ndrew picked up (errys luggage and followed her, giving the receptionist a polite nod of his head.
$/o.' %e ducked inside and waited for (erry to catch up, then they both hurried to catch up with
the visibly annoyed, stalking 3I9 ahead of them. $Tells folks off real nice, dont she+' %e
conversationally said to (erry.
$Best in the world.' (erry acknowledged, with a wry smile. $5obody does that better than *ar does.'
*ar turned and walked backwards, giving them a dire look. $,ou better be talking about my phone
skills and not anything more intimate.' .he turned back around and kept going, turning left down a
corridor and whisking past various mostly empty offices.
(erry felt herself get lightheaded as a deep blush colored her face, not helped in the least by "ndrews
deep chuckle. $.omeday Ill learn not to do that.' .he muttered. $.he gets me every time.'
.he could hear the sound of raised voices and she !uickened her steps, catching up to *ar )ust as her
partner stiffarmed a large, heavy mahogany door open and the sounds got a lot louder as they
entered a big conference room full of people.
-our men were faced off opposite "lastair, all talking at once. Three more were surrounding
%amilton, who had both hands up and was arguing forcefully. Two or three more men were standing
around, aides apparently, and they were the only ones who looked up as they entered.
Then they went back to watching the disagreement, dismissing the new arrivals.
$,ou made a commitment to the mayor.' 9ne man said. $This aint no )oke anymore. I need an answer
on when that office is going to be up.'
$That and the presidents office said youd get things working. 0hats happening with that+ ,ouve
been telling me for two days youve got a plan.. where is it+' "n older man said.
*ar tossed her bag towards the wall and went right to the table, slamming her hand against it and
creating a loud, startling sound. $#&cuse me.'
"lastair turned immediately, recognizing her voice. %e spotted her behind the table, and a look of
utter relief appeared on his face. #ven %amilton looked glad to see her, and they !uickly abandoned
their opponents and circled the table to )oin her.
The other men followed, staring at them. $0hats this+' The oldest of them said. $0e have no time for
more interruptions, Mc/ain. ,ouve stalled long enough. I need results8 The governors e&pecting an
answer8'
$0ell, *ar. Glad you made it. Glad youre here.' "lastair greeted her, ignoring the man for the
moment. . $I was )ust e&plaining to these fellas2'
*ar stared right at him, until his voice trailed off and he fell silent. Then she turned and looked at the
rest of the men long enough for them to start to fidget a little. $#veryone sit down, please.' .he said,
resting her hands on the table.
The older man looked annoyed. %e started to say something, but *ar stared him down until he pulled
out a seat across from "lastair and sat down, motioning for those with him to do the same. $"ll right,
lady. Make it fast.'
(erry settled into a seat to *ars left hand, and "ndrew ambled around and took the chair on the
other side of her. The rest of the men grudgingly took seats also, leaning forward and looking at
*ar.
$Thank you.' *ar remained standing, resting her weight )ust a bit on the hands she still had resting
on the table. .he looked at the older man. $3an you please introduce yourself so I know who the hell
Im talking to+'
%amilton put a hand up over his mouth, his eyes twinkling a little. "lastair merely clasped his hands
and worked to keep a benign e&pression on his face.
$Ivan -alcuzzi.' The man said, shortly. $I work for the governor. 0ho the hell are you+'
$*ar 6oberts.' *ar responded matter of factly. $.o let me get my plan out on the table so we can stop
all the horse crap and actually get something constructive done.' .he drew in a !uick breath, and
started talking again before she could get interrupted. $,ou dont really have to tell us your
problems, Mr. -alcuzzi.' .he straightened. $0e know what the problems are.'
$Then why arent you doing something about it+' The man asked bluntly. $0e were told you people
would fi& things. Things aint fi&ed.'
$I was fi&ing things.' *ar responded. $0eve been fi&ing things since this situation started. Tell me
what youd have liked us to do here before you let people back in the city, before we could travel,
before we could get anything shipped in to help you, or before we made sure the military was going
to keep running so nothing else could happen to anyone else+'
-alcuzzi lifted his hand. $0ait a minute.'
$0hat did you e&pect us to do+' *ar enunciated each word separately. $0hat in the hell do you
people think we are+ "ny of us here look like 4oodle the Magnificent+ Think we have rabbits we can
pull out of our ears+' .he leaned forward again. $I appreciate that you are frustrated Mr. -alcuzzi but
you are not one tenth as frustrated as I am to come in here after working round the clock for three
days and finding you in here blowing hot air up people asses for 59 G99* 6#".95.'
%e opened his mouth, then shut it again.
$0# 0I// -IG "// ,976 *"M5 469B/#M..' *ar hollered at top volume. $I- ,97 G#T 97T 9-
%#6# "5* /#"1# 7. T%# %#// "/95#8888'
%e stared at her. $,ou got any idea who youre talking to+' %e asked.
$,ou have any idea how little I care who Im talking to+' *ar countered. $,oure keeping us from
doing our )obs. Get out of here, and well deliver whatever it is "lastair promised we would. I dont
have time to talk to you any more.'
-alcuzzi studied her for a moment, then he glanced to the side, where "ndrew was seated, his big,
scarred hands resting on the table, folded together. %is mouth pursed, then he shrugged, and stood
up. $"ll right.' %e said. $"t least you aint pitching me any e&cuses.' %e made a curt gesture to the rest
of his gang. $But if I were, you, lady, Id make good on that fi&ing business. (now what I mean+'
$Gentlemen.' %amilton smoothly stood up, recognizing a legal cue when he saw one. $"s our dear 3I9
has so elo!uently said, we know what we need to do. 5ow take your distinguished selves on out the
door, and let us get on with it.' %e opened the door. $Ill walk you on down.'
The men filed out, the last three, big men with very little in the way of necks, made a point of looking
around before they walked out, tugging their )acket sleeves straight as they left and closing the door
behind them.
The conference room became !uiet. *ar rested her weight on her elbows and glanced at (erry. $Got
any "dvil+'
(erry grimaced in sympathetic understanding, and leaned over to rummage in her briefcase.
$0ell, *ar.' "lastair put his hands on his chair arms, and sighed. $Im really glad to see you.' %e eyed
his dourly scowling 3I9. $I know Ive been a pain in the ass all day. ,ou going to kill me+'
*ar stood and went to the credenza, pouring herself a glass of water and using it to chase down the
pills she was )uggling in her right hand. $Im not going to kill you "lastair. Too many crappy things
have happened to too many people in the last few days for me to get pissed off about a couple of
phone calls.'
"lastair twiddled his fingers on the chair arms. $,ou sure sounded pissed off at the politicos boys.'
$I dont know or care about them.' *ar came back and sat down, e&haling. $I know and care about
you.' .he caught her bosses eyes widening in surprise. $.o Id rather take my cramps out on them
since they werent doing anything productive for us anyway.'
$"h.'
(erry reached over and gave *ars back a little rub. $0e have a short list of critical tasks, sir.' .he
addressed "lastair. $The emergency office and some kind of coverage downtown are top on the list. Is
there anything else theyre pressing us on+'
$"lastair, please.' The 3I9 smiled briefly. $"ctually we do have a little longer short list. .ome things
came up today, and I guess they thought theyd throw everything at us and see what stuck.'
$Bring it on.' (erry took her laptop out and put it on the table. $*ad, you want some coffee+ Im going
to find some tea.'
$5aw.' "ndrew said. $%ow bout I get yours and *ardars bunks s!uared away. I figure you got a lot of
stuff you got to take care of.' %e offered. $"hll find out whats going on round here anyhow.'
$Thanks dad.' *ar said $Thatd be great.'
"ndrew stood up and slung his own bag over his shoulder. %e stepped behind them and patted *ar
on the shoulder, then collected their bags and ducked out the door. $Better find me that coon ass, too,
fore he gets into trouble with them folks.' %e muttered as he left, his words echoing softly.
That left the three of them. (erry focused on getting her laptop up, as *ar and "lastair regarded each
other.
$%ere we go again.' "lastair said, finally.
$%ere we go again.' *ar repeated, with a sigh. $Got any rum+'
$#h+'
;;
$-irst things first.' *ar had her hands in her pockets, as she studied the conference room wall. 9nce
sedately weave covered, it now sported various plans and blueprints spread out from end to end of it.
$(erry, who do we have here from services+'
$Ive got three people here, *ar. Theyre the support folks for this office.' (erry said.
*ar ran her finger along the coastline of Manhattan. $9kay. .o lets get them out to the Intrepid. If
this is to scale, and its correct, well need a fiber spool and someone who can terminate it. 0e got
that+'
(erry reviewed her notes. $I dont think so.' .he admitted. $0e contracted out the fiber install here. I
dont think thats our access either.'
$9kay.' *ar moved to the other end of the map. $/ets start from a place I know theyll let us into.
%ave the guys take the biggest spool we have, make sure its rubberized, and have them start at the
mayors damn offices and move towards the Intrepid. Maybe I can work on getting us access while
they do that.'
$0ill do.' (erry leaned over her laptop and put her headphones in.
They were alone in the conference room. "lastair and %amilton had gone to )oin the rest of the 5ew
,ork staff in watching the visit of the president, leaving them in peace to get things rolling.
*ar didnt feel like rolling anything. The pills had taken the edge off her cramps, but only the edge,
and her body was aching so badly she felt like curling up in the corner of the room and forgetting all
about the long list of problems facing them.
.he suspected (erry knew that. %er partner kept watching her, and giving her little rubs on the back,
and looking like she wanted to tuck her into bed somewhere.
*ar would have given a years salary to be able to let her.
$*ar+'
.he turned around and leaned one shoulder against the wall, finding (erry gazing back at her with
wry sympathy. $,es+'
$The guys are on their way in the company van. They said they hope theyll let them down there.'
(erry said. $3an I get you some tea+'
*ar held her hand out. $Gimme your cell.' .he waited, and caught the implement as her partner
tossed it. .he pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and keyed in a number, then held the phone up
to her ear. $,es. 3an I speak to the governor please+ This is *ar 6oberts. ,es, Ill hold.'
(erry got up and came over to her, circling her with her arms and resting her cheek against *ars
shoulder. .he felt *ar e&hale, and looking up, saw the wry e&pression on her face. $0hat can I do for
you, my love+'
$0hat more can I ask of you besides loving me+' *ar responded, with a gentle smile. $%ello, yes+'
.he returned her attention to the phone. $Governor. ,ou said you could remove roadblocks. ,ou
ready to make good on that+'
(erry kissed her on the upper arm, and gave her a gentle s!ueeze. Then she moved around behind
her and started massaging *ars lower back, making small circles with her thumbs on either side of
her partners spine.
$"re you telling me you cant clear them through there+ Get someone to help us+' *ars voice rose
and took on a darker edge. $0hat in the hell do you e&pect me to do, bring guns and force our way
into the telco demarc+'
(erry started humming 5ew ,ork, 5ew ,ork under her breath as she worked on her aggravated
bosses tall frame.
$,ou people are as useless as tits on a boar.' *ar clapped the phone shut and almost tossed it across
the room, remembering at the last minute it wasnt hers to destroy. .he handed it back to (erry and
growled, leaning with both hands against the wall. $.on of a bitch.'
$#asy, babe.' (erry soothed her. $0ell find a way. $
" soft knock came at the door. They both paused, then sorted themselves into a semblance of
decorum as *ar cleared her throat. $3mon in.' .he resumed studying the wall, but didnt hide a smile
as (erry kissed her hand then let it go )ust as the door opened.
" woman with dark golden skin and dark hair entered, wearing a colorful )acket and leather pants.
$%ey8' .he spotted *ar. $*ar from Miami8 %ow are ya8'
*ar chuckled and stepped forward to take the e&tended hand. $%ello .cuzzi.' .he said. $%ow are you
doing+'
$0ell.' .cuzzi stuck her hands in her pockets and shrugged. $5ot so great, you know+ Its been tough
the last few days.'
$I know.' *ar said. .he half turned. $.cuzzi, this is (erry .tuart, our vice president of operations.' .he
could see the !uirk in her partners brow. $(er, this is %ermana :ones, from the :ersey data center.'
$%ello.' (erry e&tended her hand. $5ice to meet you.'
$9h hey8' .cuzzi took her hand and shook it vigorously. $Thats been you on the phone that whole
time, huh+'
$Mostly, yes.' (erry agreed. $Its been a long couple of days.'
.cuzzi released her. $#veryone heres pretty shook up, you know+ Its been tough. My brothers
-*5,.'
$9h no.' (erry said. $Is he okay+'
$,eah.' .cuzzi nodded. $%e was uptown saving some lady who got stuck in her car or something. %e
was all pissed off that he didnt get down there until them buildings fell down. Then he wasnt so
pissed anymore, )ust mad about all the other guys.'
They were all silent for a moment. Then .cuzzi shrugged. $My mama wants to send that lady a basket
of flowers, you know+' .he glanced around. $But they werent so lucky here, huh+ I heard about the
big cheese.'
$They werent.' *ar agreed. $But weve got a lot of other things to worry about too. Thats why I
asked you to come down here, to see if you could help us out.' .he turned to face the map. $,ou up
for that+'
$,ou kidding+' .cuzzi said. $Meeting you in that subway changed my whole freaking life. ,ou want
me to do something+ 0hatever, you know+' .he glanced at (erry. $.orry, I know that sounds crazy.'
(errys green eyes twinkled. $I know e&actly what you mean.' .he demurred. $*ar certainly does
have that effect on people.' .he patted her partner on the side. $/et me get back to the conference.
*o I take it we get no help from the governor+'
$:erk.' *ar said. $5o.' .he looked at .cuzzi. $But you might be able to help. %eres the deal.' .he
turned to the map, finding the pier with one long finger. $The citys putting in a command center
here.'
$The pier+ That old creaky place+' .cuzzi seemed dubious. $,ou got to be kidding me, right+'
$0ish I was.' *ar said. $They want communications. Theres nothing down there, no phone lines,
nothing.'
$,ou aint kidding. I had a cousin used to live under the terminal.' The other woman stated. $There
aint nothing but rats under there, Im telling you.'
*ar eyed her. $5ice.' .he said. $0ell, Ive got some guys going down there to run a big cable from
there, down to the Intrepid. The air museum, where I was going when I met you.'
.cuzzi nodded. $"llright.'
$4roblem is, we have to get it into where we have an office there, and get them to let us connect it up.'
*ar said. $In the electrical rooms.'
$9h man.' .cuzzi made a sound with her mouth like a mouse screaming. $They aint going to let you
in there to do nothing like that. 5ot those guys down there. They dont Dlike nobody messing around
down by the docks.'
(erry, who had been listening, now spoke up. $0e could pay them to do it.' .he suggested. $Itd be
worth it if that would get it done.'
$%ow many fiber optics technicians you figure work off the side of the %udson, (er+' *ar put her
hand against the wall and leaned on it. $0ho havent already been sucked down into the financial
district+'
$"h.'
$,know.' .cuzzi had been looking at the map. $I got an uncle I could maybe call.' .he offered.
*ars lips twitched. $I was hoping you did.'
$%e does some business down there, you know+' .cuzzi e&plained. $%es in real good with those
guys. ,ou want me to call him, see if he could maybe help us+'
$I do.' *ar went over to the conference table and perched on its edge. $.cuzzi, we dont mind paying
whatever service fees they want, understand+ This is important. 0e have to get the city emergency
center up so those people can do what your ta& dollars are paying them to do.'
$Gotcha.' .cuzzi pulled out her cell phone, a be)eweled item with three or four things dangling off the
edge of it. $5o problem. /emme see what I can do here, okay+' .he moved to one side, and started
punching buttons. $7ncle :azzy 7ncle :azzy where are ya in here2'
*ar folded her arms over her chest and turned her head, giving (erry a wry look. (erry merely
smiled back at her charmingly, letting her chin rest on her hand. $Got that tea+' *ar finally asked,
with a mild grimace. $9r a hammer to hit my head with+'
$"bsolutely.' (erry got up and slid her laptop over, handing the ear buds to her partner. $/isten in
while Im out doing your every bidding.' .he winked at her partner, and ducked past, going to the
door and slipping outside into the hallway.
*ar sighed, and put one bud in her ear, doing her best to ignore the cramps that were getting on and
stomping all over her last nerve. It was even making the back of her eyeballs ache and she
swallowed, feeling a little like she was going to throw up.
/ike life wasnt a pain in the ass enough as it was, right+
$Miami e&ec, you on+ This is Miami ops.'
*ar clicked the mic. $Miami e&ec here.' .he dutifully responded. $Go ahead Mark. %ows it going out
there+'
$Boss, were doing pretty good.' Mark said. $.pecially since a freaking truck )ust showed up here with
linemen from three of the phone companies dumping into that closet. Theyre in there giving our
guys a break now.'
*ar managed a smile at that. $0ell, Ill be damned.' .he said. $That is good news.' .he spared a
wistful thought of the bus, and the crew theyd left behind. The two other community buses were
here, and parked downstairs but it wasnt the same thing. $/isten, do we have any fiber guys there+
Im going to need one.'
$%old one, boss.' Mark clicked off.
*ar was glad enough to remain silent. .he checked her watch to see if she could take more
painkillers, sighing and rubbing her temples when she realized she couldnt. .he turned and looked
out the window, finding her eyes drawn to the east, where a dull plume of smoke was still rising
between the skyscrapers in the distance.
.itting here, she realized, she could have seen the whole thing happen. %ad the people here
wondered if they were ne&t+
*ar sighed, hearing .cuzzi talking at the other end of the room. .he got up off the table and sat down
in the nearest chair, resisting the urge to put her head down on her arms as the cramping worsened.
.he focused on (errys laptop instead, moving aside the window with her mail to study her desktop
background.
It was a picture of a sunset from the boat, she recognized. .he vaguely remembered it, a lazy
.aturday out on the water that had ended with a freshly caught fish dinner and (erry leaning back
against her on the bow snapping shots of the sky.
*ar could almost smell the salt tang on the air and feel the warmth of (errys back pressed against
her as she rested her chin on (errys shoulder and gently blew in her ear.
$*ar+'
The hand on her shoulder nearly made *ar )ump out of her skin. .he turned to find (erry standing
there with a faintly concerned look on her face, and a cup of steaming tea. $"h. .orry. I zoned out for
a minute there.' .he took the cup and set it down. $Marks finding us a fiber man.'
$,ou were a million miles away there.' (erry sat down ne&t to her, glancing past at the still talking
.cuzzi, who was now pacing back and forth, gesticulating with her free hand. $,ou okay+'
*ar took a sip of the hot, minty, honey laced beverage. $5ot a million miles.' .he disagreed. $9nly
about two thousand or so. I was thinking about the day you took that picture.' .he pointed at the
screen. $0ishing I was there again right now.'
$Mmm.' (erry settled the ear bud in her ear and gazed at the red orange scene. $That was the day
you caught the grouper.' .he said. $0hat a gorgeous night that was, too. .o many stars. The sky was
so clear.'
$,ou found so many loony animals in the sky I ended up tossing you overboard.' *ar added, with a
grin.
$"nd I ended up tangled in seaweed half scared out of my mind.' (erry concluded. $I wish I was back
there now too.'
$%ey, Miami e&ec+ This is Miami ops.' Mark came back on. $-ound one guy who can do splicing. That
what you need+'
$.ounds good, Miami ops. 4ut him on the train.' (erry answered. $0hen are you heading up here+
0ere really short on techs and really heavy on sales folks here.'
$%ey, I got him.' .cuzzi came back over, and the pace picked up again around them. $%e says hes
interested in doing business with us, yeah+'
$Great.' *ar half turned to face her, catching "lastair entering from the corner of her eye, a frown on
his face. $"lastair, get your checkbook ready.'
%er boss stopped in mid step, and blinked.' #h+'
$0e need to start doing business here.' *ar said. $The old fashioned way.' .he motioned to .cuzzi.
$Meet .cuzzi.'
$%ey. %ow ya doin+' .cuzzi held her hand out. $5ice ta meet ya.'
"lastair took her hand automatically, his pale blue gray eyes going wide. $3harmed.' %e looked over
at *ar. $Im sure+'
%is 3I9 smiled briefly at him. Then the door opened again, and one of the sales staff poked their head
in, and a flashing alert went off on (errys screen and in the distance, a siren went off.
"nd it still wasnt time to take more drugs.
;;
$*ar.' (erry looked up from her laptop, and across at her visibly miserable partner. $Im sorry,
sweetie, but theyre going to need you to go down there.' .he grimaced in sympathy at *ars hunched
over posture.
$-uck.' *ar had her eyes covered with one hand, having )ust swallowed a second set of pills. $0hy+'
(erry felt as emotionally miserable as *ar physically was. $They wont let them in the demarc room
at the Intrepid. 5ot even our local people.' .he got up and circled the table, putting her hands on
*ars shoulders and beginning a gentle massage. $0ant me to go+ If you tell me what to look for, and
I take *ad, maybe we can do it.'
$.tupid fucking bastards. 0hat do they think theyre going in there for with a three hundred pound
spool of fiber options+ 0iring the admirals urinal+'
$*oes the admiral have his own urinal+' (erry returned the wry attempt at humor. $Ill go down
there. /et me get some usefulness out of my 4M. before Im as miserable as you are.'
*ar sighed. $Im in hell.' .he straightened up. $0ell all go down there. If I dont kill someone we can
stop by a bar I know near there and get me some alcohol and see if that helps.'
$"w, honey.' (erry kissed the top of her head. $,oure making me crazy watching you be so
miserable.' .he wrapped her arms around *ar from behind, resting her cheek against her hair. $I
wish I could do something besides ache for you.'
$/ife sucks.' *ar sighed mournfully. $.omeone once asked me if I wasnt pissed off I was born a
woman instead of a man. I told them ? "bsolutely. -or about four or si& hours every god damned
month.'
(erry chuckled wryly. $Buy me a beer at that bar+'
$Buy you the bar if you want.' *ar gathered herself and stood up. .he followed (erry around to her
laptop and waited for her to start to shut it down. Then she came up behind her and wrapped her
arms around the blond woman, returning the hug and the emotion behind it. $0e get this office up,
you and I are going to our hotel, and chilling.'
(erry glanced at her watch. It was almost two 4M, and she figured it would be at least two hours
before they had an even chance of getting the problem on the river resolved. That would make it
four. $0e can schedule more stuff from there.' .he agreed. $"nd at least get comfortable.'
$0hat have we done to get someone into lower Manhattan+' *ar asked. $Thats going to be a lot
tougher than fi&ing this damn office of the mayors.'
$I called my contact at "TT.' (erry said. $%es arranged to get us credentials down there. I havent
told him what were doing.. I )ust said we might be able to help somewhere.'
$Mm.'
$0ell, its true.' (erry closed her laptop. $:ust not how hes going to think of it.' .he went still, taking
a moment to savor the warmth of the body pressed against her back, finding herself rocking gently as
*ar did.
%ow crummy and unbearable it would be if *ar wasnt here, she mused. 5o matter how lousy they
both felt. $I love you.' .he said, into the silence they were standing in. *ar didnt answer. .he )ust
hugged (erry a little harder and nibbled the edge of one of her ears.
Then they both sighed at the same time, and *ar released her so she could slide her laptop into its
case and zip it shut. $/et me call *ad.' .he took possession of (errys phone and opened it, half
turning as she heard footsteps outside the door. $Grrr.'
$3mon honey, remember where we are.' (erry murmured. $Theyve had it really rough.'
$6owr.' *ars eyes narrowed, but she subsided, )uggling her phone in one hand as they waited.
The door lock worked, and then it opened, and "lastair came inside, shutting the large wooden panel
after him and leaning against it. $,know, I could get to not like people after a lot of this.' %e studied
them. $,ou two off somewhere+'
*ars brows twitched. $0ere going to the emergency office. Try to get the crossJconnects done and
get those people off our backs at least.' .he paused, holding the open phone in one hand. . $0anna go
with us+'
$,ep.' "lastair didnt hesitate even an instant. $9ne more person calls this office from somewhere in
5ew :ersey and tells me theyre down and Im going to take my /onghorns coffee mug and stick it
right up their behind.'
(errys eyes widened. $0ow.'
$I didnt think so many people these days didnt read the newspaper. 9r watch the evening news. 9r
have 355 in their houses. 9r lived in such a bubble.' "lastair said. $I simply dont understand it. The
farriers on my damn ranch know more about whats going on in the world than some of these folks.'
$,ou mean, they really didnt know what happened+' (erry asked, in an incredulous tone.
$"pparently not.' "lastair sighed.
$3mon.' *ar was at least glad for this startling distraction to her cramps. $I think you could use a
beer too.' .he indicated the door as she put the phone to her ear. $/ets get out of here for a while. I
need some fresh air.' .he paused. $%ey dad. Meet you downstairs+'
$"ir.' "lastair agreed, waiting for them to e&it and following along. $*ont much care if its fresh or
not at this point.'
*ar hung up as they got to the elevator, pausing to e&change a brief smile with the receptionist.
D.orry if I startled you earlier. $ .he apologized. $Its been that kind of day.'
$9h.' The woman smiled back. $"ctually, what you did was really cool.' .he said. $"nd I forgot to say
thanks.'
$0hat did you do+' "lastair asked, as the doors slid open.
$Told a customer to kiss my ass.' *ar entered the elevator and impatiently waited for them to follow
before she punched the door button. $*ads downstairs at the bus.'
$"h.'
(erry leaned against the back wall of the elevator, swallowing a little as it descended and she felt the
familiar pressure against her inner ears. It reminded her of their last diving trip on the boat, where
*ar had taken the *i&ie out deep to a wreck in nearly @HA feet of water.
They had descended in the blue, clear water until the wreck had morphed out of the depths, half on
its side, filled with ghostly schools of fish robbed of their brilliance by the depth.
Gorgeous and spooky, startling when a huge grouper came nosing around from the gloom around the
wreck, and reeking with mystery they could only barely get a few minutes look at. The loneliness of
the wrecks position, settled in its bed of white sand had triggered her poetic side and shed thought
about the site fre!uently since.
0hat story was behind it, she mused.
$(er+'
$%uh+' (erry looked up, to find the elevator doors open and her partner gazing back at her with mild
bemusement. $9h. .orry.' .he pushed off the back wall and scooted out of the car, feeling a little
embarrassed. $*aydreaming.'
*ar patted her on the back as they walked across the huge lobby and out the side door, where a large
parking area complete with two of their buses were to be found. There were a few people around
them including "ndrew, and they walked !uickly across the lot to )oin him.
$%amiltons gone down to represent us at the big shindig.' "lastair commented. $I figured it wouldnt
do for me to be showing the flag there with all this stuff yet to be done.'
*ar gave him a wry look.
$Glad Im not trying to fly out of here today.' (erry muttered. $Id be stuck on the tarmac at /aguardia
until the circus leaves town.'
"lastair gave her a wry look.
$(erry had an unfortunate ground hold the last time the president was in Miami.' *ar e&plained. $.he
got stuck in a ELE in the middle of :uly for si& hours with no air conditioning. It made an impression.'
$I can still smell the inside of that airplane, matter of fact.' (erry said. $3losest I ever came to going
postal in public'
"lastair grimaced $That does sound painful.' %e dredged a smile up as they arrived at the bus, and
people turned to greet them. $%ello, folks. %ows everyone doing+'
$/o there' "ndrew cocked his head and regarded (erry and *ar. $%ow are you kids doing+'
$Ive been better.' *ar didnt bother to dissemble. $/ets get a cab and get down to the pier. The
faster we do that, the faster "lastair can go preen for the press.'
$0ell, hey.' %er boss turned around, startled. $I didnt mean you should go make me into a hero, *ar.
-or 4etes sake8'
$*ont worry about it.' (erry whispered to him. $.hes )ust in a really bad mood.'
"lastair frowned. $Im in a really bad mood too.' %e said. $.hould I say mean things+'
$If you want to.' (erry e&haled, blinking into the cool air. $I dont think she meant to be mean. Its )ust
been a long couple of days and she doesnt feel well.'
"lastair grumbled under his breath, but kept his comments to himself and stuck his hands in the
pockets of his khaki pants instead.
$3mon then.' "ndrew pointed to the curb. $*ardar said you alls got some folks down at the flattop
giving you a hassle+' %e asked (erry, as they steered between the buses and headed for the road.
$0hats that all about+'
*ar hailed a cab and they got into what was fortunately one of the mini van versions. $I need to go to
the "ir .pace museum, please.' .he said, crisply.
$.closed, lady.' The man said.
$I know. I need to go there anyway.' *ar told him. $Its business. 0e dont want a tour.'
The driver took off without another word, pulling into the traffic stream with a typically supreme
lack of regard for anything including other cars and his own safety.
$0hats that all about.' (erry sighed. $0ell, see, they decided to put the new emergency response
center down at the pier, 4ier =I I think *ar said.'
$"ll right.' "ndrews brows knit a little. $.eems like a funny place to put something like that, aint it+'
$0ell.' (errys lips twitched. $I have to say if I was thinking of doing an emergency center in Miami,
that port we were in is the last place Id pick but Im sure they have their reasons. "nyway, they need
things to connect and the only place we have something close enough thats got a good link to our
systems is at the Intrepid.'
*ar let her head rest against the window, wishing fervently she was several thousand miles away in a
!uiet, dark room, with a cup of hot chocolate and nothing more to do than read a magazine. .he
didnt really feel like making the effort to get out of the cab and get involved in all the chaos she knew
she would have to and for once, didnt mind the traffic making it take longer to get somewhere.
.he let (errys !uiet voice go past her, not really hearing the words or the answers to them, aware
only of the warmth of (errys fingers curled around her hand, her thumb idly rubbing against *ars
knuckle in absent caress.
(erry probably didnt even realize she was doing it. *ar remembered when they first started dating,
when (erry was so very self conscious about touching *ar in public ? though shed never been in
private.
5ow, it was second nature to her, and to be honest, second nature to *ar as well. .he liked the
warmth of the touch and the affection in the gentle s!ueezing. It soothed her ragged temper a little,
and allowed her to put aside her discomfort in favor of this tiny bit of physical pleasure.
9utside the window, the city moved past. Though traffic was heavy, she noticed the frenetic pace of
the cars seemed subdued, and the people on the streets were as well. Men and women were gathered
around storefronts, talking. There were few trucks on the road.
They passed a crossroad, and she watched two men simply standing, looking at each other in front of
a subway entrance, seemingly frozen in place. " woman was sitting in front of them on the edge of
the road, her feet resting on the tar surface itself, her arms wrapped around her knees.
In her hand, she clutched a sheaf of papers. *ar could see something s!uare on them that looked like
a picture, but she was struck by the e&pression on the womans face, which was dull, and lost and so
full of grief it was hard to look at.
It brought back to her, suddenly, what had happened a few days prior, and she felt small thinking
about how shed been bitching to herself only a minute ago and wanting to be somewhere else.
$*ar+'
$%m+' *ar turned her head and regarded (errys face. $.orry. I was )ust thinking of something else.'
$I )ust got a message from my contact at "TST. Theyve got credentials for us. %es dropping them by
the office.' (erry glanced behind her, as *ar did the same. They looked at each other, then (erry
shrugged a little. $-or what its worth.'
$0ell use them.' *ar settled back as they started moving faster, heading across town towards the
%udson 6iver. $9kay.' .he said. $*id we get a handle on what the roadblock is at the Intrepid+ "re
we running into labor issues already, or is ti something security related.'
(errys eyes looked apologetic. $.orry, dont know.' .he said. $"ll they said was it wasnt working.'
$"ll right.' *ar rested her elbow on her knee. $Then well get it working.'
$9ne way or tother.' "ndrew remarked, from his seat behind them. $/ets get this here show on the
road. Ive bout had enough of people fussing.'
$,ou got that right.' "lastair agreed. $Its time to get things rolling.
*ar and (erry e&changed glances, and (erry leaned closer, lowering her voice. $0ere the only ones
who are actually going to do anything, arent we+'
*ar chuckled dryly, and shook her head. $Guess well find out.'
;;
.ecurity around the Intrepid was heavy. (erry edged to one side as they got out of the ta&i, seeing a
line of 5ational Guard in front of the entrance to the Museum. There were also large orange traffic
barrels blocking any vehicle access and to the right hand side, she could see the ramp that led up to
the pier entrances sealed by yet more guard vehicles. $0ow.'
*ar settled her backpack onto her back and cinched the straps a little tighter. .he paused to study
the front of the structure, spotting a cluster of vehicles and a barrier that was surrounded by people.
$9ver there.' .he started for the spot, !uickly )oined by (erry as her father and "lastair trailed a little
behind them.
.cuzzy was there, and she spotted them as they approached. $9h, hey.' .he called out. $5ow were
talking.'
*ar kept walking towards her and the guardsmen who were gathered around turned to watch them
approach. .he had about ten steps to decide on her approach, and with the cramps and her
e&haustion, she decided on mellow )ust as she reached .cuzzys side. $Good afternoon, gentlemen'
.he greeted the guards courteously. $.orry were causing a commotion.'
The guard nearest her, apparently in charge, had opened his mouth to respond, his body tense and
shoulders s!uared off, but blinked and paused at her words.
*ar smiled at him, cocking her head slightly as she stuck her thumbs in the straps holding her
backpack on and shifted her own posture. $I know youve got a big load on your shoulders here. I
dont want to add to it. 0hat can we do so I can provide what you need to let me do what I have to
do+'
(erry merely stood there, her hand on the strap of her briefcase looped over her shoulder, as she
watched her partner use one of her rarest strategies, her innate charm. .he often wondered why *ar
didnt use it more often, since it was compelling and irresistible, and she wasnt )ust saying that
because they were lovers.
.he could see the man wavering, in fact. %ed been all set to respond to anger, to aggression, to a
yelling civilian out to make his life miserable, and faced with that gentle smile and those pretty blue
eyes he had no idea how to get the adrenaline out of the way of his testosterone fast enough to
respond.
.he understood. In the few times they argued, more often than not it was that charm that made her
anger evaporate no matter which one of them won or lost the fight and even now, (erry felt herself
responding to it, her body rela&ing and a smile edging her lips as she watched *ars face.
$0ell.' The man said. $This is a secure area.'
*ar nodded. $Im sure it is. That flattops a big target, and theres a lot of history both inside and on
her decks. 5o one wants anything to happen to it.' .he went on. $I dont want anything to happen to
it. $
$9kay.' The man leaned back against the truck blocking the entrance. The other guardsmen also
rela&ed, moving their guns down and turning aside a little as it became apparent these civilians were
not about to physically storm the barrier. $.o what is it e&actly you people need to do+ This lady
here was e&plaining it but it didnt make any sense to me.'
.cuzzy frowned. (erry winked at her, and gave the waiting, grubby looking techs a smile. $0hy dont
you guys go rela& for a few minutes over there. I think they have sodas over at that hot dog stand on
the corner.'
$Thanks, maam. Great idea.' The taller one said. $Its like a nightmare under those piers running this
stuff.' %e turned and pointed at the big spool of rubber coated wire, the strand a full two inches wide.
It trailed back behind them, snaking across the ground and underneath the rampway towards the
depths of the inner pier structure. $I live here, but man, I saw rats bigger than my brother under that
thing.'
$Im up for lunch too.' .cuzzy said. $3mon you guys. Ill buying.' .he tilted her head in *ar and
(errys direction. $,ou want something+'
$0ere fine for now, thanks.' (erry answered for both of them. $But the ne&t round were having
after this Im buying.'
.cuzzy grinned. $,ou got it. $ .he )erked her head at the two techs.
They set their gloves on the top of the spool and trotted !uickly to the nearby crossing light, waiting
for it to change before they headed across towards the pushcart vendor.
$0ell, its like this.' *ar half turned and pointed over towards the pier. $The Mayor decided to put his
new emergency management office in that building over there.'
The soldier nodded. $,eah, we know. Theyve been coming back and forth and going crazy over there
since yesterday. Trucks full of stuff.' %e said. $0hats that got to do with you and this thing+' %e
thrust his thumb behind him, towards the Intrepid.
$Its the closest place I can connect the Mayors new office to so they can have computers and phones.'
*ar e&plained. $I have a connection in there, because we run all the IT for the gift shop, and the
museum.'
The guard thought about that. $9h.' %e said. $.o you want to run that cable in there for the mayor+'
%e turned and looked up the ramp, where the entire top was filled with official looking cars. $%ow
come no one )ust said so+ -or petes sake.'
$0ell, you know its pretty crazy for them up there.' *ar regained his attention. $:ust like it is for
you, and for us too. Its hard to keep track of everything thats going on, but we )ust want to get them
connected, so they can work. 0e have identification.'
(erry glanced at her partner, wondering if she was forgetting that she, in fact, did not.
The guard nodded. $9kay, I need to get my lieutenant here to sign off on it, let me radio him and have
him come up. .orry to have caused you some heartache, maam, but I know you understand whats
going on here.'
$I do.' *ar kept eye contact, and in)ected a good dose of sincerety into her tone. $0ell )ust move over
here and wait, and you let us know when youre ready.' .he held her hand out. $Thanks.'
The man took her hand and they e&changed clasps. $3an I get your name+' %e asked. $/ieutenants
going to ask. They probably need to run a check.'
$.ure.' *ar motioned (erry forward. $Im *ar 6oberts, and this is (erry .tuart. 0ere with I/..'
The man scribbled down the names. $"nd those guys+' %e indicated the bemusedly watching "ndrew
and "listair.
$0ere )ust footmen.' "listair spoke up, in a mild tone. $0e came to help move that big round thing.'
"ndrew chuckled, and handed the man a bit of pasteboard card. $Thar.' %e said. $,all dont dont half
understand me when I talk up here anyhow.'
Thus prompted, "lastair handed over his own business card. The guard took it and tucked it into his
clipboard, then he moved over to the truck and stuck his head inside, picking up a radio mic and
talking into it.
They walked over to the spool and sat down on it, the techs having laid it flat on the ground to keep it
from rolling anywhere. $*ar.' "lastair peered over at her. $%ow come you never talk nice to me like
that+'
$,ou dont have a gun.' *ar responded, deadpan. $Besides, with how I feel right now it was either be
nice, or pick up that pipe and end up getting arrested. I figured nice was more productive.' .he
rested her hands on the edge of the wooden spool and sighed.
"lastair was facing the pier, watching all the activity. $.o.' %e said. $0e roll this big thing inside the
aircraft carrier, then what+ $
$Then we hope the fiber tech coming here by train gets his ass here in time to terminate it to a patch
panel I have no idea if we have inside, with connectors I dont know he has with him and we cant get
at your average hardware store or 6adio .hack, and then connect that patch panel to another patch
panel with cables that dont e&ist yet.'
$"h.'
$.ounds like a 5avy kinda plan.' "ndrew commented, with a faint chuckle under his breath. $Good to
be out of that damn office though.'
$"men.' "lastair said. $Is there anything we can do to fi& any of those variables, *ar+ .omeplace we
can get those things while youre charming the fatigues off all the boys+'
*ar turned her head and looked at (erry. $*id we source those yet+'
(erry checked her 4*", scrolling through messages with a flicker of the /3*. $"h.' .he tapped on
one and read it. $,es, we did. 0e found a place that can make the patch cables, and has the bits and
pieces for the patch panel.' .he tilted the device so "ndrew could see it, as he pulled a half pencil
from his shirt pocket and wrote down the address on the back of one of his cards.
"lastair craned his neck to watch. $0here is that+ /ong Island+'
$,es.' (erry agreed. $Its nowhere close. Id better send one of our guys for it so..'
$"h. "h ah.' "lastair stood up. $Good grief. Im the 3#9 of the biggest tech company on the planet.
*ont you think I can find /ong Island+' %e motioned "ndrew to stand up. $3mon, *addy 6oberts.
/ets go find us some bits and parts.'
$"ll right.' "ndrew agreed. $*ar, you be all right here+ I think these fellers are going to be okay.'
$0ell be fine.' *ar assured him. $Thanks for taking care of that for us. .ooner it gets here, sooner we
can get this connected.' .he watched her father and boss walk off, heading for the corner to hail a
cab. $0hy do I feel nervous all of a sudden+'
(erry leaned her head against *ars shoulder. $%oney, Im sure they can handle this.' .he e&haled.
$Besides, we really need the stuff. I sent a list to the vendor, and he said he had it, but he didnt
deliver and wasnt about to start.'
$5ice.'
$3ant really blame him.' (erry kicked her feet out a little. $0ere not really local here. %e didnt
know me from "dam.'
$0ith your voice, if he didnt know you from "dam Im scared to be buying fiber from him.' *ar
remarked dryly. $9kay, here comes our boy. /ets see where this gets us.' .he got up as the two men
approached.
The lieutenant was an older man, with grizzled gray hair and stocky body. %e looked tired and
harassed, which put him in league with everyone else in the city, she reckoned. $/ieutenant. Thank
you for coming to talk with us.'
The man nodded briefly. $Ms. 6oberts, Ive had a call from the mayors office. 0ell give you the
access and anything else you might need. .orry to hold you up. #verythings crazy here.' %e glanced
at the pier. $I dont know what the hells going on.'
The other guard looked somber, and apologetic.
$4lease. *ont apologize, we know how stressed everyone must be.' (erry picked up the
conversational ball. $0e appreciate that you took the time to get everything sorted out. Is it okay for
us to proceed now+ Ill get my guys back from the hot dog stand.'
$.ure.' The lieutenant said. $:ohn, give these folks an escort back to where they need to be, and a few
hands to help moving whatever this is.' %e gestured to the spool. $/adies, have a good day.' %e
turned and walked off. "fter an awkward moment, the other guard hurried after him, leaving *ar and
(erry alone with their spool again.
$0ell.' (erry e&haled. $That was easier than I thought it would be. 0ant me to go get the gang+'
$.ure.' *ar said. $Ill )ust sit here and wish I was under a bus.'
(erry stroked her arm. *ars face was a little pale, and she could see her biting the inside of her lip.
$%oney, why dont you go to the hotel. I can handle this.' .he urged. $3mon. ,ou look like hell. It
makes no sense for you to sit here and suffer. Go rela& and get a heating pad or something.'
*ar paused, then looked mournfully at her. $I cant.' .he tilted her head and indicated the returning
techs. $My macha wont let me. 3'mon.' .he got up as the techs approached. $"ll right, folks. /ets get
this rig rolling. Theyre letting us in.'
$,our macha can kiss my ass.' (erry growled, earning her a raised eyebrow look from her partner. $I
should have made your dad take you back to the hotel.'
$%ey, good deal8' .cuzzy said. $,ou knew how to talk to those guys for sure, *ar from Miami.'
The techs put their shoulders to the spool and got it upright, then pulled their gloves back on. They
started rolling the spool carefully, laying out the fiber wire behind them as they maneuvered down
the slight incline to where the entrance to the museum was.
The guardsmen drew the barricades aside and two of them came over. $3an we help+' The first one
asked, a tall blond with a scar across his mouth. $0here you going+'
The techs looked at *ar in !uestion. $That way.' .he indicated a tight path around one edge. $*own
that ramp, between those two posts, and then stop by that second hatch panel.' .he stood back as
the guard and the techs wrestled the spool of wire forward. $0hat was that about my macha+' .he
asked (erry.
(erry stuck her tongue out.
They followed the techs down the ramp and through the truck barricades, past the visitor entrance
down to the walkway alongside where the big carrier was anchored. It was !uieter here, since the
museum was closed, and the sound of the %udson lapping against the old pier was much louder.
It smelled rank. (errys nose wrinkled, as she glanced past the pier towards the shores of 5ew :ersey.
"bove that, she could also smell the scent of iron, and grease and sun warmed metal, and they
stopped )ust before a big metal housing from which e&tended thick black cables that ran into a hatch
onboard the ship.
*ar studied it. $0e need to figure how much were going to need in slack, and cut it.' .he said. $That
spool cant fit in the hatch.'
The techs straightned up, and peered at the ship uncertainly. $0ow.' The younger one sighed.
$*idnt bring my measuring tape.'
*ar ducked to one side and looked, trying to measure with her eyes. .he shook her head. $5eed to
e&tend inside too.' .he headed for the lower gangway, which was chained off and led to an open shell
door in the ships side. $/ets see for how long.'
"fter a !uick look around, (erry followed her, and after a moment, the rest of them did too. They
waited for *ar to unlatch the chain and let it fall, then they all trooped across the gangway, its
surface fle&ing under their weight as they made for the entrance.
*ar didnt hesitate. .he stepped over the edge of the shell door and entered the ship, ducking inside
the ne&t watertight door and into a larger open space.
(erry got a flashback, suddenly, to the cruise ship. It had the same smell of age and old oil and she
rubbed her nose as she carefully stepped over the door sill and followed *ar into the shadows. .he
found herself in a narrow hallway and spotted *ar ahead of her, sticking her head into an open
doorway. $*ar+'
$In here.' *ar s!uirmed into another compartment, this one admitting some light from outside. (erry
poked her head in, and saw the cables running in the opening. $9h. Thats the hole from outside.'
$7h huh.' *ar turned and followed the cables to a pipe on the far wall, and tipped her head up. $9h
crap. I forgot it was two decks up.'
(erry looked up at the pipe, aware of the techs behind her. $%ang on guys, *ars tracing the cable
path.'
$*ars wishing she was curled up in a ball in the bilge, actually.' %er partner sighed. .he went to the
pipe and stuck her hand in it, then pulled it out and studied her e&tended fingers. $Might have space.'
.he muttered. $9kay, we need to find either a thin cable, or stiff rope.'
$9kay.' (erry backed up so the techs could hear. $*id you get that, guys+ 0e need some cable ? I
guess *ar wants it for a pullstring.'
$Got a spool of #thernet in the truck. $ The nearer tech offered. $That work+'
$4erfect.' *ars head appeared from around the doorway. $Get it, and Ill show you where the demarc
room is. 0e can run a pull cable down here, and pull the fiber up once we get it across from the pier.
(er, while they do that, lets see if we can find a hank of rope.'
$6ope. ,ou got it. $ (erry backed up so *ar could e&it the space and then followed her as she started
a methodical e&ploration of the pretty much deserted ship. They moved out of the tightly confined
hallway and into a bigger space, with a tall ceiling that spanned the interior of the ship. $0ow.'
$%anger deck.' *ar interpreted the e&clamation. $0atch your step. There might be tie downs on the
decking.'
$"ye "ye, 3aptain *ar.' (erry shifted so she was walking in *ars footsteps and put a hand out,
hooking one finger on her partners belt loop. $*id *ad sail on one of these+'
$%e did.' *ar answered, as she wandered around the big space, peeking behind bo&es. $3mon, they
have to have a damn coil of rope in here. 0ho the hell heard of a 5avy ship without rope.'
$0hat about over there+' (erry pointed to something vaguely circular on the wall. $Is that rope+'
They walked over to the wall and looked up. 9n the metal surface was a hook, and from the hook a
coil of thick rope was coiled, with a float fastened on one end. $4erfect.' *ar complimented her
partner, then for good measure, she turned and kissed her on the lips. $"bsolutely perfect.'
(erry rested her hands on *ars hips, gazing up into her eyes. "fter a long pause, they kissed again.
$This has to be one of the last places on earth Id ever e&pect to be doing this.' .he admitted, when
they paused for breath. $But yknow, its kinda se&y.'
*ars eyes took on a twinkle in the half light. $.ure is. Making my cramps feel better too.'
They rubbed noses, then reluctantly parted, as *ar turned to face the wall and started to take the
rope down. $%owever, business first.'
$4fft.'
;;
(errys cell phone rang, sounding loud and )arring against the steel she was surrounded by. 0ith a
muffled curse, she pulled it out with her free hand and flipped it open, putting it to her ear as she
s!uirmed around into a marginally better position. $%ello+'
$(erry+ This is your mother.'
(erry blinked at the steel wall inches from her face. $9h. %i.' .he said. $0here are you+'
$I have )ust returned home. "re you terribly occupied+ I was wondering how things were going for
you there.'
%ow were things going. (erry felt the cold surface chilling her back through her shirt. $0ell.' .he
grimaced as the edge of the pipe she had her arm e&tended up into bit into her skin. $0ere making
some progress.'
$"re you+ 0onderful. 0here are you now+'
(erry heard a curse echo softly down the interior of the pipe. $/ying on my back on the deck of a
decommissioned aircraft carrier with my arm shoved up a pipe covered in a&el grease.' .he
responded with complete honesty. $,ou+'
"bsolute silence. (erry wiggled the tips of her fingers in the vain hope of feeling a bit of cable
impacting them. "bove her, through the pipes metal confines she could hear *ar cursing, the soft
grunts traveling down with wry accuracy to her ears.
$I dont understand.' 3ynthia finally said. $0hat e&actly are you doing+'
$0ell.' (erry s!uirmed a little and e&tended her fingers a bit more. $Its a long story. Im helping
hook up the emergency management office for the 3ity of 5ew ,ork. In a really material way.'
$"h. I see.'
$(er+' *ar called down. $"nything+'
(erry stretched and wiggled, closing her eyes as she wished the end of a cable probe into her hand.
"fter a moment, she rela&ed. $.orry hon, no.' .he called back. $5ot a damn thing.'
$.hit.'
(erry returned her attention to the phone. $%ow are things there+' .he asked. $.ince theyre sort of
crummy here+'
%er mother sighed. $Im very disturbed. Thats why I decided to call you. 0hen I got here, one of my
aides informed me that we have had several incidents of people being beaten.'
$Beaten+'
$-or being.. .well, I suppose they were thought to be from abroad.'
(erry heard footsteps and she turned her head, to see *ars tall body slipping into her torture
chamber. $%ey.' .he said. $.ay hello to my mother.'
$%ello (errys mother.' *ar dropped down into a crouch. $/isten. Theres something in the middle of
that damn pipe thats stopping the probe. I cant get it to go any further.'
$%ang on mother.' (erry put the phone on her chest. $.o whats the plan+' .he watched *ars face,
which had liberal streaks of grime on it. $Is there any way to clear whatever the obstruction is+ 3an
you get inside the pipe anywhere+'
$I can.' *ar said. $But it means Ive got a good chance of ripping up what ever elses in there. I think
its a damn cable tie thats blocking it.'
$" cable tie+++'
$,eah.' *ar sat down and braced her elbows against her knees, grimacing. $I feel like such crap.'
(erry gazed compassionately at her. $I wish I could give you a hug, hon, but I dont think this a&le
grease being all over you is going to make you feel any better.' .he put the phone back to her ear.
$.orry, mother. *id you say someone was attacked+'
$I can see youre very busy (erry. I will be glad to fill you in later, if you want. 4lease go take care of
poor *ar. .he sounds terrible.' %er mother said. $I have another call to take, so we can speak later.'
$9kay. Ill call you when Im somewhere more comfortable.' (erry promised. $Goodbye.' .he closed
the phone and clipped it back on her pocket to free her hand, which she then put on *ars leg. $3able
tie+'
$,eah.' *ar repeated, gazing at her dirt covered hands glumly. $9ne of the big half inch ones, turned
sideways.'
(erry pictured it and made a face. $%ow in the hell do we get past that+ 0hy the hell would someone
put it in there, anyway+'
$-igured nothing else would need to go in the pipe I guess, or it twisted.. who the hell knows.' *ar
sighed. $Maybe if I can find a rod long enough, I can put some kind of edge on it and cut through it.'
.he blinked a few times. $I tried to find an outside hatch or something.. anything, to bring the cable
through somewhere else but I couldnt.'
(erry eased her arm out of the pipe, her skin covered in black goo. .he sat up and fle&ed her fingers,
looking around with a vague sense of despair. The light was )ust a bare fluorescent fi&ture, a pale,
dim glare that hurt her eyes and made the metal space even more depressing. $*ar, Im sorry.'
$-or what+' Tired blue eyes regarded her.
$.orry I cant )ust make this better.' (erry admitted. $.orry were here. .orry we cant )ust leave and
go rest.'
$Me too.' *ar agreed. .he rested in silence a moment more, then she started hauling herself to her
feet. $:ason+' .he called into the hallway. $,ou back+'
$,es, maam.' 9ne of the techs appeared immediately. $0e measured the rope you threw over to the
pier, and weve got enough cable, maam. ,ou want me to tie the end of the rope to the end of the
fiber+ :ohn found a hardware store too, so hes going to go get some fle&ible ducting.'
*ar paused, one hand on the metal doorsill. $%e found a hardware store near here+'
:ason nodded his tow, curly head. $/ittle place. 5ot like a %ome *epot or anything, but they got stuff.'
%e glanced over at (erry who was carefully keeping her greased up forearm away from her clothing.
$0ow. That looks gross.' %e blurted, then looked abashed. $.orry maam.'
$It does look gross.' (erry agreed. $I feel like a plumber on a bad day.'
$:ason.' *ar spoke, suddenly, her eyes a trifle unfocused. $Tell :ohn to get to that hardware store. Get
a metal rod, long as he can find, and a stick soldering iron, the narrowest one they have. 4lus a spool
of metal wire.'
$7h.' :ason pulled a small pad out of the back pocket of his khakis and started scribbling on it. $"
metal rod, maam+ %ow big+'
$%alf inch. If they dont have rods, get the narrowest conduit they have.' *ar said. $#ight or twelve
foot length if you can get it.'
$Gotcha, maam.' :ason nodded. $"nd you want a soldering iron+'
$" soldering iron.' *ar confirmed. $"nd a @Q or @H gauge e&tension cord at least twenty five feet long.
Got that+' .he asked. $"nd a bar of soap.'
$Got it.' :ason trotted off. $5ot sure what I got, but well get it. Be right back.'
*ar went to the open hatch and perched on the edge, taking in a breath of diesel tinged brackish
water air, letting her hand drop to rest on the coil of rope. .he glanced up as (erry came over to )oin
her. $7gh.'
$7gh.' (erry sorted through *ars hair, pulling it out from under her collar and riffling it in the light
breeze coming through the hatch. /ooking up the river this way, everything looked so normal. .he
could see the other piers, all old and rusted, and the buzz of activity on the rooftop parking of the
furthest one down that was the emergency center.
" few small boats moved !uietly past, police boats, with slowly flashing lights. They were too far
away to see the two figures in the opening, but they cruised past, obviously watchful. In the distance,
the air was hazy and from the right she could hear the sounds of the city in a muted way.
:ason finished tying the rope to the cable, and waved at them. %e stood by the spool, and started
unwinding it as *ar sighed and stood up again, taking hold of the rope and starting to haul it in.
$0atch it.'
(erry took a step back, holding her grease covered arm out to one side and out of the way. $0ant
more "dvil+'
$,es.' *ar stolidly coiled the rope as it came in, making a neat circle on the deck. $4lease.'
0ith a nod, (erry turned and headed out of the small space, glad herself to take a break and stretch
her legs. .he moved down the hallway and into the hangar deck again, aware of the slowly fading
light as the sun edged towards the west and left the outside in a haze of blue.
.he entered the small office like room theyd stored their bags and gear in. It had a desk against the
wall, and filing cabinets on either side. The furniture was functional but plain, and there were
banners on the wall celebrating the many functions and trials the Intrepid had gone through.
$7gh.' (erry paused, as she remembered not to touch her bag with her right hand. .he opened the
latches with her left, and fished inside the leather sack, finding her bottle of "dvil and pulling it out.
.he removed her bottle of water along with it, and latched the bag shut again, turning to head back
out of the room.
%er cell phone rang. .he almost reached for it, then stopped again, and cursed. $.on of a..' .he went
back to the desk and put the bottles down, then grabbed the phone. $(erry .tuart.'
$%ey, (erry. Its Mark.'
3ould be good, could be bad. $%ey, Mark. 0hats up+' (erry sat down on the edge of the desk. $0ere
making some progress here in case anyones asking on the call. $ .he wrinkled her nose at the smell
of the a&le grease.
$They found our two guys here.'
(erry felt her own breathing stop. The tone of Marks voice held more e&planation than any words
could have, and she bit the inside of her lip, feeling a deep pang of loss for these unknown to her
techs that had, at some level, traced up an org chart to her name. $I see.'
$They were in that part that got hit.' Mark added, after a moments silence. $"bout all they could
identify were their badges.'
9h my god. $Im sorry, Mark. *id you know them well+' (erry wasnt really sure of what to say, or
really, of what she was saying, It sounded )ust like random words.
$I didnt. The guys here did though.' Mark sounded somber. $*annys pretty trashed. I sent them off
to hang out for a while. My guys are handling the stuff.'
(erry e&haled heavily. $9kay.' .he said. $%ave you told Mariana yet+ $
$5o. 3alled you first.'
9nly right. $.end me their names.' (erry said. $Ill call her. 0ell get the process started.' .he felt
profoundly sad. D"nd contact their families.'
$9kay. 0ill do.' Mark said. $.orry to bring such totally suckage news. .tuffs going pretty good here
otherwise. 0e got a few more circuits in. Those telco guys really helped.'
$Good.' (erry murmured. $Glad to hear that, anyway. /et me get hold of Mari so she can get the ball
rolling. I know she was sending some people here to talk to the staff, I want to make sure she sends
some folks there too.'
$9kay boss.' Mark said. $Talk to you later.'
(erry closed her phone and simply sat there for a few minutes. The senselessness of it all
overwhelmed her, and she closed her eyes, sparing a bit of her soul and thinking of the split second of
terror and heat and pain the techs must have suffered.
There was no sound, no indication of any one approaching, but (erry was suddenly aware of *ars
close presence, and she opened her eyes )ust as her partners hand touched her cheek and she looked
up at her in !uestion.
$%ad a feeling you needed me.' *ar said bluntly. D0hats wrong+'
(erry leaned against her touch. $%umanity.' .he answered. $I think the whole fucking species
sometimes is )ust one big screw up.'
*ar ignored her grease covered arm and settled against her anyway, putting an arm around her
shoulders and pulling her close. $4resent company e&cluded.'
(erry turned and buried her face against *ars shoulder, allowing herself that little time out before
the nightmare continued to roll on.
;;
"ndrew studied the small bit of cardboard in his hand as he maneuvered down a steep set of stairs
bracketed by old fashioned brass railing. %e got to the bottom of the steps and was pleased to find a
train waiting, its doors open. $-igure thats the one.'
$,oure probably right.' "lastair agreed. $"nd with the bridges and tunnels still tied up, this is the
fastest way to get where we need to be. *amn nice to have rapid transit thats both, isnt it+'
"ndrew made a low grunting sound. %e led the way into the train and they found a couple of seats
near the front, with enough room for "ndrews long legs and got themselves settled. $%ope them
kids are getting on all right.' %e said.
"lastair folded his hands over his stomach. $,ou know, I dont think of them as kids.'
$,ou aint their father.'
$Thats very true.' The I/. 3#9 admitted. $Ive got my own handful back home, but Ill tell you what,
theyre nothing compared to yours.'
"ndrew chuckled and sat back, tapping his thumbs together in front of him. $%ow many you got+'
$Threee.' "lastair responded promptly. $Two girls and a boy. Two of them are married, and Ive got
three grandkids.' %e glanced at his traveling companion. $I think *ar said she was an only child+'
9ne grizzled eyebrow twitched, as "ndrew peered back at him. $"h do believe that one was
sufficient.' %e paused, as the doors closed, and the train prepared to leave the station. $Though mah
wife and I did think about another, it was tough on her.'
$"h.' "lastair nodded. $My daughter had trouble with her first. %e was born breech.'
$0all.' "ndy glanced out the window as the train moved through the underground tunnels that
burrowed into Manhattan island and into 4enn station. $*ar came right way round, but wasnt no
small baby and mah wife aint big.' %e glanced down at his long legs. $I do believe thats likely mah
fault.'
$*ar does take after you, no doubt.' "lastair agreed. $.pitting image, matter of fact. I remember
meeting you the first time and being struck by that.' %is 4*" chirped, and he removed it from his
pocket, opening it to review. $#&cuse me.'
"ndrew was content to turn his head and watch the windows change from underground darkness to
the late afternoon light. %e was glad they were off doing something useful, though it was possible
they could have done some good back at the flattop.
%e pulled the list of things from his pocket and studied them again. They appeared to be something
like electrical parts to him but he figured *ar certainly knew what she was looking for. %e watched
the landscape go by for a moment more, then he removed his cell phone from his pocket and opened
it.
There were only a few numbers in the speed dial, and he selected one and keyed it in, putting the
phone to his ear and waiting for it to be answered. $/o there.'
$"h, my husband.' 3eci replied. $0here are you+'
$5other damn train.' "ndrew said. $Goin out to get *ar some special cables and some such. 0hat are
you up to+'
$0ell.' 3eci said. $Believe it or not, my family called to find out either if we were all right, or if we
were part of the insurrection, hard to say. My sister sends her regards.'
"ndrew made a slightly snorting noise.
$0ell, she does.' %is wife responded mildly. $%ows *ar and (erry doing+'
$Them kids are having a time.' "ndrew said. $"h dont think *ars feeling well, and everbodys
chewing a piece of them all over. Makes mah eyeballs itch.' %e grumbled. $4eople here are pretty
shook up though. Bad stuff.'
$I saw on T1.' 3eci murmured. $"ndy, you stay away from that place, okay+ Theyve still got buildings
falling down around everywhere and I dont want you near any of them.'
$5o problem.' "ndrew said. $6ight now me and th2 *ars boss are on this here train heading for
/ong Island. "int nothing keeling over out there, and *ars over at that old flattop off the %udson
fussing with them bolts and nuts there.'
3eci chuckled wryly. $5o matter what the situation, she ends up with the 5avy.'
$#h.' %er husband smiled briefly. $Got salt water in her even if she didnt end up no swab.' There
was something of that he was happy with. The sea had been a passion of his since the first time hed
seen it, opening wide in front of him after an eternally long two months in basic training up at Great
/akes.
%uge. Beautiful. -ull of deep greens and blues and rich with salt like nothing ever before in his life
had been back in "labama. %ed loved everything about it, even the rough motion in weather, and
the agonizingly small amount of space hed been assigned for someone his size.
-inding his daughter with the same love in her heart had charmed him and some of the best times
when *ar was growing up had centered around the beach, and the sea and the underwater world
they all shared.
$.he certainly does.' 3eci interrupted his musing. $But thats not helping her there now. "nything we
can do from here+ 3an I use my none&istent family influence and insult someone for her+ Browbeat
some government official+ 9ffer to paint the president in the nude+ 0ait. .cratch that one.'
"ndrew chuckled in refle&. $,all do say the damnedest things.'
$Its hard being here and )ust watching.' 3eci admitted. $"t least youre there on trains getting
gizmos. "ll I can do here is watch 355 and try to imagine what scandal Miamill be involved in ne&t in
this whole thing. ,ou know that airport *ar landed in was where all those terrorists trained in.'
$"h heard.'
$I feel like theyre going to close the border at 9rlando.'
"ndy chuckled again. $,ou )ust keep your head down there on *ars island. 0ell fi& this )oint up best
we can and head back soon as were able.' %e promised. $Got to go now. "h think this trains fi&ing to
tunnel again.'
$3all me back later, sailor boy.'
$,es maam. Gbye.' "ndrew shut the phone and leaned back, tapping it against his knee as his brow
furrowed into a frown. $(now what+' %e addressed "lastair. $This here world surely does suck
sometimes.'
"lastair looked up from his 4*". $.ure does.' %e answered after a brief pause. $0ish we could )ust
find another one sometimes.'
;;
(erry removed the contents of the brown paper bag and set them down on the piece of metal wall
near where *ar was working. They were up on the second level now, in the space where the cable
would have to come up.
There was no opening in the space save the small oval door hatches, and it was close inside, full of the
scent of grease and silicon. "gainst one wall was a large patch cabinet, painted to match the inside of
the ship with thick coats of paint. The door to it was open, e&posing a plethora of connections, and
there was already a shunt opened in the side to receive the new cable.
*ar was standing near the wall where the pipe emerged, a long piece of thin conduit in her hand, and
a soldering iron in the other. $/ets see.'
(erry set out the various supplies, glad shed taken the time to go and get most of the grease off her
skin so it wasnt getting all over the place. .he could still smell it though, and cast a brief, wistful
thought towards a nice long shower with lots of soap to scrub with.
*ar leaned the pipe against the wall and concentrated on the soldering iron, using a tiny screwdriver
from the techs tool kit to unfasten the plastic grip and remove it. .he e&perimentally fit it into the
end of the pipe, glancing up as :ason stuck his head in the hatchway. $I think thisll work.'
:ason eyed her. $,es maam.' %e responded dubiously. $If you say so. Is there something else we can
do in the meantime+ "ny prep we can do for the fiber guy+'
*ar looked around. $I need some @@A in here. 3an you rig that while Im duct tape and twining us into
a solution for this pain in the ass problem+'
$.ure.' :ason disappeared.
(erry took the opportunity to sidle closer. $0hat are you doing with that, hon+'
$Trying to resist the urge to bash it against the wall.' *ar responded. $Its probably good theyre
leaving us alone in here. ,oure the only person I want around me right now.'
6esponding to the compliment, (erry pressed her cheek against *ars shoulderblade, then kissed it.
*ar put the pipe back against the wall and looked at the plug of the soldering iron, holding it up
against the opening. It was obviously too big to fit inside. .he went over to the makeshift shelf and
pawed among the supplies. $I need wire nuts.'
$0ire nuts.' (erry repeated. $Is that something I need to send the guys back for+'
$5o.' *ar removed a pair of cutters from the toolbo&. $Ill )ust tape the damn thing.' .he cut the end of
the plug off, then she removed the e&tention cord from its wrapping and cut the female end of that
off as well.
(erry merely stood back and watched, her arms folded across her chest.
0ith the cutters, *ar clipped the cord in the middle of the two wires that made it up, and pulled the
ends apart. Then she stripped the ends off, e&posing the copper. .he then repeated the process on
the end of the cable connected to the soldering iron.
.etting the cutters down, she took one of the ends from each cable and twisted it together, taking a
piece of the duct tape and wrapping it around the ends. .he repeated the act with the other end,
then she wrapped all of it together into a neat bundle. $There.'
$9kay.' (erry glanced at the pipe. $*id you want to put that through the pipe there before you
connected that+ 3ause the other end won2 sorry, sweetheart.'
*ar was banging her head gently against the metal wall.
$,ou did such a pretty )ob though.' (erry picked up the other end of the e&tention cord and e&amined
it. $,ou can do that with this end too if we cut it off, right+'
$I want ice cream.' *ar said, on the tail end of a long sigh.
$Me too. .hould I cut this off though+ I got the idea.' (erry picked up the cutters. $,ou want to put the
cable down that pipe, then plug it in, right+'
$6ight.'
(erry clipped the plug off and retrieved the pipe, carefully threading the end of the cord through it
and pushing it down. .he continued until she got to the taped part, which she wiggled in and coa&ed
onward, glancing at the bottom of the pipe and smiling as she saw the end of the cord emerge.
$There.'
*ar fitted the soldering iron into the end of the pipe and took the tape, strapping the device in as
tightly as she could. $Thanks.' .he eyed (erry. $My brains a little off right now.'
(erry walked to the other end of the pipe and drew the cable out. It e&tended a good foot outside, and
she took the cutters, neatly cutting the end and pulling it apart as shed seen *ar do.
#lectrical work was definitely not a general part of her skill set. In fact, she hadnt thought it was part
of *ars since her partner had contacted electricians on the few occasions they had issues either at
the condo or the cabin.
%owever, this seemed simple enough. .he picked up the plug shed cut off and split the ends there,
then looked at it. $*ar, does it matter which one connects to what+'
$9ne of the cables has a white line.' *ar answered. $0hite to white. Brown to brown.'
$9h.' (erry e&amined the cable, and proceeded. $3ool.'
They worked in silence for a few minutes, until *ar had the soldering iron fastened to her
satisfaction. Then she set the pipe aside, coming over to (errys end to watch her finish taping the
ends of the cable. $Good )ob.'
$-irst time Ive ever done that.' (erry admitted. $5ow what+'
$5ow we wait for @@A power.' *ar carefully leaned the conduit against the wall. $Then we plug that
in, I stick the pole down the pipe, and with any luck, I use the soldering iron to melt the cable tie.'
(erry studied the pipe, then turned to look at her partner. $*ar, thats really ingenious.'
$Thanks.' *ar sat down on a metal shelf. $I could have tried to shear through it with a blade, but
chances are Id cut through some of the damn cabling in there and thats the last thing we need.' .he
e&haled as her partner came over and put her arms around *ars neck, cradling the side of her face
and kissing her on the cheek. $Mm.'
$,oure so damn smart.' (erry whispered in her ear. $I wanna be you when I grow up.'
*ar let her forehead rest against (errys collarbone. $(now what I want+'
$More "dvil+'
$That or a gun.' *ar sighed. $3ause I dont think this days ever going to end.'
;;
It was full dark by the time their train pulled back into 4enn .tation, halting with a )erk and a screech
and the hiss of hydraulic doors preparing to open.
$0ell.' "lastair stood up and opened the storage bin over the seats. $That wasnt so bad.'
$5ope.' "ndrew also stood, stretching out his long frame before he carefully lifted a bo& from in front
of his feet and cradled it. $Glad that place wasnt but a minute from the train. That feller was looking
to close up on us.'
$0asnt very friendly was he+' "lastair agreed. %e pulled down another big brown sack and followed
"ndrew as he stepped off the car and back into the lower levels of 4enn .tation.
$:ackass.' "ndrew grunted. $/ike he was doin us a favor selling this stuff. $ %e paused to let a woman
with a large child stroller move past, then continued.
$Then asking twenty !uestions about what were doing to do with it.' "lastair frowned. $0hat in the
hell did he think we were going to do with it+ Install fiber optics in our hotel room+'
$:ackass.'
It was a bit !uieter now, the rush hour )ust getting passed, and when they climbed up the brass lined
stairs to the concourse there seemed to be more 5ational Guard in the area than passengers, a
number of the guard with large dogs on leashes nearby.
#veryone looked a little nervous, walking by. But the dogs merely sat there, tongues lolling, waiting
to be called into whatever action they were apparently trained for.
"t least it was less chaos. "lastair tucked the bag of gewgaws under his arm and was glad of the noise
reduction. %e gave the guardsmen a pleasant smile as they crossed the open concourse and headed
for the hallway that would take them eventually to the escalator and outside.
$/ong day.' %e commented, as they entered the main part of the station, a large, high ceilinged space
with several branch corridors and plenty of signage pointing to trains and subways in three different
directions.
$Got that right.' "ndrew agreed, as they headed up another hall. %e glanced to one side, then paused.
$Goin to get me a hot dog. ,ou want one+' %e indicated a shop to one side.
"lastair looked past him, to a cluttered gathering of fast food mar!uees, all crammed into one low
ceilinged space. $0hy, sure.' %e said. $Been a long time since lunch.'
"ndrew went inside and set his bo& down on a table near the hot dog counter. %e removed his wallet
from his back pocket and advanced on the woman behind the counter, turning his head as he
stopped. $,ou want one with all them things on it+'
"lastair set his bag down on the bo& and pondered the menu. $3hili dog.' %e said. $Might as well
hold up my end of the Te&as stereotype.'
$Gimme two of them there things, and some taters, and a couple of cokes.' "ndrew addressed the
woman.
The woman studied him. $,ou want two chili dogs, -rench fries, and two sodas+' .he hazarded a
guess.
$,eap.'
$5o problem.' The woman turned to take care of the order, leaving "ndrew to loiter in front of the
desk. 5ear the back, a man was starting to clean up, putting chairs up on tables to sweep under
them, carefully avoiding the two tables of guardsmen finishing up their dinner.
"ndrew briefly pondered bringing some dogs back for *ar and (erry, then figured theyd be stone
cold before they got out there, and a mess to boot. %e turned and leaned against the counter, folding
his arms over his chest.
"listair took a seat and rested his elbows on his knees. #nding up having a chili dog in a train station
didnt even seem odd after the last few daysN he could barely even remember how the morning had
started and he found he was mostly looking forward to some kind of success before the night ended.
%e suspected there would be one. *ar generally created success, which was one of the reasons he
trusted her the way he did. %e also suspected she was probably waiting on their return, but he
figured a five minute stop for hot dogs probably wouldnt skew the pitch one way or the other.
%is cell phone was off. %e intended it to remain that way until they were back at the port, when there
was some chance he could actually report on whatever status whatever politician on the other end
was asking for.
6ight now, tired as he was, he gained a glimmer of understanding of the undisguised sigh of
e&asperation that *ar sometimes uttered when she was being hounded for something. .ometimes,
you could )ust do what you could do, when you could do it.
$%ere.' "ndrew handed him a cardboard bo&, which had a hot dog and a paper dish of fries in it, with
a little plastic pseudo fork poked in them. $-igure thats good as any till we finish up.' %e took a seat
at the table and bit into his dog.
"lastair followed suit, tilting his head )ust a bit as he realized the guardsmen were watching them
from the corner of his eye. %e wondered if they looked particularly suspicious or something. %e
glanced at both himself and "ndrew, then at their burdens, which hed shifted carefully to the floor
so they could eat on the table.
%m. Two guys, in a train station, with a brown bo& and a brown bag full of electrical parts, and one of
the guys was wearing combat boots and a face full of scars. %e watched the guardsmen in his
peripheral vision, as they all started looking their way and whispering.
"ndrew shifted a little, so that he was facing "lastair and could see over his shoulder. %is eyebrows
hiked up a little.
"lastair took another bite of his hotdog. $5ot bad.' %e commented, wiping his lips on a lurid napkin
and )ust hoping the guard would find some other thing to interest them.
$.allright.' %is companion agreed. $Two things I always did like teat round here is hot dogs and
pizza pie.' %e said. $%ad liberty here once and mah whole .#"/ team went and got us ten of them
big pies and nearly got ourselves sick to death with it. .till like it though.'
The I/. 3#9 chuckled. $%ave to say when I was in the "rmy, the most interesting place we ended up
having liberty in was -argo, 5orth *akota. Those people know how to party, Ill say that.' %e thought
the conversation had died down over at the other table, but didnt want to be obvious and look.
$"rmy, huh+' "ndrew gave him a wry grin.
$Im from Te&as. Its a family tradition.' "lastair admitted. $Granddaddy was in, daddy was in, I did
the 69T3 rounds in college2I kept it to one hitch, though. "fter that I decided I liked climbing the
corporate ladder better than the one in the obstacle course.' %e finished off the last bite of his hot
dog and poked among the wedge cut fries, selecting one with the little forklet and tasting it. $0hat
made you pick the 5avy+'
$*idnt like hiking around with them big old packs.' "ndrew said. $"nd ah figured at the least Id
learn me to swim in the 5avy. *ont do that much in "labama.' %e paused, studying a fry. $0anted
to see something but dirt roads and candy assed rednecks.'
"lastair glanced casually over at the guardsmen, who were now studiously looking in another
direction. $I got to see a little bit of (orea.' %e mused. $Then I got posted in Italy and Belgium. That
wasnt so bad. $
"ndrew stood and took his cardboard tray over to the trash and disposed of it. %e glanced at the
guardsmen as he finished. $/o there, you all.'
$%ello.' The one nearest him nodded respectfully. $.omething you need from us+'
$5ope.' "ndrew shook his head. $%ope you all have a good night now.' %e returned to the table and
picked the bo& back up while "lastair disposed of his tray, and came back to )oin him. They e&ited
the food stop and headed across the concourse towards the e&it.
$,know, I dont think I ever heard you mention what you did in the 5avy before.' "lastair
commented, giving his taller companion a sideways look.
"ndrew chuckled a bit. $*idnt want them fellers asking me what all was in these here bo&es cause I
dont have not one )ack clue what it is.' %e admitted. $-iggured if I started flapping my )aw about
what I done theyd mind themselves.'
$"nd they did.' "lastair clapped him on the back. $Good decision. Because frankly, though I paid for
em, and I can pronounce the names, damned if I know what this stuff is either.' They got to the
escalator and rode it up, passing from the claustrophobic concourse into the street that was !uieter
than they e&pected, in a city that now seemed e&hausted in a strange kind of way.
$Ta&i8' "lastair waved one down. $/ets see what your kids have gotten us into.' %e handed his bag
to the driver, who set it in the trunk along with "ndrews bo&. $"nd if were very lucky, its beer
time.'
$0ont be luck.'
$5ot with your kid, no. ,oure right. It sure wont'
;;
$9kay, hang on.' (erry wriggled under the pipe again and got her eyeball to where she could see up
it, poking her slim flashlight into the space and turning it on. $.ee that+'
$Got it.' *ars voice came down tinnily to her. $Get your face out of the way in case something comes
shooting out of this damn pipe.'
$,es, grandma.' (erry edged over so she could keep the light in place, but removed most of her head
from the danger zone.
.he could hear *ar maneuvering the pipe into place overhead, and )ust as she reached up to scratch
her nose, a big clump of pipe crud came tumbling down to land near her ear. .he could hear a soft
curse, and in the tone, she sensed her partners frustration both with the tedious pro)ect and the
cramps she was still suffering from.
*ar wasnt usually that unlucky. (erry suspected it was the stress of the situation that was tying her
up into knots and making her monthly cycle worse than usual, and she herself had the same thing to
look forward to any minute now.
$9kay, Im heating up the iron.' *ar called down.
$Go for it, babe.' (erry tapped lightly on the pipe with her flashlight. .he was tired, and hungry, and
the worst part of it was knowing that even when they finished this crazy )ury rig, all they could do
was pull the cable into place.
They still had to wait for the fiber terminator to come in, and finish the connection so they could get
it working.
(errys nose twitched, as she smelled the odd scent of heating metal. .he peeked up the pipe and saw
a hint of motion in her flashlights glare, now outlining the blockage that was preventing the cable
from passing.
.ure enough, the light reflected off dusty white plastic, a zip tie wrapped around the cables already in
the pipe, its end e&tending across and bending against the far pipe wall. (erry could )ust see the tip
of the soldering iron approaching the tie and she had to smile again at the ingenuity of her partner.
0ho would have thought of using a soldering iron+ .he was pretty sure she wouldnt have. (erry
pondered a moment as to what she would have done, given the limited options they had. 7sed a
knife on a stick+
5ot try getting it through+
0ould she have gotten someone, a construction worker, to come in and cut through the pipe so she
could access it+
$0atch out.' *ar warned. $Im about to start melting things.'
(erry gazed bemusedly up at her overprotective spouse. $9kay, Im clear.' .he edged her head out of
the way, cocking her ears as she heard *ar curse again. .he felt sorry for the two techs, trapped in
the small space with her irritated partner. $#asy honey. 0ere almost done.'
.he could smell burning plastic. $I think you got it, *ar. I can smell it.'
$Maybe thats my brain cells frying.' *ar responded, her voice echoing softly.
Grumpy grumpy. (erry licked her lips, and peeked up the pipe again, seeing a wisp of smoke
showing in the light. " moment later, the tip of the soldering iron )erked to one side, and a piece of
curled, blackened white plastic plummeted down and smacked her flashlight before she )erked her
hand out of the way and it landed on the ground. $%ey8 Its out8'
$0ooeffing hoo.' *ar grunted, soft clanking noises and dust bunnies issuing down the pipe as she
removed her makeshift tool. $Im going to send the pull cable down.'
(erry removed the flashlight and shut it off, laying there !uietly and en)oying the cool breeze from
the opening, resisting the urge to close her eyes. .he could hear the cable snaking its way down the
conduit, and a moment later, the 6:HC end covered in tape plonked its way onto the metal deck near
her head. $,ay8'
.he got up and took hold of the cable, pulling it gently until about two feet of it was outside the
conduit. Then she turned and took hold of the cable *ar had pulled in through the hatch, carefully
tying the end of the fiber to the #thernet cable and pulling it taut. $*ar+'
$,es+'
(erry )umped, as the voice sounded right behind her head. $,ow8' .he reeled backwards off her
crouch, waving her arms until *ar grabbed hold of her and let her regain her balance. $-or 4etes
sake8'
*ar chuckled tiredly. $/eft the guys up there to haul this thing up. I vote we go and get something
hot to eat, and a beer.'
(erry stopped moving and slumped back against her. $7ngh. I love you.'
$/ikewise.' *ar hugged her, then let her go. $-eed the wire up there, and lets haul. Maybe by the
time we get back, our fiber manll be here, and well be in the home stretch.'
(erry eased the end of the fiber into the pipe, and *ar knocked against it. "fter a moment, it started
to move, snaking its way slowly up from its pile of coils on the floor up through the pipe to the
second level.
*ar watched it, and dusted her hands off. $Things are looking up.' .he said. $0e might get outta here
tonight.'
$4iece of cake now.' (erry agreed. $"ll we need is some ends.' .he )umped a trifle as her end was
smacked, and scooted for the door. $It should go smoothly now, right+'
$6ight.'
;;;;
*ar was glad enough to feel the springiness of the gangway under her feet as she preceded (erry
towards the pier. "round her, the city seemed muted, sounds of sirens audible and the soft roar of
traffic only barely so.
.he could smell the pungent scent of the water, but above that, on the wind now blowing from the
sea, she could smell the burning, acrid scent of destruction, and the taint left a strange taste on the
back of her tongue.
The darkness hid the billow of smoke still emerging from the Trade 3enter site, but if she looked up,
and off to the horizon, she could see the stars being obscured by it.
$.o where do we go from here+' (erry asked, her hands tucked inside the pockets of her )acket. $"ll
we need is the terminations, right+' .he caught up to *ar and walked alongside her, their steps
sounding an odd echo as they moved off the gangway and onto the concrete pier.
$6ight.' *ar said. $"nd to integrate the datastream, but thats trivial compared to everything else on
the physical layer.'
(erry removed one hand from her pocket and tucked it through *ars elbow. $,ou sound so se&y
when you talk like that.'
$(erJry.' *ar gave her a sideways look.
$3mon hon. I have to take my fun where I can find it tonight.' (erry responded wryly. $/ets walk
down to that bar you mentioned, and see if we can get some nasty bar food or a pizza and a beer.
%ell, Id even take a hot dog right now.'
$Me too.' *ar e&haled, feeling some of the tension in her unwind. The last big hurdle was done, and
she was actually looking forward to finishing out this particular task and getting on with the much
larger one ahead.
They walked along the pier towards the gates, which now had some lurid, orange lights outlining the
guard vehicles blocking the way. "s they got closer to the gates, the sounds of arguing voices were
heard, though, and they stepped up the pace by silent accord.
$%ope thats not dad out there.' (erry muttered. $I thought those guys were okay with us.'
$If it was dad, they wouldnt be yelling.' *ar responded. $/ets see whats going on.'
They got to the gates, and ducked through the opening to find a half circle of armed guardsmen facing
off against three young men in )eans and windbreakers. "ll were carrying backpacks. Two of them
were tow headed and fair skinned, the third was dark skinned, and had black, straight hair.
The guardsman in charge, a different man than when theyd entered, was on a radio, giving the trio
dark looks as he talked into it. $5ot sure what to do with these guys, sir.' %e said, )ust audible to
them. $Theyve got all kinds of tools and some crazy story.'
$7h oh.' (erry slowed. $Maybe we should stay back.'
*ar hesitated, taking in the angry stances and the weapons and almost decided (erry was right, until
their forward motion took them into the floodlights and the young men spotted them.
They werent familiar to her, but apparently she was familiar to them, because the look of relief on all
three faces was almost comical.
$Ms. 6oberts8' The closest one called out. $Tell these guys not to shoot us8'
$Then again, maybe not.' (erry released *ars arm and followed her into the light. $/ooks like theyre
ours. Marks guys, probably.'
$4robably.' *ar sighed, continuing past the trucks towards the crowd. $*ont shoot, gentlemen.'
The guard in charge turned, startled to find them emerging behind them. $%oly shit hang on.. Ive got
some people inside here.. $ %e pulled the radio from his mouth. $0ho are you people+ 0hat are you
doing inside that gate+'
$.omeone didnt leave handover notes.' (erry sighed. $:esus.'
$5ow I wish it was my father out here.' *ar grimaced. $9kay, hold it everyone. /ets )ust discuss this
before people start getting hurt.' .he said. $/et me start from the beginning.'
$/et me start from the beginning.' The guard captain said. $/ets see some identification from you
people.'
7h oh. (erry removed her identification case from her pocket and stepped forward, holding the
leather case out to the man. $9kay, heres mine. 0eve been in here since this afternoon, one of your
colleagues allowed us in after he checked us out with the Mayors office.'
$0hat+' The man grabbed her folio and glanced at it. $5o one said anything about people being
inside there. 0ho are you people+'
$Im sorry if they didnt leave you word.' (erry said, in a calm voice. $But we came in here around
three oclock. 0eve been working inside the ship this whole time.' .he took a step closer to him,
aware of *ars alert presence at her back. $0e dont want to cause you trouble. These people here
are employees of ours.'
$Boy, were glad to see you, Ms. .tuart.' The tech said. $They sent us from 0ashington. They said you
needed us.'
$.hut up.' The guardsman ordered. $Go stand over there, both of you. I dont know who you are, and
Im not buying some crazy story that you got let in here earlier. *ont you people know whats been
going on around here+'
*ar )ust walked past him, catching (errys arm as she went and gently hauling her along with her.
.he stopped where the techs were, all of them visibly rela&ing. $,ou our fiber boys+'
$,es, maam.' The talkative one said. $Im .haun *urhan, this is Mike Thomas, and (annan
Barishmorthy.'
*ar had her hands in her pockets, and was regarding them mildly. $*ar 6oberts.' .he finally said,
then glanced to her left. $(erry .tuart.'
The men all blushed a little. $,eah, we knew that.' .haun said. $Glad you came out here. They were
really starting to hassle us, especially (annan.'
*ar glanced at the third man, her brows contracting. $(annan+' .he knew the name, vaguely. Mark
had spoken well of him, she remembered, one of their %@B 1isa candidates she recalled signing off
on. $0hy+'
$They often )oke that some people do not understand geography.' (annan said, in a !uiet voice.
$%owever I did think most knew the difference between the Middle #ast and India.'
$*ont count on it.' (erry glanced behind her, where the guardsman had now taken her identification
and ducked inside his command car with it, and his radio. $My mother said theyd been e&pecting
some problems in Michigan with a backlash.'
$#&pecting+' (annan eyed her. $Maam, there were two men killed already there from my home
country, beaten in their shops from people thinking them "rabs.'
(erry remembered the call earlier, and bit off a curse.
$0ell.' *ar e&haled. $Im sure having a bunch of them living in Miami without being detected didnt
help anything.' .he looked around. $It would be like one of them living here. %ow could you tell+
%alf the cabbies in the damn city come from that part of the world.'
$0ell there.' " new voice approached. $0hat are you folks all doing out here+' "lastair shifted the
bag in his arms. $0aiting for us+'
"ndrew was right behind him with his bo&, glancing alertly around at the guard, the command car,
and the small group waiting outside the gates. $0e got trouble now+' %e came up ne&t to *ar and
cocked his head in !uestion. $%owre you feeling, *ardar+'
$-rustrated.' *ar craned her head around to look at the command car. $,ou can give those things to
these guys. Its their gear.' .he indicated the techs. $,ou three might want to fish through there and
make sure we got everything.'
The techs took possession of the bundles and knelt ne&t to them on the ground, opening up the bag
and peering inside it. $(annan, this is your stuff.' .haun handed it over. $/et me get the bo& open.'
$"h, yes. Thank you so much.' (annan sat down on the ground and removed his pack, swinging it
around and setting it down ne&t to his leg.
$%ey8 0hat are you people doing+' The guard commander circled his truck and approached them.
$0hats going on here+ 0ho are you two+' %e pointed at (annan. $Get those things away from that
guy ? hes one of them8'
$9ne of them what+' (erry turned in confusion. $%es our fiber tech. 0hats wrong with.'
$.hut up. ,oure probably in it with him. "ll of you, a bunch of t2'
(erry got in front of him. $Theyre also part of our company. /ook, cant we )ust call the command
who was here earlier+' .he held up both hands, then realized he wasnt going to stop and couldnt
get out of the way in time before she was shoved hard to one side. $%ey8'
$Get out of my way. ,ou men, over here. Bring that..' The guard commander hauled up short as *ar
suddenly surged into rapid motion, coming right up into his face with her hands raising up into fists.
$0hat the hell do you.. hey8'
*ar had him by the front of his shirt. $,ou stupid little piece of shit.' .he yelled at top volume. $0hat
in the hell do you think youre doing pushing the people who pay your fucking salary around+'
$9% boy.' "lastair moved nervously forward. $This is going to end badly, I can )ust tell.'
The guard reeled backwards, then reached for the gun hanging off his back and started pulling it
around only to find himself lifted up off his feet and shoved through the air back against his truck as
his rifle was taken from his hands in a single, smooth motion. $0hy you..'
$%old 74.' "ndrew barked, taking the safety off the gun and cocking it. $4aladar, you get back.'
*ar took a single step back, her hands at her sides, fingers twitching.
The other soldiers belatedly started forward, only to halt when "ndrew slowly moved his head in
their direction.
$4ut them damn things down.' "ndrew ordered. $"nd you still yourself, mister.' %e addressed the
guard commander. $-ore I shoot you in the nuts and save us all the trouble of you spreading out them
no nothing genes.'
The other guardsmen hesitated, then put their rifles down on the ground and stepped back.
(erry eased forward, and got her hand around *ars arm. $%ey.' .he rubbed her thumb against her
partners heated skin. $Im okay. %es )ust an idiot.'
The guard commander at least had the sense to stay where he was, sitting on the ground with his
back against his truck. $,oure all ending up in )ail.' %e said. $,ou better put that gun down, buddy.
This is no game.'
$5o, it aint.' "ndrew agreed. $Most times when I been holding one of these here things, it werent no
game and not so much as when you cant tell who you got on the other end, a friendly or a target.' %e
stared, unblinking, at the mans face. $/ike now.'
The guard captain went very still, only his breathing evident in the rise and fall of his shirt.
$5ow.' "ndrew said. $These here people are here to do something for the govmint. ,ou are going to
get on that there radio and get your 39 over here, so he splain why you aint letting them do what
they need to do. 6ight now.'
$9kay.' The guard captain held his hands out. $Im )ust trying to do my )ob.'
$5o you aint. That feller there today was doing his )ob. ,ou )ust aint got no sense, and dont want to
listen to nobody.' "ndrew disagreed. $.o get yourself up and get on that comm., for I do it and get
them collar bugs turned to half stripes for you.'
The guard got up and reached in the open window. "ndrew shifted the rifle audibly and he paused,
then slowly pulled his hand out with the radio mouthpiece in it. $3an I ask who you are+'
$5o you may not.' "ndrew told him. $But ah will tell you that if ah dont know someone who will bust
you, ah know someone who knows someone. :ust get on that thing and get someone with a brain
ovah here.'
The man hesitated.
$"nd if you all dont believe that, ahll )ust let mah little girl here beat the tar out of you and take
pitchers.' "ndrew continued mildly, with a straight face.
The guard captain keyed the mic. D%F, %F.. this is %udson Midtown. 9ver.'
$Thought that might do it.' "ndrew turned his head slightly. $,ou kids want to get on back in case
someone does something )ackass here+'
$5o.' *ar replied.
(erry shook her head in agreement, half turning as "lastair eased up ne&t to them. $0ere all )ackass,
right+'
$0ithout !uestion.' "lastair agreed. $Ive never been as )ackass, in fact. But you know, the
3ommander is right. /ets get back a little.'
Both (erry and *ar )ust looked at him.
$5o, huh+'
*ar finally rela&ed, her shoulders easing and her hands uncurling. $/ets see if weve got everything.'
.he gave in, and stepped back from the half ring of uncertain guardsman, and her fathers
threatening, brace legged form.
The techs were all crouched near the ground, eyes wide. $0ow.' .haun muttered, as they )oined the
three of them. $This is getting crazy.'
$Getting+' (annan looked upset, and tense. $5ever have I felt so scared, you know+ Intimidated by
my own nationality being in !uestion. It is terrible. I feel like I am walking target, for people to think
badly of.'
(erry felt her heart finally starting to settle back down in her chest. .he felt a trembling weakness in
her legs and she leaned against *ar for support as much as in comfort. $%e didnt even know who
you are. %e didnt even care.' .he said. $:esus.'
$"sshole.' *ar said, !uietly.
$,ou all right+' (erry murmured, leaning close to her.
*ar didnt answer for a moment, then she e&haled. $0ell.' .he said. $"t least my cramps are gone.'
.he glanced down at (erry. $I )ust saw red.'
(erry bumped her shoulder with her head. Then she looked down at the techs. $(annan, Im sorry. I
know what its like to be )udged on something you dont have control over .' .he knelt ne&t to him.
$Is there something we can do to help with that+ 0e might as well get started, since I think were
stuck here for a little while.'
The techs were willing to be distracted. (annan pulled his bag over and took out a tool kit and set it
on the ground, then removed a handful of bits and pieces from the paper bag. $5ot too much light
here. $ %e looked up at the orange lamps.
$I have a flashlight.' .haun paused, removing it from his pack. $0ant me to hold it+'
$I will.' *ar held her hand out for it. $/ets get done what we can. Then the beers on me.'
The techs smiled timidly at her, and started to get to work. *ar turned the light on and focused it on
the sidewalk with its odd scattering of technical debris, glad of a chance )ust to stand still, the sense
of thrumming anger only slowly fading from her awareness.
(errys shoulder was pressed against her knee. *ar slowly turned her head and stared past her
fathers form, at the soldiers who were staring back at them.
"ssholes.
;;
(erry put her hands on her hips as they listened to the guard commander, casting a glance behind
her where the three techs were now seated in a ring of bright white light from the headlamps of four
guard vehicles.
$/isten, I know how damned crazy this all is.' *ar said. $But you people need to think before you start
wailing away on folks you dont even know did anything.'
$Ms. 6oberts, I understand what youre saying.' The guard commander replied. $But to be honest,
theres no time to think right now. :ust react. I know you know what I mean.'
*ar sighed. "ndrew sighed. "lastair grunted and shook his head.
$Im really sorry we..no, I didnt leave notes for :osh there about you people being inside.' The
commander went on. $I got called out on a bomb threat, and three men were arrested with parts in a
backpack, a lot like what your guys there looked like.'
They turned to look at the three techs, who were working contentedly on the sidewalk. $I mean,
what the hell were they supposed to think with all that+ 0hat is it+ *o we know+ 0ere not
mechanics.' The guard commander asked, plaintively.
$3ommander, we understand.' "lastair spoke up. $,oure )ust trying to get a )ob done, were )ust
trying to get a )ob done. 0ere on the same side, yknow.'
$The guys that did that.' The guard commander pointed in the general direction of the disaster site.
$/ived among us. Tell me how we can trust anyone+' %e let his hand drop. $I cant. I know youre all
right because the Mayors office said so, but those people, coming walking up here, with backpacks
and a wild story, and one of them looking like one of those guys who did that, what can you e&pect+'
*ar e&haled. $(annans from India.' .he said. $Its not even the same continent. "re you telling me
anyone who doesnt look like (erry here is eligible to get shot now+'
The guard commander lifted his hands and let them fall. $I dont know. ,ou hear the news. 4eople are
getting shot and beat up all over because everyones so angry they want to lash out. Me to. 7s to.
Maybe I would shoot someone like him if I had a doubt, if I thought maybe something else was going
to happen. ,eah.' %e answered, honestly. $I would.'
$0ow.' (erry murmured.
$,ou asked.' The commander said. $But anyway, if you say hes okay, these guys are okay, then I have
to go with that because the Mayor says you are okay. But you could be lying.'
$0ere not.' "lastair said. $These people are employees of ours. They have government clearances.'
%e shifted his gaze to *ar slightly, and caught the e!ually slight nod of her head. $0e all do. Thats
how the Mayor knows were all right.
The commander shrugged. $I dont have that information when people are walking towards me. Im
not saying its right, Im not saying people arent going to get hurt in this who are innocent, Im )ust
telling you what the truth is. 0e dont know, and we cant afford to risk erring on the side of caution
anymore.'
They were all briefly silent. $Gotta wonder why the heck were here trying to help then.' "lastair said.
$Because these peoples lives are worth a hell of a lot more than making sure the Mayor has a phone
and a connection to the internet.'
The guard commander now looked a little embarrassed. $"nyhow. Im sorry this happened, Mr.
Mc/ean. Ive talked to :osh, and I made sure everyone in this area knows you people are here. Maybe
they can get some badges or something.. I dont know. I )ust dont know what the answer is right
now.'
.haun had gotten up and now he cautiously approached the group. $Ms. .tuart+'
(erry turned towards him. $%ey. ,ou guys finished prepping+'
%e nodded. $0ere done, and weve got the gear packed up.'
$9kay.' *ar ran her fingers through her hair. $*ad, you want to take (annan back into the ship where
the other guys are waiting and let him get that fiber done, and well go up the ramp to prep the office
side. That work for everyone+'
$0ell send a couple guys in with you )ust in case anyone elses gotten in there.' The commander said.
$5o more screwJups on this end tonight.'
They walked back over to where the techs were packing up, and getting their bags together. 0ith a
faintly an&ious look, (annan followed "ndrew towards the gates, as the rest of them trooped on
towards the ramp leading up to the new offices.
$%e going to be okay, maam+' .haun asked (erry. $%es kind of freaked out about everything.' %e
shifted his pack on his back. $I would be too, I guess.'
$%es in good hands.' (erry told him, feeling a little freaked out herself. $*ars father is a retired 5avy
.eal. Theyre not going to mess with him. /ets )ust get this done, and get the heck out of here. Its
been way too long a day.'
$,es, maam.'
$0onder if theyd deliver pizza to this damn emergency office.' (erry said. $9r Im going to have to
call that damn bus to come down here before I pass out.'
$Maam+'
;;
" pale slice of moonlight peeked through the clouds, illuminating the peeling iron and concrete of the
pier with grudging nobility.
$3an I speak to the governor, please+' "lastair leaned against the railing, his back to the city.
$"lastair Mc/ean here, from I/..'
In front of him, the tarmac of the ports driveway stretched out to either side, separating him from
the front of the pier itself, which was dusty concrete and steel, the glass doors spidered with cracks
and partially plywooded sections.
Behind the doors he could see *ar, her arms crossed over her chest, talking to two men in blue
coveralls. "t a desk )ust inside the door, (erry was perched, likewise talking to two men in guard
uniform.
It was near midnight. %e was e&hausted. "t the moment, he wanted nothing more than to get on a
plane to %ouston and leave all the messy, uncomfortable, gritty details of it all to *ar, and he was
almost too tired to be ashamed of himself for that.
$Mclean+' " voice answered. $That you+'
$It is, governor.' "lastair said. $:ust wanted to tell you, we got your emergency office up. My people
are making the last connections and bringing up systems now.'
$,eah+ "bout time.' The governor said. $,ou people took long enough.'
"lastair e&haled. $0ell, you know, sometimes these things )ust take time.' %e said. $"s you may
realize, its not that easy to get things done in the city right now.'
$Im not looking for e&cuses. :ust get it done.' The man said. $5ow if you dont mind, I have to call the
0hite %ouse. Good night.'
"lastair closed his phone and )uggled it in one hand. Then he walked across the road and into the
terminal, the doors creaking reluctantly open to admit him inside. $%ows it going, folks+'
*ar glanced at him. $:ust waiting for Mark to call me back and confirm the routing integration.' .he
informed him. $But weve got good signal. 0e )ust need to push their routes.'
%er boss nodded sagely, as though he understood what she was saying. $0ell, wish I could say it was
much appreciated by the governor, but I )ust got yelled at for taking too long. %ell with him.' %e said.
$/ets gather our folks up and get out of here, if were done.'
9ne of the coverall suited men put his hands on his hips. $If its any consolation to you, were grateful
as hell to you people for coming in here and getting us going.' %e said. $"ll weve been getting from
the politicos today is pointless )aw flapping.' %e looked cross. $"ll of them in here wanting this,
wanting that, but when its time to throw a little influence around, forgetaboutit.'
"lastair smiled at him. $Thanks.' %e said. $But were used to being abused, arent we *ar+'
*ar rolled her head around and looked at him, one eyebrow hiking up. $Ive had enough abuse for
one day.' .he announced. $The governor can kiss my ass.' .he looked up as (errys cell phone rang
and waited while her partner answered it. $%ope thats Mark.'
(erry gave her a thumbs up.
*ar e&haled, )ust as the two men at the desk started clapping and cheering. $0oo effing hoo.' .he
said. $Its done.'
"lastair studied the two men, who were high fiving each other. The activity in the room, which had
been subdued, now perked up and a flow of workers poured from the break room behind a broken
wooden door, and approached the endless rows of ban!uet tables set up for use.
It was done. 5ow that he stood there and looked at the room, with its peeling steel columns and
dirty walls, it seemed anticlimactic considering the effort and the struggle that theyd gone through.
3razy, after hearing what *ar had done, with a soldering iron, and watching the young technicians
sweat over the tiny glass strands of the fiber in a process so alchemic, he almost felt like hed been
watching some magic rite.
The techs emerged from the break room, and headed towards them. They were smiling, as they
pulled their packs up onto their back and headed for the small group near the door.
$6eady to go back to the hotel+' (erry folded her phone, and clipped it to her belt. $I think were
finished here.' .he tucked her hand around *ars elbow. $I need a drink. -inally.'
$/ets go.' *ar replied !uietly. $Im about done in myself. "lastair+'
%er boss snorted tiredly. $/ady, you got to be kidding me. I was done before sundown.' %e indicated
the door. $I see 4apa 6oberts out there, so lets get ourselves someplace more comfortable.' %e
glanced at the techs. D-ellas, did they make arrangements for you+'
The techs e&changed glances. $I dont think so.' .haun admitted. $They werent really specific about
what we were supposed to do when we finished ? I think they e&pected us to be here all night so
maybe it wasnt a concern.' %e looked shyly at *ar. $0e thought wed have to run the big cable too.'
*ar managed a return smile. $Glad you didnt have to.'
$0ell, cmon with us, then, and well get you sorted out.' "lastair decided. $,ou fellas did a great )ob
tonight, and you deserve a nice bed and a shower, at the least.' %e turned and regarded the door.
$5ow. "s to finding a ta&i.'
$5o problm.' "ndrew had entered, and was loitering near the door. $Them fellers down the ramp
said theyd take us in their truck. "h think theyre )ust trying to poligize.'
$Ill take it.' "lastair shooed them towards the door. $/ets go, troops. .hops closed for the night.' %e
gave the men inside a wave, then followed the group out the door. They turned and started down the
ramp, in the cool dampness of a fall night that despite the late hour, wasnt really all that !uiet.
#mergency sirens still sounded. They could hear trucks on the lower level pulling up and the clank of
forklifts unloading.
*ar let the sounds move past her. .he was almost at a point where she was so tired she wasnt really
cognizant of where she was, and the ability to care about what was going on was fading fast. .he felt
(errys hand clasp hers, and focused on the comfort of the contact, willing the ride to the hotel to be
over and the long day to end at last.
.he was glad, in a distant way, that theyd brought the office up. (nowing the bigger task that faced
them though put this in a meager perspective and she wondered briefly if the governor was
e&pecting them to go right from this to reviewing downtown without a break.
4robably he was. 4robably he could )ust put his head between his legs and kiss is own ass, too. *ar
bumped (erry lightly with her shoulder, smiling tiredly as she was bumped e!ually gently back.
The guard post was now very !uiet, only two of the men standing by the barricade with their rifles,
the rest hunkered down behind the truck, legs sprawled out and a pizza bo& nearby. "s they
approached, the two men on guard alerted the others, and by the time they reached the bottom of the
ramp, the guard captain was there to greet them.
$,ou folks finished up+' %e asked.
$,eap.' "ndrew did the talking for them. $0ere fi&ing to get out of your space now. Got all them
people up there happy, time to move on.'
$:ohn, bring that truck up, give these people a ride to their hotel.' The captain said. $"nd listen, sorry
again about that mi&up earlier, 3ommander. Things are so mi&ed up here, were )ust trying to be
safe.' %e glanced over at *ar. $.o much is going on.'
*ar frankly couldnt have cared less at the point she was at. $5o problem.' .he waved it off. $/ets )ust
get the hell out of here.'
They got in the personnel carrier and it rumbled off, turning onto the roadway and heading for the
nearest cross street, a blinking yellow traffic light fluttering overhead. The driver, leaned on his
wheel and glanced at "ndrew. $0herere we going, sir+'
$*oubletree Metropolitan.' "lastair provided, then he settled back in the hard, bench like seat as the
truck turned and headed east. $Boy. 0hat a day.'
*ar was leaning against the door on the other side of the vehicle, with (erry between them. The
window was shaded, but she was able to look out and see the buildings flow by, blinking lights and
lurid neon decorating the mostly empty streets.
$Ms. 6oberts+' .haun spoke up from the back seat. $.o, are we going to stay and help out with
whatever else is needed tomorrow+ My folks were asking. They Dre kind of nervous Im here.'
*ar stirred herself to some kind of skewed alertness. $,eah.' .he said, after a pause. $Tomorrow we
have to go down to the Trade 3enter site and see what we can do about putting the countrys
financial infrastructure back together.'
.haun leaned forward and put his hand on the back of the seat *ar was in. $-or real+'
(erry half turned her head and nodded at him.
.haun sat back. %e blinked a few times, then e&changed looks with his coworkers. $Im going to tell
my ma youre sending me to 5iagara -alls.'
$1ery good idea.' (annan agreed. $9r maybe to Buffalo, so we can get some wings.'
(erry managed a faint laugh. Then she let her head rest against *ars shoulder and tried to forget the
cramps she was now e&periencing. $Barrel over the falls sounds good right about now.' .he
muttered. $%ope the hotel has room service.'
$They better.' *ar sighed. $They damn sure better.'
;;
They damn sure did. *ar ruffled her hair dry as she emerged from the bathroom, to find (erry
sprawled on the bed with her arm wrapped around a pillow and a cup of rum laced chocolate nearby.
%er forehead had that little wrinkle it got when she was in some discomfort, and *ar fully
empathized with her on that sub)ect.
$7gh.' (erry reached over and picked the cup up, lifting herself up enough to take a sip from it, then
putting it back down. $/ife sucks.'
*ar draped her towel over the chair and climbed into the king sized bed, laying down behind (erry
and slipping one arm over her as she blew gently in her ear. $3ould be worse.'
(erry leaned back against her. *espite her current discomfort, she could appreciate the wonderful
feeling of that solid connection and was very glad she could simply lay here with *ar wrapped
around her and not have to move, or think, or yell at anyone.
0onderful. $0hat a long freaking day.'
$7ltimately a successful one.' %er partner countered. $Im glad we saw that connection through. "t
least we wont have that on our plates tomorrow morning.'
$9nly thing I want on my plate tomorrow morning is some -rench toast.' (erry sighed. $But
somehow I dont think well get that lucky.'
$"dvil kick in yet+' *ar asked, her voice warm with sympathy.
$5ot yet. But I think youre enhancing its attempt.' (erry told her. $Its nice to )ust lay here. Im
trying not to think about having to get out of this bed tomorrow morning and go do what we did
today again only in a much worse place.'
*ar e&haled. $I feel like we busted our asses all day and ended up getting the finger from the city. I
appreciate theyve having a crisis here, but were not the cause of it.'
(erry folded her arm over *ars and e&haled. $,eah. Its a weird attitude. I think its because theyre
)ust so pissed off at what happened, and they cant lash out at the people who did it. .o theyre taking
it out on everyone else.'
$4eh.'
(erry smiled. $%ey, were going around saying were being mean because were having our periods.
3ut them some slack, okay+'
*ar chuckled dryly. $I never needed that as an e&cuse.' .he demurred. $Though it sure didnt help
today. I felt like doing some surgery on myself there for a while.'
(erry grimaced in refle&. $9uch.'
$Mm.'
$*o you think we can get the financial stuff going, *ar+ Is it going to be more of what we had to do
today+ That was kinda nuts.' (erry said, after a brief pause. $I mean2 $ .he went briefly silent. $I
dont know what I mean.'
*ar pulled her a bit closer and felt her eyes drifting shut. $I dont know.' .he answered. $If its as big a
cluster there as I think it is, maybe we dont have to do anything. 9r maybe we have to come up with
some wild ass scheme no ones thought of yet.'
$"h.'
$9r maybe someone else will be brilliant for a change.'
(erry felt her own eyes closing, and she rela&ed against *ars warm body, setting aside the
aggravations of the day and letting them go for the moment. -ar off, she could hear the late night
sounds of the city, but already that too was fading, and before she could take another breath she was
a sleep.
*ar was awake )ust a bit longer, savoring the peace and !uiet after the long day. .he felt (errys body
go limp against her and her breathing even out and hoped theyd be able to get through the night
without any calls, or demands, or2
.crew it. .he reached over and turned (errys phone to silent. Then she closed her eyes, and tugged
the covers up over them.
;;
$9kay, so where are we.' (erry blinked into the pallid dawn light coming in the window, half
distracted by the scent of coffee nearby. $Mark, your three guys are here in the hotel with the rest of
us.'
$3ool, yeah.' Mark answered. $I got an email from .haun last night.' %e paused. $%e sure was glad to
put his head down on a pillow.'
$Me too.' (erry agreed. $.o, whats the status right now+ 0hos here, whos on the way here, and
what kind of gear is everyone bringing.'
There was a soft knock at the door. (erry went to mute the mic, but stopped when *ar appeared
from the bathroom and waved at her, heading over to answer it. $0ho the hell is knocking this
early+' .he grumbled under her breath.
$0hat was that, boss+' Mark asked.
$5othing. Go on.' (erry sighed. .he leaned forward a little, grimacing as a cramp gripped her.
$"nyway.' Mark cleared his throat. $.o weve got si& guys and me in the truck, and were like one,
maybe two hours out. I left a bunch of guys there, a half dozen showed up from different accounts
yesterday to help out so I thought it was okay to take off out of there and head over.'
%e sounded a touch nervous. (erry half smiled, understanding the feeling from her first weeks
working for *ar, and having to lay out her own decision making. $Great plan.' .he said. $0e need you
here badly.'
Mark didnt answer for a moment, then he audibly chuckled. $Thanks boss.' %e said. $.o weve got the
camper, and well pick up the sat units and the power trucks on our way down there. 0here do we
go+'
"h, good !uestion. $-or now, come here .. well, to the 6ock.' (erry clarified. $0e have to find out
where the best place is to start working from. I know well need stocks of cable and patch e!uipment,
do you know if weve got that on the truck+'
$%ang on, lemme check.'
(erry muted the mic and hissed a small curse as another cramp hit.
*ar came back over to the desk she was seated at and emptied the contents of a packet on the table.
$"h. Im legal again.' .he flicked her slim billfold with one finger and pushed the folder of
identification cards around. $,ou dont have to worry about me being deported.'
$Thats a relief.' (erry managed a smile. $Though I have to admit razzing the admin at the office was
pretty funny.'
$It was.' *ar sat down and e&tended her long, mostly bare legs across the floor. $Gut still hurting+'
$%owd you guess+' (erry made a face, resting her chin on her hand. $I feel like dog poo.'
$Been there.'
$5o kidding.' (erry turned her attention back to the phone as she heard rustling against the remote
microphone. $Im surprised we havent gotten called from "lastair or anyone yet this morning.'
*ar picked up her newly reunited cell phone and opened it, triggering it on and watching as it
obediently started up. "fter a !uiet moment, it started buzzing and rattling loudly, making her )ump
in startlement. $,ah8'
$%oly crap8' (erry blurted.
*ar dropped the phone and it danced across the table in truly spectacular fashion. $"ny idea how to
bulk delete voice mail messages+'
$9kay, boss.' Mark came back on the line, then paused as he heard the noise on the other end. $0hat
the hecks going on there+'
$7m.. not much.' (erry grabbed the phone and tossed it to its owner. $.o whats the scoop+'
$/et me put it this way, you got any pull with those guys at "*3+ 0e used all the stuff they sent
rebuilding the space at the old 4, and we aint got any more.'
$7gh.' (erry uttered. $.o we dont have patch panels, or anything like that, right+'
$6ight.'
.he sighed. $0hat do we have+'
$Got some routers, some little switches, a couple spools of .T4, couple spools of 7T4, another big roll
of that fiber the guys used last night, and a handful of 6:HC plugs.'
$My mother could probably do a three dimensional art pro)ect with that.' *ar commented, her eyes
fi&ed on her now rattle free phone, as she thumbed through the alerts and messages. $0ant some
coffee+'
$0ell.. Id say lets get ordering, but you know what Mark+' (erry sighed.
$0e got no idea what to order.' Mark supplied. $I know. I thought of that when I got up this morning
and took over the driving again. I think we gotta get eyeballs on it, then figure it out.'
(erry muted the mic. $3offee sounds great, e&cept its going to make my stomach ache worse.' .he
mourned.
$-igured youd say that. I had them bring tea too. 0ant blackberry or honey lemon+' *ar didnt even
look up from her phone. $Marks right. /ets wait for him to get here, then we all go down to the
Trade center and see what weve got to work with.'
$I love you.'
5ow *ar looked up, and smiled. $Blackberry+' %er eyebrows lifted. $"nd weve got some warm
muffins. ,ou up for that+'
(erry merely rested her chin on her fists and gazed at her partner.
$Take that as a yes.' *ar set her phone down and sauntered back over to the room service tray.
$,ou hear that, boss+' Mark !ueried. $%ello+'
$.orry.' (erry wrenched her attention back to the phone. $That sounds like a plan, Mark. *ar was
)ust saying we should wait for you to get here, then all go down together. ,ou think youll be here by
eight+ Its )ust ten past si& now.'
$0e can probably do that unless we get held up nearer to where you are.' Mark replied. $They going
to let us in there+'
$0eve got passes.' (erry didnt elaborate. $"ll right, you guys )ust head on up here. 0ell meet you at
the office. $ .he waited for the line to drop, then she closed her phone. $0hat else do we need to do+'
.he wondered. $0hy do I feel like Im so damned behind the eight ball today+'
*ar came back over with a plate containing a buttered muffin, and a steaming cup of tea. .he set them
down ne&t to her partners laptop and leaned over, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. $I love
you too.'
(erry leaned against her. $9h honey, I sure know that.' .he murmured. $Thanks for breakfast.'
$5o problem.' *ar straightened up and went to retrieve her coffee, pausing to watch the silent
television screen full of frenetic activity and destruction. More people. More rubble. More talking
heads. The scroll at the bottom spat a neverending series of numbers that she had to force herself to
realize mean human beings either missing or dead.
It was strange. The whole thing had started to take on a surreal glaze and it was hard to concentrate
on the facts that seemed to come at her from the screen in so many different directions. .he watched
shots of the president down near the still smoking rubble yelling into a bullhorn, an "merican flag
flapping in the wind nearby.
Behind him, a fireman sat on a flat, twisted piece of iron, his head down, paying no attention, his
elbows resting on his knees in e&haustion.
*ar nodded to herself a little, then she went over to the small table and picked up half a corn muffin,
taking a bite of it as she tried to focus her mind on the task at hand. .he glanced at her new laptop,
open on the table, and watched the network metrics, a slowly healing graph of yellows morphing to
greens rather than blotches of solid red.
The company was recovering. Things were starting to move back into normal patterns, and along
with that her list of tasks shunted aside for the emergency was starting to build.
The world had held still, since that morning. 5ow, she had a sense, that her world, if not anyone
elses, was starting slowly to turn again and she had to admit a trace of impatience that she found
herself tied up here, working a problem not remotely her own, heading towards a hopefully
successful end that probably would get little notice and less credit.
7ncharitable, probably. *ar chewed her muffin and turned to watch the television screen again with
a thoughtful e&pression. $(er+'
$%m.' (erry looked up from her laptop, her cup of tea )ust returning from a trip to her lips.
$3an we get a list of our customers who are still out of service here+' *ar asked. $/ets see what
synergy we can get with getting them on the wire at the same time were relieving our obligation to
the government.'
$0e dont have enough to do with that+' (errys tone was, however, merely !uizzical rather than
accusing. $.heesh.'
$/ets )ust say we have a responsibility to them, and Id like to walk out of here with a sense of
accomplishment beyond some rubber chicken.' *ar replied. $Getting the )ob done for the markets,
but leaving our own customers high and dry aint my way of doing business.'
(erry smiled. $I want to be you when I grow up.' .he stood up and popped the last of her muffin into
her mouth. $0ell, the days not getting any younger, so I guess Ill go get my shower, and start getting
ready to get ready.'
$Be right there with you.' *ar sat down to finish her muffin, leaning back and watching the dawn
light slowly growing in the window, turning her back to the frenetic T1 screen playing behind.
;;
(erry leaned back against the drivers partition in the courtesy bus, watching the street roll by
outside the window. $"t least the traffic hasnt built up so much again.'
$,ou got that right, maam.' The driver agreed. $4eople are still in shock, I think. I was talking to a
man who came by the bus earlier. %is son worked in one of those investment offices up near the top
of one of the towers, and he )ust kept saying he was going down there to visit him real soon now.'
(erry grimaced a trifle. $Its hard to take it all in.' .he murmured.
$3ant imagine it myself. $ The driver agreed.
They were traveling east, heading towards the disaster site. (erry eased forward and knelt, resting
her arms on the front console as she started to see a dusting of ash on the streets, and the cars, and
the buildings.
It was not that strange to her eyes, it resembled a light coating of snow more than anything. "s they
passed, she could see some shops open, some closed, some in an inbetween state where the rolling
garage doors were half open and people were standing outside, talking or sweeping the ash.
The bus stopped at a stoplight, and she watched one man carefully sweeping his sidewalk clean of the
stuff and in putting it into a tiny pile. %e then knelt and pulled out a dustpan and hand brush, and
whisked the ash into a small plastic bag, standing when he was done and looking at it.
0ould he throw it away+ .ave it as a memory of the horror+ 9r sell it on #bay+ (erry watched him
put a twist tie around the top of the bag and take it inside, ducking under the half drawn door and
disappearing.
3ould go any of the ways. (erry sighed. The bus started moving forward again, and on the right
hand side, they passed a fire station. The big doors were wide open, and she looked inside, to find it
completely empty of either trucks or people.
" prickle ran down her spine. .he looked at the sign above it. $/adder @@. %ope theyre all okay.'
The driver glanced at the empty station, then looked at her. $Ms. .tuart, beg your pardon, but no one
heres okay.' %e said. $5o matter if they walked out of that mess or not.'
True. (erry saw the coating of ash getting thicker, as they turned left on to %ouston .treet. $0hat
insanity.'
*ar came up behind her and looked over her shoulder. $Mess.' .he said, succinctly. $"re we going to
end up east of the site+'
The driver nodded, as he turned the big bus right. $,eah, thats what the cops told me to do. Take the
-*6 around the end of the island and come up from there. Too much destruction on the west side,
and besides, theyve got Battery 4ark there, wide open.'
5ow through the walls of the bus, they could hear sirens, though as yet all they could see was the
outline of .taten Island across the water. " pensive silence fell over the bus, as everyone picked a
window and stared out of it.
$Mark still behind us+' *ar asked, in all that !uiet.
The driver glanced in his mirror. $,eah, hes there.'
*ar watched out the window, at the thick plume of smoke rising from between the buildings, and the
debris that was starting to line the road. $:ason, break out the case of radios, please. $ .he ordered
!uietly. $"nd the masks.'
$,es, maam.'
$#veryone )ust stay calm. This is going to be hard.' *ar added, after another brief pause. $:ust stay
focused, and remember that everyone heres been through a hell of a lot worse nightmare than were
about to e&perience.'
"lastair came up behind *ar and gazed past her, his face !uietly grim. $(now something, *ar+'
$0ish youd turned the 0hite %ouse down+'
"lastairs lips pressed into a humourless smile. Then he turned and went back to the side window,
seating himself on a stool and staring outside.
;;
(erry slowly stepped down from the bus, the third one out after *ar and "lastair had emerged to
deal with the gun toting guardsmen who had flagged their convoy to a halt. .he stood !uietly for a
moment, the wind at her back as she slowly scanned the area around them.
They had been pulled to a halt on .tate .treet, )ust across from Battery 4ark. The roads were eerily
silent, covered in thick white gray dust and debris, with cars and trucks parked every which way. .he
could look right up Broadway, and see more automobiles, and more dust, and windows blown out
with curtains being sucked out and fluttering in the breeze.
.he could smell burning rubber, and diesel oil, and the strong scent of the water. -ireboats and
barges were churning )ust offshore, and a ferry was coming past, its decks packed with uniformed
figures.
.mall groups of police, firemen, and other workers were clustered around. .ome were sitting in the
grass of the 4ark, a few were collapsed with their backs against trees facing away from the city with
their faces towards the water.
Mark came up ne&t to her, his arms folded over his chest as he stood and looked around. $Man.'
$,eah.' (erry half turned, as a car with a siren blaring turned the corner and headed up Broadway,
the sound echoing between the buildings and then fading.
$0e going all the way up there+'
$*epends.' (erry leaned forward slightly to watch *ar and "lastair, with the guard. *ars body
posture was still rela&ed, so it didnt look like the situation was getting confrontational. $/ets see
where theyll let us go to. I told our telecom friends wed be trying to get over here before we left the
6ock.'
$Its like a ghost town down here.' Mark commented, then grimaced. $That was tacky bad. .orry.'
$*ont worry about it.' (erry walked across the street and into the park, carefully skirting around a
pair of firemen sitting in the grass.
9ne of them looked up at her as she passed. $%ey.' %e called out. $0here d you come from+'
(erry stopped and went over to him, kneeling down in the grass and letting her hands rest on one
knee. $That bus over there.' .he indicated the waiting caravan. $0hat about you+'
$Me+' The fireman looked e&hausted, and his face was coated with the gray dust, outlining red
rimmed eyes. $Im from 3onnecticut. 0hats the bus for+'
$Its our company bus. 0ere going to try and help to get communications back up and running down
here.' (erry readily e&plained.
The fireman snorted. $Good luck.' %e picked up his radio, lying beside him, and let it drop. $%ear
more staticn talk on these things.'
$"ll these tall buildings.' (erry agreed.
$(er+'
(erry turned, to see *ar motioning her over. $0ell, time to go back to work. 5ice talking to you.'
$.ame here.' The fireman nodded.
(erry got up and crossed the grass, glancing both ways in refle& before she crossed the road. .he
could feel the dust under her hiking boots, feeling like a light, powdery sand. .he )oined *ar and
"lastair, who had moved closer to the bus. $0e set+'
$5ot !uite.' *ar said. $Theyre trying to move heavy construction rigs in ? cranes, whatever ? we cant
pull the trucks down yet. They told us to park them up here until we can move closer.'
$5ice fellah.' "lastair commented. $Thought we were going to have a dust up again, but this guy
seemed like good folks.'
$9kay.' (erry said. $.o we walk up from here+ Is that what youre saying+ I know :ohn and the
telcom folks are up nearer the site.'
$0e walk.' *ar turned and faced the bus, lifting her hand and waving it. $0e should pull the sat and
power trucks up on that side street there. Get them out of the way.' .he stared towards the bus, as
"ndrew appeared from behind it and headed her way.
"lastair put his hands in his pockets and regarded the scene. $I have a feeling this is the most
pleasant were going to see today.' %e said, giving (erry a sideways look. $.hall we go get our togs+
This stuff looks nasty.' %e kicked a bit of the dust with his boot.
$.ounds like a good idea.' (erry turned and cupped her hands around her mouth. $#veryone get your
overalls and masks8 .ync up radios8'
" swarm of activity started around the bus, as the driver got out and popped open the underneath
storage, and techs started to drag big cases out and open them. (erry )oined *ar near the door to the
bus, waiting their turn to pick up e!uipment.
$*ads getting the trucks parked.' *ar said. $,ou ready for this+'
$*ar.' (erry leaned briefly against her. $%ow in the hell could anyone be ready for this+' .he asked.
$Ive already got a knot in my gut that has nothing to do with having my period.'
*ar looked around, then grunted.
$Maam, I think this one will fit you.' 9ne of the techs approached (erry with a coverall and handed it
and a mask to (erry. $0e didnt have many this small.'
$Thanks.' (erry smiled wryly. $I think.'
*ar eased past him and rummaged through the bin on her own, removing a set of the clothing. $I
have to fight the wolves for mine, on the other hand.' .he came back tow here (erry was standing,
leaning back against the bus and starting to pull the coveralls on. $.omeone get the tool belts out8 $
.he added in a loud yell.
(erry picked a spot against the bus ne&t to her and got her first boot into the leg opening of the thick,
dark green garment. The fabric was tightly woven and tough, and it reminded her )ust a bit of a
military flight suit.
5ot tremendously attractive, even with the company logo bold on the chest and across her back. .he
snapped the wrists closed, which thankfully were in fact her length, and bent to unlace her boots,
tucking the legs into them and lacing them back up again.
.he stood up and e&amined the mask *ar had handed her, a full face unit with surprisingly lavender
filter cartridges poking out both sides of the bottom. .he fitted it to her face, and found it relatively
comfortable.
$5ot bad.' .he removed it and let it hang around her neck, as *ar handed her a smaller, mouth only
mask. $0hatss that for+'
$0inds right.' *ar said. $I figure we can leave these big ones off until were pretty close, but it
doesnt pay to take chances. ,ou see that stuff+ Ten bucks its full of silica particulate.' .he pointed at
the dust in the streets.
$4owdered glass+' (erry remembered the fireman, and his red rimmed eyes. $9uch.'
$5ot to mention asbestos.' "lastair had come up ne&t to them, clad in his own green outfit. $5asty
stuff.'
"ndrew circled the bus from the other side, already draped in a tool belt and bearing a pack on his
back. %e had a mask gripped in one big hand and to all appearances absolutely knew what to do with
it. $,ou gals.' %e addressed *ar and (erry seriously. $(eep them damn masks on. %ear+'
*ar had )ust finished clipping a utility belt around her, and fastening her radio to it. $Got it.' .he said.
$,ou too.' .he ad)usted the radio and clipped the transmitter to her lapel. $3heck.' .he keyed it.
$3heck. Mark+'
$%ere.' Marks voice crackled back. $I did a radio scan. 0ere clear on this fre!uency. Most of the rest
of them are using lower band. Ive got the base repeater up and going.'
$6un radio checks with everyone.' *ar looped her credentials around her neck and settled them
under her collar. $Then lets meet up near the head of that street there.' .he pointed.
$Broadway.' (erry supplied.
*ar looked at her. $6eally+'
%er partner nodded. $Its where it starts. (ind of like where 7. @ starts in (ey 0est.'
$%uh.' *ar muttered. $9kay, well go try and find your telco folks and see what we can do in that
area, then we can come back and see whats left of our technical office down here. Its )ust south of
the #&change.'
$.ounds like a plan.' "lastair said. $I told the gals to see what they could offer those poor guys out
there after they get set up.' %e indicated the firemen. $3ant be easy.'
They started towards the edge of the park, as Marks voice crackled and echoed doing his checks.
The guardsmen glanced at them, then waved as they went by, pausing at the end of the park for th
entire group to gather.
*ar gazed down the street, and acknowledged the sense of nervous dread in her guts. This was
something past her e&perience.
.omething past all of their e&perience, save maybe her father. .he looked at him as he came up to
stand ne&t to her, pale eyes flicking back and forth as he watched everything around them. $*ad+'
%e focused on her. $,eap+'
$Glad youre here.'
"ndrew reached out and clasped her shoulder, but didnt say anything in response.
$0e all here+' *ar asked, assuming the leadership role. $#veryone geared up and got radios+ /isten
up.' .he turned to face them. $.tay together. 5o one go wandering around anywhere. This is a
dangerous place.'
#veryone sobered, and regarded her seriously.
$I dont know what were going to have to do. If its something I think is too dangerous, then were
not going to do it. #veryone understand me+ 5o one is risking their lives for someones stock
options.'
#veryone nodded. #ven "lastair.
$0ere not heroes.' *ar pointed past them. $Those guys over there+ Theyre heroes. They went into
those damn buildings while they were falling around them to try and get people out. " lot of them
are missing. 0ere not here for that. $
9ne of the techs raised his hand. $Ms 6oberts+'
$0hat+' *ar put her hands on her hips.
$0e get the point.' The tech said. $"nd thats really cool. But we all saw you on television hanging out
of a ten story window putting kids in a basket.' %e looked past her. $.o can we )ust go see how we can
help out+'
(erry scratched her nose to give her an e&cuse to muffle the smile on her face.
*ar sighed. $/ets go.' .he turned and started up the street, with her stolid little army behind her,
walking carefully around lumps in the road that could have been anything.
;;
(erry decided, after a few minutes !uiet walking, that the settling of the dust over everything
reminded her not so much of snow, but of the underwater landscape she and *ar so often e&plored
together.
The dust had that kind of silty, grungy appearance to it. It draped over everything, the sidewalk, the
cars, anything on the sidewalk ? )ust like it did underwater over discarded concrete blocks, and
forgotten anchors.
The odd gust of wind from behind them stirred it )ust as an errant fin would, an shed only gone half
a block before shed put her smaller mask on, convinced she could taste the stuff on the back of her
tongue.
There were workers and firemen, an isolated few, walking the other way, but they all looked
e&hausted and none of them paid attention to either their surroundings or the passing techs. .ome
had breathing masks, some had full face units like they did, a few had nothing at all protecting them
and were rubbing at their eyes with the backs of their hands.
It was !uiet. -ar off, she could hear the sound of heavy machinery, the faint hoots of a big truck or
something backing up, and the sudden, une&pected sound of metal against metal that rang in the
middle of her ears, making them itch.
It was surreal. If she looked behind her, she could see the clear blue sky of an autumn day, with wind
riffling over the waters of 5ew ,ork %arbor But ahead of her, she felt like she was going down into a
dungeon, as the air seemed to be getting thicker, and more hazy, and the ravaged building fronts rose
high on either side of them.
$4ut your masks on.' *ar ordered, her voice startlingly loud.
(erry removed her small one, and replaced it with the full face mask, ad)usting the straps as it put a
surprisingly comfortable veneer between her and the scene. The constriction of her vision almost
seemed welcome, and after a minute she realized it was because it wasnt really very different from
her putting her diving mask on.
They turned a corner and headed west, and now rising in front of them were fire trucks and cars,
beaten and half destroyed.
$0ow.'
(erry glanced to her left, to find 5an there behind her mask. $%ey.'
$This is unreal.' 5an said. $I feel like Im in a scifi film.'
The sunlight filtered through the haze, outlining the destruction in a peculiar beauty. (erry pulled
her small camera from her pocket and paused, focusing and snapping a !uick shot of it. $Its
definitely unreal.'
They walked along the center of the small cross street, and at the corner, turned right and faced
north.
#veryone stopped in their tracks, the people in front like *ar and (erry only barely avoiding being
crashed into by those following until their eyes could take in what they saw and freeze their steps
too.
$%oly shit.' Mark said, after a few moments of silence.
;;
*ar found it hard to absorb what she was seeing. The entire end of the street she was on was blocked
by a huge pile of twisted debris, with heavy smoke coming out of its depths and chunks of ruin
tumbling down towards her amidst the wreckage of cars, trucks, and vans.
(erry put a hand on her back, easing closer. $I saw this on television but my God, *ar.'
$,eah.' *ar looked around. $*ont think we can get through that way. I guess we better .. well, hell. I
have no idea where we should go. 0ant to give your buddies a call, find out where they are+'
$.ure.' (erry unclipped her cell phone and opened it, finding the number and dialing as she switched
her headset over to the phone from her radio.
"ndrew and "lastair had walked a little further down the street and now had stopped, ne&t to an
ambulance that had been flipped on its side and burned almost past recognition. They studied it and
shook their heads.
$This is fucked up.' Mark finally commented. $This is really , really fucked up.'
$,eah.' *ar said. $It is.'
$This is crazy.' I/.s MI. manager said. $They should )ust move all the freaking banking stuff out to
0yoming. 0eve got lots of power and bandwidth there.'
*ar pondered that. 3ould they+
$/ook at this place. %oly shit.' Mark shook his head. $Man. I cant believe it.'
*ar mimicked the motion and studied the scene.
The shops on either side of the street were blown out. 0indows had imploded, driven inward by the
blast of roiling debris the tall buildings had funneled down away from the collapse, no where to go
but out and down , scouring the area raw.
It smelled, #ven though the mask and the filters, she could smell rot, mi&ed with electrical burn, and
garbage from the surrounding areas that hadnt been touched since Tuesday. Bags, covered in dust
were on the sidewalk, buzzing with flies.
" puff of air brought a stronger scent to her, one of death, and she only )ust barely stifled a gag.
.he realized she didnt want to be here. *ar never minded reality, and considered herself a
straightforward person, but there was such a thing as being too much in the moment and she thought
this might be one of those times.
$This is one bad thing.'
*ar turned, to find her father at her shoulder. %is voice was slightly muffled by the mask, but the
somber look in his eyes wasnt. $Its hard to take in.' .he admitted. $Its like a bad scifi movie.'
$,eap.' "ndrew agreed. $6eal bad things are hard to look at, and take serious.' %e went on
reflectively. $3ause your mind says, nah, that cant be. 3ant be so.'
$But there it is.' *ar studied the smoking, twisted debris. $"nd the more I look at it, the more I
wonder what the hell were doing here.'
%er father snorted a trifle.
$0e cant fi& any of this, daddy.' *ar told him. $This is broken past my ability to make it right.'
"ndrew studied her. $.o whatre you all doing here+'
*ar folded her arms over her chest. $Good !uestion.'
$*ar.' (erry came back over. $9kay, theyre one street back down, and further in front of I 0orld T2
$ .he paused. $0here I 0orld Trade 3enter was. Theres a damaged subway entrance there.' .he
pointed to the street theyd )ust come from. $There, and then the first left.'
$/ead on.' *ar told her.
They trooped back down to the corner and headed back the way theyd come, turning again at the
corner (erry indicated and walking down this wider street, full of wreckage.
The building faces here were ravaged. 4arts of the brickwork had been scoured off, and the fronts
were crumbled in and sagging. 9ne of the roofs nearby was draped in metal debris, dripping down
into the street and forcing them to circle it to get past, the metal stained in a dark rust color that
made *ars guts shiver.
9nce past that, she could see a group of men clustered at the corner, near a set of stairs going
underground. "s they approached, the men at the edge of the group turned, and shuffled, splitting
apart to allow two figures through from the center.
The one in front headed right for (erry. $(erry .tuart, youre a welcome sight.'
(erry e&tended a hand. $%ello, 3harles.' .he could see his red rimmed eyes behind the shield of his
mask. $*id you find your brother+'
%e hesitated, then shook his head. $Theyre still looking at the hospitals in :ersey. " lot of guys were
found over there today.' %e said. $Glad you could come down here. 0e were )ust going to see how far
we can see underground, maybe theres clearance enough to get to the line pipes.'
$9kay.' (erry half turned. $I brought some help.'
3harles nodded briefly. $"ny helps welcome.' %e gave the rest of them a distracted look. $*o you
have 2oh, yeah, you do have flashlights. Great. 0e can get going then.' %e gestured towards the half
wrecked staircase downward. $.ee what we can see.'
"nother man walked over, in a vest with 1erizon on it. %e had a small breathing mask on his mouth,
but no other protection. $,ou people ready+' %e asked. $0e got a lot of other things to do, yknow+ I
got people chewing my ass right and left here.'
$/ets go.' 3harles motioned them all forward. The group by the stairs was a mi& of 1erizon staff, his
own staff, a few people in different color protection suits with .prints logo, and one with M3I
0orldcom on the shoulder.
They all looked at the newcomers in !uestion. 3harles gestured vaguely at them. $I/. sent a team to
see what they could to do help.' %e said. $I figure the more help the better. $ They started carefully
down the steps, which were full of dust and debris, the railings half collapsed. $Be careful folks.'
$Took them four hours to clear them this good.' 9ne of the other men said. $0ere crazy to be going
down here.'
#veryone turned their flashlights on, and the space erupted into a dancing, bobbing light show as the
beams reflected against all the dust in the air, and what they were walking down into. (erry felt like
she was descending into some cave, and she felt *ars reassuring hand rest on her shoulder as they
picked their way downward.
9ne of the .print techs was right in front of her, and he turned as they slowed, waiting for the people
in front to continue. $:ake *avies.' %e offered a hand. $Thanks for coming down. 0e got some cell
sites up and running on generator, but its tough.'
$(erry .tuart.' (erry returned the grip. $0eve got some satellite trucks and generator vans with us.'
The men closest to her half turned, their ears perking up. $,eah+' 9ne said. $0e could sure use
those.'
$#veryone could.' *ar answered. $9nce we finish seeing what the needs are, then we can talk about
who gets what.' %er voice indicated lack of debate on the sub)ect.
The men looked at (erry, then looked up at *ar.
$.hes the boss.' (erry remarked. $0ant to go on down+ I think theyre waiting for us.'
The men turned and headed down the steps, with (erry and her group behind them. It was very
dark, and the ground was very uneven, and she reached the bottom of the stairwell with a sense of
an&iety as the flashlights danced around the dark interior.
$%oly shit.' 9ne of the men said, as they moved a little further inside. %is light shone on the walls,
which had big, gaping cracks in them, tile scattered all over the floor and sliding around with a brittle
sound as boots kicked them.
They moved past the turnstiles cautiously. $0e sure this ceilings all right+' 9ne of the men from
.print asked. $Theres a ton of concrete over our heads.'
$/ook at that8' "nother man said, shining his flashlight down the second set of stairs. " huge metal
column was piercing the ceilng, e&tending down and bisecting the steps halfway down.
$0ow.' 3harles shook his head. $I dont know about this.'
$"w, cmon you little girls.' The 1erizon man headed down the steps.
$5ow theres a right )ackass.' "ndrew started to push past *ar and (erry, only to have his daughter
casually block him with one arm. $.cuse me, rugrat.'
$*ad. 6ela&.' *ar started down the steps. $If asses need kicking, Im capable of that.'
(erry was glad of the banter, since the area around her was giving her the severe creeps. "side from
being dark, it stank, and despite the filters her eyes were watering from it. %er imagination was
painting almost anything in the corners, and she was halfway afraid of looking too closely in the glare
at what might be there.
.he edged closer to *ar instinctively, hooking one finger in her partners belt as she followed her
down the second set of stairs deeper into the earth, under the collapsed tower, down to the platform
that was the subway.
There she had to halt, as *ar had halted, because everyone else had.
The flashlights couldnt do the scene )ustice. $%ang on.' 9ne of the 1erizon men went over to one
side, and worked a latch on something, accompanied by a long, screeching sound that made everyone
)ump.
" floodlight flickered on, dim with age. $.hit for batteries.' The man muttered. $But its better than
nothing.'
The light blared down the tracks, showing the destruction. " subway train car was at the end of the
platform, its top crushed in, the tunnel ceiling collapsed on top of it.
They were all silent for a moment. $%ope that was empty.' (erry murmured.
9n the other side of the tracks, the entire tunnel was collapsed on top of the platform, blocking any
further travel in that direction. The tunnel leading east, away from the towers, was still intact, but a
light shown down it displayed debris covering the tracks as far as the eye could see.
" rain of debris suddenly came down from the ceiling, rattling down on the tracks.
$.hit.' The 1erizon man said. $This aint going no where. 0e cant even get to the intake blocks.' %e
ran his flashlight along the back wall. The concrete and steel pylons were cracked and bent and
somewhere, a faint hissing noise was going off.
$5o.' 3harles said. $*ead end.'
"nother silence. $4robably a lot of them.' The 1erizon man finally muttered. $/ets get outta here.
0aste of time.' %e took a step backwards, as another rain of debris came down. $I tol)a it would be.
0e should get back to the damn work site and do something productive.'
6ude or not, (erry was totally in sync with the idea. .he kept thinking she heard things moving in
the distance, and she could feel her heart racing as the shadows seemed to move closer. .he backed
up and got on the steps, swallowing hard to keep her stomach down.
The upper level was almost bright by comparison. %azy sunlight was coming down the steps to the
outside world, and (erry made a beeline for it, rela&ing only when she knew her head was out from
under the cracked ceiling and she could see sky above her.
$,ou okay+' *ar asked, climbing up the steps at her back.
$,eah.' (erry answered after a brief pause. $:ust freaked me a little.'
*ar patted her back in comfort, as they emerged onto the street, faced with the pile of wreckage and
the sound of sirens blaring suddenly.
They both )umped. *ar turned in a circle, her eyes scanning the area.
$.hit. 5ow what+' The 1erizon man hauled up out of the stairwell after them, looking !uickly both
ways. 9n the ne&t street, a police car growled by, its lights cutting the dusty air as the officer inside
aimed a high beam light on one of the building fronts.
The 1erizon man rela&ed. $/ooter.' %e guessed. $Bastards.' %e looked around again. $0e should get
the hell2'
$"way from here+ I agree.' *ar turned and counted !uickly, making sure all her team had emerged
from the suway. $Tell you what. 0eve got a tech office a block or so over. 5o lights but we can sit
and talk about what we can do there.'
The group gathered around her, most looking a bit shaken, and even "ndrew assuming a somber
e&pression on his face.
$,ou said you had sat trucks+' 3harles said, finally. $I thought I heard you say that, (erry.' %e turned
to look at her. $6ight+'
$0e do.' *ar answered for her. $.o lets go put our heads together and figure out a plan.' .he
suggested. $Maybe we can start from the other end, at the #&change, and see where that takes us.'
"fter an awkward pause, 3harles nodded, though the rest )ust looked at *ar. $.ounds like a good
idea.' %e ventured. $.orry, I didnt2 I dont think we were introduced.'
$My manners are slipping.' (erry shook herself out of her funk. $.orry, 3harles. This is *ar 6oberts.
*ar, this is 3harles Gant, the technical e&ecutive on our account.' .he paused, as she took in 3harles
wide eyed e&pression and the sudden, startled looks from the other men.
It would have been funny, if it had been any other situation. (erry )ust couldnt appreciate the humor
at the moment. $/ets go folks. ,ou can gawk later.' .he said. $0e need to get out of here.'
$Git.' "ndrew started herding them towards the cross street. $:ust git.'
"nother siren started screaming behind them, and they retreated around the corner, )ust as a second
)oined it, and then a third, rending the air as though the sound were chasing them.
;;
(erry sat !uietly in the corner, perched on a wooden table shoved against the wall. They were inside
a fairly small room in the back of the 5ew ,ork .tock #&change, a space filled with pipes and racks
that was both stuffy and dank at the same time.
There was a rough, wooden table in the center of the room and at the moment, *ar and "lastair were
seated at it along with some of the guys from 1erizon, .print, M3I and "TT all clustered around a set
of yellowed blueprints spread on the year scarred plank surface.
The rest of them, (erry, and the techs, and the lineman from 1erizon, were back against the walls.
(erry knew she could have s!ueezed in ne&t to her partner, but she was content to stay where she
was and leave the wrangling to someone else.
They had their masks off, this far from the destruction, but she could still taste the dust and the smell
on the back of her throat and she found she really )ust wanted to be out of here and done with it.
Maybe it was the )u&taposition of the pressure to bring up these banking systems put against the
smell of death and the look in the eyes of the firefighters shed seen. .he felt almost ashamed they
were putting out as much effort as they were do to what they were doing instead of helping all the
people around them who had lost so much.
.he hiked one knee up and circled it with her arms, briefly debating if she should ask *ar if she could
go back to the bus and get back in touch with the rest of their organization, working to get the rest of
the problems and outages sorted out.
"s if divining this, *ar turned and looked back at her, one dark brow hiking up.
It felt like her mind was being read. (erry gave her partner a wry look, then she glanced at her watch
and lifted her own brows in !uestion.
*ar held up her hand, then turned back to the discussion at the table.
(erry settled back against the wall, wishing shed thought to bring a bottle of water with her. $Going
to be a long day.' .he commented to Mark, who was perched ne&t to her.
$,eah.' Mark agreed. $Im not really into this.'
$Being here+' .he asked, lowering her voice.
$This part.' Mark indicated the building with a circle of his finger. $I was cool with being at the
4entagon. That was cool, helping those guys out. "ll Im getting from this place is a what can you do
for me vibe.'
(erry glanced past him, where the technicians who supported the building were standing around,
arms crossed, dour e&pressions on their faces. $I think Id rather be helping the people who cant
even get back to their homes here.'
$#&actly.' Mark agreed. $I mean, dont get me wrong. I know this is important, but like, when you see
people scraping up body parts from the street it kind of puts it in perspective.'
(erry grimaced. $9n second thought, Id rather be in here than seeing that.'
Mark eyed her. $.orry about that.' %e said. $I didnt really see it either. :ust heard the guys talking
outside.'
The room they were in had power. The whole building did, driven by generators that were being fed
by a line to a tanker barge tied up off the end of the island. "ll the other buildings around it were still
dark, and the apartments that ringed the area likewise, but this place, and one or two others, had
lights glowing through the windows still caked completely with dust.
$Im not even sure how were doing to help with this. "ll theyre doing is arguing who should get the
resources weve got first.' (erry shook her head. $If I was *ar, Id be yelling already.'
The door opened, and "ndrew entered, a backpack on his back. %e removed his mask and crossed
over to where (erry was seated, easing the pack off and setting it down on the table. $/o there.'
$%ey, dad.' (erry was glad to see him. $0hered you go off to+'
%e opened the pack and handed her a bottle of Gatorade. $Back to that bus thing of yours.' %e said.
$Got tired of all the yapping here.' %e took out a bottle for himself, then offered one to Mark. $Got
some folks outside doing more yapping, some of them govmint types.'
$Great.' (erry opened the bottle and gratefully took a sip. $Thanks for the drinks. My throats coated
with that dust.'
$,eap.' "ndrew leaned against the table. $0hats *ardar up to over there+'
(erry had lost track of the conversation. $Talking to them about resources, I guess.' .he said.
$#veryone thinks theyre priority one. .ame story as usual.'
"ndrew crossed his arms and took a sip of his own drink, shaking his head as he listened.
;;
$Gentlemen.' *ar rested her forearms on the table. $0eve been around the block with this a dozen
times. 0e need to get moving on it.'
3harles lifted his hands and let them fall. $0ell, thats mostly because we keep coming back to how in
the hell do we start+' %e said. $Ive got a demarc here with a thousand lines that go no where.'
$/ook.' The 1erizon man stood up and put a dirt smudged finger on the blueprint. $:ust like I told
everyone else around here. This aint no magic. :ust because you people think you got some kind of
priority here dont make the truth any different.'
$%ey, its your damn last mile.' The M3I representative said. $0hat are you going to do about it+'
$0hat dyou think+' The 1erizon rep shot back. $0e lost a whole fucking switching center. ,ou think
I got one in my back pocket+ Tell your big shot customers they gotta wait, like everyone else. 0e
gotta find a place, we have to pull conduit2 shit. Itll be si& months to get service back to everyone
down here.'
%e stood up. $Im outta here. Ive got things to do. 3mon boys.' %e motioned for his crew to )oin him.
$.o long.'
$Then well bypass you and light the building up ourselves.' The M3I rep said.
$,eah+' The local man snorted. $*ont try it, buddy. 0ere all union here and any of my people will
tell you to go kiss their asses. ,ou people are gonna wait until were good and ready.' %e strode out
with his men behind him, slamming the door on the way out.
*ar sighed, and rested her chin on her fist. $:ust what the situation needed. More assholes.'
The door opened again, and one of the other "TT men came in. $3harles, the governors rep is
outside. %e wants some answers.'
$Maybe he should ask one of the )erks who )ust left for them.' 3harles pushed back from the table in
disgust. $:esus.' %e got up. $Ill be right back. I dont know what the hell Im going to tell this guy, but
Ill think of something.'
%e left, and took his assistant with him, leaving the rest of them to sit around the table in pensive
silence.
$9kay.' The .print rep said, after a long pause. $.o, what are our options+ $ %e asked. $Ive got twenty
customers leaving voice mails for me every ten minutes.'
$0e all do.' The M3I rep agreed. $#&cept you people.' %e glanced across the table at "lastair and *ar.
$Bet youre glad theyre not your customers.'
$0ell now.' "lastair settled back in his chair. $,oure right. I dont have a dog in this hunt. 0ed be
happy enough to be one of your customers calling and bugging you but as it happens, the folks in
0ashington did hear we have some e&perience in this type of thing and asked us to stop by.'
$6eally+' The M3I rep said, after a pause. $3huck didnt say that.'
$5ot sure he knew.' "lastair admitted with a brief smile.
$.o.' *ar picked up the ball. $/ets discuss what the possibilities are. If there are any.'
;;
They clustered into the demarc room, only si& of them this time as the rest waited outside. *ar was
there along with Mark, the reps from the three telcos, and one of the techs who worked in the
#&change.
(erry found a bit of wall to lean against, between "lastair and "ndrew. $0hat a mess.'
$,ou could s!ueeze in there if you wanted to.' "lastair pointed at the room. $.ee whats going on.'
$5ah.' (erry shook her head. $This is *ars ballpark.' .he paused, the word triggering a memory.
$Ballpark. 0e were supposed to play our first practice game today.'
$#h+'
$0e )oined a corporate softball league.' (erry said. $Todays .aturday right+ 0e were supposed to
all meet at the park today and see how bad we all are at playing baseball.' .he let her head rest
against the wall. $.orry Im not there. Id even en)oy striking out and falling on my ass right now.'
"ndrew patted her shoulder. $3ant last forever, (erry.' %e said. $0ell be getting on home soon, for
sure.'
(erry rubbed her eyes. $I hope so.'
$This really stinks, doesnt it+' "lastair said, after a moment. $0hat in the blazes are we all doing
here+'
$.what I asked *ar.' "ndrew said. $/eave these here people to fi& their own problems. They give me
a hive.' %e added. $*ont preciate nothing no body does for them, like its owed.'
(erry thought about that. $0ell.' .he said, after a moment. $I think maybe they do. I think they e&pect
everyone to go the last mile for the city, because of what happened.'
$True enough.' "lastair allowed. $But does that mean we throw off all our own responsibilities to
take on theirs+'
"ndrew and (erry looked at "lastair. $I think thats your call, isnt it+' (erry asked, after a long
pause. .he studied the older mans face, which was tired looking and smudged with dust. $3an we
)ust walk away from this+'
"lastair thought for a moment, his eyes going a little unfocused as he considered the !uestion. $.ure
would be nice to go home, huh+'
(erry flashed back to that underground nightmare, and the strong desire it had spurred in her to
turn and run and )ust keep on running right back to the warm sun and blue skies waiting for her
back2 home.
%ome. Miami was home now, in a way Michigan had never been. $It would.' .he replied softly. $Its
not that I dont want to help those guys in there. I )ust dont think it will end up being worth
anything to us.'
$%m.' "lastair rubbed his nose. $5ot sure we should e&pect any worth out of it. There is something to
be said for public service. 0e dont always get a return on an investment, at least in the short term. I
have a feeling if we turn our backs on these bastards, well suffer in the long term.' %e paused. $5ot
fair, really.'
$:ackasses.' "ndrew muttered.
$/et me go see whats going on.' (erry pushed away from the wall and headed over to the doorway,
more to give "lastair room to think than because she thought she would be of any help inside. .he
eased into the space, spotting *ars tall form to one side as her partner pointed out something.
.he could sense the tension in the room. 0ith a gentle e&cuse me, she edged behind the .print rep
and came up behind *ar, finding a spot between her and the wall that was )ust about the right size for
her to fit into.
0ith a gentle clearing of her throat, she fit into it.
*ar sensed her, stepping back and draping an arm over her shoulders with a complete lack of self
consciousness. $%ey (er.'
$%ey.' (erry hoped the layer of dust on her skin masked the mild blush. $%ows it going+' .he
studied the demarc, rows and rows of telecom cards in shallow racks festooned with tags in a
rainbow of different colors.
*ar shook her head. $%ard to say where to even start.' .he admitted. $Its not )ust communications
with the rest of the e&changes. *ata comes in here from all over the world.'
$,eah.' The tech from the #&change said. $Thats what I was trying to e&plain to those other guys.' %e
walked over to the wall. $This stuffs )ust here in the -inancial district. Its all local point to point.' %e
indicated one rack. $This goes to the banking system. This goes to the ma)or trading houses in like,
forty cities.'
%e slapped the wall. $5one of its working.'
The M3I rep put his hands on his hips. $I dont think we can do this.' %e said. $#ven if we bring in a
full sat setup, theres not enough transponder space up above to handle the traffic.'
$Theyd never let you anyway.' The #&change tech said. $The trading houses, and the other
e&changes. The foreign ones. Theyve got security on this stuff big time.'
3harles e&haled. $Thats true.' %e said. $Most of those tie lines are ours. Ive already had a call from
/ondon and %ong (ong.'
$0e had enough trouble getting space on the sat to relay our mobile cell units down here.' The .print
rep said. $Theyre )ammed.'
$They are.' (erry spoke up. $0eve got a ma)ority of the transponder space up there and were using
it for our customers.'
The men turned and looked at her, then looked back at the maze of wires. $.o what the hell are we
doing here+' 3harles asked. $/ets )ust tell them we cant do it. 0hat can they do+ Im already toast
and I dont have an ass left2 begging your pardon.. $ %e glanced at (erry. $-or them to chew
anymore.'
(erry looked at all the tags, then she glanced up at *ar. $0hat are our options, boss+'
*ar regarded the mass of wires. $9ur options+' .he asked. $9ur options are which direction were
going to drive the bus out of here on our way out of town, unfortunately. 0e cant fi& this.'
The rest of the men nodded in simultaneous agreement.
$5o way+' (erry nudged. $5othing at all we can do+ I sure got the impression from the 0hite %ouse
that this was really important. $
$It is important. $ The #&change tech spoke up again. $If the market doesnt open, thats a huge
amount of money tied up that cant go nowhere.'
$3ant they do it by hand+' *ar asked. $,know, computers are a lot younger than this building.'
$,ou got to be kidding me.' The tech said, in chorus with 3harles and the M3I guy.
$Guess not.' (erry murmured. $*ar, there has to be something we can do. #ven to bring up basic
services. Isnt there+'
*ar removed her arm and put both hands in the pockets of her coveralls, tilting her head to one side
as she gave the !uestion its )ust due. #veryone waited respectfully in silence, until she cleared her
throat and shrugged slightly.
$Think of something+' (erry could tell, by the body language alone, what the answer was.
$0ont fly.' *ar demurred. $The only way we could help out is if we get a trunk line from here, over
to 6oosevelt Island. Thats our closest node.' .he went on. $,oud have to do it underground.'
$Impossible.' The #&change tech said, immediately. $#specially not without the union guys. I cant
even get in a manhole without paying them through the nose.'
$0ed never get the clearance.' The M3I rep said. $%es right. Thats all 1erizon right of way and
theres no way theyll let us run cable in there. 5ot taking money out of their pocket. I wouldnt
either.' %e added. $If it was me.'
3harles looked thoughtful. $9kay, its impossible.' %e said. $But what if we could do it+ 0hat would
that get us+' %e asked *ar. $It gets us to your network. Thats private. 0e all know it.'
$,oure riding on it right now.' (erry reminded him mildly. $Im tunneling you between your
headend to your office here.'
$.ure, but you cant do that for all of us, and all of this.' 3harles said. Then he paused, when *ar
didnt respond. $3an you+'
*ar merely shrugged slightly again. $5o point in wondering, since it cant be done.' .he said. $But
theoretically, if we could do it, and get the pipe over to my node, I might be able to do something
useful with it.'
There was a moment of silence, as the men all stared at *ar, who kept her hands in her pockets, a
thoughtful e&pression on her face.
$"re you shitting me+' The M3I rep finally said.
$5o.' *ar replied. $#&cuse me.' .he removed her hands from her pockets and patted (erry on the
shoulder. $Be right back.' .he advised, as she slipped past, and ducked out the door.
The men turned around and looked at (erry, who folded her arms across her chest. $*ont ask.' .he
said. $But if she says its possible, you can take that to the damn bank.'
$,eah.' Mark spoke up for the first time. $But if we cant get that cable from here to there, its crap.'
$,eah.' The #&change tech said. $3rap.'
3harles sighed. $0ell, I can call 1erizon. I think someone in my company high enough is probably
related to someone in their company high enough.'
$Their name Bell+' The M3I rep asked, wryly. $Better start digging. ,oure gonna need him.'
;;
(erry was glad enough to drop into a soft, leather chair, safe in the confines of the bus and
surrounded by her colleagues. $Buh.' .he let her head drop back. $Glad were here.'
$Glad the wind is blowing off the water.' *ar finished stripping out of her )umpsuit, tossing it over
the back of the chair opposite (erry before going to the bar and pouring herself a glass of )uice from
the waiting carafe.
$,ou got that right.' Mark was toweling his face off. $This is some nasty shit. $
(erry slung one leg over the arm of the chair and s!uirmed in the corner, letting her head rest against
the soft leather. $,oure right. $ .he said. $That was nasty.'
$It was.' *ar sat down in the chair ne&t to her, e&tending her long legs across the floor of the bus and
cradling her )uice between her hands. $Glad its over.'
$Is it+' %er partner asked, in a surprised tone.
$0ell, for now.' *ar clarified. $7ntil they come back and talk to us about getting action on that
cabling I dont see a reason for us to go back in there. *o you+'
(erry shook her head emphatically. $I can live the rest of my life not going back in there given my
choice, thanks.' .he said. $Ill be having nightmares about that underground for a month.'
*ar reached over and curled her fingers around (errys arm, gently rubbing the inside of it with her
thumb. $.orry.'
$5ot your fault.' (erry muttered. $I could have stayed upstairs.'
The door to the bus opened, and "lastair entered, putting his mask down and closing the door behind
him. $.on of a bitch.'
*ars eyebrows hiked.
%er boss unzipped his dust covered overalls and removed them, sitting down on the nearby barstool
to remove the legs.
$3an I get you something, sir+' The bus attendant zipped over, alertly
$.cotch. *ouble.' "lastair said. $.traight up.'
$,es, sir.'
$Governors office get you again, "lastair++' *ar asked.
$.tupid son of a bitch.' "lastair took the glass the bus attendant handed over, putting it to his lips
and swallowing the contents at a gulp.
$0ow.' Mark edged over to the counter nearby, giving his 3#9 a look of healthy respect. %e opened a
glass covered case, and removed a sandwich, sitting down to take a bite of it. $0ant one of these, Mr.
M+'
"lastair set his glass down with loud clacking sound. $I gotta tell you, ladies and gentleman.' %e said.
$Im about to )ust pull this company out of here.' %e got up and crossed over to where the chairs
were, detouring long enough to grab a sandwich before he sat down across from *ar. $.on of a bitch.'
*ar gave him a wry look. $0elcome to my world.' .he remarked.
$/ady, you can keep it.' "lastair said. $I should tell that damn governor to take his threats and shove
them up his ass.'
$Threats+' (erry frowned. $0hat on earth does he have to threaten us with+ 5one of these are even
our circuits.' .he got up and went over to the counter, selecting two sandwiches. $.heesh.'
$%ungry, boss+' Mark asked, giving her two fisted selection a !uizzical look.
(erry merely gave him a look, as she retreated back to her chair, stopping to deliver *ar her
sandwich on the way. .he sat down again and took a bite from the roll, glad of the tang of the
horseradish sauce taking the taint of dust from her mouth.
$Thanks.' *ar licked a bit of the sauce off her fingers.
$%e said if we didnt come through on this damn #&change issue, hed cancel all our state contracts.'
"lastair said. $3an you believe that+ In the middle of all this+ I asked him if he didnt have enough
problems without us pulling out and taking the rest of his offices down.'
$I think hes )ust panicked.' *ar chewed her mouthful of prime rib thoughtfully and swallowed it. $I
think the federal governments all over him, and hes )ust punching at whatevers in reach.' .he took a
sip of her )uice to wash the sandwich down. $Besides, we committed ourselves to help out here. $
$0e did.' "lastair agreed mournfully. $.orry about that.'
$Im not.' %is 3I9 replied.
(erry tilted her head to one side and regarded her partner. $6eally+' .he asked. $,ou like being
here+'
*ar shook her head. $5o.' .he licked another bit of sauce from her thumb. $I hate being here. But if
those people get their heads out of their asses, and get that cable run, we can do something to help.'
.he glanced at "lastair. $*id you e&plain that to him+'
$*o you think they can do it+' (erry nibbled the edge of her sandwich.
$Theres no technical reason they cant.' *ar said. $If they have the cable, and theyre the damn phone
companies so they should have the damn cable, and they can find their way into the subway which
goes right over onto the island, they can do it.'
"lastair e&tended his legs and crossed his ankles. $.eems like a lot of work for two days.' %e said. $I
did mention to the governor we had a dependency on those folks, but he wasnt hearing any of it. .aid
I should get it done myself.'
*ar rolled her eyes.
$%ey, its your reputation that got us into this.' %er boss reminded her. $I wasnt the one who called
the government and volunteered us.'
$/ike I did+' *ar shot back. $,oure the one who told me to go do it. I could have told Gerry we didnt
have a chance at fi&ing this.'
"lastair paused and thought, then he shrugged. $0ell you know, youre right. I did.' %e said. $But you
never do listen to me, so why did you this time+'
$3hildren.' (erry cleared her throat. $3an we table the snipefest+ 0eve already got enough issues
here to deal with.'
$*oesnt she work for you+' "lastair pointed at (erry, staring pointedly at *ar. $Insubordination+'
$*ont I work for you+' *ar grinned suddenly. $0hats your point+'
"lastair chuckled wryly after a brief pause. $*amned if I know. .omeone get me another scotch.' %e
waved a hand at the bus attendant. $"ll right. .o youre saying if those folks do manage to get some
agreement then theres a chance this can happen+'
*ar got up and went to the white board on the far wall of the bus. It was covered in scribbling, and
she picked up an eraser and wiped it off. $9kay.' .he grabbed a marker and started drawing. $/et me
)ust sketch this in.'
(erry took the opportunity to finish her sandwich. It was good, thinly sliced prime rib with )ust the
right amount of salt, and a layer of creamy horseradish sauce on it. %er body was craving protein,
and it really hit the spot.
*ar was drawing in a reasonable facsimile of Manhattan, with the %udson and #ast rivers on either
side of it. %er hand made easy, sure motions and after a moment, she was finished. $0ere here.' .he
made a mark near the tip of the island. $Mark, hand me that subway map over there will ya+'
$.ure.' Mark hopped off the barstool hed perched on and brought the map over. %e handed it to *ar
then stepped back out of the way.
$Thanks.' *ar opened the map and spread it on the bar, studying it for a moment. $9kay.' .he turned
to the whiteboard again. $%eres where we were today.' .he marked a spot on the map. $Thats
3ortlandt .treet. %eres the disaster site.' .he marked a large s!uare. $%eres where the triple pop
was, and 1erizons 39.'
(erry watched in fascination, sipping her drink. *ars sense of space had always intrigued her. .hed
seen her partner draw underwater diagrams with a three dimensional precision that was amazing.
5ow, she laid out the diagram with absolute sureness.
$5ow.' *ar moved on to the east side of the island. $%eres 6oosevelt Island. The subway comes in
here.. and then the line that goes through there comes back around this side down to here.' .he
tapped her marker on the map. $If they bring it up /e&ington "venue, to 3entral 4ark, they can come
down the tunnel here, and theyll end up not that far from our node.'
$Thats a hell of a long way.' "lastair protested. $5ot that it looks that far on that board, but *ar, Ive
been on that side of the city. ,oure not talking about a trivial effort here.'
$I know.' *ar )uggled the marker in her hand, flipping it end from end. $,ou didnt ask me if it was
reasonable or likely. :ust if it was possible.'
(erry was about to voice her doubts about the possibility of it happening it all, when her mind
flashed back to a rainy night in the 3arolinas and she felt her )aws click shut instead.
It was possible. *ar wouldnt have bothered discussing it if she thought it wasnt. 0hether or not
those other guys could achieve it was another !uestion, but it was a !uestion (erry wasnt sure she
should be asking.
It wasnt their problem, after all.
$Thats a crazy amount of work.' Mark spoke up. $If those guys have the reels, then maybe2 but I
dont think they can get through all that red tape, *ar. I heard those guys from the phone company
talking ? theyre not into it at all.'
$0ell.' *ar went to the bar and sat down on a stool. $Governor or no governor, Im not going down
there and do it for them.' .he said, !uietly. $This is their city. Its their customers. Im not crawling
around in a tube kicking rats out of the way on their behalf.'
(erry nodded in relief. $*ar.' .he said. $Ill go wherever you go. But I dont want to do that either.
Being under there today freaked me out.'
$6ight there with you.' Mark said.
"lastair sipped on his scotch. $I can work with that.' %e decided. $/et me get hold of %am and well
go see that damn )ackass again.'
$.omebody call me+' %amilton Baird entered the back of the bus, wiping his hands off on his
handkerchief. $0hy, hello there you all. Gentlemen. /adies.' %e glanced at *ar. $Maestro.'
$:ust talking about you %am.' "lastair said. $*ars got a plan. 0eve got to go sell it.'
$5ow thats different.' The corporate lawyer drawled. $"h got to tell you, *ar, I heard from those
people down at 3risis on the Bay, or whatever theyre calling that )unk shop on the %udson and they
do think youre )ust the cats litter bo&.'
$Thanks.' *ar said, in a dry tone.
$*id you really do something with a welder+'
$.oldering iron.' (erry supplied. $It really was pretty spectacular and brilliant, but thats pretty
typical of *ar.'
*ar looked at her, eyes widening a little.
$*o tell+' %amilton half turned towards her, a humorous tone in his voice.
$0hen were done with the chit chat, weve got a )ackass to go see.' "lastair said, pointedly.
%amilton paused at the sandwich tray. $*o I have a 5ew ,ork minute to swallow this like a civilized
man or should I have this lovely young lady put it in a blender and make it a smoothie for me+
$#at.' "lastair waved a hand at him.
%amilton picked up his sandwich and his drink and wandered back to the front of the bus, where a
television was playing. "fter a moment, "lastair got up and followed him.
Mark dusted his hands off. $Im gonna go see what routers Ive got to mess with left back there.' %e
unlatched the back door and disappeared, leaving *ar and (erry alone in the small seating section.
They were both !uiet for a moment, )ust looking at each other. Then (erry got up and moved over to
*ars chair, taking a seat on the arm of it and leaning along the back.
$3hildren+' *ar rested her head against (errys shoulder. $,ou crack me up.'
$.orry.' (erry ran the fingers of her free hand through *ars hair. $My brains running in circles. 3an
they really do this, *ar+'
$4robably not.' %er partner conceded. $It would be like us running a cable from the office in Miami to
our house. 4ossible, but pretty damn unlikely.'
$3an they get it to our office at the 6ock+ 0e could take some of the traffic there, and not go all the
way across to 6oosevelt.' (erry suggested. $Its a little closer.'
*ar considered that. $0hich one of us is spectacular and brilliant+' .he asked. $I forgot all about that.
I have e&tra capacity at the office. 0e might able to take part of the traffic there.' .he closed her eyes.
$But I was serious, (er. They have to step up, )ust like we had to step up yesterday and get the )ob
done.'
(erry kissed the top of her head. $I love you.' .he replied, simply.
*ar smiled.
$"nything we can do to help though+'
$I knew you were going to ask that.' *ar remarked. $/ets get .cuzzy up here, and see if she knows
someone we can talk to. I met her on a subway. Maybe its a sign.' .he reached over and put her
hand on (errys leg. $0ant to hear my ulterior motive+'
$That if they run the cable up to our uplink, we can piggy back our customers down here on it+'
(erry supplied promptly . $.tarting with our tech office+'
*ar chuckled under her breath, a soft, light sound that echoed in the inside of the bus. $Busted8'
(erry started laughing too, her body finally giving up its tension as her headache faded and her
blood sugar stabilized. The sense of horror from the disaster site moved to the back of her mind, and
the optimism that was more natural for her returned.
*ar turned her head and brushed her lips with her own, ignoring the rest of the bus )ust within
earshot.
.hocking. (erry returned the kiss, caressing *ars face with gentle fingers. But who cared+
The whole world was different now.
;;
(erry rested her chin on her hand, as her other hand moved her mouse, clicking on another mail. $Go
ahead, "ir %ub. I think it sounds like everyone has everything pretty much together. $
$6oger that, Miami e&ec.' The voice answered. $Traffics not back to normal, but its steady, and I
think we can handle the additional service re!uests.'
$Miami e&ec, this is %erndon.' " female voice broke in. $0ere getting calls from sites affected by the
4ennsylvania outage. They want a status.'
(erry tapped on the mouse. $*o you have someone on now+'
$,es, maam.' %erndon answered. $*ocson 4harmaceuticals.'
$4ut them on.'
There was a moments silence. $4ut them on the bridge, maam+++'
$,es.' (erry said. $I only have two ears and one set of vocal cords. 4ut em on.'
$7h.. yes maam. 9ne second.'
(erry released her mouse and picked up her cup of hot tea, taking a sip of the mint and raspberry
flavored beverage as she waited for the customer to come on the line.
.he was in the last section in the bus, a small, discrete office barely the size of her bathroom in the
condo, but appointed in solid teak, and with the most comfortable leather office chair shed ever
encountered.
4lush and e&pensive, it was designed to provide a marginal business purpose for the courtesy bus
and in the case of strange and utter emergency, it allowed whoever was using the bus at the time,
always senior officers of the company, to perform whatever office it was they held in dignified good
taste.
.he liked it. It was private ? there was a smoked glass wall that separated it from the rest of the bus,
and a door she currently had shut. The glass kept it from being too claustrophobic, but the shading
kept it from being a fishbowl and it was soundproofed to a moderate degree.
$.tandby.' %erndon warned her. $Mr. #ccles+ ,oure on the line with (erry .tuart, our 14 of
operations. Go ahead.'
The only thing it lacked was enough space for *ar to be in there with her. $Go ahead, Mr. #ccles.
0hat can I do for you+' (erry spoke into the mic.
$"h, okay, yes. Ms.. ah, .tuart was it+' " male voice came from the speaker, along with faint static.
$Thats right.' (erry saw a popup start to flash, and she clicked on it.
Hey *erry " !ot a minute?
(erry typed into the bo&. 5o ahead %ari.
$0ell, listen. I need to know whats going on here. Ive tried to get hold of my account rep, but hes
not answering, and the support center said theres no one available down there so..'
(erry clicked on another bo&, a te&t message passed through their internal messaging system rather
than to her phone.
cuzzy knows a !uy. .he smiled at the words. $0ell, Mr. #ccles, Im very sorry but youll have to be a
little more specific on the !uestion.' .he answered. $Theres an awful lot going on right now. I am
sure you can appreciate that we have many issues were working on, including yours.'
.he waited for the answer while she typed a response. cuzzys !oin! to be worth a promotion by the
time this is over
hell end up a re!ional director. 'ant wait for the conference calls with her on them.
(erry stifled a laugh, appreciating *ars wry humor. Then Maris bo& started flashing with a new
incoming message, and she clicked over to it.
*erry, Ive !ot a re4uest here from the :,I to provide them with all our employment records.
(errys head )erked up. $0hat+'
$0ell, I 2 what+' #ccles answered. $0hat did you say+'
$.orry.' (erry typed furiously into the machine. $Go ahead. I )ust have !uite a few things working
here right now.'
$"s I was saying, our offices have been down since Tuesday. Im the first one to understand that
theres been terrible things going on, and I assume your people are busy, but my business is at a
standstill and I need to know whats being done for us.'
+hat??? *ars response came back.
+hat should I tell them? Mari asked.
$%ang on a minute, Mr. #ccles. /et me call up the support system and see what I can find out for you.'
(erry said, as she typed %ari, Im !ettin! )ar on this. hes with $lastair, and I hope also with
Hamilton. &hey really need to handle that re4uest. +hos it comin! from?
Im on the way there. *ars message somehow sounded as indignant as (erry knew her partner
probably really was.
,rin! $lastair and our lawyer. (erry advised her. $9kay, Mr. #ccles, what I have here on your outage
is that you have three circuits down..'
%er cell phone rang. $%old on a second, maybe thats news.' .he put the mic on hold and opened her
phone without looking at the caller I*. $(erry .tuart.'
/kay, !otcha. Mari typed back. I halfway understand the re4uest, *erry " its become very obvious to a
lot of people just how involved we are in the !overnment, but Im concerned.
.hes concerned+ (erry took her eyes from the screen briefly as he heard a slight buzz on the phone.
$%ello+'
$Ms. .tuart+ %ello+ This is *anny down at the 4entagon.. Im trying to get ahold of Mark. *o you know
where he is+'
The door opened, and *ar entered the small room, bringing her restless energy with her. $0hos
asking+'
$*anny, last time I saw Mark he was inventorying the routers here. 3an I get him to call you+ Im on a
few things right now.' (erry blocked out the distraction of her partner with difficulty.
$9h, sure. .orry about that.' *anny said. $Theyre )ust all of a sudden chewing me to move some of
our rigs and I dont want to disconnect anything.'
$/et me see that..' *ar circled the desk and s!ueezed behind it with her, leaning over to peer at
(errys screen. .he clicked on Maris bo& and typed into it.
$9kay, yeah, Ill have Mark call you. $ (erry promised. $Bye.' .he hung up the phone and picked up
the mic. $Im on the bridge, hon. *ont start yelling.'
$Idiots.' *ar growled, reading the screen.
$9kay, sorry about that.' (erry keyed the mic. $Mr. #ccles, according to our system..' .he paused, as
*ars typing removed the view from her screen. $.orry, hold on one more minute.' .he clicked the
mic off. $.weetheart, I need to see my stuff. Im in the middle of something here.'
$I know.. I know.. )ust one second.' *ar muttered. $-reaking idiots2 Im having her give them
%amiltons number. %es earning his salary today, thats for sure.'
(erry took the opportunity to take a sip of tea. *espite *ars interruption in her flurry of
communication, she didnt mind having her partner hanging over her. It gave her a chance to
rearrange her thoughts, anyway and the warmth of *ars breasts pressing against the back of her
head didnt hurt either.
$There. .orry. 0ant me to pass that message to Mark+' *ar kissed the top of her head. $.ince I
messed up your flow here+'
$That would be awesome.' (erry took possession of her laptop back. $5ow let me go and give some
bs story to this guy about his circuits. *o you think theyll look at the 4hilly ones any time soon+'
$"ll the techs are here.' *ar said. $0ant me to send him a sat truck+ Is he big enough+ $
(erry called up the account and studied it. Then she sighed. $%onestly, no.' .he said. $/et me see
what I can do to placate him.'
$9kay.' *ar gave her shoulders a s!ueeze, then she edged out from behind the desk and got the door
open. $/et me know if you need anything else, okay+'
$"bsolutely.' (erry resisted the urge to come up with something else on the spot. $Thanks babe.' .he
waited for *ar to close the door, then she went back to her mic. $9kay. 0here the hell was I+'
;;
*ar shut the door to the bus behind her and emerged into the area defined by the bus, and the sat
trucks and e!uipment vans that had accompanied it. In the middle of the open space, theyd set up a
rough wooden worktable, and on it was spread the underground map with a handful of techs and
.cuzzy all looking at it.
.he re)oined them, and the techs cleared a space for her. .he was about to delve back into the
underground puzzle when her conscience poked her. $0heres Mark+'
$%e was )ust here.' .haun said. $:ust a second ago.'
$Mark8' *ars voice lifted, ringing against the solid s!uare of metal car bodies.
$0hoa whoa.. right here, Big *.' Mark appeared from around the back of the bus. $I got that stuff you
wanted me to look for.. whats up+'
$4entagon was calling for you. .omething about moving a rig.' *ar replied briefly. $3all them. Tell
them not to bug (erry if they want you. .hes not your sitter.'
$9kay boss, you got it.' Mark reversed course and headed for the bus. $My cells gone wonky. It
keeps losing sig. Ill tell them to te&t me on the 4*".'
*ar returned her attention to the map, satisfied shed taken one annoyance off her partners plate.
$9kay.' .he pulled out another schematic, one of the office building their office was housed in. $/ets
say, by some miracle of political voodoo they do manage to get a wire in this direction.'
$,know, they could.' .cuzzy said. .he leaned on the table with both hands, appearing pleased to be
involved. $Those union guys, they aint that bad, you know+ They )ust want their stuff the way they
want their stuff, if you know what I mean.'
*ar nodded. $Matter of fact, I do know what you mean.' .he said. $But I dont lay bets on people I
dont know. .o all we can do is have a few plans in our back pocket.' .he tapped the blueprint. $"s I
was saying, if they do manage to get up here, then what+ %ow do we get the signal upstairs+ 6iser+'
.haun hunkered down over the plan, leaning on his elbows. $%eres something labeled electrical
room.' %e said. $I think.'
$But are there any openings between the room and the lower basement+' (annan added, folding his
long, slim arms over his chest. $I am thinking that will be the largest of the problems. I do not think
they will let us put a hole through the wall.'
*ar drummed her pencil against the plans. $I think we should relocate back to the office.' .he said.
$"t least half of us anyway. 0e can start figuring out what to do about the connection, while some
people stay here and work on this end of it.'
$,ou really think these guys are going to do this+' .haun asked, in a !uizzical tone. $I was talking to
one of those 1erizon techs. %e didnt sound too enthusiastic.'
$I dont know.' *ar answered honestly. $But I do know if they do decide to come through, and were
not ready for it, well look like a bunch of )ackasses. Thats not on my agenda for today.'
$"h. ,eah.' .haun blushed a little. $.orry.'
$/o there *ardar.' "ndrew had slipped between the bus and the sat truck and came up ne&t to her.
$0hats the problem with them fellers+ "ll these people round here looking to help, and all theyre
doing is push back.'
%e stuck his hands in his pockets, and cocked his head. $*ont make no sense.'
$It doesnt really.' (annan agreed. $I don t understand it myself.'
$,ou guys dont understand, yeah, thats right.' .cuzzy spoke up. $These guys, like the tunnels, and
the buildings and everything, theyve been these guys like, home plate, you know+' .he said. $/ike,
my cousin, hes a guy who works in the tunnels. %is pop, he was a sandhog. ,ou know what that
was+'
$-ellers work underground.' "ndrew supplied.
$,eah, but here, thats like, something special.' .cuzzy told them. $This whole place, this whole city+
Its built on whats underground. .o they take it real personal about all them spaces. $
*ar now folded her arms. $,ou know something+' .he said, after the small space of silence that
followed .cuzzys speech. $I get it.'
$,eah+'
$,eah.' The I/. 3I9 said. $I get it, because our entire company is built on a foundation I laid. I take
that really personally also.' .he said. $But right now, they need to either get their heads out of their
asses and be part of the solution, or be the ones who are going to answer to the damn politicians
when their banks wont open on Monday. Im not covering for them.'
.cuzzy nodded. $Thats pretty much what I told my cousin to tell those guys.' .he said. $3ause you
know what+ They aint into seeing their pictures in the Times, you know+'
$/ets hope so.' *ar pulled a pad over and started to scribble on it. $.o. /ets see.'
$Ms. 6oberts+' " strange voice broke in.
*ar looked up, to find 3harles somewhat timidly sticking his head around the corner of the bus.
$,es+'
%e took that as permission to approach. $/isten, were having a meeting with the city and union
folks.. would you mind stepping in and giving your view on the situation+' %e asked. $Theres some
skepticism as to what our goals are.'
*ars brows lifted slightly.
$9kay, they all think were nuts.' 3harles amended hastily, after a lengthening silence. $Im not
having much luck convincing them otherwise. I thought maybe youd have a better chance at it.' %e
looked hopefully at *ar. $4lease+'
*ar let him wait for minute, then she shrugged and dropped her pencil. $%ave it your way.' .he said.
$The rest of you folks ? lets get packed up to move back uptown. I dont care which lot of you stay
here to work on the #&change, sort it out among yourselves and be ready to head out when I get
back.'
$,es, maam.' .haun said. $0ill do.'
$/ets go.' *ar gestured for 3harles to precede her. $I dont know if I can talk any sense into them but
I guarantee they wont have any !uestion about what our goals are when Im done.' .he glanced
behind her as she felt a presence, not really surprised to find her father strolling along at her heels.
$0ell, were sure not getting any help from the politicians on this one.' 3harles shook his head as he
walked !uickly ahead of her. $They want us to fi& the problem, but they dont want to help us do it.'
$5ow.' "ndrew mused. $0hy is that, ah do wonder+'
$Maybe we can ask them that when Im done with the rest of those guys.' *ar said. $.hould be an
interesting answer.'
$.hould be.'
;;
(erry washed down a handful of "dvil with a swig of her water, then she set the bottle down and
shaded her eyes, listening to the chatter on the bridge without looking at her screen. %er cramps
had returned with a vengeance and she was glad all she had to do was keep her ear glued to the
activity and not do something more strenuous like move e!uipment around at the moment.
.he knew there was a lot of activity going on around the bus. .he could hear thumps and bangs, and
voices through the thin aluminum walls, there was a flurry of coming and going through the buss
three doors, and the rumble of the truck engines of their little caravan was rattling the window near
her shoulder.
$Miami e&ec, this is 1ancouver hub.'
$Go on.' (erry kept her eyes closed.
$9kay, were finally back to normal traffic patterns. 0e released the last bandwidth advance for the
airport.' The 3anadian hub reported. $#veryones rather chilling out we think.'
$Good to hear.' (erry murmured.
$Miami, this is %ouston ops.'
$Go ahead.'
$Miami, were running into some pretty big issues with new contracts that were due to start this
week and early ne&t.' " male voice answered. $0eve been told pretty much not to e&pect any circuit
acceptance or demarc changes I the foreseeable future.'
$In %ouston+' (errys brows knit.
$"nywhere.' The man answered. $0e were told all the line techs, for telco and power too, are being
sent to 5ew ,ork to help out there, and anyway, some are going regardless because of all the work
available.'
$0e had the same issue in 0ashington believe it or not.' (erry replied. $0hat is up with that+ %ow
many techs do they think theyre going ot need here+ Its not that big an island. I realize there was a
lot of damage done but there are only so many guys that can fit in a manhole.'
There was a bit of silence when she finished.
$0ell, okay, but what are we supposed to tell all these clients+' The voice from %ouston asked finally.
$Im running out of e&cuses.'
(erry drummed the fingers of her free hand on the table. $,eah.' .he said. $Thats a good !uestion.
6ather than answer every one of our hundreds of thousands of customers, I think we should
probably put out a note to everyone.'
$Miami e&ec, are they really serious, that no one is going to get connected until whenever+' "nother
voice asked.
$"nother good !uestion. 0e have some of the head guys of the different companies around here, let
me go round them up and see if I can find out. It could be that a lot of the local companies are )ust
putting everything on hold because theyre not sure whats going to happen.'
$That would be great, Miami e&ec. $ %ouston said. $0e sure could use the help, or at least, something
we can tell all these people. 0e were supposed to bring thirty two branch offices of the local credit
union here online, and the guy in charge theres my wifes brother in law. %es calling me every five
minutes.'
$Gotcha.' (erry reluctantly got to her feet. $9kay, folks, Im going offline for a few. Ill try to get us
some answers.'
$%ey (erry+' Mariana broke in. $0here are you guys+'
(erry paused. $Battery 4ark.' .he answered, finally.
D%ow is it down there+' Mari asked. $I know we saw on the television, but2'
%ow was it. (erry let the silence lengthen, as she tried to come up with an answer. $Its like a
nightmare.' .he said. $The wreckage up close.. its overwhelming. The dust, is overwhelming. The
smell is horrific. $
$0ow.' The man from %ouston murmured.
$0e went underground, to see if we could see any of the cables and I could swear I heard all those
souls screaming.'
5ow there was dead silence on the bridge. (erry took the moment to breathe, swallowing the lump
that had come up in her throat. $.o anyway.' .he continued, after the tightness rela&ed. $/et me go
see what I can find out from those telco guys. Ill be back in shortly.'
.he disconnected the mic and let it drop on her laptop, taking a moment to lock the screen before she
eased wearily out from behind the desk and went to the panel door. .he opened it and went through,
glad the interior of the bus was now !uiet.
The floor of the bus shifted slightly, and she paused, then continued on towards the outer door
hoping the motion was )ust some last loading and unloading and not anything more ominous. .he
cycled the door and went down the steps.
The haze in the air seemed to have gotten thicker. (erry wondered if it had, or if it was )ust her
impression. Most of the sun was blocked out, and as she watched a layer of dust was settling on the
table *ar had set up in the center of their technical encampment.
.he felt the breeze blow into her face, and realized the wind had changed, and that accounted for the
thicker air, and heavier dust. $3rap.' .he turned and went back into the bus, picking up the mask
shed left near the bar and ad)usting it over her head.
It felt gritty, and uncomfortable. %owever, she tightened the straps and returned to the outdoors,
turning her head to look around for the others she e&pected to find somewhere outside.
It was too !uiet, though. (erry walked around the bus, then around the satellite trucks sitting
silently aligned with it. .he opened the back door to trailer Mark had hauled, but it, too, was empty.
$0here in the hell is everyone+'
4ast the truck she could see clusters of workers seated in the park, their backs to the wind as they
huddled over paper wrapped sandwiches. 5earby, on a table she spotted three of the company
coolers, and cups that were clutched in many hands, and then at last she could see one of the bus
attendants heading back towards her. $%ey, .haron8'
The attendant skewed her route and ended up ne&t to (erry. $9h, hi, maam. *id you need
something+ I was )ust giving those guys some of our sandwiches. They really dont have a lot of
supplies down here yet.'
$*o you know where everyone else is+' (erry asked. $"nd absolutely, give those guys whatever weve
got. They look e&hausted.'
$0ell, you know I was )ust wondering that myself.' .haron said. $I was inside cleaning up and then I
came out here, and everyone was gone. Maybe they went back to the site+' .he glanced over her
shoulder, then sneezed.
$,ou should have a mask on.' (erry told her. $This airs thick with who knows what.'
$I know.' .haron said. $Im going inside to get one now. It )ust started to get bad again. I got
sidetracked listening to those men talk about that place. My God, Ms. .tuart. They were here when it
happened. 9ne of those firemen said bodies were dropping out of the sky all over the place.'
(erry grimaced. $,eah.' .he pulled out her 4*" and opened it. $0ell, let me find out where the gang
is. I thought we were trying to get out of here.' .he typed a !uick message to *ar and sent it. $"h,
here are some of the guys now.'
.haun and (annan were headed towards her, masks firmly settled on their heads and collars turned
up on their )umpsuits. (erry waited for them to come over, then she motioned them over to the bus
and pointed on the other side of it. $/ets get out of the wind.'
$Great idea.' .haun said.
They followed her to the far side of the vehicle and pulled their masks off. $Ms. .tuart, I am very
apprehensive here.' (annan said. $My brother has )ust called me, and has said there are many
instances of people from my country being hurt here.'
$%ere+' (erry looked around. $0hats going on+'
$#verywhere.' .haun said. $:erks in pickups with guns shooting out convenience stores and some guy
got gunned down on the street because he had a turban on. I heard it on the news.'
$0hat+'
$Its true.' (annan said. $My family is very upset. They do not wish me to stay here.'
(erry nodded. $"bsolutely.' .he said. $0here is your family+ 0ell get you there.' .he felt her 4*"
buzz, and she opened it. $%ang on.'
Hey *er.
Im in a meetin! with the telecom people. +astin! my time mostly. +hats up?
))
$0ell, isnt that handy.' (erry muttered. $%old on a second guys, I need to ask *ar something.'
$5o problem, Ms. .tuart.' (annan said. $I am )ust glad to be back here, with our vehicles. I am going to
go inside our camper there, and perhaps do some wiring while we wait.' %e headed off towards the
camper Mark had brought, not without glancing around carefully before he crossed between the bus
and it.
$That totally sucks.' .haun said.
$It does.' (erry agreed. $0heres his family+ In 1irginia+'
$"rizona, I think. Thats why theyre so freaked. 9ne of the killings happened there.' .haun informed
her. $.o maybe his family should take off and go somewhere else, huh+'
$3ould be.' (erry tapped into the 4*". 5ood timin!. I was just on the wire with Houston, and were
!ettin! complaints from all around that we cant !et circuits completed. 'an you find out if thats a
kneejerk one day thin!, or if were in real trouble? +here are you? Its !ettin! creepy here. +e should
!et out of this damn dust cloud.3
.he hit enter. $0here were you guys, with *ar+'
$5o.' .haun shook his head. $0e were with some of the 1erizon guys, trying to make friends with
them. 0e were in one of the manholes a little bit away from here, )ust helping them out and stuff.'
$*id they say anything+'
.haun shrugged. $Theyre )ust linemen.' %e said. $Theyre.. I dont know, its hard to figure them out. I
think theyre pissed because of all the destruction, and all that, but they also were almost sort of
)azzed because of all the 9T theyd be making.'
$0elcome to humanity.' (erry remarked dryly. $The one truly consistent trait of the species is self
interest. But if thats the case, why are they pushing back so hard in helping us+ If they want 9T,
were sure offering a lot of it.'
$They arent.' .haun shook his head. $They dont give a s!uat about it, in fact, they thought the idea
was sort of slick, to run a cable up the subway. Its their bosses who are being such a a 4IT".'
$7h huh.' (erry mused. $I wonder why.'
$Maybe they want a payoff.' .haun suggested. $I heard it was like that here.'
(errys 4*" buzzed. $%ang on.' .he tapped the new message.
'harles is callin! his head office. Hell let me know. &hese Aerizon bastards wont bud!e.
(erry tapped her stylus on the edge of the 4*", then tapped a response. /ffer them a payoff. I was
just talkin! to haun, and he said he talked to the linemen. &heyre fine with runnin! the cable.
The message came right back. .oure kiddin! me ri!ht?
9o. (erry typed back. Its 9ew .ork, )ar.
+ere a public company and Im an officer of it, *er. *ar responded. I could !et thrown in jail for that.
(erry somehow doubted it. &hen tell $lastair to do it. Hes there, ri!ht? )ar, I love you but please dont
tell me I( has never paid a bribe to !et somethin! pushed throu!h.
I( has. I havent.
*espite it all, it made (erry smile. 6uthless, smart, !uick thinking, driven.. and yet, there was a line
that *ar )ust wouldnt cross. It was a beautiful thing, really. /kay. 1ust a thou!ht. I cant really think
of what else is holdin! their mana!ement layer back, if the line boys dont care. I thou!ht it would be
them, the union !uys who would be balkin!.
5ood point. *ar responded.
$%ey, guys+' (annan came running back out. $*id we fi& it+ *id Ms. 6oberts do this already+ I am
amazed8'
$%uh+' (errys head )erked up. $0e havent done anything. 0hy+'
(annan skidded to a halt, his thin face crumpling in confusion. $I have )ust heard, on 355, that they
have tested the systems successfully, for this #&change+ Is that not what we were supposed to be
helping with+'
(erry and .haun e&changed deeply puzzled looks.
(erry opened her cell phone and dialed it. $"re you sure+'
(annan spread his arms out and lifted his hands slightly. $That is what the new said. I am sure of
that.'
The phone crackled, ringing once and then crackling again as it was answered. $*ar+'
$,eah.' *ars voice sounded slightly muffled. $%ang on, Im going outside.' .he paused a moment. $Go
ahead. 0hats up+'
$(annan )ust heard on 355 that they successfully tested the #&change computers to work on
Monday. "re we doing this for nothing+' (erry asked.
$%uh+' *ar said. $(er, Im in the #&change. 0ere in the technical center. Trust me. 5othings being
tested here. They )ust lost power to the data center and theres no "3. 5othings even turned on.' .he
said. $"nd listen, I do appreciate the suggestion before, its )ust not my style.'
$I know hon.' (erry said. $.o if nothings working, what did they test+'
$The public trust+' *ar asked. $I havent a clue. %ang on, "lastair+ (erry )ust said they announced
on the news that they tested the #&change systems and they were all good to go for Monday. ,ou
know whats up+ 0hat+ 5o+ 9kay.' %er voice got louder. $(er, we dont know s!uat here. Ill try to
find out.'
$9kay sweetie.' (erry sighed. $Ill do the same. Maybe Ill call my mother. Maybe she knows
something.' .he said. $Its getting really cruddy here. 0e moving out anytime soon+'
$.oon as I get back there.' *ar promised. $%ang in there, love.'
(erry e&haled. $Ill do my best.' .he said. $But do me a favor huh+ (ick their asses and dont hang
around to take names. 0e should get out of here. $
$0ill do.' *ar said. $Talk to you shortly.'
.he hung up the phone. $*ar says theyre not testing anything.' .he told the techs.
$.o2 the news was a lie+' (annan asked.
(erry shrugged a little. $I dont know.' .he said. $I dont really know what thats all about.' .he
indicated the trailor. $/ets go see what else they say about it.'
$0eird.' .haun said. $But hey, weve got oreos and milk in there.' %e said. $If you dont mind paper
cups.'
$/ead on.' (erry found the thought of the familiarity of 9reos appealing. $/ets see what else theyre
putting out on the news. Maybe aliens have landed. 0ho knows+'
;;
$/ook, what youre asking is nuts.' The stocky man threw his hands up and let them drop. $/ady,
even you know its nuts. 6un a cable up to midtown+ In the subway+ 0here the hell you think were
going to get the cable+ Macys+'
*ar stared him down. $,oure a phone company. ,ou dont have cable+ 0hat the hell do you use then,
tin cans and strings+'
$5ot that much cable8' The man protested. $,ou know how much that stuff costs+'
D0ell, sir..' 9ne of the other 1erizon reps cleared his throat. $0e got that cable. In :ersey.'
The man whirled. $.hut the fuck up. 0ho asked you+'
$If you have the cable, why shut him up+' " tall man in a rumpled tie and suit spoke up from the back.
$0hy the stall+' %e asked. $This isnt some fucking game, buddy. $
The man from 1erizon turned back to him. $0ho the fuck are you+'
$"ide to the governor.' The man said. $0ho maybe wants to know why someones holding up a
critical promise of his.'
The man didnt seem fazed. $,eah+ %e can kiss my ass. %im and his lets s!ueeze the union bullshit.'
%e said. $Im not putting my guys down those holes for you. I dont give crap what you promised.'
"h. *ar revised her opinion for the third time in less than five minutes. "t first shed suspected (erry
was right, and the man was looking for a payoff. Then shed decided he was probably really looking
for an e&cuse not to have to bust his ass.
5ow she figured he might )ust be an asshole with a grudge. $/isten.' .he brought the rooms
attention back to herself by standing up. $/ets can the bullshit. 0hats at stake here is a lot bigger
than any of us. 5o one wants to be on 355 e&plaining why they deliberately harmed the nation.'
$"w, cmon with the crap already.' The 1erizon man rolled his eyes.
$.hes right.' The governors aide said. $Matter of fact, Im going to call the cops in and have your ass
arrested. Maybe youre in it with the terrorists. .ure sounds like it to me.'
$0ould you shut up+' The man said. $,ou aint calling no one. "nd you lady, even if we did have that
stuff theres no way we could lay it out in time. It aint possible.'
The governors aide opened his phone and dialed. $%ello+ ,es. Is this "gent :ackson+ ,es, this is
Michael 3orish from the governors office. ,es, thanks, I am. /isten, its come to my attention we
could have someone here who might be of interest to you. 3an you send a few boys over to the
#&change+'
#veryone looked at each other, then back at the aide.
$,ou will+ Great. Ill wait here for them. Thanks.' %e closed the phone and regarded the man from
1erizon. $%ope you like body cavity searches.'
The mans )aw dropped a little. $0hat are you crazy+ Im not a terrorist8'
$*oesnt matter.' The man said. $,oure in the way, and Im going to remove you.' %e turned to the
man whod spilled the beans about the cable. $5ow. ,ou want to help us out here, or go with your
friend+'
The man swallowed.
$,oure bluffing8' The other man said.
$5o.' The aide replied. $I )ust called yours. %ere we have a room full of people who all have one goal,
which, is what our government wants. $ %e gestured, taking in the other telco men, and *ar and her
group. $Theyre working hard to do what we need, and your stupid pigheadedness is blocking that.
,oure worthless. 0e dont need you.'
$/isten8 0ho do you think ya are, anyway+ My uncle2'
The door opened, and a man in dark, paramilitary looking clothing entered. $Mr. 3orish+'
$%ere.' The aide said. $Its that fellow over there. ,ou might want to !uestion him on his
background.$
The agent nodded, and unclipped the strap on his sidearm. $/ets go buddy. *ont make any trouble
for me.' %e advanced around the table, the rest of the crowd parting before him as the man from
1erizon backed up against the wall.
$%ey8' The man said. $0ait.. I ddint do nothing8'
The agent grabbed his arm and swung him around, slamming him against the wall as he pulled a set
of handcuffs from a case in the small of his back. $Then youve got nothing to worry about, right+' %e
snapped the cuffs on and got him in a solid grip around one bicep. $Thanks, sir. 0ell take it from
here.'
$Thanks for coming so soon, officer. I, and of course the governor, really appreciate it.' 3orish said.
$/et me get the door for you.' %e smiled as the man was dragged out., then he slammed the door and
looked around at the room. $0here were we+'
$Ill help.' The other 1erizon man said !uickly. $I know where weve got that cable. But Ill need
someone to pull some strings for us to get it on a barge over here.'
$I think I can help you with that.' 3orish said. $/ets go outside and make a few calls.' %e glanced
around. $The rest of you better be ready to move once we get this accomplished. I dont want any
more e&cuses.'
%e left, taking the chastened 1erizon man with him, closing the door behind them both.
$%oly shit.' .cuzzy whispered.
%amilton crossed his arms, looking as nonplussed as *ar had ever seen him. %e turned and looked at
her and they both simultaneously shook their heads. $0ell.' The lawyer said. $5ot to put too fine a
point on it, but now ah do understand in full that old .outhern saying that goes something like.. ah do
declare8'
"ndrew had been sitting !uietly in the corner, and now he snorted audibly. $Mah neck of them
.outhern woods they said $.omebitch8'
$I cant believe that )ust happened.' 3harles pushed back his chair from the table.
*ar stood up. $0ell, it did.' .he veered towards the practical. $.o that means you all need to get your
line folks in here and get ready to hook up to one end of that damn cable. 0ell go prepare the other
end. $
3harles nodded slowly. $Ill get my guys in here. 6oger, do you have a big router we can all use+ I
dont see much point in running separate links on this end if *ars )ust going to combine them on
hers.'
The M3I rep opened his cell phone. $/et me see what they got on the truck. I think we do.' %e said.
$.am, Ive got a service trunk going up to the roof, you want to tie your cell temps in there+'
The .print rep nodded. $0e can do that. ,eah.' %e said. $Tell you the truth, folks, I dont much know
whats going on with the -BI and all that, but Im glad were moving forward with this. .itting still
and listening to people pissing on each others not my idea of a good time.'
$Mine either.' *ar agreed. $/et me go pack up my crowd and get back up to midtown. Ive got three
sat trucks, anyone need them+ Im reserving one for our technical office. I need to get them online for
some critical backhaul.'
$Ill take one.' .am said. $I can use the back channel for the cell sites. I hear theyre going to start
letting people back down here, at least on the east side, tomorrow or maybe Monday.'
$Ill grab one for our business office.' 6oger said. $Thanks *ar. "ny little bit helps.'
$Then well take the third one off your hands. $ 3harlie said. $#ven though weve got our tie lines up
thanks to your generosity, wed like to bring up a communications center we can work out of down
here.'
$Great.' *ar said. $5ow you can all do me a favor and get your operations groups to take the lid off
completing new orders in the rest of the damn country. ,oure not going to need all those techs
here.'
$0e can.' 3harles said. $But its not so much us, *ar. I talked to my ops 14 before when you asked,
and its the local /#3.. They wont drop the last mile. Ive got a call into my counterpart at Fwest and
Bellsouth, trying to see whats going on. $
$I heard theyll start releasing that on Monday.' 6oger spoke up. $#veryone outside the 1erizon area,
anyway. $ %e added. $.o at least thats probably good news.'
$If its true.' 3harles said.
$3ome on then.' *ar gestured to the door. $Bring whoever you need to take them over. Id rather get
moving before they come with some other re!uest we have to find a way to support.' .he waited for
the men to walk ahead, then )oined "lastair and her father as they followed behind.
$Glad were going to end up getting somewhere from this.' "lastair said. $But I cant say Im en)oying
the ride.'
$That was pretty scary.' *ar admitted. $Im not sure what the rules are anymore.'
$I aint sure there are any.' %amilton said. $/isten, Maestro, no one loves your ass kicking attitude any
more than little old me, but Im not sure even this /ouisiana lawyer could dig you out of the spooks
palace so do me a little old favor and keep a sock in it, will ya please+'
*ar was silent for a moment, then she shook her head. $Ill do my best.' .he finally muttered. $But
this is getting down a dark road Im not sure we want to be on.'
They emerged into the dust filled, overcast street, and pulled their masks on. $Im not sure weve got
any choice left.' "lastair said. $I thought we might get some good press out of it, but after what you
told me about them giving that story about the systems being fine, Im not so sure.'
They walked down the street, passing firemen and other search workers trudging back in the
opposite direction. They got only cursory glances, as the e&hausted men went back towards the
disaster site, some holding small brown bags in their hands.
9ne looked up at *ar as he went past, his eyes briefly focusing on the logo patch on her )umpsuit. %e
lifted the small bag and nodded at her. $Thanks.'
*ar had no idea what he was talking about. .he lifted a hand and gave him a wave. $"nytime.'
They moved on. $"lastair, Id be happy if we )ust get out of this here thing with our skins intact at this
point.' %amilton remarked, in a serious tone. $0e can write it all off as service rendered. The press
may not know what we did, but theyre going to have to write one mean non disclosure if its going to
keep us from telling the stockholders.'
$0ell, thats true. 0e do have to book the e&pense.' "lastair said. $"nyway, Im glad were moving
back up to the office. 0e can start a triage center for our accounts there. .ee what we can do for
them while your team is getting the rest of this ready, *ar.'
*ar was merely looking forward to a shower and a cold drink, at this point. $.ure.' .he walked on,
clearing her throat a little.
The streets around them were covered in dust, as were the buildings, and the cars alongside either
curb. But there were a few now that werent so covered, and in two places it looked like emergency
service organizations were setting up shop.
The strangeness was wearing off, she realized. .he was getting used to seeing this destruction, )ust
like she was almost used to the rough cotton constriction of her )umpsuit, and the claustrophobic
enclosure of the mask she was wearing.
The late afternoon sun could barely penetrate the cloud of smoke and dust, and as she walked, she
had a sense they were moving through some strange otherworldly dreamscape, kicking up puffs of
dust as they went along in !uiet procession.
They had won the day. They were getting what they wanted. *espite all that, *ar felt a sense of
unease at how the achievement had been made. 0as the 1erizon crew leader really in trouble+ 9r
would the city )ust keep him out of the way long enough for them to get what they wanted+
%ed been removed so easily. *ar e&haled, acknowledging that %amiltons advice had probably been
very sound. .he had no desire to be in that guys shoes, despite the fact she felt he was )ust speaking
his mind and heart regardless of what his real motives were.
0hat did that say about the situation+
$"h. I think someones looking for you, *ar.' "lastair poked her.
*ar started out of her inner musings and looked up, to find a somewhat short, )umpsuited figure
moving towards them out of the gloom. #ven in the coverall and mask, (erry was immediately
recognizable. $I think youre right.'
*ar sped up her steps and eased between the others, watching (errys path alter as she was, in turn,
spotted. .he wondered if her partner had some new problem or whether she )ust..
*ar was betting on the )ust. $%ey.' .he greeted her as they neared. .he could see the pale green eyes
watching her through the mask, and even through the two layers of plastic, she could also see the
smile in them.
$%ey.' (erry responded. $There you are.'
$/ooking for something+' *ars brows lifted.
$,ou.'
$"h.' *ar smiled and gave her a !uick hug. $3mon. 0ere heading back to the bus.' .he indicated the
crowd around them. $0ere leaving the sat rigs. 0ere going to park one near our tech office, and
give one to each of our friends here. Then the bus, and us, are heading back to the office.'
$*id we make any progress+' (erry willingly turned and kept up with her.
$,es. But not the way Id like to have.' *ar admitted. $I almost wish Id taken your advice and got out
the checkbook.'
$6eally+' (erry frowned.
$6eally. /ets get to the bus, and Ill tell you all about it.' *ar glanced casually around. $I think it
threw all of us for a loop.'
$That doesnt sound good.'
$Im not sure it is.' *ar put her arm around (errs shoulders. $In fact, Im pretty sure it isnt. Theres a
lot more going on under the hood here than we know.'
$7gh.' (erry grunted. $6ight now all I want under my hood is a cold beer and a shower.'
$I can make that happen.' *ar assured her.
$I bet you can.'
;;
(erry leaned both hands against the tile wall and let the shower beat down over her shoulders. The
water felt so wonderful, she was contemplating )ust falling asleep where she was, but after a minute,
she straightened up and reached for the scrubbie sitting in the stainless steel basket.
.he s!ueezed a blob of apricot scrub on it, and started soaping herself. It felt good to feel the clean
tingle, though shed worn her )umpsuit shed felt like the dust had formed a film on her skin and she
was literally itching to get it off.
It was good to be back by the office, away from all the destruction. (erry rinsed herself off, then
applied a good handful of shampoo to her hair and scrubbed her scalp. 7p by the hotel, there were
people and cars, and a lot of activity, a far cry from the ghostly wasteland theyd so recently left.
0ith the last of the soap circling down the drain, she shut the shower off and stepped out, wrapping
herself in the thick towel that was hanging nearby. #ven that felt good and she dried herself off,
glancing briefly in the half fogged mirror at her reflection.
Grim. .he stuck her tongue out at the disheveled image. Then she got her underwear on and ran a
brush through her hair, before she wrapped the towel around her neck and emerged from the
bathroom.
It was !uiet. The windows were surprisingly sound proofed, and the room itself had a thick carpet,
and a comfortable king size bed ? not a specially grand space, but right now it seemed like heaven to
(errys tired eyes.
.he pulled on a pair of carpenter pants and a polo, but left her feet bare as she went over to the desk
and sat down ne&t to it, picking up her water bottle and taking a swig.
/aying down was an option, but she knew if she did, shed fall asleep and she wasnt sure she wanted
to do that. *ar was down in the basement of their office looking for pipes, and she wanted to wait for
her to come back up to the room to see what shed found down there.
The team ? shed started to think of all of them as )ust one big team ? would probably want to gather
for dinner. .hed heard them talking on the ride back up from Battery 4ark, and there was something
of a group mind going on she could appreciate in the situation.
.he did appreciate it. %owever, on a personal level, she would have rather spent the time alone with
*ar simply decompressing. %er body wasnt that tired, but her mind was, having spent hours and
hours chasing problems around in circles.
$I dont think Im up to a communicative evening.' (erry remarked to the empty room. $But lets see
what happens.' .he glanced at her laptop, then she e&tended her legs and crossed them at the
ankles, leaving the machine sitting closed on the desktop.
%er cell phone and 4*" rested ne&t to it, both blessedly !uiet for the moment.
That was good. .he was tired of telling people what to do, and getting mostly bad news from all
!uarters. .he wanted to be able to )ust chill out, and not feel guilty that she was letting issues lie
without her attention.
There was a point, she had discovered, when you )ust lost the ability to !uantify everything you had
to do when there was )ust too much of it. It was like trying to dig a hole in the sand by the ocean ?
fast as you kept digging, it kept filling.
.hed found that point today, )ust before shed shut her laptop and turned off her mic. 5o matter how
many customers shed talked to, there was more waiting, no matter how many times she e&plained
the situation, there were people that begged the e&ception and to their credit, most of them were not
frivolous re!uests.
5ever enough.
(erry took a swallow of her water, then decided she really wanted something stronger. .he got up
and put the cap on the bottle, then she started looking around for some shoes, figuring even a seat in
the corner of the bar would probably keep her from falling asleep until *ar finished fiddling.
Maybe theyd even have some decent )alapeno poppers or something. (erry found her boots and put
them on, then she tucked her room key into one of her side pockets and slipped out the door and into
the hallway.
It, too, was !uiet. .he passed one other person on the way to the elevator, and rode all the way down
in solitary splendor to the floor which housed the bar. This area was more crowded, and she spotted
a few familiar faces as she made her way into the dark, wood lined space. $%ey guys.'
$%ey boss8' Mark waved her over. $The big (ahuna was )ust checking one more thing, then she said
shed meet us up here.'
$Good.' (erry claimed one of the leather chairs in the midst of her techs. $.omeone get me a beer,
please. The bigger the better.'
$6ight you are, maam.' .haun got up and trotted over to the bar.
$/ong ass day, huh+' Mark asked. $Man, I dont envy those phone guys though. I wouldnt want to be
creeping around in that subway at night.'
$5o way.' "nother of the techs agreed. $Theyve got balls. $ %e paused, and blushed. $.orry maam.'
$5o problem.' (erry sighed. $Theyve sure got more balls than I do, anyway.' .he glanced at Mark.
$.o whats *ar doing now+ *id you find a route through the basement+'
Mark shook his head. $5o such luck.' %e replied, mournfully. $I cant even get them to tell me where
our damn demarc is. They have to call some guy who was on vacation or something to find out. 0e
couldnt find any easy way to get from the building out.'
$7gh.' (erry accepted the large, frosty mug of beer .haun was handing her. $Thanks. 0heres
(annan+'
$In our room.' .haun said. $%es still pretty freaked out. I told him to )ust order some room service
and rela&.'
(erry took a sip of the cold beer and swallowed it $Good choice.' .he complimented .haun. $"nd
good idea to have (annan )ust rest tonight. I have my admin trying to get him a flight out of here
tomorrow to go home. I dont think hes really in danger here ? after all, so many people here in 5ew
,ork are from India its not really unusual ? but I understand how he feels.'
$,eah, I know.' .haun picked up his own glass, which seemed to be some kind of highball. $%es )ust
freaked out by all of it. .ucks too, because hes our best 0"5 guy.'
It did suck. (erry sat back in her chair and looked around the bar. "side from her group, there were
several others, clustered around the scattered tables or watching the three television sets mounted
on the walls.
9rdinarily, the screens would have sports on them, she figured. Basketball, or football, or whatever
#.45 was serving up. 5ow, all three were tuned to 355, and those sitting around seemed fi&ed on
the pictures, which showed again and again, the horrific sights shed gotten to know up close and
personal earlier that day.
.hots of the wreckage. .hots of the 4entagon. .hots of a burned field in 4ennsylvania. Talking heads.
.hots of the president, with his bullhorn standing on a mound of debris. More talking heads. .hots of
smoke, of the mayor at a funeral, of the barges removing remains to -resh (ills landfill along with
mounds and mounds and mounds of debris.
-resh (ills. 0hat a cosmically ironic name. (erry was truly surprised someone hadnt changed it )ust
to spare everyone the wince. It was *utch, shed learned, the old word kille meaning water channel
and the place itself was an estuary that drained wetlands into the sea, but in the current conte&t it
was ghoulish and she was tired of hearing it.
3ertainly, shed winced. That reminded her of something, and she set her beer down, removing her
cell phone from her belt and opening it. .he looked up a number, then pressed the dial, listening to
the ring until it was answered. $%ello, mother.'
$0h.. oh, hello (erry8' 3ynthia .tuart answered, sounding surprised. $0hat a surprise.' .he
confirmed the sound promptly. $I hadnt e&pected to hear from you this evening2 where are you+
.till in 5ew ,ork+'
$,es. "cross from our office at 6ockefeller 3enter.' (erry replied. $%ow are things there+'
$-rustrating.' %er mother answered honestly. $I have to say its very difficult talking to people, who
cannot see past someone with perhaps a different religion, or so on, and who must assume everyone
who is from somewhere else is suspect.'
$I heard about the attacks.' (erry said. $Im sorry. 0e encountered that here, one of our techs is from
India and hes had a tough time.'
$Terrible.' %er mother agreed. $I have to say your being there also makes me !uite an&ious,
however, (erry. "ngela is also concerned. $
$Thanks.' (erry said. $Its been a rough day. 0e were down at the disaster site earlier. 0e )ust got
back uptown a little while ago.'
$9h my.' 3ynthia gasped a little. $I had no idea8 I saw the pictures on television )ust before ? it seems
absolutely horrific.' .he added. $%old on, "ngela, I have your sister on the phone. .he seems right in
the middle of everything again2 what.. oh, all right. ,es hold on..'
$(er+' "ngies voice came over the line. $"re you nuts+ Get the hell out of there8'
$%i, "ng.' (erry gave her tablemates a wry look, and a shrug. $-amily.' .he mouthed. $Get out of
here+ 0ere in the lobby bar at our hotel. 0hats wrong with it+'
$(erry, cut it out8 0hy are you guys there+' "ngela actually sounded upset. $It was bad enough
when you were at the 4entagon, but :esus8'
4erversely, after being horrified the whole day, now (erry felt the need to downplay the whole thing.
$3mon, "ng. Theres a whole city full of people here in this city. 3hill.' .he told her sister. $0e had
to come here. Theres a lot of stuff that needed taking care of. $
$%ow long are you staying there+' "ngie asked. $%ave you heard whats going on here+'
$I heard. 4eople are )ust going a little crazy, I think.' (erry said. $0e have a lot of customers down
here, and some things were doing for the government. Its not )ust me and *ar, either, our 3#9 is
here, and a bunch of our corporate people. $
$.o you and *ar arent running the planet as usual+'
(erry spotted her beloved partner entering the hotel, surrounded by men, all of whom were glued on
whatever it was she was telling them. $0ho us+' .he said. $5ah, were )ust little fish here.' .he
watched *ar, hands moving in a decisive motion, dismiss her accolytes who scattered in all
directions. $0ere )ust a couple of nerds to these guys.'
$7h huh.' "ngie said. $.is, be careful, please+ Its easy to get hurt in all the stuff going on.
$I will.'
*ar stopped at the front desk and leaned over the top of it, talking to the short, well dressed woman
behind it.
$(er+'
$%uh+' (erry wrested her attention back to her phone. $.orry, what was that+'
$I said, heres mom back. Be careful8'
$%ere comes Big *.' Mark spoke up. $/ooks like she could use a beer too, .haun.'
$%ey, youd think my family were Irish bartenders or something.. oh wait. They are. $ .haun good
naturedly got up and headed back for the bar, where the crowd had somewhat thickened.
$(erry+'
$,es, Im here.' (erry could see the irritation in her partners body language, but she smiled anyway,
as the stormy blue eyes lifted and found hers. $/isten, I hope everything settles down and people
start to think again. I know this has to )ust be a knee )erk reaction.'
$I certainly hope so. 0ill you be there long+ $
(erry considered the !uestion as *ar arrived and took a seat on the arm of her chair. $I think well
know more on Monday, to be honest. Ill let you know.' .he said. $Im sure *ar will want to get out of
here as soon as we can.'
$Bet your ass.' *ar commented.
$Im sorry, what was that+' 3ynthia said. $0as that *ar+ I thought I heard her voice.'
$It was.' (erry said. $.he was )ust agreeing with me.'
.haun came back over and offered *ar a glass. $They told me to get this.'
*ar eyed him. $They did, did they+' .he let her eyes narrow. $5ow why would they say something
like that+'
$7m.' .haun took a half step back.
$3mon boss.' Mark called over. $Be nice.'
" grudging smile appeared on *ars face and she e&tended one hand to take the glass. $Thank you.'
.he told .haun. .he lifted the glass and glanced around the table. $/ets hope this is one day in a
million.'
$%ear hear.' (erry lifted her own glass. $Mother, were going to rustle up dinner now, so let me let
you go. Im glad the familys safe there, and I hope things cool down.' .he listened, then closed the
phone and put it down on her knee. $4eople, you all did an amazing )ob today.'
$Maam, we )ust hung out and watched.' .haun said.
$Thats okay, I did too.' (erry bumped *ars leg with her shoulder. $*ar did the heavy lifting. But
everyone hung in there, and now at least we have a plan, and were moving forward.' .he glanced up.
$6ight+'
*ar waggled her free hand, and took a sip of her beer.
$7h oh.' (erry retreated to her own mug.
$0e have some challenges.' *ar said, after a pause, waiting for everyone to lean forward to listen. $I
found out we need to go and take a closer look at the subway tunnels coming under the office
tomorrow. "pparently theres more than one set.'
$9h sure.' .cuzzy spoke up. $,ou aint gonna believe how many tunnels are under this city here. I
think theres like ten that come into Grand 3entral.. you remember Grand 3entral+ Thats where we
met up that time.'
$I remember.' *ar nodded. $/ooked like a maze made by whacked moles fighting blind badgers.' .he
said. $.o tomorrow we need to try and scope a path for them to take that cable up into the building
so we can crossconnect it to our gear.'
$0e cant use the copper riser.' Mark said. $I didnt find any ground level demarc.'
$Ill go with ya tomorrow.' .cuzzy said, confidently. $My old man worked here. I used to sleep in some
of them little rooms, me and the rats and the bums.'
(erry felt the air in the bar hit the outsides of her eyeballs as they widened.
$,know, you never know. They might have coal bins and who knows what down there. 0ell find
something. But I thought you were telling them to take it out to 6oosevelt+' .cuzzy went on. $0hats
up with that+'
$(erry reminded me itd be a lot closer to )ust bring it here.' *ar said. $0eve got enough pipe here to
take at least part of the traffic.'
$That sure helps.' .cuzzy said, sucking on the straw poked in her luridly fruity drink. $3ause you
dont want to be in those tunnels under the #ast 6iver, you know+'
$I know.' *ar agreed solemnly. $Me either.'
$.pecially since the 6oosevelt is like, halfway to 3hina. $ The native 5ew ,orker continued. $Its like,
ten, maybe fifteen stories underground and I got my ears all screwy going up and down from there.'
*ar regarded her for a moment, then she looked down at (erry. $This pro)ect lucked out having you
in it. I sure as hell am not going ten stories underground to fish fiber cable up.'
$"nytime, honey.' (erry leaned her head against *ars hip. $Though I have to admit Im not crazy
about going ten stories underground right now either.'
$That was rough, today.' .cuzzy commented. $I thought I seen some bad stuff before but that was
bad. 6eal bad.'
$Ive asked our real estate branch to find a different location for the technical office there.' *ar said,
after a brief silence. $I dont know how long its going to take them to get things going again.'
$I feel bad for the people who all live down there.' .haun said. $/ike the office folks. They cant go
home. That must be terrible on top of everything else.'
$/iving down there right now would be a lot worse.' .cuzzy said. $They better off stay uptown. I got a
cousin whos right on the edge of where they dont let you go no more and shes thinking of staying
with my uncle in :ersey for a while.'
$Im sure most of the people here would rather go somewhere else for a while.' 5an said, in a !uiet
voice. $I know I would. It was horrible in *3, but nothing like this.'
(erry listened to the voices around her, and found a kinship in the mental e&haustion she heard in
them. .he felt *ars fingers close on her shoulder, and figured they needed a change of scene. $%ow
about we all go find some dinner now. ,ou guys up for that+'
$%ell yes.' Mark put his glass down hastily. $Im starving.'
$That sounds damn good to me too.' "ndrew had been sprawled in a nearby chair. 5ow he
straightened up and studied his neatly laced military boots. $-ind us some place we can get some
steak and taters.'
$/ets go.' *ar slipped off the chair arm and offered (erry a hand up. $"lastair and %amilton are
meeting with some board members, so theyll )ust have to miss out.' .he waited for the group to rise
and start to file out the door. $0ith any luck, wherever we findll have ice cream .undays.'
$Theres a Ben and :errys around the corner.' (erry answered instantly. $3aught my eye on the way
in.'
*ar chuckled.
$%ey, gotta find the essentials.'
;;
$0ere going to regret staying out this late.' (erry trailed after *ar down the hallway to their hotel
room. $Tomorrow is going to really suck.'
$It is.' %er partner agreed, keying the door open and shoving it inward. $But I dont care. I needed a
mindless night out.' .he trudged inside, passing the bathroom and moving further into the space.
$0ell survive. Mark has two cases of Bawls in the truck.'
$Good point.' (erry closed the door behind them, then sat down in the nearest chair and unlaced her
boots. $" lot of people were out tonight. I was sort of surprised.'
$%ysterical relief.' *ar dropped down onto the bed and laid down flat on her back. $-elt a little
desperate.'
(erry finished with her other boot, then she got up and went over to the bed, sitting down and
picking up one of *ars legs to get at her laces. $I feel a little desperate.' .he said. $3hrist, I want to go
home.' .he pulled a lace loose.
*ar rolled her head to one side and gazed at her. $0e will soon.'
$5ot soon enough.' (erry replied. $I )ust feel so damned overwhelmed here, *ar. Im not sure why.'
.he pulled off one shoe, then the sock beneath it, pausing to tweak her partners toe before she got up
and went around to the other side of the long legs, and sat down to pick up the other foot.
*ars eyes followed her. $,ou dont know why you feel overwhelmed+ (er, youre in the middle of a
disaster zone in an unprecedented act of terrorism against our country. %ow are you supposed to not
feel overwhelmed+ I was watching those guys out there today ? theyre )ust digging, digging, they
had no real idea of what they were digging for. ,ou dont think theyre overwhelmed+'
(erry removed *ars other boot, and then set her foot down, leaning back along her side on the bed.
$I know they are. Thats what makes me feel so crazy. I should be able to )ust do my )ob here because
I wasnt a part of all that but its )ust making my brain go in circles.' .he propped her head up on one
hand. $0hy cant I be more like you+'
$" single minded idiot+'
(erry smiled wryly. $-ocused.' .he corrected her partner. $0ith an infinite capacity for innovation.'
*ar turned on her side so they were facing each other. .he lifted a hand and stroked (errys face
with the backs of her knuckles. $,ou can only focus so long.' .he said. $Thats why I stopped looking
for holes in the wall today and took tonight off. ,es, Ill pay for it tomorrow, but Ive finally learned
the value of chilling out.'
$,ou didnt chill with those darts.' (erry en)oyed the touch, savoring the look of gentle affection
gazing back at her. $I cant believe you beat your dad.'
*ar grinned $5either could he.' .he gently traced one of (errys pale eyebrows. $,ou werent so bad
yourself.'
$It was fun.' (erry admitted. $But Im glad we skipped the karaoke bar.' .he clasped *ars hand with
her own, and studied her face, half hidden in the shadows of the dimly lit room. There was a furrow
over her brow, and she looked tired.
$%eheh. Me too.' *ar said. $I guess we should get undressed and get some sleep, huh+'
$0e should.' (erry agreed. $#specially if were going to spend tomorrow digging around in office
basements.' .he levered herself up and stood, unbuckling her belt and getting out of her cargo pants,
hopping over to one side as *ar did the same.
$3areful.' *ar reached over to steady her, as she draped her pants over her suitcase and stripped off
her shirt one handed over her head. $/ast thing you need is rug burns.'
$Thanks, sweetie.' (erry said. $I know I can always depend on you to keep me from falling on my
butt.'
*ar chuckled, then she moved over a few steps to put her shirt away.
(erry folded her clothing up and put it to one side of her suitcase, rummaging inside it to remove her
sleep shirt. .he had it in one fist, when a long arm snaked a round her and removed it from her grasp.
$%ey.'
$%ey.' *ar dropped the shirt back on the bag and took her hand instead, drawing her towards the
bed. $3mon. There are plenty of sheets on the bed. ,ou wont be cold.'
(erry felt the faint thrill of une&pected raciness. $Im not cold already.'
*ar glanced over her bare shoulder at her, a faint grin twitching at her lips, as she waggled an
eyebrow. $9h really+'
$6eally.' (erry planted a kiss between *ars shoulderblades, then bumped her gently forward. $/ead
on, hot stuff.'
$6emind me of that again tomorrow after were both conscious again.' *ar responded, in a wry tone.
.he continued moving forward, towing (erry along behind her.
(erry smiled and followed willingly. $Bet your booty I will.' In a moment the room was in darkness
and she was under a set of cool sheets rapidly warming to her and *ars bare bodies and the comfort
of the skin on skin touch pushed the days an&ieties aside.
"nimal comfort. .he wrapped her arm around *ars waist, and felt her e&hale. $*ar+'
$,ees+'
$0hy do you really think they made that announcement today+ "bout the systems working+ *o you
think they were playing with us+'
$5o.' *ar said, after a pause. $Im not sure why they did it. $ .he added. $Maybe so people.. so
investors wouldnt panic.'
$%m.' (erry nibbled a bit of the skin on *ars shoulder. $I think theyre going to anyway. I bet when
that market does open it drops like a rock.'
$5ah.' *ar shook her head. $4eople had time to stop and think. %aving it closed wasnt a bad idea
regardless of what the technical situation was. 5o knee )erking , if youve had almost a week to react.'
$But what if we cant actually bring everything back up by Monday+ 0ont that2' (erry paused.
$Maybe thats why they made that announcement. To put pressure on us.'
*ar snorted softly.
$It )ust bothers me. I dont like people playing games when were going crazy trying to get things
done here.' (erry grumbled.
$,eah, I know.' *ar rubbed (errys back with her fingertips.
$.orry Im whining.'
$,oure allowed.' *ar looked up at the dimly seen ceiling. $.eems like this has been going on forever,
huh+ Its hard to remember I was in /ondon )ust a few days ago.' .he said. $0orking with those
guys2 I feel like its been a year since then.'
$I was giving a speech )ust a few days ago.' (erry replied. $,ou know, I cant even remember what the
hell I said.' .he admitted. $But I wish that reunion was the worst of my worries right now.'
$,eah.' *ar let her eyes drift shut, glad of the thick glass windows that blocked most of the city noise.
$I wish the worst thing I had to worry about was playing in that damned softball league and hitting
myself in the head.'
$,know though.' (erry mused. $Before this all happened, that visit was turning out better than I
e&pected. I think my mother caught a clue.'
*ar gave her a s!ueeze. $I think your mother values family.' .he said. $"nd she wants you to be a part
of that.' .he kissed (erry on the top of her head. $I dont blame her a bit.'
(erry smiled.'I love you.'
*ars eyes opened again. $Back atcha, but what brought that on+'
(erry snuggled a little closer. $Because Im sitting here at three in the morning bitching and youre
not telling me to shut up and go to sleep.' .he could feel *ars body shudder with silent laughter.
$,oure so sweet to me.'
*ar hugged her a little tighter, still chuckling.
$0hen we were down at the park today, I was looking out the front window at all those rescue
workers, )ust sitting there, and it kind of brought home to me )ust how many blessings I have in my
life.' (erry said, after a pause. $The primary one being you, of course.'
$/ikewise.' *ar e&haled. $Im one of the luckiest people on earth.'
$0ere both soppy mushballs.'
$Guilty.'
-inally, (erry found herself smiling, and )ust letting it go, unable to resist the love she could feel
wrapped all around her. .he closed her eyes and listened to *ars breathing for a few minutes, until
the dim shadows faded out and she drifted off into sleep.
*ar stayed awake a few minutes more, en)oying the sensation of (errys breath warming her
shoulder. They would try and accomplish the task theyd started on, she decided, and then, once that
was either finished or failed at, they would go home.
They were too close to the center of this. *ar could envision an unraveling ball of re!uests if they
kept going, the pressure to succeed growing greater and greater, as the shadow threat of what might
happen if they didnt hung over them.
Too much risk, for too little return. Tomorrow shed corner "lastair, call Maria, make arrangements
for them to get transport out and by the end of the day Monday, she decided, shed be sitting on her
patio playing ball with 3hino and listening to (erry rustling up coffee in the kitchen.
.he closed her eyes, and e&haled, nodding her head in confirmation.
;;
(erry breathed in the scent of fresh coffee as she entered the hotel cafe< , pausing in the doorway then
lifting a hand to wave hello to %amilton who was already seated inside.
$Good morning, Ms. .tuart.' %amilton waved back, then waved her over. $3ome on over and sit your
self down here so I dont have to be talking to the maple syrup will you please+'
%aving very little choice unless she wanted to start the day off profoundly rude, (erry crossed the
par!uet floor and )oined their corporate lawyer at his table. $3areful what you ask for.' .he sat down
and accepted the menu from young male server as she opened her napkin and put it on her lap at the
same time. $*ars on her way down.'
$%oney, even that thought cant stir my grits this morning.' %amilton told her. $,ou all do know
what grits are, right+'
$I know what grits are.' (erry assured him. $I can even cook them.'
$.hocked. Im shocked.' %amilton said. $" Midwesterner cooking grits. 0hat is the world coming to+'
%e picked up a piece of rye toast and methodically buttered it. $I had the honor of attending a
shindig at the governors place with "l last night.'
$%e had a party+' (errys voice dropped.
$%e called it a strategy and planning meeting.' The lawyer told her. $But I will say that was the first
planning and strategy meeting I ever have been to that had salmon canape< s and whisky highballs.'
%e took a sip of his coffee. $"h am guessing all those federal people in town needed some catering to.'
$0ell, we went out ourselves last night.' (erry half shrugged. $I guess salmon and whiskey are about
e!ual to beer and cheeseburgers and a good game of darts.'
%amilton looked up at her over cup. $5ow doesnt that sound down home.'
$%ome would have included my motorcycle and my dog.' (erry glanced up as the server reappeared,
hovering politely at her elbow. $3an I have two orders of eggs over easy, with crisp bacon, white
toast, and one side of blueberry pancakes, please+'
The waiter blinked, then he scribbled it down.
$"nd coffee.' (erry handed him the menu. $My father used to have meetings like those. The only
bright part of them for me were the chocolate mousse cups they always left close enough to the door
for me to steal.'
%amilton sipped his coffee again. $.omehow I can easily picture that.' %e remarked dryly. $0e
apparently got our selves onto the good boy list in all that hullaballo yesterday. Given my preference,
Id have rather stayed bad.'
$*id you get an idea last night of what their motives were+ 0hat they really want+' (erry asked.
$.ome of the things they were saying and doing were really very intimidating.'
$0hat do they want.' The lawyer sighed, and leaned back in his chair. $Thats a damn fine !uestion. I
do think first of all those men are scared half to death.'
$I thought they were acting as though they were embarrassed.' (erry responded. $That this
happened. That it was allowed to happen.'
%amilton regarded her. $There is that there piece too.' %e acknowledged. $I heard a lot about getting
back to normal, putting on a tough face, that sorta thing, but you know, honey, there aint no getting
back to normal in a thing like this. It changes people.'
$It changes everything.' (erry said.
D,es, it does.' The lawyer nodded. $It will change a lot of things, for us. 5o matter what the outcome
is, in this thing were doing, people now understand what we do in a very different aspect. That could
end up good, and it can end up bad.'
(erry took a swallow of water from the glass in front of her. $,ou know, my father was very unhappy
about our government contracts. %e felt we had too much control.'
$I do remember that.' %amilton nodded. $5o offense to those passed, but your father was a right
pain in my ass.'
$Mine too.' .he answered steadily. $But was he right+'
%er table companion thought about that in silence for a few minutes, then he shrugged. $I honestly
dont know the answer to that !uestion right now.' %e said. $5ot through any fault of ours,
understand. 0e )ust did what we do. But you know, I )ust dont know.'
$%m.' (erry picked up her fork and studied it. $Im not sure I do either.'
$Good morning, %amilton.' *ar appeared from thin air, even making (erry start a little as she took
the chair to her partners left. $I hear you and "lastair had a good time last night.'
$0ell, good morning to you too, Maestro.' The lawyer said. $I was )ust telling your charming
colleague here about it. ,ou seem to have won the approval of the powers that be, unlikely as that
may seem to all an sundry.'
$4eh.' *ar fastened her gaze on the water, and reeled him over. $3offee, please.' .he glanced back at
%amilton. $I didnt do a god damned thing. That bastard threatened his way into a solution.'
$9nly too true.' %amilton agreed. %e paused as the waiter returned, carrying a tray full of plates. $.o
what did you ladies do last night+' %e changed the sub)ect, as the waiter put down his breakfast,
then tried to figure out what to do with all of (errys.
$I took the team out to dinner.' *ar reached over and took one of the plates from the waiter, putting
it down in front of her. $That goes there, the other plate put between us. Thanks.' .he took a gulp of
her coffee. $Then we found a sports bar that had something other than 355 on and )ust chilled out
for a few hours.'
$"h would have traded my salmon canape< for a beer and a pretzel in a heartbeat.' %amilton said.
$"h, there you all are.' "lastair arrived, taking the fourth chair at the table. $%am, Ive had two calls
from the -BI this morning already. I dont think I can stall them on the employee lists much further.'
$0ell, "l, then Im going to have to file a damn in)unction against them in -ederal court and that aint
happening till Monday. $
$I dont know2' "lastair shook his head. $This guys not giving up.'
$Tell them we locked the database and no one can get access to it until weve had a chance to file in
-ederal 3ourt.' *ar bit into a strip of bacon.
$3an we do that+'
$,es.' *ar and (erry answered at the same time.
$"nd even if we couldnt.' (erry wiped her lips with her napkin. $They have no way of knowing that.
Its in a data center in the middle of the %ouston campus in a building among hundreds that only four
people have access to. 0hat are they doing to do, go room by room tapping on the outside of the
servers+'
$0ell.' Their 3#9 gave her a wry look. $They could arrest me.'
$0ell never let them take you alive, "lastair.' *ar said.
"lastair sighed. $,ou all seem to think this is funny.'
$I dont think its funny, I think its idiotic. 0hat the hell do they want our employment records for+'
*ar asked. $Is this all about the damn taps or something again+'
$:ust coffee for me, thanks.' "lastair told the waiter, who had returned to find his table had spawned
again. $"nd a glass of grapefruit )uice, if youve got it.'
$9f course sir.'
$*ar, it aint nothing about taps.' %amilton lowered his voice. $They need a list of all our people who
are in government facilities. That part makes horse sense. Its the rest of the records they want with
it thats giving my /ouisiana ass a hive.'
*ar chewed a mouthful of her breakfast as she studied her table companions. $" list of our people.'
.he said, after swallowing. $In their facilities+'
$,es.' "lastair nodded. $Its a security issue.'
*ar folded her hands on the table and leaned forward a little. $0hy dont they )ust run a report in
their own damned database+' .he asked. $0hy the hell do they need our records for++'
$Their database+' %amilton removed a pad from his pocket and pushed his plate aside. $*ar, have I
ever told you )ust how much I do truly love you more than my luggage+'
(erry eyed him. $%ey.'
$,es, their database.' *ar went back to stabbing her eggs, making them yolk all over the plate. $%ow
in the hell did they think all those people got credentials to work in those facilities+ 4ulled them out
of their asses+ They all have security clearances. Issued by the damned G91#65M#5T.'
"lastair and %amilton e&changed glances. $*id you write that database too+' "lastair in!uired.
$Maybe you could )ust go run the report for them, if you can spare a minute.'
%amilton waved his pen at him. $"l, hush. Thisll help I think. :ust tell those folks to call me if they
call you again.' %e smiled at *ar. $"lways lovely to spend time with you ladies. Ill be off to fence
with the -ederals now. 0ish me luck.' %e got up and lifted his )acket off the back of his chair. $"l, Ill
let you know what I find out.'
$.ure.' "lastair waved at him as he left. $0ell.'
$0ant a pancake+' (erry nudged the plate towards him. $Its probably going to be a really long day.'
Their 3#9 gazed at her for a moment, then he reached over and took the top pancake on the stack,
rolling it up and dunking the end in the cup of maple syrup. %e took a bite. $3an someone tell me
why were doing all the right things, but everything is going to hell anyway+'
$0elcome to our world.' *ar crunched noisily on her bacon. $:ust wait. Itll start raining any minute.'
;;
(erry pulled up the zipper on her )umpsuit, then she went over to the plastic shopping bag on the
desk and removed some power bars from it, stuffing them in a couple of the pockets. .he then
clipped her cell phone, and a new accoutrement, a radio, to her belt.
The masks she gratefully left behind, settling a company logo baseball cap on her head instead.
$9kay.' .he addressed her reflection. $/ets see what we can go find in the bowels of the city.'
The subway. (erry shook her head. *ar was already on the lower floor of the hotel, talking to the
maintenance people. (erry figured by the time she got down there either they would be ready to
move ahead or *ar would be veering off on another path altogether.
.he hoped it was a different path. .he knew they were far from the disaster site, but she had no
desire to be anywhere underground. 0ith a last patting of her pockets she tucked her room key
away and headed out the door.
The elevator opened, and she entered, to find "lastair already inside. $%ello, again.' .he greeted the
3#9. $Going to )oin us in the tunnels+'
"lastair had his hands in his pockets. %e had a pair of khakis on, and, surprisingly, a rugby shirt. $I
think Id rather do that than meet with the press. Thats where Im off to.'
$"h. 7gh.' (erry sympathized. $"re we in trouble again+'
$5ot this time, apparently. $ %er ultimate boss said. $.eems like word got around about our
hospitality buses, and our folks taking care of some of the workers down there. 9ne of the local
stations wanted me to chat about it.'
$9h. 0ell, thats great.' (erry said, as the elevator arrived at the lobby and opened. $Isnt it+'
$"ny press is generally good press.' "lastair followed her out into the lobby. $But, weve )ust been
high profile here, and Ive got a gut feeling that might not be the best thing in the long run.'
$5ot after what happened to that guy yesterday.' (erry shook her head. $Id rather be under the
radar myself.'
$#&actly.' "lastair agreed. $But I suppose giving out cookies and pop cant be too controversial.'
They walked across the lobby, and (erry wasnt surprised to find *ar standing by the coffee stand.
.he reached for her radio then paused as the dark head turned *ar looked around the lobby, spotting
her in a few seconds.
" faint grin appeared. *ar indicated the stand with her thumb, then turned as (erry nodded
emphatically. $0ell, good luck.' .he told "lastair. $0ell try to hold up our end of this.'
"lastair chuckled. $5ot worried about that at all.' %e said. $I never had any doubts before over what
9perations could do, but now Ive got a whole new respect for you and *ar. Been a real eye opener.'
(erry wondered what that meant. $0ell, we try.' .he veered off to where *ar was waiting, now with
two big cups of coffee in her hands. $.ee you later.'
"lastair continued towards the front door, and (erry ambled to a halt ne&t to her partner and her
heavenly burden. $I feel like swimming in that coffee.' .he accepted her cup. $-ind anything+'
$/abyrinthine basements.' *ar informed her. $.oon as Mark and the boys get back from grabbing
flashlights and water, well head down there. 5o one knows where the hell some of the corridors go.'
$Great.' (erry sighed.
$%on, you can stay up here and work on issues if you want.' *ar rested her hand on (errys shoulder.
$,ou dont need to come spelunking with me.' .he tweaked a bit of (errys pale hair. $Theres plenty
to do topside.'
$I know. But I want to go.' (erry took a sip of her coffee. $"nd it cant be as bad as yesterday. I
thought I was going to have nightmares from that.'
$,ou didnt.'
$I didnt.' The blond woman confirmed. $I didnt dream at all, that I remember. I think I was too
tired.' .he spotted Mark and his crew coming out of an elevator. D9r maybe I )ust dreamed about
you the whole time. I felt like I did when I woke up.'
*ar turned her head and gave her partner a puzzled look. $%uh+'
$5ever mind. Tell you later.' (erry raised her cup towards Mark. $%ey. ,ou guys ready for some
e&ploration+'
Mark looked tired, but he nodded. .haun was with him, along with .cuzzy and 5an, and :oshua, a
tech from the office. $6eady as well ever be.' %e said. $%ope we find something though. Im whacked
from last night.'
$Me too.' .haun agreed, stifling a yawn. $0hat were those drinks we were having+'
$,o, youre some kinda lightweight.' .cuzzy said. $0e werent out there late8'
$,es, we were.' 5an disagreed. $Ive still got karaoke ringing in my ears.' .he covered one. $Ive
never been in a club that loud before.'
$%ey its the city.' .cuzzy said. $4eople need to blow off steam around here, you know+ Been rough
this week.'
$%ey, I had fun. Im )ust tired.' 5an said. $,ou guys had the right idea, heading back.' .he gave *ar
and (erry a wry look. $I think I had an hour sleep.'
*ar took the flashlight Mark was holding out and slipped it into the long pocket along one seam of
her coveralls. $9kay, lets go.' .he pointed to the front doors. $0ell walk down to the office, then
find a subway entrance. The concierge said theres one right near by.'
They e&ited the hotel and started down the block, crossing two streets before they neared the rear
entrance to their offices. $3an we get to the subway from inside+' *ar asked.
$.ure.' .cuzzy led the way into the comple&. $They got lots of underground stuff here. ,ou know+
Great for when its snowing. ,ou dont want to freeze your ass off getting coffee in the morning.'
$.mart idea.' (erry agreed. $But it makes me realize why all those people from 5ew ,ork moved to
-lorida. ,ou never freeze your ass off doing anything there.'
They walked through the concourse and down a set of stairs, passing from the light into the
underground part of 6ockefeller 3enter. $Is that where were going+' *ar pointed to a sign that said,
simply, D.ubway.
$,eah, thats the Q
th
"ve, you know+ Independent line.' .cuzzy said, as they started for the stairs. $,ou
guys are gonna have a big problem getting from there to the I6T, you know+'
$The what+' (erry asked.
$*ont the tunnels all connect+' *ar added, after a pause.
$0ell, sure.' .cuzzy led the way down the steps. $/ike, eventually.' .he continued. $But not here on
Q
th
, probably maybe near the shuttle, like where we met, you know+ This subway was built like after
the other one. The I6T, that was the first.'
$I see.' *ar grunted.
$I dont.' (erry chimed in. DTheres more than one subway+'
$0ell, not now. 5ow theyre all one system.' .cuzzy e&plained. $But back in the day they were all
fighting with each other putting tracks down everywhere.'
$7h huh.' *ar looked around the lower mezzanine. $.o where do we go from here+'
$3mere, let me show ya.' .cuzzy led them over to big map on the wall, sealed behind scratched
plastic. $.ee, were here.' .he pointed at an orange line. $This subway, it goes over here, and then
over towards 6oosevelt, see+'
$6ight.' (erry nodded.
$But them guys, theyre coming up here, on the #ast side line.' .cuzzy pointed at a green tracing, that
wound its way up the map. $3ause thats the closest to the #&change, you know+ Maybe theyre
going down the kiosk there, or something. I dont think theres any opening down below the building
or nothing.'
*ar looked from one line to the other. $*o they connect here+' .he pointed at a blue line )ust north of
them.
$0ell, thats where the eventually comes in.' .cuzzy said. $They sorta cross around there, but theres
like long corridors and stuff and stairs and escalators2'
$9h boy.' (erry muttered.
$9kay.' *ar held a hand up. $-irst things first ? lets find a way to get a cable from our offices down
into one of these tunnels. Is this one the closest+' .he pointed at the orange line.
$.i&th avenue, sure.' .cuzzy nodded. $.o we can go to the basement of LA 6ock, and go down into the
subway from there, and see what we can find, okay by you+ 0e can ride down to the CLd, and see if
that crosses over, and then get over to the /e&ington from there.'
$6ight. /ets go.' *ar paused and looked around at the busy activity underground. .he pictured the
buildings above them, and started off down the corridor. $Mark, do we have a line we can start
running down from our offices+'
$I got some guys up there.' Mark said. $(annan decided to stick it out, now that were hanging around
here so hes up doing some prep. I wouldnt try to bring out a fiber line from our side, boss ? melding
those pipettes undergrounds gonna suck.'
$Im glad he decided it was okay to stay.' (erry said. $%es very nice.'
$%es a freaking awesome fiber tech.' Mark replied. $.o I am too, specially since the ne&t guy I could
get up here is in Miami.'
They walked along the concourse, which now sloped downward a bit and widened, gaining shops on
either side. $0ere under LA 6ock now.' .cuzzy announced confidently. $They got some cool shops
here now. 5ot like it used to be, all the windows empty.'
(erry found it somewhat incongruous. .he understood the logic of having things underground when
the weather above sucked, and also, how they had to use pretty much any s!uare footage they could
find in an island as small as Manhattan was, but she still found an underground shopping center
weird and depressing.
9r maybe she was still in a bad mood. .he walked alongside *ar and tried to put that aside as they
traveled along a thick wall that looked like it had been verneered over more than once. $.o our
offices are over this.'
*ar stopped near a large set of stairs. .he peered up them. $#levator stacks dont go down this far.'
$5o.' .cuzzy shook her head. $I heard this was going to be the big entrance to the subway from the
6ock, only the shops kinda died off so they made it into the skating rink and all that stuff.'
*ar folded her arms. $9kay, so lets go up one level first and see where we can bring a line down
from.' .he started up the steps with the rest of her little group behind her. They ended up in the
main lobby of the building their office was in.
It was full of people. $*oesnt look like anythings here, *ar.' (erry murmured. $0heres the
demarc+'
$Mark..'
$Im on it.' Mark headed off towards an information desk.
$Theres the entrance to the subway, in that corner.' .haun pointed towards the front of the building.
$I can see the sign from here.'
$9kay. /ets go back downstairs then.' *ar removed the radio from her belt. $Mark, were going back
down to find the subway entrance.'
$Gotcha boss.' Marks voice crackled back.
(erry followed *ar back downstairs, trying to ignore the people who were staring curiously at them.
.he felt a bit like they were going in circles. $There has to be pipes coming in here, right+'
$.ure.' .cuzzy said. $/ots of pipes under here, but not the kind we put our stuff in. Big pipes, water,
sewer, steam pipes..'
$.team pipes+' .haun asked. $-or what+'
$%eat.'
$9h.' (erry scratched the bridge of her nose. $9f course.'
They crossed the busy concourse and headed over towards the front corner of it, where people were
streaming in and out at a rapid pace. *ar dodged several oncomers, then she pulled them all over to
one side against the wall.
$.heesh.' (erry looked back the way they came. $Thats going to be tricky to run a cable through.'
$0hen was this built+' *ar asked .cuzzy.
$Thirties, something like that.'
*ars radio crackled.
$%ey Boss+' Marks voice emerged from the radio. $I found the door to he demarc. ,ou might want to
come over here to check it out.' %e said. $Im down here behind the stairwell.'
$7h oh.' (erry murmured.
$,ou folks stay here.' *ar motioned to the rest of them. $Think about how we can run a thick cable,
the kind we ran yesterday, .haun, across that floor if we have to.' .he bumped (erry. $3mon. /ets
go see what the bad news is.'
(erry willingly went along with her, as they crossed the floor yet again back towards the way they
came in. $0ere starting off kinda slow today huh+'
$7ngh.' *ar rolled her eyes. $I swear I feel like )ust packing everyone into that damn bus and driving
south.' .he led (erry around the stairs, spotting Mark behind them by a thick metal door,
accompanied by a dour looking man with a ring of keys. $"h.'
Mark indicated the door with his thumb. $In there.'
$/east you people got the sense to dress fer this.' The man with the keys shook his head and sorted
through the ring, finally coming up with one of the keys and trying it in the lock. %e turned it three
times, and then a loud clank was heard. $Thats it.' %e pulled the key out and turned the door handle,
pulling the door open to release a puff of musty, dusty air.
It was dark inside. $"ny lights in there+'
The man muttered, and felt around inside the door, finally slapping at something which resulted in a
weak yellow illumination. Then he backed out and gave them a gruff )erk of his head in the direction
of the door. $I aint going in there.'
*ar stepped to the entrance and looked around. $"ll right, lets2'
$Got bit by a rat in there once.' The man wandered off. $Im getting coffee. ,oure on your own.'
$Thanks.' *ar had stopped dead, her eyes flicking down at the ground in search of rodents that might
attempt to snack on her toes. $"ppreciate the warning. $ .he glanced behind her. $"nyone coming
with me+'
9nly (erry stepped forward immediately. $6ight here.'
"fter an awkward pause, Mark followed her, fishing his flashlight out of his pocket. $I dont like rats.'
$I had mice in college.' (erry edged past her partner and entered the room without hesitation. $"s
pets.' .he paused and looked back over her shoulder. $5ot for lunch.' .he flicked her flashlight on
and went further into the room, which was full to the rafters with dust covered wall bo&es, and wires
hanging down low enough to almost brush her head.
*ar twirled her flashlight in her fingers and followed, a faint grin on her face. $0atch your head.'
$Mines a lot lower than yours is, hon. $
*ar ducked under a loop. $Good point.'
$%ope those arent electrical.' Mark muttered, bringing up the rear. $This could get way more
e&citing than we need it to.'
;;
The electrical room was a labyrinth on its own. It had several levels that seemed to have been built in
different times and styles and the floor itself wasnt level on top of that.
$3areful of that damn ladder.' *ar warned, as (erry started to climb down one. It was a cast iron
pipe with diamondplate steps, and it shifted creakily as she put her weight on it.
$,ikes.' (erry went down it as fast as she could, arriving on a lower level to be greeted by rustlings
and a pair of glowing eyes in the dark that vanished when she shone her flashlight in the corner.
$0hat in the hell..'
" huge pipe ran over her head, its width twice her armspan at least. Its sections were held together
by huge, riveted collars and its outer surface was covered with thick, peeling paint. .he put her
hand on it, surprised when she felt warmth against her skin.
.haking her head, she ducked under the pipe and went past a huge bin with a closed lid, and three
more large pipes running up an down vertically. They all seemed ancient, and were thick and heavy
cast iron. $0hat is all this stuff+'
$Its not telecom.' *ar was methodically searching the far wall. $I dont care what it is.'
$6eminds me of that old cruise ship .' (erry edged through two large black iron posts with rivets in
them and ducked under a pipe as she spotted a bit of wood through the gloom. $Is that it back there+'
*ar peered past a large bo& she was looking in. $0here+' .he shone her flashlight into the dark
corner. $Mark, over there.' .he closed the bo& and ducked under the pipe. $(erry, you rock.'
$%oly shit.' Mark crawled out from under a step and got up. $In the back there+ *ar, this is nuts8
Theres power running all over this place. %ow in the hell does our data not suck here+'
$My engineering can overcome pretty much anything or so everyone keeps telling me.' *ar edged in
ne&t to where (erry was standing, and they peered over a big iron pipe to see an old, tattered piece of
plywood bolted to the back wall with a familiar set of telephone punch down blocks on it.
They were covered in dirt and dust, so obscured the colors of the wires were completely
indistinguishable. (erry s!uirmed over close to it and shone her flashlight on a tag, which was
completely blank, brown from age, and crumbling at her touch. $0ow.'
*ar peered at the electrical board perilously close to (errys shoulder. $(er, dont move back. I think
thats a live block.'
(erry froze, then carefully looked over her shoulder, shining the flashlight on the cast iron works.
$5ew ,ork #dison 3ompany.' .he read. $5ineteen hundred and one.'
$*idnt .cuzzy say this building was built in the thirties+'
$Maybe they reused the hardware.' Mark managed to s!ueeze in closer. $.hit most of this room is
older than I am.' %e said. $%ey, theres a door down there. -or midgets.'
(erry gave him a sideways look, then she turned carefully and pointed her light at the back wall,
under the block. .ure enough, there was a door there. $0ow.' .he said. $Midgets for real.'
The door was about as high as her knees, with a knob near the bottom of it as though a regular height
door had been cut in half. $0onder where it goes+ /ooks like its been painted over a few times.'
$4robably doesnt go anywhere. They )ust didnt feel like removing it.' *ar dismissed the painted
over panel and started e&ploring the punch down. $I cant believe this is the demarc.'
$-or the whole building+' (errys voice rose in utter disbelief. $5o way. 5o way in hell, *ar. There
are hundreds and hundreds of tenants here. This block is barely big enough for a dozen of them.'
$0ell, the way they guy said it, the big boys have a nice room up one level in back of the elevator
stack.' Mark said. $0ere private line, so..'
$"re you kidding me+' (erry asked. $*o you mean to tell me they wouldnt let us drop a line into
their room, and Im carrying one of those bastards entire backbones on my network++'
$7m.' Marks eyes widened.
$Grr.' (erry fumed. $/et me call the office and have those bastards cut off.' .he started to fish for her
phone only to find her arms gently held. $*ar8'
$,oure going to electrocute your ass. %old still.' *ar tugged her away from the electrical panel.
$3utting them off doesnt really get us anything, (er. Money probably crossed hands to get them a
new facility. 0e had nothing to do with it.'
$But thats not fair8' (erry protested. $0e pay )ust as much as any of them do for this damned
access8'
Mark kept his mouth shut, peering at the blocks instead and trying to read some of them.
$.hh.' *ar managed to maneuver her pissed off partner into a clearer space, then she wrapped her
arms around her. $/eave it, (er. 5ot worth the headache.'
(erry drew in a breath to continue arguing, then she paused, and e&haled, unable to keep the anger
roiling inside the warmth of *ars embrace. $Its not fair.' .he repeated. $/ook at this place, *ar.
Theyre probably laughing their asses off at us over this.'
$4robably. But were a level under them, and that means were closer to our goal. :ust leave it.'
$Grr.' (erry sighed, giving in. $"nd Im damned well going to get this changed, but yeah, itll wait until
this is over.'
*ar gave her a s!ueeze. $5ow let me in there to see what the hells going on with that demarc.' .he
slipped past (erry and carefully eased her way between the electrical panel and the iron pylon to get
closer to the age scarred wood.
$,ou tricked me.' (erry issued a half hearted protest, before she inched in after her, raising her hand
to stifle a sneeze as they stirred the dust around them. $Im safer in there, *ar. Im smaller than you
are.'
$5ah, Im fine.' *ar disagreed, poking her head around a pipe.
$9kay.' Mark finally spoke up. $I think theres only si& or eight active on here, so we should be able to
find ours pretty easy.' %e peered into the far corner. $%ey, *ar, is that a smart)ack+ There in the back+
That has to be ours.'
*ar directed her flashlight in that direction and leaned closer to look, inadvertently brushing her
elbow against the electrical panel. .he yelped and )umped back, nearly knocking (erry on her butt.
$.on of a bitch8' .he grabbed her elbow, which was numb and tingling.
$/ive, huh+' Mark asked, weakly.
$0hat kind of idiocy is this8' It was *ars turn to be outraged, as she e&amined the panel. It was floor
to ceiling copper strips, with clamps at various levels. $,ou could get killed in here8'
$#asy honey.' (erry patted her hip. $%ow about we find our circuit and get out of here before we both
end up in the hospital+'
*ar muttered under her breath, then cautiously eased back over to the back wall and peered at the
bo& Mark had found again. It was the same dingy gray as the rest of the inside of the room, but there
were somewhat newer looking cables coming out of the bottom of it, and a tag that was more white
than brown hanging from the front.
.he e&tended her arm carefully and got a fingertip on the top of the bo&, almost )umping out of her
skin when her cell phone rang. $Brpht8'
$I got it.' (erry fished in her partners pocket and retrieved the instrument. $%ello+'
$Glad you were here.' *ar went back to prying the bo& open.
$Me too.' Mark chimed in. $5o offense, Big *, Ida let it ring.'
*ar paused and looked over at him, then chuckled briefly.
$%ell2 ah, is this (erry+' "lastairs voice trickled hesitantly through the speaker. $Im sorry, I thought
I..'
$,ou did. %ang on.' (erry tapped *ar on the arm with her phone. $Its "lastair.'
$Take a message.' *ar was struggling with the bo& top. $If I overbalance Im going to be a -rench fry.'
(erry pulled her arm back, and took a step sideways out of the way, and away from the electrical
panel. $.orry about that. *ars occupied right at the moment. "nything I can do to help+'
$Got it.' *ar pulled the top of the bo& off with a rusty sounding screech of metal on metal. .he set the
top aside and shone her light on the inside, which had a modern piece of e!uipment clamped in it, full
of blinking /#*s and reassuringly clean plastic. $"h hah.'
$That it+' Mark stood on his tiptoes to look over the iron grillwork separating him from the section
*ar was inside of. $*amn, look at that thing. That bo& looks like it should be coal fired.'
$0ell, its a smart)ack.' *ar muttered. $I think that bo& use to be something else though.'
(erry was torn between listening to the phone and listening to the discussion. $.orry, what was that
again+ 5o, that wasnt a smart ass.. no, no weve.. were looking for our circuit in the office2 oh, okay.'
(erry put her hand over the mic. $4aladar+'
*ar stopped in mid motion, and carefully turned fully around, giving (erry her full attention+ $,es+'
$"B3 5ews is outside. They want to talk to you.'
*ar looked at her, then looked to either side at the inside of the grubby, dingy workspace. Then she
held up one finger and turned back around, careful to edge away from the copper panel.
$That meant for me, or them+' (erry asked.
*ar turned back around, one eyebrow hiked all the way up.
$:ust checking.' %er partner smiled.
$Tell them to kiss my ass.' *ar went back to her task.
(erry gave her a fond look. $"lastair, shes trying to read a circuit tag in a dark room that look like a
medieval torture chamber and not be electrocuted at the same time. 3an they wait a few minutes+'
.he half turned and spoke into the phone. $I dont want to rush her. .hed look really strange with
curly hair.' .he waited. $9kay, thats what I figured. Ill call you when were out of here. Bye.'
.he closed the phone. $0ell.'
$ILTILHGQ6PHC6.' *ar replied.
Mark scribbled on the back of his hand. $Im pretty sure thats ours, *ar. Its the right se!uence.'
$Me too.' *ar agreed, pulling her hand back from the bo& and letting the top close over it. $Glad we
found it, but I have no clue in the world how were going to get the damn cable into this room. I dont
think we can cross the shopping center with it.'
.he backed slowly out of the gap between the iron works and the live electrical panel and )oined
(erry near the sloping back of the room. 5ow that her eyes had grown used to the gloom, *ar looked
around at the space and studied the structure.
There was an old iron chute that cut off at the edge of a newer looking wall, an she walked over to
peer at it, rubbing her thumb along a set of hammered letters. $3astle 3oal.' .he said. $I dont get it.
0hats a coal thing doing in the middle of a modern building+'
Mark turned around. $These are steam pipes.' %e pointed. $0e dont really have steam upstairs, do
we+'
They all looked at each other, then both Mark and *ar looked at (erry.
$*ont ask me.' (erry held her hand up. $I assumed we had central air and heat in the building. 0e
never used coal in Michigan. ,ou signed the lease, *ar. *id it mention steam+ .cuzzy said there was
steam pipes but sheesh.'
$%ell if I remember.' *ar shrugged. $*oesnt really matter I guess. 5ow that we found it, lets )ust go
back to the rest of the group and see about a path. 0e probably need the building management
involved.'
$.hould I get them to bring a router and a fiber hub here+' Mark asked. $0ere gonna need to split the
signal but..' %e looked around. $0onder if theyve even got an outlet for power.' %e flashed his light
around the walls and looked under a few of the bo&es. $3rap.'
$3an we get an electrician to2 well, what am I saying+ 0ed have to contract Methuselah for that
electrical panel. Maybe hes free.' (erry started making her way towards the entrance, scribbling
herself a note. $0orse comes to worse, *ar, we can run a power cable in too. This isnt going to be
pretty no matter how we do it.'
Mark climbed up into another section, ducking under the iron supports as he peered along the
underside of a large pipe. $/emme see if I can find something here. 6unning cable is gonna suck.'
*ar leaned her elbows on (errys shoulders and whispered into her ear. $%ow could it possibly be
anything but pretty if you do it+'
"w. (erry had to smile, despite the surroundings. $-lattery will get you anything you want, you know
that+'
*ar chuckled. .he felt (errys body lean back a little against her, and she savored the moment,
nibbling on the edge of her ear . $*id you really think I was flipping you off+'
$5o.' (erry tilted her head back and gave *ar a kiss on her )awbone. $Im )ust glad Im here with you
and I felt like messing with you a little.' .he admitted. $This is so insane. 0hat are we doing here+'
$3mon.' *ar bumped her gently. $/ets go see what other bad news awaits us.' .he put her hands on
(errys shoulders and steered her towards the door. They had left it open, and the light from outside
seemed an odd contrast to the dank, dark, interior of the old closet they were poking around in.
The tangle of pipes and iron bars made their progress slow, but they climbed up the steel steps and
onto the platform that held the door )ust as Mark crawled back out from under an ancient console, his
)umpsuit now liberally covered in grunge.
$"nything+' (erry asked.
$Maybe.' Mark said. $But I think the outlets older than I am. .cary.' %e dusted himself off as they
emerged from the room, blinking a little in the light. The building superintendant was leaning against
the opposite wall, and he pushed off to come meet them as Mark pushed the door closed.
$.een enough+' The man asked.
$0e found what we were looking for, yes.' (erry said. $5ow we )ust have to find a way to get to it.
*o you have a building electrician+ 0e need some work done.'
The man stared at her. $0ork done+ /ady you seen that room+ 5o one does no work in there.'
$They put our circuit in there. Thats work.' (errys nape hairs bristled. $Though Im going to have a
word with the management here as to why that happened.'
The man held his hands up. $Thats not my area.' %e said. $,ou want the electrician+ I'll call him. %e
can tell you himself. $ %e said. $,ou want to wait here+ Ill have him come down.' %e didnt wait for
(erry to nod before he picked up his radio and started speaking into it, turning away from them and
lowering his voice. Then with a glance at them, he walked away, heading for a door in the back of the
hall.
$Im going to go grab a router and see what mounting stuff we have.' Mark said. $Ill come back here
and wait for the electrical guy if you want to go see whats going on.'
$.ounds like a plan.' *ar said. $Thanks Mark.'
$5o prob.' %e trotted off towards the stairs, leaving *ar and (erry behind.
$,ou want me to tell "lastair you can talk to the press now+' (erry asked.
$5o.' *ar replied placidly. $Thats not part of my )ob. Thats part of his )ob. %es got %amilton with
him, and the entire 5ew ,ork office publicity machine with him, and Ive got better things to do.'
$"ll righty.' (erry said. $But honey, even though I love you more than anything on earth, youre going
to be the one to tell him that, mkay+'
%er partner chuckled wryly.
*ars phone rang again. (erry promptly handed it over to her.
*ar took it. $%ello+' .he answered briefly after glancing at the caller I*. 9ot him .he mouthed at
(erry. $,es, this is *ar 6oberts. 0ho is this+' .he paused, folding her free arm across her body and
resting her elbow on her fist. $9kay, bu.. oh, all right. 9kay.' .he nodded. $.o whats the issue+'
(erry half listened, and half watched their surroundings. There were a lot of people walking around,
but they all seemed distracted, and the stores she could see had workers in the doorways, mostly
standing and watching the passersby.
$.o theyre fighting over that+ 0hat the hell do you want me to do+' *ar said. $0hat makes you think
that+'
(erry spotted their team coming out from the entrance to the subway. .he waved at them, catching
.cuzzys eye and smiled as they changed direction to come over to where she and *ar were standing.
$%eres the rest of the gang, hon.'
$I think thats a crock of bullshit.' *ar said. $Ill head over there, but only because I want to see the
datapath. If youre still there wasting time then Ill see you but I hope you get your head out of your
ass and get working before then.'
(erry patted her partners hip. $#asy, tiger.'
*ar closed the phone abruptly and clipped it back on her pocket as the rest of the crew arrived.
$:ackasses.' .he muttered. $*id you find a route+' .he asked the gang.
$0e found a lot of mad people.' .haun said. $Boy, people get pissed off when you ask dumb !uestions
in the subway around here.' %e said. $They even got mad at her.' %e indicated .cuzzy, who nodded.
$9kay. 0ell, Id like to ride from here back to where they have to drop the line into the tunnels.' *ar
said. $Theyve got some kind of hangup somewhere up there about the cable they want to talk to me
about.'
$0hat kind of trouble were they giving you, .haun+' (erry asked. $0hat were you guys asking+'
$:ust where the tunnels met and stuff like that. ,oud have thought we were asking for the presidents
fa& number.' .haun said. $Theyre )ust freaking tunnels. 0hat did they think we were going to do, set
a bomb off in them+'
#veryone fell silent after he finished talking, looking at each other awkwardly as the words
penetrated.
$0ell, ya know..' .cuzzy murmured.
$They might have thought )ust that.' *ar finished, !uietly. $/ets go folks. 0e found the drop and
Marks going to work on getting our end of this set up. 0e might as well find out how far theyve
gotten before he goes to too much trouble.'
$0e can take the si&.' .cuzzy said. $Im sure theyre up past Brooklyn Bridge station already.' .he
added. $0e can walk, or take the B
th
"ve up to the CL
rd
.'
*ar eyed her. $,ou pick.' .he said. $5one of the rest of us know what the hell youre talking about.'
.he added. $But since the cables probably going to have to come from underground, we should go
the same route.'
$,ou got it.' .cuzzy turned and motioned them back the way theyd come from. $/ets get a move on,
people. 0e got trains to catch.'
;;
$"nything+' *ar peered out the door to the subway train, which was idling briefly in the station.
$.ee anything, .cuzzy+' .he glanced at her watch, uncomfortably aware of the rapid passage of time.
DThis is nuts.'
$5ot a damn thing.' .cuzzy scratched her chin, as she hopped !uickly back into the train. $0here the
hell are these guys+' .he asked. $I thought for sure theyd be up at least halfway up to the place by
now.'
$,ou and me both.' *ar ran her fingers through her hair. $I dont get it. They were all fired up to get
this done after that meeting.'
$Maybe they got a problem.' .cuzzy looked apologetic. $Them guys aint bad, mostly. They were
pretty spooked after that guy got in trouble. My uncle said all of em were talking about it. 5obody
wants that sorta trouble, you know+'
$Mm.' *ar gripped the bars of the train, rocking back and forth against them as though her body
motion could make the car move with it. .he went to the door again and looked out, s!uinting into
the darkness as she peered into the tunnel. $*amn it.'
They were in the first car of the train, )ust behind the conductors booth. (erry was sitting in one of
the seats with her cell phone pressed to her ear, and her free hand cupped over the other side of her
head.
*ar glanced at her, then stepped back as the doors started to close. $(er+ 0ere moving again.'
$I feel it.' (erry muttered. $9kay, folks, Im going to lose you again. Ill call you back.' .he closed the
phone as the train rattled forward, plunging from the fluorescent light of the station into the
darkness of the tunnels again.
*ar sat down ne&t to her and put a hand on her knee. $If this is driving you nuts, you can take off at
the ne&t station. Go back to the office and deal with /ansing there.' .he studied the frustrated
e&pression on (errys face, watching the pale lashes flicker a little. $9kay+'
(erry rested her elbows on her knees, her phone clasped in her hands. $5o.' .he said, after a
moment. $I want to stay here.'
$.ure+' *ar gave her kneecap a little scratch.
$,eah.' %er partner nodded. $Im )ust saying the same thing over and over again. Its probably a good
thing I keep having to get off the line before I start screaming.'
$"h.' *ar leaned back, e&tending her long legs across the floor of the car. .he regarded the interior,
then shook her head a trifle. $I cant believe Im in one of these things and its not freaking me out.'
.he remarked. $/ast time I nearly chucked my guts up.'
(erry straightened up and sat back. $6elative levels of things to freak out about+' .he suggested. $I
know it would take a hell of a lot to freak me out right now, thats for sure.'
*ar spread her arm out along the back of the seat behind (erry, waiting until she felt the tense back
rela& against her touch. $.o whats /ansings problem+ 3an I help+' .he rubbed the bottom of her
thumb across the top of her partners shoulder. $.omeone I can yell at for you+'
" grudging smile appeared on (errys face. $Backups are taking too long.' .he said. $Theyre still
pretty saturated across the northern links and theyre running into issues finishing the drive
mirroring.'
$"re you kidding me+' *ar peered at her. $Theyre bitching about that+'
$its causing problems with their autonomic scripts.' (erry tilted her head back to rest on *ars arm.
$Their production )obs arent kicking off on time and its throwing everyone off. I understand how
frustrated they are, but damn it, *ar, its not like were hanging out having *a!uiris here.'
*ar reflected on that. $I could use a *a!uiri right now.' .he said. $:ust tell them to split the backup
into two segments, and run them on alternate nights until we get a little more clear and I can spend
some time working the metrics. 0ell take the risk.'
$I suggested that.' (erry watched *ars profile. $Thats what we were arguing about. 0hen I call
them back Ill )ust tell them you said so, and that should end that conversation.'
$,ou make me sound like such a pirate captain.'
$%eres the ne&t station.' .cuzzy stood up. $They got to be here. This is freaking the last stop on this
here train. Its Brooklyn Bridge88'
$%old that thought.' (erry stood up as they pulled into the station and clipped her phone to her belt
as *ar )oined her and they both went to the door and peered out of it. The station was relatively
!uiet, and as they stepped out onto the platform the rest of the passengers e&ited and headed for the
stairwells further down.
.cuzzy had bounced out ahead of them, and she was near the very end of the platform, her head
poked out into the tunnel as she shaded her eyes. $9kay, so here we are. 0here the hell are these
guys+'
*ar studied the tracks, not seeing any indication of new cable running through that would hint at the
teams passing. $(erry, get your buddy on the phone and find out where the hell these people are.'
.he said, going over to the cracked 4le&iglas covering a subway map and studying it. $If this is
Brooklyn Bridge, were almost back to where we started yesterday. 0hat the hell have they been
doing+'
(erry )oined her, phone pressed to her ear. $I dont want to go any closer to where we were.' .he
stated. $0e dont have any protection, *ar.'
$6ight there with you, (er.' %er boss stated. $They should have been a lot further up by now. This
may all be )ust one big damn moot point.'
The train behind them was still idling in the station. .cuzzy came back over to where *ar and (erry
were standing, e&tending her arms out in visible bewilderment. $I dont get it.'
$7s either.' *ar acknowledged. $I find it very hard to believe these people havent gotten up this far
yet. 0hat the hell are they doing, laying the damn cable an inch an hour+' .he went to the edge of
the platform and looked down the tunnel, seeing not much other than a few lights off in the distance.
It smelled. " gust of surprisingly cold air blew back down into her face and she stepped back !uickly,
glancing behind her at the train.
$5o, you arent.' (erry was speaking into her phone. $Im standing right here, looking at the wall and
were in the city hall station.'
"cross the platform, against the far wall, *ar could see another, smaller concrete slab that was
darkened and obviously not used. .he turned around and saw the twin of it against the other wall,
then she went again to the edge of the tunnel and peered inside.
The driver had come out of his cubicle and he approached her. $0hat are you people doin+' %e
asked, in a gruff tone.
*ar turned. .he held up her I* and credentials, which he peered at. $0ere working with the
government.' .he said. $Try to lay some cable down these tunnels.'
The driver looked down the tunnel, then at her. $,oure crazy, right+' %e said. $,ou think youre
putting cables down the subway+ 0e got manholes for that.' %e pointed across at the other,
darkened platform. $Theyre over there, not in the tunnels lady.'
$"re they+' *ar looked where he was pointing, seeing a rolldown door in the gloom. $3an I get over
there to look at it+'
The driver studied her , then he shrugged. $Gwan inside the car. Ill open the other doors. ,ou might
need to )ump a little.'
$/ook, Im telling you Im right here. 5o one2 what+ 0hat do you mean, another city hall+' (erry
motioned .cuzzy over. $3an you talk to this guy+ %es not making any sense to me.'
$.ure.' .cuzzy willingly came over. $%es probably from Brooklyn or somethin.'
*ar entered the car through the open doors and crossed over, waiting until the driver entered his
cubicle and opened the far set, e&posing the dark, shortened platform. It wasnt much of a )ump,
actually, *ar merely stepped across onto it, and pulled her flashlight out to e&plore.
The platform was filthy. .he had the brief sensation of what it might be like inside a coal mine as she
walked along the concrete slab carefully, glancing up at an old mosaic embedded into the wall.
$Brooklyn Bridge.' .he muttered under her breath.
It was obscured with plaster, and a half wall of whitewashed wood forming a crude storage area.
5e&t to that was a door, painted black to match the inside walls and battered with years. *ar walked
over and turned the knob, fully e&pecting it to be locked but not entirely surprised when it wasnt.
.he pushed the door open and peered inside, and sure enough, she was faced with more cable trunks
than she knew what to do with. .he entered and looked around, tipping her head back to look up and
see tiny chinks of light above her head.
They flickered, then flickered again, and she realized she was looking at daylight. Manhole+ .he
turned and looked at the door, then shook her head and continued e&ploring.
$%ey, *ar8' (errys voice echoed through the station. $0here are you+'
$9ver here.' *ar e&amined the huge bundles of cables and thick, riveted pipes that ran along the wall.
" rustle of movement made her )ump, and she flashed her light into the corner, which now had a pair
of glowing eyes. $0hats up+'
$3mere8'
*ar backed out of the room with guilty relief, shutting the door !uickly behind her before she turned
and found (erry looking out of the open doors at her. $0hats up+'
$0hats there+' (erry countered. $*id you find something+'
$3able trunk.' *ar )oined her in the car. $5ot sure it helps us. 5ot sure where it ends up.'
$%ey, if you people wanna keep talkin, I got to pull the train around to the other track.' The driver
said. $,ou want to ride around+ I got no problem with that, since youre with the government and all.'
$0ere n2 $ (erry started to answer, then she stopped. $.ure, thats fine. Thanks.' .he waited for the
door to the drivers compartment to close. $*ar, they told .cuzzy they were in some other 3ity %all
station. .he thinks theyre in the wrong tunnels.'
*ar looked over at .cuzzy, who lifted her hands again. $There aint no other 3ity %all station on this
line, yeah+ They got one over on the BMT though. I think they came down into the wrong stations or
something.'
$Great.' *ar e&haled, pressing her nose against the window as the train started moving. $0ere
screwed.'
$I think its the stock market thats screwed, hon.' (erry said, pragmatically. $Its not our fault they
took the wrong stairs.'
$0ell still get screwed over it. 5o ones going to care if they did the wrong thing. 0ere the ones who
promised wed fi& it.' *ar stared grimly out the window, as the train eased into a turn, and the walls
shifted from a drab sooty black to a lighter brick.
.he got the impression of light, and she cupped her hands against the glass to see better. $0h2 $ %er
eyes took in arches and brickwork, a flash of mosaic, flickers of light, and outlined in it, a group of
workers with a familiar spool. $%ey8 %ey8 There they are8'
$0hat+' (erry crowded against her and looked out the window. $0here who.. oh.. huh+' D
$.cuzzy, get this guy to stop, willya+' *ar called out. $There are the bastards. In there8'
.cuzzy was already hammering on the door to the drivers compartment. $%ey buddy8 %ey8 %old it
up8'
The train shuddered to a halt, )erking and rattling and throwing (erry against *ar and both of them
against the window. *ar grabbed (erry and the pole she was standing near and got them both
upright as the door to the drivers pod yanked open and the driver emerged.
$0hat in the hell are you people yelling about+' The man asked. $:esus 3hrist you scared the shit out
of me8 ,ou know what its been like the last couple days+ Im having a heart attack8' %e fumed.
$0hats wrong wit you+'
$%ey, take it easy.' .cuzzy held her hands out. $0e )ust found the guys we were looking for, yeah+ 0e
didnt want to miss them.'
$0hat are you ta..' The driver ducked back inside and looked out his window. $Theres no one2 oh
hell. There is people there. 0hat the hell are they doing there+ $ %e opened the slat and stuck his
head out. $0hat you people doin out there, huh+'
*ar leaned closer to the doorway. $3an you open the doors+' .he asked. $0e need to talk to those
guys.'
$0hat+' The driver was still yelling out the window. %e reached back inside and triggered a switch.
$%ow in the hell did you get in here+ They told us this was strickly offlimits8'
$0ere the phone company, shaddup8' The man on the platform yelled back.
*ar went to the door and stepped carefully over the shoulder width gap onto the platform, turning to
hold out a hand to (erry without really even thinking about it.
(erry paused in the act of hopping out and eyed her, a faint smile twitching at her lips. .he shifted
her flashlight to her left hand and reached over to clasp *ars fingers, s!ueezing them as she stepped
out over to the other side and gave her a little bump. $Thank you, sweetie.'
%er partner paused, and a tiny wrinkle appeared on the bridge of her nose. $0as I being
pretentious+'
$:ust charming.' (erry moved past her. $0ow. 0hat is this place+'
*ar glanced briefly around, then she headed for the cluster of men around the spool. $/ets see what
those bastards are doing here.'
(erry let her go ahead, taking a moment to tip her head back and look around. .cuzzy came up ne&t
to her, and they both slowed to a halt, and simply stared around them. $0ow.'
$5o kidding.' .cuzzy agreed. $I aint never seen nothing like this in the subway. Thats for sure.'
It seemed like it was part of the tunnel itself, which curved around in a big loop, the far end
disappearing into the darkness again on the far side of space. But in the center, the ceiling lofted up
in a series of gothic arches that culminated in a thin ironwork tracery of windows that allowed light
in from outside to spill across the intricately bricked walls.
It was surprising and beautiful, completely une&pected and (erry took her camera from her belt
pouch and ad)usted the flash, taking a few pictures of the work. $I guess there were two 3ity %alls.'
.he pointed at a mosaic tile sign on the wall, which held the words. $%ow weird.'
.cuzzy was looking right up at the ceiling. $0oah.' .he said. $,ou know+ I think this is like, right
outside the freaking entrance to the %all. I seen those glass things from the top, you know+ I asked
my brother what they were once and he had like no idea.'
$(er.' *ars voice interrupted their sightseeing.
(erry put her camera away, turning and heading over to where her partner was standing. $.orry,
whats up+'
$0rong fucking cable.' *ar enunciated the three words in the most clipped tone imaginable.
$9h :esus.' (erry pinched the bridge of her nose, as a headache shed been keeping at bay started up
again. $5ot what I needed to hear.'
$This is what those guys gave us.' The man from 1erizon spoke up immediately. $This aint my fault.'
%e immediately added. $This is the stuff those guys from :ersey brought over, right Mike+'
$6ight.' "nother tech agreed immediately. $.o thats what I told that guy, you sure its this code+ I
had the code. I told him the code, and he said yeah, it was the right code, but I knew it wasnt no right
code because I been laying this cable since I was eighteen years old and I know what code it should
be, and it aint this code.'
$6ight. .o we told those guys somebody needed to come down here and look at this before we went
no further, because this is a lot of crap to go through for no reason.' The first tech said. $"nd my guys
gave me a lotta crap about it and )ust said to go on with it, but aint no way was I gonna have these
here guys run this here cable if its the wrong stuff.'
There was a brief silence. Then *ar folded her arms over her chest. $6ight choice.'
The tech nodded. $,ou got that right. .o they sending someone down to here now+' %e asked. $I aint
got all day to be sitting in this tunnel.'
$They sent someone.' *ar answered, before (errys bristling hackles could make her pale hair fluff
out like a chia pet. $Ill look at the cable.'
$,ou+' The man gave *ar a doubtful look.
$,es.'
$9kay' The man motioned the other techs over. $7nreel some of dat, willya+ This here lady wants to
see it.' %e looked back at *ar. $,ou sure you know what youre looking at+'
$,es.'
$0hatever.' The man motioned her forward. $3mon, cmon. 0e aint got all day.'
$.hit.' *ar pulled out her flashlight and walked over to the spool, where the telco techs were
unhitching the end of the cable in the spool and twisting it back for her to inspect. $This was one
complication I wasnt e&pecting.'
$3an I punch him while youre figuring out what to do+' (erry asked, from between gritted teeth.
$.tupid piece of ignorant pork rind.'
$#asy slugger.'
;;
*ar leaned against the intricately bricked wall, her arms crossed over her chest, her mind racing. In
front of her the track was now clear, as the train had moved along into its appointed time slot and
she had been left to ponder the cable, the techs, and the pit shed dug herself into.
.hit. .he felt like kicking herself. "fter all the bullshit shed been spilling about everyone elses lame
ass actions she had to face the fact she had screwed up to an intolerable degree in not simply
checking what type of cable this half ass vendor was giving them.
Ine&cusable.
(erry came over and leaned against the wall ne&t to her, their shoulders brushing. $%ey.' .he braced
one booted foot against the brick. $Thanks for the advice on the /ansing issue. It worked.'
*ar looked sideways at her.
(erry peered mildly back.
$,oure welcome.' The dark haired woman finally said. $,ou trying to make me stop kicking myself+'
$0ell.' %er partner plucked at the knee of her pants. $"ctually I was )ust trying to find something to
say to you that wouldnt make you blow up at me.'
$"t you+'
$,ou know what I mean.' (erry said. $%on, I know youre freaking out. I dont want to make it worse
for either of us.'
*ar sighed.
(erry felt the gentle pressure as *ar leaned against her, a non verbal acknowledgment and surrender
she felt a great deal of sympathy for. There really wasnt much she could say, to be honest. *ar was
right. .he should have checked.
9f course, she could try to take responsibility for that on herself, but if she tried, she knew *ar would
)ust go ballistic and frankly she wasnt looking for any kind of tension between them since the
situation was already more than wretched enough.
%onesty seemed the better route. 0ith *ar it always was, even if her own inclination was to try and
make e&cuses or find some way to entice her lover into feeling better about whatever it was she was
kicking herself over. $.o its the wrong kind of fiber.'
$0rong kind of fiber.' *ar agreed. $Multimode. The long distance optics are single mode.'
$5o options+'
$/ongest reach multimode will do is CCA meters.' *ar let her head rest on the wall. $#ighteen
hundred feet.'
(erry did the math, and sighed. $*o they have any other spools+'
$.ure. "ll the wrong kind.' *ar supplied. $(now what that bastard said+ 9ops.'
$9ops.' (erry mouthed the word. $5ice.'
$,eah.' *ar acknowledged. $Mongolian clusterfuck, courtesy of yours truly.' .he gazed up at the
skylights, then she pushed off from the wall. $0ell, screw it.' .he started back towards the techs,
who had been taking a break leaning against the cable spool. $5o point in standing around.'
(erry gathered herself up and followed, catching up as *ar neared the work crew. $%on2'
*ar held a hand up. $9kay, go ahead and keep rolling it out. 0ell deal with it on our end.' .he said, in
a brisk tone as she came up ne&t to where the men were lounging. $0ere running out of time.'
The crew leader turned in surprise. $,eah+ This is the wrong stuff though.' %e pointed out. $,ou said
so.'
$5ot a problem.' *ar replied steadily. $Ill handle it. :ust get the cable rolled out. 0eve got a
solution.'
The man studied her. $"wright.' %e shrugged. $9vertime for us, and not doin what those guys down
town from here are doin. .ounds good to me. 9kay boys+'
The techs dusted their gloved hands off, most of them nodding. $Better than digging out pipes.' 9ne
agreed. $"t least its !uiet down here, and no dust.'
The men got to work, standing up and taking hold of the spool. $*own the line here.' The crew leader
motioned *ar and (erry out of the way. $.cuse me, ladies. 0e got work to do.'
$.orry, we definitely dont want to hold you up.' (erry gave him a smile. $0ell be waiting for you on
the other end. Thanks for taking the time to let us know about this, by the way. "t least it gives us
time to get a solution in place before you get up there.'
The man nodded briefly at her. $,ou the people with the bus+'
(erry nodded back. $0ell send some snacks down the line to you when we get back. 0e really
appreciate you guys coming through for us with this.'
The men reacted to (errys charm and sincere tone. They gave her brief smiles, and one of them
touched the rim of his hard hat as they rolled the spool by. $.ee you down at the 6ock, pretty lady.'
%e said, giving (erry a wink.
(erry gave them all a genial wave. .he waited for them to move down the curve of the track, before
she turned and looked at her partner. $3ome up with a plan+'
$5ope.' *ar had her hands in her pockets. $I havent a damn clue what Im going to do.'
(erry turned her head and looked at the men, then swiveled back to face *ar. %er brows lifted. $Is
this something maybe you can come up with a fi& for+'
$4robably not.'
$%on+ Is there a reason you want these guys to work all night doing this then+' (erry asked, gently. $I
know you hate to give up, so do I , but theres a lot of work they could be doing too, huh+' .he laid a
hand on her partners arm to ease any sting from the words.
*ar merely lifted her shoulders in a mild shrug, though. $I cant )ust tell them to stop.' .he said.
$#ven if I know its probably going to be a waste of time.'
$4robably+'
$0ell.' *ar removed one hand from her pocket and raked her hair back from her eyes with the
fingers of it. $I know the physics of it, (er. But lets go back to the 6ock, and Ill get on the phone with
some of the eggheads I know up at our network vendor and see what they say.'
(erry studied her face, cast in the shadows from the skylights grill. #ven she could see the doubt in
her partners eyes, and from her own knowledge of the technology she faced the understanding that
this time *ar really was )ust tossing crap in the air.
.obering.
$9kay.' (erry said, after they were both silent for a minute. $0e really dont have much choice, do
we+'
$5o.'
$Then lets boogie.' (erry turned around. $.cuzzy+ ,ou around here+ 0eve got to get going.'
.cuzzy trotted down a set of steps in the center of the curve. $Man, this is amazing.' .he said. $I aint
never seen nothing like this place. ,ou know what this is+' .he came over, full of enthusiasm and
oblivious to the nerdish gloom around her colleagues. $This is like the very first station in the
subway.'
$Is it+' (erry looked around again. $Its really interesting.'
$,eah. I found a plack over there.' .cuzzy pointed. $This is where it started, you know+ The first
station, where all the trains left from back in like in @=AH. $ .he looked up. $Man, they used to make
things cool, huh+'
$0hy dont they use it anymore+' *ar spoke up. $.eems like a waste to )ust leave it here.'
$9h.' .cuzzy pulled out her phone. $%ang on a minute, that drive told me to like call him when we
needed to get out of here. 0alking down the tracks not cool' .he dialed a number, turning her head
to one side and covering her ear as she waited for it be answered.
%er decision made, *ar turned her attention to her surroundings. .he walked over to the pla!ue and
studied it, tipping her head back to look at the mosaic sign above. There was an elegance, and an
architectural beauty to it that surprised her, and she allowed herself to be distracted by the artistry
in the tiles and the arches.
.he felt a moment out of time, hearing the echo of a different era as (erry walked !uietly up behind
her, coming to stand at her side, sliding the fingers of one hand into *ars front pocket.
The silent support in the motion both charmed her, and made her feel more than a little guilty. .he
glanced to the side, catching (errys profile in the dim light from the work lamps.
"fter a moment, (erry sensed it and turned her face a little, their eyes meeting. $(now what I think+'
.he said.
$Bet Im about to.' %er partner wryly answered.
$I think %eaven is really going to be a plane seat heading home.' (erry tugged her a little. $3mon,
boss. /ets get out of here. I think I hear our chariot approaching.'
$%ere we go.' .cuzzy confirmed it, pointing down the track. $Man, I wish Id took pictures down here.
This was freaking amazing.'
$I have some. I'll share.' (erry clasped *ars hand with her own and started towards the edge of the
platform. "head of them, on the far side where the track seemed unused, the men were already
working their way along, flashlights casting odd bursts of light against the soot darkened walls.
$Thats cool.' .cuzzy )oined them at the edge of the concrete. $I mean, I know this is real serious and
all that stuff, but I think 5ew ,ork is the coolest city, and I love seeing stuff like this. /ike, you been
over Brooklyn Bridge+'
$I have.' (erry responded, since her silent partner wasnt looking likely to. $Its an amazing
construction.' .he added. $I know the head of the office here, who died in the attack, was also a big
fan of the city wasnt he *ar+'
$%e was.' *ar said. $Im sure he would have loved to have seen this place.'
The train pulled slowly into the station, its bright number si& prominent in the gloom. .cuzzy tilted
her head back and looked up at the skylight. $/ike that stuff. Today, we )ust put these lights
everywhere. Back then, they were smart. They used what they had, you know+ Got all kinds of light in
here from that.'
$7sing prisms.' (erry waited for the door to open, then she hopped inside.
$4risms.' *ar repeated, as she )oined her.
$,ou people done with all this now+' The driver poked his head out. $My boss said I cant do this no
more. They got real pissed at me.'
$0ere done.' (erry said. $Thank you very much for picking us up.'
$,eah, that was really cool.' .cuzzy went over to him. $This place is great.'
The driver shrugged. $Its )ust a tunnel.' %e went back in his cubicle and closed the door, then closed
the outside doors and put the train in motion. They sat down as they left the old, unused station and
pulled around, shuttling through only a short period of darkness before they were pulling into
Brooklyn Bridge.
*ar settled back in her seat to wait out the ride, folding her arms over her chest as she half closed her
eyes and thought about light.
"nd prisms.
(erry felt her phone buzz, but she left it on her belt, content to merely sit, sharing *ars space as she
let her mind go blank. There would be time when she got back to the office to continue her
neverending problemsolving.
6ight now she could use the tunnels as an e&cuse to rest her head against *ars shoulder and think
about something trivial, like the pretty mosaics on the wall back there, and how warm her partners
skin was.
There was no real point in wondering what they were going to do about the problem of the cable. If
*ar didnt know what to say about it, no one did.
.he really had no idea what they were going to do.
;;
*ar rested her forearms on the mahogany wood surface, appreciating the sound proofed walls and
the stillness of the office.
9n the desk was a phone, and her laptop, which was closed. The rest of the office was fairly sterile
and empty, a spare the staff had rapidly found for her when she and (erry returned from the subway,
moving from an active part of the work back to something a bit more administrative.
-or once, *ar was glad. .he didnt really want to be around the fiber guys, and Mark, who were
setting up the gear needed to make the connection she knew wasnt going to happen when it was all
said and done.
.he didnt want to say anything to them, but she was finding it hard not to anyway. It was an odd mi&
of embarrassment and anger, frustration at the situation and self disgust at her part in it.
7gh.
.he looked at the phone, then she removed her 4*" and opened it, flicking through the address book
as she searched for a specific entry. "fter she found it, she e&haled, studying the phone pad for a
long time before she made a move towards it.
" knock at the door stilled her hand in the act of dialing. .he released the line and put her hands back
on the desk. $3mon in.'
"lastair poked his head in at the invitation. $%ello, there.'
$%ey.' *ar waved him forward, guiltily glad of the interruption. $%ow was the interview+'
%er boss smiled briefly. $0ell, that went )ust fine. But you know, they followed me back here. 6eally
want to talk to you.'
*ar made a face. $"lastair, Im busy.'
$I know.' "lastair said. $But theyre right in back of me, lady. *ont make me turn around and boot
them. Theyre not bad folks. :ust want a few minutes of your time.'
.ilver linings. *ar sighed. $9kay, sure.' .he said. $Might as well get it over with before I get on a
conference call.' .he shifted and rested her chin on her fist. $Bring em in.'
"lastair smiled again, this time far more warmly. $Thanks.' %e drew back for a moment, then he
opened the door and entered, holding it open for the rest to follow. $3'mon in, folks. *ars )ust got a
minute, so please keep it brief.'
" group of four people entered, two men dressed in khakis carrying cameras with pockets full of
technical items, a tall man in a turtleneck and a )acket, and a medium height woman in a leather coat
and boots.
$%i.' *ar briefly wished (erry was in the room. $0hat can I do for you folks+'
The tall man approached the desk. $:ohn "valls.' %e held a hand out. $Thanks for taking the time to
talk to us, Ms. 6oberts. 0e wont be too long.'
*ar stood and took his hand. $Id appreciate that. 0ere in the middle of a lot of activity here.'
$This is my colleague, .arah .ohn.' The man indicated his female companion. $"nd our cameramen
:ohn and Barry.'
*ar gave them all a brief nod. Then she stuck her hands in her pockets and waited.
The reporters came closer to her while the camera people set up their gear. "lastair loitered in the
background, perching on the credenza that held a set of glasses and probably hid a large screen
television panel.
$9kay. $ "valls was flipping through a notepad. $.orry, Ms. 6oberts. Its been a long couple days for
us too. Im trying to get my !uestions straight here so I dont waste your time.'
$5o problem.' *ar watched the cameramen wrangle their gear. $I can imagine that you folks have
been going without any sleep )ust like we have. $
$#&actly.' .arah nodded. $,ou almost feel guilty taking a nap, like youre going to miss something if
you do.' .he had a portfolio open, and she took up a position near the short edge of *ars desk. $-or a
while there, even going to the restroom felt like that.'
*ar nodded. $3ant be like that forever though.'
$5o.' .arah said. $Its funny you say that, because I was thinking, )ust this morning before we met Mr.
Mc/ean, that I had so many other things to do, personal things, laundry, you know, shopping ? that I
havent even thought about since Tuesday. $
$/ifes moving on.' "lastair suggested. $I know we feel it. 9ur customers were completely
understanding the first few days, but now, their priorities are changing too.'
"valls looked up from his notes and nodded. $I found myself hoping over coffee this morning theyd
find me an assignment somewhere else.' %e said, honestly. $,ou can )ust take so much. I felt like
going to cover baseball in 0isconsin.'
*ar nodded slowly. $0ish I was home in Miami, myself, matter of fact.' .he remarked. $"lastair and I
were in /ondon when it happened, and weve been going full out since then.'
$ I was at my in laws in 1irginia.' "valls said. $My father in law was having his si&tieth birthday party,
and we had the whole family in for a big barbe!ue.' %e glanced up from his notepad. $5ow he never
wants to celebrate his birthday again. $
They were all silent for a moment. $Tough to know who to be mad at, isnt it+' "lastair came over and
settled on the far edge of the desk *ar was standing behind. $"nyway, here we are.'
$%ere we are.' "valls said. $:ohn, you ready+''
$,eah. I think theres enough light in here not to use ours.' The cameraman said, peering into his lens
at *ars image. $0ere good.'
$This is a high pickup mic.' .arah said. $.o we dont need to do the whole stick it in your face thing.
Its picking you up fine.' .he looked at a meter on the device she was wearing over her shoulder.
$"nd its !uiet in here.'
$Great.' *ar rocked up and down on her heels. $9ne warning. Im tired, and Im not a talking head.'
.he said. $*ont ask any !uestions you dont want to hear the answers to.'
.arah looked up and smiled at her. $0e know.' .he said. $Ms. 6oberts, Ive been a fan of yours since
you did an interview about that "TM breakdown for a colleague of mine. $ .he added. $I cant speak
for :ohn but were not here looking for a headline on the crawler. 0e )ust dont understand some
things weve seen happening and wed like to, and we think you have the answers.'
$,ou speak for me.' "valls said, in a mild tone. $I am )ust the talking head.'
*ar rela&ed, sensing a weary doggedness in the little crew she understood at a gut level. .he was
usually wary of the press, given her recent e&periences with them sometimes more than wary, but in
this time, in this place, she felt like it was going to be okay.
"lastair, after all, knew her well enough not to put her in front of a couple of antagonistic reporters,
didnt he+ .he glanced over at him, seeing only mild interest on his face. $5ice shirt, "lastair.'
%er boss eyed her. $/aundrys in the hands of the hotel, 4aladar. I wasnt banking on spending an
e&tra couple of weeks on the road with you.'
*ar grinned, then she turned back to the reporters,. $.o. 0hat can I answer for you folks+'
$9kay.' "valls studied his pad and paper. $/et me put on my weatherman voice and get the started. $
%e cleared his throat. $Ms. 6oberts, we all know everyone rushed to 5ew ,ork to help in this time of
great tragedy. But what did that mean to you+ 0hat are you doing here+'
$*ar, be good.' "lastair got in, )ust as his beloved 3I9 was taking a breath to answer. $6emember this
will probably be national.'
*ar merely laughed. Then she sighed. $0hat am I doing here.' .he mused. $0ell, for one thing, we
didnt rush up here.' .he said. $This was our second stop.'
$.econd+'
The door opened, and a familiar blond head poked inside. *ar motioned her partner forward, then
returned her hands to her pockets. $0e went to the 4entagon first, physically, but in reality we were
everywhere after it happened.'
$3an you e&plain that+' "valls said.
$5ot without a white board and at least ten colored markers.' *ar replied. $In brief, we reached out
and connected all of our corporate resources so we could understand what was happening and
mitigate the effects when we could, and where we could.'
(erry came over and took a seat out of camera range in one of the comfortable leather chairs to one
side of the desk.
$Then, after we got a team on the ground at the 4entagon and resolved their immediate
infrastructure problems, we came here. $ *ar concluded. $"nd since weve been here, we have been
using the resources we have to try and help the city knit itself back together. $
$The city asked you to come+' "valls asked.
$0e came for our people here.' "lastair answered. $3ity didnt have much to do with it.'
$But once we were here, and they knew we were, they gave us a priority list and we did what we
could with it.' *ar added.
$,et you brought your infamous bus with you.' "valls consulted his pad. $This bus, which Ive heard
about from roughly everyone including all our production people has been seen all over the city
passing out drinks and cookies.' %e glanced up. $0as that calculated+ Good corporate 46+'
$Im sure it is good corporate 46. The name of the companys plastered over the outside of the damn
things.' *ar replied. $But in fact, no. 0e sent the buses because we knew we had people here who
needed help. 5ot people in general, our people here in the city.'
$Im sure a cynic would doubt that.' "valls said, but he smiled.
$Im sure they would.' *ar agreed. $"nd in the end, it really doesnt matter because the buses did
what we wanted them to do and more, no matter what anyone considered the motive to be. 0e know
better.'
$.o what now+ 0hat are you doing now, and what do you intend to do in the future here+' "valls
asked, after a brief pause. $%ow long do you focus on 5ew ,ork+'
*ar remained silent for a moment, pondering what to answer to that. $0e focus on all our
customers.' .he said finally. $.o in that sense, well be busy here for a while. 0e have a lot of facility
down we need to take care of.'
$Thats not e&actly what I meant.' "valls said. $I understand of course you take care of business. 0hat
I meant was, how long will you be acting in this ? well, lets call it philanthropic mode+ Im sure
youre not billing Manhattan for the cupcakes.'
*ar turned her head and looked at "lastair, her brows lifting.
The camera swung over and focused on the 3#9. %e had his arms folded over his chest, and a
thoughtful e&pression on his face. $0ell now.' %e mused. $I dont think we ever even thought about it
that way. I recall being on our conference bridge and naturally when I heard about the problems our
people were having here of course we sent our service personnel. Its part of who we are as a
company, you know+ Its the people.'
$The people+'
DThe people.' "lastair indicated the general surroundings, and then specifically *ar and (erry. $9ur
company is our people. Its not the technology and the gew gaws and wiring. 9f course we focus on
taking care of the most precious resource we have, and the buses will stick around until we no longer
need them. If the city benefits by that, great. Im fine with funding as many damn cupcakes and cups
of lemonade we can pass out.'
$5ow.' *ar cleared her throat. $0ill that bring us good 46+ .ure. 0ill people remember the logo on
the bus+ .ure.' .he shrugged. $But wed do it anyway. 9ur people are as glad to see those buses as
anyone else is.'
$9kay, cut it, :ohn.' "valls said. $.o now let me ask you, shouldnt the city, or the government be out
there doing the same thing+'
*ar sat down behind the desk. $5ot my area.'
(erry chuckled.
$5ot being provocative+' .arah chuckled also. $The 6ed 3ross is out there. Theres nothing in the
government really that provides that type of service. That isnt their area either.'
$Thats true.' (erry responded. $0e have to have that facility because, like "lastair said, our people
are our most important resource. 0e have to provide for them so they can do the )obs we need done
in situations like this. Its tough to be away from your family, and thrown into a relatively dangerous
situation.'
$0ell, we could say the city workers and the military have the same issue.' "valls commented.
$,es, but they get paid to do public service.' (erry said. $9ur people get paid to be nerds. That doesnt
usually mean you put your life on the line for your )ob.'
$"nd yet, here you are.' .arah said. $"nd from what Mr. Mc/ean said, you were down in the disaster
area in the wreckage yesterday where you could easily have been hurt, true+'
$True.' (erry agreed.
$*o they pay you for that, Ms. .tuart+' "valls asked, folding his hands over his pad.
$5o.' (erry shook her head.
$.o then why go+' %e followed up. $Im not asking to be contrary. Im curious.'
(erry glanced past him. $Because *ar went.' .he answered honestly. $"nd I go where she goes, no
matter how crazy it is.'
That shut them up. They glanced between (erry and *ar, as the cameraman fiddled with putting his
gear away. $"ll right then.' "valls finally said. $Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. I really
appreciate it.'
$"nytime.' *ar leaned back in her chair, as "lastair got up from the desk.
$Ill walk you folks out.' "lastair said. $*ar, the boards asked for a short recap call, can we s!ueeze
that in ne&t+'
$.ure.' *ar agreed.
They left, closing the door and leaving *ar and (erry alone in the office. *ar turned in her chair and
regarded her partner, a wry smile on her face.
$0as that too goofy+' (erry asked.
$5ah. 0ish theyd gotten it on camera.' *ar replied. $0e might as well get all the good press we can
now, because you know were going to get thrown under those damn buses when nothing works on
Monday.'
(erry sighed. $.o you havent come up with a brilliant plan to fi& the problem yet+'
*ar snorted. $(er, thanks for the vote of confidence but even I cant change the laws of physics.' .he
went back to her 4*". $%ang out. ,ou can hear the guffaws of laughter when I ask the guys over in
the optics division of our network vendor if they can.'
$,erg.'
$Mm.'
;;
$%ows it going, Mark+' *ar released the radio button and waited. .he leaned back against the wall
behind the desk (erry was seated at, studiously pecking at her keyboard, the tip of her tongue
sticking out as she concentrated.
*ar found the e&pression adorable and despite her current aggravation it made her smile.
$Good news.' (erry said, after a moment. $They got all the circuits back up at the 4entagon, *ar. That
rooms fully operational now.' .he glanced up at her companion. $0hats so funny+'
5othing.' *ar cleared her throat. $That is good news.' %er partner said. $That should give you some
slack on the bandwidth in that area.' .he added. $I know that was stressing the backhaul carrying
most of that on the sat.'
$It does.' (erry agreed. $Im glad, because I told some of the customers we have riding on the sat as
primary wed maybe see some improvement after the weekend.' .he went back to her keyboard.
$5ot that it kept them from bitching at me.'
$%ey boss, Mark here.' *ars radio crackled. $I got the router mounted down here. %ad to pay to get
some guy to give me power though. They freaked out when I wanted to run a cord over the ground.'
$#&pense it. 0hatever it was.' *ar responded.
$%e.. uh, didnt e&actly give me a receipt.' Mark admitted. $"nd I kinda had to pay in cash, if you get
my drift.'
(erry turned and peered over her shoulder again. $0ere not going to pass the ethics certification
this year, are we+'
*ar gave her a wry look. $#&pense it anyway, Mark. 0ell approve it.' .he said. $0e need to get a pull
cord run down to the tunnels. "ny progress on finding a path+'
There was a few clicks on the speaker, before Mark answered. $Theyre working on it, boss. (annan
and .haun are down there looking for a way up.' %e said. $5othing yet.'
*amn. *ar tapped the mic against her chin. $9kay. (eep me in the loop.'
.he clipped the mic and sighed. $I feel like a complete shit head making them go through this
knowing its for nothing.' .he said. $Im going to pay them all bonuses when we get back )ust for
that.'
$"re you going to tell them+' (erry leaned on the chair arm and studied her partner. $I guess, really
what I mean is what are you going to tell them once the cable gets here+ Marks going to know when
he sees it, certainly (annan will.'
*ar slid down the wall to sit on the floor, e&tending her legs out. $I know.' .he said. $I dont know
what Ill tell them. Im not going to tell anyone now. /et the damn cable get here, and then.. I dont
know.' .he scratched her ear. $Ill )ust be honest I guess. Tell them we were working on a way
around it but it )ust didnt work out.'
(erry got up and walked over, sitting down ne&t to *ar and stretching her legs out alongside her
partners. $This sucks , sweetie.'
$It sucks.' *ars cell phone rang, and she pulled it out and answered it. $*ar 6oberts.' .he listened.
$9h, hey, 3huck. %ang on.' .he keyed the phones speaker. $Go ahead, (errys here too.'
$%ey, yeah, hi (erry.' 3hucks voice echoed. $/isten, they )ust briefed me on what you asked, *ar.'
%e said. $Ive checked with a few people. That spec wont carry the distance. It cant.'
(erry closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
$Im aware of that, 3huck.' *ar said. $4roblem is, thats all they got here. ,ou know whats riding on
it.' .he added. $Ive been through the specification with a fine tooth, I know it says its impossible. I
want to know what is possible, and whether all its going to take is a lot of money, which Im willing
to cough up.'
$0ell, I know, *ar.' 3huck answered. $I got fifteen senior engineers here in the white board room
looking at this from every angle, but you know, it is what it is.' %e said. $"t most, they can tweak the
modules to go a thousand, maybe twelve hundred meters. Thats it.'
*ar sighed. $*amn.' .he e&haled. $,ou were our best shot, 3huck. ,ouve developed the latest set of
optics everyone uses.'
$I know.' 3huck agreed. $5ot to toot our horn, but if we cant do this, nobody commercial can. 0ere
the big dogs.'
$That doesnt really2'
3huck uncharacteristically cut her off $.o what I decided to do, was call in some friends of mine who
work over at 5".".' 3huck continued. $My brothers an engineer over at /ockheed Martin, and hes
got some contacts on the team who did the %ubble. $
(erry peered at the phone with renewed interest. $5ever thought of that.' .he murmured. $0hen it
doubt call a rocket scientist.'
$"ll right.' *ar answered. $*o you think theyll help+'
$I dont know.' 3huck answered honestly. $It beats sitting in this room watching everyone scratch
their heads and shrug their shoulders. 0e cant do beans with this *ar. Maybe they got some bright
ideas.' %e said. $Its optics. If anyone can come up with some hair brained idea to make duct tape and
mirrors work, itll be those guys.'
$I appreciate it, 3huck.' *ar said. $0ere at our wits end here too. The nearest spool of the right stuff
is I,AAA miles away and I cant get it here before Tuesday.'
D'9uch.' %e responded $0ell, I have no idea if anything will come of it, but I didnt want to )ust drop
it.' 3huck said. $Ill let you know if we find out anything, okay+'
$Thanks.' *ar responded. $/ater, 3huck.' .he closed the phone and studied it. $Thats not going to
happen. 0e )ust dont have the time.'
$,ou having that cable sent+' (erry asked.
$,eah.'
$Im glad he took the initiative.' (erry said. $0ithout you having to ask.' .he reached over and
patted her partners leg $3ome with me to get some lunch+ Its getting pretty late and we got up
pretty early.'
*ar sighed.
$%on, youre doing the best you can.' (erry said, gently. $,ou engaged the right people, they brought
in the right people, if this doesnt happen, it wont be because we didnt try.' .he leaned close, and
captured her partners eyes. $0e can )ust do what we can do.'
$,eah, I know.' *ar picked up (errys hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the knuckles. Then she
turned it palm up and kissed that. $0e )ust have to keep going and see where it takes us.' .he got up
and hauled (erry up with her, pausing to kiss her palm again as they stood.
$(eep doing that and Ill tell you where its going to take us.' (erry said. $6ight back to our hotel
room. Thats where.' .he slapped her partner on the butt and nudged her towards the door. $.coot.'
Instead of scooting, *ar turned and let (errys forward momentum bring them together. .he
wrapped both arms around her and tilted her head, kissing her on the lips.
-ar from protesting, (erry returned the hug, and the kiss with enthusiasm. They parted a little after
a minute, and she looked up into *ars eyes, en)oying the frank passion she saw there. $0hat were
we about to do+'
$Go back to the hotel.' *ar promptly supplied. $,ou mentioned something about lunch.'
$%m.'
$They have room service.'
$%eck with that.' (erry smiled. $0e can stop for a hot dog on the way back.' .he stretched up and
stole another kiss, then she firmly took *ars hands and started leading her towards the door.
$3mon. I need a break. 3hances are were going to end up in some dusty wiring room tonight.'
$%m. *ar sighed regretfully. $7nfortunately "lastair scheduled a board conference call I think. 0e
may )ust have time to get that hot dog.'
$Grr.' (erry thumped her head against *ars shoulder. $0hy cant the board )ust watch 355+'
$#asy, hon.' *ar scrubbed the back of her neck and gave her a hug. $0ell take a break after that. /ets
skip the group dinner tonight and )ust chill, okay+'
(erry kept her head resting against her partner. $Ive been wanting to do that for days.' .he admitted.
$I know its anti social but my nerves are getting rubbed raw in all this.'
*ar leaned against her and kept up her gentle rubbing along (errys spine. $0ere going home
Monday.' .he said, after a long moment. $I sent Maria a note to make our reservations.'
(erry shifted her head and looked up. $Good.' .he replied. $Thats the best news Ive heard all week. I
was going to ask you later on if we could.'
*ar smiled briefly. $.o theres a light ahead in our tunnel, (er. 0ell do what we can until then, so )ust
hang in there.'
$%anging.' (erry wrapped her arms around *ar and hugged her tightly. Then she let go, and pointed
to the door. $.o now that my libido is going to be thwarted, I'll settle for lunch. /ead on, Magellan.'
*ar did, opening the door and heading out into the hallway.
They bumped into "lastair, almost literally, as the doors to the lift opened. $"h.' *ar stepped back
out of the way. $,ou see our friends off+'
$I did.' "lastair said. $5ot bad folks, really. I thought that went pretty well. *idnt you+'
*ar nodded. $-ar as that sort of thing goes, yeah.' .he agreed. $.eemed pretty innocuous. Im willing
to bet they were glad to get a soft story for a change after what theyve been covering the last few
days.'
$,ou got it.' "lastair agreed. $*ar, I set the conference call for fourty five minutes. 3an I buy you
ladies lunch+'
$"bsolutely.' *ar indicated the door. $0e were )ust heading out for that ourselves. I need to let you
in on some technical issues that have cropped up.'
$7h oh.'
$Ill translate.' (erry promised. $Ive also got some ma)or customer complaints you probably should
know about.'
"lastair sighed, as he punched the button for the lobby. $-air trade. The -BI is after us again.'
$Great.'
;;
$0hy did I let you talk me into this+' "lastair studied the sushi menu wryly. $*ont tell me you dont
eat hamburgers, *ar.'
$I do.' %is 3I9 replied. $I love cheesburgers. I )ust also love sushi. 6ela&, "lastair. Its good for you.'
$I even got my mother to go to a sushi restaurant.' (erry added, $.he liked it.'
$,our mother isnt from Te&as.' "lastair grumbled. $They have anything barbe!ue here+'
$Barbe!ue eel.'
"lastair looked up over his glasses at *ar, as stern an e&pression on his face as (erry had ever seen.
$I got *ars father to try it and he liked it.' (erry informed him. $%onest.'
$Is that why he turned down going to lunch with us+' "lastair asked, dryly. $I was wondering about
that.'
*ar chuckled. $%e doesnt really like sushi. %e eats it to humor (erry.' .he e&plained. $But here,
"lastair, )ust order the beef teriyaki. ,oull be fine, unless youre allergic to soy sauce.'
$%m+ "h. I see.' %er boss looked moderately pacified. $0ell, that looks all right. "t least I know what
it is.'
$*oes he really+' (erry in!uired, peering at her partner. $*o that to humor me+'
$.ure.' *ar went back to the menu. $:ust like you tried sushi to humor me back in the day.' .he
studied her choices. $That worked out a little better though.'
$It did.' (erry agreed. $I love sushi.' %er eyes flicked up to *ars profile. $5ot as much as I love you,
of course, but still.' .he watched the pink blush color her partners ears and smiled. $"nd really,
"lastair, 3alifornia rolls are pretty innocuous. 6ice, crab stick, some cucumber and a little seaweed.'
$.eaweed+'
$.eaweed.' *ar set her menu down. $.o.' .he leaned back in her chair. $%eres the mess were in.'
.he paused as a young waitress stopped at the table, her eyebrows lifted slightly and a pad in her
hand. $#veryone ready+'
$,up.' (erry put her menu down. $*ragon roll for me, please, and some miso soup.'
The waitress looked at *ar. $.ame for me.' *ar said. $"nd a glass of ice tea, please.'
$9f course.' The girl turned to "lastair. $.ir+'
"lastair took his glasses off and handed her the menu. $Ill have the same.' %e announced. $0hat the
%ell. ,ou only live once.' %e settled back in his chair. $"nd Ill have a glass of wine with that, if you
dont mind.'
$3ertainly sir.' The waitress took their menus and disappeared.
*ar folded her arms, and e&haled. .he felt as tired as (erry and "lastair looked. They could have
stayed at the office and had lunch there, but the noise, and the constant !uestions had driven all of
them out into the streets in search of a few minutes peace.
$.o.' "lastair said. $,ou were saying+'
*ar wished she wasnt saying. $0e have a problem.' .he said. $1erizon sent over the wrong type of
fiber optics cable. They didnt realize it until theyd already rolled it part of the way out, and theres
none of the right type anywhere near here.'
"lastair folded his hands on the table. $I see.'
$"side from that, the path from the subway up to our office is problematical, and we dont know if we
can bring the cable from the other subway to the one near the office.' (erry added. $But thats all
pretty minor. The cable type isnt.'
$0ont work+' "lastair asked. $9r is it )ust tough to make work+'
$0ont work.' *ar said. $5ot without optics that dont e&ist yet.' .he cleared her throat a little. $Ive
asked our networking vendor to look into it, but the design cycle for those things is around two
years.'
"lastair checked his watch, then looked at her. $*oesnt sound good. 0hats our plan B+'
$0e have no plan b.' *ars voice remained !uite steady. $If this doesnt work, it doesnt work. I wont
have the right cable in until 0ednesday, maybe Tuesday night.. It weighs half a ton.'
$I see.' %er boss digested this. $0ell. That sure sounds like a problem.' %e twiddled his thumbs,
pondering the news.
*ar )ust waited, watching his face. .hed known "lastair long enough to predict most of his
responses, but the situation they were in was so e&traordinary, she found herself unable to imagine
what he was thinking much less what he would say.
.hed gotten used to the idea that they were screwed. "t this point, she really )ust wanted to get it all
over with.
$9kay.' "lastair finally said. $If it happens, it does. If not, Ill deal with it.' %e smiled as the waitress
brought back tall, fragrant glasses of ice tea. $Thank you, that looks great.' %e took a sip. $I wish I
could work up a froth over it, ladies, but to be completely honest with you, Im pretty out of arm
waving.'
$Me too.' *ar agreed. $I cant even get mad at the )ackass from 1erizon. %e was scared enough to be
wetting his pants. %e )ust wanted out of that room.'
$I think he thought he was doing the right thing.' (erry murmured.
$4robably did.' "lastair said. $I take it were going to keep trying, right+ I mean, were not )ust going
to walk away from this, are we+' %e cocked his head and regarded his tablemates. $Im not going to
say anything to the government people, of course. /et them think whatever they want.'
*ar hesitated.
$0ell keep going.' (erry spoke up. $Because you never know, until its over, that its over. Ive
learned that the hard way over the past couple of years.'
"lastair nodded. $Is there anything more we can do+ "nyone I can call and take my frustration out
on+'
*ar shook her head. $Me.' .he added, after a pause. $.ince Im the one who didnt check to make sure
they were using the right damn cable.'
$,ou cant idiot proof the world, *ar.' "lastair dismissed her admission with a gesture. $-ella who
brought the stuff over to his own people to run shoulda known.' %e added. $I know were trying to
help out here but hellfire.'
(erry smiled warmly at him, aware of the vaguely sheepish e&pression on her beloved partners face.
$0e e&pect everyone else to be as good as we are. 0e get bit with that sometimes.' .he remarked.
$,ou get used to people performing at a certain level which our people do, but not everyone else
does.'
$#&actly.' "lastair said. $.o *ar, dont be silly. Its not your fault.' %e peered around, pausing to
watch the sushi chef behind the bar. $Thats the cook+'
$Thats the sushi chef.' (erry said. $0e usually sit near the bar at the sushi place near our office down
south and watch him work. Its like food art.'
$Interesting culture.' "lastair commented. $Been to :apan a few times, to our regional office there.
Theyre always wanting me to send *ar over to visit them for some reason.'
$.ome miso soup+' The waitress was back, with three steaming bowls. .he set them down, and
spoons with them, then smiled and vanished again.'
(erry settled in to en)oy her soup, her eyes drifting idly past their table at the small crowd around
them. It was late for lunch, and the restaurant was only a !uarter full, most of the tables with one or
two occupants either engrossed in their papers or staring off into the distance as they waited for
their meals.
DIs this tofu+' "lastair asked, in a !uizzical tone.
$,es.' *ar lifted her bowl and sipped directly from it, cradling it in both hands. $Im not fond of it.'
%e studied the white block, then he bit into it gingerly, chewing an swallowing with a noncommittal
e&pression on his face. $%mph. *oesnt taste like anything.'
$Thats why I dont like it.' *ar said.
(erry let the conversation flow past her. .he watched three men enter, and look around, then motion
peremptorily at the hostess. They were heavyset, and all had dark hair and irritated e&pressions.
They pointed at a table, and walked over to it, sitting down as the waitress hurried over with menus.
$Gimme a pitcher of coke.' 9ne said. $Then get lost. $
(errys lip twitched. The waitress didnt seem fazed, though. .he brought the pitcher and three
glasses back, put them on the table, and walked away without a word. 0as it the men being rude+ 9r
was a something typical for 5ew ,ork that the woman was well used to+
$(er+'
(erry started, and turned her head. $.orry. :ust thinking.' .he scooped up a spoonful of mushrooms
and tofu and munched them contentedly. Tofu didnt taste like that much, it was true, but she liked
the te&ture and the contrast between the silky blocks and the other vegetables in the soup.
$.o anyway.' "lastair had lowered his voice. $"fter I got off the phone with the guy at the -BI main
office, another fella called me and asked for something else, wanted to know if we had any telephone
records from our customers.'
$Telephone+' *ars brows knit. $*id it not occur to them to call the telephone company for that+'
$%ell if I know. Thats what I asked him. They were looking for something else though, they said
something about narrowing the focus.'
$But why our customers+'
$Maybe they asked the phone company, and they got what they asked for.' *ar said. $"nd it was a
trillion one line entries in tapes delivered in a big bo& on their doorstep. Theres such a thing as too
much data.'
The waitress appeared, with three plates. .he set them down, and smiled at them. $4lease en)oy.'
$Thanks, we will.' (erry glanced around, as the woman left. $*ont they need to have court orders for
this kind of thing, "lastair+ 0hats the legal part of this+'
"lastair was studying his sushi roll. $5ow, what in the hell am I supposed to do with this+' %e asked.
$"s for the legal stuff, I tossed that over to %am. Im not about to cough anything up with out a
subpoena, but yknow, he heard rumblings that someone told them they didnt need one.'
$0hat+'
$3hopsticks.' *ar held them up. $4ut the in your hands like this.' .he demonstrated, watching him try
to imitate her. $9r pick the damn things up with your fingers. 0e dont care.'
$*ar.' (erry remonstrated her. $Its not that hard, here. *o it this way.'
"lastair bemusedly studied her fingers. $Thats what %am said they said.' %e continued the
conversation as he tried to make the sticks come together. $That they didnt need any court order,
they had orders from high up to )ust get what they needed, however they had to.'
$0ow.'
$.cared %am.' %aving achieved dubious success, "lastair applied the chopsticks to the sushi roll.
$5ot much does.'
$.o what does that mean for us+' *ar asked, fiddling with her own implements. $Is he saying we
should2 what is he saying+'
$,know, *ar+' "lastair studied the bit of sushi. $5ow what+' %e looked at (erry.
$*unk it like this.' (erry motioned with her own piece of sushi, dipping it into the little bowl of soy
sauce near her plate. $Then you )ust eat it.'
$Then I )ust eat it.' Their 3I9 mused. $%am said he was going to call a friend of his in the government,
try to feel them out, see what the real deal is.' %e dunked the piece gingerly and then popped it into
his mouth, chewing with a stolid resoluteness.
(erry e&haled. $That doesnt sound good.' .he put her sushi in her mouth and chewed it, glancing
past "lastairs shoulder at the table of men behind them. They had their heads bent together, and as
she watched, they looked up and over at them, then !uickly looked away as they saw her attention.
%m.
"lastair finished chewing, swallowed, then took a sip of his tea and sat back, looking reflectively at
the plate.
$5ot good+' *ar hazarded a guess.
$If we cant rely on the law2 what the hell does that mean+' (erry said. $0hat are we supposed to
do+'
$0ell.' "lastair said. $That was completely unlike anything I e&pected.' %e picked up his chopsticks
again. $I like it. Good stuff.' %e picked up another piece. $(erry, dont worry yet. Ill let you know
when its time.'
$3ant do much about it anyway.' *ar plowed through her lunch. $.o lets talk about something else.
0hen they let people back down into the tip of the island, theyre going to need comms. %ow do we
handle that+'
(erry was chewing. .he eyed her partner.
$%ow about those 4adres+' "lastair blinked mildly. $,ou like baseball, *ar+'
*ar looked from one to the other, then she shook her head and went back to her sushi. $I feel like Im
having lunch with a tableful of abstract art.'
(erry swallowed hastily and smothered a laugh.
"lastair paused in the act of wrangling another piece of his sushi. $5ot gonna ask.' %e concluded.
$"nd none of you say a word to my wife about me having this. .hell think Ive )oined a cult.'
$3ult.' *ar mused. $That mean youre going to get a tattoo+'
"lastair stopped chewing and looked at her.
$:ust asking.'
;;
(erry trotted down the steps, descending down to the lower level of their office comple& as the
crowds were thinning out and the hallways emptying. 9utside, it was already dark, and she glanced
at her watch as she rounded the corner and headed for the small closet in the back of the stairs.
Time to go. $%ey guys, you back here+'
$In here.' Marks voice floated out.
(erry ducked inside the doorway to the closet, spotting lights in side. .he found Mark and (annan
there, hunkered down ne&t to a bo& mounted on the wall and a panel full of blinking lights. $%ows it
going+'
$5ot bad.' Mark dusted his hands off. $(annans )ust finishing the prep on the fiber bo&.'
(annan looked up from his work. %e had a white helmet on with a light in the front, and its beam
nearly pegged (erry in the eyes before she stepped sideways to avoid it. $It is almost done, yes.' %e
agreed. $This will be all right, I think. 0e left room for them to bring the cable up here, against the
wall.'
%e indicated the path. $Then it is a simple curve into the termination bo&, here, where we can then
connect it up to our router.'
The router was on a makeshift shelf, a flash of new steel against old, blackened iron but sturdy
enough to hold the s!uare, stolidly blinking device that was already trailing wires that led to the half
buried panel theyd found earlier.
$I )ust finished making the hookup.' Mark seated a punch down tool in his belt kit. $I think I blurped
everyone upstairs, did you see it+'
$*ar did.' (errys eyes twinkled a bit. $Thats how she knew you had to be about done.'
Mark grimaced. $.hed probably have done it without a hitch.' %e groused. $But man, its dark in
here.'
(erry patted his shoulder. $.o, were ready on this end+' .he asked. $6eady for them to bring the
cable up from the subway, and thats it+'
$0ell.' Mark sat down on a piece of )utting pipe. $I mean, in terms of connecting it, yeah, thats it. But
once its hooked up, *ars got to figure out what to do with all those different data streams. I got no
clue whats going to come down that pipe and I dont think she knows either.'
$3an we get a list of what it is from the #&change+' (erry frowned. $That cant be that hard.'
$3ant figure out who to ask.' Mark admitted. $I talked to a few of those guys down there and they all
had different answers. "pparently the people who really knew what was up.. I guess two guys
anyway arent around anymore.'
$"h.' (erry crossed her arms. $9kay, well Im sure shell figure it out. But were done on the physical
side.'
$,ep.' Mark nodded. $5e&t thing that happens is the cable gets here, and (annan connects it up to
this panel' %e patted the structure. $I plug it up, we get blinkies, and then Big * can figure out how to
get the bits where they need to go.'
(erry e&haled silently. $0hat about the other end+'
Mark gathered up his tools. $I figure we can run down and do that end tomorrow. They get any
further today+ I know you guys were saying they were stuck down there.' %e edged carefully around
the electrical panel, which bore a new, shiny clamp with cables trailing from it towards the wall and
the e!ually new socket the router was plugged into.
$Theyre working on it.' (erry said. $They know what the deadline is. 0e )ust have to make sure
were ready so were not the hold up, right+'
$"aabsolutely.' Mark agreed. $3mon, (annan, pack up. Im dying for a beer.'
$That sounds good to me too.' (annan agreed. $I think I have )ust enough of these ends to make the
connections for tomorrow at the other place. Then I hope they get this done !uickly. 9nce we are
finished with this, Ms. .tuart, will we be going back to Miami+'
$,es.' (erry answered, in a definite tone. $0e have a lot to do back home getting our own house in
order. Im glad were helping out the country here, but were at the end of our ability to e&tend
ourselves while our own people and customers also need help.'
(annan nodded.
$Too right.' Mark tucked his gloves into his belt. $I think these guys are taking way advantage of us.
0ere too freaking convenient.' %e said. $I heard those dudes down at the e&change talking about
how theyd get us to do all this stuff for them and then theyd bill the feds for it.'
(erry stared at him. $"re you kidding me+'
$5ope.' Their MI. chief shook his head. $Ive been meaning to tell you about it, I )ust kept forgetting
with all this crap going on. I mean. $ %e held one hand up. $/ike, theyre happy were helping and
they think its great were doing this, but theyre also checking to see how they can line their own
pockets at the same time if you know what I mean.'
$I know what you mean.' (erry stepped back and held the door open. $/ets lock this and go get that
beer. *ar and I have some work we need to catch up on tonight, so well pass on dinner but she
wanted to buy the first round of drinks.'
$That is very nice.' (annan shouldered his backpack as he and Mark moved past (erry and she shut
the door behind them. $It is difficult, these things we are doing but all the same satisfying. It is good
to do hard work.'
They walked around the back of the stairwell, and headed for the steps up to the lower level of the
offices. The shops were mostly closed, though the restaurants were still open, and there was a small
scattering of people still walking around.
5ear the entrances, there were 5ational Guard troops, standing near the walls and watching the
remaining people, their eyes following the odd one walking along, as their hands cradled their rifles.
It brought home, again, what had happened. (erry had realized shed started to forget, caught up in
the moment of doing what they were doing until she was pulled back into focus on it seeing one of
the guardsman, or hearing someone talk.
.eeing the pictures of the site. 4ictures of the dust covered firemen, doggedly searching through the
wreckage for survivors or signs of their lost comrades.
6esolutely she turned her back on the guard and led the way up the steps, reaching the lower level
and heading to where *ar and the rest of the team were waiting near the doors to steps up to the
street.
The offices above were already !uiet, emptied out. The staffers had gone home, those that could, and
the rest were going with them over to stay at the hotel until they were allowed back downtown.
"lastair had visited the hotel manager and leased a floor of the place out, to give the dispossessed a
place to call home that wasnt the office theyd been camping in.
/ife was moving on. 9ne of the salesmen had commented on it, as theyd broke up and closed the
office down for the first time since the attack, and there was a sense of sadness about that. " grief
that was only partially acknowledged, and not yet dispelled.
.he could see *ar, leaning against the wall, her hands in her pockets as she talked to one of the 5ew
,ork staff. %er partner looked tired, there was an uncharacteristic slump to her body posture that
was visible to (erry, if not to anyone else, and she felt a moment of impatience that they had to
postpone a retreat to their room if even for the best of motives.
*ar sensed their approach and looked up, past the person she was talking to right into (errys eyes.
%er e&pression shifted and one brow rose wryly, the message as clear as the crystal goblets in the
storefronts she was passing.
"bsolutely e&pressive. (erry could recall only a few times shed seen that particular look, usually at
the end of a very long day, when the inner door to her office would open, and *ar would be leaning
on the sill of it looking at her with that look, and saying $Take me home.'
#verything went into the to do folder when that happened. 5o matter if she was working on who
knows what urgent problem, shed put her phone on voice mail, pick up her laptop, and theyd go.
That was where they line was drawn, and always had been.
$"ll right, were all accounted for.' (erry said, as she reached her partners side. $/ets roll, people.'
.he waited for *ar to push away from the wall and then she put an arm around her, giving her back a
little rub with her fingers.
They climbed up the steps and out into the night, crossing the marble courtyard and heading for the
streets beyond. Traffic had picked up a trifle, and the streets seemed busier, but (erry wasnt sure if
that was something really different or if it was )ust that it was .aturday night, and there )ust would be
more people out.
*ars arm settled over her shoulders with welcome warmth. .he looked up at her partner. $Tired+'
$%eadache.' *ar replied briefly. $/ooking forward to kicking back and chilling.'
$Me too.' (erry e&haled. $I think Ill settle for a bowl of soup for dinner and a bubble bath.'
$Mmhg.' *ar made a low sound of appreciation. $"nd ice cream.' .he added.
$9f course.'
They followed the group along the sidewalk, not at the very back, but near it. (erry was glad the pace
was casual, since the long day of running around had tired her out. .he had a slight headache herself,
and the cool breeze they were headed into felt good despite the city scents on it.
.he felt a little sweaty, a little dusty, and another thought crossed her mind. $%ey *ar+'
$Mm+' *ar seemed supremely content to amble silently at her side.
$That hotel has a pool, doesnt it+'
$I think so.' %er partner said, after a brief pause. $0ow. " swim sounds like a great idea.' *ar perked
up a little bit. $0hat made you think of that+'
$,ou in a bathing suit.' (erry answered, in a serious tone. .he felt *ar twitch a little, then start to
laugh. $,ou asked.'
$I did.' *ar chuckled, giving her a oneJarm hug.
" tall figure dropped back to )oin them. $%ey there.' "ndrew greeted them. $0hat are you kids up
to+'
$I was )ust going to ask you that, *ad.' (erry responded. $0e havent seen you since lunch. 0hat
have you been up to+' .he tucked her free hand through "ndrews elbow. $I heard some of the guys
saying you were yelling at someone before+'
$0all.' "ndrew made a dismissive gesture. $I been sticking around that coon ass. %e got himself
mi&ed up with some of them govmint fellers and they was giving him a hive over some reports.' %e
said. $-ellers were )ackass rude.'
$"lastair was telling us about the -BI wanting more reports. 0as that it+' (erry asked.
"ndrew nodded. $,eap.' %e said. $Got my back up when they started saying how they were thinking
how cause all them boys of yours werent from here that we were some suspect or something.'
$0hat+'
*ar craned her neck around to look at her father. $0hat+'
$,eap.' "ndrew said. $*ont know where they got that idea, but ah talked to them about it and I think
theyre all right with it now.'
$%uh.' (erry frowned. D0hats that all about+ *ar, weve had nonJ7. workers on visa to us here for
years. ,ou know as well as I do we take every !ualified network tech we can find.'
$I know.' *ar said, her e&pression a little grim. $But I also know theres an isolationist streak in this
country a mile wide, and Ive got a feeling this disasters going to give that a chance to show.'
$Them folks )ust aint been much in the world.' "ndrew remarked.
$My father was one of those people.' (erry said, after a short pause. $%e used to say all the time that
we had to watch out for what he called that foreign element.'
" siren erupted nearby, and everyone flinched. But it was )ust a lone police car, pulling around a
corner and racing through the ta&i crowded street, lights flashing.
$"nd a couple days ago, what was undeniably a foreign element killed a few thousand people and
brought down two buildings and part of a third.' (erry went on. $.o maybe those people feel
)ustified.'
They walked along in silence for a few minutes, crossing a street at the light and moving along the
block towards their hotel. Their colleagues were walking in a group around them, talking in low
voices.
$3ountrys always had people from other places.' "ndrew finally said. $"int nobody hardly can say
they blong here.'
$5o one likes to remember that in times like this.' (erry agreed wryly. $My fathers family, back in
the early nineteen hundreds, came from .cotland.' .he paused. $My mothers came from Germany. $
$0all.' "ndrew scratched his ear. $I believe my folks been here a while longer. *ars mothers folks
came with them 4ilgrims.'
(erry turned her head and stared at her partner, one blond brow arching sharply.
*ar shrugged. $.he thinks its funny.'
$5o wonder she made that crack about the turkey last Thanksgiving.' (erry said. $But anyway, heres
the hotel. /ets leave this for tomorrow, and take a mind break. 9kay+'
$.ounds good to me.' *ar was glad to see the doors to the hotel. %er headache had gotten worse
during the walk and even the enticing leather chairs of the bar werent appealing to her. There was
noise there, and people moving around, and she wanted none of it.
$"lastair+' (erry called out softly, as they entered the lobby.
Their 3#9 turned, spotting them and pulling up. $0ell, hello there.' %e said. $Glad to be at the end of
this long day as I am+'
$,ou bet.' (erry said. $%ey, looks like they resumed the games this weekend.'
The bar was relatively crowded, most of the screens shifted from 355s tense pictures to the colorful
flash of football and green grass, and the drone of the stadium. 9ne screen, a large one in the back,
had the news going but most of the patrons were around the bar, with an attitude of perceptible
relief.
$,ou a fan+' "lastair asked.
$5ot so much.' (erry admitted.
They paused in front of the bar, the big group of them, watching the screens.
$%ey, folks.' "lastair addressed them. $Give me an ear, eh+'
#veryone turned to face him. $0eve got the whole floor, matter of fact, we took over the concierge
lounge up there too. Its got a big screen. %ow about we all go up there and Ill get some suds in, and
we can watch from there.'
Big smiles.
$,ou are a real cool dude.' .cuzzy said. $"nyone ever tell you that+'
"lastair managed a brief grin, and then he waved them towards the elevators. $/ets put this plan into
action then, shall we+' %e waited for the group to start trouping towards the end of the lobby, before
he turned towards *ar and (erry. $-eel free to skip the game shindig, ladies. Im sure you have other
things to do.'
$Thanks.' *ar didnt miss a beat. $0e do.' .he gave (erry a kiss on the top of her head. $3mon (er.
,ou owe me some ice cream.'
$9we you+' (erry got her arm wrapped around *ars waist again. $Thanks "lastair. 0e were hoping
for a chance to )ust chill for a while.'
%e winked at them, and strolled ahead. "ndrew chuckled and )oined him, leaving *ar and (erry to
bring up the rear at their own pace.
0hich they did. $%es a good boss.' (erry commented, as they passed the front desk.
$%e is. 9r I wouldnt have stayed for fifteen years, and in fact he wouldnt have put up with me that
long either.' *ar responded. $%es as conservative as they come, and yet, he never turned a hair at
my being gay. $
$5ever+'
*ar shook her head as the waited for the elevator. $0hen he was promoting me to 14 9ps, I met with
him and warned him I was, and that it would probably cause a problem for him. %e said he really
didnt give a damn who I slept with.'
$,ou think he meant that though+ " lot of people say it.' (erry said.
$Then+ I think he said it because he thought it was the right thing to say.' %er partner acknowledged.
$But over the years he grew into that statement and now I absolutely think he means it.'
$%e )ust sees value in people.' (erry e&haled. $0onder if his kids know how lucky they are.' They got
into the elevator and were !uiet for the ride up, e&changing mild nods with the three other guests
who had )oined them.
The floor was already noisy down near the lounge when they got off, a trickle of television sound
coming out along with the chatter of many voices.
$Glad were down at this end.' (erry waited for *ar to key the door open and followed her in, closing
it behind them and shutting out the sound. $7gh.'
$7gh.' *ar repeated, trudging across the carpet towards her bag. .he opened it and took out her
bottle of "dvil, opening it and shaking out a few of the pills. " warm body bumped into her, and she
turned to find (erry standing there, hand outstretched.
$.hare.' %er partner bumped her again.
*ar did, and then she put the bottle back and rooted in the bag for her swimsuit. .he took it out and
paused at the credenza, picking up the bottle of water there and uncapping it. $0ant some+' .he took
a swig and passed it over.
(erry swallowed her handful of pills and wandered over to the book of services, opening the front
page. $*ar+ 0here is the pool+'
*ar pointed up.
$0ow.' (erry went over to her bag and opened it to retrieve her suit. $Glad I got into the habit of
always packing mine like you do.' .he commented. $,ou dont know how many times Ive thanked
you when I was traveling and ended up in some business hotel with a nice pool and a nice bar and
this suit made me pick the virtuous path.'
*ars warm chuckled surprised her with its closeness, and she turned to find *ar standing behind
her, already in her suit. $%oly cow how did you change so fast+'
$/ots of practice with you taking my clothes off.' *ar gathered (errys shirt in her hands and started
easing it over her head. $There are robes in the bathroom. 0e better take them before we end up
being entertainment for that crowd in the other room.'
(erry stifled a giggle as *ars fingers brushed her bare ribs. $Go get the robes.' .he said. $Ill get
changed and we can head down.'
$7p.' *ar tickled her navel, and then she backed off and headed for the bathroom.
:ust ten minutes ago, shed been toast. (erry !uickly shed her pants and underwear and got into her
bathing suit. :ust ten minutes ago shed been a little down, a lot tired, and wanting nothing more than
to crash.
5ow+ (erry looked up from ad)usting her strap to find *ar leaning in the doorway, a knowing look in
her eye. .he felt a surge of sensual energy, a clean, powerful sensation that made her smile. $6eady+'
$"lways.' *ar tossed her the other robe and held a hand out. $/ets go. I want to get wet.'
$Me too.' (erry answered, with a frank grin. $/ets hope no one else in the hotel does.'
$/ets hope they dont have lifeguards.'
;;
The water felt unspeakably good closing over her as she dove in. There was that moment of silence,
!uickly overwhelmed by bubbles as she headed for the surface and felt the agitation ne&t to her of
*ars tall form plunging in one step behind.
.he surfaced and sucked in a lungful of chlorineJtinted air, blinking droplets out of her eyes as she
flipped over onto her back and rela&ed. $"hhh.'
*ar emerged from underwater ne&t to her, shaking her head to clear her hair from her eyes. $5ot
overheated. 5ice.'
$5ice.' (erry agreed, en)oying the pleasantly cool li!uid cradling her body as she floated. The pool
was reasonably large, a rectangle of clear water against a painted blue background with lanes
marked on the bottom.
There were no slides to go down, or diving boards to tempt *ars !uirky daredevil side. :ust a placid
e&panse of water inside a glassed in space that would be pleasantly sunny in the daytime but now
was full of watery shadows and highlights.
"round the pool were chaise lounges, and on one side was a bar that was currently closed.
That was fine with (erry. It was )ust nice to have the pool and *ar to herself. .he rolled over and
dove under again, pulling herself along with her arms and kicking from one side of the pool to the
other, the chlorine only stinging her eyes a little as she swam along.
.he rose to the surface again and e&haled, then turned when she heard splashing behind her.
*ar was swimming along the length of the pool, with smooth, efficient strokes, barely creating any
wake as she reached the end of the pool, disappeared underwater to turn, and then surfaced again
still in motion.
(erry didnt feel so ambitious. .he stroked forward slowly in a lazy frog motion, blowing bubbles as
she meandered around in a circle, going from side to side as *ar turned and came back towards her
again.
.he took a breath and ducked underwater again, diving down to the bottom of the pool and
swimming along the bottom, en)oying the silence and the sensation of weightless gliding. .he reached
the wall and turned, heading back across the width of the pool in the other direction.
%alfway there, she felt something snag her suit, and she turned, to find *ar turning with her
underwater, those blue eyes glinting with mischief visible.
(erry twisted free and shook a finger at her in mock remonstrance, heading for the surface as she
rain out of air.
*ar went with her, and they broke the surface together, inches apart. $%ey, its a fish.' *ar smiled.
$0as that a fishhook that caught my suit+' (erry splashed her a tiny bit. $Boy this feels great.'
$It does.' %er partner agreed. $0ish it was in the pool back home, but Ill take it.' .he eased over
onto her back and stretched her arms along the pool edge, gripping the tile rim with her hands.
(erry swam slowly around in a circle, the sound of her displacing water the only echo in the large
space. $.o, wheres the first place in #urope were going to visit+ ,ou want to go the "lps+'
*ars face rela&ed. $Thank you for not talking about work.' .he replied, simply. $I )ust cant take any
more thinking about it right now.'
$Me either.' (erry paddled over to her. $.o, where+'
$0here do you want to go+' *ar countered. $Its going to probably be near your birthday.'
$9o.' (erry put her hands behind her head and floated, bumping *ar gently and then moving away.
$0here do I want to be for my birthday this year. /et me think.'
*ar was content to do )ust that. .he tilted her head to one side and admired (errys lithe body, glad to
en)oy the moment.
$*ar+'
$7h+' .he straightened up and stifled a grin at (errys raised eyebrows. $.orry. *rifted off there.'
$"h hah.' (erry looked skeptical. $Maybe it was mentioning it earlier, but you know, I think Id like to
go to .cotland.' .he said. $3ould we start there+'
$That would be cool.' *ar agreed. $Im up for that.'
$Thats what Id like to do for my birthday this year. Go to .cotland and have a blast with you. 3limb
some mountains, see some castles, and )ust hang out.' (erry said. $I hadnt really thought about it
before, when were talking about the "lps and everything that would have been fun too.'
$But+'
(erry gazed up at the glass ceiling, the smoked surface barely showing the fuzzy outline of the moon
overhead. $But I dont know. It would be so easy to go to all those ritzy places. 0e could afford it.'
$0e could afford damn near anything we want.' *ar agreed. $,oud look good in a .wiss chalet.'
(erry smiled. $Thats )ust the point, I think. I want to be touched by the places we go to, not )ust buy
a nice vacation. I think thatll happen in .cotland.' .he turned her head to look at *ar. $Id like to see
"ntarctica, and maybe the .ahara desert.'
$%ow about climbing #verest+'
(errys brow twitched. $"hhhh2 no.' .he grinned briefly. $That idea doesnt thrill me. I dont mind
working for my fun but thats way too much work, hon.'
$4hew.' *ar chuckled. $-or me too. Id like to see the Mayan ruins in 3entral "merica though.' .he
paused, thoughtfully. $Its hard for me to think about )ust going somewhere else for a month. There
are so many places Id like to go.'
(erry rolled over and swam back. $,ou know what the truth is, 4aladar+' .he went nose to nose
with her partner, stretching her hands out and bracing them on either side of *ars head. $:ust going
with you anywhere for a month is something I very badly want to do.'
*ar released the wall and settled her arms around (erry instead. $Me too.' .he said. $0e need to do
this.' .he added, in a softer tone. $I wonder how many of those people in those towers were telling
themselves, someday Ill do that.'
(erry remained still, and !uiet, )ust listening.
$.omeday Ill see that.' *ar went on. $.omeday. Bob wanted to buy a sailboat someday, he told me.'
$5o more somedays.' (erry let her forehead rest against *ars. $0e could so easily have been in
harms way in this, *ar. I want to savor every minute living my life with you from now on.'
*ar kissed her. $.cotland it is.' .he promised. $Thats going to be a blast. Maybe Ill get a suit of
armor there to match that old sword Ive got.'
$Maybe well try haggis.' (erry suggested.
$Maybe we wont.' *ar smiled anyway, and then paused. $9r what the hell. If "lastair can try sushi, I
can try oatmeal in sheep innards.' .he kissed (erry again, and then she nipped her nose and surged
forward, taking them both underwater.
$Bwwflhh..' (erry spluttered, as they surfaced. $*ar8'
$Tag.' *ar pinched her in a sensitive spot. $,oure it.'
$,owch8' (erry yelped, grabbing for her partner who was no longer there. $,ou pissant8'
*ar took off, diving under the water to escape, )ust eluding (errys outstretched fingers. $.lowpoke8'
$9h, I dont think so, madam.' (erry plunged after her. $This aint no forty foot piece of ocean.' .he
dove under the water and swam after her elusive tormentor, reaching for skin or any bit of bathing
suit.
The moon slid behind the clouds overhead, wisely hiding its eyes.
;;
$Ive got water in my ears thanks to you.' (erry hopped on one foot, as they waited for the elevator to
re deposit them on their floor. $That was a fun though.'
$It was.' *ar felt very pleasantly tired, after two hours of water horseplay. .he put a hand on (errys
back to steady her, as the elevator slowed to a halt and the doors opened. $0ere here.'
3heers echoed through the hall as they e&ited, and they could see the doors to the lounge still open.
$.ounds like a good game.' (erry said, as she removed the room key from the pocket of her robe.
$Glad everyones en)oying it. They needed a mind break.'
$,eah.' *ar agreed. $Tomorrows probably going to be rough. Im glad "lastair thought of it.' .he
glanced down the hall. $.peaking of.'
"lastair had )ust come out of the lounge, and was heading towards his room. %e saw them and
paused, then continued past his door and approached them instead. $0ell, what have you two been
up to+'
$6eally want to know+' *ar asked, folding her arms over her terryclothJcovered chest and leaning
against the wall.
Their 3#9 paused and considered. $"m I going to have to speak to the hotel manager tomorrow
because of it+' %e asked cautiously.
$4robably not.' (erry ran her fingers through her wet hair somewhat selfJconsciously. $0e were
swimming in the pool.'
$"h.' "lastair nodded. $That sounds pretty innocuous.' %e leaned against the wall himself. $Games
about near done. Im going to let all these kids finish the night out. Im bushed.' %e stifled a yawn.
$Good bunch there.'
$Glad they had a chance to rela&.' *ar said. $I think tomorrows going to be a little different.'
"lastair eyed her shrewdly. $#ven with our challenges+'
*ar shrugged. $0ho the hell knows+ Maybe well get lucky.' .he straightened up and started for their
hotel room door. $"nyway, good night, "lastair. .ee you in the morning.'
$Bye.' "lastair waggled his fingers and turned to head back to his own room.
(erry opened the door and held it for *ar to enter, and then she followed her inside. The room was
dimly lit, and she caught the scent of chocolate wafting in the space, along with something a little
spicier. $*id you send a telepathic message to room service again+'
*ar was by the desk, investigating the tray resting there. $.orry to disappoint you, babe. I used the
phone by the pool while you were doing that last set of laps. %ot chocolate, Thai chicken soup, and
baked Brie with some crackers and fruit. .ound all right to you+'
(erry detoured to the desk and liberated a grape from the bowl, popping it into her mouth and biting
down. It was )uicy and sweet, and she gave her partner a one armed hug for it. $,um.' .he agreed.
$Im going to go change out of my suit.'
$Me too.' *ar untied her robe and eased it off. $/ast thing I need is to catch a damn cold at this point.'
.he draped the robe over a chair and wandered into the bathroom.
(erry stole another grape, then she followed suit, shivering a little as the draft from the air
conditioner hit her damp skin. $*ar, could you2 thanks.' .he caught the towel coming at her face
one handed, and then she got undressed and rubbed herself dry.
*ar came around behind her and draped a shirt over her shoulder, then kissed the back of her bare
neck, making her shiver for a completely different reason. $Thanks.' (erry ruffled her hair into some
sort of dryness.
$-or the shirt+'
$That too.' .he put the cotton garment on, and ran her fingers through her hair to straighten it. $,ou
know, that really was a great idea to go to the pool. I cant believe Im saying this, but I really miss
our gym time.'
*ar paused and peered over her shoulder, one eyebrow lightly raised.
$0hen were there, we focus on something other than whatever problems were dealing with that
day.' (erry clarified. $,ou get out of that mind space.'
$"hhh.'
$,ou know what it is+ Im not physically tired.' (erry sat down and pulled over one of the bowls of
soup. $My brain is )ust e&hausted.' .he took a spoonful of the spicy broth. $Its like those people
downstairs at the bar. ,ou cant )ust keep watching those pictures.'
*ar sat down opposite her, picking up her cup of hot chocolate and sipping from it as she considered
what (erry had said. It was an odd feeling. In her, unlike (erry, it manifested in a sense of intolerant
impatience that made it difficult for her to concentrate on what she was doing.
The swim break had been a relief. :ust being silly and chasing (erry around the pool had let her
buzzing brain rela& and now that they were back in the room, she was content to concentrate on
what was on the tray and leave worrying about work until tomorrow.
.he pulled her soup over and fished out a chunk of chicken. It tasted of coconut and lime and both
she and (erry were !uiet as they chewed. The silence was comfortable though. *ar put some of the
Brie on cracker and put it on (errys plate, then assembled one for herself, taking a bite as (erry
reciprocated by putting a handful of grapes in front of her.
.he looked up, and their eyes met. (errys e&pression eased into one of tired affection and she
reached out with her free hand, capturing *ars fingers and simply clasping them.
The warmth of it made her smile. The sweetness of the moment made her focus intently on it,
savoring the strength of (errys fingers curled around hers and the spicy scent of the soup and the
knowledge that there were hours and hours left before the sun would rise and bring another day.
Time to hoard every moment of it.
;;
" flare of brilliant light and crash brought *ar awake with a painful suddenness, the echoes of the
sound ringing in her ears as she instinctively reached for (erry )ust as another flash lit the room
followed instantly by a boom that rattled the windows.
0ithout really thinking, *ar bundled her nearly startled witless partner in the sheets and rolled off
the bed, landing them both of the floor on the side away from the window.
$%ey8888' (erry yelped. $0hat the hell is going on+++'
*ar frantically tried to untangle herself from the sheets as her brain finally woke up and placed the
sound, and the lights, and the rumble into a familiar conte&t. Then she stopped, and slumped to the
floor, her head thunking against the carpet as she let out a groan. $.on of a bitch.'
Thunder rumbled again, and (erry struggled up onto one elbow, raking the hair from her eyes and
she peered around. $Thunderstorm+'
$Thunderstorm.' *ar confirmed, as she listened to rain pelt the window. $.orry about that.'
(erry sat up, cautiously untangling her legs from her partners. "side from the bursts of lightning, it
was dark inside the room and a glance at the clock confirmed her suspicions that it was far from
dawn.
.he groaned, and settled back down on her side, pillowing her head on *ars stomach. .he could hear
*ars heartbeat slowing and she closed her eyes, willing her own to stop racing. .he thought she
might have been dreaming, though she couldnt really remember anything.
.he had that odd sense of disassociation that usually meant she had been though. 5ot a bad one ?
probably one of those hazy weird dreams she sometimes had where she was running around in a
forest chasing rabbits.
5o idea what that was all about but (erry greatly preferred them to the darker ones that made her
wake shaking or in tears.
Bleah.
.he felt *ars fingers slide through her hair and scratch gently across her scalp. $0ell, that sure
wasnt the way I like to wake up.'
$Me either.' *ar agreed mournfully. $I dont know what in the hell I was thinking.'
$,ou were thinking there was a bomb going off outside and we needed to be out of the way.' (erry
placidly responded. $0hich we are. But now that its )ust Mother 5ature scaring the crap out of us,
we can probably get back up where its more comfortable, huh+'
$,eah.' *ar pushed herself up into a sitting position, as (erry did the same. They got to their knees,
and then stood up. (erry crawled back into bed, while her partner pulled the covers back up off the
floor and settled them over her. $I see my 4*" flashing. /et me see whats up since I know thats not
you.'
$5ot me.' (erry agreed, snuggling back into a comfortable position and wrapping one arm around
her pillow. .he watched *ar walk over to the dresser and pick up the flashing device, her body
outlined in flashes of silver from the window.
Mm. $0hats up+' (erry asked, after a moment.
*ar brought the 4*" back over to the bed and sat down on it, handing it over to her partner before
she got under the covers and reclaimed her pillow. $%urricane Gabrielle, crossing -lorida.'
$Great.' (erry thumbed through the message. $Glad were not in *isney 0orld. I forgot all about the
damn storm.' .he said. $It wont come up here, will it+'
$0ith our luck+' *ar put her arm around (erry and snuggled up to her. $4robably be a cat five with a
tidal wave.' .he e&haled. $*amn. 5ow Ive got a headache from waking up like that.'
(erry studied the 4*". $%on, you got another message here. I think its from our network vendor
buddy.' .he passed the 4*" over her shoulder.
$6ead it to me.' *ar nuzzled the back of (errys neck. $Im sure its bad news anyway.'
(erry cleared her throat. $*ar ? Im in Bethesda at /ockheed Martin. :ust had a fiveJhour meeting
with the folks here, and once they got past asking me not if I was crazy, but how crazy was I, not to
mention how crazy you were, we got to talking. $
$.ounds like fun.' *ar mumbled.
$It gets better.' (erry promised. $.ort of.' .he scrolled down.
$#veryone agrees theres no way to develop an optics thatll handle the specifications of multimode
over that distance.'
*ar lifted her head. $Thats better+' .he asked, her voice rising.
$4ut a sock in it, 6oberts. /et me finish.' (erry chided her. $%ere we go. ? But when I told them
what the stakes were, they called in a couple of specialists who agreed to see what they could come
up with.'
$4eh.' *ar put her head back down. $In two years well hear of some military application for an optic
that can go ten miles on multimode.'
$9ne of these guys.' (erry went on, undeterred. $Is the guy who figured out how to make the %ubble
work after they sent it up with a bad shaped mirror.'
$4eh.'
$"nyway, Ill know more in the morning. Im gonna go get some coffee and find a chaise lounge
somewhere. %ope you all are doing good up there.' (erry finished and half turned, putting her hand
on *ars hip. $%oney, at least hes trying. Its four "M, and hes at some think tank working to get help
f or us.'
$I know.' *ar relented. $Im )ust in a bad mood. My head hurts and I feel like a moron for pulling us
both out of the bed.' .he admitted. $"nd I was having a nightmare.'
(erry set the 4*" aside and turned over, facing her partner. .he gently pushed the unruly hair from
*ars eyes and stroked her cheek. $0ant some "dvil+'
*ars e&pression shifted, and she produced a mild grin. $Got everything I want right here in bed with
me.'
"w. (erry was charmedN both by the sentiment and the almost shy look in her partners eyes. $,ou
know what+ I )ust remembered. I was dreaming about you when you woke me up.'
$Me+'
$Mmhm.' (erry traced one of her partners eyebrows with a fingertip. $0e were celebrating
something in some cabin somewhere. I have no idea what. But you gave me this really pretty carved
wooden bird, and we were laughing like crazy about it.'
$0hat was so funny about it+' *ar asked. $*id it have two heads or something+'
$I dont know.' (erry put her head down on the pillow. $There was a fire in the fireplace, and I could
smell the trees outside, but I dont know where we were or why that bird was so funny.' .he
admitted. $,ou have such a beautiful laugh.'
*ars brow wrinkled a little. $5o I dont.'
$In my dream you did.' (erry disagreed. $"nd you really do. I love your laugh.'
*ar stretched, and then she rela&ed against the bed. $Trying to make me feel better+'
$0orking+'
*ars brief grin altered into a true smile. $The thunder was worth it.' .he tucked her arm under her
pillow and let her body rela&, hoping her now buzzing brain would settle down and let her get a few
more hours sleep.
.he felt (errys hand touch her cheek, with no further words, the gentle stroking against her skin
speaking as loudly as her partner ever could.
0hat a gift. *ar closed her eyes, feeling the faintest of stings. %ow many people had woken together
last Tuesday, had a little pillow talk, gotten up, gone to work and then hours later found themselves
forever sundered from this gift they probably hadnt thought twice about when theyd left the house.
$*ar+' (errys touch became firmer, a pressure against her cheek and there was a rustle of
bedclothes as she shifted and brought a comforting body warmth into the sudden chill around her.
$%ey.'
*ar opened her eyes. $.orry.' .he didnt bother to dissemble. $:ust freaking out a little.'
$"bout the fiber+' (erry sounded confused, and a touch distressed.
$5o.'
(erry eased over and put her arms around *ar. $*id I do something+'
$5o.' *ar returned the embrace. $It )ust hit me.' .he paused, as her throat tightened. $"ll those people
who had people they loved never come home that day.'
(errys breath caught. .he swallowed audibly.
$3ould have been any of us.' *ar whispered. $0hat a crappy world this is sometimes.'
$.ometimes.' (erry finally replied, her voice rough. $*o you know how glad I was it was you who
told me what was going on+ That we were on the phone no matter if you were thousands of miles
away+ $
$0ish youd have been there with me.' *ar said, after a pause. $I was so damn scared something
would happen to you before I got back.'
(erry buried her face into *ars neck, feeling a shiver go down her spine. $/ikewise.' .he $I dont
know what I would have done if anything had.' Tears welled up, that had been trapped inside her for
days. $9h my god, *ar.'
*ar returned the hug. $/ongest few days of my life.' .he drew in a shaky breath. $*amn I cant wait
to go home. I want out of this.' .he couldnt !uite stifle a sniffle.
$.o do I.' %er partner whispered. $Its been making me crazy.'
They were both !uiet for a moment. Then they both e&haled at almost the same time. $0ow.' *ar
cleared her throat. $.orry this got so lousy.'
(erry shook her head a trifle. $Im not.' .he said. $Im glad I said that to you. Ive been wanting to,
before we let this all pass 0eve been up to our eyeballs since it happened and Ive got all this stuff
bottled up making my guts ache.'
*ar slid her hand up along the back of (errys neck, kneading the muscles there with gentle fingers.
.he felt the warmth as (erry e&haled against her skin, and blinked her eyes to clear the tears from
them.
.he didnt cry often. *ar suspected the stress wasnt doing her any favors and she could feel the
shivers rippling through (errys body. $/ets table it for a few hours.' .he pulled the covers over both
of them. $0ell be okay.'
(erry rela&ed against her. $0hen Im right here, Im always okay.' .he said, after a short pause.
$%ope I find out why that bird was so damned funny.' .he closed her eyes and kissed *ar on the
collarbone. $/ove you.'
That made *ar smile again, finally. $/ove you too.' .he tuned out the muted sound of the air
conditioning and the far off grind of elevator machinery, letting the darkness and the rhythm of
(errys breathing lull her back into sleep.
Maybe, she mused, it was a cuckoo bird.
;;
$5ot a good morning.' *ar followed "lastair into the conference room, which already had a half
dozen people in it.
"ngry looking people. *ar gathered up the gruffest of her attitudes and put them in place before she
took a seat at the end of the table, while her boss circled and went to the center. .he put her
forearms on the mahogany surface, clasping her hands together.
$"ll right folks. /ets sit down and talk.' "lastair took the middle seat and waited for the rest of the
people in the room to follow suit. $I understand everyones pretty upset.'
$7pset+' The man directly across from him leaned forward. $Mc/ean, thats not close to what I am.
My business is dead in the water, and what do I see on the news last night+ ,ou giving cookies to
firemen.'
*ar propped her chin on her fist, and decided to remain !uiet. .he had certain sympathy for the
customers who had come to complain, but she also had sympathy for "lastair and couldnt really
think of anything to say that wouldnt piss off either one or the other.
.he wasnt even really sure why shed accompanied "lastair, e&cept that hed asked her to, and it
delayed her needing to go take Mark aside and confess about the fiber before he caught up with the
cable layers, or went to the #&change and found out for himself.
$I can understand that.' "lastair said. $But the fact is, Im not the fella whos going to fi& your
problem, so I dont really see what the harm is in my answering !uestions about our community
relations group.' %e added. $Its not as if my being interviewed is stopping anyone from working.'
$That isnt the point. $ The man stood. $"ll I am hearing about is how youre helping the government,
helping the rescuers. I hate to be crass, but what about us+' %e pointed at himself, then at the rest of
the people who apparently were content to let him speak for them. $0hen do we get help+'
$0ell2'
$3ome on, Mc/ean.' The man said. $,ouve been here for days. It was all over the news. 0hen do we
get some attention+ 9r are you all about the publicity and kissing the governors ass+'
"lastair looked over at *ar. $0anna give me a hand here+'
The tableful of people turned and looked over at her.
$I could undress and pose on the table.' *ar suggested. $That help any+'
"lastair had the grace to look scandalized. $*ar.' %e sighed, missing the sudden reactions to the
name from the rest of the table. $Its not funny.'
$I wasnt )oking.' *ar shifted and rested her weight on her elbows. $/isten.' .he addressed the
customers $If there was something we could do to fi& everyones issues, dont you think we would be
doing it+ ,ou think we like being in this room being yelled at+'
$But what about what youre doing for the government+' 9ne of the other men spoke up. $0hy cant
you do that for us+ My business is on the line between the closed zone and they told me I wouldnt
have service for months. Months8'
$Because we havent done that much for the government.' *ar replied. $0ho are, by the way, as much
our customers as you are. $ .he stood up and circled the table, ending up ne&t to "lastair. $*o you
know how much damage was done around the area of the Towers+ *9 you know how much
infrastructure, electrical, telecom, plumbing, you name it, was destroyed down there+'
$9f course.' The man said. $I watch 355 )ust like you do.'
$%ave you been down there+' *ar asked.
$They wont let us.' The first man answered, frustration evident in his tone.
$0ant my advice+' *ar sat down ne&t to her boss. $Get your asses out of there. Ive been in the area.
3ut your losses. -ind other space.'
The men looked at her.
$Im not kidding.' *ar said, after a period of silence. $If you want me to tell you I can put a satellite rig
in there to get your systems up, and backhaul your traffic that way, I will. I can do that.' .he looked at
each face in turn. $But if you want your business to survive, if you depend on walk in traffic, on
people coming to you, then get out. $
$But2' The leader said, and then fell silent.
$Thousands of people died there.' "lastair said, in a !uiet voice. $I was down in the area myself, along
with *ar here2 and by the way, sorry. My manners went out the window. This is our chief
information officer, *ar 6oberts.' %e paused. $In case you didnt guess.'
$I guessed.' The man murmured.
$%ow are we supposed to )ust move+' The second man asked. $*ont get me wrong, Ms. 6oberts.
,oure not the first person whos told me that. But weve been there for twenty years8 %ow do we
)ust leave our customers behind like that+'
$.ome of them will be moving too.' *ar said. $Its a matter of survival.' .he looked at them with some
sympathy. $3ome up here. Im sure "lastair can negotiate good rates here at the center for our valued
customers. 6ight "lastair+'
"lastairs wry look said it all. $Id be glad to work on that, absolutely.' %e said. $I know theyve got
some vacancies here, and weve got bargaining leverage with the management. $ %e paused. $:ust let
me know what kind of space youre looking for, and Ill do my best.'
$Thats crazy. I cant afford these rents.' The second man said. $I dont think I can afford you now.'
" silence fell after he finished talking, and the men on the other side of the table looked suddenly
discomfited. $0ell, matter of fact, Ive been leaving messages here about that sub)ect. $ The
spokesman said. $%avent gotten a call back. Is Bob in the office+ Id like to talk to him.'
"lastairs )aw shut with a click and his nostrils flared. $.orry.' %e said, in a clipped tone. $%es not in.'
%e folded his hands, tension showing in his knuckles.
$9h, well..' The man didnt seem to notice. $I guess I can talk to someone else about it. 0e need to
defer your billsN I cant afford to pay when Im not getting paid myself. .omeone filling in for him+'
"lastair let out a careful breath. $5ot yet.'
$0ell, he should at least put an out of office message on.' The man went on. $If thats not too much to
ask I2 $ %is voice finally trailed off as he caught *ars glare. $0hat+'
$9ur sales team was in the towers during the attack.' *ar reached over and put a hand on "lastairs
shoulder. $Bob was there. %e didnt make it.'
The spokesman stared at them in shocked silence.
$Im sorry.' The woman ne&t to him said. $0e didnt know that.'
$0ere also missing some people.' *ar responded !uietly. $.o if youre wondering, thats why were
here. 0e dont really give a rats ass about the governor.'
"lastair lifted his clasped hands and rested his head against them.
$0ell hell.' The spokesman muttered, after a pause. $0hy didnt you say something+ -or 4etes sake
people. 5ow I feel like a prize )ackass.'
*ar half shrugged. $,ou have a right to be here, asking us what you are asking us. ,oure our
customers.'
$,eah, but.' The man e&haled. $.orry. 0ere )ust so frustrated.'
$.o are we.' *ar picked up the desk phone and dialed a number. $This is *ar. Is 5an out there+ .end
her to the small conference room, please.'
5ow everyone looked uncomfortable, trying not to stare at "lastairs silent figure.
The door opened, and 5an stuck her head in. $Ms. 6oberts+ ,ou asked for 2' .he stopped, her eyes
flicking from the customers to their 3#9. $Is something wrong+'
$3ould you please take these people to one of the reception areas+ They need to discuss space
re!uirements, maybe relocating to this area. $ *ar said. $.ee if (erry can talk to them, get some
details.'
$,es, maam.' 5an responded instantly, opening the door the entire way. $3ould you come with me
please+'
The customers scrambled to their feet and headed !uickly to the door. $Thanks. 0ell work it out.'
The spokesman muttered. They followed 5an out the door and she closed it behind them, leaving
*ar and "lastair alone.
It was !uiet for a few minutes. The air conditioning cycled on and off, and very far away, a siren was
heard. -inally "lastair dropped his hands to the table, and looked sideways at *ar, appearing as tired
and as human as shed ever seen him. $.orry about that. $
$*ont be.' *ar studied his face. $(erry and I both lost it last night.' .he glanced away. $Its )ust to
damn much to keep dealing with.'
"lastair sighed. $I want to do the right thing by everyone, but damned if I know what the right thing is
right now.' %e tapped his thumbs on the desk. $That was a good idea, telling them to find other space
by the way.'
$They havent been down there.' *ar leaned back in her chair. $9r theyd have thought of it
themselves.'
" knock came at the door. "lastair sat back and hitched one knee up. $3mon in.'
The door opened, and the secretary poked her head in. $.ir, theres someone here to see you.' .he
looked apologetic. $%es very insistent.'
$:esus.' "lastair looked plaintively at the ceiling. $.ure. Bring him in.' %e said. $*ar, stick around,
willya+'
*ar merely kept her place, letting that be her answer as the door opened again and a tall man in dark
khakis and a leather )acket entered. %e crossed to the table and set down a briefcase, leaning on the
surface and looking right at "lastair.
*ar herself could have been a coffee machine in the corner for all the attention he gave her.
$Mc/ean+ My name is :ason Green. I work for the *epartment of *efense.' %e said. $Im going to cut
to the chase. ,our people have been stonewalling me, and its going to stop, right now. I want a list of
your people in our facilities and I want it now.'
$0hy+' "lastair asked.
$0hat+'
$0hy+' %e repeated. $I know %amiltons talked to you. ,ou all have the information you need in your
own systems. 0hy do you want mine+'
$,ou dont really need to know that.' Green said.
D.ure I do.' "lastair remained calm. $Theyre my employees, and I have a responsibility under the law
to protect their information and their privacy.'
$,ou dont get it do you+' Green sat down. $Mc/ean, Im not your enemy. I dont honestly want to be
here )erking you around. ,ou dont have a choice. ,ou have no recourse. ,ou cant ask me what I
want this for, because Ive been given the authority to do whatever I need to do in order to get what I
think is important.'
$6egardless of the law+' "lastair asked.
$/aw doesnt mean anything. ,ou ever heard of martial law+ 0ere in it. They )ust havent announced
it to the press.' Green told him. $I could throw you in )ail as a suspected terrorist and youd spent
years in some hole without contact with your family or anyone else. .o do yourself, and myself a
favor and )ust give me the damn list.'
"lastair steepled his fingers and tapped the edges of his thumbs against his lips as he studied the
man. Then he turned and glanced at *ar. $0hat do you think+'
Green turned, as though noticing *ar for the first time. %is eyebrows rose.
*ar rested her hands on her knee. $I think if my father was here, hed kill this guy.' .he remarked.
$Thats what I think.'
$0ho in the hell are you+' Green asked.
*ar ignored him, pulling her laptop over. $But Im not going to sit here and watch you get dragged off
to some gulag on account of a database, "lastair.' .he opened the laptop. $Ill parse a file for them.
They wont know what the hell to do with it, they wont be able to read the format, their program will
spit out a pile of #B*I3 crap when it tries to ingest it and theres no information in there they dont
already have but what the hell.' .he rapidly logged to the machine. $Ill give it to him and he can go
weenie waggle somewhere else.'
$%mph.' "lastair grunted. $0ell, if you think thats a good idea2'
$*o you have something to put the file on+' *ar looked up at the man. $9r do you want me to pour
raw packets down your god damned underwear+'
Green stared at her. $0hat+'
$*id you bring a portable hard drive+ $ *ar asked. $9r did you bring a truck to haul off the five
hundred pounds of paper itll take me to print out eighty thousand records on+
$0..'
$,ou came here, and asked for something.' *ar enunciated the words. $*o you have any idea in hell
what it is youre even asking for+ $
Green turned to "lastair. $I dont appreciate being spoken to in that way, Mc/ean.'
"lastair regarded him for a moment. $Too damned bad.' %e said. $"nswer the woman if you want
your list. If not, hit the road. 0ere busy people.'
The man sat back in his seat, bracing his hands on the table. $*id you not listen to a word I )ust said+'
$0e did . 0e )ust dont care.' *ar said bluntly. $"ll weve heard from you people since this whole
damn thing happened is pointless demands and threats. ,ou have no idea on the planet what to do
with what youre asking for, and your people cant use the data I give you. But what the hell. To get
you out of here Ill go ahead and produce it but youve got to cough up something to put it on or carry
it away with and do it fast.'
$Im sure you have something2' Green blurted, half standing. $,ou cant e&pect me to..'
$5o, I dont.' *ar said. $0e dont allow portable storage devices in our facilities. Its a security issue.'
.he rattled some keys. $"nd these databases are protected by encryption so I hope what youve got
can handle it, not to mention interpret the structure. $
Green leaned on the table. $,oure interfering with 5ational .ecurity.' %e spoke the words
emphasizing the capital letters.
$Im )ust telling you the truth.' *ar stood up, stretching to her full height. $,ou want us to break the
law+ ,ou threaten us with )ail+ ,ou stand here and talk nothing but utter bullshit, you waste of my
ta&payer dollars.' .he put her hands on her hips. $'0ho the hell do you work for+'
$/isten, lady.'
*ar circled the table with surprising speed. $,ou listen, )ackass.' .he let her voice lift as she closed in
on her target, missing the widening of "lastairs eyes behind her. $Get your boss on the phone. I
want to talk to him and tell him what a complete idiot he has working for him.'
The man stood up. $,ou want to speak to my boss+ "ll right. Ill arrange for that.' %e stepped back
from the table and pushed the chair into place. $*ont go far.' %e turned and walked to the door,
leaving and closing it with surprising gentleness behind him.
"lastair rested his chin on his hand, his elbow propped on the table. $I think we )ust got ourselves in
trouble, 4aladar.'
$,ou care+'
$5ot really.' %er boss shrugged. $/et me warn %am. %es about ready to disown us anyhow. 0ith any
luck maybe I can get them to throw us all out of the city and we can take everyone out of here.' %e
stood up and picked up the phone. $Ill warn the board they may need to post our bail too. That
should start their morning off right.'
*ar smiled briefly. $/et me go talk to my people.' .he said. $3all me if you need me.' .he headed for
the door, as "lastair raised a hand and waggled it at her in farewell.
5ot a good morning, at all.
;;
$.ee, heres the deal.' Mark was sitting on the floor, his coveralls more gray than green, a thick loop of
rope over his shoulder. $0e figured wed track back, and get a rope down to where those guys have
to bring the cable so we can )ust haul it when they get here.'
$/ike a giant pull string.' (erry was crouched ne&t to him, a flashlight held in one hand.
$,eah.' Mark nodded. $ 4roblem is, were kinda stuck getting out of this freaking room.' %e looked
around the old, small space. $I dont know what the hell were gonna do.'
(erry backed out of the room and looked across the floor towards the entrance to the subway. The
space was filled with people crossing back and forth. $0ell, with enough arm twisting we can run it
across the floor I guess.'
Mark )oined her. $Theyre gonna freak.'
(erry shook her head. $Its dangerous. Thats a big cable. #veryones going to trip, theyre going to
have to put a shield over it or shut this floor down.'
$Guess theyll have to.' Mark agreed in a mournful tone. $/et me get hold of that maintenance guy and
give him a heads up. I bet were going to have to go up the chain for it.'
$4robably.' (erry agreed. $Ill go talk to the building management. I think I )ust booked them a
couple thousand in rentals so Ive got some good points in the bank with them at the moment.' .he
dusted her hands off. $Ill be back.'
$,ou got it boss.' Mark dropped his loop of rope and started off towards the back of the hall.
(erry slid her flashlight into the side pocket of her coveralls and moved in the opposite direction,
climbing up the steps and crossing the floor towards the management office for the second time that
morning.
It felt like she was being constructive. The morning session on behalf of their customers had been
almost pleasant, her bringing more business, and the comple& glad not to have someone asking for
e&ceptions, or rent deferrals.
.he pushed the door to the office open, and returned the brief smile of the receptionist. $%ello, me
again.' .he said. $Is Tom available for a !uick moment+'
$Ill ask, Ms. .tuart.' The girl got up and disappeared into the inner maze of office hallways as (erry
went over to the courtesy counter and started fi&ing herself a cup of tea.
9ne thing about 5ew ,ork. (erry selected a fragrant bag from a bo& of assorted kinds and dispensed
hot water over it. 4eople liked their comforts here. .he stirred the cup and took a sip, turning and
leaning against the wall as she waited.
The girl came back. $6ight his way, maam.' .he smiled, waiting for (erry to )oin her before she led
her back into the managing directors office. $%ere you go.'
$%ello there again.' Tom Brooks waved her in. $0hat can I do for you, (erry+' %e was an older man,
with a closeJcropped beard and salt and pepper hair.
$0ell.' (erry came in and took a seat across from him. $I wish I could say Ive got another dozen
tenants well guarantee for you, but this time Im here to make trouble.'
$9h no.' The man behind the desk didnt look overly alarmed. $%ow much trouble can a nice young
lady like you cause anyhow+'
$,oud be surprised.' (erry remarked, dryly. $:ust ask my boss. "nyway, heres the problem we
have.' .he went on. $"s you know, weve got an emergency pro)ect going on for the city government.'
$I didnt.' Tom said. $But doesnt surprise me. #very little thing these days is an emergency.'
(erry toasted him with her cup of tea. $4oint made. In this case, there are a bunch of telecom wiring
people running a big piece of fiber cable from the 5ew ,ork .tock #&change to our demark down in
the dungeon here lower level.'
Tom blinked at her. $.eriously+'
(erry nodded. $.eriously.'
$:esus.' %e shook his head. $%ow in the hell are you going to do that+ Theres no opening from that
area near the steps to the subway.' %e thought a minute. $,oud have to bring it up through the
station and cross the concourse with it.'
(erry nodded.
$,ou want to do that+' Toms voice lifted sharply. $,ou kidding me+'
(erry shook her head.
%e leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen on the desk. $0ow.' %e mused. $That could be a big
problem. Theres a lot of people down there.' %e warned. $I dont know if we can run a cable across
the floor. Maybe we can run it along the wall or something. $
(erry grimaced a little. $Thats a long way.'
$0ell, its coming from a long way.' Tom said. $I )ust dont think theyll let us cross the concourse due
to safety reasons. /et me take my guy down there, and well look at it. 0hat size cable are we talking
bout+'
$Two inch round.' (erry admitted. $0e know its a hassle, but the pro)ect were working on really is a
number one priority for the government.'
D.urprised theyre not in here telling us what to do then.' Tom got up. $Ill see what we can arrange
for that, (erry. I know you all have been working down there, my facilities chiefs been bitching
about having to leave the door open. Ill let you know what I find out.'
$Thanks.' (erry got up. $Believe me, I know were asking a lot. 0ere )ust trying to get this working
and theres a lot riding on it.' .he took his proffered hand. $Thanks, Tom. I really really appreciate
it.'
$.ave that till I can do something about it.' Tom warned. $"nd you folks be careful of that room in
there, okay+ Theres some dangerous pipes and things in there.'
$0e know.' (erry said. $*ar nearly got knocked on her behind from that electrical panel.' .he
followed him out of the room and down the hall. $*o we really use steam heat here+'
Tom chuckled. $.ure as hell do.' %e agreed. $Glad were not having to turn those pipes up with you all
in there. Id have to charge you for a sauna bath.' %e held the outer door for her. $"fter we get
through this, lets talk about moving your connections someplace else.'
$%ow did we end up in there anyway+' (erry waited for him to catch up to her and they walked
across the floor together. $*ar was wondering about that.'
$/ong story.' Tom said. $0ell get it straightened out.' %e started angling away from her. $Be in touch
with you, (erry. /et you know.'
$Thanks, Tom.' (erry headed for the steps, her cup of tea still clasped in her fingers, feeling another,
though minor, sense of accomplishment. .he didnt envy *ar, who was floors and floors above her,
dealing with the press, and with the government, and with board.
.hed heard *ar yelling in the conference room, and then a man had stormed out of the office, nearly
knocking down people on his way out. *epartment of *efense, *ar had told her afterward, and
probably a lot of trouble headed back their way.
7gh.
.he trotted down the steps and headed back to their little dungeon. .haun was seated outside with a
piece of pizza, and (annan was sitting crossJlegged sipping from a steaming cup. $%ey guys.' .he
greeted them. $Mark back yet+'
$5ot yet.' .haun shook his head. $Ms. .tuart, we want to go down to the other end and do the setup
there, but were kinda not sure how to do that. I dont think theyd )ust let us in there, you know+'
(erry took a seat ne&t to him. $Good point.' .he took a sip of her tea. $0ell, tell you what. 9nce Mark
gets back, Ill go round up dad and one of the trucks and well all go down there together. That
work+'
$.ure.' .haun agreed. $Maybe we can even do the whole cross connect, if they got the other end of
that cable up in the right spot.'
"h. (erry turned and looked inside the room. $,ou mean the connection bo&, like that+ $ .he
indicated the new panel.
$,es.' (annan spoke up. $It would be good to get the melding down, and the connectors polished and
ready. Then we have only this side to do when the other end of this cable arrives here.'
(erry felt a little awkward, not entirely sure of whether she should spill the beans now, or wait until
they arrived downtown. 4art of her wanted to )ust tell the techs the truth, but she also felt that *ar
had wanted to keep it under wraps, and she wasnt sure if this was the place or time for her to
countermand her lovers wishes.
.he didnt mind disagreeing with *ar. They did, sometimes. But she was sensitive about doing it in
front of people who worked for them because she never wanted to give the impression that she was
leveraging their relationship to appear to control her partner when it really wasnt anything like that.
9r. 0ell. (erry drank her tea, allowing the silence to continue. 0ell, she did leverage their
relationship, all the time, but not really to control *ar, more to find a consensus when they were on
opposite sides of any particular !uestion.
.he knew that *ar would listen to what she was saying, even though she didnt agree with it, )ust
because (erry was who she was, and they were what they were to each other. There was no way
around that. *ar often blew other people off, and refused to take them seriously. 0ith (erry, that
was never the case.
*ar always took her seriously. .he always took *ar seriously. .ometimes they compromised.
.ometimes they didnt, and (erry would accept *ars opinion. .ometimes *ar would listen to what
she had to say, and then change her mind and agree with (errys view.
But they would never had gotten that far if there wasnt that total trust between them that gave her
that edge is dealing with *ars mercurial, restless nature.
.peaking of. .he heard a set of distinctive footsteps approaching and looked up )ust as *ar came
around the corner of the stairwell, trailed by Mark and "ndrew. %er partner looked frustrated and
she felt the glower )ust before her eyes met (errys and she headed their way. $%ere comes trouble.'
$7h oh. .haun started chewing faster. $Better suck that up fast, (an. %er nibs looks pissed.'
$There you are.' *ar addressed (erry.
$%ere I am.' (erry agreed, patting the floor ne&t to her. $3ome. .it. ,ou look mad.'
In the act of turning and accepting the offer, settling herself gracefully ne&t to (erry, *ar managed to
somehow lose most of the frustration in her attitude and ended up merely looking bemused. $0hats
the scoop here+'
Mark crouched down ne&t to the two techs, and they started talking in low tones. "ndrew picked a
spot on the wall and leaned against it, crossing his ankles as he waited for everything to shake out.
$.coop.' (erry offered *ar the remainder of her tea. $0ell, I talked to the building about us running
cable across the floor. I dont think theyll go for that, but theyre looking at alternatives.'
$7hgh.' *ar grunted.
$The team wants to head down to the #&change and make the connections down there. $ (erry kept
her voice neutral. $.o I thought Id take dad and help them get in there and get set up.'
$"h.' %er partner grunted again, with a completely different inflection. $9kay.' .he took the cup and
finished the beverage.
$But I wanted to discuss that with you first.' (erry said. $I know you have some concerns.' .he put
her hand on *ars thigh. $But if you want, I can handle that end of it for you.'
*ar studied her, a faint smile appearing on her face. $Thank you, (errison.'
$0hat are friends for+' (erry smiled back. $,ou take your share of tough calls, sweetheart. I dont
mind shouldering this one for you.'
$I know.' *ar uttered softly. $9ne of the many reasons I love you.'
"w. $"ny fallout from the *9*+' (erry leaned closer, lowering her voice. $*o you want me to pander
to my genes and call my mother to see if she can help with that+'
$5o.' *ar set the cup down. $%amilton advised me to get the hell out of the office and go hide
somewhere in case they show up to drag me off. Ill take the team down town. I know you dont
want to go back down there.'
$"ny word from /ockheed+'
*ar shook her head.
$/ets both go.' (erry said. $/ets go, and we can lay it out for everyone, and )ust do everything we
can do. 9kay+'
*ar studied her laced fingers, then she looked up and over at (erry. $"ll right.' .he said. $,ou and
me, all the way.' .he reached over and clasped (errys hand. $/ets go.'
They stood. $9kay, team.' (erry said. $/ets get our gear together, and go down to the other end of
this situation. *ar and I have some information to give you, and then we can get what we need to get
done taken care of. $
The techs were already scrambling to their feet, and Mark had ducked inside the room for his
backpack. $%ey.' %e poked his head out. $0e taking the bus+ I threw a bunch of the gear in it, and its
got three cases of 6ed Bull.'
$.ounds like a plan.' *ar said. $Its going to be a long night.'
$"int they all+' Mark disappeared inside the room again, as they got ready to move out. $But hey,
well make history, right+'
*ar stuck her hands in her pockets and regarded her father. $I think sometimes making historys
overrated.'
$,eap.' "ndrew agreed. $That is the truth, rugrat. That is surely the truth.' %e clapped her on the
shoulder. $.pecially since histrys aint always your friend.'
They gathered up their gear and headed off, walking up the steps and out into the afternoon light into
a street full of people and sirens and cool, dusty air.
;;
(erry braced her hands on the sides of the doorway leading from the main part of the bus leading
into the drivers compartment. "head of them the road was relatively clear, though the sky was hazy
with smoke and the dusting of ash remained on almost every surface.
There was still an air of desolation present. %ere and there, she could see where a car had been
removed, or bo&es were now piled on the sidewalk, and scattered here and there were people
walking slowly, looking around as though in disbelief.
$:ust opened the east side here to people.' The driver remarked. $:ust this side of Broadway.'
5ow that hed mentioned it, (erry started noticing figures moving around in the distance, activity
that had been absent the last time theyd been in the area. .he could see flashlight beams in
windows, and it brought back the memory of the big power outage theyd suffered in Miami not that
long ago.
.hed used a similar flashlight to stumble through the darkness of the condo, the stuffy closeness
driving her outside and down to the *i&ieland ,ankees cabin where the boats batteries and a solid
charging from the engines kept her and 3hino comfortable through that very long night.
.o many people hadnt been nearly as lucky. .hed heard the stories at work the ne&t day. :ust like so
many people here now werent lucky, were rooting through dust covered belongings and cleaning
out putrid refrigerators while they cruised by in their powered and air conditioned bus.
$0hat a mess.' *ar had come up behind her, and now (erry could feel the warmth along her back as
her partner came into her space. $These people are coming back to %ell.' .he leaned back into her
partners chest. $0hat a nightmare.'
$6eminds me of %urricane "ndrew.' *ar let her hands rest on (errys shoulders. $0e sent a bunch
of people down south to help clean up. .ome of our staff lived down there. Total disaster.'
$*id you go+'
$.ure.' *ar replied. $#nded up puncturing my hand with a rusty nail and getting hauled off to the first
aid station. They have picture of me sitting there with two guys hanging on to my paw with a three
inch piece of iron sticking out of it.'
(erry turned her head and stared at her. $,ou didnt pass out+'
$9nly by a whisker.' *ar overturned her left hand and fle&ed it. $9nly my ego kept me upright. I
wasnt going to take a dive in front of half the company.' .he looked up to find (erry gazing
indulgently at her. $It was damn close though.'
(erry could imagine it. .he knew how s!ueamish her partner was about in)uries and she could )ust
picture the stubborn set of *ars )aw as she fought to remain unfazed. It had nothing to do with
courage ? *ar had more of that than most. $,ou poor thing.' .he leaned over and gave *ars palm a
kiss. $Too bad I wasnt there to take care of you.'
$Mm.' *ar glanced past (erry, as the bus came to halt, the air brakes blasting out a hiss. $%ere we
are.' .he drew in a breath, and then let it out. $Time to pay the piper.'
(erry turned all the way around and bumped *ar lightly with her fists. $Im right with you, tige.' .he
followed *ar down the aisle to the center of the bus, where the team was getting their masks
together and testing radios.
*ar took up a position near one of the doors and folded her arms over her chest. $-olks, listen up.'
(erry stuck her hands in the pockets of her )umpsuit and stood )ust a half step behind her boss,
underlining her support. .he watched the faces of the techs as they stopped what they were doing
and turned towards them, attentively.
$0eve had a ma)or screwJup.' *ar got right to the meat of the matter. $Those guys running the cable
are running the wrong kind.'
The techs all blinked in surprise. Mark put his backpack down and leaned on the bar. $%uh+'
*ar nodded. $0e found out after theyd already started rolling it. $ .he said. $The right stuff wont be
here until Tuesday at the earliest.'
The techs looked at each other, then at Mark, then at *ar.
$%ow wrong is it+' Mark asked. $The wrong micron+'
$Multimode.' %is boss answered.
$9h no.' (annan groaned. $That will not be good.'
$.hit.' Mark looked nonplussed. $0hat are we doing down here then+ 0ell )ust have to do it again
on.. like on what, 0ednesday+ ,ou going to tell them to stop+'
$5o.' *ar shook her head. $0ere going to make the connections as though the cable was the right
kind. I knew they were using the wrong type yesterday, and told them to keep going.'
#ven Mark looked at her with confusion and disbelief. $Bu..' %e started then stopped. $Bu..' %e
started again. $Boss, thats not gonna work.'
$I know.'
(erry decided to keep !uiet. .he edged a step closer to her partner and leaned against the wall,
looking steadily from face to face, mildly wondering what *ar was going to tell them.
$There really isnt any option.' *ar said. $They e&pect this to work tomorrow. I know it wont work
until 0ednesday at the earliest, if they can get that other cable run. But at least well have all the
connections in place and ready to go.'
$But..' Mark hesitated. $0ont they be pissed+ I mean, I heard them talking, boss. This is serious shit.'
$Theyll be pissed.' *ar agreed. $But thats not your problem. Thats mine and "lastairs problem.'
$Mine too.' (erry piped up. $Ill walk the plank with you, 3aptain 6oberts.'
That got a nervous smile from the techs. $"nd.' *ar shrugged lightly. $0eve got some people
looking at the technology to see if theres anything to be done.'
$That will be very interesting if they discover anything.' (annan said. $It will be very difficult I
think.'
$1ery interesting.' *ar said. $.o )ust go in there, and make like everythings normal. .et up the
connections and put the patch in. *ont talk about the cable being a problem. /ets get in and get our
part of this done, and get out of here. $
$6ight.' Mark nodded. $.ounds good, boss. ,ou guys got all your gear+ /ets get moving.' %e
shouldered his pack and slipped the smaller of his two masks over his head to nestle under his chin.
$,ou think we need the full ones+' %e asked "ndrew, who was lounging nearby.
$-igure you should take it.' "ndrew held his up. $.ure as hell if you dont youll need it.'
The techs trooped out the door and down onto the sidewalk, all with laden backpacks and leg pockets
stuffed with tools and water bottles. The bus driver came up behind them as "ndrew started to
follow.
$Im going to park it here. The cops say thats all right.' The driver said. $Ill pop out the sat dish and
see what I can pick up in the way of news.' %e held up a radio in one big hand. $Ill let you know if
anything stirs up.'
$Thanks.' *ar glanced out the door, where the techs were gathering. $%opefully this wont take long.'
.he patted (erry on the hip. $3mon pirate. /ets get this done.'
(erry followed *ar down the steps and blinked, her eyes already stinging a little as she drew in a
breath of dusty air. $7gh.' .he slipped on her mask and ad)usted it, hoping it would block out the
stench an errant puff of air brought her.
*ar ad)usted her credentials and edged through the crowd. $/ets go.' .he started for the steps to the
#&change, aware of the armed guards at the top of them. $(er+'
(erry dodged around Mark and )oined her. $They took that pretty well.' .he uttered, in a low tone as
they trotted up the steps to the building.
$Theres an advantage to having everyone too scared to disagree with you.' *ar remarked dryly.
$.ometimes, when you really need it, they )ust shut up and do what you tell them to.'
$*ar.' (erry patted her side. $They always do what you tell them to. If you told them to wrap our
building in twisted pair cabling and paint "lastairs car pink theyd do it.'
$,ou wouldnt.' *ar gave the guards at the top of the steps a brisk nod, and went right past them,
reaching out to open the door and hold it open.
$4aint "lastairs car pink+ I might.'
$Maam+ The guard moved to intercept her. $This is a restricted area.'
$*amn well should be.' *ar presented her credentials. $If they didnt put us on the access list they
will as soon as we get in there. #&cuse us.' .he motioned the crew through. $(erry, go in there and
find whoevers in charge and get them to give this gentleman the right data.'
$,es, maam.' (erry marched past without hesitating, watching the guard try to untangle his tongue
as they slipped past and into the building. $Ill get right on that.'
$"h. But.. ah.. $ The guard glanced at *ars credentials. $9h, well, okay, Im sure thats fine.' %e said. $I
think I remember some people from your company here earlier, right+'
$6ight.' *ar agreed. $Thanks.' .he pointed at the bus. $Theres hot drinks and snacks in there if you
get tired of holding the wall up out here.' .he went past into the building and let the door shut
behind her, catching sight of (erry waiting patiently not far away.
$.ee+' (erry commented to the techs, who were likewise waiting nearby. $Its like having a beautiful
animated can opener sometimes.'
*ar stopped in her tracks, both eyebrows shooting up. $#&cuse me+'
" loud argument down the hall distracted them, and (erry was saved as they turned and looked
towards the noise, seeing a group of men coming out of a room all talking at once. They were dressed
in business shirts and slacks, most carrying )ackets.
$Move8' The man in the front ordered them. $0hat in the hell are you people doing up here+ Get back
to where you belong8' %e was relatively short, but had bristling gray eyebrows and hair, and a pair of
what would be e&tremely shiny patent leather shoes that were currently covered in dust.
(erry saw her partners eyes narrow, and she instinctively put a hand out, catching *ars arm as she
moved back against the wall to let the men pass. $*ar, hold on.'
.he could feel the tension as *ar stood her ground. $*ar, cmon. These people arent worth it.'
The man pulled up short, since *ar was standing in the middle of the hallway effectively blocking it.
$*id you hear me+'
$/isten, sir, were doing all we can.' The man behind him caught up to him and grabbed his arm. $,ou
dont understand whats gone on here. 0hat these people have been through.'
$I dont give a shit what these people have been through.' The man in the lead turned around,
throwing the hand off his arm. $This place has half the li!uidity of the planet tied up in it. ,ou fed
some bullshit to 355 but if it doesnt open tomorrow morning, everyones heads gonna roll.' %e
turned back around. $Move out of the way or Ill toss you on your ass, lady.'
*ar grinned with absolutely no humor, and a good deal of delight.
$/ord.' "ndrew shoved his way back down the hallway. $3ant leave you for a minute, can I+' %e took
the man by the shoulders and shoved him past *ar. $Gwan, blowhard. Git your ass out before you
done get hurt.'
$0hat+ Get your damn hands off me8 4olice8' The man yelled, thrashing around.
"ndrew gave him a final shove then he put himself between the angry figure and *ars tall form, his
bigger body blocking the hallway with even more effectiveness. $Git8'
$.ir8' The other man dashed after him, taking hold of his arm. $0hoever you people are, you better
get lost. 5ow8' %e hurried the man past, before he could recover and say anything at all, and they
disappeared around the corner towards the door.
*ar sighed. $There goes my fun for the day.' .he turned back towards the rest of the men, who were
standing there gaping. $0ho is that+' .he indicated the now vanished man.
$Marcus "bercrombie.' The young man nearest her answered promptly. $The second richest man in
the world. %es )ust really upset about the market. 0e )ust heard theyre having problems with the
systems.'
$0ere the ones trying to fi& it.' (erry told him $0e dont appreciate being yelled at.'
$0ell, sure. 5o one does.' The young man agreed. $%i. Im Barry Marks.' %e offered (erry his hand.
$Im the trading floor coordinator.' %e glanced past her. $"re you the technical people+ 9ur director
said they were e&pecting some people here to look at the computers.'
*ar )oined (erry, now that it appeared the e&citement was over. $0ere working on the problems,
yes.' .he said. $I heard the 355 report too ? that guy didnt buy it+'
$5ope.' Marks shook his head. $%e came in the back and started snooping around, and figured out
that it wasnt working. %e said hed keep it to himself, but I bet we see it on 355 in ten minutes.
%es probably telling his chauffeur about it right now.'
$Great.' " man behind him sighed. $/ike we dont have enough problems. I dont want all those damn
-ederal guys shouting at me again.' %e looked at *ar. $3an you fi& it+'
$7ltimately+ ,es.' *ar said, with !uiet confidence. $Theres nothing in technology enough time and
money cant fi&.'
$By tomorrow morning+' Marks asked.
$Thats an open !uestion.' *ar pointed down the hallway. $/ets go downstairs, team. 0ere wasting
time.'
They filed past the brokers, who looked dubiously at them, and shook their heads. $Tomorrows
going to suck.' 9ne said.
$5o matter what happens.' Marks agreed. $/ets go get some coffee. My mouths dry as a bone from
the damn dust.'
They headed in the opposite direction. *ar was glad to be rid of them, as they walked down the hall
and headed down the steps to the lower level of the building. $*id you call me a can opener+' .he
asked (erry, about halfway down.
(erry chuckled under her breath.
$Manual or electric+'
;;
"nother dusty, concrete room. "nother raise floor. "nother long stretch of time between humming
black racks of e!uipment that gave off the faint scent of ozone and plastic.
(erry lifted herself up off the floor, pulling her head out of the space under the floor and resting her
weight on her elbows as she waited for the blood rush to fade. $3ant see anything.'
(annan and .haun were over by the wall, against a sheet of plywood that was as age worn as (erry
felt at the moment. They had a black bo& partially assembledN their heads bent over thin strands and
tiny posts, their tools gathered neatly around their feet as they sat there crossJlegged.
$They had the end right there.' 9ne of the techs from the #&change was sitting on a desk nearby. %e
pointed at the hole in the floor. $Then those guys pulled it back, I guess. It disappeared.'
(erry folded her hands, and studied her knuckles. $*idnt occur to anyone to anchor the cable+' .he
in!uired.
$Its not our stuff.' The tech shrugged. $5o one told us what they were doing.'
(erry silently counted to ten. $Boy, thats a shame.' .he shifted her flashlight and inched herself
forward, e&tending her head down under the floor again. It smelled dank and musty, and she had to
keep convincing herself she didnt smell anything worse than mold.
It was uncomfortable, and it gave her a headache hanging upside down as she was. .he pushed that
aside and e&tended her arm down into the space, turning on her flashlight and e&amining the
underside of the floor.
It was full of trays and pipes, the cabling so dense she could barely see past it. .he s!uinted hard,
peering past a clump of metal and dust and spotted a stretch of the cabling that was scraped free of
the grim. $"h.'
$-ound it+' .haun asked.
$-ound where it was.' (erry pulled her head back out and moved down two s!uares, picking up the
aluminum floor puller and thwacking it down against the surface. .he wiggled it then she leaned
back, hauling the floor tile up off its frame and sliding it out of the way.
.he got down on her belly again and continued her investigation. .he could see the scrape marks
traveling over the piping and s!uirmed further into the opening, shining her flashlight under the ne&t
section of floor.
#yeballs reflected the shine. (erry stifled a yelp and somehow kept herself from scrambling out of
the opening by sheer will.
$.omething wrong maam+' .haun looked up.
$7m. 5o.' (erry bravely resumed her search. .he looked for the eyes, but there was nothing in that
back corner now e&cept some hanging cable.
.he was about to move on, when her eyes registered something unusual, and she looked back at the
spot, carefully craning her neck to one side and narrowing her eyes. $9h crap.'
$Maam+'
(erry got up and crawled over two more s!uares to where shed seen the eyes, and then she slapped
the floor puller into place and settled back, both hands on the device. $,ou might want to get back.'
.he told the tech. $I saw something move under here and its too small to be one of us.'
The tech didnt need to be told twice. %e )umped off the desk and went around it, backing away from
(erry. $ ,oure crazy to be opening that up. 3ould be anything under there. .omeone one said there
were snakes.'
(erry took a deep breath, and yanked her shoulders back, pulling the tile up off its seating. .he
rocked back onto her heels and pulled the tile with her, tensing her thighs a she prepared to have to
)ump clear )ust in case.
5othing stirred. .he slid the tile to one side, and shone her light on the cabling underneath. $/ook at
that.'
The tech got up on the desk and peered over it into the space. $%oly crap.'
.haun and (annan scrambled to their feet and approached, staying cautiously behind (errys
kneeling form. $9h wow.' .haun said. $Thats all chewed up8'
#&posed now in the light, a thick bundle of cabling was e&posed, a lurid blue color that was marred by
a huge clump in the center that was chewed all the way almost to the bottom of the bundle, resulting
in tangle of butchered wires. $.ure is.' (erry e&amined the hairball. $0ell, this didnt happen in a
week, did it+'
The tech circled the desk and knelt ne&t to her warily, looking at the cables. $Thats new.' %e said.
$-or sure, because I know where that bundle goes and that stuff was working before all this
happened.'
$0ow.' .haun said again. $Thats a.. what a mess.'
$-or sure.' (annan agreed. $That will take many hours to fi&.'
$Guess you guys better get started then.' The tech said. $3ause this stuffll never work if thats not
connected.'
$7s+' (erry looked up at him. $This isnt our wiring.'
The tech shrugged. $Its not our wiring.' %e responded. $0e )ust do server management here. Thats
all. 0e dont touch any of the infrastructure stuff.'
$0ho does+' (erry asked. $"nd where are they, by the way+ $
The tech shrugged again. $.ome company that some big guy here owns a part of.' %e said. $They got a
couple of guys and a truck, and the come in when we need new cables run and stuff like that. They
monitor everything remotely.'
(erry counted to ten again. Then she counted to twenty. Then she gave it up and started to put the
tile to one side, her temper flaring.
" bang issued from the space. It put a cap on her reaction, and made everyone )ump. $0hat the..'
"nother bang, and she started to get up and get away from the hole, which suddenly started to issue
flashes of light.
$9h my god.' The tech )umped back, bumping into the desk and falling into it, then bouncing off and
lunging back across the open hole, his arms flailing. $"hh8'
(erry succumbed to latent heroism and grabbed him, throwing herself into him and taking them both
to the other side of the open floor )ust as a loud sound emerged and the hole erupted with a flurry of
brown forms.
$%oly shit8' .haun let out a yell, )umping back wards and grabbing (annan by the shoulder as rats
boiled out of the floor scattering in every direction.
(erry hit the floor with a painful )olt and rolled clear of the tech, unable to place the sounds and
hearing the alarm in her peoples voices as she smelled a deep, raunchy stench emerge into the room.
.he wrenched herself around and got her hands under her, shoving her body away from the floor and
nearly pitching herself right back onto it when a rat ran over her hand towards the server cabinets.
.he bit her tongue, and got enough command of her body to get her feet under her and stand up,
fiercely resisting the urge to )ump up onto the desk. $5ice.' .he croaked. $0hat the hell brought that
on+' .he grimaced a little, as her ribs protested her impact with the floor.
The tech )umped onto the desk. $Thats it. Im getting out of here. "ll that 9T aint worth it.' %e said.
$Thats a freak show. $ %e walked to the end of the desk and hopped off, then disappeared out the
door without a backwards glance.
$5ice.' (erry looked around. The rats had all disappeared. .he walked cautiously over to the hole
and crouched down at a respectful distance, peering inside. "s she watched, the end of the cable
shed been searching for inched into view, with a loud scraping sound and a clinking of the metal
ends that protected it. $"h.'
$%ey. Its the cable.' .haun had eased warily up behind her. $0hered that come from+'
$.omeone has found it.' (annan came over and knelt right ne&t to the opening, reaching down
without hesitation and taking the end of the cable in one hand. $I am going to pull this now.' %e called
down. $Be rela&ed.'
%e braced one foot and pulled gently on the cable end.
$*ont pull too hard.' .haun advised. $0e have to get it back under the floor over to the wall.' %e
came out from behind (erry and knelt down by his teammates side.
(erry eased slowly upright, as a sudden motion caused a )olt of pain. .he bit off a curse and stepped
back, getting out of the techs way and moving back over to where the desk was.
$Got it+' " voice echoed softly up to them.
$Got it.' .haun called back. $0as that Mark+'
(erry perched on the edge of the desk, pressing her elbow against her side. $I think it was.' .he
agreed, removing the radio clipped to her shoulder. $Mark, this is (erry. ,ou there+'
.he heard a crackle of noise on the speaker, then *ar answered, her deep tones roughened with the
radios interference, but comforting to (errys ears nonetheless.
$0ere here.' %er partner said. $They get the end of that damn cable+ 0e had to push it up back
through a bunch of garbage and through a damn access pipe.'
$0e got it.' (erry acknowledged. $,ou chased a bunch of rats up here with it.'
$0hat+++'
$"nd, weve got another problem.' (erry went on. $*ar, you better come up here and look at this.'
.he paused. $"nd I think I.. $ .he stopped, aware of the techs listening. $If youre done there, come on
back.'
$Be right there.' *ars voice had taken on an edge, and (erry e&haled, as she clipped the radio mic
back on her shoulder.
Breathing hurt. .he figured that meant nothing good, but she decided to remain where she was,
watching the techs work the cable under the floor towards the wall. .he saw (annan e&amine the
end closely, and nod, but neither he or .haun said anything about it.
Good people.
$That was crazy, huh+' .haun looked up. $This place really is crazy.'
$It is.' (erry agreed. $I dont know what were going to do with that cable mess in there. 0e keep
having everyone elses problems dropped in our lap.'
$Thats a mess.' .haun agreed. $Thats probably a hundred cables that need to be fi&ed.'
$5ot too good at all.' (annan said.
There were footsteps in the hallway, and suddenly the door was filled with *ars tall form. The I/.
3I9 stopped in the opening and looked around, focusing on (erry after a split second. $%ey.' .he
crossed the floor to her partners side, ignoring the open sections, the mass of screwed up cable, and
the two techs.
%er )umpsuit was covered in dust and grime and she brushed her hands off as she arrived in front of
(erry. $,ou okay+'
(erry managed a brief smile. $0hat makes you think Im not+'
*ar moved closer. $,oure white as a sheet. 0hat happened+' %er voice dropped, taking on a
concerned tone. $(er+'
$.orry.' (erry waited for the pain to ease. $I did something stupid crazy. 0hen you were pushing
the cable back in here a bunch of.. I guess those big rats+ They came up through the floor.' .he took a
shallow breath. $"nyway, the other guy that was here was falling into the open hole and I grabbed for
him and we both landed on the floor.'
*ar put a hand on her knee. $"nd+'
$3aught my ribs on the edge of the tile.' (erry admitted. $Think I cracked something.' .he saw *ars
reaction start as she was saying it and she reached over to grab her hand. $5ot bad, at least I dont
think so.'
$3racked anything isnt good.' *ar glanced around. $3mon. Ill take you over to the hospital. They can
take some GJrays.'
$5o, cmon. I dont think its that bad.' (erry protested. $I )ust got the breath knocked out of me.' .he
amended her diagnosis. $:ust a bruise. 3hill.'
*ars brow arched sharply.
$,ou would say the same damn thing.' %er partner accused.
$.o, because Im an idiot, you have to be an idiot+' *ar asked.
(erry thought about that. $,es.'
*ar gave her a dour look. $Go back to the bus, and catch your breath.' .he said. $I dont want you to
bruise anything else.'
$*ar..'
$That wasnt a re!uest.' *ars voice sharpened une&pectedly.
(erry tilted back a trifle and studied her companion, seeing the storm in the blue eyes glaring back at
her. $9kay.' .he responded !uietly. $Boss.'
*ar stepped out of the way to let her leave, and she did, swallowing against the lump of unease in her
throat. *ar didnt pull rank on her often, and even less so in situations like this that crossed into their
personal lives but it stung every time, and this was no e&ception.
#ven if she knew *ar was in the right, and she was being stubborn. It didnt help. .he kept her elbow
near her side as she made her way down the stepsN the hallways eerily empty, as were the sidewalks
when she emerged.
The bus door opened as she approached though, and she climbed inside, to find a !uiet oasis waiting
for her completely bereft of staff or visitors. "s the door closed shut behind her, the air even cleared
and she felt her shoulders rela&. $Thanks, "lan.' .he called into the drivers compartment. $Fuiet
today huh+'
$,es, maam.' The driver called back. $Ill )ust be here reading my paper. /et me know if you need
anything.'
(erry removed her mask and tossed it on the table, wincing as the ache in her side started throbbing
uncomfortably. .he walked over to the courtesy kitchenette area, and opened the small refrigerator.
Inside there were milk chugs. .he took one out and opened it.
$9w.' The twisting made a )olt of pain go all the way down through her groin. $.tupid idiot.' .he
went to her pack and fumbled out the bottle of "dvil, opening it and then tossing down the handful of
pills with a swallow of the milk.
It tasted good, soothing against the roughness in her throat. (erry took the chug with her and
carefully sat down in one of the leather chairs, leaning a little on her good side to take the pressure
off her ribs.
The pain eased. .he e&haled, reaching up to unclip the radio mic and pausing.
3all *ar+ -ind some e&cuse to reach out and make that contact+ .he felt the urge to do that, to
smooth over the moments anger between them before it festered and yet, she didnt want to
interrupt *ar in front of the rest of the staff for something silly.
.omething she knew *ar knew would have nothing to do with what she was calling for.
$7gh.' (erry let her hand drop, and sipped her milk instead. $*ear God I wish it was tomorrow
already.' .he decided shed rest here for a few minutes, and then go back to the data center and
make her amends in person.
%er side did hurt. " lot. .he concentrated on breathing shallowly and put her head down on her arm
as she waited for the medication to kick in. $6ats.' .he muttered. $0hat in the hell else is going to
happen to us here+'
%er radio crackled softly, its speaker right near her ear. Then it clicked off, much as she had only
moments before.
(erry closed her eyes, and managed something almost close to a smile.
;;
*ar knelt beside the open floor, working hard to focus her mind on the problem in front of her. .he
stared at the cable mess for a long minute, before she glanced over at Mark, giving him a half shrug.
$9ur options are fi& it, or tell them to fi& it.'
Mark nodded. $.haun said the guy in here said their network people are somebodys cousin.'
$Great.' *ar rested her elbow on her upraised knee. $"ll right.' .he finally said. $Get a couple of the
/"5 guys down here with a kit. Ill go find the idiots running this place and see if I can get them to
take responsibility for it.'
$Think they will+'
$5o.' *ar said. $But I want them on the record refusing to.' .he stood up and stepped carefully over
the open space. $.tupid bastards.'
$This is a lot of crap.' Mark got up. $3rap on top of crap if you know what I mean.'
*ar looked past him, silent for a moment. Then she looked back. $,eah.' .he answered briefly. $Ill be
back.' .he ducked out of the computer room and looked both ways, and then she turned right and
reluctantly headed further into the building.
6eluctant, because her conscience was really driving her the opposite direction, back to the steps,
and the door, and the bus where her partner was supposedly resting.
.he felt bad about ordering (erry out. #ven if she was right, and even if she knew her partner knew
she was right, it put her guts in a knot remembering the imperfectly hidden hurt in (errys eyes when
shed left.
.tupid, really. *ar prowled the hallways, poking her head into the doors on either side. Most were
empty, given that it was .unday and getting late, and she suspected finding a responsible person
whod be willing to help her was going to be unlikely.
"lso stupid. 6eally.
.he paused before a barred window and stared out of it. Maybe (erry was really pissed at her for
what shed done. .he watched the shadows move past the glass. %er partner knew her well enough
to give her ten minutes to chill, and then usually shed be back around her, nudging and poking and
putting her in a better mood.
.hed e&pected that this time. But an hour had passed, and her partner had remained in e&ile, and *ar
was starting to feel very unhappy about it.
$.hit.' .he turned and put the window behind her. $Grow the hell up, would you+'
.he climbed up the steps towards the large inner doors and pushed them open, emerging into the
trading floor, which now was dark, and silent and empty.
It smelled. .he wrinkled her nose. 5ot of dirt and decay as the basement below had, when shed
worked with Mark to push the cable back up, but of wood and paper, oil and dust, with the scent of
stale perspiration )ust at the edges of everything.
The room was vast, but seemed far less so with the strips and outlines of cable supports that criss
crossed over the endless series of kiosks and connected them with miles of wires.
0ithout the clutter, it would have been grand, reminding *ar )ust a bit of the Grand 3entral terminal
shed visited on her last trip to the city. But with all the machinery and trappings of modern
technology it seemed more like a cyber )unkyard.
*ar studied it, reflecting on how much her life had been influenced by the goings on here. Then she
shook her head and turned, walking out and back down the stairs.
$9h, Ms. 6oberts+'
*ar paused, and waited, as a young man caught her up. $,es+'
$%i.' %e said. $Barry Marks. 0e met earlier+'
*ar turned and faced him. $,es+'
$/isten.' Marks looked both ways, then back at her. $My boss )ust called me. $
$I dont care.' *ar said. $Ive had it up to here with everyones bosses calling everyones bosses trying
to make people kiss their asses. Im over it.'
$0ait2'
$I dont care who your boss is, or who he called, or what hes threatening, or what he says some other
)ackass is threatening.' *ar continued on placidly. $I )ust dont care. #ither the damn thing will be
fi&ed tomorrow or it wont. 5ot a )ack thing you can do about it.'
Marks stuck his hands in his pockets. $Boy, youre a tough cookie.' %e said. $9kay. I )ust wanted to
pass along a warning, thats all.'
*ar rolled her eyes.
$The governors on his way here.' Marks added. $I guess hes spoken to "bercrombie.' %e gave her
an apologetic look. $.orry about that. #veryones kind of losing their mind about tomorrow. "ny
idea what were going to do+'
$4ostpone the opening.' *ar leaned against the wall.
$0e cant do that.'
$Better figure out how to do this the old fashioned way then.' *ar indicated the doors to the big
room. $Im not going to tell you its going to be all right, buddy. Its a clusterfuck. Theres parts of
this thing ripped up and I cant even find someone from here to go fi& it.'
$0ell..'
$,ou know whose cousin does the wiring here+' *ar pressed him. $Maybe you can have him call me,
since no matter what we do with the uplink its not going to help with the piled of cable chewed up by
rats in there.'
$6ats8'
$3an your boss find whoevers cousin it is+' *ar persisted. $Because that would help a lot more than
sending me some ridiculous warning.'
Marks held his hand up. $Ill call him.' %e said. $Ill call him. %e knows the guy whos in charge of the
facilities here. 4robably some friend of his. 0ant him to come see you+'
*ar turned and started walking. $%ave him see Mark 4olenti, in the computer room. %e knows what
to do.' .he called back over her shoulder. $Ive got a2 $ .he paused. $.omething more important to
take care of.'
$6ight.' Marks shook his head and headed for a small office nearby. $(new I should have )ust taken
the train up to 5iagara this morning. .crew this.'
*ar heard the echo, and felt certain sympathy with it. But she kept walking, down the hall and down
the stairs to the street, ignoring the guards and the people walking down the side walk as she focused
on the bus door.
It opened as she approached and she waved a hand in the direction of the driver as she climbed
inside, glad when it closed behind her and she was sealed inside the !uiet peace of the bus.
1ery !uiet. *ar found herself stepping cautiously as she went through the front part of the bus to the
back, spotting the flash of (errys pale hair against the leather fabric of the furniture immediately.
.he circled the chair, finding her partner fast asleep against one arm, her breathing slow and even.
.o that was the reason she hadnt come back outside. *ar felt both relieved and a touch
embarrassed. .he went over to the storage compartment and removed a small lap blanket from itN
opening it up before she returned and settled it around (errys sleeping body.
.he waited a moment, to see if that would wake her. 0hen it didnt she knelt down and carefully
loosened the laces on her partners hiking boots, un looping them from the top stays and easing them
off her feet.
.he set the boots down, then straightened up and went to the refrigerator, removing a chocolate chug
and leaning back against the counter to drink it.
It was very !uiet. #ven the sounds outside had fallen off, e&cept for the beeping of cranes and the
sound of heavy machinery in the distance. .he could also hear a fading siren, but around the bus
there wasnt much going on.
.he felt her 4*" go off, bringing a welcome distraction. .he put the chug down and pulled the device
out of her pocket, opening it and reviewing the messages. $"h.' .he muttered softly, taking out the
stylus and touching the top one.
Hello )ar. 5ood news and bad news. ,ad news first. &heyve looked at all the e2istin! optics and
nothin! weve !ot can be altered to work over %%: at that distance, even with some classified stuff they
have here
0ell, that was bad news. *ar found herself shrugging over it, having e&pected the message. .he had
decided they were going to have to wait until the new cable got here.
o now the !ood news. &hey have an e2perimental optic here theyre puttin! to!ether for the space
station and they think maybe they could see if it could be adapted. %y !uys are workin! on buildin! an
enclosure for it, so if they hit pay dirt well be able to fit it in the chassis you !uys have there. Its a
pretty slim chance.
*ar blinked at the message. 4retty slim+ It was a hell of a lot more of a chance than shed considered
possible.
o anyway, thats the news. +ell be burnin! the midni!ht oil " let you know if anythin! looks
promisin!. Hope its worth somethin! by the time were done.
0ow. *ar tapped the screen to respond.
+ere burnin! the midni!ht oil here too, just in case. lim chance or not, this is the only hope we have,
so whatever you come up with will be better than what weve !ot now. +hatever the costs turn out to
be for this " bill me for them. If you come up with a solution, name your price. )#.
.he sent it, then folded the 4*" cover down and slid the device back in her pocket. 3ould they do it+
"t least they were trying. *ar picked up her chug and drank it slowly, the cold, sweet beverage
easing the ache in her throat.
0hat ne&t+ .he glanced over to where (erry was still soundly sleeping. 0ith a sigh, she set her
empty chug down in the garbage and retreated to the door of the bus, opening it and emerging
outside !uickly, shutting the door behind her.
5o sense in waking (erry up, after all. Better she get some rest. *ar was glad of the decision a
moment later when her cell phone rang, making her )ump a little. .he glanced at the caller I*, and
then opened it. $%ello, "lastair.'
$*ar. 0here are you+' %er boss sounded e&asperated.
$"t the #&change. 9utside.' *ar replied. $0hat now+'
$0ell, do me a favor lady, and take all those people you got down there and pile them in that bus and
take off.' "lastair said. $The governors on his way down, and I )ust told him to kiss my ass.'
*ar leaned back against the bus, finding a smile somewhere. $,ou did, huh+' .he said. $0hat
happened+'
"lastair e&haled. $:ackass.' %e said. $.omeone got wind of their little game with the test yesterday
and says theyre going to tell the press. .o the bastard told me he was going to cut them off and tell
them we screwed something up and now were trying to fi& it.'
*ar blinked. $-uck him.'
$4retty much what I said.' %er boss admitted frankly. $.o gather the troops, *ar. 4ut em on the bus
and head back up here. 0ere out of this.'
$:ust like that+' *ar asked.
$:ust like that. I told him he could tell the press whatever he wanted, but then again, so would I.'
"lastair said. $Ive had it up to my eyeballs. I already told the board.'
It occurred to *ar suddenly that she wouldnt want to cross "lastair, not in this mood. $,ou got it,
boss.' .he responded. $Ill go get the team and tell the driver to get ready to move. I dont want to be
here when that )ackass gets here to start yelling at me.'
$*amn right.' "lastair said. $.ee you back here in a little bit.'
*ar closed her phone, and e&haled. $0ell.' .he tossed the phone up and caught it. $.o much for that.'
.he headed for the door, then halted, turned, and went back to the bus. .he keyed the door open and
trotted up inside, heading over to where (erry was napping.
The blanket was now tucked around her, her fingers clasped lightly in it, and there was the faintest of
smiles on her face.
*ar knelt, and put a hand on her shoulder. $(er+'
The green eyes fluttered open at once, and the faint smile grew into a real one.
$%ow are you feeling+' *ar asked. $.orry I was a bastard before.'
(erry drew in a breath, and then grimaced. $9w.' .he muttered, sheepishly. $*ont apologize. I
should go get this checked out. Its killing me.' .he e&tended her hand and clasped *ars. $Thanks for
the blanket.' .he added. $I figured you were the only one who could have done that and not woken
me up.'
$0ell, weve got time to go do that now.' *ar said, wryly. $"lastair )ust pulled us out. I wanted to
wake you up before I got the rest of the crew in here rattling around. 0ere going back uptown.'
(erry blinked. $6eally+ 0hat happened+' .he asked, startled.
$/ong story. Tell you when I get back.' *ar stood. $0e could be heading home sooner than I thought.'
.he stroked (errys head as she circled the chair. $%old down the fort, okay+'
$.ure.' (erry eased to seated position as the door closed again behind *ar. .he wrapped the blanket
around her shoulders and tried to find a comfortable position, wiggling her toes as she blinked the
sleep out of her eyes. $Its over+' .he looked over at the television screen, which, muted, was
showing scenes of the 4entagon. $0ow.'
.he felt a sense of relief. %er head fell back to rest against the leather surface and imagined herself
stepping off a plane into Miamis muggy heat. $"wesome.'
;;
*ar rested her elbows on her kneesN glad shed sent the bus on ahead back to the office. The medical
e&amination was taking longer than shed e&pected it to, and she was starting to get flutters of
nervousness in her guts.
5ot that it was her guts being e&amined, but still. . .he was hoping (errys in)ury was nothing serious,
but e&perience had taught her that the longer they poked, the more they generally found. It was the
reason she avoided doctors when she could, and even though her better sense insisted that (errys
ribs had to be looked at, her animal an&iety wished theyd )ust kept driving by.
$Ms. 6oberts+'
*ar lifted her head !uickly, turning to find a nurse at her side. $,es+'
$3ould you come with me please+' The woman asked, pleasantly. $,our friend asked to see you.'
-riend. *ar took a breath, and then she merely stood and waited for the nurse to move forward so
she could follow her. There were places, she reasoned, where making the point about their
relationship wouldnt have gotten a seconds hesitation from her.
%ere, in the waiting room of .t. 1incents hospital, surrounded by dozens and dozens of people who
were sitting there, in crisis, waiting in vain hope that a loved one who had gone to work on =>@@
would come straggling in ? this wasnt a place to make a personal point.
.he followed the nurse down the hall and past a set of sliding doors, the floors that supernaturally
clean linoleum common to hospitals. There were rooms on either side, with old wooden doors and
wooden sills, and the desks were age worn -ormica when they werent buried under paperwork.
The nurse paused before one of the e&am rooms, and gave her a brief smile. $In there.' .he stood back
so *ar could enter, and then left.
$%ey.' (erry was lying on an e&amining couch, halfway reclined. .he had her boots and her )umpsuit
off, but was fully clothed otherwise.
$%ey.' *ar glanced around, finding them alone in the room. .he crossed over to her partner and
studied her. $,ou okay+' .he found the lack of blinking and booping machines, needles, or other
medical e!uipment encouraging, so she took (errys hand in hers and clasped it, feeling the chill
under her fingers !uickly warm.
$,eah, I will be.' (erry looked more than a little chagrined. $I did crack a stupid rib on that damn tile.
*ar, thats freaking embarrassing.' .he complained. $%ow am I supposed to e&plain to everyone
that I hurt myself escaping from a bunch of rats while falling into a raised floor+'
$,ou want me to tell them you actually saved me from falling off a balcony or something+' *ar asked.
$Im cool with that. "fter all, you told everyone I saved you from a shark.' .he chafed (errys hand,
seeing the unusual pallor of her skin. $%urts+'
(erry nodded briefly. $They wrapped me up, and theyre giving me a pain prescription. 5ot much
else they can do. The doctor said it was )ust a hairline fracture, and that I was lucky as hell.' .he drew
in a cautious breath. $4ains making me sick to my stomach though.'
$*oes that mean I get to take you back to the hotel and put you to bed+' *ars eyes twinkled gravely.
$5ow that were not on the hook anymore+'
$God, that sounds like heaven.' %er partner admitted. $Its so hard for me to wrap my head around
the idea that were )ust walking away from this. 0hat about you+'
*ar shrugged. $,ou want to know the truth+'
$,ou want to go home.' (erry studied her face intently. $The guys want to go home. I heard them
talking. They dont really like being here. The only thing thats been keeping them on the )ob is you.'
$Me+' *ar looked honestly surprised.
$9h, honey please.' That brought a smile to (errys pale face. D0ed all walk over hot coals for you
and you know it.'
*ars brow creased. $*o you seriously think Id let you walk over coals+'
(erry was prevented from answering by the return of the doctor. $%ey doc.'
The doctor, a middleJaged man with curly gray hair and a kind face, bustled in with a clipboard and a
folder. $0ell, hello there again, young lady.' %e said. $I think weve about got you wrapped up here.
This your friend+'
$,es, it is.' (erry nodded. $*r "mes, this is *ar 6oberts.'
$%i.' *ar responded warily.
$%ello, there.' The doctor gave her a smile. $0ell, heres what Ive got.' %e handed *ar a big envelope.
$These are her &Jrays, for her doctor at home.'
*ar took possession of them. $9kay.'
$%eres her prescription. Its pretty strong. $ The doctor handed over a smaller s!uare of paper. $If
you want my advice, dont let her sleep lying down. -ind a recliner, and use the arms for support until
the bone starts healing.'
$9kay.' *ar repeated, feeling slightly bewildered. $Im sure we can do that.'
$Good.' The doctor said. $Take care of her, shes a cutie.' %e patted *ars shoulder and left the room,
whistling softly under his breath.
*ar turned and looked at a bemused (erry. $*oes he think youre my lover, my kid, or my puppy+'
(erry started laughing, then immediately regretted it. $9ohh.' .he held her side. $%oney dont make
me laugh, please. It hurts like hell.' .he moaned.
*ar set the envelope down, stuffed the prescription in her pocket, and carefully got her arm around
(errys shoulder. $,ou ready to go be coddled unmercifully+' .he could feel a chill under her touch,
and put her other arm around her partner, cradling her gently.
(erry rela&ed, and e&haled. $They gave me a muscle rela&ant.' .he said. $Im a little loopy. I think
thats why the doctor was letting your brain do the work for me'
$5o problem.' *ar kissed her on the top of her head. $/ets go. 0ell grab a ta&i outside and be back
at the hotel in no time. Ill call them and have them buy a recliner while were on the way over.'
(erry chuckled faintly. Then she swung her legs off the couch and got up, helped by *ars firm grip.
$0ant to hear the good news+'
$.ure.' *ar left her arm around (erry as they made their way to the door.
$My blood pressure was on the low side of normal.' (erry didnt !uite manage to keep the smug tone
out of her voice. $#ven after all the crap weve been through.'
Total shock, when the nurse had glanced up and patted her shoulder, releasing the cuff and taking the
stethoscope from her ears. $4erfect.' The woman announced. $I love to see nice, healthy women.'
"mazing. (erry had almost forgotten about her damn ribs in her delight. The in)ury was painful, and
annoying, but finite and her blood pressure wasnt. .he was glad to hear the recent stress hadnt
resulted in a reading that would guarantee to cause her far more of it.
$5ow thats awesome.' *ar agreed. $Ill take that news any damned day.' .he looked both ways as
they emerged from the room, and then eased out into traffic. $4robably a good thing they didnt take
mine while I was waiting for you.'
$"w.' (erry was content to shelter in *ars arm, as they dodged the !uiet crowd in the waiting area
on the way out. $0hy were you so stressed+ I think we both pretty much knew what theyd say.' .he
glanced to either side as they reached the door.
$I hate hospitals.' *ar muttered.
(erry patted her stomach. $I know, hon.' .he caught the eye of a woman standing )ust outside the
hospital entrance, her hands full with a stack of colored paper. The woman came forward, and held
out one of the sheaves.
$9h.' (erry took it instinctively. .he looked at it, seeing a round face looking back at her, with a
fringe of dark hair.
$This is my husband.' The woman said. $%ave you seen him+' .he asked. $%e went to work on
Tuesday. I know he must be here somewhere. 4lease look at it. %ave you seen him at all+'
(erry felt *ars body shift, and she stopped walking, touching her partner on the arm as she bent her
head to study the page seriously. $*ar, look. *id you remember seeing anyone like this+'
Thus called, *ar tilted her head and focused her eyes on the sheet. The mans face was ordinary and
unremarkable. %e had a golden skin tone, and in the picture, he was smiling broadly at whoever was
taking the picture.
3ould have been anyone.
$"nything, *ar+'
*ar put her photographic memory to work, flicking through pictures of the last couple of days, above
ground and below, going along streets, and standing on the steps of the #&change, riding in the
subways, walking around their hotel.
*own in Battery 4ark.
DI dont think I have.' (erry said finally, in a regretful tone. $*ar+'
$I didnt see him.' *ar lifted her eyes and met the womans s!uarely. $Im sorry.'
The woman wandered off without answering, going up to the steps to greet the ne&t people to
emerge from the hospital, with her colored paper, and her eternal hope.
$:esus.' (erry murmured. $My god, *ar. These people have no freaking closure.' .he watched the
woman plead. $*id you hear the news+ I was listening while I was waiting for my &Jray. They think
four thousand people are missing, and theyve only found a hundred and eighty bodies.'
D,eah.' *ar guided her to the curb, and turned to watch for a cab. $,ou dont have closure.'
(erry turned and looked up at her. Then she leaned into *ars body. $.orry.'
$*ont be.' *ar signaled a cab. $My fathers waiting for us at the hotel. If ever I had to have it beaten
home to me what a lucky son of a bitch I am, you )ust did it.'
They got into the cab without further conversation. (erry leaned against *ars shoulder and watched
the streets go by, feeling a sense of separation from the world around her.
.he wished they were home already. .he was tired of the crowded chaos of the city. .he no longer
wanted to help out, or deal with the problems, or face the impatient antagonism theyd been
sub)ected to by pretty much everyone they tried to help.
.hed )ust had enough. .he felt bad for all the people here, she felt bad for their customers who were
in the affected area, and she felt bad for her country and about the future that had suddenly become
very, very murky.
But shed had enough. It was time to let someone else step up and take care of things, and respond to
the governments demands. They had done their part. .he had done her part, and had a cracked rib
to show for it. $0hat times our flight tomorrow+'
$I have Maria trying to change it for the morning.' *ar said. $Its one something right now.'
$0ish there was a flight tonight.' (erry mused. $Id love to be home right now, on our comfy couch,
petting 3heebles.'
$Me too.' *ar agreed. $I miss my milk dispenser.' .he added, in a mournful tone.
(erry snorted softly, trying to stifle a laugh. $,oure so bizarre sometimes.'
The cab pulled up in front of their hotel. *ar paid the fare, and they walked inside, not really
surprised to find the rest of their team gathered in the bar. $/ets say hi.' (erry nudged her partner
in that direction. $"nd Id love a beer before I start taking those drugs.'
*ar hesitated, and then she surrendered. They walked into the bar, crossing past the service area to
the pit of chairs filled with their staff. $%ello, folks.' *ar said.
$%ey8' .cuzzy waved. $%ow are you guys+'
$%ows the ribs, boss+' Mark was seated ne&t to .cuzzy, a frosted beer mug in one hand. $,ou look
kinda washed out.'
$I feel washed out.' (erry eased into a seat. $I have a cracked rib.'
$9w.'
$9oh.' .cuzzy made a face. $Man, that hurts, huh+'
*ar rested her hands on the back of the chair. $.omeone please order (erry a beer. Im going to go
arrange for her drugs.'
$%ey. Ive got a cracked rib. 5ot broken vocal cords.' (erry reminded her. $.coot. Ill get you a
(ahalua milkshake.'
$Mm.' *ar patted the back of the chair, and then she headed off towards the concierge stand. The
lobby was relatively empty, and she found the concierge ready and willing to help her. $I have a
prescription.' .he produced it. $3an you get it filled for me+'
$9f course.' The man said, immediately. $May I ask what its for+'
*ar studied the paper. $4ainkillers+' .he handed it over. $My partner has a cracked rib.'
$5o problem.' The man accepted the slip and briefly looked at it. $*o you have a preferred
pharmacy+' %e asked. $0eve got one right around the corner, but its local, might not take your
insurance.'
$:ust get whatevers fastest.' *ar waved her hand a little. $I dont care what it costs.'
The concierge smiled at her wholeheartedly. $5ow, theres a woman after my own tastes.' %e said.
$Maam, )ust leave it with me. Ill have it brought to your room as soon as its filled. ,oure in @IAI,
correct+'
$3orrect.' *ar said. $"nd while youre at it, I could use a few other things up there. Got a pad+'
The man whipped a pen and paper out faster than her eye could follow.
;;
$.o, thats what happened.' (erry cradled the mug of beer in both hands. The twinge of holding it,
she decided was worth its cold comfort. $I cant figure out what the rats were doing there.'
$I got that cleared up.' .cuzzy held her hand up in the air as though she were in class. $I was talking
to these guys here, in the hotel+ They got a place down near where the towers was. They said it was
all full of rats, when they went down there today. They came up from the sewer.'
$-rom the sewer+' Mark cocked his head. $-or what+'
$They said, from all that stuff that happened down near the towers.' .haun spoke up. $I heard the
guys at the #&change talking. Theyre in all the basements.'
$7gh.' (erry grimaced.
$I am glad we are not going back there.' (annan spoke up. %e was seated in one of the big chairs, his
slim form almost swallowed by it. %e had a steaming cup in his hands that hed been sipping from.
$That place disturbed me very much.'
$Me too.' (erry said. $I think I have too much of an imagination.'
$The big cheese has big brass ones to pull us out of here.' Mark said. $Those guys down there couldnt
believe we were )ust leaving. They thought we were bullshitting.'
$5o bullshit.' (erry shook her head. $They finally pushed "lastair too hard.'
$.omeone call my name+' "lastair entered the bar and went over to the service area, taking a seat on
a barstool. $/adies and Gentlemen, you have my greatest admiration and gratitude for the work
youve done here.'
$Include yourself in that, sir.' (erry told him. $Teamwork gets you nowhere without good leadership
to go along with it.'
"lastair looked e&hausted, but that made him smile. %e lifted his newly poured beer in their
direction. $To being homeward bound.'
$,eah8' Mark lifted his mug. $3afe< con leche at the airports on me8'
*ar returned and perched on the arm of (errys chair, picking up the cup on the table in front of her
and taking a sip from it. .he let her free hand rest on (errys shoulder, and listened to the chatter of
the group around her.
It felt good. They had done their best.
5ow they could move on.
;;
(erry paused and leaned her hands on the back of the rooms chair, staring at the bed. $*ar.'
$,es.'
$0hat in the hell is that+'
*ar wandered over and stood ne&t to her.
$If you say its the bed, Ill bite your arm.' (erry warned her. $0hat did they do to that bed+'
*ar studied the piece of furniture in !uestion. The top of the bed was literally covered in pillows,
some stacked against the back, some arranged long ways down the mattress, a few dotted around
apparently as decoration. $0ell.' .he cleared her throat a little. $They said they didnt have time, or
the space to get a recliner.'
(erry turned her head slowly to look at her partner. $*id you actually ask them to+'
$,es, I did.' *ar responded in perfect seriousness.. $.o anyway, this was what they came up with.
Gwan up there and see how good they did.'
$/et me get undressed first.' (erry demurred. $Because I have a feeling once I sit down in that nest of
feathers, Im not getting up again.' .he went over to her bag. $*id you say the drugs got here+' .he
unfastened her pants and let them drop off her.
$They did.' *ar opened a bag lying on the dresser and removed a bottle, e&amining the label. $6eady
for some+'
$9h yes.' (erry e&haled, wincing as the throbbing got a little sharper. $Im glad we spent some time
with the team, but Im paying for it.' .he removed her sleep shirt from her bag, and draped it over
the chair. $Be right back.'
$,ell if you need help.' *ar patted her on the hip as she eased by. $I have some goodies here too.'
$Thank you, *octor *ar.' (erry had to smile, as she made her way into the bathroom. $%ave we
gotten paged for anything+' .he called back. $It seems too damn !uiet.'
$:in&er.'
$0ell, it does.' (erry carefully washed her face, trying not to move around too much. The water was
startlingly cold, and she let it run a moment, turning on the warm water until it was bearable. In
Miami, she never had that problem. The cold faucet produced, at best, lukewarm water in all but the
coldest weather.
.he brushed her teeth and rinsed, then studied her reflection in the mirror. $7gh.' .he put her
toothbrush back into its glass and returned to the room, finding *ar already in her tJshirt, standing
there with (errys shirt bundled up in her hands.
It felt amazing to know she could )ust change, despite the relatively early hour, and then go sit !uietly
for as long as she wanted. $Thank you.' (erry unbuttoned her shirt and let *ar strip it off her, then
she stood as her partner got her into her sleep garb with careful, gentle hands. $,ou make me almost
forget how much of an idiot I feel like getting hurt the way I did.'
$I popped my knee falling in a sinkhole, got smacked with a baseball bat, and got bitten by a fish. ,ou
want to have a dumbass in)ury competition with me+' *ar in!uired. $Go sit on the bed, (errison.'
$,es, maam.' (erry went over and sat down on the soft surface, carefully s!uirming into the nest of
pillows until she was leaning against the ones in the back, with her elbows tucked into the ones down
the middle. $"h.'
$3omfortable+' *ar was busy at the tray.
$,eah. Matter of fact.' (erry crossed her ankles. $I am.' The support took the pressure off her ribs,
and the pain eased. .he leaned back and rela&ed, letting out a long sigh of relief. $.o no calls+'
$5o.' *ar brought a tray over. $I have our phones forwarded.'
$9h. I see.' (erry tilted her head so she could see what was in her immediate future in terms of
edible items. $0ow. 0hat is that+'
$This is lobster.' *ar regarded the tray. $3ut up in nice bite size chunks with appropriate things to
dunk them in.'
$Mm.'
$These are corn fritters.' *ar went on. $These are green beans because I knew youd yell at me
otherwise, and this is a chocolate fondue.'
$0ow.'
$0ith cheesecake to dip in it along with strawberries.'
(erry had been pretty sure shed entered the hotel room convinced she wasnt hungry, but at the
moment, her body wasnt buying that. DThis is for both of us right+'
$,es.' *ar confirmed. $%ang on. /et me get the bubbly.'
(erry folded her hands over her stomach as *ar got up to retrieve a bottle and two glasses. *espite
the long day, and her aches and pains, the solicitous attention could only make her smile and she did,
tilting her head a little again to take a sip from the glass her partner offered.
" little sweet, a little fizzy, a little spicy. The champagne tickled her tongue and she settled back to
en)oy as *ar s!uiggled herself into a comfortable position on the bed and commenced delivering
lobster to her.
4erfectly cooked, chilled )ust right. (erry licked her lips. $I think I know why emperors had servants
now.' .he commented, accepting another bite of lobster, neatly dipped in butter sauce and a touch of
lemon. $This is lovely.'
*ar chuckled softly, taking a piece for herself before she offered (erry a bite of corn fritter. $I )ust
wanted something simple I could handle with my fingers.' .he e&plained. $Im too tired to mess with
silverware. 6eady for your pills+'
$:ust my luck.' (erry sighed happily. $,ou know what+'
$0hat+' *ar delivered a sip of champagne to her.
$.ave the pills for tomorrow when we fly.' (erry leaned on her pillows and accepted a mouthful of
lobster. $6ight now, I feel great.' .he gazed lovingly at the angular face ne&t to her. $Thanks.'
*ar kissed her. $"nytime.'
(erry took another sip of bubbly to clear her mouth. $*ar, how do you really feel about us walking
out like that+ *o you regret it+'
*ar sipped her champagne, set the glass down, then picked up a piece of corn fritter and bit into it.
.he chewed slowly, thinking about the !uestion. Then she handed over the other half of her fritter to
(errys waiting lips. $,es.'
(erry chewed, and swallowed. $,es, you regret us backing out+'
*ar nodded. $I hate !uitting. ,ou know that.' .he said. $I dont blame "lastair for a minute for what
he did, but yeah. I do regret it, a little. But on the other hand2' .he offered (erry more lobster. $5ow
if it doesnt work we dont have to stand there looking like )ackasses either.'
$,ou think thats why he did it+'
$Maybe.' *ar allowed. $I might have. %e knew what the deal was. Might have been a calculated
decision. This is going to cause a huge wave, but from that standpoint, better than public failure.'
$%m.' (erry cautiously reached for her glass of champagne, and took a sip. $That actually makes
sense.' .he admitted. $,ou really dont think wed have been able to do it+'
$5o.' *ar answered. $7ltimately wed have gotten everything in place, but theres no way they could
have worked the optics. 0ed have been standing there when that bell rang with a lot of egg on our
faces. Thats why I didnt say anything to "lastair when he told me. %es right.'
$That really sucks though.' (erry selected a green bean and ate it. $It sucks that they put us in that
position.' .he paused. $9r did we put ourselves in it+'
*ar e&tended her legs along the bed and stretched out on her side. .he lifted her glass in (errys
direction in a wry toast.
$Mm.' (erry took a sip of her champagne and set the glass back down. $3an you reach me a bug bit+'
$.ure.' *ar produced a chunk of lobster. $.o tomorrow, lets work on wrapping up things here, and
get a task list we can throw at ops in Miami. .ee what we can do for our customers aside from letting
them camp at our doorstep.'
$.ounds good.' (erry chewed and swallowed. $I can start looking at the capacity we have here. 0e
can find out what we need to do if we need to start mounting sat rigs on peoples roofs.'
$0ith solar panels.' *ar suggested. $Maybe we can have the gang down at integration start putting
together mobile kits.'
(erry settled back and licked her lips. The pain in her side had subsided to a mild throbbing, and she
was perfectly content to lay here nestled in her pillows, en)oying the chance to )ust sit and talk to her
partner.
.he hoped the rest of the team was having as !uiet an evening as she was.
;;
"lastair sat down in a leather chair in the empty floor lounge, glad the rest of the team was off resting
? he hopedJ or en)oying some time off. %e glanced over at the door, where a secret service agent was
standing, his attention fi&ed on the hallway rather than inside the room.
%e thought he perhaps should be more nervous than he was, having been called out of his room for
this meeting on )ust a few minutes notice. But hed discovered he was )ust too tired, and too over it to
be anything more than mildly thirsty.
-ortunately, the lounge was e!uipped for that. %e got up and went to the sidebar holding a selfJ
service beverage station, selecting a teabag and setting it into a china cup. %e poured water over it,
and let it steep, even when noise behind him indicated he was no longer alone in the lounge.
$%ello, "lastair.' " voice sounded behind him.
$%ello, *ick.' %e added a touch of cream, and a cube of sugar, stirred, then took the cup and returned
to his seat. $If youre here to either yell or threaten me, give it up.' %e sat down, and regarded the
man standing across from him. $Im not in the mood.'
The 1ice 4resident took his hands from his pockets and sat down. $0ont waste my breath.' %e
responded. $0eve known each other too long. 0hen you tell someone to fuck off, its usually for a
reason.'
"lastair took a sip of his tea. $.o what are you here for then+'
$I want to understand.' The man across from him said. $0hat the fuck you think youre doing, putting
everything you worked half your life at risk here. This is big, "lastair.' %e said. $Theres no going
back from this. #ither youre with us, or youre not, and those that are not, might as well move to
:apan.'
"lastair regarded him benignly. $,know, funny thing. Tried sushi for the first time )ust the other day,
matter of fact. I liked it.' %e remarked. D0hy dont you tell me something+ 0hy are you letting all
these )ackasses scrambling around like idiots treat people like me like a hired hand+' %e continued.
$Ive spent the last week being smacked around by your lackeys and threatened with everything from
)ail time to being taken into a back room somewhere all because were here doing you a fucking
favor.'
The 1ice 4resident pursed his lips. %e was dressed in a pair of dark slacks, and a dark windbreaker,
in an apparent pitch to avoid notice. $4eople are tense. ,ou cant blame them.'
$I sure as hell can blame them.' "lastair shot back. $:ust because every )ack one of you got caught
bare assed is no reason to take it out on me.'
$"lastair.' The man shook his head. $,oure not doing yourself any favors.'
DIm not looking for any favors.'
The 1ice 4resident e&haled. $,ou were always such a hard ass.' %e complained. $"l, this needs to
happen.'
"lastair shrugged. $Maybe you shoulda thought of that before you told everyone it was working
yesterday.'
$-igured I was safe. They told me you were handling it.' %is visitor responded. $0e have to show
how little this affected us. ,ou know that.'
$I know that.' "lastair said. $.o back to my original !uestion. $
$9h for 4etes sake.' The man said. $Give me a break, "l. #very single department in the whole
government was thrown into a high speed reactive mode and told to not let anything stand in their
way. This was no )oke. This was not some half assed tornado we were responding to. 4eople died'
$.ome of mine did.' "lastair said, !uietly. $I lost a good friend down there.'
The 1ice 4resident sighed. $.o you wont do this+'
"lastair took the time to sip his tea again. $5o.' %e said. $0eve done what we could.'
$,ou know youll get blamed for this. ,oull have to stand there and e&plain why you walked out on
helping your country in this time of disaster.' There was a perceptible touch of irony in the words.
$,ou really want to do that+ *o the people you work for really want that spotlight+ ,ouve got a lot of
contracts with us, "l. More than most companies.'
$The boards been advised.' "lastair shrugged. $They agree with my decision.'
%is visitor looked surprised. $0ould your stockholders+'
"lastair shrugged.
$I dont get it.'
$Maybe I )ust dont like being pushed around.' "lastair gazed steadily at him. $Ill be there. Ill be
glad to stand by my decisions, and my people. If that frustrates you, *ick, sorry. 5othing personal.
-or what its worth, I think we did a damn fine )ob for you through this.'
The 1ice 4resident nodded slowly, shrewd eyes watching "lastairs face with sharp intent. $5othing
personal, "l. I know our wives are close. But well bury you for this. $ %e got up and waved, then
headed for the door, zipping his )acket up as he gave the secret service man a nod. $/ets go.'
"lastair lifted a hand and waved back. Then he let his hand fall to his knee as the door emptied,
lifting the cup to his lips to sip his tea.
"fter a long moments silence, the doorway filled again, and he looked up to see *ars tall form
leaning against the sill, arms crossed, pale blue eyes watching him with intent !uestion.
$Tea+' "lastair raised his cup in her direction.
*ar crossed the room and went to the credenza, opening the refrigerator and removing a chocolate
milk. .he brought it back over and dropped into a chair ne&t to him, e&tending her long legs and bare
feet across the carpet before crossing her ankles. $0e in trouble+'
$0e+'
*ar opened the milk and drank from it, swirling the li!uid around in the container as she waited him
out in silence, one eyebrow fully hiked.
$5ah, well be fine.'
*ars other eyebrow hiked to )oin its mate.
"lastair toasted her wryly with his tea, his face creasing into a rueful smile.
;;
*ar wasnt sure what made her wake up. .he lifted her head off the pillow, looking around in the
darkened room. The clock on the bedside table blinked a ruddy four "MN she cocked her head to
listen to see if some sound had broken through her dreams.
5othing. It was !uiet, some soft mechanical sounds evident, the cycling of the air conditioning, and
the working of the elevator down the hall, but nothing else seemed to be stirring.
*ar turned her attention to her sleeping partner. (erry was propped up half sitting against her nest
of pillows, with the blanket tucked around her, her face rela&ed in slumber.
.eemed like a good idea. .he started to compose herself to go back to sleep, when the dryness of her
mouth annoyed her )ust enough to spur her to get up and do something about it.
0ith a soundless sigh, she eased out of the bed, getting her feet under her and standing up, and then
moving !uietly across the room to the credenza. .he sorted through the choices there, not finding
anything to her liking.
Being a milk fanatic sort of sucked when you didnt have ready refrigeration. .he picked the room
key up off the counter and palmed it along with her 4*", giving herself a cursory glance at her dimly
seen reflection in the mirror, before making her way to the door, opening it and slipping outside.
The hallway was, not une&pectedly, empty. .he crossed it and went down to the lounge, where the
big screen television was playing mutely the audience of couches and chairs.
Theyd left the sports on, but at this time of day it was soccer. *ar glanced idly at the screen as she
headed for the service fridge, opening it and retrieving a bottle. .he took it back over and sat down
on the couch, the leather une&pectedly cold against the backs of her thighs. $7rg.'
.he opened the milk and set it down, then turned her attention to the 4*", which had displayed the
stuttering red light indicating she had messages. .he flipped the top open, wondering if it was her
mother sending one of her infre!uent notes.
%er eyes scanned it, and then scanned it again, more slowly. Then she took a deep breath, and
released it. $.on of a bitch.'
Hey )ar0 1ust a !ot a second to drop you a note before I head for the airport and a fli!ht out there0 &ried
callin!, your phone went to voice mail. ,ut they did it0 &hose boys worked until their eyes were
bleedin!, and !ot that thin! workin!. 'ouldnt believe it000 till cant0 5ot some special refractive
diamond mirrors in the damn thin!s, but I saw it myself, saw it link up at over a mile0
.hit. *ar knew a moment of total dismay.
:i!ure to land there around E, realize its cuttin! it close as hell, but its the best they could do for a
fli!ht. $nyway, see you then, and I cant wait to see this thin! work0
*ar set the 4*" down on her leg and rested her elbow on the arm of the couch, leaning her head
against her hand. Then she looked up, and tapped her fingers against her lips, staring blankly at the
silent screen.
There had been very few moments in her career when shed been caught in so complete a !uandary
as she was now, faced with a situation she hadnt really believed was going to happen. 9f course, she
could simply do nothing.
/et it all be for nothing. But she knew she should have called when "lastair pulled them out and told
them to stop working on it and she hadnt. %adnt even remembered, focused as she had been on
(errys in)ury and taking care of her.
9n a human level, she knew that was the right thing. #ven if she told the men that, theyd agree.
-amily did come first, and (erry was her family.
*idnt make it any easier to take though. *ar rubbed her eyes, and e&haled. $.hit.' .he opened the
4*" and tapped the reply key, pausing with the stylus held between her fingers as she tried to
compose an answer.
$3ouldnt sleep, boss+'
*ars head )erked up and she looked at the door as Mark entered. The MI. chief was dressed in
shorts and a tJshirt, and hed obviously also been sleeping. $Got thirsty' .he held up her milk. $0hat
about you+'
$9ps woke me up.' Mark trudged over to the counter and took out a can of 3oke, returning to the
seating area and dropping into a chair with it. $-reaking accounting )obs didnt run again. I hate
those damned scripts.'
*ar gave him a wry look. D0ant me to rewrite them+'
%e paused in mid sip. $Those are yours+' %e asked, his eyes going wide.
*ar let him wait for it, and then she smiled. $5ah. But if you want Ill redo em anyway.'
Mark rela&ed. $Man, you had me.' %e admitted. $I should have figured they werent. They suck.' %e
took a swallow of his soda. $They crap out at least once a week and we have to restart them. This
time they tanked *uks reporting and he bitched out ops.'
$6eporting shit definitely rolls downhill.' *ar commiserated. $.peaking of which.' .he held up her
4*". $3mere.'
4uzzled, Mark got up and edged over, )oining her on the couch. $0hat+'
*ar opened the message and showed it to him, watching his face for a reaction. %is eyes widened
again, then his body shifted, as he turned to look back at her.
$"re you kidding me+' Mark said. $Is this guy for real+ $
*ar sighed. $"pparently he is.' .he leaned back. D.o now this guys on the way here, ready to save the
world and hes going to run right into a pissing match he had no part of.'
$0ow.'
$,eah, wow.' *ar closed the 4*". $Guess Ill wait until he lands then call him.'
$9uch.' Mark murmured. $Thats gonna suck.' %e glanced at his boss. D,ou didnt think theyd do it.'
$I didnt think theyd do it.' *ar confirmed, nodding. $5ot only that, I didnt bother to tell them to
stop trying once we did. $ .he sighed again. $.o I suck twice.'
$,ou were kinda busy.' Mark ob)ected. $I know if it had been my wife whod broken a rib I wouldnt
have thought a half second about work crap.' %e paused. $.o hows (erry feeling, anyway+'
$6ight now, hopefully shes not feeling anything since she was asleep when I came out here.' *ar said.
$4robably a good thing, since I know shed be as freaked as I am about this note.'
Mark remained silent briefly, sipping his soda. Then he cleared his throat a little, and watched his
boss out of the corner of his eye. $0e could go do it, if you want.'
*ar looked at him.
%e shrugged.
$"lastair pulled us out.' *ar stated. $I respect that decision.'
$,eah. Mark agreed. $But we can do it. I know he had heartburn with the governor and all that stuff,
but man, if those guys went to the wall for us, it sucks if we cant get it done.' %e said. $"nd its really
gonna suck for him tomorrow when that bell goes off and nothing happens.'
D%e knows that.'
Mark shrugged again. $%es pretty cool. %es been all right to have with us here. I wasnt sure about
it, at first, but hes a good guy.' %e considered. $.o we could make his morning, if you catch my drift.'
*ar thought about that. It put the !uestion into a different light than shed been looking at it in ? and
she felt herself becoming attracted to the idea. $"lastairs good people.' .he finally said, in a !uiet
tone.
$%e really likes you.' Mark spoke up, une&pectedly. $%e was talking to me and your pop yesterday
and he was telling your pop how lucky he was to have a kid like you.'
*ar blushed mildly. $Im sure my father loved hearing that.'
Mark laughed. D,eah he did.' %e admitted. $%es a great guy.'
DMy father+'
$,eah.'
*ar took a sip of her milk. $0ere surrounded by good people. ,ou know that+' .he mused, and then
fell silent for a long moment. $,ou want to go do this+'
$,eah.' Mark said, without hesitation.
They both half turned at a sound at the door, to find "ndrew entering. %e was dressed for the
outside, unlike the two of them, and he slid the hood down on his hoodie as he crossed the carpeted
floor. $/o, there. ,ou people never heard of sleeping+'
$%i, dad.' *ar watched as he went to the refrigerator, retrieved a milk, then came over and sat down
across from them. .he lifted her own milk and toasted him with it. $Mark and I were )ust going to
grab our tools and go fi& the damn cables. 0anna come+'
"ndrew paused in mid sip, and lowered the milk. $#&cuse me+'
*ar stretched her bare legs out and crossed her ankles. $9ur vendor and his friends came through.
They duct taped something together thats going to work'
%er father blinked. $I thought you all said you werent doing this no more+'
$Me too' *ar acknowledged. $But they did it, and I dont wan to waste that. Those guys wore their
asses to the bone for us.'
"ndrew studied his daughters profile, despite the difference of age and gender very much like his
own. $.o you all going to go do this thing, no matter what that flannel feller says+'
$Mmhm.'
$0hat about all them govmint people+' "ndrew said. $They were some pissed off at you all.'
$I dont care.' *ar was now at peace with her decision. $These people have been shoving us around
since we got here. Maybe they have a good reason, maybe they dont, but Im )ust going to take my
team, and go do what we do, and in the end of it someone else can decide if it was the right or wrong
choice.'
%er father produced a wry grin $4aladar, do you know ah once said something )ust like that' %e said.
$Turned out all right, I suppose, so ah will surely be going along with you to do this crazy thing.'
$Thanks, dad.' *ar smiled at him $.orry to make your retirement so contentious.'
"ndrew studied her, and then he burst into laughter, genuine and real, a happy sound the echoed off
the walls of the lounge.
$0ell, Im gonna go wake the troops up.' Mark got out of his seat, taking his coke can over and
disposing of it. $Meet you back here, boss+'
$Im going too.' *ar got up. $/et me let (erry in on whats going on and see if I can talk her in to
staying here.'
"ndrew snorted. Mark shook his head. $Good luck with that, boss.' %e escaped out the door ahead of
*ars reach.
*ar tossed her milk chug and tucked her 4*" in her pocket. $*ont tell "lastair if you happen to see
him, *ad.' .he paused at the doorway. $%es setting himself up to take a fall for us, and damned if
were going to let him.'
"ndrew smiled at her. $Gwan, rugrat.' %e stretched his legs out. $"h couldnt sleep fer nothing no
how. Too noisy in this here place.'
*ar waved briefly, then she ducked out of the room and crossed the corridor, spotting Mark down the
hall knocking on a door. .he keyed her own open, and slipped inside, closing the door behind her
and walking over to the bed.
(erry was still sleeping. %er breathing was slow and deep, and *ar lowered herself to perch
carefully on the edge of the mattress, reluctant to disturb her. .he knew in the long run that it would
be better for her partner to stay here, comfortably resting.
%owever. *ar reached over and took (errys hand, s!ueezing it gently. $(er+'
"fter a moment, (errys fair lashes fluttered open, and her fingers returned the pressure. .he
blinked a few times, and then focused on *ar, taking in the darkness of the room with some alarm.
$0hats wrong+'
$5othing' *ar leaned over and let her head rest against (errys thighs. $But something une&pected
happened.'
(erry blinked a few more times, clearing the sleep from her eyes. $/ike what+' .he asked, her voice
still husky. $"re you okay+ *id something happen to one of the staff+'
$5o.' *ar s!ueezed her fingers gently. $Those guys who were trying to help us+ They did it.'
$%uh+' (errys brows creased. $0hat guys+'
$9ur network vendor.'
(erry was momentarily silent, and then her eyebrows lifted sharply. $They did it+ They came up with
something that works+'
$Thats what they say.' *ar nodded. $.o theyre on their way here.'
$B.. $ (erry started to sit up then bit off a curse, her eyes going wide. $9h shit.'
$#asy.' *ar got up and reversed her position, putting her arm around (errys shoulders and
supporting her until she could get upright again. $-orgot about that, didnt you+'
$9oof. ,es.' (erry recovered her breath. $.tiffened up I guess. .o 2 but *ar, why are they coming
here+ 0e didnt do the runs. Theyre going to do that for no reason.' .he paused, and then looked up
at her partner, seeing the grave look in the pale eyes. $7h oh.'
$I told Mark about it.' *ar said. $%e wants to go for it. %es waking the guys up.' .he put her hand
against (errys cheek. $,ou do not have to get out of this bed. I )ust wanted you to know whats going
on.'
There was a curious mi&ture of emotions on her partners face. $Thats not fair, letting you guys do all
the work.' (erry predictably protested. $I dont want to )ust sit here wondering whats going on.'
$%oney.' *ar stroked her cheek. $4lease dont be an idiot.'
$Im not.' (erry frowned. $Give me those drugs. /ets see if they do anything useful.'
$(er.'
$*ont (er me.' (erry said. $Ive been through this whole thing with you. *ont ask me to sit out now.'
.he took a cautious breath. $"t least I can )ust go and be with you. I wont pick anything up.'
$,oure going to make it impossible for me to concentrate.' *ar ob)ected. $3mon, (erry. This isnt
anything to )oke about. ,ou could get really hurt.'
$*ont give me that.' (erry reached up and took hold of *ars )aw. $4lease dont even try that after
what Ive seen you go through in some of the crap we get into.'
*ar sighed. $5ow were back into that if Im an idiot realm again, huh+'
$*ar.'
$(erry, were going to be crawling on the floor splicing cable. Is that something you really want to be
a part of+' *ar asked, practically. $Tell you what.'
$,oure right.' (erry interrupted her. $I dont want to be on the floor splicing cable.'
$9kay.' *ar regrouped. $0ell then..'
$I want to be with you.' (erry cut her off again. $3an I )ust go and watch+'
*ar sighed again.
$Besides, you never know. ,ou may need someone to make a phone call, or type a message, or call a
relative who happens to be in 3ongress.' (erry negotiated skillfully. $Besides, now that you woke me
up, theres no damn way I can get back to sleep again.'
%aving known beforehand the argument was going to be moot, *ar was relatively satisfied with the
compromise. $9kay.' .he kissed (errys shoulder. $3ant blame me for trying.'
$I dont.' (erry responded with a smile. $*ar, Im glad.'
*ar rested her cheek against (errys arm. $Glad+ That were doing this+'
$That were not )ust walking away.' %er partner responded softly. $#ven if it was for the very best of
reasons.' .he patted *ars cheek, and then kissed her on the nose. $Thanks for waking me up.'
*ar gave in, nuzzling her and e&haling ? en)oying a last moment of peace before the craziness started
up again. $Im glad too.' .he confessed. $0hich makes us all nuts.'
$3ashews.'
$Gesundheit.'
;;
(erry climbed up the steps to the bus, its engine idling in the !uiet of early morning. .he paused )ust
inside, spotting a familiar figure behind the wheel. $%i dad. ,ou driving+'
$,eap.' "ndrew said. $5o sense getting that feller up out of his bunk. I know where that place is right
well by now.' %e pushed a button, )erking a little as the windshield wipers turned on. $0hoops'
$%ave you ever driven a bus before+' (erry asked, curiously.
$5aw.' "ndrew pushed another button, resulting in the buss hazard lights coming on with an orange
blare. $*rove me a tank a few times though. 3ant be that different.'
(erry studied him. Then she walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, straightening carefully
and retreating to the midsection of the bus before he started e&perimenting with anything else.
(annan and .haun were already there, the two of them dressed in dark )eans and navy blue hoodies,
with e!uipment belts buckled over the top of them filled to the brim with nerdish )ewelry.
$%ello, maam.' (annan looked up from stuffing cable ties in a pocket. $%ow are you feeling+'
$5ot too bad, really.' (erry went over to the far side of the bus and opened the door to the small
office in the back. %er laptop was already inside, set up and she walked around behind it to find a
handful of chocolate kisses on the keyboard, along with two bottles of green tea and her bottle of
drugs resting nearby. $"w.'
$.omething wrong, maam+' .haun called in.
$5ot a thing.' (erry sat down slowly in the chair, testing her ribs reaction to the motion. The chair
had nice, padded arms )ust like her bed cushions had, and she rested her elbows on them in relative
comfort. $Thisll work.'
The door opened again, and she heard *ars voice trickle back into her little haven. 0ith that as a
reminder, she unwrapped one of the kisses and put it in her mouth, humming softly under her breath
and she booted up the laptop and waited for her login screen.
9n the desk she also had a radio, and her 4*", and she grabbed for both as the bus lurched
une&pectedly into motion. $0hoa.'
$#veryone hang on.' *ar said. $*ads driving.'
$Is that a bad thing+' Marks voice cut in.
$/ets put it this way.' *ar said.' If my mother were here, shed be calling in an airstrike on the bus to
stop us from getting hurt.
(erry pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to laugh. .he made a note to relate the
conversation to 3eci when she saw her, as she knew her motherJinJlaw would find it worth a chuckle
knowing well her husbands method of driving.
.uch as it was. $Glad you didnt inherit that part, 4aladar.' (erry remarked in a voice loud enough for
her partner to hear.
$.os my mother.' *ar responded. D.he threw a party when I got my drivers license.'
$0ow.' Mark said. $"ll righty then. #veryone got all their gear+ .haun, you concentrate on that
#thernet rats nest and Ill help (annan finish the fiber uplink.'
$0hat about the stuff on this end+' .haun asked. $Those guys werent finished running the cable,
were they+'
$-irst things first, since were done on this end with the connectivity.' Mark said. $That rats nestll
take us longer than our end will.'
$5ot only that, the later it gets on that end the more people we have to contend with.' *ar said. $I
want to get in and get out and then we can deal with the rest of it.'
$0hat if they )ust !uit and left it there+' .haun asked. $7nder the ground in that tunnel+'
(erry wondered the same thing herself. .he had no idea if the workers had been told to stop what
they were doing, or if, like their vendor, theyd )ust kept working in ignorance.
$0ell deal with that when it comes to it.' *ar answered, her voice coming closer to (errys little den.
$I dont want to split up at this point. Its dark and we dont know what were going to run into.' .he
appeared in the doorway, studying (erry intently. $,ou okay+'
$Im fine.' (erry held up a kiss. $Thank you *r. *ar.'
*ar grinned une&pectedly. Then she shrugged and turned back to the rest of the team, presenting
(erry with an attractive view of her bare shoulders emerging from her tank top as her partner
lounged in the doorway, resting a hand on either side of it.
The bus lurched into motion again, rocking back and forth alarmingly as its tires apparently climbed
up onto the sidewalk as "ndrew got them underway. $*ar, do we have insurance on this bus+'
$5ot my area.' *ar glanced over her shoulder. $.hould I rig seatbelts in there+'
(erry settled back in her padded chair for the ride, the motion making her a little seasick when she
looked down at her keyboard. .he rested her elbows on the chair arms and looked past *ar, seeing
the first hint of gray tingeing the windows of the bus.
5o sense in looking at the laptop anyway. There was either too much or too little for her to do,
especially at this hour of the morning, so she abandoned any pretense of work and simply rela&ed as
best as she was able for the ride.
" blaring horn and a sudden lurch of the bus made her close her eyes for good measureN glad she
wasnt up in the front.
;;
*ar swung the door open and flipped the lights on, not surprised to find no one else in the area as she
stood aside to let her team in. $0here was that pile of cabling+'
$There.' (erry walked over and tapped the toe of her hiking boot against a s!uare. $I wont forget
that any time soon.'
$Got it.' Mark grabbed a tile puller and thumped to his knees on the floor. $/emme get this up. ,ou
get ready to start clipping, .haun.'
$0atch out for the rats.' (erry said, )ust as Mark pulled the tile up.
%e froze, and then he peered cautiously into the opening hed )ust made. $Thanks boss.'
(erry backed away from the space, taking up a perch on the desk. *ar had circled it, and was
kneeling down ne&t to (annan, plugging the configuration cable from her laptop into the router
resting on the floor.
Mark carefully shone his flashlight into the opening, and then he pulled his kit over and settled on the
floor. $3mon, .haun. 5o critters.' %e removed a set of cutters, an #thernet crimper, and a handful of
ends and mounded them on the floor near his knee, studying the mess to see where to start.
.haun sat down on the other side of the open tile and removed his own tools.
$0ho the hell prepped this router+' *ar asked.
$7h oh.' Mark eyed her. $0hy+'
$Its the wrong damned image. $ *ar said. $0ould have truly sucked if they showed up here and we
didnt have the right code to support an optics module, wouldnt it+'
Mark made a face, but he kept his mouth shut, his eyes focused on the task at hand.
*ar sighed $(erry, would you..'
$Mind using the buses satellite hook up to download you the right image+ 9f course not, hon.' (erry
gazed fondly at her partner. $0hich one do you need+'
*ar handed her up a slip of paper. (erry took it and headed for the door, glad she had a task to take
care of. .itting there watching everyone work, while it fulfilled her promise to *ar, wasnt really to
her liking.
.he walked down the darkened corridor, past the closed doors in the nearly silent building. "s she
came close to the door though, she could see an outline of gray light, and hear the sounds of the city
waking up around them.
5ot much time. .he eased out the door, surprising the guard standing there. $.orry.' .he gave him a
brief smile. $5eed something from the bus.'
The man nodded. $"ll right, Ms. .tuart.' %e said. $But I have to tell you, my boss isnt going to be
happy you people are in there. I know you got those passes and all, but no ones supposed to be near
this here building at this hour. Got a lot of important people showing up soon.'
(erry didnt even feel annoyed. $I understand.' .he patted his arm. $0ell try to do what we need to
do and get out of here, before we can get ourselves and you in any trouble. $ .he walked down the
steps and crossed over to where the bus was parked, its door already open.
.he entered, grimacing a little as she felt a )olt in her side $%i dad.'
$%ey kum!uat.' "ndrew appeared from the back of the bus. $,ou all doing all right+'
$,eah, )ust getting something for *ar.' (erry made her way to the small office and sat down behind
the desk, carefully leaning forward and trying not to breathe deeply. .he put the piece of paper on
the desk, and logged in to her laptop, waiting for it to give her desktop.
$%ad some fellers come by here.' "ndrew had followed her inside. $Think they were them secret
service type people.'
(erry kept her arm on her in)ured side tucked against her side, and typed one handed on the
keyboard. $0hat did they want+'
$"h do not know that.' %er father in law said. $But they were asking a lot of !uestions and ah do think
they will be back here.'
$0hat did you tell them+' (erry pecked out a website, waiting for the slow satellite link to return the
page to her. Then she logged into their image repository and slowly typed *ars re!uest into the
search bo&.
$Told them ah was )ust a tour bus from :apan.'
(erry stopped typing, and looked up over the laptops screen at "ndrew. %is scarred face tensed into
a grin, which she returned. $,ou did not.'
$5aw. :ust told him you all were doing some work for the govmint in there. Thats all.' "ndrew
relented. $,ou all want some water or something+'
$*o we have any coffee+' (erry clicked on the result of the search, and watched it start downloading.
.he fished in her pocket for a thumb drive, and plugged it into the side of her laptop. $My drugs are
making me a little sleepy.'
$"h think we might.' "ndrew moved away, rattling around in the kitchen area of the bus and leaving
(erry to watch her creeping progress bar.
0hile she was waiting, (erry clicked over to her mail program, which was sorting itself out in the
background. .he scanned the new items, relieved that nothing seemed really urgent, and her cleaning
of the bo& on -riday hadnt resulted in a cascade of new mail over the weekend.
In fact2 .he clicked on one, a rare personal note from her sister.
Hey sis.
%om said you were ri!ht in the thick of everythin! as usual. I hope youre safe, and )ars okay. I thou!ht
it would be better to send you a mail because I didnt want to call and interrupt you. I have some !ood
news and I wanted to share thou!h.
(erry perked up. Good news+ $*amn. Its been so long since Ive gotten good news in my email Im
not sure what to do.'
,rian proposed.
$%oly molasses8' (erry blurted, straightening right up and then regretting it. $9w8'
"ndrew ambled in at a deceptively high rate of speed given his bulk. $0hats the matter, (erry+' %e
asked, his eyes flicking over her in concern. $,ou doin all right+' %e put the cup of coffee he was
holding down and rested his big hands on the desk.
$9of.' (erry tried to catch her breath, closing her eyes as the stars faded. $0ow.' .he e&haled.
$0hod have thought a little crack would hurt this much.' .he eased her eyelids open, to find "ndrew
looking at her with an e&pression so familiar it made her smile.
*ars image, that concerned glower facing her, right down to the twitching fingertips resting on the
wood surface. (erry reached out and patted one hand. $Im okay. I )ust got a surprise from my sister,
thats all.'
$7h huh.'
(erry rela&ed as the pain faded. $5o, really.' .he said. $Brian proposed to her.'
"ndrew studied her for a moment, and then he hitched up one knee and perched on the edge of the
desk. $That the feller whos the daddy of that little boy+'
DThe one named for you+ ,es.' (erry nodded.
$Took him long enough.'
4rivately, (erry agreed. $0ell, you know that was complicated.' .he demurred. $I mean, "ngie was
married and all that.'
"ndrew snorted. $Id a been her daddy that feller woulda stepped up a lot sooner.'
(erry got lost in a moment of wondering what her life would have been like if "ndrew had been.
Then she shut that out deliberately, as a pang stung her chest. $I bet he would have.' .he admitted.
$But Im )ust really glad he did, no matter how long it took.'
$%mph.' The e&Jseal grunted. $/et me go see whats going on out side. %eard me some noises out
there.' %e nudged the cup. $Made that like I do *ars. -igured it would do.'
$"bsolutely. Thanks dad.' (erry turned her attention back to the mail as he wandered out, leaning
forward cautiously again and studying the screen.
I can hardly believe it. He came over last ni!ht and after we put ally and $ndrew to bed we were just
talkin! and we ended up in the solar, and the ne2t thin! I knew he was kneelin! down and takin! a bo2
out. I almost freaked0
(erry smiled !uietly. $Good for you, Brian.'
He said what happened this week made him realize the world isnt a sane place. &hat you have to do the
ri!ht thin!s at the ri!ht time and not worry about the future. %aybe hes ri!ht. .ou know, I thou!ht I
didnt care, but I found out last ni!ht I really did.
o anyway. +ill you be my best lady? %aid of honor sounds so stupid. I want you and )ar and )ars
folks to be there. +ere plannin! for a 'hristmas ceremony, but moms freakin! out because its so short
on time. hes !lad thou!h.
$.ure.' (erry rested her chin on her fist. $Im sorry I didnt ask you to be mine, but I dont think you
were in a space where that would have happened then, "ng.' .he flipped over to the download, then
back to the mail.
$Thanks for making my morning a lot brighter, though.' .he clicked the reply button, and started to
type. $"nd if its any consolation to you, *ar freaked when I proposed to her, too.'
;;
*ar closed her laptop. $Thats it.' .he watched (annan finishing up the delicate task of fusing the
fiber ends to the patch panel. $Mark, how are you guys doing+'
$.ucky.' Mark grunted. $My eyeballs are coming out of my head keeping track of these damn cables.'
*ar studied him for a minute, and then she slid over across the floor. $Got a spare set of crimpers+ /et
me in there.'
Mark handed over a tool without comment, and .haun s!uirmed out of the way as *ar )oined them at
the hairball, pulling her legs up crossed underneath her as she settled down. $,ou )ust putting.. oh,
okay. I see.'
$Terminating them male and putting couplers in.' Mark said. $#asier than me trying to put a splice
rack in there, no space.'
$Good thing they didnt chew them completely apart.' *ar muttered, as she sorted out one set of
mangled wire, and clipped out the chewed parts. .he tightened a zip tie against one end of the cut
wire, and started working on the other. $0hat a pain in the ass.'
$Ms. 6oberts+' .haun cleared his throat somewhat timidly. $3an I ask you something+'
$0ere sitting on the floor over a hole that could throw rats at us at any minute. ,ou can call me *ar.'
*ar didnt look up form her task, as she pulled the insulation off the wire end and separated the pairs,
sorting them with e&pert fingers.
Mark muffled a smile. $,ou still remember how to do this+' %e asked his boss.
$*o you still remember how to do this+' *ar countered, clipping the wires off and inserting them to a
clear, plastic end. $%ow in the hell can anyone forget+' .he e&amined the work critically, then
clipped the end into a coupler and went on to the other part of the cable.
$9kay. 7h. *ar.' .haun said. $Is this really going to work+'
They could hear voice in the corridor outside, but so far no one had come inside the room. 5ow, two,
loud, angry male voices erupted )ust outside, the words so stumblingly fast they could hardly make
them out.
$*amned if I know.' *ar said, after a moments listening. $But I think we better get hustling.'
Mark checked his watch. $(annan, if youre done there, wanna give us a hand+'
$.urely.' The fiber tech was packing up his gear. $I would be most glad to.'
$I find it very hard to believe.' *ar stripped the end of the cable. $That this all happened between
Tuesday and -riday.'
$I dont know.. I heard those rats can chew through a car tire in a day.' Mark replied, dubiously. $I
saw them down in there *ar. Theyre big as your dog.'
$Mm.'
:ust then the door opened, and (errys blond head poked in. $%ey.' .he said, looking a bit harried.
$*ar, you need to hurry up. Theyre evacuating this lower level because theyre bringing some big
shots in.'
$Give me a break.' *ar was clipping the other wire. $0e have authorization to be here.'
$5o, we dont.' (erry said. $They specifically told them no one, especially our company, was allowed
in here. Theyre coming back in ten minutes and they said if were not out, theyre arresting us and
taking us to the federal prison.'
$That again+' *ar rolled her eyes. $3mon.'
$This time its no B., *ar.' (erry stated flatly. $This isnt those bozos were we were dealing with
before. They scared the hell out of me.'
*ar looked up, and saw in the set of (errys )aw, and the tension in her posture how serious the
situation really was. $9kay.' .he said, in instant decision. $#veryone )ust do as much as you can in
nine minutes and then were out of here. $ .he looked up. $3an you stall them if theyre early+'
$*o my best.' (erry promised. $0e got that ten minutes because of dad. $ .he ducked back outside
the door.
$Great.' *ar sped up her motions, as (annan slid into place ne&t to them, already reaching for cables
with his slim fingers.
$0onder what thats all about.' Mark snapped a cable into place and reached for another one. $.hit I
wish these people would make up their damn minds.'
$,ou must realize. (annan spoke up, after a moments !uiet. $0e must come to this place, once again,
when the technical people we are e&pecting arrive. 0e must install the optic unit.'
D0orry about that when it happens.' *ar reached for another coupler. $/ets )ust get this done. 9r as
much of it as we can. If some things dont come up, well, theyll )ust have to deal with it.' .he
snapped the coupler in place and selected her ne&t target.
-ocused intently, her eyes fastened on the cables, her hands making the motions of stripping, and
sorting, and ordering automatically. (errys warning still ringing in her ears, she crimped the ends on
then coupled them and reached for the ne&t set.
$:esus, boss.' Mark eyed her with respect. $,ou really didnt forget how to do this did you+'
$.hut up and cable.'
;;
(erry eased her hands carefully into her pockets as she emerged into the pearly gray of an early
dawn. .he looked !uickly in both directions, relieved not to see the black .71s pulled up onto the
sidewalk anymore.
%er nerves were wracked. More because shed seen "ndrews nerves wracked by the agents than by
what theyd said to her. *ars father was one of the most unflappable, bravest people she knew, and
to see him shook up by mere humans scared the poo out of her.
$They coming+' "ndrew dropped out of the bus, seeing her.
$5ine minutes.' (erry checked her watch. $.even now.'
$The hell.' The e& seal e&haled. $"h do not want any of us to be here when them fellers come back,
(erry.'
$I know, dad.' (erry bumped him very gently with her shoulder. $*ar knows. .hell get back here.'
There were already some people on the sidewalk. 5ot many, several policemen in their distinctive
black uniforms, and cars were beginning to park along the street, shadowy figures busy behind the
wheels.
They were running out of time. (erry felt a prickle go down her back. 5ot only because of the
government agents. $3mon *ar. $
DThem people are trouble.' "ndrew said, une&pectedly. DThem are the kind of people who dont have
to account to no one for nothing, you understand me, (erry+'
(erry studied his face. $,ou mean theyre above the law+'
$,eap.'
$My father thought he was too.' (erry spotted motion in the distance. $7h oh.'
"ndrew turned, and saw the trucks coming back. $.hit.' %e looked up at the entrance. $/et me go get
them people.'
$*ad.' (erry caught his arm. $Get the bus started. Ill stall these guys if they get here.' .he nudged
him towards the bus. $*ar said shed be here. Two more minutes.'
$(erry, you do not understand.' "ndrew protested.
$I do.' %is daughter in law insisted gently. $Its okay. Theyre part of the government, dad. Ive lived
with part of the government most of my life. I know where their buttons are. 4lease. :ust leave it to
me, and lets get ready to go.'
"ndrew studied her for a brief moment, and then he nodded and disappeared back up the steps to
the bus, leaving (erry standing alone on the sidewalk.
(erry took a careful breath and released it, hoping she hadnt pissed her father in law off too much.
.he then turned and watched the approach of the black .71s that appeared to be heading directly
for them.
.he checked her watch and leaned against the bus, feeling the rumble as its engine started up and
nearly scared out of her wits as the air brakes hissed suddenly.
The lead .71 pulled into the ne&t block, and the one behind it continued on towards her. .he could
see the man behind the wheel, and the one in the passenger seat, both in black )ackets, neither of
whom were smiling.
The passenger pointed at her, and looked at something.
9h boy. %er heart started to race. .he kept her calm posture though, her ear cocked for the sound of
her partner and their team approaching. $Maybe I should call my mother sooner rather that later.'
" weak card, and she knew it. $,ou may think youre outside the law, but I bet your boss really hates
to be embarrassed.'
The .71 pulled into the curb )ust behind the bus, and the men prepared to get out. 9ne was talking
rapidly into a radio, glancing at her all the while.
$%ere we go.' (erry prepared herself for the confrontation, deciding a gentle approach to start would
be a good idea. $I dont understand officers. 0hats going on+' .he muttered under her breath. $0ere
)ust here taking care of a problem, Im sure this is )ust a misunderstanding.'
The men got out and headed her way. 9ne took a baton out and was holding it.
$9n the other hand, screw you asshole works too.' (erry readied a retreat route, and pushed away
from the bus, getting her center of balance over her boots. $"nd so does calling for help.'
/oud voices suddenly erupted. (erry half turned, then turned all the way around as the door burst
open and *ar rapidly took the stairs two at a time, the techs right behind her with their eyes wide.
$Get in.' *ar ordered (erry. $*ad, get ready to move.'
(erry didnt waste any time. .he climbed onboard )ust a whisker ahead of *ars rapidly moving form
and moved inside to make room for the rest of them. :ust as she got to the far wall, the bus surged
into motion, the air breaks releasing and the door hissing shut almost in the agents faces.
*ar grabbed hold of her as they lurched to one side, cradling (erry against her as they swung around
a corner and lots of things went flying, including the techs and a fair assortment of hand tools. *ar
had a good grip on the doorway into the back office and didnt.
$They are laughing at us.' (annan was looking out the back window. $Those men.'
$5ice.' (erry had no intention of protesting the hold. %er chest hurt, and the thought of holding
herself in place made her grimace. $*id you guys finish+'
$5ot !uite.' *ar braced herself against the doorframe as the bus swerved again. $The building
infrastructure people finally showed up.'
$9h, that somebodys uncle company+'
$I think its 7ncle Guidos company.' *ar said. $They )umped all over us. They were pissed we were
touching their stuff, not that we were in the building though. I wasnt going to stick around to argue
about it.'
$,eah.' Mark had gotten himself and his gear into one of the armchairs. $/ucky for us big * was there
to kick their asses.'
(erry glanced up at her partner. $*id you+' .he muttered under her breath, watching *ars face take
on an almost adolescent e&pression that held its own answer. $9h boy.'
$,eah, especially since were going go need to get back in there when the module shows up.' *ar said.
$9r else this is )ust a pointless waste of a morning.'
$Ive never seen anyone kick someone like that.' .haun looked up from gathering his scattered
supplies on the bus floor. $That was pretty cool.'
(erry looked back up at *ar, her eyebrows lifting in !uestion.
$They were blocking the door and not letting us out.' *ar e&plained. $5ot sure that was intentional,
but you said ten minutes and I didnt have time to e&plain to the stupid bastard2. 0hoa8'
The bus was turning completely around now, leaning over to a scary degree as the horn blared. Both
*ar and (erry were thrown against the doorsill, and (annan kept his feet only by the slimmest
margin.
$%oly crap8' Mark yelped.
$%ang on back there.' "ndrew yelled. $Got to get this thing heading back straight.'
$:esus.' (erry tucked her elbow against her sore ribs and tucked her other hand around *ars waist.
DMaybe we should go sit down.'
Then the bus straightened up and started going forward, settling down into a more regular
movement. $0e back on the main road, *ad+' *ar called out.
$,eap.'
$9kay.' *ar cautiously released her partner. $#veryone get your gear together. 0eve got a lot of
work to do when we get to the office. (erry, can you arrange for .kuzzy to pick our guys up at the
airport+'
$"lready did.' (erry stayed where she was, tucked along *ars side. $I sent her and 5an the flight
details. .hes tracking them too, shell let us know if theyre late.'
They rolled along in silence for a moment. Then *ar sighed. $This is insanity.'
Mark looked up from zipping his tool bag. $,eah, but in a good way, right+'
*ar leaned back and put her arms around (erry again, leaning back as the sun started to rise and
flash through the curtained windows of the bus, splashing them all intermittently. $0ell find out
soon enough, I guess.'
;;
$0here did they leave it+' *ar had her hands on her hips.
$Its below in the tunnels.' The building manager said. $The guy with it said it wouldnt reach any
further.'
$9h crap.' Mark echoed the words sounding in *ars skull. $,ou gotta be kidding me.'
The building manager shrugged. $I wish I was. %e left the message with me, said he didnt have time
to wait for you guys to wake up.'
*ar snorted. $,eah. Thanks.' .he let her hands drop. $9kay, lets go see where they left it. Maybe they
were lying.' .he motioned Mark and the others to follow her, unclipping her radio from her shoulder
as she walked. $(er+'
The radio hissed, then crackled. $6ight here, go ahead.' (errys voice answered. $.cuzzy reports the
flights on time, *ar.'
$#verything else isnt.' *ar said.' 3ables still down in the subway.'
$:esus.'
$"nd they think its too short.'
$9h, man.' (errys voice reflected the frustration she was feeling. $*ar, I dont t2 $ .he stopped.
D0hats your plan+'
$I dont think were going to make it either.' *ar turned and headed down the steps. $:ust2 could you
grab someone, maybe two people, and see if you can find a pipe, something, anything, in that damn
hole our dmarcs in that I can shove a cable through+'
$,ou got it. 9n the way.' (erry clicked off.
$This is gonna suck.' Mark tugged at the collar of his )umpsuit. $I knew we shouldnt trust those guys.
They gave off bad )u)u.'
*ar rolled up the sleeves on her own )umpsuit as she trotted down the steps. .he dodged past the
hurrying figures of people coming up out of the subway, and paused only when she got to the ticket
turnstile. $*amn it.'
$Machines over here.' Mark had started towards it. $0hat do we need, four+ Ill get em.'
$Thanks.' *ar put her hands on the bar and peered through them. $(erry has my wallet.' .he
ignored the stream of people coming out of the turnstiles, studying the wall and stairwells on the
other side of the gates until Mark came over with four s!uares of cardboard.
.he took hers, and they passed through, walking past the fare booth and going down the steps to the
level where the trains were. There was a train on one side of the platform, so *ar went to the other
side, and looked up and down it. $0hich one would it be in+'
$7m.' Mark went to the map in the center of the platform and studied it. $Theyd have to be in the
tunnel from2 here+' %e traced a line with his finger uncertainly. $Man, wheres that native woman+'
$-etching our world savers.' *ar went over to the map and looked at it. $,eah, this is the cross over
from that other line so it has to be this way.' .he pointed up the tunnel the train was in. $/ets wait
for this thing to leave and go look.'
Mark eyed her. $Go into the tunnel+' %e asked. $Boss, thats sorta dangerous. 0e touch that live rail
and were all toast.'
$They had to be in there.' *ar reminded him. $Theres a ledge along the wall here. 0e can walk on
that.'
$9h, my goodness.' (annan murmured.
$*ar+' (errys voice crackled faintly on the radio. $,ou there'
$,eah.' *ar keyed the mic. $0hats up+'
$The secret service was )ust here.' (errys voice sounded tense. $They asked "lastair to go with them
down to the #&change.'
*ar glanced around . $:ust giving him a ride+' .he asked.
$0ell.' (erry e&haled audibly. $They made it sound like a polite re!uest.'
$That sounds kinda crappy.' Mark muttered softly.
$,eah.' *ar clicked the radio a few times. $"ll right, (er. Thanks for telling me. .ee what you can do
to find me that pipe.'
$0ill do.' (erry clicked off.
The train hooted, and the doors shut, then it pulled out of the station, disappearing down the tunnel
with a whoosh of dank air behind it.
*ar walked immediately to the edge of the platform and climbed over the rail, getting her boots on
the small ledge and walking along it with stolid confidence. .he didnt look behind her to see if
anyone was following, leaving it to their individual conscience.
It was dark in the tunnel, but this close to the station there were lights against the wall )ust barely
glowing from the layers of soot and grease covering them. .he climbed up a few steps onto a platform
that faced set of closed doors, the faint hum from behind them audible to her.
The platform had steps back down to the ledge, and then she paused, as the wall dipped into a
darkened angle as though a wedge had been cut into it.
*ar pulled out her flashlight and turned it on, flashing it down to the tracks to see a set of them
diverging from the main ones and heading directly into the wall. The gap they made was far too
wide for her to )ump, and she wasnt really sure which one of them was live in the dim light.
:umping down seemed like a bad idea. *ar turned her flashlight to the wedge instead, playing it
against the walls. There were old pylons there, branching off to go with the tracks but it all ended up
in bricked off wall.
$9ver there, boss.' Mark voice spoke up right behind her. $.ee the cable+ Its coming down2 where
the hell does it go+'
*ar flashed her light over to the edge of the tracks and spotted the thick cable. $,eah.' .he e&amined
the ground beneath the platform she was on, seeing piles of litter and eyeballs reflected back at her.
0ith a sigh, she gathered her courage and stepped off the concrete, falling through the air for a few
seconds before she landed in the trash, sending cracklings and s!ueals in every direction.
$,ow.' Mark stayed where he was.
$,ou know something+' *ar said. $I went into information technology so Id avoid crap like this. I
should have stuck with the damn 5avy.' .he edged carefully along the platform into the shadows,
spotting a much bigger bulk in the darkness in the very corner of the wedge.
$3areful, boss.'
*ar lifted her light and moved forward into the gloom, pausing when she heard a frantic rustling )ust
near her right foot. $9h boy.' .he muttered. $Glad I have boots on.' .he scuffed her feet forward, and
felt her toe impacting something soft and moving.
#&pecting a s!ueak, she was shocked at a hiss instead, and froze in place, her senses on momentary
overload.. $%oly shit.' .he yelled. $I think theres a damn snake down here8' .he trained the light
down at her feet and searched the litter.
Then she felt something strike at her boots and instinctively she kicked out with one of them,
impacting a body and sending it flying.
$Boss8 *ar8' Mark scrambled off the platform. $%ey8'
" loud yowl made them both freeze.
$Thats not a snake.' Mark said, after a nervous silence.
$5o.' *ar felt her heart about to come out of her chest. $I think its a cat.'
$(itty cat or wildcat+'
*ar heard motion again and prepared herself to be attacked, but a furry form dashed past her, eyes
glinting in the flashlight, and disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. $9kay.' .he moved a little
further, and then stopped as her thighs bumped into something big. $9h.'
$0h.. oh.' Mark peeked past her, at the big spool blocking the way. $%ey, good )ob, boss. ,ou found it.'
*ar leaned over and e&amined the remaining cable, and then she straightened. $Theyre right. 5ot
enough.' .he said, briefly. $Barely get to the damn stairs in the station.'
$.hit.' Mark peered at the cable. $5ow what+'
*ar started searching the walls with her light. $I dont know.' .he said. $I honestly dont god damned
know.'
;;
(erry stood back as they opened the door to the old storage closet that theyd used as a demarc.
$Thanks.' .he told the custodian. $0e really appreciate it.'
The man grunted, and walked off, shaking his head.
$0hat a nice guy.' .cuzzy said. $" real 5ew ,orker.' .he looked inside the room. $.o what are we
lookin for+'
$0ow. 0hat a place.' 5an entered, shining a big flashlight around. $Good grief, Ms. .tuart. *ont tell
me this is an actual telecom demarc.'
$(erry, please.' (erry poked her head in. $7nfortunately, yes, it is. %eres the problem. They have the
cable for this thing down in the subway tunnel, and its too short for us to bring up the steps and
across the floor there. *ar wants us to find a pipe or conduit that might go down there so she can
bring the connection up.'
$9h. 0ow.' 5an peered around. $"re we still trying to do this+ I thought we were giving it up last
night.' .he looked back at (erry. $Its almost eight o clock.'
$,eah.' .cuzzy looked at her watch. $I gotta get going to the airport, yeah+ Bring this guy right back
here+'
$6ight back here.' (erry agreed. $9kay, 5an, 6obert, lets see what we can find.' .he entered the room
cautiously, with the office applications support specialist behind her. $0ere looking for a pipe.'
$4lenty of them in here.' 5an said.
$(eep clear of that one, its steam.' (erry pointed. $"nd dont touch that panel, its live electrical.'
5an stopped, and turned around to look at her.
$*ar found out the hard way.' (erry took a careful breath, and edged along the wall, inspecting
everything within reach of her flashlight. .hed passed on resuming her )umpsuit, since the idea of
struggling into it was )ust too much for her at the moment.
*ar had insisted on her boots though, going so far as to put them on her in a moment of e&asperating
over protectiveness in front of the staff standing there waiting for them.
Goofball. .he found a pipe and tapped on it, shaking the rust off the outside and e&posing the old
lettering. $0ater. 5o, that wont do it.'
$These are huge pipes.. steam you said+' 5an was moving around the other side. $Theyre big.'
$0e have steam heat.' 6obert supplied diffidently. %e was kneeling on the floor near the front of the
room looking at the pipes protruding through the concrete. $0hat are we looking for, Ms. .tuart+
0ill they be labeled+ I think these are electrical, they say #dison.'
$0hat were really looking for is an empty pipe that might go down.' (erry stepped carefully over
their router and the fiber patch panel (annan had )ust finished with. $.omething that might be going
down into the subway from an office building.'
$0ell.' 5an slid between two of the bigger pipes, her slim form almost obscured by them. $This one
says fire alarm system.. its going down.'
(erry abandoned her search and made her way to the other side of the closet, easing her head
between the pipes since she was pretty sure the rest of her wouldnt fit. $9kay..oh.' .he turned her
head sideways. $Telegraph conduit. Telegraph+'
$There used to be fire bo&es on the street.' 6obert e&plained helpfully. $3onnected to the fire
department. It worked by Morse code or something.'
(erry unclipped her mic. $*ar+ ,ou there+'
" loud rushing sound answered her and she pulled the mic away from her ear. $,ow.'
$.orry.' *ar clicked in a minute later. $Train going by. 0hats up+ ,ou find anything+'
$"re you in the tunnel+' (erry asked. $0here the tracks are+ %oly crap, *ar8'
$Thats where the cable is.' *ar reminded her.
$Be careful.' (erry felt her stress level rising. $0e found a pipe that is supposed to be for the fire
alarm system ? it says Dtelegraph on the outside. 3an you find one down there+'
$Bang on it.' %er partner said. $Get something and keep banging on it and well look.'
5an nodded. $Good idea.' .he looked around. $Theres a piece of brick.. maybe that Tll work.' .he
s!ueezed over near the wall and retrieved it, and then she came back over and started banging on the
pipe.
$%ear that+' (erry asked over the radio.
$%ang on.'
(erry held the mic with one hand, keeping her other elbow pressed against her side that had started
to ache again past the fuzziness of the medication. $Good catch, 5an.' .he complimented the woman.
$/ast thing we needed was to be stuck in here for a long time.'
$(er+ I can hear it.' *ar answered back. $:ust keep banging, well try to find ya. Good )ob.'
$Thank 5an.' (erry backed away from the pipe. $6obert, can you find a brick and spell 5an when she
gets tired+ I dont think my ribs are going to be up to me whacking something.'
$.ure.' 6obert agreed instantly. $Boy, that took a lot less time than I thought it would.'
$%ow are we going to get the cable inside the pipe up here+' 5an asked over the pounding. .he
whacked the pipe at oneJsecond intervalsN making a low, gong like sound that wasnt !uite pleasant.
DTheres no hole in the pipe.'
5o, of course there wasnt. $%ey *ar+' (erry keyed the mic. $Im going to need someone up here
with a hacksaw.'
$.end them up when theyre done here.' *ar answered, her breathing sounding a bit strained. $Get
back to you in a minute.'
(erry released the mic, trying hard not to turn tail at once and go chasing down the stairs to see what
her partner was up to. $Boy, that was a lot shorter than I thought, too.' .he commented. $0e may
make this if *ar can find that pipe.'
$Theyre making a big deal out of the #&change this morning.' 6obert straightened, with a small
section of pipe in his hands. $The 1ice 4residents going to be there, and a bunch of other people. I
hear theyre going to have one of the firemen ring the opening bell.'
The underlying hypocrisy made (errys eyeballs twitch. .he turned and looked aroundN searching
out a path for the cable to come up once it came out of the pipe. The floor was crowded with
mechanics but she traced out a route with her eyes, taking the cable along the floor and past the
dangerously humming electrical panel.
,es, that would work. .he eyed the bend the cable would have to make to get to the router, and
while it was steeper than *ar probably would have liked, beggars in this case certainly could not be
choosers and theyd )ust have to try and make it work.
.he was )ust relieved theyd found a solution. .he checked her watch. Fuarter past eight. They had,
really an hour to get everything hooked up and tested before the e&change opened at nine thirty. If
the modules got here in time, it was doJable.
:ust.
$(er+' *ars voice crackled through, sounding tired and irritated.
7h oh. $%ere.' (erry answered. $0hats up+'
$0e cant get at that damn pipe.' *ar answered. $Its inside an e!uipment room behind some locked
doors.'
$0ell2'
$0hich Mark already picked. .omeone decided to dump a load of unwanted concrete in the closet
and its covering the pipes. Theyre inside the concrete.'
.hit. (erry clicked the mic, looking over at the others, who were looking back at her in dismay. $"ll
the pipes in that area+' .he looked around. $Theyre all on that wall, *ar.'
$"ll of them.' *ar confirmed. $#very last god damned one of them buried in side a pile of rock with
construction workers graffiti marked all over it.
5an stopped pounding, and let the brick fall to her leg. $.o, now what+'
$Good !uestion.' (erry e&haledN slowly letting her eyes wander over the inside of the room. $*amned
good !uestion.'
;;
$Fuarter to nine.' (erry wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. .he was kneeling on the
dirty concrete, as 5an s!uirmed under the consoles looking for something, anything they could use to
solve their current problem.
$I dont see anything.' 5an said. $:ust a lot of dirt.'
$.on of a bitch.' (erry e&haled. $This stupid piece of shit room. If I had a stick of dynamite Id )ust
blow a damn hole in the floor.'
5an eyed her, a trifle nervously.
$Is there anything I can do other than hold this flashlight+' 6obert asked. $I feel a little useless
standing here letting you ladies do all the dirty work.'
(erry lowered herself carefully down until she was lying flat on her belly on the ground. .he slowly
moved her flashlight around every inch of the floor, ignoring the throbbing pain in her chest.
$(er, I think were about out of time.' *ars voice crackled softly over the radio. $I cant find a damn
thing down here.'
(erry cursed under her breath. $%ang on.' .he keyed the mic. $Im going to have one last look here.'
$9kay.' *ar responded. $Good luck. 0ere not having any.'
$Thanks hon.' .he released the radio and continued her inchJbyJinch search, running her flashlight
over the back wall past the electrical panel, over the painted over wooden half door, over the brick2.
0ait.
(erry moved her flashlight back. .he focused on the long sealed half portal, her eyes flicking over it
with startling intensity. D6obert+'
$,es, maam.'
$Get me a sledgehammer. Immediately.'
$,es, maam8'
5an s!uirmed over to see what she was looking at. $0hat are you going to do+'
(erry pointed. $That was a door once.' .he said. $It went somewhere.' .he rested her flashlight on
the ground and her chin on the flashlight, trying not to breathe too deeply. DIts lower than the level of
the floor.'
$,ou think it goes somewhere+'
$%avent a fucking clue.' (erry keyed the mic. $*ar, I found something. Give me two minutes, and
then see if you hear me knocking.'
$0ill do.' *ar responded. $Got my damned fingers crossed.'
5an studied (erry. $,ou people from Miami curse a lot.' .he commented. $5o offense. It )ust sounds
weird.'
$0e have a lot to curse.' (erry edged forward, now regretting that shed declined the )umpsuit. .he
could feel the chill of the concrete against her belly as she angled herself under a large metal shelf
towards the door. $Its either hot and steamy, or its a tropical storm, or its bad drivers, corrupt
politicians, and roads under perpetual construction.'
$9h.' 5an watched her. $,ou want me to do that+ ,ou must be hurting like crazy crawling around like
that.'
(erry turned her head and looked at her. $3an you swing a ten pound sledge hammer underhand+'
5an blinked. $7m2 you know, I never tried, but Im more into marathons than weightlifting.'
$0ell.' (erry s!uirmed a last few inches. $I can, and Im short enough to get in here.' .he arrived in
front of the door. There was an alteration in the floor there, a pour of concrete that had settled into a
depression, three feet wide. It made the floor in front of the half door a good twelve inches lower
than what she was laying on. .he ran her fingers over it. $.tairs+'
$%ard to say.' 5an looked up over her shoulder at the door. $-ound one+'
$I did.' 6obert came forward. $The custodian was there. I )ust paid him twenty bucks and he handed
it right over.' %e edged towards where (erry was. $,ou want it there, Ms .tuart+'
$0e must be in 5ew ,ork.' 5an said, in a wry tone.
$/ike 0ashington doesnt know anything about bribes+' 6obert )ibed back.
$3an you get the head of it here, ne&t to.. yeah.' (erry curled her fingers around the shaft of the
sledgehammer and steeled herself, tucking her right arm up against her side to support her ribs.
Then she lifted the hammer and smacked the head against the door, making a loud cracking boom
$0hoa.' 5an s!uirmed back out of the way. $/et me get outta here before splinters start flying.'
(erry smacked the door again, then again, and again. It didnt seem to be moving, but she could see
the paint cracking along the sealed edges. $%ope *ar can hear that.'
$(er. $ "s though in answer, *ars voice sputtered near her ear. $0hat the hell are you do2 where is
that+ Mark8 Mark8 0here in the hell is that coming from+'
(erry felt a )olt in her side, and she took a !uick breath against it. .he kept up her attack, feeling some
of her rage at the situation coming out as she swung against the door harder and harder. $.tupid.'
Bang $4iece' Bang $9f crap.' Bang.
$I think the edge is breaking there.' 5an had slid over under the back section of piping to get a better
look. $,eah, it is.'
$.hould be.' (erry grunted, slamming the hammer against the wood as she felt the burn in her
triceps. $Glad for all those hours in the gym now.'
$,ou guys actually have time for the gym+'
$0e make time for it.' (erry paused and studied her target, and then she selected a different spot
and slammed the hammer against the edge of the door near the frame, seeing flecks of brown wood
under the black paint.
$5ine oclock.' 6obert said. $Ms. .tuart, theyre back with that part, upstairs )ust paged me.'
$Go down into the subway and get (annan and .haun back up here.' (erry felt her breath coming
fast, and her heartbeat hammering against her chest. $Tell them to get ready.'
$,es, maam.' 6obert disappeared again.
$3mon. 3mon.' (erry closed her eyes and )ust concentrated on the hammer, blocking out the pain
and the burn in her arms. .he banged the tool against the wood again, and again and again and again
-aster.
.lam.
.lam.
.lam.
$(#66I.958 .T948'
(erry almost )umped and smacked her head against the pipes, the voice so loud in her ears it hurt.
.he dropped the hammer and let out a gasp as the surface shed been pounding disappeared into a
black hole and gust of cold, oil scented air blew hard against her face.
.he stared at the opening, until *ars upper body appeared, her arms resting on the depressed floor.
$%2 hi.'
$.orry I yelled.' *ar said. $But one more smack and youd have gone through the damn door and
knocked me off this stack of crates and old railroad ties Im standing on.' .he disappeared. $%ang
on.'
(erry was very glad to stay completely still, blowing her hair out of her eyes with a puff of relieved
breath.
$0ow.' 5an said. $:ust, wow.'
$%ere.' *ar reappeared, with something her hand. $-eed this in.' .he got a good look at (errys face,
and then shifted her focus. $5an, grab this please. 4ull it forward to the rack.' .he had a cable end in
her hand and now she fed it through under the rusted iron pipe work.
$Got it.' 5an took hold of the cable and s!uirmed backwards. $Got it, got it2 whoa8'
$%ey8' .haun skidded to a halt, breathing hard. $Theres the cable8 (anny8 Move it, buddy88'
The cable slithered forward as *ar fed it up, past (errys shoulder. $Thats enough.' *ar called back.
$Tie it off for strain relief, Mark.'
$*oin it8' Marks voice called back. $*ar, for 3hrists sake dont fall, okay+ I dont think I can catch you
and were both gonna end up across those freaking tracks8'
$Im all right.' *ar leaned on the sill again. $,ou okay+' .he focused on (erry.
$"bsolutely not.' (erry reached over and e&tended her hand, which *ar clasped. $0ere not done.
The parts here, *ar. 0eve got to get it down to the e&change.'
$I know.' *ar said. $"nd Ive got to be here to configure this end of it when the traffic starts coming
down I told the router on that end to send me everything. Im going to split it up here.'
$0ere insane.' (erry rested her head against her arm. $Ill get the part and go to the #&change. If the
wont let me in, at this point, Im going to start biting and kicking people so get the bail money out.'
$(er, we can send someone else.' *ar said. $Ill send Mark.'
$0ho do you think has the best chance of getting in there+' (erry kept her eyes closed. $%onestly.'
*ar sighed.
$,oure taking me to dinner at :oes .tone 3rab tonight, 4aladar.'
*ar pulled her hand closer and kissed her knuckles. $(er, Ill buy :oes .tone 3rab for you if you want.,
but.. ah2. can you move back out of the way+'
$%uh+'
$Gotta )ump up here.' *ar looked behind her.
$Boss8 0atch it8' Mark yelled suddenly. $0atch it8'
(errys eyes popped open. $%oney youre not fitting through here.' .he said. $*ar, wait.. no wai..
*ar8'
0ith a sudden surge, *ar hauled herself through the opening. $Mark8 Move8'
$9utta here boss8'
There was thundering huge crash behind her, and far off, the sound of alarms going off. $I think we
)ust blocked the tracks.' *ar reviewed her options in the tiny, cramped space. $I think Im gonna end
the day pissing a lot of people off.'
(erry was wriggling backwards as fast as she could, trying not to kick .haun and (annan who had
descended over the cable and were working furiously.
$Guys+' *ar said. $.top.'
.haun looked up. $Maam+'
$4ull (erry out of there.' *ar pointed. $:ust grab her legs and pull gently before she passes out.' .he
looked up, then )umped and grabbed a pipe, pulling her body up and over the top of it. $3mon
people, were out of time.'
;;
(erry boarded the subway train with "ndrew right behind her, her hands pushed into the front
pocket of her hastily donned hoodie. 9ne hand clutched the optic device as she was shepherded to a
seat by her tall companion.
$This is a crazy thing.' "ndrew sat down ne&t to her in half full train.
$It is.' (erry was aware of every minute ticking by. $But .cuzzy said it would be faster to do this,
than try to drive down there with everything going on. I trust her to know 5ew ,ork.'
$.ome right.' "ndrew acknowledged. $/ots of traffic now, up there.'
$/ots.' (erry sat back, feeling utterly e&hausted. 4art of that was the drug she was taking for her ribs,
she knew, but there was a bone deep tired along with it she hadnt felt for a long time. $,ou know, I
said to *ar I was glad we were doing this.'
$5ot so glad now+' "ndrew asked, watching her from the corner or his eye. $,dont look so hot.'
$I dont feel so hot.' (erry admitted. $I think besides my ribs Im coming down with something. Ive
got that ache all over feeling.' .he e&haled carefully. $:ust my luck.'
"ndrew patted her shoulder. $%ang in there, kum!uat. This here things about done ah think.'
$Ill be glad to get on that darn airplane, thats for sure.' (erry agreed. $Bet you will too.'
"ndrew let his big hands rest on his knees. $That is a true thing.' %e said. $4lace heres got some of
the same things I saw some places I been.' %e continued, in a reflective tone. $" lot of fussing with
folks haids. Mad. 3razy. .ad. %ating.'
$,ou mean places youve been deployed+' (erry asked, after a pause.
$,eap.'
The train rattled through the tunnel, and pulled into a station. " few people got off, a lot of people got
on. Most were !uiet, as they settled in seats, or took hold of the bars. "ndrew scanned them, and
then he remained seated, pulling his boots in a little to keep them from tripping anyone.
(erry checked her watch, and then shook her head.
;;
$0ell, *ar, we knew it would be down to the wire but2'
$.h.' *ar staked out a spot on the floor behind where (annan and .haun were feverishly working.
$*ont get me wrong.' .he paused and looked over her shoulder. $I am deeply grateful to all of you
for doing this but if we dont get finished, its not gonna mean much.'
$.ure.' *on found a spot near the wall. $Mind if we watch+' %e indicated his companions, two men in
khakis with tucked in short sleeve shirts and actual, real pocket protectors. They had glasses, and
that intense look that rocket scientists do.
$5o.' *ar plugged her laptop into the router and started it up. $.it down, itll be a while.' It was
already stuffy inside the room without the e&tra people in it, and she felt the sweat gather under her
)umpsuit adding to an already significant discomfort. $%ell.'
$*ar+' Marks voice erupted near her ear. $Ive got good uplinks.. you want me to.. what do you want
me to do up here+'
$%ang on.' *ar unzipped her )umpsuit and pulled it off her arms and shoulders, e&posing her tank top
covered upper body to the sluggish air. .he tied the sleeves off around her waist and retrieved the
mic. $"ll right, listen. 0ere taking the whole stream from down there so when it starts up Im going
to have to parse it by I4 and set up sub interfaces to route it.'
There was a long moments silence. $,oure going to do that on the fly, boss+'
$*o you have another suggestion+ 3ough it up.'
$7m.'
$"side from not trying this at all+' *ar e&haled. $I )ust hope weve got e&isting gateways to where this
stuffs going.' .he scrubbed the hair out of her eyes with one hand.
$0ow.' Mark said, after another long pause. D,ou want me to2'
$3apture everything so we can put it all back if this tanks+ .ure.' *ar logged into her laptop. $0ish
me luck+ .ure. $
$9kay, will do.' Mark responded. $I feel kinda lame up here. $
$:ust hang tight.' *ar said. $Its all in (errys pocket right now anyway.' .he setup her monitoring
tools, opening a console to the router in one window and several sessions with the routing systems in
the Miami office in others.
$Think we can get a case study out of this when were all done, *ar+' *on asked, as he clasped his
hands around his knees.
*ar gave him a sideways look.
$%ow about you keynote our ne&t tech convention+'
;;
$9ne more stop.' (erry stood up as the train lurched into motion. $6eady, dad+'
$6ight with you, (erry.' "ndrew stood behind her, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder. They
waited for the train to stop, then were the first ones out of the door, dodging the rest of the travelers
as they reached the steps and headed up them two at a time.
It was loud and bustling under the ground, and (erry got through the e&it turnstiles yearning for a
sight of the open sky again. .he evaded crashing into two men rushing for the entrance and got to the
steps to outside, running up them and emerging into the open air.
It was gritty and dusty, but there was no time to worry about a mask as (erry broke into a run
towards the e&change. The )olting of her own footsteps sent shocks up and down her side, but she
ignored them and focused on the gothic front of the now familiar building a short distance away.
There were people clustered in front of the main entrance. .he saw police there, and military. The
streets were blocked off.
Men were yelling. There were two people being held by their arms.
$(erry, that does not look good.' "ndrew was keeping pace with her. $Gonna be a fight.'
It was. (erry could see it. .he glanced at her watch and knew they had no time for it. Twenty after
nine.
" policeman spotted them running, and pointed. Two military men reacted, and started forward.
(erry took it all in a series of vivid impressions. .he realized she had no time to make a decisionN her
forward moment was taking her towards the main steps as fast as she could run.
.oldiers ran towards them. $,ou.. have a card you can show them dad+' (erry felt her breath coming
shorter, and the pain made flashes of black and red on the backs of her eyeballs.
$/ord.' "ndrew didnt sound happy.
(erry prepared to haul up as they were intercepted, when a motion caught her eye and she looked
down the street to the back entrance, spotting a cluster of suited figures shuffling from a set of black
cars.
9ne moment. 9ne view. Instantly, (erry changed course. $*ad, hold em off. $ .he called back as she
bolted down the side street.
$/ord.' "ndrew dug in his pockets for his identification as he came to a halt in front of the military
men. $0hoa there, fellas, %ang on.'
(erry kept going. .he ducked between two wrecked cars, her boots tossing up puffs of ash dust as
she powered along the sidewalk towards the group of people. The guards at the top of the steps
spotted her and turned, and the group on the steps turned to see what was going on.
$0atch it8 .top her8' 9ne of guards yelled. " policeman standing nearby lunged at (erry, but missed
her as she ducked past. $%ey8 .top8 .top8'
The guards pulled their guns off their shoulders, one hopping over the railing and falling to the
ground with a grunt as he tried to get in between this oncoming threat and the people on the steps.
$.top8'
$(errison8' 3ynthia .tuart blurted in surprise, as (erry closed on them. $0hat on earth8' .he pushed
to the front of the crowd. $0ait, stop. Thats my daughter8'
The guards hesitated, )ust long enough for (erry to slide past them and get to her mothers side.
$0ait2 maam8'
$Mother.' (erry got hold of 3ynthias arm. $I have to get inside. Theres no time to e&plain.' .he
uttered. $Trust me, please.'
3ynthia stared at her for a long heartbeat as their eyes met. Then she blinked. $0ell, of course.' .he
said. $0e must go. #&cuse us gentlemen. .orry for this disturbance Im sure (errison )ust didnt want
to be late for the opening.'
5ine twenty five. (erry barely held her impatience as they filed in the door among the group of
senators, most of them looking at her with varying levels of surprise and distaste.
5o time. (erry broke from them the minute they cleared the inner door, past the guards, past the
security in black )ackets, past the secret service stationed carefully long the walls. .he dodged a set of
outstretched hands and went down a hallway, hearing yells behind her.
Ignoring them. *own a set of stairs, around a corner, and she was in the lower level again. Two
doors down on the right, and she was throwing her shoulder against the surface as her hands turned
the knob, almost falling inside.
Men inside. .tartled, they turned, hands outstretched.
(erry avoided them, her eyes focused on the setup in the corner, the one theyd left there, blinking
!uietly untouched.
7ntouched.
The men were yelling at her, but all she could hear was her heartbeat thundering as she dropped to
the floor and slid the last few feet, her hands wrenching at the static wrapping around the module
shed brought.
-ootsteps. $*ont touch me8' (erry yelled in warning, as she felt people closing and her fingers felt
cold steel instead of plastic. .he got the optic out and shoved it into place, then grabbed for the patch
cable as hands grabbed her.
*igging her boots in she leaned against the yanking, almost blacking out as a )olt of fire went through
her chest. $"hhhh8888'
The pull rela&ed, for an instant, )ust enough for her to fall forward on to the router and get the end of
the cables into place, shoving them home with a set of soft, unremarkable clicks.
.o close to her eyes, she couldnt make out the features. -or a moment, nothing happened.
$0hat the hell is that crazy woman doing+
Then a soft, green light came on. It lit her face up, and as she blinked sweat out of her eyes, she swore
she could almost taste the green on the back of her tongue.
$/eave her be.' "ndrews voice cut in, loud and uncompromising. $/et her loose for I rip your damn
arms off and choke you with em.'
5ine twenty seven.
(erry felt the grip come off her, and she rolled over to sit on the floor, legs splayed, breathing hard,
flashes of red in her vision timed with her heartbeat. There were three men in the room aside from
"ndrew, and they were in logod shirts and pressed chinos.
$Its that crazy lady.' The tech whod been in the room when shed gotten hurt blurted. $0hat in the
hell are you doing+'
(erry licked her lips. $-inishing what we started.' .he got to her knees, and then had to stop.
"ndrew came over and held his hands out. $%ere.' %e took her hands and lifted her up. $,ou done
now+ This thing working+'
(erry turned to look at the router, which was now flashing with a lot of activity lights on the front.
$.omethings going through. 0hether it works or not Ds in *ars hands now.'
$0ait.. are you saying youre fi&ing this thing after all+' 9ne of the other men stepped up. $They told
us you werent. .ome guy came in here and said2 there was an -BI agent here asking !uestions, said
they were.. that you2'
The tech was looking at something on his screen. D0ell, somethings happening because all of a
sudden this stuffs trying to work.' %e said. $.o if those guys are going to arrest these people they
probably should wait a few minutes.'
$I should call them.. $ The man hesitated. $But if youre fi&ing it2'
(erry held her hand up. $.pare me the details.' .he said, e&hausted. $0ere doing what we can.' .he
turned to "ndrew. $/ets go find my mother again. .hes going to kill me for using her like I )ust did.'
$0ait, you cant leave.' The supervisor started to block the door, then found himself against the wall,
pushed there by "ndrews big fist. $9kay. Maybe you can.'
$.mart feller.' "ndrew opened the door and guided (erry out. $
;;
$/I5(88888' .haun bawled, shocking everyone in the silence that had fallen as the minutes ticked away
to nothing. $/I5(888 0e got a link8888888'
*ar felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her head. .he took a steadying breath and
then dove into the console session, seeing the port come active and !uickly surge with a stream of
traffic.
Many streams of traffic. *ar threw a flow filter in place to sort it, searching for the largest ones first.
.he clipped and pasted into a notepad file as she found them, her mind registering the networks
involved. .he dialed her cell phone and put it into speaker mode. $Mark, you there+'
$%ere boss.' Mark answered the phone. $0e got data+'
$0e got.' *ar rattled the keys. $Get ready for a set of I4s, see if weDve got gateways. Im setting up
the interfaces.'
$*ar, weve only got like two minutes.'
$,oure wasting them.' *ar concentrated fully on the screen, blocking out the distractions of the
room, and the men watching, the heat, and the pressing of the ticking clock against her shoulder
blades.
$9kay ready.' Mark answered, in a chastened tone.
*ar !uietly uttered a set of addressing. $Thats going to be interfaces zero one, zero two and zero
three.'
$Got it. Theyre starting the speech up there.' Mark answered. $Got gateways.'
$3lear the "3/s for it.'
$*one.'
DBringing the interfaces up.' *ar muttered. $6eady for the ne&t set+'
$6eady.'
;;
The buzz of voices was almost overwhelming. (erry emerged onto the gallery, pausing in the
entrance and looking around to see if she could spot her mother.
9n the floor below, the kiosks and stands were filled with traders, the atmosphere frenetic and with
an air of almost desperation to it. .he spotted her mother on the far side of the gallery, and then, on
the other side, she saw a group of men clustered tightly within the confines of heavy security.
"lastair was there. 9utwardly as calm and composed as ever, seeming to ignore the presence of the
security agents spaced around where he was standing.
$(err2y.'
(erry turned to find her mother approaching. .he walked forward to meet her, "ndrew right at her
heels. $.orry, mother.' .he said, as they met. $I had to get something done.'
$Good grief8' 3ynthia whispered. $0hat on earth are you involved in+ .omeone )ust told me the -BI
has your company under investigation+ 0hats going on+'
(erry held a hand up. $Give it five minutes, mom.' .he said. $Then Ill e&plain everything.'
3ynthia looked at her, and then glanced at "ndrew. $9h. %ello, 3ommander.'
$/o.' "ndrew responded.
$0ell.' .he turned back to (erry. $Im sure there must be an e&planation. This is all so.. $ .he fell
silent as the speaker went to the gavel across from them, and rapped for attention. $But I agree. /ets
see this through, then we can discuss it.'
They moved to the rail to listen. (erry rested her hands on it, so tired it was hard to concentrate on
what was going on.
%ard to stand there, and not know what was going on at the other end of the cable. 5o way was she
going to call *ar, and break her concentration, or cause any seconds more delay in what had become
the worst of her worst nightmare of a circumstance.
.he could feel "ndrew behind her, and her mother came to stand at her side, the other senators and
dignitaries clustering around them.
$May I now have two minutes of silence.' The speaker said and bowed his head.
It went absolutely silent. The only sound was the air conditioning and the soft s!ueak of a chair
moving, somewhere in the distance.
"n "merican flag fluttered lightly in the fan breeze, rustling against the stonewall.
(erry kept her head up, and she let her eyes slowly scan the crowd, watching the traders below,
heads dutifully bowed but an&iety for the trade showing in the shifting of shoulders and clenching of
fists.
9n her level, the dignitaries all were standing in solemn silence, the men with hands clasped before
them, and heads bent, the women mostly clasping their hands )ust over their hearts, some with lips
moving in silent prayer.
Behind the pedestal, a group of firemen in their turnout coats waited, too tired to pray.
(erry turned her head a little and found her gaze caught by a pair of gray ones in the cluster of
business suits to one side of the podium. "lastair cocked his head )ust slightly in !uestion, and she
managed a tired grin in response.
0hat was he thinking+
9ne more minute. (erry looked down at her hands, rubbing her thumb across a scrape she didnt
remember getting that stung as she touched it.
9ne more minute.
;;
$.i&ty seconds, boss.'
*ar barely heard him. .he focused completely on the screen, instinct driving her typing more than
conscious thought. -lows and errors flashed in front of her, and she forgot where she was, and who
was watching.
-ocus.
.he typed, and e&ported, and filtered and watched results as she fought to make the data streaming
into her monitor go where she wanted it to go, alerts and warnings flashing by so fast they hardly
registered.
$-orty seconds.'
6outing. 6erouting. 6edistributing directions from the machine under her hands to the big routers
sitting !uietly in the first floor of the Miami office, which *ar would have teleported to if she could
have.
4rotocols stuttered and skewed, probably affecting traffic across the breadth of their network. *ar
didnt have time to worry about it.
$Thirty seconds.'
Too much data, trying to get to too many places, all of it critical. *ar muttered under her breath as
she recycled the router for the nth time, and waited for it to boot. $3ross your fingers.'
$Got everything including my eyebrows crossed.' Mark said, nervously. $Twenty seconds.'
They waited. *ar gazed at the blinking cursor as the boot screen scrolled across her laptop, checking
69M. and ".I3. in a process that seemed glacially slow.
$Ten seconds.'
6outer prompt. *ar rattled in a command, reviewed the results.
$-ive seconds.'
"nother command, and a refresh. Then five keystrokes and a slamming of her enter key so loud it
startled everyone watching.
;;
*ing, ding, ding. The fireman released the striker, and let his hand fall, as a burst of noise suddenly
e&ploded through the tall space.
3hattering. 4eoples voices. Traders. The rattle of printers.
"n /#* sign burst into action, spewing out ticker symbols.
#veryone clapped.
(erry felt her hands start to shake on the ledge, feeling lightheaded. "n&iously, she searched the
crowd, but the traders had gone to work and blocked out their watchers, busy at kiosks, busy in
clusters, busy at terminals, busy at the business of making money.
3ompletely anticlimactic. /ike nothing was wrong at all.
$"ll right, now (erry.' %er mother turned to her. $0hat is all this about+'
$#&cuse me.' "lastairs voice intruded, now close by.
(erry turned and faced him. $%i.' .he started to take a breath, then paused as she was enfolded in a
heartfelt hug by her ultimate boss. .he could feel the catch in his breathing, and felt the sting of tears
in her own eyes, and it was all )ust so crazy and stupid.
.he blinked a little .'0e couldnt let it go.' .he whispered. $0e )ust couldnt.'
$Meant a lot more than you think it did.' "lastair uttered back. $Tell you all later.'
$Mc/ean+'
"lastair released her, and they turned to find the vice president there, with several of his retinue.
$0ell, hello *ick.' "lastairs voice was calm, but its usual amiable tone held a distinct edge. $5ice
moment there, with the fireman.'
$Beautiful. $The politician responded, aware of all the watching and listening ears. $6eal testament to
the resiliency of the "merican spirit.' %e said. $3ant keep us down.'
$"bsolutely.' "lastair agreed. $I couldnt agree more.'
The vice president turned and put his hands on the ledge. $#verythings in good working order I see.'
%e studied the busy floor. $"s it should be.'
$0hy yes, it appears that it is.' The I/. 3#9 said. $"s you say, you )ust cant keep us down.'
The politician turned back to him, eyeing him sharply. The he straightened up and fi&ed his tie,
notching it a bit closer to his neck. $Glad to see everyone pulled together to make it happen. $ %e
dismissed them. $#&cuse me.' %e moved past them and )oined some of the senators standing nearby,
trying to catch his attention.
"lastair and (erry both e&haled at the same time. Then (erry leaned back against the wall, as her
knees started to shake. $0ow.' .he said, and then fell silent.
3ynthia cleared her throat. $Is2 everything all right+' .he asked. $Im sorry, is it.. $ .he peered at
"lastair. $Mr. Mc/ean+ I believe I have seen you on the business news.'
$"h. ,es.' "lastair nodded. $,ou must be (errys mother.' %e held hand out. $Its good to meet you.'
(erry let it all go past her. $I need to go make a phone call.' .he finally said. $#&cuse me.'
"lastair took her arm gently. $I think we all have to make that same phone call.' %e said. $.enator
.tuart, would you care to come with us+ Im sure you have some !uestions about all this.'
$"bsolutely.' 3ynthia looked around to where her colleagues were clustering around the vice
president, and the press. $Id be glad to. /ets go, this way. Its shorter, and I believe, with less
people.'
$*amn good idea.' "ndrew finally spoke up. $Bet you got one of them limo cars outside there too.'
$0ell, yes, actually2 its shared but..'
$.allright, well )ust borrow it.' "ndrew said, firmly. $#&cuse us.'
(erry let herself be guided to the stairs, completely spent and wanting nothing more than a chair, her
partner, and a drinkN too tired to even feel triumph or satisfaction at a )ob well done.
;;
*ar slowly stretched her cramped fingers, listening to the sounds of raucous yelling coming from the
speakerphone. .he turned her head slowly and looked at *on after a moment, letting out a long
e&hale. $3ongratulations.' .he said. $,ou made that happen.'
*on chuckled wryly. $*ar, these guys made that happen.' %e pointed at the optic unit attached to the
router. $"nd by the way, fellers, what you )ust saw was the IT e!uivalent of this woman flapping her
arms and flying to the moon.'
The two visitors had settled crossJlegged on the floor. $Ive been in enough bullpen situations to
know that was one of those two seconds to blastoff kind of things.' 9ne said, pushing his glasses up
on his nose. $4retty neat.'
*ar closed her laptop. $/ets go upstairs.' .he said. $I need a drink.'
$Boy that sounds good.' *on got up, and they all left the little closet and emerged into the shopping
level.
9utside, the world coursed past them completely oblivious to the drama in their midst, only giving a
passing glance to the engineers and the scruffy looking woman in a tank top and coveralls trudging
past them.
$/ong day, huh *ar+' *on asked.
$/ong week.' *ar admitted, as they headed for the elevators. .he could feel her shoulders slumping,
and she mostly watched the floor as they boarded the car, pausing only to punch the button for their
level. $But you folks really did the )ob. Thats an amazing feat of engineering.'
$0ell, thanks.' 9ne of the engineers said. $My names 9rin 0ellings, by the way.' %e offered a hand,
which *ar took. $0e were glad to help. 0e found out some things that might help us in some other
research, so its all good.' %e added. $This is my colleague *oddy 6amirez.'
*ar e&tended her hand. $Thanks.'
$My pleasure.' The man shook her hand. $Talk about down to the wire.'
$Mm.' The doors opened and *ar led them out, past the receptionists desk. .he pushed the glass
doors open and headed down the hall to their client presentation center, marked by a set of teak
doors and frosted glass windows. $3mon.'
They followed her inside. $3offee and soft drinks over there.' *ar pointed without looking. .he
headed for the couch on the far side, dropping into it )ust as her cell phone rang. $%elp yourself to
whatever you like.' .he didnt even check the caller I*. $ ,eah.'
$%ey.' (errys voice sounded every bit as drained as *ar felt. $0ere on our way back there. Me and
dad, and "lastair and my mother.'
$Im sitting on a couch in the pres center waiting for you.' *ar said. $But you cant bring the other
three on the couch with you. They have to sit somewhere else.'
(erry managed a wry chuckle. Then she fell silent.
$,ou okay+' *ar asked after a moment.
"nother hesitation. $Ive been better.' (erry admitted. $%ad a bit of a problem getting that part in.'
*ar felt a )olt of concern that chased away the fog of e&haustion. $0ant me to meet you at the hospital
instead+'
$5o.' (erry answered immediately. $I )ust want to go home. 0e can go to *octor .teves as soon as
we land if you want but Im not spending another day here.'
*ar nodded to herself. $%ear ya.'
$%ave some chocolate milk waiting for me+' (erry added, with a sigh.
$,ou got it. $ *ar waited for the line to hang up and then she closed the phone and rested it on her
knee. $The rest of our teams on the way back. 9ur 3#9s with them, I know he wants to thank you
guys in person.'
The engineers took seats across from her, with cups and plates and pleased e&pressions.
Mark entered, with (annan and .haun, tired, but visibly happy. $%ey boss. 0elcome back from the
pit'
$%ey.' *ar lifted a hand and waved. $Good )ob, people.'
.cuzzy entered. $%ey8 ,ou guys did it8'
$0e did it.' *ar agreed, gesturing around to include the rest of the room. $,ou did it.' .he pointed at
.cuzzy. $#verybody needs to slap themselves on the ass for this one.'
*on chuckled. $Boy, I tell ya, I dont get to hear that very often.' %e admitted. $Mostly its can you give
me a bigger discount, *on, or your damn service center blew me off, *on, or your competitors are
doing more for less, and what about that, *on.'
D,eah, we get that too.' Mark brought a bottle of soda back to the seating area and took a chair near
where *ar was sprawled on the couch. $*ar, there was only one or two streams we didnt have a gate
for. I called the endpoint owner and threw a tunnel up for them, and theyre good now.'
$,ou know what the sad part is+' *ar stretched her arm out along the back of the couch. $0ere the
only ones who are going to know we did this.'
$0ho the hell cares.' Mark slid down and took a swig from his bottle. $I dont. I know I did it. Thats
all that matters to me.'
*ar watched them all gather, and she let the conversation flow around her, as the rest of the team
straggled in. .he was tired, but at some level satisfied, glad the circumstances had arranged
themselves to allow her to end this day with a sense of personal triumph.
It felt good. .he was glad theyd done it.
.he realized she must have faded out for a minute, because she looked up at the doorway )ust in time
to see (erry enter, with her mother, and *ars father, and "lastair right behind her.
*ar got up off the couch as they approached, opening her arms up as (erry walked right into them,
pressing her body against *ars with a soft, guttural moan. .he enfolded her partner in a gentle hug,
oblivious to the room. $%ey babe.'
$7ngh.' (erry rested her head against *ars collarbone. $Get the )am, 4aladar. Im toast.'
*ar stroked her hair. $,ou look it.' .he said. $.it down on the couch and Ill get you your milk.'
(erry didnt move an inch. $"ctually a protein shake would probably do me more good. "ny chance of
that+' .he tilted her head and looked up. $My bodys really bitching at me.'
$,our wish is my command.' *ar gazed down into her eyes, a faint smile shaping her lips.
(errys nose wrinkled )ust a little. $,ou couldnt care less if the whole room is staring at us, could
you+'
$5ope.'
$Me either.' (erry pulled herself up and gave *ar a kiss on the lips. $-antastic )ob, boss. ,ou brought
it home.'
$/ikewise.' *ar returned the kiss an then she released her partner and bumped her very gently
towards the couch. $/et me get you something to put in your stomach.' .he watched (erry settle on
the couch, and then she turned to find "lastair in front of her. $%ey.'
"lastair put his hand on her shoulder and )ust looked her in the eye.
*ar winked at him. $.orry to ruin your martyrdom, "lastair.'
.he was not overly surprised when "lastair pulled her into a hug. .he returned it without
reservation, feeling a moment of true personal happiness. $Bastards.'
$0e need to talk later.' %e uttered )ust loud enough for her to hear. $But thank you, *ar. -rom my
heart, thank you.'
*ar patted his back and released him. $5o problem.'
$5o problem.' "lastair clasped her shoulder, and made his way to an overstuffed chair, which he
sunk into with a long, tired e&hale. $"nybody got a cup of coffee+'
*ar started to turn, only to find her father there with a bottled protein shake in his hand. $"h. Thanks
dad.' .he said. $*id you2'
$%eard the kum!uat ask you for it.' "ndrew said. $Think shes hurting.' %e added. $0as a hell of a
thing getting to that there place, I will tell you, 4aladar. That woman should be in a doctors office.'
*ar glanced at her partner, who had collapsed on the couch. $I know. But I promised wed go home
first. .he said we can stop at *r .teves on the way from the airport.'
"ndrew grunted.
$Im not hypocritical enough to argue with her.' *ar said. $Thanks for helping out, dad.'
%er father clapped her on the back. $*idnt do s!uat rugrat. (erry done it all.'
*ar took the bottle and returned to the couch, sitting down ne&t to (erry and opening it. $%ere you
go.' .he put her arm over (errys shoulders and sighed, as 3ynthia .tuart finally got through the
crowd and sat down on a chair ne&t to the couch. $%ello again.'
$%ello, *ar.' 3ynthia said. $Im very worried about (erry. .he seems !uite sick.'
$Me too.' *ar glanced down at her partner, who was sucking at the protein shake, her body pressed
against *ars. $.he has some cracked ribs.'
$9h my goodness8' 3ynthia blurted. $(erry8 0hy didnt you say something8'
(erry looked up from her shake, licking her lips a little. $*idnt have time.' .he said. $.orry. I guess
we need to fill you in on everything else too.' %er voice was husky. $Mom got me into the #&change,
*ar. They werent letting anyone in the front door.'
$Thank you.' *ar looked at 3ynthia. $0e were running out of time.'
$0ell2 yes, I could see that.. but what e&actly were you doing+' (errys mother asked. $I kept hearing
the oddest things, about some accident, and some problem or something.' .he added. $I was even
told you were under some kind of investigation8'
*ar looked over at "lastair, and raised an eyebrow.
$I think that was really more of a misunderstanding.' "lastair said, drawing 3ynthias attention. %e
put his hands behind his head, interlacing his fingers. $0e got it sorted out. $ %e paused. $I hope.'
$They asked us to help out with some connections to the #&change.' *ar offered.
$,es, I remember (erry telling me that.' 3ynthia returned her attention to them. $.ome cables, or
something was it+'
*ar nodded. $0e ran in to a lot of issues, and had to get these engineers from 5"." to help us..' .he
indicated the two men. $They came up with a solution at the last minute. That solution was what
(erry was carrying into the #&change.'
$9h8' 3ynthia looked at her daughter. $My goodness8'
(erry gave her a brief smile. .he turned slowly and put her legs up on the couch, putting her head
down on *ars lap. $,eah, it wasnt really a well thought out plan, but we were out of time.' .he
admitted. $Im really glad I spotted you going in. 0ouldnt have worked otherwise.'
$9h, well.' 3ynthia looked more than a little confused. $0ell, of course I was glad to help, but it was so
curious that you were having problems with them letting you inside. *idnt they want this problem
addressed+'
$5ow theres the .i&ty -our thousand dollar !uestion.' "lastair mused. $I tell you, .enator. There
were a lot of conflicting motives in that building today.'
$Goodness.' 3ynthia turned towards "lastair again. $But why would that have been, Mr. Mc/ean.
4lease e&plain it to me, because I can see no reason for this strange confusion, and I want to
understand since I am sure this will come up between myself and my colleagues.'
$0ell..' "lastair drew her attention, giving the pair on the couch some time.
*ar draped one arm carefully over her partners body. $-eeling any better+'
(erry turned her head a little, peering up at *ar. $" little.' .he lifted one hand and rubbed her eyes. $I
)ust feel so damned washed out. Its driving me crazy. I cant think straight.' .he answered, in a low
tone. $5ot to mention my guts hurt.' .he put a hand on her chest. $"nd I cant get a deep breath cause
of it.'
*ar smoothed the hair back out of her eyes. .he could see a glaze in the green pupils looking back at
her, and she frowned in concern for a long moment before she pulled out her cell phone. $9kay.' .he
dialed a number from the memory. $.econd opinion time.'
(erry closed her eyes and let her cheek rest against *ars belly. It felt good to be lying down, and
even better to be lying down on top of her partner. .he wrapped her fingers around *ars arm and
concentrated on breathing shallowly, as she listened to the phone conversation.
$%ey .heryl. Its *ar.' *ar watched the twitching tension across her partners face. $Is the doc in+
3an I talk to him for a minute+' .he waited through a few moments of Gloria #stefan hold music, and
then a familiar voice answered. $%i *r. .teve.'
$%ey *ar. 0hats up+ 0here are ya+'
$5ew ,ork.' .he said. $/isten, (errys here with me and she ran into some trouble.'
Their family doctor chuckled wryly. $,oure rubbing off on her.'
$.he got a couple of cracked ribs.' *ar went on. $They said it was hairline, but shes feeling pretty bad
right now. .ays she feels drained and cant think straight.'
$0here is she+'
$/ying in my lap.' *ar admitted. $But I dont think thats causing it.' That even got a smile from
(erry, who opened her eyes and peered up at her. $.hes white as a sheet.'
There was a bit or rattling, and a scuffing noise. $%ang on.' *r. .teve said, his voice a little more
serious now. $,ou know which ribs they are+'
*ar looked down at (erry, who shrugged faintly, and then casually unbuttoned her shirt.
$Go ahead and count. ,ou can see where the bandages are.' (erry closed her eyes againN feeling a bit
of a draft from the room on her now e&posed skin. $Glad I decided on a sports bra this morning.'
*ar gently counted up from her waistline. $.i& from the bottom+' .he spoke into the phone.
$.omewhere around there.'
$7h huh.' *r. .teve grunted. $They said it was a crack+'
$:ust a hairline fracture, according to the guy at the hospital.' *ar reported. $%e said to have her sleep
sitting up and gave her a prescription for the pain. %e sent the &Jrays back with us.'
$0hat drugs he give her+' *r. .teve asked.
*ar pulled the bottle out of (errys pocket and e&amined it. $9&y3ontin.' .he responded. $0e picked
it up yesterday.'
$%oney, throw that in the trash.' *r. .teve said immediately. $0here the hell are you+ Ill call you in
something else. That stuffs a pile of problems. .he having any trouble breathing+ *izzy+'
*ar could feel (errys ribcage moving under her hand, and it seemed to her to be doing so with more
effort than usual. $I think so.'
$*ont let her take any more of that.' Their doctor said. $%ow long you going to be there+'
*ar felt a sense of relief. $0ere heading back home at one.' .he said. $3an I give her some "dvil until
we get back+' .he looked down into (errys in!uisitive eyes. .he held up the pill bottle and rattled it.
$Ill make sure she doesnt take any more of this.'
(errys face rela&ed a little.
$,ou can do that, rugrat.' *r. .teve said. $Ill see you when you get here, right+'
$6ight. Thanks *oc.' *ar hung up the phone. $%e doesnt like the script.'
(erry blinked a little. $That makes sense.' .he said. $I didnt start feeling this crappy until after I
started taking it. 0hen I got back from the hospital I was fine that whole night.' .he stifled a yawn,
and let her cheek rest against *ars body again. $Ill be fine here until we leave.'
*ar tucked the bottle of pills into the cushion. .he glanced up as 3ynthia returned her attention to
them, apparently done with "lastair. .he saw the womans eyes fall on her partners half bared chest
and belatedly realized her tattoo was showing, the snakes head saucily e&posed.
3overing it with her shirt would be only too obvious. *ar rested her hand on (errys bare belly
instead, rubbing lightly the skin )ust over her navel.
$(erry, is that2 $ 3ynthia leaned closer. $Is that a tattoo+'
(errys eyes went wide, and her nostrils flared. %er hand twitched, as it lay right ne&t to *ars, and
her breathing sped up.
$Isnt it gorgeous+' *ar gallantly came to her rescue. $Its an oraborus, a symbol of eternity, curled
around my name.' .he lifted her hand and traced the design, moving the edge of (errys sports bra
over so her mother could see it better. $/ook at those scales.'
$"h.' 3ynthia edged closer and peered, not without hesitation. $%ow interesting.' .he cleared her
throat. $"ngela did mention something about that.'
$I can always count on "ngie.' (erry now dared turn her head and peek at her mother. $.he saw it
when I stayed at her house last week. 0as it last week+' %er brow creased. $.eems like a long time
ago.'
$,es, it does.' %er mother recovered. $Its !uite intricate.'
$,ou dont like it.' (erry said, in a mild tone. $Its okay if you dont.'
$0ell.' 3ynthia said. $5o, I dont. I dont think its right for a young woman to mark herself up in that
way. $ .he paused. $.o, no, in fact, I do not like it.'
(erry felt refreshed by the honesty. $Thats okay. I didnt e&pect you to.' .he replied with e!ual
candor. $" lot of people dont.'
%er mother paused for a long moment, and then she shook her head. $0hy did you do it then+ I am
curious.'
(erry looked back up at *ar. $0hy did I do it.' .he mused. $I think I )ust wanted that statement, that
emotion to be as vivid on the outside of me as it is on the inside.' .he closed her eyes again and
e&haled, another wave of lethargy passing over her.
$I see.' %er mother murmured.
$I heard "ngies good news.' (erry decided a change in sub)ect was probably a good idea. .he could
hear her mother struggling to keep her thoughts to herself and she had no desire to spark an
argument at the moment.
$,es.' 3ynthia sat back, with a genuine smile. $Im so pleased.' .he seemed glad of the change as well.
$It was a great surprise, but a very welcome one.'
*ar cleared her throat gently.
(erry forced her eyes open, to see the raised brows. $Brian proposed to my sister.' .he informed her
partner. $"ngie was as freaked out as you were when I proposed to you.'
*ar produced a big grin at that. Then she glanced up at 3ynthia. $3ongratulations.'
$Thank you.' 3ynthia said, taking a deep breath. $0ell, Im glad these things worked themselves out.
I believe I must go back and meet with my colleagues, and then perhaps we might attend a working
dinner with the vice president.'
$By then well be home.' (erry e&haled. $Thank god.' .he turned her head and opened one eye.
$%ope it turns out okay for you.'
$"nd a safe trip to both of you as well.' 3ynthia concluded. $Im sure well be speaking, (erry. "ngela
has told me she wishes you to stand with her at the wedding.'
(erry nodded. $I told her absolutely.' .he said, getting a smile from her mother. $Im really happy for
her.'
$"s am I.' 3ynthia stood up. $%ope you feel better soon, (erry. Im sure youre well taken care of
here.' .he gave *ar a nod. $"nd it was nice meeting you, Mr. Mc/ean. Thank you for e&plaining things
to me.'
$My pleasure.' "lastair was still sitting !uietly in his chair. $5ice meeting you too.'
3ynthia gave them all a wave, and turned, making her way out of the room.
*ar gently buttoned up her partners shirt and settled her arm protectively over (errys middle
again. $Take a nap, champ.' .he told her obviously groggy companion. $Ill wake you up when its
time for us to leave.'
$Gotta.' (erry muttered. $*amn this stuffs kicking my butt.' .he gave in to the desire to sleep, as
*ars fingertips gently massaged her temples. $*ar Im gonna have to come up with something more
radical.'
$%uh+'
$m outta things to shock my mother with.'
*ar chuckled faintly, and that was the last thing (erry remembered before she let the room slip
away.
;;
3ynthia crossed the lobby of the building and approached the front door. .he paused, when she
spotted "ndrew 6oberts entering. $9h, 3ommander.' .he waved at him.
The tall e&Jseal altered course, and intercepted her. %e had two overnight bags slung over his
shoulder. $/o.'
$I )ust wanted to bid my farewell to you.' 3ynthia said. $I assume you are heading home as well.'
$Thats true.' "ndrew glanced around. $,ou want a cup of coffee fore you go+ "h )ust saw pictures of
them people back at the e&change and its crazy there. $
3ynthia hesitated, and then she nodded. $I could use a cup of coffee.' .he admitted. $There s a nice
cafe< , will you )oin me+'
$.ure.' "ndrew followed her over to one of the seats and they took over one of the tables in the little
cafe< to one side of the lobby. It was before lunchtime, so it was still !uiet, and a waitress scooted
right over to them when she saw them sit down.
"ndrew set the bags down and e&haled. $Biggest cup of coffee you got.' %e told the girl, who nodded.
$*o you have tea+' 3ynthia asked. $Id prefer that, please.'
$.ure, be right back.' The waitress left, still scribbling.
$,ou look tired, 3ommander. I know it must have been a long week for you as well.'
$,eap.' "ndrew admitted. $"h will be glad to get home to mah wife and mah boat, I will tell you. I do
not regret coming here to help the kids out, but ah will be very happy to see that there airplane
shortly.'
$I do understand.' 3ynthia commiserated. $I didnt want to come here, you know. I wanted to stay in
Michigan, dealing with the issues we have there. But I was told it would be highly unpatriotic if I did
not come to support the city so I did.'
"ndrew snorted. $4atriotism.' %e said. $Most these people round the govmint dont know how to
even spell that word less what it means.'
3ynthia studied him. $Its so interesting that you say that.' .he looked up as the waiter arrived, and
deposited their drinks. $May I also have, perhaps, a tuna on croissant+'
$.ure.' The waitress looked at "ndrew e&pectantly.
$,all got hamburgers+' "ndrew asked.
$.ure.'
$%ave me one with cheese and some fries.'
$5o problem.' The waitress whisked off, in a better mood.
"ndrew took a sip of his coffee. $,ou going back home today+'
3ynthia sighed. $4robably tomorrow.' .he admitted. $"s much as I am not en)oying this position I
accepted, one does have to stand up for it, you know.'
$,eap.'
$Though, I have to admit, I do not think it matters whether or not I go. I am not going to continue in
this post, and therefore, the decision really should be mine.'
$,eap.' "ndrew agreed. $Thought I had to live up to stuff fore I almost lost everything I ever had for
that. *ont go there no more.' %e shook his head. $-igured out I love my family more than my
country.'
3ynthia smiled. $Thats so charming.' .he said. $"nd you know, I do think youre right. I believe I will
change my itinerary, and leave this afternoon as well, since I have so much to do back in Michigan.'
$%ere you got a wedding coming.' "ndrew sat back and sucked his coffee. $Glad that feller stepped
up.'
The woman across from him lifted her teacup in his direction. $Thank the lord.' .he said. $I was so
disappointed with Brian, really. Its been very hard on "ngela, though surely she had to take the
same responsibility for her actions.' .he studied his scarred face. $I did think that was going to be
!uite awkward between "ngela and (errison.'
"ndrew chuckled. $(erry was some pissed at that boy.' %e said. $Though he wasnt doing right by her
sister.'
$9h.' 3ynthia said. $0ell, yes, I suppose she would feel that way.' .he sipped her tea. $"fter all, shed
met *ar by then, hadnt she+'
"ndrew smiled. $.he done that.' %e allowed. $*ar said they got to be sweethearts right off.'
They were both !uiet, as the waitress came back and set their plates down, then left again to attend
to the customers now coming in for lunch.
$That.. ah, never bothered you, did it+' 3ynthia asked.
$5aw.' "ndrew cut his burger in half and selected the left side of it. $5ever had to worry about no
feller coming by and doing her wrong while I was out there overseas, anyhow.'
$9h.' (errys mother sounded surprised. $0ell, I never thought of that.' .he picked her way through
her tuna croissant. $"t any rate, I am glad shes happy, and that she and *ar are so very fond of each
other.'
$Me, too.' "ndrew ate a fry. $,our kids good people. I am damn glad shes part of mah family.'
3ynthia smiled wryly. $I would imagine she feels the same.' .he murmured. $I know shes had a
trying time with her own.'
"ndrew finished his burger. $0all, ah think yall will be all right in that way.' %e wiped his lips.
$.hes right fond of you all. :ust take some time. ,all got that.'
$,es, we do.' (errys mother smiled a little more easily. $"s terrible as this past week has been, it
has given me hope that my family can find a way to come together again. (erry has invited me down
to see their home and meet their friends.'
"ndrew chewed his fries as he considered this. $Got a nice place.' %e finally said. $"h like that little
place they got down south better than the fancy one, but its all right too.'
$*o you mean the cabin+ (erry showed me pictures. It looks so charming.' 3ynthia sipped her tea.
$Im looking forward to seeing it. .he even showed me photos of their pet.'
$%airball.' "ndrew chuckled softly. $3ute dog.' %e amended.
$,es.' %is table companion said. $(erry told me2 $.he hesitated. $I never actually knew what had
happened with her little 3ocker .paniel. $
"ndrew merely grunted.
$I feel terrible now about it. 6oger wanted to get her another one, and I convinced him not to.'
3ynthia said, a pensive look on her face. $I )ust didnt want to have to deal with a puppy. "ll the mess..
I )ust never knew how much it meant to her, or what2 $
$That feller who done that was a wrong headed man.' "ndrew said !uietly.
$,es, he was.' 3ynthia said. $*o you know, the police finally closed that case they were investigating
about it.' .he watched his face intently. $They decided it was an accident after all.'
"ndrew lifted his eyes and met hers s!uarely. $That man got what was coming to him.' %e said. $"h
only wish itd come to him twenty years bfore then so he did not have no chance to do what he done
to your daughter.'
3ynthia took a breath, and released it. $6oger finally realized the things (erry had said werent lies.'
.he lowered her voice. $It upset him so much. %e sent (yle away while he investigated, and the night
he got so sick.. it was after he finally spoke to (errys old doctor.'
"ndrew cocked his head slightly.
$,ou know, I had never seen him cry before.' (errys mother said simply. $It astounded me. I had no
idea why he was so upset, and then2 well, then he had this meeting he had to go to and after that2it
was too late and he couldnt tell me.'
$/ord.'
3ynthia wiped her lips slowly with her napkin. $Terrible.' .he murmured. $I am glad he died. It is
not a 3hristian thing to say, but its true.' .he watched "ndrew slowly nod. $I do like to think he got
what he deserved.'
$"h do believe he did.' "ndrew said. $Might be he even knowed that fore he died.'
3ynthia e&haled. $May the /ord grant that he did.' .he reached over and patted his hand.
$3ommander, thank you for taking the time to have lunch with me. Its always lovely talking to you.'
"ndrews eyes took on a humorous glint. $,all be sure to let mah wife know when youre coming
down our way. 0e can go have us some conch fritters together.'
$I certainly will.' .he stood up, as the waiter came over. $%ere, I believe this will cover it. Thank you.'
.he handed the man a folded bill. $3ommander, thank you for letting me buy you lunch. I hope you
have a wonderful trip home.'
$.ame tyou.' "ndrew lifted a hand and waved it at her. $"nd call me "ndy. I aint in the 5avy no
more.'
3ynthia smiled. $I will do that. "fter all, were family, arent we+' .he turned and left the cafe< , heading
for the front door again.
"ndrew shook his head and chuckled briefly. $/ord.'
;;
*ar was content to sit !uietly on the couch, providing a pillow for (errys sleeping form. The room
had gotten crowded with both 5ew ,ork staff and their visiting team, and a pile of bo&es had )ust
been deposited on the conference table filling the air with the scent of cheese and garlic.
(erry was oblivious to it all. .omeone had brought a blanket up from the bus and she had it tucked
around her, and around *ars arm that was draped over her body.
"lastair came over with a plate. $4iece of pizza, *ar+' %e offered her a slice. $4robably wont have
much at the airport.'
$.ure.' *ar maneuvered the big slice with one hand, getting it folded between her fingers before she
nibbled at the small end. It was hot, cheesy, and had a nice crisp crust that tasted a touch smokey.
$Mm.'
$.ometimes you like lifes simple pleasures.' "lastair took a bite of his own. $This is one of them.'
*ar had to agree. $Bet your wife is looking forward to you getting home, huh+'
$/ady, you know it.' "lastair settled back in his chair, balancing a can of root beer on the arm. $0e
can share a ride to the airport. $ %e said, casually. $Get a few minutes of private chat time.'
*ar nodded. $,ou talk to the board+' .he glanced up to see the door open, and %amilton appear. $"h.
/awyers in the house.'
"lastair turned his head. $%ey, %am, over here.' %e called out. $Grab yourself a piece of pie and sit
down.'
Their corporate lawyer complied. %e laid two pieces on a paper plate and came over to )oin them.
"typically, he was dressed in )eans and a polo shirt rather than his usual suit and he settled into the
chair across from *ar with a weary grunt.
$Got your tickets+' "lastair asked.
$%ell yes.' %amilton answered. $Ive had enough of the neighborhood to last me a coons birthday.'
%e bit into his pizza. $Im on your flight back to %ouston, "l. Ive got so much paperwork to dig
through I might as well take up your space to do it.'
"lastair grunted, and nodded.
D0here are we with all those government demands+' *ar asked.
$*ont go there, Maestro.' %amilton waved his pizza at her. $*o not ask about any of that. :ust
please go back to Miami and continue being brilliant and let me do my )ob.'
*ar blinked at him. $.ure.' .he said. $"ll yours.'
$/ets )ust say I had my hands full the last couple of days.' The lawyer said. $"l, you owe me a damned
fine steak dinner out of this.'
$5o problem my friend.' "lastair took a swig of his root beer. $Thats a debt Im glad to pay. 0eve
got a lot of work ahead of us in the ne&t few days.'
$Got that right.'
*ar could feel (errys gentle breathing under her hand, and she was reassured by the easy rhythm of
it. .he could sense a feeling of relief in the people around her, both the natives and the vistors, and
even a few smiles from the 5ew ,ork staff as they )oined their teammates in the pizza and drinks.
.he wished she could go to sleep along with (erry. The thought of going through the hassle at the
airport and then the flight home was absolutely e&hausting.
$%ey Maestro.'
*ar looked up at %amilton. $Mm+'
$Good )ob.' The lawyer toasted her with his soda.
$Thanks.' *ar answered. $0as it worth it+' .he indicated the television screen in the background,
which had 355 on it. $Markets dropped how many hundred points+'
%amilton shrugged. $My daddy, who I will tell you thought I was coming down in the world when I
went to law school, advised anyone who would listen that only fools lost money in the stock market.
#veryone else )ust recognized a fabulous buy opportunity when they saw it.'
$9ur stocks up.' "lastair remarked dryly.
$"irlines are dropping.' %amilton added. $Thats why I want to get my /ouisiana lily white ass out of
here before they go bankrupt and stop putting fuel in the tanks before they take off.'
$Think they will+' "lastair asked. $4eople wont stop flying.'
$0ont they+' %amilton asked. $0hos to say it wont happen again. 4eople dont like dying. It ruins
their day, "l.'
They all went !uiet for a moment. $0ell.' "lastair half shrugged. $Im not walking back to %ouston so
I guess Ill risk it. Bad enough I almost ended up having to swim from the Bahamas or get sailed in by
3aptain 6oberts, here.'
$0hat+' %amilton stared at him.
$9h, didnt tell you about that part, did I.' The 3#9 rested his head on his fist. $.o damned much has
happened Im losing track.' %e pondered that. $I need a vacation.'
$3mon down by us.' *ar offered. $Ill teach you to scuba dive.'
%amilton chuckled. $Id love to see that.' %e leaned back in his seat. $.ee some octopus chasing your
ass around the ocean.
"lastair rolled his eyes. Then his cell phone rang and he set his pizza down to answer it. $5ow what+'
%e opened the phone. $%ello+' %e paused, listening. $0ell, hello governor.'
$#ven if I had grits, I wouldnt let that cheap e&cuse for a catfish kiss them.' %amilton indicated the
phone. $%es got nothing but everyones worst interests in mind.'
$0ell, thanks, but we2. 5o, I dont really think weve got the2 ah, sure, but..' "lastair removed the
phone from his ear and stared at it. $0ell, goodbye to you too.' %e studied the instrument, and then
he folded it and returned it to his pocket.
$"nd+' *ar asked.
$The governor has a list of things he wants us to do.' "lastair said. $%es on his way over here with a
group of something or other and intends on staging a press conference and setting up a task force
center.'
$Guess he figured out which side we were on.' *ar mused.
$Guess he wants everything for free.' %amilton added dryly.
$Guess he can kiss my ass.' "lastair stood up and put his hands in his pockets. $/adies and gents,
please listen up.'
The room got !uiet !uickly, and everyone turned to face him.
$Id like to thank you all for everything youve done in the past week. 0eve done a hell of a )ob here,
despite a lot of personal struggle and tragedy, and believe me when I tell you I personally appreciate
that more than I can say.'
Tentative smiles appeared. $Its been good having you here, sir.' 9ne of the 5ew ,ork staff said. $0e
really appreciate all the support weve gotten. #veryones been so wonderful.'
$Thanks.' "lastair smiled at them. $But right now, what Id like you all to do is get your things, and
pack everything up, and leave the office, !uickly as you can.'
#veryone stared at him in some surprise.
$.ir+' The man said. $Is there something wrong+'
$5ot a thing.' "lastair assured him. $Theres )ust some folks coming down here to try and ask us for
something I dont want to be around for. .o lets get moving, please. Those of us who are visiting are
about to head for the airport anyway.'
#veryone stirred, and started to leave the room, still obviously puzzled. $4aid time off, of course.'
"lastair added. $3hop chop.'
%amilton had his head tilted back to watch the 3#9. $,oure becoming an ornery old bastard, "l.' %e
commented. $%ows that going to look if the governor shows up here, and no ones home+'
$5o ones here, he cant ask anyone, can he.' "lastair retorted. $Get a move on, %am. Get us a car
ready and lets scoot. Move it.'
%amilton got up and bowed, then headed off towards the door, chuckling under his breath. "lastair
turned to *ar, his brows hiking $,ou ready to go home, lady+'
$More than.' *ar said. $*ad )ust got back with our bags, so were ready to go soon as I wake (er up.'
.he glanced down at her partner. $,ou sure you want to piss this guy off again+'
$Bastards were threatening to have us all picked up as terrorists and held without counsel, *ar.'
"lastair said, in a mild tone. $,ou want to spend any more time here+'
$0ould they have really done it though+' *ar started to gently scratch (errys stomach, to get her to
wake up. $9r was it )ust a bluff+'
$I had federal agents on either side of me with handcuffs in that #&change.' %er boss said. $They were
all set to announce to the press that theyd uncovered a terrorist plot to overthrow the government
by coJopting its information technology.'
*ar stared at him. $,oure serious+'
$"s a heart attack.' "lastair said, with commendable calm. $.o wake up your sleeping beauty, and
lets get outta here. I only hope they dont give is a hassle at the airport.' %e turned and watched the
room empty, e&cept for "ndrew who was perched nearby on a chair arm, the bags on the seat ne&t to
him. $6eady to move out, commander+'
$.urely, genrl.' "ndrew responded. $.ooner we get out of this place, better for us.'
$,ou got that right.' "lastair headed for the door. $Move it people8 Move it8'
;;
$"ll right, lets go.' "lastair got into the limo and settled across from *ar. $-eeling any better, (erry+'
$#h.' (erry was wedged in the corner of her seat, her hands tucked inside the pocket of her hoodie.
$My ribs are killing me, but my head feels a lot clearer.' .he admitted. $The nap helped.'
The limo started moving, with the bus right behind it where the rest of the team was riding. (erry
and *ar were alone with "lastair and %amilton, and (erry almost wished she wasnt. .he had a
feeling she was going to be hearing things she wasnt going to like.
*ar was seated ne&t to her, stifling a yawn. .he had her briefcase ne&t to her and a bottle of water in
one hand, and she looked both tired and distracted. $,ou think theyll2 what do you think theyll do
when they get here and the office is closed+' .he asked.
$Beats me.' "lastair put his hands behind his head. $Im sure hell call me, and Im sure Ill think of
some lie to tell him about it. Maybe I took the office out to 3entral 4ark for buggy rides.'
$"l.' %amilton tsked.
$.orry %am, I )ust dont care.' "lastair said. $Im not spending one more minute here getting beaten
to hell by these bastards. Ill e&it the contracts, all of them.'
#ven *ar blinked.
$I figured.' "lastair cleared his throat. $I figured theyd pin me, when I told them we werent doing
the work for them. I figured wed get bad press, and Id be pretty embarrassed on television, but hell.
%ow bad could it really be, right+'
$But that wasnt going to happen.' (erry spoke up, her voice still slightly husky. $0as it+ I heard the
technicians in the #&change talking about the -BI.'
$-ound out when I got there that it was a lot worse.' "lastair said. $They figured theyd out us as
plotting against the government, the company, that is. %ad it all laid out. The fact we snuck into the
country, all the e&ceptions we asked for, the guard fracas down by the river, you name it. They had so
much detail on so many things they could twist to make us look like the bad guys2 hell.'
$But none of it was true.' (erry said. $0e did nothing but good for them.'
$Truth didnt matter.' "lastair said. $They wanted a big splash on 355, big scandal, show they were
on the ball, theyd uncovered a plot2'
$They didnt fall down on the )ob like they did last Tuesday+' *ar spoke up for the first time. .he
smiled grimly as %amilton pointed both inde& fingers at her.
$But really.' (erry said. $They have to prove things like that.'
$5o they dont.' %amilton said. $Thats what changed, They passed a law that gives them the right to
hold anyone they thinks a terrorist for however long they want, wherever they want, without no
charges, or no lawyers.'
(erry stared at him. $0hat+'
$"sk your mother.' %amilton said. DThey said it was necessary so they could find more terrorists
planning other atrocities here.'
$But were not terrorists.' (erry said.
$It doesnt matter.' "lastair e&haled. $Thats what I finally understood, standing there on hat damn
platform with those damn smug )ackasses all around me, the one of them telling me e&actly what they
were going to do because they knew I couldnt do anything about it.'
$"ll that mattered was the spin.' %amilton said. $They told me that when I was looking to file those
lawsuits. Told me to not even bother. The law didnt matter right now.'
$.o anyway.' "lastair picked the ball back up. $There I am, standing in the middle of hell wondering
how Im at least going to warn my wife I wont be home when I spot (erry standing there with a
gaggle of senators and Im wondering what on earths going on.'
(erry managed a smile. $I walked into the building with my mother.' .he said. $Its the only way I
was going to get in ? she ran interference with the guards but she had no idea what was going on
either. I )ust had time to get to the server room and put the optic in place before I got upstairs.'
$.o you knew they were up+' %amilton asked.
(erry shook her head. $I knew the link was up and I knew the rest of it was up to *ar.' .he looked
over at her partner. $.he had about two minutes to do what I guess was about three hours work.'
*ar shrugged modestly. $I type fast.' .he gazed over at "lastair. $.o youre telling me after we did
what we did at the 4entagon, and after we did all we did for them up to the #&change, they were
going to railroad us+'
"lastair nodded. $%onestly, *ar, it wasnt personal.' %e saw both women make a face, and glance at
each other. $The 14 and I go way back. In their minds it was a case of what they thought was right
for the country versus a bunch of nerds from some company giving them a hive.'
$.cary.' *ar murmured.
$It was.' "lastair admitted. $I was standing there kicking myself for making a stupid decision and
knowing we were all going to pay for it. I didnt want us to be in a public failure. Instead, I almost
walked us into the end of the company.'
$#&cept we got lucky.' *ar said.
$,ou really think that was luck+' "lastair asked, with a smile. $I think it was )ust people who refuse to
stop until they hit the end zone.'
*ar shrugged again, lifting her hand in the air and letting it fall. $0e made it happen.' .he
acknowledged. $Im very proud of our team.'
$.o am I.' %er boss said.
$0hat are you going to tell the board, "l+' %amilton asked.
"lastair gazed out the window for a few moments in thoughtful silence. $%avent decided yet.' %e
said. $They know I turned em down ? I told them Id take the fall and they were all right with that.'
$Morons.' *ar commented.
%amilton snickered. $"l, you have to tell them the whole deal. /ay it out. They gotta know in case
this comes back at us.'
$Beh.'
$%ave *ar tell em.' The lawyer persisted. $.he can get on that call with her typical badass attitude
and tell them $%ey morons8 /isten up8'' %e gazed fondly at *ar. $,oud do that for "l, wouldnt you,
Maestro+'
$.ure.' *ar readily agreed. $But I think hes right. I think you should tell the board e&actly what
happened, "lastair. #verything, including the threats because I think well need to decide what the
hell were going to do with our being the governments IT .iamese twin.'
(erry nodded, but kept !uiet.
$%alf our business is 7. Government.' "lastair stated. $Might get tough.'
$If we disband the company.' (erry spoke up at least. $I vote we open a clam shack down in (ey
/argo where the highest tech item is a wifi hotspot on the tiki roof.'
$,ou ready to retire already+' %amilton asked her, with a smile.
$6ight now, yes.' (erry answered. $In a heartbeat.'
$Im with you on that one.' "lastair responded, surprising them. $Im going to have a hell of a time
going in to work behind that damn desk after what we all )ust went through.'
(erry felt that at a gut level. The e&perience had changed all of them, to a more or lesser degree. .he
glanced past *ar out the other window, as she heard the faint rumble of an airplane taking off.
$"lmost there.'
*ar turned to look too. The entrance to the airport was guarded, and the limo slowed as they
reached the checkpoint. $/ets hope they dont have orders to throw us in a paddy wagon.' .he sat
back as the driver opened the windows for the guards to peer inside.
$%ello there.' "lastair remained in a rela&ed pose, his hands still behind his head. $:ust catching a
flight.'
The guard studied them, then turned away dismissively and waved them on. The window closed and
they pulled into the airport terminal. $Guess we didnt look dangerous.' %amilton commented. $/ittle
do they know, the poor suckers.'
$Theyre going to freak with the bus.' *ar predicted. $0e still have half a ton of gear in the back
lockers.'
$/ets hope they dont.' (erry said. $*ads back there.'
They got to the curb and eased out of the limo onto a sidewalk that was eerily !uiet. There were
guards stationed along the walk, but only a few cars were there discharging passengers. "lastair
signed for the limo driver, and then they stepped back and stood together for a moment.
$%ere comes the bus.' %amilton indicated the big vehicle now winding its way towards them. $0e
should go in as a group. I think our tickets are booked on one big itinerary.
$They are.' "lastair confirmed. $Bea took care of it.'
(erry stood with her hands tucked into her hoodie pocket, watching the bus unload itself of its
human and luggage cargo. The techs were all in good moods, glad the work was over and even more
glad to be headed home.
.he certainly was. .he drew in a careful breath and let it out, wincing against the throbbing ache in
her side. It felt raw and very painful, as though the bone was creaking in there and every movement
almost made her bite her lip.
.he felt *ars hand settle on her shoulder. $%ey.' .he murmured.
$*oing okay+'
(erry pulled the hand on her good side out and waggled it, then returned it to its nest. $Im glad I
dont feel like a zombie anymore but boy, this hurts.'
$Ive got some "dvil. *r. .teve said you could take that.' *ar offered. $/ets go inside and get through
security and Ill get you some.'
That sounded great to (erry. .he followed *ar into the building, with the rest of the group as they
entered the terminal and started across the worn carpet towards the check in area. It wasnt that
busy, and they all went up to the counter at the same time.
(erry stood !uietly )ust behind *ars shoulder as her partner handed over both of their
identifications and declined the offer to check their luggage. It all sounded very normal, and (erry
wondered if it had been that normal for the hi)ackers as the had checked in not !uite a week ago.
The gate agent asked *ar if shed packed her own luggage. *ar answered that she had, and that no
one had given them anything to take on. But that wasnt true, really, since "ndrew had packed both
their bags.
.hould *ar have said that+ In this case of course it didnt matter because it was her father. But what
had the terrorists said in response+
%ad they smiled+
0ere there more of them right here in the terminal, )ust waiting for their chance+ 0aiting for
everyone to rela& again+
$9kay, cmon, (er.' *ar handed her a folder. $%eres your boarding pass.'
(erry took it and stuck it in her hoodie pocket. .he followed *ar through the winding lines around
the corner and into another line, this time for security. $%ope they dont ask to frisk me.' .he said. $I
cant hold my right arm out.'
$0hy in the hell would they want to f2 no, let me rephrase that.' *ar settled the straps of both their
bags on her shoulder. $I totally understand the desire to frisk you. They better not think about it.'
(erry chuckled faintly. $,oure so funny.' .he sighed, as the rest of their group caught up to them in
line. $%ey dad.'
$%ey kum!uat. ,ou doing okay+' "ndrew had his bag over his shoulder, and he eyed the ones *ar had
but didnt grab for them.
$#h.' (erry moved forward in line as they approached the security station. $Ill be happy when the
plane lands.'
$,ou got that right, boss.' Mark agreed. $Thanks for making a deal to get those trucks back, *ar. I
really didnt feel like driving back tonight.'
They got to the front and filed into the security line. (erry was guiltily content to allow *ar to put all
her stuff on the belt, as she waited her turn to go through the &Jray machine. .he stepped through
and heard no tell tale beeps, but she looked at the guard anyway in !uestion.
%e took her boarding pass and looked at it, then waved her through. Gratefully she went to the belt
and reclaimed her overnight bag and briefcase )ust as *ar appeared behind her. They got their stuff
and continued on, moving down the hallway and then pausing to wait for the others.
"ndrew was being held up in the line. *ar watched as her father produced a card, then waited, his
arms crossed as it was e&amined. $%es got metal plates in him.'
$I know. I remember when we went into the -ederal building during my fathers hearings.' (erry
said. $.hould we go help out+ 9h, here he comes.'
"ndrew shook his head, and picked up his bag. %e slung it over his shoulder before he )oined them.
$3an you take it out.' %e mimicked the guards !uestion. $These people are some idiots sometimes I
swear.'
(erry smiled. They walked slowly towards their gate, the rest of the techs in group behind them.
They all stopped at one gate, then "lastair, %amilton and 5an started their good byes to go on to their
own.
$I cant say this was fun.' 5an said, to *ar. $But it certainly was something I will never forget.' .he
shook *ars hand. $Thanks for letting me be a part of it.'
DThanks for volunteering.' *ar responded. $I know the 1irginia office will be glad to get you back.'
5an moved on and faced (erry. $I hope you feel better. $
$Me too.' (erry worked her left hand out of her pocket and reached over to s!ueeze 5ans. $Take
care, 5an. I know Ill be talking to you on the phone.' .he paused. $"nd make sure you get your
brothers resume in.'
5an blinked. $,ou remembered that+ 0ow.' .he laughed a little, in surprise. $I feel like it was a year
ago when we had that conversation.'
(erry smiled. $I have to catch the details.' .he waved at 5an as she walked towards her gate. $%ave a
good flight.'
.he turned to find %amilton there. %e reached out and put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a wry
grin. $Boy, I hope we dont meet like this often.' (erry stated, catching sight of "lastair giving *ar a
bear hug nearby.
%amilton laughed. $,ou and me both, (errison .tuart.' %e patted her gently. $Take care of the
Maestro, will you please+ I owe her one for this little shindig.'
$I will.' (erry watched him step aside then she was being gently hugged by "lastair. $0hat a week.'
.he gave the 3#9 a oneJarm hug back. $%ope you have a safe trip back to %ouston, "lastair. 3ome
visit us soon, okay+ I want to see *ar teach you to scuba dive too.'
"lastair chuckled. $,oure on, (erry.' %e agreed. $,ou all have a safe trip home too. $ %e gave the
group a wave, and then he followed %amilton down the hallway towards the ne&t set of gates.
(erry e&haled, as she turned and *ar put her arm around her shoulders. .he looked up at her
partner, seeing the e&haustion in her face. $I like "lastair.'
$Me too.' *ar agreed. $%es seriously thinking of retiring.' .he added in a !uiet tone. $Thats what he
)ust told me.'
$0ow.' (erry looked back down the hallway. $I dont blame him, but2.'
$,eah, but.' *ar mused. $I dont want to work for anyone else.'
$Me either.'
$*ar, theyre starting to board.' Mark came over and touched *ars arm. $I know you guys want to get
on and sit down.'
(erry was glad to head for the )et way. .he was glad to hear the beep as her boarding card was
processed, and the motion under her feet as she walked down the ramp to the airplane door and
passed inside, greeted by the flight attendant who stepped aside and indicated her path to her first
class seat.
They all had them. *ar had told Bea to book the whole team as first class, so she settled into her
leather seat surrounded by the chatter of the techs and *ars low, burring response as they filled the
first class cabin.
$3an I get you something to drink, maam+' The cabin attendant asked. $.ome coffee maybe+ ,ou
look a little tired.'
(erry looked up at her. $%ow about some warm milk+' .he asked. $3an you manage that+'
$.ure.'
.he sat back in her seat, resting her elbows on the arms. .he was in the front row of the plane, and
she could see the cockpit, a crude metal plate hastily covering it and it reminded her all over again of
what had happened less than a week ago.
0ere they safe+ .he looked around the first class area, which was mostly full of their own people.
0hat if there was a bad guy, or more than one in the back+ .he watched the crew. They looked wary
and worried, their eyes taking in everyone and everything.
Including (erry and the rest of them here in first class, which she realized, included (annans e&otic
features, and "ndrews scarred intimidation. 0as the crew worried about them+ .hould they be+
The flight attendant returned with a steaming cup. .he set it ne&t to (errys hand, and set down a
small dish of warm nuts ne&t to it. $%ere you go.'
$Thanks.' (erry said. $Terrible week for you guys, huh+'
The attendant made a face. $The worst ever.' .he said. $,ou live in 5ew ,ork+'
$5o. (erry indicated the people around them. $0ere from Miami. 0e work for I/.. 0e drove up to
help out, now were going home.'
$9h.' The attendant looked around the first class cabin. $"re these people all with you+' .he glanced
back at (erry, who nodded. $Thats good to know. #very time I fly now, I wonderN who are these
people+ "re they crazy+ "re they going to hurt me+ I never felt like that before.'
$I think we all feel that way now.' (erry commented, as *ar returned to her seat and dropped into it.
$%ey. ,ou got that "dvil+'
$.ure.' *ar got up and rummaged in the overhead bin, pulling the bottle out of her backpack. $3an I
get some coffee+' .he asked the attendant. $Before we take off+'
$.ure.' The attendant gave her a friendly smile. $Be right back.'
(erry watched her return to the service area and talk to her colleague, who had a list in her hand and
was reviewing it. .he looked at the list, then out at them, and then nodded, a look of perceptible
relief on her face.
0ow. (erry leaned back, as *ar handed her some pills. .he popped them into her mouth and
swallowed them down with a sip of her warm milk. 0hat would it be like to go to work every day
and worry about someone trying to kill you and everyone around you+
It would be like being at war, she guessed. 9r being somewhere that bombs going off was an
everyday occurrence.
0elcome to the rest of the world, "merica.
*ar took her seat and reached over the divider to take (errys hand, curling her fingers around her
partners and letting out a tired sigh, as they closed the door to the airplane, and they knew they were
on their way.
"t last.
;;
$"ll right, you little scamp. .tay still a minute.'
(erry did, closing her eyes as she heard the hum of the G ray machine. .he was flat on her back, the
chill of the table cool against her bare shoulder blades and her skin still )ust a little warm from the
sun outside.
The sun of home. The achingly hot sun, and the thick, swampy air that coated her with sweat not ten
steps outside the door to the Miami airport theyd landed at shortly before.
%eaven.
$9kay, got it.' *r. .teve stepped around the GJray shield and came to (errys side. $Thats a hell of a
bruise you got there, spunky.'
(erry glanced down at her side. $,eah.' .he said. $It was so stupid, *r. .teve. I tripped trying to keep
some guy from falling on his face and ended up halfway under a raised floor.'
Their family doctor put his fingertip on her nose. $5e&t time let the guy fall on his head. *ont cause
yourself such a pain, huh+'
$Twenty twenty hindsight.' (erry accepted his hand up and swung her legs off the table, easing off it
to stand ne&t to the doctor in her )eans and sports bra. $It still hurts like hell. But at least Im not all
foggy from those drugs they gave me.'
$%on.' *r. .teve put his hands on her shoulders. $That stuff could have killed you.' %e told her
bluntly. $,ou were lucky you were running around like a crazy woman because you could have sat
down somewhere, and nodded off, and not woken up.'
(erry stared at him.
$I am not kidding. 5ot only wasnt it the right thing, but it was too big a dose for you. That size dose is
for someone like *ars daddy. ,ou are not the size of *ars daddy. I am going to call up that doctor
and read him the riot act.'
(erry took a breath, and then released it. $I dont think he did it on purpose.'
$Thats not the point. 0ere doctors. 0ere supposed to know what the hell were doing and not
deliberately try to kill people. Its called the %ippocratic oath. #ver hear of it+' *r .teve seemed truly
outraged. $Im sure that guy didnt do it on purpose, he was )ust in a hurry.'
$0ell.' (erry picked up her tJshirt, holding it in her hands. $Its a good thing *ar called you then,
huh+'
$-or once, she did. If it had been her, I bet she wouldnt have.' *r .teve patted her shoulder. $5ow, go
on in there and keep her company while I develop these. "fter that prescription, I want to make sure
you dont have a tennis ball inside there or something he might have missed.'
$9kay.' (erry walked out of the GJray room and down the hall of the small family practice, passing
two occupied rooms with nurses busy at their work. *r. .teve had cut the bandage shed had on off
and as she passed the reception desk, she saw the doctors daughter glance over and wince.
$,ow.' The girl stood up and came over. $0ow, looks like you got hit with a baseball bat.'
$,eah.' (erry smiled as *ar )umped up and headed over. $%on, give me a hand with the shirt. The
docs looking at my &Jrays.'
*ar took the garment and gathered it in her hands. $If Id known your ribs looked like that two days
ago wed have been home way before now.' .he frowned at her partner, getting the clothing over her
head and settling it around her carefully.
$I dont care what they look like.' (erry leaned against her. $I )ust want to go home and spend a few
hours in our hot tub, have something scandalously decadent delivered for dinner, and crash with you
in our waterbed after that. $
*ar paused, and looked slightly overwhelmed. $Boy, that sounds great.' .he said, after a minute. $5o
laptops, no pagers, no pain in the ass government officials2'
$,ou guys had a rough time up there, huh+' .heryl commiserated.
$0e did.' (erry said. $0ere glad to be home.'
*r. .teve came out of the hallway, and crooked his finger at them. $3mere, kiddies.'
*ar and (erry )oined him in his small office, where he put the GJrays up on a screen and turned it on.
$/ook here.' %e pointed at a curved shadow on the picture. $Thats your rib, (erry. ,ou have not one,
but three hairline fractures.' %e indicated three things that looked like scratches. $" little more
pressure, and that would have been a real fracture, and probably caused you a hell of a problem.'
$,ow.' (erry grimaced. $.o what do I do+'
$5othing.' *r. .teve said. $Theyre already healing, see here+' %e indicated a blur on one end. $0e
wrap you up and you go home and rela&, which I gather is what you want to do anyway.'
(erry nodded vigorously.
$I will give you something to take the edge off.' *r. .teve continued. $3an I talk you into taking a few
days off as well+'
$"bsolutely.' *ar answered for her. $0ere both taking the rest of the week off.'
The doctor stared at her suspiciously.
$Thanks boss.' (erry gave her a kiss on the shoulder. $3an we go out on the boat+'
$"bsolutely.' *ar agreed.
$/et me get you wrapped up before this pipe dream disappears.' *r. .teve waved (erry out to the
hallway. $I should take an &Jray of her head, the way shes talking.'
;;
Twilight found (erry seated on the porch, a tall glass of ice tea by her side, and a /abrador at her feet.
.he rocked the swing chair back and forth with one foot braced against the railing, and savored the
salt tinged air wafting past her face.
It was so good to be finally home. .he reached down and scratched 3hinos ears. $%ey 3heebles.. you
glad were back+'
3hino stood up and licked her knee, laying her chin there and staring soulfully up at (erry. $Gruff.'
$Im glad were back too.' (erry told her pet. $I missed you.' .he watched 3hinos tail wag, and felt
like wagging her own in response. $Thanks for being good for your grandma.'
The sliding door opened, and *ar appeared, wandering over to )oin her and stepping over 3hino to
take a seat ne&t to her.
$"hhh.' *ar propped her feet up on the rail, and put her hands behind her head. $*amn Im glad to be
here.'
$Me too.' (erry took a sip of her ice tea. $/isten to those waves.'
The ocean was crashing up against the beach, and the seawall, and they could hear rollers coming in.
$*ad )ust called. %e and Mom )ust made it back over to .outh 4oint.' *ar said. $%e said we should get
together for dinner sometime later on this week.'
$.ure.' (erry leaned a little and kissed *ar on her bare shoulder. $0hatever you want to do is cool
with me.'
*ar put her arm over (errys shoulders and let her head rest against her partners. $I want to put you
in the hot tub.' .he said. $I have some cold apple cider chilling ne&t to it and a bowl of cherries.'
(erry was more than ready for that. .he was already in her swimsuit and she )oined *ar on the steps
to the tub, easing down into the heated water as the scent of chlorine rose around her. The warmth
stole into her bones and she felt a sense of relief as she settled in place and the bubbles rumbled
around her soothingly. $99ohhhh.'
*ar slid into place ne&t to her. .he tipped her head back and looked up, to see a partly cloudy sky )ust
starting to show a few stars scattered around. They usually visited the hot tub at night, when the
shadows and indirect lighting let them dispense with the swimsuits, but it was very nice to )ust float
weightless in the water as the sky turned dark. $-eel better+'
(erry let herself rela&, and felt the tension drain from her as the bubbles flowed gently over her body.
%er muscles rela&ed, and even the ache in her ribs subsided a little as she no longer bore weight on
her chest. $That feels wonderful.' .he admitted.
$It does.' *ar agreed. $If you didnt have cracked ribs Id suggest we go out for a night dive.'
$9oh.' (erry imagined the immersion and the rich twilight. $.tupid damn ribs.'
$0e have time.' *ar offered her a glass of cider. $0e can )ust be beach bums this week.'
(erry sipped the cold, fizzy drink. $,ou were serious+ 0ere taking the week off+'
$This week, and ne&t week if we want to.' *ar responded. DThey )ust got a months worth of hours out
of us in si& days. 0ere due.'
$Good.' (erry set the cup down and closed her eyes. $I want to sleep in tomorrow. I told Mayte to
)ust tell everyone who calls Im on sick leave.'
*ar rolled onto her side and nibbled (errys ear. $I told Maria to say our offices are closed for the
week.' .he whispered. $"nd not to save the voice mails or emails.'
(erry eased over onto her side facing her partner. .he rested her hand on *ars hip and leaned
forward, kissing her partner on the lips. $0ere going to regret these suits, arent we+' .he savored
the sensual rush as *ars arms gently encircled her, pulling them together.
$:ust this once I wish wed put on bikinis.' *ar admitted. $9r waited until it was dark.'
(erry had to admit she agreed. $Twenty twenty hindsight.' .he settled a little closer and kissed *ar
again, the rush of the water over her skin now e!ual parts comforting and erotic. .he blocked out
the recent past and concentrated on body pressed up against her, fingers already itching to slide the
strap of *ars suit down her shoulder.
There was no pressure against her ribs, and though she still ached, she could breathe with some
comfort in the weightlessness of the water. #ven the ache faded as *ars hand slid along the back of
her thigh and their lips met again, for a longer e&ploration.
It was so strange not to feel an&ious. (erry gave in to her inclination and slid *ars strap down,
feeling a faint chuckle against her lips as she did so. .o strange not to have all that tension and the
ticking clock hanging over them.
The warm water suddenly swirled against her bare breasts as *ar neatly e&tracted her upper body
from her suit before she even realized it was happening. .he shoved aside her thoughts and focused
on the teasing touch against her nipples, the gentle tweaks wringing a guttural sound from deep in
her throat.
It was still twilight, but she didnt care. .he got *ars other strap down and they worked their suits
off in something like harmony, motions slow and easy, ending in a rush of passion as their bare
bodies met and brushed against each other.
*ars hand stroked lightly down the inside of her thigh, and (erry forgot about everything e&cept the
desire she felt and the craving of her body for that touch. .he half rolled onto her back as *ars
attentions became intimate, her hands sliding down *ars sides in response.
The sensations built so fast she barely had time to take a breath, %er body felt like it was on fire and
she surrendered to the wave of intensity, )ust holding onto *ar to keep herself from slipping under
the water.
%er body tensed and convulsed, her grip tightening instinctively and then slowly loosening as her
heart hammered incessantly in her ears. .he let her head fall back and looked up at *ar, who was
gazing lazily down at her, a se&y, knowing smile on her face.
The whole world could have changed around them, but it didnt matter. (erry cupped the back of
*ars neck and pulled her head down for a kiss, her other hand making its way down her partners
belly.
They mattered. This mattered. Being in love mattered. /et the world go crazy. .he couldnt give a
damn.
;;
*ar surveyed her handiwork on the tray, trying to decide if there were e&actly enough grapes
surrounding the crab claws and shrimp or if she needed to add another handful. #ventually she
selected a few strawberries instead, and settled them in place, and then she picked up the tray and
headed into the living room with it.
(erry was sitting in one of the plush leather chairs in her pa)amas, her feet up on an ottoman, and a
colorful dive magazine in her hands. .he looked up as *ar entered, her face creasing into an easy
grin. $9h my gosh, 4aladar. 0hat do you have there+'
$*inner.' *ar set the tray down on the table between the two chairs. $,ou wanted decadent, you got
it. 0eve got seafood platters with a half dozen things to dunk stuff in, hush puppies, corn fritters,
conch fritters, spicy fries, corn on the cob, a token bowl of cream spinach so you dont spank me, and
Baileys mocha milkshakes.'
$"hhh.' (erry surveyed the feast. $0here do I start+' .he picked up the milkshake and sucked on it.
$Mm.' .he pointed at the magazine with her pinky. $0e should go on a dive boat, *ar.'
$0e own a dive boat, hon.' *ar curled up in the chair across from her partner. .he picked up a crab
claw and dunked it in a few things, then sucked the flesh from it with a low gurgle. $Mm..'
$,es, I know.' (erry selected a shrimp and scooped up a thick coating of cocktail sauce. $But I think
it would be cool if we go somewhere the *i&ie cant take us, like "ustralia or 4apua 5ew Guinea and
do a diving live aboard there.'
$%m.' *ar nibbled on a corn fritter. $That could be fun. Is there a package advertised in there+' .he
pointed at the magazine. $Gimme. Ill book us.'
(erry tossed the magazine over. $4age EH.' .he said. $Its a nice looking boat, and they got good
reviews.'
*ar e&amined the page, while she sucked on a crab claw. $,ou got it.' .he said. $Theyve got a ten day
going out end of 9ctober. 0ant that for a birthday present+'
$,ep.'
$*one.'
(erry grunted in contentment, carefully lifting her plate over and resting it on the arm of the chair as
she dug into its contents. $Thats going to be so cool.'
They hadnt talked about work since theyd gotten home. *ar had no intention of changing that trend.
$%ows your side feeling+'
(erry chewed her shrimp and swallowed before she answered. $It hurts.' .he admitted. $If I breathe
the wrong way, its painful, and if I move my arm around a lot. Its not that bad though.' .he went
back for a crab claw. $It feels a lot better )ust being here in our home.'
*ar nodded in agreement. .he stretched her legs out and propped her feet on the ottoman, reaching
with her other hand out for the remote control. $0hat are you in the mood for+'
$3rocodile man.' (erry said. $"nything e&cept news and sports.'
$Gotcha.' *ar found the channel and set the remote down. $"fter we wake up tomorrow Im going to
go down and spool the boat up. Maybe we can do sunset on the water tomorrow night. Ill have the
club cater the galley.'
$.ounds great to me.' (erry took a sip of her milkshake. $,ou think the seas are still up from that
storm+'
$%urricane Gabrielle+' *ar chuckled. $Ill check the marine forecast, but it should be all right if we
head south.'
$%ead south.' (erry mused. $0ant to go to the cabin+ 3hinod love that, wouldnt you, 3hi+'
The /abradors head popped up, ears perked. %er tail started sweeping the tile floor.
D,eah, I do.' *ar said, after a brief pause. $I want to get lost for a few days. %ard to do that here.'
(erry looked up and studied her partners profile for a moment. *ar didnt seem upset, )ust
somewhat thoughtful and !uiet, and she wondered what was going through her head. .he almost
asked, and then she decided to be patient and see if *ar would start talking about it instead.
They ate in silence for a little while, watching the antics on the screen. (erry took a few forkfuls of
the spinach and munched them, en)oying the fresh, green taste that cut the richness of the fritters
and the tangy taste of the cocktail sauce.
The items were familiar to her. .he and *ar often shared fresh seafood, which they both liked, and
shed gained a taste for the sweet spiciness of the fritters and the rough te&ture of the corn. .he
dipped a fritter in the spinach and chewed it, washing the whole thing down with a mouthful of
milkshake that tasted almost as bad for her she figured it probably was.
0ho cared+ .he picked up another crab claw and dunked it in the butter sauce. $*id I dream it, or
did I actually show my mother my tattoo+' .he asked, glancing at *ar. $I sort of halfway remember
something like that.'
$,ou did.' *ar agreed. $,ou pulled your shirt off in the conference room and your mom was right
there. I was counting your ribs.'
$:esus.' (erry laughed softly. $9h well, 0orse ways for her to see it I guess.' .he said. $"ll in all, she
really wasnt that bad for all this, even before it happened. I think I was more of a )erk to her than the
other way around.'
$.hes had her moments.' *ar demurred.
$5o, I know.' (erry worked on cleaning her plate. $5othings going to change what happened
between us, it happened. I know that, and I think she knows that. But I really was a bastard those first
few days, *ar. Im kind of ashamed of that.'
$But youre such a cute bastard, (er.' %er partner didnt seem fazed. $"nyway, it all ended up pretty
much okay, didnt it+ I thought she reacted pretty well to the tattoo. .he didnt freak out. *ad said
she told him she was happy shed been invited down here.'
(erry munched a fry. $,eah.' .he said, after a moments thought. $.he came through for us at the
#&change. .he had no idea what was going on, but she )ust went with what I was asking.' (erry
remembered the moment. $Maybe theres hope for us.'
$Im thinking well find out at your sisters wedding.' *ar said, dryly. $I hope you get to pick your own
dress, and you dont have to wear one of those creepy bow front things.'
$Ill pick my own dress. They know better.' (erry smiled. $Im glad for "ngie.'
$Me too.' *ar said. $I was hoping theyd get together. I know your mother had them move in but two
kids to take care of can be tough. I know my mother had a rough time with )ust me.'
$:ust you+' (erry looked affectionately at her partner. $%oney youre e!ual to triplets in anyones
book.' .he finished the last of her fries and sat back. $0hoof. Im stuffed.' .he rested her chin on her
fist, her elbow propped on the chair arm.
$Too stuffed for key lime pie+' *ar eyed her.
$%m.'
DThats what I thought.'
;;
(erry idly watched a seagull wheel over the dock, peering hopefully down at the tall figure
wandering back up the beach. .he was ensconced comfortably in the big hammock on the porch of
their cabin, her bare feet dusted with sand and her skin slightly tight with sun and salt air.
It was -riday. .he was several shades bronzer, a few pounds heavier, and her ribs had subsided to an
ache she could manage with "dvil. They had spent most of the week )ust lazing around the cabin,
swimming in the surf and taking walks down the beach together since the weight of their dive gear
was too much for (errys in)ured side to handle.
They had spent time shell hunting instead. (erry now had !uite a collection of them, and she was
pondering what to do with them as she swung in the languid air. Maybe some )ewelry+ .hed found
several tiny olives she imagined would make pretty earrings, at any rate.
.he wondered if *ar would like them. .he knew some of her work colleagues would. Maybe shed
make a few for Mayte and Maria before they went back. There was a place down the road that she
knew would have the settings for them and a goldsmiths shop she could get chains at a little further
south.
$%ey.' *ar arrived on the porch, tweaking one of (errys toes as she dropped into a chair nearby.
3hino trotted up after her, shaking herself free of salt and sand, before she went over to a large bowl
near the door and lapped thirstily.
$%ey.' (erry amiably replied.
$,ou decided yet+' *ar leaned back and laced her fingers behind her head.
(erry studied her partner. *ressed in a tattered pair of shorts and a tank top, her dark hair
windblown all to hell, it was very hard to imagine her willingly going back to their maroon offices in
Miami encased in a business suit.
9r was that )ust rationalization for what she wanted to do anyway+ #h. (erry smiled. 0ho cared+ $I
want to stay here. 0e can do a little work from our offices back there.'
$Great decision.' *ar complimented her. $#specially since were getting a couple of visitors ne&t
week. "lastairs dropping by for his scuba lesson.'
$6eally+' (erry rested her hands on her stomach and twiddled her thumbs. $That should be fun. Is he
bringing his wife+'
$,es. Theyre going to stay in one of the resorts down the road.' *ar said. $0ere going to have a
board meeting while hes here. Get some stuff resolved. Talk about the market. The whole worlds in
a tailspin.'
$9kay.' (erry wriggled into a slightly more comfortable position. $.ounds good to me. I still dont
have to look at email until Monday, right+'
*ar gazed at her, a faint grin on her face. $5ope.'
(erry closed her eyes. $Good.' .he wiggled her toes. $Ive almost got my brain to the fully flushed
point, where I maybe could start thinking of dealing with all the crap again by Monday.'
*ar got up and circled the hammock, taking hold of the edge and lowering herself into it ne&t to
(erry. .he snuggled up ne&t to her partner and sighed happily. $I vote we move the company down
here. 0hat do you think+'
$Mm.' (erry pondered that. $0ed have a hell of a time in hurricane season, honey.' .he mused. $But
yeah, I would love to leave the traffic and the chaos behind for a while.'
$0ell.' *ar rested her head against (errys. $Itll depend which way the company wants to go. If we
pull out of the government contracts like "lastair was talking about, thats one thing. But I got an
email from Gerry. $
$7h oh.'
$"pparently.' *ar cleared her throat. $That little bit of weenie waggling "lastair did had the reverse
effect than he was looking for. %e got some ma)or mo)o points for telling those bastards to kiss his
ass.'
$9h for 4etes sake.' (erry rolled her eyes. $0hy in the hell would we want to get involved with them
after what they did, *ar+ They tried to screw us to the wall8'
$%uge amounts of money.' %er partner replied. $7nlimited budget. 7nlimited resources. Gerrys
happy as a clam. %e apparently thinks I should be too.'
$"re you+' (erry turned her head to study *ars profile.
*ar looked up at the porch overhang for a little while as they swung together. $Im a moderately
patriotic person.' .he said, finally. $My fathers a retired career military officer. I grew up on a
military base. I came very, very close to )oining the service.'
$I remember when you got that medal.' (erry said. $,ou couldnt have stood up any straighter if
youd been a soldier. $
*ar nodded. $Ive always been very proud of the fact that our company handled.. no, protected so
many resource of our country. I felt it was2 it was always sort of a way I could be a part of that
world even though I decided against it way back when.'
$"nd+' (erry asked, after a period of silence.
$"nd now, after what we )ust went through with the people representing our government I feel
ashamed to admit to anyone we have anything to do with them.' *ars voice was gentle, and
reflective. $I feel betrayed.'
$0hen I was down by the battery, I gave one of those firemen working there some ice tea.' (erry
said. $%e said the same thing. %e felt betrayed.' .he curled her fingers around *ars. $.ee, and I
always came at it from the opposite direction, *ar. I always felt betrayed by our government because
I lived with it. I saw it from the inside.'
$Mm.' *ar grunted. $I never thought of you like that.'
(erry chuckled. $I know. I think you see me as a lot more innocent than I really am.' .he said. $I dont
show you my bastard side.'
$,ou never did #ven when I was going to fire you.'
$5o.' (erry admitted. $,ou never gave me a chance. I fell in love with you the minute I saw you and
the worst I could be was indignant. God, how confusing that was for me. I wanted to be so nasty to
you and I think the worst thing I ever said was2'
$That you hoped I was going straight to hell because that was where I belonged.' *ar inter)ected.
(erry was !uiet for a moment. $,eah.' .he said. $6ight before you saved my ass from being robbed,
and maybe raped, and probably killed. .o much for my ability to )udge people, huh+'
$Meh.' *ar shrugged, chuckling under her breath.
(erry e&haled. $0hat are you going to do, *ar+'
$I dont know.' *ar answered. $I )ust dont know. I want to talk to "lastair, find out what he thinks,
and tell him what Im thinking. I know we talked about starting our own company before but2'
$But now maybe we mean it.' (erry finished, in a soft tone. $I could make a change. I like what I do,
but sometimes its like looking at a neverJending train track of problems )ust coming at you. I dont
know how you did it as long as you did.'
$,ou know what our biggest problem is+ $ *ar pondered the ceiling again. $I know theyll put me
under a non compete clause if I resign, for one thing, and for another, if I open a consulting firm the
first people who are going to banging at my door will probably be the government. $
$%ow long for the non compete+' (erry asked.
$" year, probably. Thats the standard.' *ar replied. $But in return for that I get all my accrued
vacation time, my pension, stock options2 its a bribe but its a pretty good one.'
$.o can we go traveling around the world for a year+' (erry asked. $:ust seeing stuff+'
*ar cocked her head thoughtfully. $5ow, that doesnt sound bad at all.' .he admitted. $Is that
something youd like to do+ ,ou want to )ust blow everything off for a year+'
$"re you kidding me+' (erry eased over onto her left side and wrapped herself around *ars body.
$,es. I would very much like to do that. Maybe after "ngies wedding, we can )ust take off and go
everywhere. "nywhere.'
$That would work.' *ar said, after a brief pause. $Because well need to give them a couple months to
find our replacements.' .he smiled. $0ow. I cant believe how good it feels to say that.'
(erry gave her a kiss on the cheek. $Thanks.'
$-or+' *ar nibbled her earlobe.
$5ot making me ask you to fire me.'
*ar looked at her in surprise.
$Im halfway kidding.' (erry admitted. $Its )ust been so nice to be able to do whatever I wanted this
week instead of what I felt like I had to do.' .he traced one of *ars ribs. $I guess seeing what
happened to so many of those people2 made me realize how precious every minute is.'
*ar captured her hand and lifted it, kissing the knuckles. $,eah.' .he said. $Thats pretty much how I
feel too. I dont want to waste all my life minutes on broken routers.' .he went nose to nose with
(erry. $0e need to have more fun.'
(erry grinned. $9f course, every time we try to have fun2' .he reminded *ar. $0e get our asses in
trouble.'
$That can be fun too.' *ar cupped her cheek, and then kissed her on the lips. $,ou up for a walk on
the beach before dinner+' .he asked. $I think were going to have a nice sunset.'
They rolled carefully out of the hammock, and paused long enough for (erry to duck inside and get
her camera and a couple of bottles of beer. Then they sauntered down the steps and headed off
across the sand, with 3hino racing ahead of them.
$,ou think I could make shell )ewelry *ar+'
$.ure. 0hy not+'
$But would you wear it+'
$.ure.'
$#ven if I made you a pair of three inch round sand dollar earrings+'
$5o.'
$,ou wouldnt+'
$5o.'
$%ow about a sharks tooth necklace+'
$5ow youre talking.
;;
The #nd Ufor nowV