Hurricane Watch

Chapter

Fourteen

DAR SHUT THE door to her inner office behind her just as the outer door opened and three figures barged inside and headed in her direction. “What in the hell do you want?” she snapped.

“What do we want?” José spluttered. “Half the company is down and what the hell are you doing about it?” he said. “That’s what we want!” He indicated Steven and Eleanor, who were behind him. “You’re not going to blow us off again.”

“Sure I am.” Dar headed for the door, which they were standing in front of. “I’d advise you moving your asses out of my way.”

“Hold on, Dar.” Eleanor held a hand up, her voice serious. “Come on now. You owe us some kind of explanation as to what’s going on. We have customers to answer to.”

Addressed reasonably, Dar paused and regarded her. “Charlotte data center’s down,” she said. “They have no access to the building. I’m going up there to find out what can be done to restore service.”

“So you have no backup for those customers?” Steven spoke up.

“We have no backup for those customers,” Dar replied evenly.

“Joint budgetary decision.” She flexed her hands on her crutches. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a plane to catch.”

“And if you can’t do anything?” Steven stood in her way. “Then what? Maybe your dear buddy in Houston won’t be able to protect you any more?” He stared steadily at her. “Trust me. I’ll use that. You should have stayed gone.”

“You should have been aborted at birth. Guess the world’s just full of little pitfalls like that,” Dar replied. “Now get out of my way or I’ll call security and have you thrown out.”

José had the grace to look uncomfortable. “Hey, come on,” he said.

“Let’s not be animals to each other. This is a serious thing.”

“I am serious,” Dar said. “You want something done? Fine. I’m doing something. Now get the hell out of the way or else do it yourself.”

She started for the door. “I’m not standing here arguing with you.”

For a moment, she thought she was going to have to fight her way out of her office. It was stupid, and insane, and Dar was suddenly very tired thinking about it. But they moved aside and let her go by, and she headed down the hallway with them trailing after her.

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gone now too, the hostility beating at her back bringing her to question again whether staying here, going through this again, and again and again was a good decision for any of them.

Maybe she could convince Kerry they should go somewhere else, after they got the current problem sorted out. Fix this one last thing, and then give the company the finger? Dar keyed the elevator.

Having Alastair fly out had been great for her ego, but in the long run, what was the point? She turned and regarded the three sales and marketing executives fuming silently behind her and wondered aloud.

“What in the hell do you want from me?”

“What do we want?” Eleanor blurted. “What does that mean? We want the company to run right, and to make money. What in the hell do you want?”

“To screw her little staff whore,” Steven said. “Glad the company pays for it. What else is in your budget the stockholders don’t know about?”

Dar could hear her heartbeat thunder in her ears suddenly, and she was forcibly reminded of the temper she’d inherited along with her height and looks from her father as her body tensed and she felt the blood rush to her skin.

Then she thought about having him restored in her life, and what priority that should have, and about the lessons he’d taught her while she was growing up a scrappy, wild kid.

Never hit somebody cause you’re mad, Dar. Andrew’s voice echoed softly as they waited in silence for her response. Hit ‘em cause hurting

‘em’s gonna get you something back. “My budget’s public knowledge with the rest of the filing,” she said in a voice that was strangely calm even to her own ears. “But we’ll discuss it when I get back.”

“Dar.” Eleanor now looked a trifle uncomfortable.

“Fuck you.” The door opened and Dar entered the elevator, pressing the close button, and keying her badge at the same time to force them shut before the rest of them could react, leaving her in silence for the ride down to the bottom floor.

THE PLANE WAS quiet, being only half full, and Dar took the opportunity to relax in her comfortable seat, a glass of white wine balanced on the console between herself and Kerry.

The blonde woman was curled up half on her side, a soft, blue blanket tucked around her as she idly watched Dar’s profile. ”We’ll have to go out to the office as soon as we get there,” Dar commented, laying a casual hand over Kerry’s. ”It’s going to be a long night.”

”Okay,” Kerry mumbled, shifting over and curling her fingers around Dar’s. ”As long as I can spend it with you, I don’t care how long it is.” She closed her eyes and exhaled.

Dar gazed at her quietly, absorbing the unexpected compliment.

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”Thanks,” she finally said, softly. A sea green orb appeared, and studied her. ”That was a really sweet thing to say.”

Kerry blushed gently, and closed her eye again, giving the fingers held in hers a little squeeze. ”You bring out the poet in me,” she admitted softly. ”It’s the weirdest thing.”

”Oh really?” Dar rolled half onto her side, facing Kerry. ”Got any handy?”

Alarmed green eyeball. ”Any what handy?”

”Poems,” her lover replied, a wicked twinkle in her eyes. ”You said I brought that out in you. I know you’re writing them. I’d love to hear one.””B...” Kerry’s brain ran around in circles for a minute. ”I, b...”

”Well, that sort of rhymes, yeah,” Dar mused. ”Doesn’t have much emotional impact, though.” She took a sip of her wine. ”Is that one of those haiku things?”

Kerry laughed softly. “For Pete’s sake, Dar. Most of my poems are so corny.” Lips very gently brushed against hers, and she tasted their sweetness.

”They’re not corny,” Dar rumbled into her ear. ”I think they’re incredible.” She kissed Kerry again, glad of the dimmed cabin lighting.

”Just like you.”

”Mm...” Kerry found her hands moving irresistibly towards the warm body next to her. ”Now which one of us is the poet?”

IT WAS A dark and stormy night. Kerry rolled the words around inside her head, as she peered through the darkness surrounding them.

They’d gotten to the airport safely, and retrieved a rental car, then headed out to the networking office.

”Pretty remote out here,” Dar commented, the small muscles on the sides of her face tensing as she tried to see through the rain. The road was a two lane blacktop, bordered by trees and rolling up and down hills. Only the very occasional street lamp appeared out of the gloom, and the rain was so hard it reflected Dar’s headlights into a blurring glare.”You said it,” Kerry agreed. ”Something like the area I’m from, but more hilly.” She hung onto the strap as Dar took an unexpected curve, then blinked as the road banked down and to the left. ”Whoa.”

”Yeah.” Dar nibbled her lower lip. ”I don’t do hills very much, sorry.” She consciously slowed down, and ran a hand through her hair, wishing it was light out. ”It’s not that much further, though— Whoa!”

The car slid out from under her control, and she instinctively steered with it, resisting the desire to slam on the breaks. They did a three hundred sixty degree turn, and almost went off the road before Dar wrestled the car around straight, and slowed down almost to a crawl.

”What in the hell was that?”

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Kerry put a gentle hand on her arm. ”Ice.” She exhaled. ”Um, you want me to drive? I think I’m a lot more used to it than you are. They probably don’t have icy roads much in Miami.”

Dar considered that, then prudently pulled off the road and stopped, tugging her jacket up before she opened the door. ”Okay.

Yeah, we get rain slicks, but nothing like this.” She exited out into the frosty rain tinged with sleet, and exchanged places, settling into a cloth seat still warm from Kerry’s body.

It was a surprisingly sensual moment, especially since she caught her lover’s scent still clinging to the fabric. She sat back, a little bemused, and watched Kerry adjust the seat so her booted toes could reach the pedals. ”Sorry. I should have moved that.”

Sea green eyes suddenly glanced up, a hint of mischief in them. ”Or you could have just stayed there, and I could have sat in your lap.”

A dark eyebrow crawled up Dar’s face almost into her hairline. ”Oh really?” She was tempted, then sighed. ”Maybe after we get outta there.

It’d be a little conspicuous pulling up to the site like that.”

Kerry finished her adjustments, then put the car in drive and slowly pulled out. ”Mm, yeah, I guess.” She studied the road. ”Straight ahead?”

Dar nodded. ”Yeah, turn right onto the next major cross road. It has a state highway sign.” She let her head rest against the seat back and stretched her legs out, giving Kerry a look as she reached down and adjusted the passenger seat all the way back. She decided she liked being a passenger, because it gave her the opportunity to study her lover’s profile at her leisure, admiring the slightly upturned nose, and the smooth line of her jaw, the muscles shifting a little as she concentrated on the road.

Kerry was painfully aware of the eyes on her, and she fought the instinct to fuss with her hair nervously, which was a habit of hers.

”Um...” She tried to think of something to distract Dar. ”So, what are we going to do when we get there?”

”Well.” Dar folded her arms across her chest, pulling the leather of her jacket tight around her body. ”It depends on what the situation is.

Probably we’ll have to push a few people around, kick a little ass, get nasty... Hey, Kerry?”

”Kick ass, take names, be nasty, huh?” Kerry flicked a glance her way. ”What?”

”You’re really cute.” Dar grinned.

The car slid sideways with Kerry hanging on and cursing for several very long moments before she regained control of it. ”Dar, don’t do that,” she pleaded, willing her blush to recede. ”We’re going to end up in a ditch.”

Dar chuckled softly. ”Sorry.” She fell silent, and let her companion concentrate on navigating the slick roads.

The dark countryside passed slowly, broken only by the occasional Hurricane Watch

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car or truck going in the other direction. It was another hour before Dar nodded towards a half hidden driveway. ”In there, see where the arc lights are set up?”

Kerry nodded. ”Yeah. Wait...oh, yeah, I see the road. Okay.” She steered the car into the parking lot, seeing several trucks hazily in view through the rain. ”Looks like a circus.” Groups of people were milling around, and she parked near a large clump of them, putting on the parking brake carefully and unbuckling her seat belt. ”Well boss, now it’s your turn.” She glanced at Dar, who was watching the activity with sharp, shifting eyes.

”Right,” Dar murmured, letting the warmer side of her personality slip away, and calling up the cool aggressiveness she knew she’d need to deal with the situation. ”Okay, you got your cell and the laptop, right?”

Kerry nodded, watching her in uneasy fascination. ”Yes.”

”Right. Let’s go.” Dar zipped up her jacket and opened the car door, slipping outside into the rain and closing it behind her.

”Okay then,” Kerry murmured, tucking her phone into the pocket of her jacket and picking up her briefcase. She ducked out the driver side door and closed it, keying the lock and striding after her boss, who was already halfway to the building.

“ALL RIGHT, SO when can we get in there,” Dar said, standing under a dripping tarp in the very center of the building’s front lawn.

Two men were opposite her, clearly uncomfortable.

”Ms. Roberts,” one said, with a sigh. ”Look, the environmental people won’t clear us, because that chemical has been confirmed to be toxic.” He gave her a look that indicated the last thing he’d expected was to have a VP Ops drop into his tent, where they’d been having a pizza and beer.

Dar’s face tensed. ”How long?” she snapped.

He shook his head. ”I don’t know. The regulator told me an hour ago she wouldn’t even have a team here until tomorrow noon.”

Pale eyes almost silver in the glaring lights studied him thoughtfully. ”Where is she?” Dar’s voice dropped a bit, taking on a predatory burr.

The man glanced at her nervously. ”Well, she’s over there, by that van of theirs, but let me tell you, ma’am, she doesn’t take any bullshit.

I’ve worked with her before. ”

”What’s her name?” the burr deepened.

”Anne Simmonds,” the man answered. ”But, I mean, really ma’am, if she decides to get tough on us, we could be here for weeks.”

Dar turned and stalked out without a word, letting the rain drive against her in freezing darts, conscious of Kerry’s quiet form a pace behind her. She was met by a young man who was dressed in a white 190

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coverall as she approached the van. ”I’d like to see whoever is in charge,” she told him quietly.

He cleared his throat and pushed a pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose. ”Well, Dr. Simmonds is inside, but she’s busy. Can I help you?”

Dar stepped up closer and stared him down, her eyes inches above his own. She let the silence grow for a moment, watching him swallow a few times in reflex. ”No,” she finally told him. ”I’d like to speak to Dr.

Simmonds, please.”

”Uh. ” He looked past her to Kerry’s damp head. She smiled briefly at him. ”Uh, well, I...I can ask her, but, um... Okay, are you from this company or...”

Dar cocked her head and pinned him with a stare. ”I’d appreciate that, my name’s Dar Roberts, and I’m from our Miami office.”

”Okay.” He nodded. ”Okay, um, wait here. I’ll be right back.” He turned and walked towards the van, startled to find Dar pacing next to him. ”Oh, we, we’re doing some experiments, I...”

”I’d like to get out of the rain, ”Dar overrode him. ”I won’t break anything, I promise.”

He looked past her.

”Me either.” Kerry smiled kindly at him. ”Really. My mother used to take me into china shops when I was a child.”

Dar hurriedly wiped a hand across her face, muffling a laugh, then cleared her throat as they approached the van, which had a tarp extending from it’s passenger side, shielding several work tables with people busy over them. The young man went over to a figure bent over a microscope and touched her arm.

”What?” the woman snapped, not looking up. ”You just shook this whole slide. I’m trying to take pictures, Michael.” She was very short, shorter than Kerry even, and slim, with dark auburn hair that was pulled tightly back under a close fitting cap. Her bearing was powerful though, and exuded impatience.

”Um, yes, doctor, I know, but there are two people here from Miami. They wanted to talk to you, and I...”

”Tell ‘em to go the hell back to Miami. I’m not having some stuffed suits smelling of Cuban cigars hanging around my neck asking stupid questions,” the doctor snapped back. ”Nothing doing, Michael, so you march your lily white butt back out there and...” She glanced past his shoulder, where two shadowy, strange forms were standing. ”Get rid of them.”

”Actually,” Dar’s low voice spoke clearly, and concisely, as she strode forward, coming into the light with startling impact. ”I don’t think I’m going anywhere.” She stopped precisely in the center of the tent, letting the garish light outline her in stark detail. ”And I’ve never been partial to cigars.”

The doctor was surprised. Kerry decided, watching the smaller Hurricane Watch

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woman’s eyes flick warily over her boss’s truculent form.

An uncomfortable silence dropped over them, until Dar took a step forward and offered a hand. ”Dr. Simmonds? My name is Dar Roberts.”

She waited impassively as the doctor studied her for a long time before extending her own hand. ”I need some answers.”

It was the charisma. Kerry gave the doctor a brief smile as Dar released her hand and half turned. ”This is my assistant, Kerry Stuart.”

”I don’t have answers.” The smaller woman recovered her composure and scowled, giving Kerry a brisk nod. ”I told you people that hours ago. That damn extinguisher company put so much toxin in that system, it’s a damn good thing your folks evacuated, or they’d have been glowing like fireflies.”

Dar exhaled. ”What is it?”

”I have no goddamned clue, and those people won’t say,” the doctor stated, disgustedly. ”So damn scared of a lawsuit they won’t even admit to having first and last names.”

Dar glanced at Kerry, who handed her the cell phone without a word. She dialed a number and waited. ”Evening, Alastair.”

”Jesus, Dar, it’s...” A yawn. ”Midnight. What in bl...are you in North Carolina?” He cleared his throat. ”Listen, we’ve got twelve accounts set to cancel if we’re not back up by tomorrow morning.”

”Thanks. Needed the extra pressure,” Dar grunted. ”Damn it.”

”I wasn’t worried. I heard you were on your way. In fact, I went to bed,” the CEO told her cheerfully. ”You know I’ve got all the confidence in the world in you, Dar.”

The responsibility slammed down on her shoulders with an almost audible crunch. ”How much business are we talking about?” Dar asked, cautiously. ”It doesn’t look good here, Alastair.”

”Well...” he paused. ”It’s not good, Dar.” His cheerfulness vanished. “I’ve had a few calls from the board. Apparently some of them know some of the companies affected and they’re getting pressure too. They think for some reason I’m shielding them from what’s going on.” He paused. “Or shielding you.”

Dar’s eyes drifted out to the rainy ground. ”I see.” A dull throbbing started in the back of her skull. ”Nice.”

”Didn’t know until after six, you’d already left for the airport,”

Alastair told her. ”And anyway, what more could I do? You’re the best we have, Dar. If you can’t solve it, no one can.”

Dar rubbed her temples. ”All right. I need someone from Legal to call whoever’s in charge of that damn extinguisher company and threaten them with a full liability lawsuit, naming the officers as personal respondents if they don’t give the people here the name of the stuff they put in that goddamned system.”

”Hell with Legal. I’ll call him. I know him. He’s my second wife’s third ex-husband’s brother-in-law,” Alastair advised her. ”Call you right back.”

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”Right.” Dar disconnected, studying the building thoughtfully.

Then she dialed again, glancing over her shoulder ”Call Bellsouth. I’m going to need someone very high up in their provisioning department.”

Her voice had taken on a grim tone.

”Okay.” Kerry got out her own phone, and her palmtop, and checked the number, then dialed, sensing the sudden change in her lover, and feeling a sick gnawing in her guts.

Dar listened for a minute, then heard Mark’s voice. ”Evening.”

”Ah, Dar, hi.” Mark’s voice sounded blurry. ”Um... I was just...

uh... ”

”Sleeping at your desk,” Dar remarked dryly. ”Listen, I need an inventory check. Can we duplicate the setup in NC?”

Momentary silence. ”You’re kidding, right?” Mark answered, faintly. ”You know we can’t do that.”

”Thought so, call up Cisco and find out what they have on hand.”

Dar sighed. ”We’re locked out of here.” She hung up and faced the doctor. ”I need to get in there and get equipment out.”

”No way,” The woman answered instantly.

”Look,” Dar started.

”Hey, I said, no way.” Anne put a hand up. ”So don’t try it, lady.

I’ve said no to a lot worse than you.”

Kerry put her hand over the mic on her phone and stepped artfully between the two women, seeing the sudden icy glare settle over her boss’s face. ”Here Dar, it’s some Executive VP of something or other.

Was that high enough?” She passed her the phone, watching the flare of Dar’s nostrils as she took the instrument.

”Yeah. That’s fine,” she muttered, taking a breath before half turning away to talk.

”So.” Kerry gave the doctor a grim smile. ”Any coffee around here?”

“WELL, THAT’S IT.” Anne Simmonds closed up her cell phone.

”All right, guys, pack it up,” she yelled to her team, then turned to a waiting Dar. ”Sorry. They’re going to have to bring in a team to scrub the place. Thanks for getting me an answer, though.”

Kerry shot a glance at her boss. ”What does that mean?” she asked.

”Means the stuff is so toxic we can’t go in there without environmental suits.” The doctor answered succinctly. ”And I’ll be glad to get out of this weather. You might as well do the same.”

”How long?” Dar spoke for the first time, her voice sharp.

The doctor shrugged. ”Who knows? Take the team a day, maybe two to get here, then probably a week or so.” She packed up her kit.

”I can’t keep this facility closed a week,” Dar stated flatly.

”Well, that’s just too bad,” Simmonds replied. ”Because I’m leaving a trooper here to keep everyone out.” She gave Dar a grim smile. ”Have Hurricane Watch

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a nice day.” She shouldered her bag. ”Oh, and Ms. Roberts?”

Cold blue eyes watched her silently.

”My boss, Shari, says have a nice day too.” She turned and walked off, joining her group as they got into their van and closed the door, driving off and leaving them in the fitful, freezing weather.

Kerry watched them, then turned and studied her boss’s face, which had gone dark and cold, with a glittering anger in the pale blue eyes that sent a chill down her back. ”What was that all about?”

Dar felt the sour taste in the back of her mouth. ”Old history,” she replied, then returned her attention to the building. ”All right. C’mon, we’re going to have to do this the hard way.” She started towards the tarp the rest of their assembled group was huddled under at a brisk pace.”But.” Kerry caught up to her, tugging her collar up a little. ”Dar, I don’t, um.”

”Okay, folks,” Dar stated, as she ducked under the blue plastic.

”Bad news. We don’t get in for a week, at the least.” She pointed to the Bellsouth regional service coordinator who had just arrived. ”I need all the circuits in that building stripped and redropped, and I need them tonight.”

His jaw dropped. ”You’re joking, right?”

”No.” Dar stared him down. ”Just get started. I’ll let you know where I need them dropped.” She turned and faced the building manager. ”I have seventy Cisco 7200's headed here on a charter, find someone to go pick them up.”

His jaw dropped too. ”What in the hell are you doing, Dar? You make it sound like we’re rebuilding the goddamn complex.”

A dark brow lifted. ”We are.”

”That’s impossible,” he told her flatly. ”There is no way this facility is going to be duplicated overnight.”

”Have you ever tried it?” Dar countered her temper building. ”No?

Then how do you know it can’t be done?” She pointed. ”Just get moving, and get me someone here with a truck, who knows the area, and you,” she pointed at another woman who was muffled in a large mackinaw, ”start getting your people back in here.” The staff had been sent home earlier.

”Look, Dar,” the regional manager objected.

She whirled on him and jabbed a finger into his chest. ”You want a job tomorrow morning?”

Silence.

”Then start moving your ass,” she snarled. ”All of you!”

A low muttering sprang up as people started to move, more than one whisper of ”crazy” leaking back to Dar’s ears. She turned her back on them and walked to the edge of the tarp, staring out into the darkness and trying to calm the churning tension in her guts.

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think he’s right, this is really crazy.”

The back facing her stiffened, and it was a long moment before Dar turned her head and looked right at Kerry. Her face was an unreadable mask, but the turmoil in her eyes was unmistakable. ”If you don’t want to help out just go back to the car and wait,” Dar spoke with low intensity. ”But don’t stand here and tell me what I can’t do. I don’t need that from you.”

Kerry felt her knees start to shake and she sucked in a shocked breath, having not expected the response. She tried to think of something to say, but before she could, Dar simply turned and walked away, out into the darkness.

THE FREEZING RAIN now matched her mood completely. Dar stared into it, hardly even feeling the sting against her face as the last warm spot inside her dissolved, replaced by a damp bleakness that already regretted her words to Kerry.

Damn it. She tucked her hands under her arms, ignoring the pain the cold was inserting in her joints, and took a quick glance over her shoulder. Kerry had disappeared. The knowledge sank into Dar’s guts, and she felt a long moment of just wishing she could scrap the entire night, and go after her.

And say what? Sorry for being an asshole. It’s just something you have to get used to? Wasn’t it good old Shari who had told her she’d never have a successful relationship, because she always put everything else ahead of it?

Yeah. Funny she should turn up right at that moment. She let the freezing rain drive against her, numbing her face until heavy footsteps ran up and she turned, to see the Bellsouth supervisor pulling his yellow rain suit tight against him.

”All right, we’ve got the pairs pulled out,” he told her, scrubbing his face. ”Now what? I can’t keep those guys up on those poles, Ms.

Roberts. You need to give us some direction here. We’re pulling all the stops out, but I’m not putting my guys in danger, and it’s icing up.”

More than you know. Dar rubbed her arms, then exhaled. ”Okay, let’s see where everyone else is.” She led him back to the tarp, ignoring the angry looks she was getting by the rest of the team, channeling her focus only on the goal. ”What’s the status?”

”Plane just landed with the routers,” one man grudgingly admitted, blowing on his hands. ”I got a truck. We were about to leave to go pick them up.”

”Good.” Dar nodded. ”Take off.”

”Staff’s headed back in, those I could reach,” the older woman told her. ”But I had to get pretty tough. No one’s happy and a few flat out refused.”

”Fine,” Dar told her. ”Okay, now we just need a...”

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”The warehouse next door is empty,” Kerry’s voice quietly interrupted her. ”They have a Telco punch down and the landlord’s on his way with a key.”

The flapping of the tarp was suddenly loud as everyone turned to look at her, and Dar felt an irrational jolt deep in her guts. She studied the set, serious face for a moment. ”Thank you, Kerry, good work.”

Kerry nodded and glanced down at the churned, half frozen mud they were standing in, folding her arms over her chest and exhaling.

”All right, let’s move everything over there. We’ll get inside as soon as they open it up. It’ll be warmer and drier at least,” Dar stated quietly. ”John, that’s where we'll need the lines dropped. I think I spotted a block on the back end of that building.”

”Right you are,” the Bellsouth manager nodded briskly, pulling out a walkie-talkie and speaking into it. ”That’s an easy swing. They might even be wired for it already as that used to be a telemarketing operation.”

Kerry listened to the conversation, letting it roll over her, until she was aware of footsteps leaving, and then silence. With a sigh she lifted her head, almost jumping when pale blue eyes met hers. ”Oh.” She’d thought Dar had gone with them.

They studied each other for a long, pensive moment.

”Sorry about that I...” Kerry started.

”Sorry I snapped at you. I...” Dar rumbled at the same time.

Silence fell again, then Dar released a breath and wiped a weary hand across her face. ”You didn’t deserve that.”

Kerry stepped closer. ”No, I shouldn’t have questioned you, Dar.”

She put out a hesitant hand and touched Dar’s arm, as though reassuring herself. ”You needed my support right then, and I blew it.”

Dar dropped her eyes to the ground. ”I don’t want you to think that,” she said, after a moment’s thought. ”Sometimes you need to question me, Kerry. I don’t know all the answers and sometimes I push too hard, and the result doesn’t end up justifying the means.” Her eyes swept up in startling honesty. ”You should know that.” She sighed and looked around. ”I don’t know if this is the right thing to do, but I don’t know what else to try, and I have to try something.”

Kerry nodded, and moved another step closer. ”I know. I went over to the truck there and sat down, and I thought about it.” She paused.

”That’s why I called about that warehouse. I knew that’s where you had to go next.”

Dar lifted a hand and gently laid it alongside her cheek. ”Thank you,” she murmured, sincerely. ”That really was well done. How’d you know about the punch down?”

Kerry smiled, feeling her cold stiffened facial muscles protest.

”Modern technology. I linked up to the local real estate page and did a search on available commercial property in this area, listed my specifications, and it popped right up.” Her eyes twinkled gravely at 196

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the widening of Dar’s eyes. ”Even had the landlord’s number there,”

she added. ”He wasn’t happy about me calling him at two a.m., but since I offered twenty percent more than what he was asking, he made an exception, and said he’d get right over here. He lives about ten minutes away.”

Dar gave a little shake of the head, then she impulsively pulled Kerry into a hug, reveling in the warmth as the smaller woman wound her arms around her and squeezed really hard. ”You’re the best.”

Kerry smiled in pure relief, ignoring the dampness of Dar’s jacket.

Then she released her boss and patted her gently on the side. ”And, hey Dar?””Mm?” The now warm blue eyes regarded her.

Kerry lifted her chin. ”If and when you want to talk about the old history, I’m here.”

Dar’s eyelids fluttered as she ducked her head for a moment, then raised it. ”Thanks,” She replied quietly. ”Maybe we’ll have time this weekend.”

”Okay,” Kerry exhaled. ”Well, I think that’s our landlord over there. I guess we’d better get started, but Dar, I have to ask you. We’re replacing the routers, but what about the mainframes? We can’t duplicate those, not even if you commandeer half the air force.”

Dar slipped an arm over her shoulders and started to walk towards the now lit building behind the operations center. ”No, but the mainframes are in a separate room. They connect over a fiber optic LAN

bridge.” She pointed. ”And the access block for that is on the roof.”

Kerry stared at the roof, then her eyes shifted to a new truck that had just pulled up, bearing the fiber optics division insignia of the telephone company. ”Oh, you’re just too good.” She turned an admiring gaze on her boss. ”That’s slick, Dar, but do we know they have power and are turned on in there? I thought those environmental people turned everything off.”

Dar let out a breath. ”We’ll find out, but we’ve got a lot to do before then and it’s going to be a race.”

Kerry lifted her head and regarded the growing crowd they were heading towards. ”I have a feeling I’m going to be present at yet another Dar Roberts legend in the making.”

”Hmm, let’s just hope it’s not my swan song,” Dar muttered. “I’ve got a feeling a lot of things are lining up against me on this one.”