Storm Surge

Chapter Eighteen

ALASTAIR 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 Dar's. Certificates on the walls, for one thing. He examined them.

Dar most likely had the same, and probably more, but he decided she was so secure in her technical reputation she found no use for the things as wall hangings. Kerry hadn't been at it as long, so she probably felt she had something to prove.

Both attitudes worked, he decided. He moved along to the front of the office, pausing to study the full size boxing dummy complete with what were obviously used gloves. Was it something he expected to find in a vice president's office?

Probably not. He turned and wandered back to the desk, pulling the chair out and taking a seat in it. The first thing he noticed was the pictures near the monitor. One big one of Dar, another of her and Kerry together, and one of Dar's parents with a small one next to it of the dog.

Not very different at all from his own desk. Alastair tapped his thumbs together. Then he pressed the speakerphone's button and dialed the extension to his office in Houston.

"Alastair McLean's office."

"Who the hell's that?" Alastair inquired. "Some old crackpot?"

Bea chuckled. "Hello, boss," she said. "Where are you now?"

"Caribbean Hell," Alastair answered. "I just got introduced to a demon's brew of coffee and sugar they suck down here by the gallon and my eyeballs are bouncing off the walls."

"Well that explains a lot about Dar," Bea said. "I just got off the phone with John Peter at travel, and he said he heard they'll let planes start flying again tomorrow. You want me to book you home?"

Alastair exhaled. "See what you can arrange," he said. "I've got a feeling I'm not going to make it back there before I have to go talk to some double breasted pair of wingtips in Washington, but it pays to be prepared."

"Will do," Bea said. "How's Dar?"

"Typically Dar," her boss said. "Y'know though, I'm glad I got to travel with her for a few days. I've come to the conclusion I think I like her," he added. "As a person, I mean, not as my top ass coverer."

"You're deciding this now?" his admin asked, in a puzzled tone. "I always thought you liked Dar."

"I always liked Dar Roberts, my often pain in the ass but frequently brilliant beyond belief employee," Alastair clarified. "I didn't really know Dar the karate expert who does handstands on airplanes for fun."

"Ahh."

"She's neat."

Bea started laughing. "Oh, Alastair."

Alastair chuckled along with her. "What a stinking damned mess this all is," he said, after a moment. "I have to say, though, Bea, I honestly couldn't ask for a better response than we had from everyone in the company. Across the board."

"Absolutely," Bea agreed. "Jacques was just here, and he was saying the same thing. Horrific situation, absolutely, but we did the right things so far."

"Yup." Alastair glanced up as he heard someone coming down the back hallway. "Hang on, I think I'll know in a minute if you can book those flights or not."

A moment later, the door opened and Dar's tall form eased inside. She had a look on her face that Alastair had come to characterize as here comes trouble. "Hi there. Bea's on the line."

"Hi Bea," Dar responded promptly. "How are you?"

"I've had better weeks, Paladar," Bea said. "I'm sure you have too."

"Ain't that the truth," Dar sighed. "Alastair, how do you feel about ending up in Washington tonight? Gerry's offering a flight for us. I got hold of him."

"Yeah?" Alastair's brows twitched. "What's the scoop?"

Dar sat down in one of Kerry's visitors chairs. "It's--at first I thought he needed to pressure me to get the systems back up there, but he said he's been in touch with the folks on the ground and he's very happy with our response."

Alastair smiled. "That's what I like to hear." He watched Dar's face, its sharp planes twitching into a wry acknowledgement. "But?"

"But," Dar repeated. "The loss of facility down in the tip of Manhattan has knocked out the financial sector."

"Well, sure."

"They seem to think we can fix that," Dar said. "I explained to him that it's not our piece of business. We don't deal with Wall Street, that's all private service."

"Hm." Alastair looked thoughtful. "No, it's not our piece of business," he agreed. "Yet."

Dar tilted her head in acknowledgement of the unspoken words. "The government people put pressure on Gerry to get me involved, because they've got some idea I can do a fast fix, and that's their interest. They don't much care, I got the feeling, of whose business that really is, they just need it taken care of because they need to open the markets."

"Ahh." Her boss nodded sagely. "I was wondering about that. I know they closed the indexes with some mention of market stability, but knowing where they are--yes, I see their point. They can't let the bastards know they hit us that hard in the monetary groin." He nodded. "Get in there, Dar. That's not only important to them, it's also important to us. Our liquidity is tied up in those markets."

Dar gave him a look. "Gee, thanks." She groaned. "What in the hell do you expect me to do, go to New York and start running balls of twine and tin cans? Alastair, that's 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."

"And?" Alastair inquired. "We lost a lot of facility there too, Dar. You were going to have to have people in there fixing things anyway. This is just one more tick on the task list. Call AT&T and Verizon, find out what their plan is, you know the drill."

"I know the drill," Dar said. "So back to my question. You ready to fly up and talk to the White House about all this?"

Alastair leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "Unlooked for, Dar, and I hate to sound so mercenary given the circumstances, but this a first class opportunity for us. Of course I'll head up there with you. Are you kidding?"

Dar nodded. "Okay. I told Gerry you would," she acknowledged. "I'm waiting to hear back from his people on the pick up details."

"Great." Her boss seemed quite pleased. "Bea, can you write up something about this just to keep the board informed?"

"Absolutely," Bea responded. "So I won't bother trying to book you a flight then, I guess. You going to break the news to your wife or you want me to?"

"How big of a chicken do you think I am?" Alastair spluttered. "Good grief!"

Dar started laughing.

"Stop that." Alastair pointed at her. "You'd be a basket case if you had to tell Kerry you weren't coming up there and you know it."

Dar blushed visibly, but kept laughing.

"Pah." Her boss finally chuckled too. "I'll call her, Bea. I think she suspected it would end this way, after I told her about the Pentagon," he said. "I think I'll have to end up holding the fort there while our dynamic duo here go take on the real work."

"Dar, I have an ear in to the global conference," Bea said. "It's getting a little hectic in there. You might need to drop in--they're asking for Miami ops and I don't think Mark's on. His representative is getting squashed."

Dar got up. "Will do," she said. "I'll leave you to beg for your forgiveness in private." She sauntered over to the door and disappeared through it as her boss searched for something to throw at her. "Forget it." She stuck her head back inside the office. "Kerry doesn't leave trash around--whoa!"

A rubber ball bounced off the wall, deflected by a rapid motion of Dar's hand. "Watch it. I have darts in my office." She warned, pulling her head back in and closing the door.

Alastair chuckled then sighed. "Oh boy," he said. "I wasn't really ready to go up and duke it out with the White House this week. Bea, do me a favor and fill Ham in, will ya, while I call my wife"

"Sure," Bea said. "You tell Dar to take care of you, okay? No stabbing you with darts."

"With the amount of coffee I've had so far, I'd probably be better off with a pair of darts in my ass," her boss informed her. "Call you back, Bea."

"Will do, boss. Talk to you soon."

DAR DROPPED BACK into her seat, and gave her trackball a spin. She barely had a moment to review the information on the screen when her phone buzzed. "Yes, Maria?"

"Jefa, I have your papa on the phone for you. Line uno."

Dar pressed the key. "Hey Dad."

"Lo there, Dar." Her father's deep voice arose from the speaker. "That little girl helper of Kerry's just done left here."

"That was fast," Dar said. "Thanks for pulling a bag together for me. I'm waiting to hear back from Gerry."

"Don't they need you two in this here office?" Andy Roberts asked. "Seems like you'd be more use here then messing with those crazy people up north."

Dar leaned on her elbows, regarding the phone with some puzzled bemusement. "Well," she said. "I'm sure Kerry would much rather be here than in Washington, and I'd rather not get on a military transport when I've been up for what feels like three days but we don't really have a lot of choice."

"Why not?"

"Because it's our job, Dad."

"Silly ass company."

Dar chuckled a little. "Hey, the White House is calling for me, " she said. "What I am I supposed to say, no, I'd rather go lay in the sun with my partner?"

Andrew sighed. "World's just gone nuts," he said. "Ah just heard on the television that some of them people who took them planes down got trained to fly here."

"Here?" Dar asked. "In the states?"

"Here in this here town," her father corrected her. "They arrested some folks, and rousted a bunch more and they ain't finished yet."

Dar scanned the news ticker, seeing the confirmation there. "Crap," she muttered. "Like we aren't called a banana republic already."

"Anyhow," Andy said. "You kids be careful with them govmint people. Worse than alligators sometimes. Don't let Gerry get you into nothing, Dar.

He candy assed his way out of that last damned mess we did get into."

Dar had to privately admit that was true. "I know," she said. "I don't think this really involves Gerry though, Dad. He was just passing along the message. I'm taking my boss with me, so we should be okay."

"That Alastair feller?

"Yeah," she said. "And our corporate lawyer is going to be up there too."

"That coon ass?"

Dar snorted, and started laughing. She covered her mouth to stifle it. "Ah--yes." She cleared her throat. "Hamilton is not that backwoods, Dad. He's lived in Boston for years."

"Coon ass," Andrew grumbled.

The speaker buzzed a little. "Miami exec, this is Newark Earth."

"Hang on Dad." Dar opened her mic. "Go ahead Newark. Did you get cell back?"

"For the moment, Miami--just wanted to let you know the trucks just got here from APC. They're setting up now to generate some power for us. We just sent some of the ops staff out to get...uh..supplies."

"Get them an entire barbeque with beer on me," Dar replied. "We have a dependency on your birds coming live for the uplink at the Pentagon," she said. "When that happens, that traffic takes priority. Tell everyone else to contact me if they have a problem with that."

"Yes ma'am!" The voice sounded exhaustedly ecstatic. "I sure will tell them that."

Dar clicked off. "So anyway, Dad," she said. "My plan is to get everything squared away, get the teams working, and then get my and Kerry's ass back here and out of it. You get too close if you're on the ground sometimes."

"Good girl," Andrew said. "Too damned easy to get sucked in. Had me a call from some old buddies before all hopped up and pissed. All'em off telling them to just sit and wait for the arm waving to settle down some."

Dar studied the phone somberly. "This isn't going to end here."

"Naw," her father grunted. "Ain't going to end no where, long as folks got what other folks want and everybody hates everybody." He paused. "Politics fight."

"True," Dar murmured. "There aren't any real winners anywhere in this."

"Ain't my fight," Andrew stated. "Got my fill the last time. Nobody damned learned nothing out of that and a lot of good people ended up losing from it." He sounded pissed off. "Jackasses."

"You tell Mom that?"

"Woman has been listening to me hollar about it since dark," her father said.

"Yes," Ceci's voice broke in from the background. "It's nice not to be the anti-government radical in the family for twenty minutes. Novel experience. I'm enjoying it a lot."

Dar laughed softly. "I bet." She laced her fingers together and studied them. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeap?"

"Want to come with me?"

There was a slight pause. "What in the hell do you think I am on this damn phone for?" Andrew queried. "That button down feller and that coon ass ain't going to do squat with them people."

"Okay," Dar smiled. "I'll let them know, and call you when the arrangements are done."

"Thank you, rugrat."

"I love you too, Dad," Dar replied. "See you soon." She hung up the phone and considered her decision, then after a minute she nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Another pair of strong hands never hurts." She went back to the conference call, turning up the volume a little as she let herself absorb the flickering information. "Never hurts."

KERRY WAS CONSCIOUS of the eyes on her as she entered the caucus room, a step or two behind her mother. The last time she'd seen some of these men and women, she realized, was at her father's hearing. A few, at her father's funeral reception.

She 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, upset, and tired looking people.

She 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 Watergate to put an alpha and an omega on the room's dignity.

She 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. Her 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.

Long day. Kerry exhaled, wishing her sleep had been better. Her eyes felt sore around the edges, and she blinked, rubbing them as she straightened up and rested her elbows on the table again. She 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 Dar's arms.

Just the thought made her eyes sting just a bit more. She 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 she'd grown up going to.

"Ms. Stuart?"

Kerry looked up, to find an older woman standing in front of the table where she was seated. "Yes?" she responded politely.

"Alicia Woodsworth." The woman extended a hand. "I'm Senator Marco's security analyst. Can I have a word with you before we start?"

"Sure." Kerry indicated a chair nearby. "I just hope I'm not going to have to say all this more than once. It's been a long day," she cautioned, in a mild tone. "I'll extend the courtesy to you though, since the Senator's from my state."

Alicia perched on the edge of the next table instead of taking a chair. She was a ginger haired woman with an athletic frame, a bit taller than Kerry was. "Thanks," she said. "I understand, and I'll be brief." She paused. "That's right. You do live in Florida, don't you?"

"I do." Kerry nodded. "Wish I was there right now, in fact." She studied her unexpected inquisitor, deciding her often off kilter gaydar was possibly accurate this time and she was in good family company. "But I'm sure everyone feels that way."

The woman nodded. "I'm sure the Senator does," she commented. "He was scheduled to fly home to attend his daughter's quinces this coming weekend." She cleared her throat. "Anyway." She folded her hands. "I'll leave the why and how and when to my boss's esteemed colleagues. My question for you is this."

Quinces. Kerry felt her attention drift a little, the word bringing back the memory of her and Dar attending Maria's daughter's quinces, there in the heart of conservative Little Havana surrounded by the scent of saffron and mint and the buzz of passionate Latin speech. "Boy I'd love a Mojito right now."

"So given that--excuse me?" Alicia paused and stared at her. "Did you say something?"

"Just clearing my throat." Kerry rested her chin on her fist. "Go on."

"As 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 job with you?" she asked. "That's my concern. Especially after what's been going on down in Miami."

"Well." Kerry leaned back and propped her knee up against the table, her peripheral vision watching the room fill behind them. "I don't think there's really a way to prevent that, honestly," she admitted. "How do you filter for someone who did what those men did?"

"They didn't come from Idaho."

Kerry studied her face. "We're an international company," she stated. "Most of our employees don't come from Idaho. I don't come from Idaho." She considered. "We run a reasonable battery of background checks. Our staff that works in secure facilities have to undergo security clearance processes."

"Would you have hired one of those men who piloted those planes?"

Pointless question. "If they were a skilled IT worker with no criminal background, they filled a job need and could legally work wherever they were applying, we might," Kerry said. "I don't think any company can say differently. Heck, I don't think the military can say differently."

"We have to do something," Alicia said. "We have to protect ourselves from these people. That's the trouble down in Miami. That's why they hid down there. Too many people from other places." She frowned, glancing around as the senators started to take seats. "I can't say that to my boss. But you understand."

Kerry's pale green eyes narrowed a little. She straightened up in her chair, her body coiling up a little as she brought her feet under her.

A man walked to the dais in the front and knocked a wooden gavel against it. "Ladies and gentlemen, please sit. This is an informal session, but given the circumstances we should keep it a short one."

Alicia stood up, and nodded slightly at Kerry. "Later then. Thanks." She walked over to where Alejandro Marcos was settling himself down, and bent over him, talking in a low voice.

"Good heavens, Kerry." Her mother was back, taking the chair next to her. "I wasn't expecting so many people to still be here. They must have gotten tied up in committee."

"Mm," her daughter grunted. "Just my luck."

Cynthia gave her a half nervous look. "I'm sure it won't be that bad," he said. "Really, it's just a few questions."

"At father's hearing, they just had a few questions." Kerry pronounced the words carefully. "That ended up with me escaping in a cab from a mob."

Her mother didn't say anything.

Kerry laced her fingers together and rested her chin against them. She didn't really feel that intimidated, somewhat to her surprise. She was more annoyed to have to face questioning about a company she knew was performing as well as anyone had any reason to expect.

"All right." A tall, distinguished looking man stepped to the dais. He had gray hair and an impeccably cut suit, He glanced over at Kerry for a long moment before he donned a pair of reading glasses and studied the contents of a folder he opened.

Alan Markhaus. Kerry drew in a little breath, remembering him from numerous visits in her younger years. An ally of her fathers, and always a welcome guest to her parents. Son of a Presbyterian minister she recalled, the senior senator from Minnesota and as conservative as they came.

Great. Kerry sighed silently, and waited, hoping her father's old friend would keep his questions to the emergency at hand.

"Let me start off then." The Senator removed his glasses. "Thank you all for attending. I know we're all tired, and I hope this won't take long." He waited for the murmuring to die down. "Based on the information we received from my esteemed colleague from Michigan--" He gave Cynthia a nod. "I thought it would be a good idea for us to get some clarification before things started running away from us again."

Several of the group nodded.

Kerry stayed where she was, aware of the eyes watching her. She 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. "Now I really wish I had that Mojito."

"Kerry?" Her mother leaned closer. "What was that?"

"Just clearing my throat." Kerry lowered her hands and folded them. "Wish I'd brought my briefcase."

"Ms. Stuart." Senator Markhaus half turned to face her. "It's 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." He paused and waited.

"Yes, I did," Kerry answered.

The Senator waited, but when it was obvious nothing more was coming, he glanced back at his notes. "It's been suggested that you had more accurate information than we were provided." He returned his eyes to her. "Is that true?"

"I have no idea," Kerry replied. "I don't know what you were being told."

Markhaus nodded briefly. "Fair enough," he commented. "Suppose you tell us then, what your experience was, and how this information was provided to you."

Kerry stood up, always more comfortable standing when she had to address others. Part of that, she suspected, was her relatively short stature, but she also found it easier to project her voice that way. "Certainly."

Chairs shifted and she waited for everyone to turn to face her. She took a moment to collect her thoughts then returned the gazes evenly. "It's fairly simple," she said. "Let me give you some background on what my company does, however, so you will all understand the context of the information we gathered."

She 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. "ILS 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."

"What does that actually mean?" an older woman asked. "Information technology services?"

"It depends," Kerry backtracked. "We provide a wide range of services ranging from onsite help desks to programming, to network management." She paused, but the woman didn't speak up again. "We 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."

"What kind of data?" Markhaus asked. "Confidential data?"

"Again, it depends," Kerry said. "A large percentage of the data we carry is confidential at the least, and up to top secret encrypted on the other end of the scale. Accounting traffic. Payroll for the civil service. Command and control data streams for the armed forces."

She could see eyeballs starting to roll back in some heads. "In any case," she said. "We do a lot of work for the country. We have a presence in most military bases, in the Pentagon, at Cheyenne Mountain, and we maintain a good percentage of the computers all of our tax dollars pay for."

"Incredible. One company?" The woman turned toward Markhaus. "How was this allowed?"

Markhaus merely looked at Kerry, raising his eyebrows.

"It's called the free market," Kerry dryly informed her. "The government sends requests for pricing. We bid on them. So do a number of other companies."

"Ms. Stuart," Markhaus said. "Let's get off the subject of contracts. I am sure this is interesting to my colleagues, but frankly, I know all about your company's portfolio so please move on to the information we asked."

Kerry studied him for a moment. "I'm sure you are aware," she 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."

She walked toward the dais. "One 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 asked. "That's what I am interested in. I understand passing it among yourselves, though I have to question the security around that."

"Boots on the ground," Kerry replied, in a mild tone. "The information comes from the people who were there. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to describe what you're seeing with your own eyes. We had people in the Pentagon when that plane hit. We had people handling data centers who were affected by the buildings collapsing. We handle the telecommunications for the airlines so of course we knew what was going on." She lifted her hands a little and let them drop. "We were in the middle of all of it. When the planes were rerouted to Canada, and they needed extra bandwidth to send reports and let people call home--we get that request."

A soft buzz of conversation followed her statement. Kerry watched the faces opposite her carefully, seeing surprise, doubt, suspicion, and boredom facing her. "I get that request," she clarified. "We spent most of the day dog paddling like a Chihuahua on Cuban coffee trying to keep things going."

"Who did you inform of all this?" a man asked.

"Inside our company? Everyone," Kerry said.

"In the government," the man said. "Who knew what you were doing?"

"No one," Kerry replied. "That's not what we're paid for. We get paid to know what to do and do it."

"What?" Another man stood up. "No wonder no one could tell us what was going on. How could you work in a vacuum like that?"

"There was no vacuum." Kerry felt her body tense, as she reacted to the rising emotion in the room.

"You were meddling in the government during a disaster!" The woman stood up, clearly outraged. "What do you mean, you didn't tell anyone what was going on?"

Cynthia stood as well. "Now, please," ahe said. "I did not ask..."

"Oh shut up!" the man said. "We know where your part is--"

"HEY!" Kerry startled even herself, as a loud bark erupted from her chest. She took a step toward the man as he whirled to face her. "Keep a civil tongue in your head to my mother." She glared at him. "Or you can take your questions and shove them up your ass."

There was a moment of utter, total silence after her yell's echoes faded.

"Sit down!" Kerry followed that up with another bark. "Who in the hell do you people think you are to be questioning me?" She felt the anger surging through her, making her vision lose a little color and bringing a flush to her skin. "Of course we didn't tell anyone. Why should we? What in the hell use would that have been? No one had any control over what was happening, least of all the people in this room."

"Ms. Stuart," Markhaus said. "Please recall where you are."

"I know where I am," Kerry retorted.

"Then please act like it," the Senator said. "We're due respect. I know you were raised knowing that."

Kerry turned her head and looked at him. She put her hands on her hips. "Someone once told me," she said. "Those who can, do. Those who can't, become consultants. Those who have no clue at all run for Congress."

Markhaus' lips twitched, his eyes narrowing a little.

"I can, and I do," Kerry said. "If you people did not have proper information from your regular channels, take that up with them. Don't stand here asking me why I didn't stop what I was doing to send updates to anyone." She 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. Uncomfortably. "So let me understand," he said. "All these people calling, all this chaos going on. People needing information, needing whatever it is--what did you call it, bandwidth?"

Kerry nodded.

"Who decides what takes priority?" the woman asked. "I know my offices were down. Why weren't they considered?"

"I make those decisions," Kerry stated. "Based on a set of priorities we catalog and adjust to fit the circumstances."

"You?" Markhaus asked.

"Me." Kerry's green eyes took on just a hint of wry amusement. "Now, let's not get too dramatic about it. We're a very large company. We have a very large number of contracts and customers and worldwide resources. We handle minor emergencies all the time. We plan for this." She paused. "We know what the priorities are."

"I am very disturbed." Cynthia Stuart came out from behind the table and joined Kerry. "Kerrison and her colleagues performed amazingly yesterday. I heard quite some parts of what they were doing. They deserve our thanks not this horrific inquisition."

"Cynthia, we just--" Markhaus waved a hand. "Please."

"Please nothing." Kerry's mother frowned at him. "I am sorry I asked Kerrison to appear here. I am even sorrier that I confided how competent her staff was yesterday. You 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. "Welcome to the Hill." He didn't look apologetic at all. "You're damn right I'm frustrated. Standing 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?" Cynthia asked. "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. Kerry eyed her mother with wry surprise.

Markhaus grunted, and shook his head.

"The question is," the woman next to her spoke up, but in a quieter tone. "Why did they know so much, and no one else seemed to?" She eyed Kerry briefly. "I didn't mean to be rude."

Kerry altered her body posture, removing her hands from her hips and sticking them in her pockets instead. "Well," she said. "It's called Information Technology for a reason. Knowing what's going on is what my business is. We have a good communication plan, we all speak the same language, and we're used to passing data to each other without the constraints of different agencies, different politics, or different chains of command."

Markhaus grunted. "Probably got a point there," he admitted. "I just heard the police and firemen in Manhattan couldn't even talk to each other because their radios were incompatible."

Everyone got quiet again.

"Did you hear, on CNN earlier, those sounds?" the woman asked. "All those chirps, from the firefighter's pagers they said."

Kerry let her eyes drop to the ground, as the silence lengthened after that. She jerked a little then when her cell phone buzzed softly, and she looked up in apology before she removed it form her belt. "I'm sorry, excuse me."

Mark's cell phone. "Hey." Kerry kept her voice low. "What's up?" She moved away from the now whispering Senators, and turned her back to them.

"Hey." Mark sounded subdued. "Listen, I was just listening in on the bridge. They found our big guy in NY."

"Bob? Where?" Kerry murmured.

Mark hesitated. "He's um--he didn't make it."

Kerry's heart sank. "Damn." She exhaled. "Does Dar know?"

"She was on the bridge," Mark said. "She went to go tell the big cheese. The NY people are pretty slammed."

"Damn it," Kerry sighed. "He and Alastair were good friends."

"Yeah," Mark murmured. "How's it going there?"

"I'm about to kick box a few senators and get my ass thrown in jail," Kerry admitted. "Tell Dar to bring cash."

That got a tiny laugh out of Mark. "Hey, listen. Good news is they got the Newark E up. Birds are synced, and I'm doing some bandwidth hacking while I wait for power here."

"Good job, Mark." Kerry sighed, and glanced over her shoulder. Some of the people were moving toward the door, and she realized the session seemed to be over. "Let me wrap this up, and I'll get back to you. The boss said she'd be heading out here tonight."

"Woo fucking hoo. I'll be glad to see her," Mark said.

"Me too," Kerry agreed. "Me too," she repeated, closing the cell phone. She turned and walked back to where her mother was standing, talking to Senator Markhaus. "Sorry."

"Is everything all right, Kerry?" her mother asked. "You look upset."

Kerry gazed past them. "One of our people in New York was killed in the attack," she said. "They just confirmed it."

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry." Cynthia put her hand on Kerry's shoulder. "Was it someone you knew well?"

"No." She shook her head. "But we've been trying to support our people there, and it's very hard news for them." Her eyes flicked to the door. "Are we done here?"

"For now," Senator Markhaus said. "Nice bit of fencing, by the way. Quoting your father back at me." He studied her coolly. "Wonder what he'd say if he'd heard you do that."

Kerry stared right back at him. "He'd tell you not to piss me off." She glanced at her mother. "Excuse me. I'll wait outside." She eased past them and made for the door, twitching her jacket across her shoulders as she cleared it and went out.

"Was that called for, Alan?" Cynthia asked. "Please don't expect me to ask Kerry to come in here again."

Markhaus put his hands in his pockets, regarding the now empty doorframe. "Interesting kid," he said. "Turned out more like him than he ever dreamed," he said. "He'd have popped a button listening to her tell us off like that."

"Kerry has quite a temper," her mother agreed. "But in this case, I agree with her. She did our country good service, and was rewarded with accusations and your mean tongue. Why not turn that on your dear friends in the administration instead? Is it just so much easier to yell at a young woman?"

Markhaus gave her a sour look.

"Perhaps Roger was right." Cynthia straightened up. "We are ruled by fools and cowards. Fortunately for me, my daughter is neither." She turned and marched out, slamming the door with a resounding bang behind her.

DAR SAT QUIETLY in the chair in Kerry's office, listening to the quiet conversation on the speaker phone. Across the desk from her, Alastair was crouched, leaning forward toward the phone with his head resting on both fists.

She'd had to deliver bad news more than once in her lifetime, but usually it was bad news of an impersonal sort. Telling Alastair about Bob's death had been anything but impersonal. It made her feel sad, and angry all over again at the senselessness of it all.

Her guts were in knots. She could see how upset Alastair really was, though his expression was merely somber and his voice even as he spoke into the phone to the devastated New York office.

"They're sure, John?" Alastair said.

"Yes, boss," a somber voice came back. "I got a call from St. Vincent's. They thought they were going to get swamped, but they didn't. Only a few--ah. Anyway, one of the doctors there knew him."

"Damn it."

"Most of the people here are in the big room. They're pretty upset. I came in the conference room to talk to you," John Brenner added. "I think we're all still in shock."

Alastair sighed. "Has anyone called his family?"

"No sir."

Dar watched her boss's face tense into a grimace, and she felt a wallop of sympathy for him. She'd known Bob in a casual way, met him once or twice, and argued with him extensively, but Alastair had been a personal friend.

"All right. I will," Alastair said. "Damn, I'm sorry to hear it. John, is there anything I can do for the folks there? I know they must be taking it hard."

John Brenner sighed. "We all hoped everyone made it," he said. "After people started showing up today, we all thought, hey, we'll get through this and it'll just be getting things moving again."

"Yeah, I know," Alastair murmured. "We all hoped that."

"He stopped to help some people. It must have taken too long, I guess."

Alastair glanced across the desk, watching Dar's somber eyes watch him. "Sometimes I'd rather our people be a little less heroic," he said. "But he did what he had to. "

"Yes, sir. He did."

"All right. Whatever the folks there need-people, alcohol, whatever-make sure they get it John," Alastair said. "I'll get hold of Mari here and see if we can get a counselor down there."

John hesitated. "I think we'd appreciate it," he said. "It would be good to have someone to talk to," he admitted. "I'll call you later, boss, if we hear anything else. I'm going to go back inside with the rest of them."

"Okay John. Take care." Alastair exhaled, reaching forward to release the speakerphone. He then settled back in Kerry's chair and gazed across at Dar. "Goddamn it."

"Sorry," Dar murmured. "I know he was a friend, Alastair."

"He was," her boss said, in a sad tone. "His family are old friends of mine for a couple generations back, matter of fact. My Granddad and his Great Granddad were business partners." He shook his head. "What a damn shame."

"Yeah," Dar nodded quietly. "They were all down there Alastair. The odds weren't great in our favor to begin with."

Alastair gazed past her. "How many times in bad odds did you bring us out without a scratch? Maybe I got used to thinking we were just lucky that way."

Dar didn't know what to answer to that, so she just sat there quietly, wincing at the upset in her stomach.

"Damn it," Alastair whispered. "Damn it, damn it, damn it."

Dar jumped a bit, as her cell phone rang. She unclipped it and checked the caller ID, then opened it. "Gerry," she warned Alastair, before she answered. "Dar Roberts."

"Hello, Dar. Gerry Easton here," the General said. "We've got you all set up. They want to grab you in a helo. You have space for that there?"

Dar's brows creased. "Ah--a helicopter?" she asked. "Gerry, we can drive to the damn airport. I'd have to clear half the parking lot to get one in here unless it was the size of one of those traffic copters."

"Well, hang on a minute." Gerry put her on hold.

Dar looked across at Alastair and shook her head. "Helicopter. Jesus."

Alastair pressed his fingertips against his lips. "Y'know Dar," he said. "Given the news, I think I'd better renege on my offer to go with you."

Dar's eyes opened wide. "What?"

"I think I'd better get Bea to book me to New York tomorrow morning," Alastair said. "Those people need support. Bob's family needs support. The government can wait."

"Hello, Dar?" Gerry came back on. "They'd rather pick you up. Got their pants on fire, now they're scuttling I guess. Man said he can put the chopper down near by you. Fifteen minutes," he said. "Hate to push the point, Dar, but we've got several hells in hand baskets around here and everyone's in a rush."

Dar studied her boss. "I'll be ready," she said. "See you soon, Gerry."

"Well done. Good job," the General said. "Talk to you later."

He hung up. Dar closed the phone and held it in her hands, her expression thoughtful. Then she opened the phone again and dialed. "Dad? Hey. Last minute crap. They want to helo me out of here in fifteen. Can you--ah, you are. Okay, see you in a few."

She closed the phone again with a wry grimace. Then she cocked her head and looked over at the man behind her lover's desk. "So."

"Think I'm throwing you to the wolves again?" Alastair asked.

"No," she answered. "But does this give you a better perspective on why I went to be with Kerry when you needed me in Houston that time?" she asked. "When she was in Michigan?"

Alastair tilted his head, and frowned. "Was I mad about that?" he queried. "I wasn't, was I?" He watched Dar's brows lift. "I was, now that I think about it. That General of yours was threatening God only knows what, wasn't he?"

Dar nodded.

"Scared the pants off me." Her boss mused. "Then Bea came in and told me what a jackass I was to even think about yelling at you," he admitted. "With Kerry's father passing on. I just let that get lost in all the craziness. Shouldn't have pushed you."

"We did all right out of it." Dar half shrugged. "But there wasn't any way I was leaving. So I understand. Family comes first. Friends come first. Business is just business."

"It is," her boss agreed, mildly. "But I am sorry about that, Dar."

"Ah." Dar cast her mind back to that dark time, when Kerry's father had passed away and everything seemed to be turned against them. She never regretted getting on the plane to Michigan. "I didn't care."

"About me yelling?"

"Yeah. I felt bad about selling a piece of my soul to Gerry but it didn't matter. Kerry needed me there," Dar remarked. "Everyone else could have gotten screwed three ways in a leaky raft, as my father says, for all I cared."

Alastair nodded. "People matter. Glad you understand, Dar. I don't want to pitch you into the fire, but I know you can handle it."

"I can," Dar agreed. "It's my infrastructure anyway. I grew out of needing a buffer a long time ago." She eyed her boss. "You've been stepping in front of trucks for me for a week. I could get insulted. Let me go bust my own balls for a while."

Her boss managed a half grin. "I am throwing you to the wolves, Dar," he said. "I'm sorry. But I can't go dick around with a bunch of politicians when I know those people in New York are hurting. I gotta go."

"I know." Dar got up. "I'm going to grab my stuff and go say hi to my Dad. He's on the way up to my office," she said. "Go take care of those people, Alastair. They need it. We'll be fine." She circled the desk and put a hand on Alastair's shoulder. "Leave the politicians to me."

Alastair's pale eyes met hers. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

Dar chuckled. "Think of how they'll feel." She gave her boss's shoulder a squeeze. "Maria will take care of a hotel for you for tonight and getting you to the airport. Just let her know what the details are."

Alastair reached up and clasped her hand with his own. "Thanks. I will," he said. "Be careful, willya? Having you get dinged again because of this place ain't worth it, lady."

"You too." Dar smiled her voice warm with affection. "Give the people in Manhattan my regards. I have a feeling I'll be seeing them soon myself." She straightened up and headed for the door, slipping through it and closing it behind her.

Alastair exhaled, letting his elbows rest on the chair arms. Then he reached out and punched Bea's extension again, waiting for her to answer. "It's me."

"I heard, Alastair. I'm so sorry," Bea said. "What a shame. Do you know if there are any arrangements yet? What can I do for the family--for you?"

Alastair closed his eyes, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose for a long moment before he answered. "Don't know yet," he answered, briefly. "Haven't talked to the family." He fell silent, biting the inside of his lip.

Bea was quiet for a moment. "Tough day, boss," she said, eventually.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Just got a whole lot tougher."

"Dar's admin just messaged me with your hotel details," Bea said. "She's such a sweetheart. I'll start working on getting you a flight up tomorrow morning. You want the first one out, I guess?"

"Yeah." Alastair cleared his throat. "Sounds fine. Early as you can."

"You want to stay somewhere near the office there? I can try getting something close. Hard to say what's available though."

"Get me whatever you can," her boss answered quietly. "Doesn't matter."

The inner door opened, and he looked up quickly, to find Dar coming into the room again with a set of keys in her hand. "Ah." He cleared his throat again. "Thought you were out of here."

"Almost." Dar set the keys down. "I know you can get a ride from anyone here, or a cab, but sometimes it's good to have your own transport. Just leave it at the hotel, and I'll get it picked up." She knelt down and put her hand on his knee. "Pick a causeway and find a beach. That's where I go to chill out."

His eyes met hers, and he managed a faint smile. "Thanks, Paladar. I'll try not to crash into any palm trees."

Dar patted his leg then stood up. "Later." She disappeared again, leaving silence and the faint scent of leather in her wake.

Alastair jingled the keys lightly in his fingers. "Y'know, Bea, if I was thirty years younger, Kerry would have a fight on her hands," he chuckled wryly. "No offense to my wife."

"You know, Alastair, you're right," Bea said, after a pause and a long sigh. "She is really neat. How did we miss seeing this side of her all these years?"

"Don't know, and really don't care. I'm just glad we have her because she's damn good people." Alastair regarded the pictures facing him. "I'm going to get out of here, Bea. Arrange what you can, just drop me the details."

"Will do, boss. Have a margarita for me."

Alastair stood up. "You can bet on it," he said. "Who knows? Maybe I'll go get myself a tattoo. It's been that kind of week."

"Alastair."

"Yeah, I know. My wife would kill me." Alastair sighed. "Talk to you later, Bea." He hung up the phone and circled the desk, heading for the door. Just short of it, he stopped and regarded the boxing dummy.

Its face, what there was of it, was scuffed. He picked up one of the gloves and looked at it, the laces loosened from the last hand it fit over. He put it over his fingers and slid it on, finding the inside of it snug, but well worn.

Did Kerry really spend that much time beating the daylights out of something? Was the stress here as bad as all that?

Experimentally, 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.

He hit it again. "Huh." He was faintly surprised at how satisfying it felt. Then, after a moment's thought, he wasn't surprised. Quietly, he removed the glove and hung it back next 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. "Hello, Maria."

"Senor McLean," Maria responded politely. "Dar 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," she said. "I think the army has come for her and her papa out in the parking lot. I was going to go see that."

"I'll join you." Alastair punched the elevator button. "Thanks for grabbing my things. Does Dar always think of everything?"

Maria merely looked at him, both her dark eyebrows lifting.

"Silly question. I know she does." Alastair held the elevator door and followed Maria inside. "She's thought of everything ever since I've known her."

The door closed and they rode down in companionable silence.