Kerry remained silent while she pondered her options. Well, conciliation wasn’t going to do any good, so… “Only if you can explain why you feel it necessary to search my personal belongings,” she responded quietly, putting her hands on the back of the chair before the desk and gazing evenly at him.

“Don’t smart-mouth me, girl,” her father warned.

“I’m not, but I am an adult, and I have the right to carry around whatever things I want to in my briefcase, Dad.” She kept her voice reasonable. “And not have to worry that people inside my own parents’ house are ransacking them.” Her temper was building, though. She could feel it.

He thumbed through the pictures, then looked up. “You know what I think? I think I know the reason you all of a sudden decided you wanted to stay down in that hell-hole.” Kerry remained silent. “I think it has nothing to do with your damn little job and everything to do with that bitch you work for.” He slammed his fist down on the table. “What did she do to you, Kerry?

Minute movements of her eyes as she studied him. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? You call this nothing?” He picked up the folder and threw it at her, scattering colorful photographs over the carpet. “I’ll have the law on her!

It’s obvious to me what’s going on, Kerry. In fact, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” He paced back and forth. “Didn’t you think I could help you?”

Kerry’s brows knit. “Just what is it…you think she did?” she asked, honestly puzzled.

“Forced you into that job, of course! Her reputation… Well, I can’t say that in front of you, but it’s obvious what she’s after…my god, girl!” He threw Tropical Storm 415

up his hands. “First thing we have to do is get you out of there, then I’ll file a formal protest. Don’t you worry, girl, she won’t be able to come after you.”

“Whoa!” Kerry held up a hand. “Let me get this straight, you think Dar’s trying to seduce me?”

Her father reddened. “Watch your language, young lady.” He cleared his throat. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Kerry exhaled. “No, Dad, she’s not trying to seduce me, and she didn’t force me into that position, either. It was my choice.”

“Stop trying to protect her!” Senator Stuart barked. “It’s no good, Kerry, unless you can give me another reasonable explanation of those pictures!”

Long silence. “All right,” Kerry finally said, very quietly. “It’s a lot simpler than you think. We’re in love with each other.”

She could hear the carpet fibers unraveling in the deathly stillness that followed her words. The building creaked around them, and she became very aware of her own breathing. She had not, in the furthest stretches of her imagination, considered this conversation going in quite this way.

“What?” her father finally said, stepping around his desk and facing her.

Kerry felt curiously calm. “Dar’s a very special person, and we’re in love with each other,” she repeated. “And she didn’t force me into…”

The impact slammed her against the filing cabinet next to the desk as her father slapped her hard across the cheek.

“Don’t you dare say that.” His voice was a hiss. “No daughter of mine is one of those.” Kerry straightened up and put a hand to her cheek, staring at him. “You are going to resign from that godless company, and I’ll have your apartment packed up and brought home,” he enunciated softly. “And we’re not going to hear you say anything like that ever again, are we?”

Kerry could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears as she came to a personal crossroads. She stared at him for a long moment, breathing hard, then took a final deeper breath. “Go to hell.” She spat the words in his face.

“I’d rather live homeless than come back here.”

He started forward, but she backed up and put the chair between them, so intent on his progress that she forgot there was another person in the room.

Until a hand slipped over her neck and something foul and sharp-smelling was pressed to her nose and mouth. She struggled wildly, but the grip was too strong, and her body made her breathe through the stink.

A numb feeling came over her, and a growing darkness, and a chilling cold.


Chapter Thirty-one

DAR WOKE IN a sweat, half rolling out of bed in total disorientation as her senses tried to force the unfamiliar surroundings into some semblance of order. Her heart was pounding, and she was breathing hard, and she gripped the edge of the bed with shaking fingers. “Jesus.” She looked around in confusion, seeing only the peaceful moonlight streaming in the double hung window of the Eastons’ guest room.

“What in the hell was that?” she murmured, running her fingers through her hair and swallowing against the upset in her stomach. “Too much stuffing, I think,” she ruefully concluded, realizing it must have been a bad dream brought on by shameless overindulgence in just about everything that night.

Slowly, she straightened up and let out a breath, now wide awake and knowing she’d be unlikely to drop back off to sleep anytime soon. “Guess I could read a book,” she muttered. “Except I don’t have any, and the only thing I saw downstairs was Jane’s Military Hardware, and I’ve already read that.”

Sighing, she stood and walked to the small antique writing desk that was settled against the window and sat down, unzipping her briefcase and pulling out her laptop as she gazed out across the silver and sable landscape. She booted the machine and sat drumming her fingers until it came up, then she plugged in the modem line and requested a network connection. “Might as well check the mail, see if there are any crises going on,” she murmured to herself, glancing at the time on the laptop. Only just past midnight; she’d only been sleeping for about a half an hour, since the Eastons held to the early to bed, early to rise military tradition, and she hadn’t minded since she’d been up since very early to catch her 6:00 AM flight.

The machine connected and started to download her mail, and she watched it idly, scanning the headers. Then she noticed the blinking box in the corner, and her brows creased. One of her running bots? Puzzled, she clicked on it, and watched the box expand.

Database Access Request—Scan Match—String “Stuart, Kerry”

Medical Benefits Card usage 00:23 112798

Admitted Bryan’s Counseling Center Ident 999823

Dar’s heart started pounding again, and she suddenly felt lightheaded.

With shaking fingers, she did a search for Bryan’s, and found them in the client database. She pulled up their profile.


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Bryan’s Counseling Center

Account A0022323

A psychiatric research and treatment center designed to evaluate short and long term mental illnesses and provide strategies for adjustment of deviant behaviors to assist patients in rejoining the societal norm.

A counseling center? Dar stared at the screen in puzzlement. Why in the hell would Kerry have gone there? Was it a mistake? Or could she have been in an accident, and maybe it was the closest… She reread the description. “Deviant behaviors,” she mouthed silently to herself. “Oh no.” Her eyes jerked to the window, and her breathing sped up.

“Oh my god.” Dar breathed. “Those sons of bitches.” Slowly, she put her hands down on the writing table and closed her eyes, forcing herself to be calm. “Okay, think.” Brain first, heart second, wasn’t that what she’d always said?

Bloody hell! Doesn’t count when you’re in love, now does it? “Son of a fucking bitch!”

First thing, she needed to get to Michigan. With that decided, she shut the computer down and put it away, then quietly changed into her clothes, and packed her bag up. Then she went down the hall and into Jack’s room, where her friend was sprawled across his bed in an orgy of slumber.

“Jack.” She knelt and touched his shoulder, getting an almost instant fluttering of pale eyelashes. “Wake up.”

“Wh…uh…” Jack rolled onto one side and peered at her. “Dar? What’s going on?”

“Listen, I have a friend in a lot of trouble. I need to get out to Michigan.

Can you drive me to the airport?”

He blinked at her. “There aren’t any planes this late, Dar.”

“I’ll rent one,” the executive told him in utter seriousness. “But it’s gotta be quick, speed counts.”

“Wh…” Jack nibbled his lip. “Speed counts, huh?” He rubbed his face.

“How does Mach Two strike you?”

It was Dar’s turn to blink. “What?”

“C’mon. The base is closer than the damn airport, and my cat’s just sitting there collecting dust. I’ll take you.”

“Jack, you can’t just do that,” Dar said softly. “Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but it’s not worth risking your ass, not to mention your career. I’m not living with you stuck in a Navy brig for twenty years. I just need a ride to the damn airport!”

He laughed. “Dar, you’re worth risking my ass for, but it’s not in any danger.” He stood up and tugged his flannel pajama bottoms up. “I’ll just get Dad to approve it, gimme a minute.” He trotted off down the hall, leaving slightly stunned eyes following him. “Those stars come in handy, y’know.”

“Got troubles, then, do we?” General Easton’s rumble traveled down the hall, followed by the General himself. “Problems, Dar?”

“Friend in trouble,” Dar replied quietly. “Someone who means a lot to me.”


418 Melissa Good Easton’s eyes studied her intently. “Good enough.” He picked up the phone in Jack’s room. “Get dressed, son. You can’t be driving that damn plane in your jammies.” He motioned Dar to turn towards him. “Look this way, Dar, Mister Prude there is afraid to go to half-staff in front of you.”