Easy. I picked the unhealthiest ones I could find .

Dar chuckled wryly.


Tropical Storm 273

Good guess , she sent back. They’re great.

She clicked on her mail, then sent Duks back a copy of his report with a few notes. After a few minutes of review, and the rest of the pastries, she got another message.

I’m heading out to the MTC. Anything you need taken care of first?

Nope. Good luck and have fun, Dar sent back. If

you’re back around lunch, drop by.

She set down the papers Maria had given to her and started reviewing them, circling things in a bright purple pen that the sales managers had learned to detest with a deep and abiding passion. The phone buzzed. “Yes?”

“Dar, General Easton on numero dos.”

She glanced at the phone, then punched the button. “Hello, Gerry.”

“Hellloooooo, Dar.” The general’s robust voice came through the phone.

“Just wanted you to know, that flight was pure negligence. A pity, but nothing to do with you, my friend.”

Dar nodded quietly to herself. “Wanted to make sure it was all right, Ger.

Senator Stuart’s daughter was on the flight as well, and he had some concerns in that regard.”

A low whistle. “Wow. Intelligence didn’t pick that up at all.

Howinthehell did you know about it?”

“It wasn’t that hard, she’s my assistant,” Dar told him dryly. She circled another discrepancy with her pen and chuckled to herself. It was going to be an enjoyable meeting.

Easton laughed. “And here you had me marveling at your damn comprehensive detail orientation. That’s rich, you hired that bastard’s kid?

Politically nice, Dar, very nice.” His voice was approving. “Never hurts to have a friend up on Mount Olympus.”

Oh yes, he’d looovvvvee me. Dar bit her lip to keep from smiling. Hello, Senator Conservative-as-grass-grows-up from Michigan. I’m dating your daughter.

Nice ta meet ya. Whoops, watch that ground there as you fall over, it’s a little hard.

“Yeah, well, that wasn’t a consideration, but I do have to keep it in mind.”

Easton chuckled. “Whatever you say. Listen, you up for a visit over Turkey Day? I’ve got an extra spot at the table with your name on it.”

Dar hesitated, playing with her pen. Kerry would, she knew, be home in Michigan over that whole weekend. The thought of staying alone in her condo was suddenly very unappealing. “Gerry, I’d like that,” she replied quietly.

“Thanks.”

His smile could be heard through the phone. “Fantastic! I’ll tell the wife.

She’ll be thrilled.” He paused. “And so will my kid. See you Wednesday night?”

“Sure,” Dar agreed. “I’ll make the arrangements. Thanks again, Gerry.”

He hung up, and she sat back, considering. Kerry’s family was going to put a lot of pressure on her when she was home, Dar reasoned, though the younger woman had been very reluctant to discuss her family with Dar. Well, 274 Melissa Good Washington is a lot closer to Michigan than Miami is. Just in case. She pushed the intercom. “Maria?”

“Si?”

“I need a plane ticket to Washington National the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, coming back that Sunday.”

“Ay, it’s late for that, Dar. One ticket?”

Dark brows drew together. What an odd question. “Yes, one ticket. General Easton invited me out there for the holidays. I know it’s going to be pricey.

Just do the best you can.”

“I’ll take care of it, Dar.” Maria clicked the intercom and she went back to her report, finding a flagrant lie and pouncing on it with a chuckle of glee.

“Ah! José, I have your cojones in my right hand, can’t you feel me squeezing?”

KERRY PARKED HER car in the parking lot and stepped out, locking the doors and putting on her jacket, straightening it with an automatic gesture.

The building was an unassuming one, situated just behind the Miami airport, a single-story structure set on a long, narrow strip of land. The company logo was prominent on the outside, and Kerry gave it a look as she walked to the door and pulled it open as the guard inside unlocked it. “Good morning.” She gave the man a smile. “I’m looking for…”

A woman came around the corner by the desk. “Ms. Stuart?”

Kerry turned. “Yes. Hello.”

A hand poked out at her. “Lisa Andrews, from the account team. Thanks for coming over. It’s always nice when people from HQ come out and see what we do.” The woman was about Kerry’s height, with ash-blonde hair and a frank, friendly smile. Her pale gray eyes studied Kerry briefly, then she gestured toward the hallway. “I’ll give you the tour, we’ve got about twenty minutes before we start.”

Obligingly, Kerry followed her to the corridor intersection, where the woman turned left. The building was one very long hallway, with rooms on either side. “Down there is the mail room,” Lisa explained, “and the facilities room for the contract. We run some servers down there for them.”

Kerry nodded, having reviewed the account before leaving the office.

“Their web server and two applications servers.”

Lisa paused and blinked at her in surprise. “Right,” she agreed.

“Installation Services are in that suite, and we have an executive area where the account execs have offices and a conference room.” She started down the hallway. “Down this side, we have the training area, then at the end, the network center.”

“Can we go in there?” Kerry asked. “I’d love to see how that works.” She followed the woman down the hall and paused as she scanned her card and opened the door. It gave them access to a large, more or less square room that filled the entire end of the building. Stretched across the floor were rows of cubicles, reminding Kerry of her old offices at Associated. Each cubicle had a PC, and most had technicians inside them, busy speaking to customers. It all looked very professional and very businesslike.

A voice suddenly sounded from the taller walled cubicles just to Kerry’s Tropical Storm 275

right-hand side. “Incoming!” A projectile flew over the wall, and she barely caught it, grabbing it out of the air with a startled look. Lisa’s eyes popped out as Kerry examined the item.

It was a soft foam dart. She blinked at it, then looked up as a head appeared over the six-foot wall, peering down at her. “Hi.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Oh… Christ, sorry. It got away.” He leaned over the wall and held out a hand. “Did it hit you?”

Kerry tapped the dart on her shoulder, then she walked around the end of the cubicle section and peered down the center. There was an aisle between the cubes, with entrances on either side. These were larger than the cubes on the floor, with taller walls and overhead bins. Senior techs, Kerry decided, as she paced down the row and glanced into one cubicle, where the tall man was still standing on the desk. As she appeared, he hopped down and put his hands in his pockets. “What did this come from?” Kerry asked, glancing around. The tops of the cabinets were full of toys and small figurines. Beside her, Lisa looked mortified.

The man cleared his throat and pulled a large colorful gun out from behind a set of books and handed it to her.

“Mmm.” Kerry took the item and examined it, pulling back the mechanism and putting the dart in place. She raised it and released the trigger. The missile went flying, smacking into the door at the end of the aisle.

Heads popped out of the cubes and looked at her. The denizen of the end cube reached out and plucked the dart off the door, where it had stuck and glanced back down the row. “What in the hell is going on here?” the woman asked, pulling off her headset and hanging it down around her neck. “David, are you shooting people again?”

“Not me.” The tall man smiled brightly. He pointed at Kerry. “She did it.”

Kerry sauntered down the row until she was at the end cube and plucked the dart from the woman’s fingers. “You guys support these?” she inquired, holding up the gun.

The woman’s eyebrow rose. “Stress relief,” she explained. “For when you deal with the customers who can’t find the on/off switch.” She leaned out.

“You’re not supposed to shoot visiting suits with them,” she accused the tall man, who smiled charmingly.

“Are the customers really like that?” Kerry asked, aware of Lisa’s hovering form. “Doesn’t sound like the proper respect for them.”

The woman paused. “Want to listen to one?” There was a challenge in the invitation.

“Sure.” Kerry smiled, put the gun down and pulled up a chair from the next cube over. She was handed a spare headset, which she put on, and she moved a little closer as the technician resumed her seat.

“Don’t talk unless you want the customer to hear you,” she was instructed. “That mic is live.”

Kerry nodded, glancing around. The cube was filled with technical manuals and a few personal items, including several small stuffed animals sitting on the monitor. Various lists of phone numbers were tacked on the wall, along with a sheaf of certification affidavits and circuit diagrams. The 276 Melissa Good technician called up a screen and punched a button on the phone. “Here we go.”

A soft ding sounded, then a voice came on the line. The technician smoothly answered, identifying the support group. “How can I help you?”

“Hello?” a hesitant voice answered. “Um, is this the computer people?”

“Yes, ma’am, it is. What seems to be the problem?” The technician’s voice was calm and soothing.