Storm Surge - Part 2 Read Online Free
Author: Melissa Good
distinguished selves on out the door, and let us get on with it." He opened the door. "I'll walk you on down."
The men filed out. The last three, big men with very little in the way of necks, made a point of looking around before they walked out, tugging their jacket sleeves straight as they left and closing the door behind them.
The conference room became quiet. Dar rested her weight on her elbows and glanced at Kerry. "Got any Advil?"
Kerry grimaced in sympathetic understanding and leaned over to rummage in her briefcase.
"Well, Dar." Alastair put his hands on his chair arms, and sighed.
"I'm really glad to see you." He eyed his scowling CIO. "I know I've been a pain in the ass all day. You going to kill me?"
Dar stood and went to the credenza, poured herself a glass of water and used it to chase down the pills she was juggling in her right hand."I'm not going to kill you Alastair. Too many crappy things have happened to too many people in the last few days for me to get pissed off about a couple of phone calls."
Alastair twiddled his fingers on the chair arms. "You sure sounded pissed off at the politico's boys."
"I don't know or care about them." Dar came back and sat down, exhaling. "I know and care about you." She caught her boss's eyes widening in surprise. "So I'd rather take my cramps out on them since they weren't doing anything productive for us anyway."
"Ah."
Kerry reached over and gave Dar's back a little rub. "We have a short list of critical tasks, sir," she addressed Alastair. "The emergency office and some kind of coverage downtown are top on the list. Is there anything else they're pressing us on?"
"Well." Alastair eyed them both warily. "I don't want to get your shorts back in a twist now."
"Alastair, please." Dar smiled briefly.
"We do have a little longer short list," Alastair admitted. "Somethings came up today, and I guess they thought they'd throw everything at us and see what stuck."
"Bring it on." Kerry took her laptop out and put it on the table."Dad, you want some coffee? I'm going to find some tea."
"Naw," Andrew said. "How bout I get your's and Dardar's bunks squared away. I figure you got a lot of stuff you got to take care of," he offered."Ah'll find out what's going on round here anyhow."
"Thanks, Dad," Dar said "That'd be great."
Andrew stood up and slung his own bag over his shoulder. He stepped behind them and patted Dar on the shoulder then collected their bags and ducked out the door. "Better find me that coon ass, too, 'fore he gets into trouble with them folks," he muttered as he left, his words echoing softly.
That left the three of them. Kerry focused on getting her laptop started up, as Dar and Alastair regarded each other.
"Here we go again," Alastair said, finally.
"Here we go again," Dar repeated, with a sigh. "Got any rum?"
"Eh?"
Chapter Two
"FIRST THINGS FIRST." Dar had her hands in her pockets, as she studied the conference room wall. Once sedately weave covered, it now sported various plans and blueprints spread out from end to end."Kerry, who do we have here from services?"
"I've got three people here, Dar. They're the support folks for this office," Kerry said.
Dar ran her finger along the coastline of Manhattan. "Okay. So let's get them out to the Intrepid. If this is to scale, and it's correct, we'll need a fiber spool and someone who can terminate it. We got that?"
Kerry reviewed her notes. "I don't think so," she admitted. "We contracted out the fiber install here. I don't think that's our access either."
"Okay." Dar moved to the other end of the map. "Let's start from a place I know they'll let us into. Have the guys take the biggest spool we have, make sure it's rubberized, and have them start at the mayor's damn offices and move toward the Intrepid. Maybe I can work on getting us access while they do that."
"Will do." Kerry leaned over her laptop and put her headphones in.
They were alone in the conference room. Alastair and
The men filed out. The last three, big men with very little in the way of necks, made a point of looking around before they walked out, tugging their jacket sleeves straight as they left and closing the door behind them.
The conference room became quiet. Dar rested her weight on her elbows and glanced at Kerry. "Got any Advil?"
Kerry grimaced in sympathetic understanding and leaned over to rummage in her briefcase.
"Well, Dar." Alastair put his hands on his chair arms, and sighed.
"I'm really glad to see you." He eyed his scowling CIO. "I know I've been a pain in the ass all day. You going to kill me?"
Dar stood and went to the credenza, poured herself a glass of water and used it to chase down the pills she was juggling in her right hand."I'm not going to kill you Alastair. Too many crappy things have happened to too many people in the last few days for me to get pissed off about a couple of phone calls."
Alastair twiddled his fingers on the chair arms. "You sure sounded pissed off at the politico's boys."
"I don't know or care about them." Dar came back and sat down, exhaling. "I know and care about you." She caught her boss's eyes widening in surprise. "So I'd rather take my cramps out on them since they weren't doing anything productive for us anyway."
"Ah."
Kerry reached over and gave Dar's back a little rub. "We have a short list of critical tasks, sir," she addressed Alastair. "The emergency office and some kind of coverage downtown are top on the list. Is there anything else they're pressing us on?"
"Well." Alastair eyed them both warily. "I don't want to get your shorts back in a twist now."
"Alastair, please." Dar smiled briefly.
"We do have a little longer short list," Alastair admitted. "Somethings came up today, and I guess they thought they'd throw everything at us and see what stuck."
"Bring it on." Kerry took her laptop out and put it on the table."Dad, you want some coffee? I'm going to find some tea."
"Naw," Andrew said. "How bout I get your's and Dardar's bunks squared away. I figure you got a lot of stuff you got to take care of," he offered."Ah'll find out what's going on round here anyhow."
"Thanks, Dad," Dar said "That'd be great."
Andrew stood up and slung his own bag over his shoulder. He stepped behind them and patted Dar on the shoulder then collected their bags and ducked out the door. "Better find me that coon ass, too, 'fore he gets into trouble with them folks," he muttered as he left, his words echoing softly.
That left the three of them. Kerry focused on getting her laptop started up, as Dar and Alastair regarded each other.
"Here we go again," Alastair said, finally.
"Here we go again," Dar repeated, with a sigh. "Got any rum?"
"Eh?"
Chapter Two
"FIRST THINGS FIRST." Dar had her hands in her pockets, as she studied the conference room wall. Once sedately weave covered, it now sported various plans and blueprints spread out from end to end."Kerry, who do we have here from services?"
"I've got three people here, Dar. They're the support folks for this office," Kerry said.
Dar ran her finger along the coastline of Manhattan. "Okay. So let's get them out to the Intrepid. If this is to scale, and it's correct, we'll need a fiber spool and someone who can terminate it. We got that?"
Kerry reviewed her notes. "I don't think so," she admitted. "We contracted out the fiber install here. I don't think that's our access either."
"Okay." Dar moved to the other end of the map. "Let's start from a place I know they'll let us into. Have the guys take the biggest spool we have, make sure it's rubberized, and have them start at the mayor's damn offices and move toward the Intrepid. Maybe I can work on getting us access while they do that."
"Will do." Kerry leaned over her laptop and put her headphones in.
They were alone in the conference room. Alastair and
Readers choose
Sally Clements
Joseph Veramu
Kaki Warner
Gerald Petievich
Carolyn Jewel
Garth Nix
Shirl Henke
Bernadette Gardner