Hurricane Watch - DK2 (26 page)

Or, maybe all the stress. Kerry eased back down into the waterbed and admitted to feeling pretty stressed herself, the specter of the coming day making her want to burrow back under the covers and stay there.

She had a few minutes, so she indulged herself in merely watching Dar doze peacefully, her face outlined faintly in the early morning gloom, only a faint, irregular twitching moving the soft, tanned skin.

Kerry twirled a lock of dark hair idly around her fingers and brushed it against her lips, absorbing the peace of the moment.

Finally she sighed and edged carefully out of bed, tucking the comforter back around Dar’s body before she padded out into the living room, heading for her bedroom upstairs. She stopped short when she almost collided with a seated form on the floor. ”Oh.”

Despite Dar’s reassurance, she felt awkward getting caught coming out of the bedroom, and she felt a blush warming her skin as she backed up a step. “I...hi. Good morning.”

”Hey there, Kerry,” Andrew Roberts uttered, in a low voice. He had Chino between his knees and was playing with her, the delighted puppy rolling around on her back as he rubbed her belly. ”Thought I’d catch a ride out early with ya.”

Kerry collected her wits and settled herself cross legged on the cold tiles next to him, pushing her hair back behind one ear absently. ”Um, I don’t suppose I could convince you to stick around here today, huh?”

He glanced up and studied her face. ”Why?” He asked, warily.

“Something wrong with Dar?”

Kerry exhaled. ”Well, I have to go into work,” she stated quietly. ”I don’t want to. It's going to be a mess. I’d rather stay here and keep Dar company, but I can’t.”

”Uh huh.”

”And if I leave Dar here all alone, she’s going to go crazy between being bored, and wondering what’s going on,” Kerry continued. ”I think she’s pretty shook up about all of this, and...” She peeked at him.

“Seeing you again.”

”Uh huh.” Andrew glanced away. “Lot to get used to.”

“Yeah,” Kerry murmured.

He looked back at her, and in his expression she saw Dar so clearly it was almost startling.

“Listen,” he started, then hesitated.

”And I’ll be a nervous wreck all day, wondering what’s going on with her,” came the soft words. ”But if you’re here, she won’t be bored, and I won’t have to worry.” Kerry finished, her eyes settling on him in
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silent appeal. “Please?”

”Ya ever think of going into diplomacy, young lady?” Andrew Roberts queried wryly.

Kerry tasted the irony. “Last thing I’d ever do,” she replied. “But it’s the truth, isn’t it? You know Dar better than I do.”

Andrew’s scarred lips twitched a trifle. “Lay yer a bet on that one,”

he said. “All right, young lady. I’ll do yer baby sitting.” He relented.

“Got me a few things to say to her anyhow.”

Kerry squeezed his hand. ”Thank you. I won’t be all day. I promise.”

He nodded and tickled the puppy. ”She’s a cute little thing,” he commented.

”Mm, yes, she is,” Kerry replied. ”I think she likes you.” She laughed softly as the puppy squirmed happily against his foot.

He scowled at her. ”Don’t you have to get dressed to go on into that place, or do you work in yer jammies?”

Kerry stood up and grinned at him. ”I get the hint.” She trotted towards the stairs, trying to psych herself up for the day to come.

A HAND ON her shoulder. Dar felt the shake, but her body didn’t want to budge.

”Dar.”

Part of her brain acknowledged the deep, raspy voice and recognized it, but there was still a dark, heavy pall over her consciousness, and she fought the desire to slip back down into peaceful oblivion.

”Paladar, get yer butt up or I’m gonna slap it.”

Uh oh. One blue eye slid open in startlement, and regarded him, then the other joined it as Dar rolled half onto her back, her heart pumping in erratic rhythm. ”Dad?” She cleared her throat of its hoarseness, and rubbed her eyes, trying to push the fog back. ”Wh...”

”C’mon now, it’s past ten hundred, and I’ve about cleaned every inch of this place.” Andrew reached out a hand and gently tipped her chin back, regarding her face intently. “You hit your head or your laig?”

Dar felt her thoughts go skittering off and she took several deep breaths. ”Both,” she admitted, lifting her hand to touch the lump behind her ear. “Didn’t mention that part to the doc.”

Andrew managed a wry chuckle. “Lord you ain’t changed.”

Dar gazed up at him. “You like doctors now?”

“Hell no.”

His daughter shrugged a little. “You didn’t change. Why should I have?”

Andrew’s battered face twitched into a painful smile. “All right,”

he said. “Got me there, Dardar,” he conceded. “You getting out of that there bed?”

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”Urmph.” Dar struggled to sit up. ”What are you doing here? I thought you were going to get a ride out this morning?”

Andrew sat down on the waterbed railing and folded his arms across his chest. ”I was until your little kumquat turned those pretty eyes of hers on me and asked me to stick around for a bit,” he snorted. ”Damn tricky kid.”Dar grinned a little, as she stifled a yawn. ”Yeah, well, she has the same effect on me. Don’t feel bad.”

Her father chuckled softly. ”I noticed.”

Dar found a smile winding its way onto her face. ”All right, let me go dump some water on my head.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and reached for the brace. ”Stupid thing.”

”Here, gimee that.” Andrew took the brace and slipped it on with experienced hands. ”Think I still remember how, seeing as how I spent half yer damn childhood sticking some kinda bandage on you.” He adjusted the straps.

Dar leaned back and watched him. ”Swelling’s almost gone, at least that’s working out.” She sighed, lifting her leg as he finished and pushing herself upright. ”Thanks.” She stood up and almost fell as a wave of dizziness washed over her. ”Damn.”

”Aw hell.” Andrew grabbed her hastily. ”Hang on.” He got an arm around her and lifted her up, cradling her like a child. ”All right, take it easy, rugrat.”

Dar blinked as her head finally cleared, and she sucked in a breath.

”Okay. I’m all right.” She rubbed her temples irritatedly. ”You can put me down.”

Her father snorted. ”Yeah, yeah.” He walked out of her bedroom ignoring her protests, and finally let her down on the couch. ”Quit yer bitchin, will ya? I’ve had to carry a lot heavier things’n you a hell of a lot farther than that,” he reminded her. ”You remember Moose?”

Dar settled back against the couch and caught her breath. ”Yeah, I sure do. I used to think he was an alien, never saw a human being eat as much as he did.”

”Yeah, well, I had to carry his butt out three miles a couple years back. Damn near killed me. I made him eat Christly granola bars for three months after that.” He sat down next to her and patted her thigh.

”So don’t you fuss at me.”

“Okay.” Dar capitulated meekly.

He rubbed his hands together.“‘Hungry?”

“A little.”

“Got me some aigs inside,” Andrew said. “Fancy kitchen setup you got there.”

Dar managed a wry smile. “Kerry’s touch,” she said. “I never did learn to cook.”

“Sa’llright.” Her father chuckled. “Neither did I.” He stood. “I’ll bring in what I scrabbled up. It probably won’t kill you.”

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Dar stifled a yawn, and nodded, pensively staring at the table as he disappeared.

KERRY FELT LIKE she had a huge, red, white and black target painted right on her chest as she walked into the building. She already had a stomach ache, and she hadn’t even hit the elevator yet. She nodded nervously at the guard as she moved past him.

”Ms. Stuart?” The man said, leaning towards her a little.

”Yes?” She paused, wondering if he had orders to stop her or something.

He walked around the desk and came closer. ”Is Ms. Roberts doing okay?” He shuffled his feet nervously, and looked around. ”I know you guys usually come in together, so... ”

Kerry smiled warmly at him. ”She’s fine, thanks for asking,” she reassured him. ”Did anyone else from fourteen come through here yet?”

He knew what she was asking. ”No, ma’am. You’re the very first. ”

Kerry nodded. ”Okay, thanks. I’ll tell Dar you were asking for her.”

Her green eyes twinkled. ”Wish me luck today.”

He licked his lips. ”Are you...” He left the statement unfinished.

”Oh no.” Kerry shook her head firmly. ”But someone has to hold the paper bag up while everyone else jumps through it, you know?”

She knew the word would spread within minutes. ”Dar asked me to.”

He nodded. ”Gotcha.” He sketched a salute at her. ”Good luck, ma’am.”

Kerry continued on, riding in solitary splendor up to her floor, and exiting into a very empty corridor. Her steps took her to Dar’s office first, and she used her key for the first time, letting herself in to where Maria would usually already be working. The outer office was somberly silent. The secretary’s desk was neat as a pin, but missing the usual personal items Maria had kept there. Her cube of pictures, for instance, and the intriguing prism that scattered light over the room, a gift from Dar.Kerry felt irrationally sad at the sight and she ran a hand over the wood of the desk, swallowing down a surge of frustration. ”This is so senseless.” She picked up the contents of the in box, then she moved into the inner office, feeling her lover’s absence like a physical blow.

She noticed that Dar had left everything the way it was. Even the fish were sitting forlornly on the clean surface of the desk, the light from the window catching them in flashes of blue and crimson. The only thing
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she’d taken, Kerry realized, were the dolphins she’d given her.

”Oh, Dar,” Kerry exhaled, feeling sick. The laptop sat on her desk in silence, giving mute testimony of its owner’s abandonment. She wondered what had gone through Dar’s mind as she’d given that up. It was the tangible badge of her office, really, giving her access into the heart of the company. Giving her the authority, which now, albeit briefly, rested in Kerry’s hands. With a sigh, she collected what was in Dar’s inbox as well, and then stepped around the desk, and headed for the back entrance to her own office.

She could, she knew, boot up the computer in Dar’s office and work from there, but she had no intention of sending that particular message.

She even had Dar’s passwords, the ultimate expression of her lover’s trust in her, and if she’d wanted to, she could have brought down mainframes all across the world with Dar’s top clearance and access.

But she had no intention of sending that message either.

She entered her office and put the papers down, reaching over and booting up her computer, then grabbing her coffee cup and trudging across the hallway to get some coffee.

Her back was to the door, and she didn’t see who entered, but it also gave her a moment to decide on her response when the newcomer greeted her.

”Kerry.” Mariana’s voice sounded very tired.

The blonde woman turned, and took a breath. ”Hi.”

”I didn’t expect to see you here,” the Personnel VP told her honestly. ”How’s Dar?”

Kerry took a sip of her coffee. ”She’s all right, taking it easy at home.” She paused. ”She tried to call you last night.”

The other woman sighed, and leaned back against the wall. ”I went out and got drunk,” Mariana admitted. ”I saw her number on the caller ID. I was going to call her back today.” She looked at Kerry. ”You know Alastair has put a hold on her resignation.”

”Yes, I know,” Kerry answered quietly. ”I spoke to him,” she exhaled, ”Let’s go into my office a minute.” She followed Mari into the room and closed the door. ”Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen...” she began.

”He’s on his way here, Kerry,” Mariana told her wearily. ”And he’s very upset.”

”I know,” Kerry responded. ”I talked to him for about an hour yesterday. I told him everything, about José, about Eleanor, and about that pig bastard.” She sat on the edge of her desk. ”And I told him it was all my fault.”

”Your fault?” Mariana started forward. ”Kerry, what in blazes are you talking about? What do you mean it’s your fault?”

”I lost it.” Kerry gazed at her. ”I...lost...it. Dar went all that time without giving in to his harassment, not a word from her, and she could have wiped the camp with him,” she told Mari, ”and I blew it. I blew it 144

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because I couldn’t keep the lid on when he needled me.” She put her coffee down and got up to pace. ”Without that, he’s got nothing...nothing, Mari. Even with those stupid pictures, he still has nothing, but with that, he had enough to...” she stopped, and leaned on the window’s cool glass. ”He hit Dar in her one weak spot,” she concluded softly. ”Me.”

Mariana slowly sat down in one of the visitor’s chairs. ”No,” she disagreed quietly. ”Oh, yes, I mean sure, you’re right, but he never should have gotten that far, Kerry.” She leaned on her elbows. ”Dar was right. I should have stopped it.”

The woman looked like a truck had driven over her. Kerry sighed.

”Well, no sense crying over spilled milk, they always say.” She turned and regarded her mail, wincing at the pages and pages of urgent marked messages. ”Let’s see what happens when Alastair gets here. I know he considers Dar a very valuable employee.”

”That he does,” Mariana agreed. ”She’s really come through for him on a number of occasions. She’s really come through for all of us, and that’s why this whole thing is so stupid.”

Kerry regarded her hands, folded on the desk. ”You said you should have stopped it. Why didn’t you?”

The older woman glanced at the carpet. ”I spent half the night thinking about that,” she admitted. ”And the conclusion I came to was that we’re all so used to Dar doing the dirty work, taking the hits and drawing the fire to herself that we’ve all gotten to be...” she paused. ”It was easier just to stand back and let her go at him. I never thought for a minute he’d ever get even a step up on her. He’s so out of her league.”