''There's a new flu bug going around, don't you know?'' Tony rambled on. ''Half my crew called in sick. I had to hire all kinds of new people this afternoon. I did get you the first half of the spread here, didn't I?''
''Yes, but there's a galloping herd about two shakes away from here and this is going to vanish like a politician's honor,'' the coordinator noted with a sly grin.
''Well, my guys are here, sir. But they're being held up at the gate. Some sergeant insists everything on all eight of my next trucks has to be inspected.''
''Oh God, give me that. The last thing we need is hungry cops pawing over my fancy food,'' the coordinator said, taking the phone from Tony.
''Sergeant, this is Dick Hamernack, I'm personally coordinating this affair for the president. We need that food.'' This was followed by a pause.
''Well, have you inspected the first truck?'' The coordinator nodded as he got the answer he expected. ''Good, all the trucks are like the first. Right, Tony?''
Tony nodded, actually believing the truth of what he affirmed. He would not be one of those alive in the morning.
''Well, if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Get them in here. And I mean now. Right now.''
The coordinator handed the phone back. ''Cops! They want to look under every bed. They'd pull up every dress if you'd let them.''
Tony ruefully nodded agreement.
And Grant von Schrader allowed himself a smile.
Around Bronc, the noise of an engine going into gear drew smiles from the two sergeants with rifles. Those were quickly reflected on the faces of the kids with guns.
Bronc kept doing his own searches, just like he'd been told. Nothing new. No surprises.
Had Cara got the message out?
Were they going to kill everyone just like they said?
Bronc worked his jaw, trying to get rid of some of the tension, trying to keep his stomach from revolting at the thought of so much blood. There wasn't much he could do.
Never in his life had he wanted so to live, to grow up. To be with Cara.
His computer completed another search. Nothing had changed.
47
Kris spotted the CEO of Nuu Enterprises on Eden and homed in on him at the hors d'oeuvre bar. ''An interesting guy you got as a president here.''
''He meets our need,'' the CEO said, a man no more presupposing than his planet's government. ''We can't all be Longknifes, and not every planet in space wants a legend calling the shots. If you don't mind my saying so.''
''I have learned to value diversity,'' Kris said. ''By the way, I've also learned about a fellow who's something of a player on Eden. A Grant von Schrader?''
''Him,'' the CEO huffed. ''Not exactly what I'd call a good example of our planet, but yes, he's a player. Oh, and he's here. You want to meet him?''
And before Kris could decide how to answer that, she found herself squired down the table into that meeting.
''Grant, have you met Kris Longknife?'' was followed by a pause that quickly grew pregnant.
The two eyed each other. Kris schooled her face to gentle neutrality and seemed to see the same in the face of the middle-aged man across from her. The conservative cut of his formal wear did not camouflage his ramrod military bearing—or his eyes.
Those were an icy gray that reflected back a cold calculation of the world…and gave away nothing about what lurked behind them. Someone could drown in the frigid water of those eyes, and the owner would take no notice.
Kris wondered what he saw looking back at him, but he reflected nothing to her.
''No, I have not had the pleasure, Henry. Thanks for bringing her over to my little corner of the world.'' seemed affable enough, taken word by word. The whole of the content came no where close to measuring up to its parts.
Kris offered him her hand and got a solid shake that seemed to offer to go long and tight, but held back.
Kris suppressed the temptation to tighten her own grip. If Grant was holding back, so would she.
''The sunset was quite red tonight,'' Kris said, turning to the weather for her innuendo.
''I noticed the river was running red in return. It can be very lovely at those times,'' he answered back.
And for a moment, just a split second, Kris saw the heart of a man who would delight in a river running red with the blood of the bodies it floated.
This was no man to leave the future of a planet to.
And in that moment, Kris made her decision.
There would be no retreat tonight. She and hers would fight this man. Fight him for the hopes and dreams of a world of people like Cara and Bronc, Uncle Joe and Auntie Mong and all the store owners like themselves struggling to make a living and hold the line for some minimum of civilization.
And certainly for a cop like Martinez. He who tried.
For them, Kris would risk flesh and blood to stop whatever monster lurked in the heart of the man before her.
''You have lost security,'' Kris said, doing her bit to dent the confidence of the man she faced. ''Some of us know what is going down tonight. You will not succeed.''
Grant von Schrader might have raised an eyebrow at that. Or not. Instead he turned to the woman beside him. A lovely dusky-eyed woman. ''Have you met Topaz.''
''No,'' Kris said, offering her hand again. The woman took it gently in a gloved hand.
KRIS, THAT IS ABBY'S MOTHER.
I KNOW, NELLY. CAN YOU TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT HER?
SHE IS NOT SQUAWKING. BUT I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE SHE IS NOT CARRYING. I DETECT NO HUM OF ANY ELECTRONICS.
That would certainly be unusual for anyone.
Kris waited to see how this would develop, but it was Grant who said. ''I think I see someone I should talk to. Henry, if you and this lovely lady will excuse me.'' And with a half bow, the man was gone and the woman with him.
The Nuu CEO watched him go. ''Would you mind telling me what that was about? ‘You will not succeed.' ''
''It's a Longknife thing. And here's another Longknife thing. Leave. Do not look back. Do not hesitate. If you want to live a long life, be somewhere else as quickly as you can.''
The CEO shook his head ruefully. ''My contacts warned me that you were strange. If you will excuse me, I see some folks I need to spend time with,'' he said, and headed off in a direction that did not have any door close by.
''Some people are just too dumb to live,'' Jack said softly.
''No,'' Penny disagreed. ''They are comfortable living in the normal and cannot believe that there is any other way.''
''Wouldn't it be nice if their way was the only way?'' Commander Malhoney offered.
''Well, I don't think tonight has any chance of going that way. Jack, did you get a good look at our Grant von Schrader?''
''And I didn't like what I saw. That guy's been in uniform. If he's been here for fifteen years and still has that look of sharp steel about him, I think we would be wise not to underestimate him.''
''Nelly, send out the code word. Play ball.''
''Sent, Kris.''
And that settled the matter. Any chance that Kris might cancel tonight was now gone.
In the car park, grim Marines would be swapping out of dress uniforms for camouflage sniper kits. Others would be wandering off from the close patrol around Kris's limo and the two Marine rigs to set up their own observation points, reverting to the oldest warrior skill set, checking out the developing situation with the Mark I eyeball.
Captain DeVar got the code word, as he had expected. His reading of the history books was that Ray Longknife was hard on subordinates. As in, he lost a lot of them.
He had been none too excited about putting his Marines into the tender hands of another such legend on the make.
But this young woman surprised him.
This Longknife noticed the people around her and took them in as more than cannon fodder. And she actually seemed worried about kicking butt and taking names here on Eden.
When she'd let on that she just might call tonight off, he'd been happily surprised.