Was it possible Jeff Ainsbright thought, as Dar had, that whatever irregularities he noticed in the books and procedures were evidence of some harmless, petty larceny to which he could safely turn a blind eye?
Three months wasn’t a long time to get a handle on a place as big as that 226 Melissa Good was, after all.
Be honest, Dar, her conscience quietly spoke. If this were just another target acquisition of Alastair’s, would you even be considering the question? Or would you assume the worst?
Dar’s eyes narrowed.
Ceci sat back in her chair and tucked a leg up under herself, watching the silent tableau with fascinated eyes. Her daughter was obviously deep in thought, the blue eyes unfocused and remote, their lids flickering lightly as the mind behind them worked. Ceci had always had respect for the intellect she’d watched Dar develop, despite its edgy restlessness that often made her daughter hard to deal with.
She’d had her child tested, without Andrew’s knowledge, when Dar had come home from grade school one day with a note from her fourth grade teacher informing Ceci that he was giving up on trying to retain Dar’s attention in class. Even then, she’d tested years older than her age, and Ceci had been shocked to find out just how high octane her little fourth-grader’s mind was.
Genius, the doctor had told her, was a two-edged sword. On one hand, Dar’s potential was unlimited. On the other hand, the very fact of that intelligence put Dar on a plateau that separated her at a time in her life when being different was tantamount to a prison sentence.
And there she’d been—someone who’d had a high school education, and had grown up in a family who valued the price of a person’s car more than the depth of their thoughts—trying to deal with decisions on what to do about the whole thing. Ceci had felt so out of her depth raising her child.
Now, watching that same intellect, grown and matured and shaped by Dar’s intense personality into the sharp, incisive force that it was, she wondered if she’d ever have been able to deal with Dar, even if she hadn’t had her so young and been so isolated.
Dar’s head lifted, and the introspective look vanished as she drew in a breath and returned to the here and now. A cool expression settled over her face as she met her father’s patiently waiting gaze. “No.” Dar’s voice was calm. “I don’t think he was involved.”
Andrew’s eyebrows lifted a trifle.
“But I do think he was aware,” Dar went on. “The question is, to what degree.”
Kerry nodded slightly, as though confirming thoughts of her own.
“We won’t know that unless we get all the data.”
“Exactly,” Dar replied. “Call Mark. Have him call in a security team. Make it five or six people, but tell him volunteers only.” She turned and regarded Kerry. “I want them to know where they’re going, and that there’s a possibility of getting hurt. No pressure.” She watched Kerry nod. “We’ll meet at the office.”
“All right.” Kerry stood up and headed for the phone.
Dar looked at her father. “You want to help?”
Red Sky At Morning 227
“Hell, yes,” Andrew responded immediately. “Tell you what. You stay up in that penthouse of yours and rest yer arm, and I’ll take them kiddies down to the base and shake their shorts out clean.” He patted Dar’s knee. “All right?”
Dar’s lips edged up into a tense smile. “I don’t think so. But thanks for the offer, Dad.”
“Dar, I’d be the last one to encourage your father to get into trouble, but it makes sense,” Ceci offered, a trifle hesitantly. She felt a faint flush as a pair of sharp blue eyes pinned her, and reminded herself again of just how little right she had to give her daughter advice.
“Doesn’t it?”
“No.” Dar got up from the couch, moving fluidly around Andrew’s still crouching form and stalking toward the study. “There’s too many ways for someone who knows what they’re doing to stop even one of our best techs from getting what I want.” She paused in the doorway, the restlessness evident in her flexing hand. “But they won’t stop me.”
Dar disappeared into her office, leaving the rest of them to exchange looks.
“Nice try,” Kerry offered, holding her hand over the receiver. “I could have told you she wouldn’t go for it, though.” She returned her attention to the phone. “That’s right, Mark. It’s the base... No, I can’t even start to go into it.” A pause. “Dar wants volunteers. Can we get a few?” Another pause. “No, that’ll be up to Dar... Okay, we’ll meet you there.” Kerry put the phone down. “Okay, that’s that.” She glanced at the study through the half-open door, seeing Dar’s tense form crouched over her PC. “Be right back.”
Ceci exhaled as Kerry, too, disappeared. She watched Andrew as he got up and crossed to her, then sat down on the tile floor with a sigh.
“What do you think, sailor boy?”
Andrew shook his head. “Ah think this is the goddamndest piece of horse’s butt end I ever did see.”
“Mm.” Ceci could only agree.
KERRY PAUSED IN the doorway, then entered the study and pushed the wooden surface closed behind her. Dar was studying something on her screen, but after a moment she stopped pointing and clicking and looked up.
Blue eyes gave her a direct stare. “Coming to tell me how stupid I am?”
Kerry felt her heartbeat pick up as she heard the tension in Dar’s voice. “Have I ever said that?” she asked quietly, meeting Dar’s gaze with patient honesty. “I don’t think you’re capable of being stupid.”
Dar glanced at the screen, moving her hand restlessly.
Kerry sat down on the couch and rested her forearms on her knees.
“I could question your faith in my abilities, of course.”
228 Melissa Good
“Don’t,” Dar snapped. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Excuse me.” Kerry gave her a direct look. “You are sending my people into that place; it most certainly does have everything to do with me.” She pushed herself to her feet and advanced on the desk. “I know how to supervise a security sweep, Dar. I’ve been doing it for months.”
Dar avoided her gaze. “This is different.”
Kerry studied her. “Your father was right. You should stay here.”
Her voice gentled to remove any sting. “You’re too close to this, Dar.”
Her lover drew a forceful breath and stiffened. “That’s bullshit.”
She tipped her head back as Kerry rounded the desk and confronted her. “I’m perfectly capable of doing my job, thanks.”
“No one’s debating that.” Kerry sat on the edge of the desk, realizing by the defensive tensing of Dar’s muscles that looming over her wasn’t a good idea. “But this is different, Dar. Think about it. You grew up at this place. These people are your friends.” She put out a tentative hand and covered the larger one resting on the desktop. “I don’t know if I could handle it if it were me.”
Dar’s face kept its set expression for a moment, then the jaw muscles relaxed slightly, and she blinked. “Because I did grow up there is why I have to do this,” she answered softly. “It’s not that I don’t trust you.” Her eyes flicked up to meet Kerry’s. “But I can’t give you what I know, how I know the way things work there.”
Kerry studied her lover’s face, seeing the pain etched into the tense lines around her eyes. “I’ve seen the layout, honey. It’s just a big complex system,” she protested. “I know how to get it locked down.”
“It’s not that,” Dar answered. “I just don’t want to take a chance.
Too many people can get hurt.”
“What about you taking a chance with yourself?” Kerry countered.