“Yep.” Dar slung one long leg over the couch arm, and studiously ignored the two pairs of Labrador eyes watching her every move. A nearby handset rang, and she set the plate on the side table and reached over to answer the house phone. “Don't know who the hell this might be. Hello?”
“Hey Dar.” Mark's voice echoed through the handset. “Just heard from one of our old workmates, so I thought I'd give you a buzz since I figured you could use a laugh.”
“Sure.” Dar put the handset on speaker. “Kerry's listening too. What's up?”
“Remember you said, eventually they'd have a fuck up, and then we'd know how screwed up they really were?” Mark sounded amused. “Happened sooner than later. Pete, the guy who took over my spot? He just called me. Total cluster. They did some change that the new ops VP told them to do, and half every thing's cocked up.”
“Oh. Damn.” Dar mentally pictured it. “What kind of change?”
“Pete was in too much of a flop sweat to tell me. He was just praying to cheezus I could tell him what to do, because everyone's screaming at him.”
“Did you?”
Mark hesitated a trifle, then cleared his throat. “No.” He said. “Not... I mean, if I could have given him a quick answer, ten words, I might have you know? But I don't know what they changed.”
“Sounds like a mess.” Kerry contributed, fishing out a small bit of chicken breast for each of her two furry acolytes.
“Yeah, it is.” Mark said. “So besides thinking you'd think it was kinda funny, I thought I should warn ya because Pete knows, and probably everyone else knows there's only one person they could call who maybe could help them.”
Dar sighed.
“Would you?” Kerry asked, curiously.
“I would tell them just revert their damn change.” Dar said. “Shouldn't take me to do that though. It's common sense, Mark.”
“Hundred percent, boss.” Mark agreed. “That's what I told Pete. Problem is, so many cooks were in the kitchen and making changes to try to fix it, they never recorded the start state and they don't know what to do to put it back.”
Dar frowned. “Pull the configs from the repository and push them.”
“They tried that. Pete said something went wrong with it.” Mark said. “He's kinda freaked.”
Dar paused thoughtfully, taking a forkful of her dinner and chewing it. “Someone making things worse on purpose?” She asked, after she swallowed. “Big coincidence the repository going down in the mix.”
“Mm. I kinda thought about that, but the guys left there want their jobs. I don't think they'd do that. Bigger gain for them if they run smooth, and get in good with the new dude.” Mark said. “So anyway, like I said, just thought I'd let ya know because you never know, they might swallow the pill and pick up the phone.”
“Huh. I doubt it, but thanks Mark.” Dar said. “Let us know if you hear any more tidbits. Pays to be in the know.”
“You got it, boss.” Mark sounded satisfied. “See ya tomorrow.”
“Later.” Dar hung up the phone, and for a long few moments they simply ate together in silence, deep in thought.
“It's so weird.” Kerry finally said. “Knowing that's going on and not getting any calls for it.”
“Uh huh.” Her partner agreed. “They won't call me. Too much loss of face.” She decided. “They'll bring in specialists or someone from the vendors to sort it out.”
“I think you're right.”
Dar handed over a bite of chicken to the patiently waiting Chino, then provided a smaller piece to Mocha who stood up on his hind legs and pattered on her knee with his front paws. “When they get through this, maybe they'll start forgetting about us, and move on.”
“I sure hope so.” Kerry wiped her lips and got up, putting her plate down. “Watch that for me will you? Want some ice tea?”
“Sure.”
Kerry went into the kitchen and got a couple of glasses out, pausing a moment to think about how she felt about ILS being in trouble.
Part of her felt a little gleeful, and she wasn't sure if she was altogether happy about that since she'd spent the time she had on the other side of the coin. But there was a resentment there too, of how ILS had treated her and Dar and it would be folly to pretend that didn't exist either.
And if they did call Dar?
Hm.
She opened the refrigerator and poured the beverage out from a jar on the top shelf, the tea itself having been made using the sun method by her before the weekend. It had tea, of course, but also raspberries and blackberries in it, and it was murky and weird looking but tasted fine.
Sweetened with honey. Kerry took an experimental sip, then grunted approval and filled the other glass. She brought them back into the living room where Dar had found a special on penguins to watch. “Oh, cute.” She settled back on the couch, this time with her shoulder right up against her partners so she could let her head rest there too.
Dar shifted and touched her head to Kerry's. “I was just thinking about what I was going to do if they do decide to call me.” She said.
“Naturally, since I was just in the kitchen wondering the same thing.” Kerry observed. “Hon, tempting as it is to be the knight in shining armor that saves them, I think those bastards will just use that as leverage to say you deliberately crippled the company by leaving.”
Dar smiled. “Now who's being psychic?”
“Seriously. I think the reason they fired Hamilton is because they want to come after you no matter what our agreement was, and they'll take any excuse.”
“They're businessmen.” Dar said. “I would hope that would mean they'll do things just to continue the company's success. Coming after me doesn't do anything for anyone.”
“I think some of them don't care.”
Dar shrugged. “Could be. Anyway, it's a moot point unless they do call.” She paused, thoughtfully. “As I said, I don't think they will. I think it'll kill them to have to. But if they're desperate enough to do that, then if I do help, I get one up on them.”
“Hm.” Kerry grunted softly. “I don't know, Dar.”
“Wait till it happens. Or not.” Her partner said. “They don't have idiots there. I”m sure they can figure it out.”
Kerry snorted, but remained silent, finishing up her chicken.
**
“Kerrisita?”
Kerry looked up from her desk, to find Maria in the doorway. “Hey Maria. What's up?”
“The receptionist, she has someone downstairs who wished to speak with you.” Maria said. “I think it might be one of those terrible men.”
“Oh really.” Kerry tapped her pen on her desk. “Can you ask Carlos to bring him up?”
“Surely.” Maria smiled in agreement, and ducked out.
“This might be interesting.” Kerry mused, cocking her head to one side to listen for Dar in the next room. There was nothing there but silence, but she figured if Carlos was bringing the guy, it should be all right.
A couple of minutes later, Carlos knocked softly at the door frame, then stood back to let his charge enter, following him closely inside.
Kerry was waiting, her desk cleared, and the folder she had of the job openings off to one side. Not to her surprise, the man who came in was the guy who had stalked her, and she remained neutrally silent while he crossed over and sat down in one of her visitor's chairs.
Carlos went over and stood on the other side of him, hands clasped in front of him. “You be polite to this lady, or you're going out the window, bud.” He remarked in a mild tone.
The man looked at him, then looked back at Kerry without commenting.
“So what can I do for you?” Kerry finally broke the silence. “Mr. Patterson, is it?”
“Yeah.” He said, clearing his throat. “Wheels told me you gave him a list of open positions.”