“Sure why not?” Kerry smiled. “They all have government security clearances.” She said. “And they know what to do with your stuff.”
One of the other accountants looked up at the words. “Wait, we’re hiring people?”
“That’s a super idea.” Steve said. “Kerry, you are the bomb.”
“Don’t say that.” The other accountant said. “You know they don’t like it.”
The first accountant started shuffling through papers. “We better get someone to rubber stamp a budget then.. let me get the forms.” He shook his head a little and went over to a filing cabinet. “Bridges will sign this, right?”
“Right.” Steve said. “He said whatever it takes.”
The accountant rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what they all say when it involves taxpayer dollars.”
“So now what?” Steve turned to Kerry. “Should we go over to the place where all our stuff is?”
Kerry drew in a breath then released it. “Let’s get all the paperwork in line, then yeah. I’ll go over there with you. I know the people there.” She was hard pressed to know whether to be relieved or apprehensive about it. She knew there were a lot of long timers in the Herndon office.
Loyal people. Competent people who had welcomed her leadership with open arms in very tense times. How would they feel about this?
Would it be a betrayal?
A rescue?
“Should we tell them we’re coming, or just go over there?” Steve asked. “They could screw things up worse if they get pissed off, right?”
Kerry was briefly silent. “We’ll just go.” She said. “I don’t think they’d do anything but there’s no saying ILS won’t.”
Steve clapped her on the shoulder. “Right on.” He said. “Let’s get some coffee. I’m thinking it’s gonna be a long day.”
**
Dar opened the message on her Handspring, ignoring Jacques’s staring eyes. “Well, crap.” She sighed. “There is not one single solitary person left in IT in the Miami office.” She looked up and across the table. “Mark is there. He said there’s not one person he can give a new set of configs to, to maybe, maybe solve this.”
Bridges was spinning around in his chair and now he stopped. “Tell him to go fix it himself.” He said. “Can he?”
Dar dialed Mark’s number. “Let me talk to him.”
“You’ll get him inside whatever that is, right?” Bridges looked pointedly at Jacques.
“Yes, of course.” Jacques answered instantly. “Dar, is that Mark Polenti?”
Dar nodded. “I spent last night revising your fucking router configs because your brainless idiot called him and begged him for help.”
Bridges chuckled under his breath. “You should have gone into the service, Roberts. You’ve got the mindset for it.”
“I would have ended up court martial-ed for insubordination before I left basic.” Dar responded crisply. ‘Mark?”
“Yea boss.” Mark said, somewhat indistinctly. “They just brought me a tray of pastelitos. Hang on.” He swallowed. “Okay, so, here’s the deal – ain’t no one for me to give this stuff to. Like, no one.”
“I know. They want you to go in and put them in yourself. You up for that?”
Long silence. “Are you shitting me?”
Dar sighed. “I’m sitting in the briefing room at the white house with White Fang here crouched over me and Jacques with a gun to his head. No. I’m not shitting you. “
Bridges chuckled dryly. “That was my favorite book as a kid.” He said. “That and some Zane Gray Indian stories.”
“They won’t let me in there, boss.” Mark said. “They pulled my creds as fast as I pulled yours.”
“They will if Jacques tells them to.” Dar said. “You willing to do it? It’s up to you.”
There was a long silence, and Dar endured it, keeping her eyes on the table and refusing to meet either men’s.
“I don’t think I should, Dar.” Mark finally said. “I think they’re just looking for a scapegoat, and I’ll end up being sued. I don’t have the bankroll you do to stand up to that.”
Dar nodded. “Okay. I get it.” She said. “Leave the files in an envelope with security.”
“Hey!” Bridges sat up. “What?”’
“Wait.. I said I would get them to let him do this!” Jacques said, at the same time.
“Shh.” Dar held up a hand. “Hear that Mark? Make sure you write on it what the contents are.”
“Will do.” Mark sounded profoundly relieved. “I’m gonna head back to the office. Call me if you need me for anything but this.”
“You got it.” Dar hung up and looked at Jacques. “He won’t do it, and I won’t make him.” She said. “He’s afraid, with good reason, that you’ll turn around and sue him.”
“Dar!” Jacques threw up his hands. “Please!”
“You have no trust.” Dar said. “I am not going to stand proxy for you and tell him you won’t do that because you know what, Jacques? I don’t know you won’t.”
“Jackasses.” Bridges rolled his eyes. “You people make me nuts.”
“Yes, sometimes I am and do.” Dar agreed. “But that man on the phone trusts me. That means more to me than your contracts, or threats, or your little padded green room.” She exhaled, and rested her elbows on the table. “So if he won’t do it then I guess I’ll have to.”
“What?” Jacques put his hands on the table. “Now this???”
Dar pushed herself to her feet, just as Kerry pushed the door open and stuck her head inside. “Hey.” She greeted her partner.
“Hey.” Kerry said. “I need to go to Herndon. I’m going to have the government hire all those people and take over the systems.”
Even Bridges blinked. “Hey what?”
“You said to solve it.” Kerry eyed him. “Careful what you ask for.”
“Good, because I have to go there too, so I can fix the damn thing so when the government takes it over it works” Dar said. “Did you say there was a Wendy’s around here?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. I need a cheeseburger.”
“Wait.” Jacques stood up. “You cannot just do this.”
“Sure they can.” Bridges apparently decided to roll with it. “I like that, Stuart. So we’re buying out the contracts and bringing it in house? Security group’ll be very very pleased. Intelligence jackass committee will too.”
“Taxpayer’s won’t.” Kerry said, in a droll tone.
Bridges smiled. “Oh, they will.” He said. “When George finishes telling them how much safer they’ll be. Good press for him.” He got up. “Get going, people. I’ll tell him you’ll be back later to show him your new whoo hah.”
“I think I should…” Jacques stood up.
“No you shouldn’t.” Bridges turned serious. “Sit your ass down and don’t move. In fact, give me that cell phone.” He held out his hand. “I don’t trust you either.”
Kerry had it in her to feel sorry for Jacques, in that moment. She could read desperation, and fear and an overwhelming anxiety in his face, and she knew here was a man in a very bad spot who hadn’t either expected or prepared for that.
But then in the next moment, she remembered that he, and his henchman had been here trying to throw them under the federal bus, and she didn’t feel sorry for him at all. “C’mon Dar.” She held a hand out to her partner. “Let’s go make things right. “
Dar handed a piece of cardboard to Bridges. “Call this guy.” She said. “Tell him to take over ILS. Tell him what we’re doing. If anyone can pull their corporate head out of their corporate ass, it’s him. And tell him to call Hamilton the lawyer, who’s got a whole crapload of investors ready to back him.”
Bridges took it. “Will do, Roberts. Now go get this crap done. I’ve got a headache from all the bitching and I don’t want to hear it anymore.” He waved them out. “Take Steve with you, he’s got credentials and shiny badges and things that’ll keep you out of trouble.”