Melissa Good: Storm Surge - Part 2

"Sometimes you like life's simple pleasures." Alastair took a bite of his own. "This is one of them."

Dar had to agree. "Bet your wife is looking forward to you getting home, huh?"

"Lady, you know it." Alastair settled back in his chair, balancing a can of root beer on the arm. "We can share a ride to the airport. Get a few minutes of private chat time."

Dar nodded. "You talk to the board?" She glanced up to see the door open and Hamilton appear. "Ah. Lawyer's in the house."

Alastair turned his head. "Hey, Ham, over here." He called out. "Grab yourself a piece of pie and sit down."

Their corporate lawyer complied. He laid two pieces on a paper plate and came over to join them. Atypically, he was dressed in jeans and a polo shirt rather than his usual suit, and he settled into the chair across from Dar with a weary grunt.

"Got your tickets?" Alastair asked.

"Hell yes." Hamilton answered. "I've had enough of the neighborhood to last me a coon's birthday." He bit into his pizza. "I'm on your flight back to Houston, Al. I've got so much paperwork to dig through I might as well take up your space to do it."

Alastair grunted and nodded.

"Where are we with all those government demands?" Dar asked.

"Don't go there, Maestro." Hamilton waved his pizza at her. "Do not ask about any of that. Just please go back to Miami and continue being brilliant and let me do my job."

Dar blinked at him. "Sure. All yours."

"Let's just say I had my hands full the last couple of days," Ham said"Al, you owe me a damned fine steak dinner out of this."

"No problem my friend." Alastair took a swig of his root beer. "That's a debt I'm glad to pay. We've got a lot of work ahead of us in the next few days."

"Got that right."

Dar could feel Kerry's gentle breathing under her hand, and she was reassured by the easy rhythm of it. She could sense a feeling of relief in the people around her, both the natives and the visitors, and even a few smiles from the New York staff as they joined their teammates in the pizza and drinks.

She wished she could go to sleep along with Kerry. The thought of going through the hassle at the airport and then the flight home was absolutely exhausting.

"Hey, Maestro."

Dar looked up at Hamilton. "Mm?"

"Good job." The lawyer toasted her with his soda.

"Thanks," Dar answered. "Was it worth it?" She indicated the television screen in the background that had CNN on. "Market's dropped how many hundred points?"

Hamilton shrugged. "My daddy, who I will tell you thought I was coming down in the world when I went to law school, advised anyone who would listen that only fools lost money in the stock market. Everyone else just recognized a fabulous buy opportunity when they saw it."

"Our stock's up," Alastair remarked dryly.

"Airlines are dropping," Hamilton added. "That's why I want to get my Louisiana lily white ass out of here before they go bankrupt and stop putting fuel in the tanks before they take off."

"Think they will?" Alastair asked. "People won't stop flying."

"Won't they?" Hamilton asked. "Who's to say it won't happen again. People don't like dying. It ruins their day, Al."

They all went quiet for a moment. "Well." Alastair half shrugged. "I'm not walking back to Houston so I guess I'll risk it. Bad enough I almost ended up having to swim from the Bahamas or get sailed in by Captain Roberts, here."

"What?" Hamilton stared at him.

"Oh, didn't tell you about that part, did I." Alastair rested his head on his fist. "So damned much has happened I'm losing track." He pondered that. "I need a vacation."

"C'mon down by us." Dar offered. "I'll teach you to scuba dive."

Hamilton chuckled. "I'd love to see that." He leaned back in his seat. "See some octopus chasing your ass around the ocean.

Alastair rolled his eyes. Then his cell phone rang and he set his pizza down to answer it. "Now what?" He opened the phone. "Hello?" He paused, listening. "Well, hello, Governor."

"Even if I had grits, I wouldn't let that cheap excuse for a catfish kiss them." Hamilton indicated the phone. "He's got nothing but everyone's worst interests in mind."

"Well, thanks, but we--No, I don't really think we've got the--ah,sure, but--" Alastair removed the phone from his ear and stared at it. "Well, good bye to you too." He studied the instrument, and then folded it and returned it to his pocket.

"And?" Dar asked.

"The governor has a list of things he wants us to do," Alastair said. "He's on his way over here with a group of something or other and intends on staging a press conference and setting up a task force center."

"Guess he figured out which side we were on," Dar mused.

"Guess he wants everything for free," Hamilton added dryly.

"Guess he can kiss my ass." Alastair stood up and put his hands in his pockets. "Ladies and gents, please listen up."

The room got quiet quickly and everyone turned to face him.

"I'd like to thank you all for everything you've done in the past week. We've done a hell of a job here, despite a lot of personal struggle and tragedy, and believe me when I tell you I personally appreciate that more than I can say."

Tentative smiles appeared. "It's been good having you here, sir,"one of the New York staff said. "We really appreciate all the support we've gotten. Everyone's been so wonderful."

"Thanks."Alastair smiled at them. "But right now, what I'd like you all to do is get your things, and pack everything up, and leave the office, quickly as you can."

Everyone stared at him in some surprise.

"Sir?" the man asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not a thing," Alastair assured him. "There are some folks coming down here to try and ask us for something I don't want to be around for. So let's get moving, please. Those of us who are visiting are about to head for the airport anyway."

Everyone stirred and started to leave the room, still obviously puzzled. "Paid time off, of course," Alastair added. "Chop chop."

Hamilton had his head tilted back to watch the CEO. "You're becoming an ornery old bastard, Al," he commented. "How's that going to look if the governor shows up here, and no one's home?"

"No one's here, he can't ask anyone, can he," Alastair retorted. "Get a move on, Ham. Get us a car ready and let's scoot. Move it."

Hamilton got up and bowed, then headed off toward the door, chuckling under his breath. Alastair turned to Dar, his brows hiking "You ready to go home, lady?"

"More than," Dar said. "Dad just got back with our bags, so we're ready to go soon as I wake Ker up." She glanced down at her partner. "You sure you want to piss this guy off again?"

"Bastards were threatening to have us all picked up as terrorists and held without counsel, Dar. You want to spend any more time here?"

"Would they have really done it though?" Dar started to gently scratch Kerry's stomach, to get her to wake up. "Or was it just a bluff?"

"I had federal agents on either side of me with handcuffs in that Exchange," he said. "They were all set to announce to the press that they'd uncovered a terrorist plot to overthrow the government by co opting its information technology."

Dar stared at him. "You're serious?"

"As a heart attack," Alastair said, with commendable calm. "So wake up your sleeping beauty, and let's get outta here. I only hope they don't give us a hassle at the airport." He turned and watched the room empty, except for Andrew who was perched nearby on a chair arm, the bags on the seat next to him. "Ready to move out, commander?"

"Surely, genr'l," Andrew responded. "Sooner we get out of this place, better for us."

"You got that right." Alastair headed for the door. "Move it people! Move it!"

"ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO." Alastair got into the limo and settled across from Dar. "Feeling any better, Kerry?"