''I think so.''
''They both end up dead, don't they?''
''Maybe we aren't that much like them,'' Hank said. Bertie cleared his throat. ''Right. Kris, call me in the morning. Maybe we can do something tomorrow if they clean this thing up.''
''They're going to have to do a lot of cleaning up,'' Tom said, joining them. ''They had a water geyser up in the sinks. Really stinks in there.''
Abby also appeared at Kris's elbow. ''I hope you won't be requiring another visit to the ladies' room,'' she said. ''The place is in some disarray.''
The odor reached Kris. ''I shall endeavor to hold it until we get back to the suite,'' Kris assured her.
Outside, her pack of gray surrounded her, apparently none the wiser about the problem. On the promenade, a glance up showed cracks in the mirror on the right-hand wall of the Top of Turantic. Some couples were heading for the slide cars while others talked, as yet unaware of the extent of the problem.
''Sir, if we don't move fast, we could be stuck here for some time,'' Bertie said. Kris stayed on Hank's elbow as his men opened a path for them and her team. They only had to wait for one car and quickly filled it. The Sergeant commanding the grays was most distraught when there was no room for them.
''With luck, we won't see them for a while,'' Kris said as the door closed. ''Abby, you want a night out? Tom, what about you?''
''I would prefer we were all in the suite, if that Sergeant does a bed check,'' Jack said behind his hand.
''Is it really that bad?'' Hank said.
''Some newsies and grays seem to think Wardhaven should be treated as a cobelligerent with Hamilton,'' Kris said airily.
''Oh, right,'' Hank said, rather too easily reminded. That must have been among the things he'd watched Sandfire prance through today. How a business tycoon arranges the first moves of a profitable war. Basic and advanced course in one easy lesson. Of course, Sandfire would spare Hank the blood and the mud Kris knew as war. Definite oversight in Hank's education. Should she tell the guy he was being shortchanged? A glance at Bertie was enough to make Kris swallow the idea. That cold, bland face could hide a mountain of evil. She doubted she'd get three words out.
Hank might not know Sandfire wanted her dead. Bertie, now that was a different matter.
The slide car slowed to a stop. Kris and her people shuffled to the front. ''You want to come in?'' she offered Hank.
''We really must get you aboard ship, sir,'' Bertie said, an order if Kris ever heard one.
''I guess I better not,'' Hank said, not hiding the longing.
''We must try this again. Sometime when we can really talk.''
''I hope so. Why would anyone blow up a sewage treatment plant?'' Hank shook his head at the question.
''Was it blown up?'' Tom put in. ''Every waste plant has problems with methane buildup. You don't treat that smelly sludge with respect, things come back at you. I heard this was a rush job. Maybe some contractor cut the wrong corner,'' the space born finished, giving Hank something to think about other than what Sandfire would tell him.
''I'll see you tomorrow?'' Hank asked as the door opened.
''Somehow I doubt I'll be all that busy.'' Kris smiled as she let Jack and Tom lead her out, Abby gently pushing from behind, the reluctant good night until the door closed.
Chapter 22
''Let's get inside,'' Jack said. Kris followed him. twiddling her thumbs while three bug zappers helped Nelly clean up what they'd brought in. Kris's thoughts raced; they'd pulled off the first step of the plan. How quickly should she execute the next phase? She'd figured tomorrow, maybe later. Could she risk taking things slow? Would Sandfire give her that much time?
''All clear,'' Nelly said. ''No new bug types in that mix.''
''Something tells me its not going to take Sandfire very long to trace that back to us,'' Kris said immediately.
''We left him no trail back to here,'' Abby assured her.
''Sandfire doesn't need a reason to come after Kris,'' Jack said. ''If we plan to do something, I vote for doing it now.''
''Nelly, could you get a signal to the command bugs overseeing the recon in the yard?''
''We have that option. Kris, I must point out that—''
''That it will leave a trail to our door. Yes, Nelly, I know, but I don't intend to be here when they come knocking.''
''What do you have in mind?'' Jack said, a hint of a smile niggling at the formal frown he wore.
''Strike fast, strike hard, and get gone. Isn't that what they train us to do in the fast attack boats, Tom?''
''All the way!'' he answered.
''Penny, how are you doing?''
The Lieutenant had joined them dressed in sweatpants and a shirt proclaiming, Go Navy. ''I think I can keep up with the rest of you. I hear every task force needs a rear guard.'' Tom quickly was at her side, a concerned arm around her. She didn't flinch this time at his touch.
''We can handle the tail-in-Charlie slot,'' Tom said.
Kris left the two of them to a murmured argument. ''Nelly, show me what we know about the yard upstairs.'' A schematic appeared, more filled in than last time. Kris ran her fingers over the outline. It was only five hundred feet up from her suite to the security wall that assured nothing in the hotel levels got into the yard. Actually, it was advertised the other way around. None of the chemicals or materials used in the yard could taint the pleasantness of the paying customers' air. Any way you cut it, it meant trouble for Kris tonight.
''We use a two-step daisy chain. First, one explosion to get everyone headed for the ground. Then, once anyone with good sense has got themselves gone, a second explosion for the kill. Nelly, calculate the time needed to evacuate the yard.''
''Twenty-eight minutes and a few seconds,'' Nelly said. If a computer could sound reluctant, Nelly had the act down solid. ''Kris, maybe Jack is right. Maybe we should move faster.''
Kris glanced down to where Nelly hung on her hips and raised her eyebrows. Another one to report to Auntie Tru if they got out alive. ''Jack, if we blow the yard without warning, we kill four to six thousand workers. That's what terrorists do. I didn't put on the uniform to do that kind of shit. I'm a sailor. When we fight, it's on the up-and-up. I say we pull off the first blow and start running. If we're being chased by the likes of those grays, we can stay a step ahead of them from now till doomsday. After thirty minutes, we do the big blow and run like hell. Any problems?'' she said, facing her team.
''Putting it that way…'' Jack shrugged. ''I guess not.''
''I do hate running with you Longknifes.'' Tom paused. ''You come up with such good excuses to get everyone around you killed.'' But his smile was lopsided and about a klick wide.
''I think I know how you got that ship to dump its Captain and follow you,'' Penny said. ''Why don't I think my boss will believe my report… assuming I'm alive to write it.'' But she, too, was grinning like she'd taken leave of any claim to good sense. Now she truly was perfect for Naval Intelligence.
''You'll need to dress for the part,'' Abby said with a sniff and turned for Kris's room.
''We're ten minutes into the evacuation of Top of Turantic. Let's give them a full hour to get the kids down. There's some risk that Sandfire could react, but even he has to close down what he's doing now before he can launch anything new against us. Let's get dressed, as Abby said. We've got new parts to play.''
There was a ring at the door. Jack glanced at his wrist. ''Ten minutes. Not bad, considering the confusion.''
''You handle them. I'm taking a bath to relax after the stress of being so close to a bomb,'' Kris said.
Closing the door behind her, Kris turned to Abby. ''What does the well-dressed bomber wear?''
''I thought this little number might come in handy,'' Abby said, turning from Kris's wardrobe with a dark blue watermarked silk dress held across herself. The tight waist was marked off with silver filigree before petticoats swished out to a short skirt. That would leave a lot of leg to distract male eyes. But only if they pried them away from what little of the bodice there was. Deep scooped, it revealed enough cleavage to make Kris gulp. ''Can I wear that?''