''No Mommy, she really, really waved at me.''
The mother turned, picked up her little treasure, and saw that Kris really was close. ''I hope you waved back.''
''I did, Mommy,'' the girl shouted excitedly, waving back some more, just in case Kris had forgotten her earlier effort.
Kris smiled at the two and waved. There was one vote for joining Grampa Ray's association. Of course, the whole issue would be settled long before that girl ever got to vote. And if it went the wrong way, she might never cast a vote in her life.
Kris turned to face front, and waved at others walking along the side of the road. It was all about that little girl and other little girls and boys like her. They were the reason Chance was what it was and had to remain that way. Kris gritted her teeth and swore that she would not forget little girls.
Beside her, Penny wiped a tear away. ''It would have been wonderful to have a little girl like that. One that looked a bit like me and a bit like Tommy.''
Kris reached across with the hand she was not waving to rest it on Penny's knee. ''Yes it would have.''
Penny eyed the cars ahead of them. ''That son of a bitch. It's all a game of smoke and power puffs to him.''
''And you and I and Tommy have made them fall flat on their faces,'' Kris said through her smile.
''But it wasn't any skin off their noses. They never said so much as ‘ouch.' ''
''Now is the time to smile and wave, Penny,'' Kris said as gently as she could.
Penny waved, tears running down her cheek. ''Sorry, Kris, I should have stayed on the station. I didn't know it would hit me like this.'' Kris kicked herself. Why hadn't she thought of it.
Because you were so busy figuring out how to pop Hank's bubble that you didn't remember how badly the Peterwalds had popped Penny's life hopes. Damn it, Longknife, but you can be so focused on ‘them' that you forget everything else.
''Steve, is there a service station ahead?'' Kris asked.
''Yes, but it would be a bit of a detour.''
''I have a sudden need to powder my nose. Take us there.''
''No, Kris. No.''
Steve Jr. looked over his shoulder at the two women. ''I command here,'' Kris snapped. ''Make the detour.''
Steve did. No cars followed them; there was only one car in the station when they pulled in. Fortunately, the essential rooms were on the right outside wall and weren't even locked. Penny disappeared into the ladies room. Jack got out to do a thorough inspection of their surroundings leaving Kris to answer Steve's ''did I do something wrong?''
''No.''
Steve Jr.'s teenaged helplessness at the soft sobs coming from the ladies' room left Kris no option but to fill the broken silence with words. ''Penny loved a friend of mine. They were married and, three days later, Tommy died fighting off a Peterwald invasion fleet trying to flatten my home planet.''
The youngster didn't seem any more enlightened. ''But that was a Peterwald talking to us. Why aren't you at war with him?''
''When the fight was over, there was no proof of where the ships came from, no survivors from the invasion fleet.''
''That's not possible.''
''Not accidentally,'' Kris agreed.
''Good lord, what a mess,'' the young man said with brilliance that often evaded those many times his age.
''Yes, what a mess.''
A few moments later Penny emerged, her face washed but now devoid of make-up. She settled into the backseat. ''I'm sorry to be such a blubberer, Kris. I didn't see this coming.''
''I know,'' Kris said gently.
''Do you want to send me back to the station?'' Penny asked.
''Not unless you want to go.''
Penny considered the matter, then nodded. ''I can't trust myself around Hank. I could collapse at the wrong time. Let Steve take me back to the port after he drops you off. I can catch a work shuttle back up. Hey…'' She brightened a bit. ''I could relieve the chief, let him have some fun tonight.''
''Yes you could,'' Kris agreed. She'd wanted Penny along to show the flag. More importantly, to show battle medals without Kris having to wear a lieutenant's uniform and take the flak Hank had planned. In truth, she'd abused Penny, but in defense, neither Kris nor Penny had expected one of them to have such a visceral reaction to the sight of the boy-man.
''We'll do that,'' Kris agreed softly. The glance Jack threw Kris was hard to gauge. If he felt Kris was out of line toward Penny, he didn't let it show. Then again, he'd been around Longknifes so long, he might be just as coldhearted a user of people as they were. Tommy would have called Kris on that.
She missed Tommy.
The rest of the drive was quiet. Downtown, Steve pulled over. ''You ready for me to drive you in?''
''Let me out here,'' Penny said. ''Then come back for me.''
Kris agreed. That would keep Penny out of the lights, keep her from questions being raised about why she stayed in the limo.
Penny got out, then held on to the door. ''Kris, this is not your fault. I figured out what you were using me and Jack for. That you wanted that bunch of rear echelon commandos to see what a team of killers looked like. I wanted to spit in Hank's eye,'' she said, looking away. ''So to speak. I had my anger to keep me strong. And it did, Kris. It did, right up until I saw that little girl waving at you. And then I lost it. For Hank I could be hard as nails. But that little girl. She's the reason we do what we do. She has to be the only reason we do these things.
''But the moment I looked into her eyes all I saw was what Tommy and I have lost, and I lost it. Don't worry, I'm not going to start bawling again,'' Penny said, closing the door. ''You go give Hank hell and I'll free the chief to drink a couple of dozen Greenfeld chiefs under the table.''
''Plan B will work just as well as Plan A,'' Kris assured her. Steve Jr. drove off, leaving one Navy lieutenant to pace the sidewalk until he got back. Kris wondered if Penny would be safe, then measured the set of her subordinate's jaw and decided anyone who gave that woman grief tonight was in for a whole world of hurt.
''For what it's worth, I didn't see that coming, either.''
''Thanks, Jack. Strange, we're ready for our enemies and the hard-fought campaigns. But it's the love and grace that brings us to our knees in tears.''
''How else could it be. You okay?''
Kris did a gut check, found it riled but willing, checked her face and found it solid. ''I'm good to go.''
''Then we're on,'' Jack said as Steve Jr. came to a stop in a covered driveway in front of a towering hotel. Jack was out of the car in a second, opening Kris's door.
She descended from the limo in the most regal of fashions. There was a crowd and newsies. Kris smiled and waved. She spotted a teenaged boy waving, and blew him a kiss. He looked ready to die from the embarrassment and was the immediate envy of all his peers who had been too cool to wave.
Kris took Jack's arm, and leaning properly on it, passed into the hotel. Inside, a man directed them to the ballroom. Kris paused long enough to have Jack check the wrap Abby had equipped her with ''in case the night is cooler than advertised or you want to show less skin.'' Kris measured her dress against what other women were wearing and found it far from scandalous. She also noted that others were handing over invitations. The man at the metal detector turned it off as he waved them through.
''We're getting the royal treatment all the way,'' Jack said.
''Just means we are not getting a choice between steak, chicken, or fish. We'll get whatever they've got left over,'' Kris assured him from experience.
It was showtime. With a smile and a flourish, two girls in white bow ties and tails opened the tall, gold-and-glass doors into the ballroom and Kris passed within.
Chapter 12
Kris paused just inside the ballroom to orient herself. The huge room was organized with dinner tables to her left, a dance floor to the right. A small orchestra played background, but looked ready for dance music later. The place smelled of pride and confidence… oh… and hard-earned money.