Jason chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “I think this is Hans’s news. He’s the one who busted his ass to pull it off.”
Her father shot Jason a look of gratitude before his hands gripped the edge of the high-backed chair in front of him.
“We just got that account we bid on last year for image development and social integration with the Bureau of Breed Affairs,” he announced, sending a sharp edge of warning to explode in her stomach as she froze at the news. “They’ve contracted for a year’s time, for their new division director and two business and civil liaisons at the new Window Rock offices of the new Bureau of Breed Affairs and Enforcement. The contracts are individual, for the positions and the Breeds filling them, rather than the Bureau itself. If it works out, though, when they fill the remaining positions for this division next year, we’ll have at least one of those as well.”
Now there was a mouthful, and her father actually pulled it off without so much as a hesitation or a moment of stuttering.
Gypsy stared back at Hans McQuade, certain she couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Image development and social integration,” she repeated, trying not to swallow with the same fatalistic impression that anyone walking to the gallows would have used. “Really? I thought the bid was for corporate rather than personal development when you were discussing it last year?”
Corporate was easy. Corporate was what her parents did best.
Since when had they begun doing personal image development and social integration? Corporate mostly consisted of some well-placed ads and newsworthy stories as well as introductions to other business owners.
The Breeds were handling that end pretty well in the eastern portion of the United States. In the western states such as Colorado, the Wolf Breeds weren’t quite as socially adept, though, and the Breed community as a whole had lost footing to the Purist militia groups rising up and attacking Breeds or working with the Genetics Council to capture and continue experimentation on them.
“The Bureau wants to step more into individual integration and image building than the Breeds Society normally focuses on. They believe that here in the West, that will be the best route to take,” her father stated with an air of pride. “I’d actually proposed this first, but the Ruling Cabinet wasn’t so certain of it, so they were considering a more general theme of increasing public support and awareness of the Breeds. I was certain if they went with the idea, we’d never have a chance at the contract with the bigger agencies vying for it. But Jonas Wyatt, along with Vanderale and Lawrence Industries, two of their main supporters, convinced the cabinet that my idea was perfect for the region and, as I’d taken the chance and carried the expenses myself to work it out and propose it to the cabinet, to allow me to have first shot at the personnel for the new Window Rock offices. As a sort of test project, they want to see what we can do.”
Leaning forward, Jason drew her attention then.
“We’ll move on to a more national project if this one is the success your father promised the Breeds it will be,” Jason informed her, his expression filled with the same excitement her parents had. “This is going to be big for us, Gypsy. McQuade Image Consulting will finally be the company your parents dreamed of.”
The company her brother had dreamed of, Gypsy corrected him silently. McQuade Image Consulting had been Mark’s dream, not her parents’.
Or his best friend’s.
Her gaze narrowed, her natural inclination to suspicion rising like a tidal wave and capsizing any hint of objectivity.
Unlike her parents and Jason, she knew a bit more about the Breed psyche and the fact that they never did anything on a more personal scale that wasn’t somehow personally benefiting whichever Breed was maneuvering it.
Usually Jonas Wyatt.
“He’s choosing one of his commanders to head the new offices initially, and there will of course be other positions. So far, five lead positions to start with,” her mother continued, and Gypsy could feel that sudden clench of her stomach and the racing of her heart. “Several liaison positions in the Navajo Law Enforcement offices will be created as well. We’ll work with his choice to head up the new Bureau offices and then move on to the liaison positions before we begin working with the others. We’ll draw up a suggested schedule of events and placements to ensure that the commander and two liaisons have the most advantageous chances of creating and building the foundations for the right social and economic ties to begin repairing the rifts created by the purist societies. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us.”
Jason and her parents had enough connections, favors owed, and power backing by her mother’s parents to ensure that the Breeds were indeed invited to the best parties and social events.
Gypsy turned back to Jason as he relaxed back in his chair at the head of the table. “I thought you didn’t like working with Breeds, Jason,” she reminded him, wondering why he appeared so excited as well.
Surprise spread across his face. “Gypsy, I don’t have to be in love with the Breed society to do my job.”
“Gypsy, that was rather unkind,” her mother berated her then, an edge of disappointment filling her voice. “Jason has shown no discrimination to the Breeds, though all of us would do very well to be wary of them. We can still be excited over the fact that they’re finally going to profit us.”
Yeah. Let’s get excited over that, she thought sarcastically, while you hate them with every fiber of your being.
Her father was less prone to blame all Breeds than her mother and Jason, but he rarely went against her mother either.
“I’m sorry, Mom, I was just a little surprised,” she apologized, unwilling to upset her mother. “Was Mr. Wyatt forthcoming enough to inform you of the names of these Breeds he’s chosen for the positions?” she asked then, panic beginning to well in her chest.
“We’ve actually met the two liaison appointees.” Her father jumped in at that point. “I believe they’re engaged to friends of yours? Isabelle Martinez and Liza Johnson. Malachi Morgan has accepted the position of Bureau liaison to the Navajo Law Enforcement Agency, while Stygian Black has agreed to accept the position of liaison to the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Division. The commander there, Cullen Maverick, seems very pleased with the choice as well.”
She nodded slowly. “You said there were three positions,” she reminded them.
Her mother’s smile dimmed partially as her father got that harried, worried look he always seemed to have whenever she was around.
“Mr. Wyatt wants to meet us to personally introduce the commander you’ll be working with.” Greta McQuade was watching her daughter anxiously now, though she was trying to maintain her excitement. “He even stated he’d run a full background check on the company as well as on you, and he’s extremely confident of your ability to do exactly what’s needed to ensure that the commander he’s chosen as division director receives the best reception and chances of building a strong community network. We’ll manage the two selected for the liaison positions, though we’ll begin with Malachi Morgan and his fiancée, Isabelle Martinez. And Isabelle is such a wonderful girl. Not that it will hurt that she’s the president’s niece and one of our tribal chief’s granddaughters, not to mention your second cousin.”
Oh no, that wouldn’t hurt at all, Gypsy agreed as she could feel the ax getting ready to fall.
Right across the back of her neck.
Her forced smile was completely lost on her parents and Jason. They were simply too damned happy with this contract to see that their daughter was less than enthused.