The helicopter touched down some thirty yards away, still blowing sand. It was a big sucker, an S-70 long-ranger similar to what the Coast Guard used back in the states. Chances were that this was some special VIP coming in to check out the mine or do a property assessment, but somehow, he didn't think so. Just as he was tensing up, the helicopter door opened, and a woman stepped out. A woman, all alone in this world of men.
The man ran towards the helicopter as it powered down, shielding his eyes from the dust. The woman swayed, then stumbled as she made her way towards him. He ran over to help, but when she saw him, she regained her feet in a hurry.
“You all right, ma'am?”
“Of course I'm all right. I'm sorry, but I don't have much time. I'm looking for your boss, the head of security.”
“My boss?”
“A Mister AJ Trenton. Do you know him?”
He smiled. There was nothing like an American city girl out of her depth. “Well, that would be me, Miss. I'm AJ. And I don't have a boss.”
Something that might have been embarrassment flickered in her eyes, then disappeared. “Great. Then I don't have to look for you.”
Then, she bent over and threw up.
2
The conversation Kate had with Michael that morning had been short, all things considered.
“We need at least one executive to accompany the team, and I'd like it to be someone from your department,” he told her once she had been back in his office. “This could be a public relations nightmare, and we need someone we can trust. On top of that, we need someone who can handle himself. This could be a field trip, but if Mister Bruhbaker is right, it could be like being a combat photographer in Iraq.” He paused, looking at her. “You've been around the block, Kate, and you know everyone in your department. I trust your judgment. Who's going to be up for this?”
She knew what she was going to say before Michael had finished. “I'm going.”
“What?”
“I'm going. If you need an executive down there so you can spin it when the shit hits the fan, it's going to be me.”
“Oh,” he said, frowning, “I don't think that will be necessary. I didn't mean to imply it should be you.” He laughed. “Oh, no.”
“I'm serious.” Was she? The shock of the last twenty-four hours was still sharp in her mind.
“I don't know if that's a good idea. If anything were to happen—”
“Who else are you going to get? Lopez? Grant? You don't need one of those hundred-and-twenty-pound-panty-waists for something like this, Mister Lucian. I don't have much, but I do have guts. And I just inherited fifteen percent of a company I didn't earn. Why don't you let me prove I deserve it? Whatever is down there, I'll find out. I'll make sure my father's company is protected. Our company.”
Michael clasped his hands behind his head, then nodded as if coming to a decision. “All right. I'm sure Smith will be quite glad.”
“Smith?”
“Yes. Mister Geoffery Smith, the man who was giving the presentation downstairs. I was thinking about sending him if no one from your department was willing.”
Kate stared at him.
“Well, he is the most informed about the situation, and he's been with us for over ten years.”
“Oh no,” Kate said. “I'm sure he would have been the right man. Did you tell him?”
“Well, now that you're here, there's no need.”
“You should tell him anyways,” Kate said, putting on her best serious face. “See if he puts up a fight. I don't want to go stepping on anyone's toes.”
Michael looked at her a moment. “You're having me on. Aren't you?”
“I am,” she said, and she smiled. She still felt like she was riding a roller coaster, but she hadn't lost her sense of humor yet.
He shifted the topic back to her, and they chatted for another few minutes, working out the legal implications of Kate's departure. When they were done, she made to leave, knowing she had precious little time before she would be in the air.
“There's just one more thing,” Michael said.
Kate looked back.
“You won't be going directly to the coast. You're making a bit of a detour first.”
“Oh?”
Michael's face soured. It was the first expression she'd seen that made him look unattractive. “There is a man, a Mister AJ Trenton, we would like you to intercept en route. He's an American on a work visa in Chile. Since it won't be more than a few hundred miles off course, it shouldn't be a significant delay, and you can rendezvous with Bruhbaker and his team in Argentina this afternoon. Trenton's a bit of a wild card, really.”
“Let me guess. He's the former head of VO security. Is that right?”
Michael looked astonished. “How did you know that?”
“I have my sources.”
Before Kate left the bathroom, she had heard Johnson talking about him to someone in the men's room. His voice had come drifting in through a vent over one of the toilet stalls. “I don't know what they're thinking, trying to get Angus back on site. The guy's a fuck-up, and he's always been a fuck-up. Yeah, one shouldn't talk about one's predecessor, I know, but come on. What do they think he's going to do?” His conversation partner had theories, but Kate didn't care about those.
The memory made her smile. All of the wits of a CIA operative, and here you are working as a secretary. It was a gross exaggeration, but Kate thought it a nice way to justify standing on a toilet with your ear to the wall.
Michael studied her. “You're right. He was here during the construction of The Aeschylus, and he visited the platform twice while it was being built. He might be the only employee who has any first-hand knowledge of the structure, as unfortunate as that may seem.”
“You mean ex-employee?” Kate inquired.
“Yes, and he didn't leave under the best of circumstances.”
Kate sighed. “So I'll have to convince him to come along for the ride. Is that what you're saying?”
“That's right. I'll send the paperwork with you, but we'd like to gain his expertise as a consultant.”
“This just keeps getting better.”
“If he refuses, you'll accompany the team without him, but for the amount of money we're offering, he shouldn't.”
“I'm sorry for saying this, Michael, but this seems highly unusual.”
“It is. His presence was requested though, and we all have to play our part.” Kate looked at him quizzically, but he didn't elaborate. “If he has terms or conditions, do your best to accommodate him. It was made very clear how valuable he could be. Mister Trenton knows the platform inside and out. He knows the security detail, and he knows safety protocols if anything goes awry.”
“Are you saying I can trust him?”
“Absolutely not. But you can trust his knowledge and his expertise. It's why we agreed to foot the bill for this.”
Michael adjusted his tie. Kate noticed again that it was gorgeous Thai silk, and that it perfectly matched the blue of his eyes. He really was quite handsome. “Are you sure you want to go? If you stay, I could take you to dinner, and we could talk about media strategies.”
Kate smiled, and as charmed as she was, she wasn't a secretary any more. That was last month. “I'll see you when I get back.”
And then, she left.
3
Kate followed the former security chief across the flattened landscape, trying not to focus on the rancid taste in her mouth. Great first impression there, kiddo, she thought. But she didn't have time to apologize; AJ was keeping a fast pace.