“Oh no!” Kerry’s eyes widened.
“Yep, but she’s stronger than all hell, if you know what I mean, even then, when we were little. So she manages to get her body twisted round, and I can grab onto the branch and pull myself up. Then she gets up next to me, and we were all right.”
“Whew.” Kerry blew out a breath. “Then what happened?”
He gave her a wry glance. “She slugged me for being so damned stupid.”
Kerry burst into laughter, clamping a hand over her mouth quickly. “Oh, god. I’m sorry, that’s not funny,” she apologized.
“Sure it is.” Jack laughed. “It’s Dar all over.”
The blonde woman sighed. “Yeah, I think I can see that, even though I’ve only known her for a little while.” Her eyes flicked to Jack’s. “She’s a brave woman.”
He smiled at her “She’s a brave human,” he corrected her. “She’s the best friend and the worst enemy you could possibly want to have. She never backs down, and she’s always there if you need her to be.”
Kerry stared out the windshield, at the faintly glowing lights from the hospital. “That’s true,” she finally said, softly. “She’ll stand up to anyone.”
She fell silent and leaned her head against the door jamb, her eyes glued on the path leading down from the hospital.
They waited what seemed like an eternity, but what was actually about ten minutes, until Kerry’s eyes found what they were looking for. A tall, lean figure came gliding down the gravel, stopping at the gate and exchanging a few words with the guard, who laughed and waved. Dar then exited out the sliding wire barrier into the darkness of the parking lot.
A moment later, and Dar was getting into the back seat with a long, exhausted sigh. “God damn it all to hell in a wire handbasket, I’m glad that’s over with,” she muttered, slumping against the cushions. “Damn woman nearly talked my ear off. Tried to give me a cupcake. Wanted my boss’s name so she could put in a good word. Jesus!”
Kerry started laughing helplessly. “You should have given it to her.” She exhaled. “And you like cupcakes.”
Jack glanced at her, then into the rearview mirror. “Where to?”
Dar considered. “There a hotel nearby? I think we all could use some sleep. I know I could. Then we can pack Jack back off to DC and catch a commercial flight home.”
“What about that Marriott you mentioned?” Jack asked Kerry.
Kerry remained silent for a moment. “I, um…” She half turned and rested her chin on the back of the seat, gazing at Dar. “I…think you’re right. I think we should go pick up my stuff.”
A dark eyebrow lifted. “I thought…”
434 Melissa Good
“I know.” Kerry looked down at the fabric. “But I started this, and I need to finish it.” She raised her eyes to Dar’s. “I just need a little backup.”
A quiet, proud smile edged Dar’s lips. “You’ve got that. Kerry, I know this is tough for you, and I know you still love your parents very much. Try to remember that, all right?” She sighed. “Don’t let what happened take that away from you, no matter how much they seem to deserve it.”
Jack started the car and pulled out of the lot. Throughout the quiet, darkness-shrouded drive, Kerry thought about Dar’s advice.
THE HOUSE WAS dark. The front light was on, sending a pool of silver across the brown grass, but the rest of the building was silent and gray. Jack pulled up next to the driveway and glanced back at Dar.
“All right.” Dar sucked in a breath and tried to summon up energy.
“Jack…”
The pilot blinked at her. “He’s enough of a scud to nap his own daughter and have her shipped off to the funny farm. I’m going as your security.” He reached under the seat of the car and brought out his service-issued automatic, snapping the adjustable holster into its place under his arm. “And just so they know I’m registered to carry that…” He put his insignia back on.
Dar put a hand on his arm. “No,” she quietly disagreed. “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary, and I’ve got a few cards up my sleeve if he does try anything stupid. Let’s not get the military involved in this, okay? He’s a senator, and it could only mean big, big trouble, my friend.”
“Dar’s right,” Kerry added softly. “My father has a bug up his ass about the power of the Pentagon. Don’t give him that kind of ammunition.”
Jack glanced from one to the other. “Okay, but you’ve got thirty minutes.
More than that, and I’m coming in after you.”
“All right,” Dar agreed. “You ready?” she asked Kerry, who nodded.
“Let’s go.”
They eased out of the car and shut the doors gently, then made their way up the front walk to the entrance. Kerry faced the door and her hands clenched, then relaxed. She reached up and rang the bell.
Once. Twice. Three times, before they heard footsteps approaching. Dar put a steadying hand on her lover’s back and straightened her own, gathering her wits about her. The door opened and swung back, and the senator was standing there, blinking at them in sleep-fogged disbelief. Kerry walked forward and mounted the step up to the threshold, then hauled off and slapped him hard across the face. The sound of the slap ricocheted through the hallway, making him stumble back, and startling Dar, who’d had no idea in the world her lover was going to do that.
“What in the…” The senator reached for a light switch and flipped it on, illuminating the doorway and inner hall. “How dare you?”
“How dare I?” Kerry walked right in and up to him. “How dare I? How dare you do something like that to me!”
He stared at her, then slowly, his eyes drifted past her to the tall, dark figure looming behind her. “You.” His voice dripped with revulsion.
Dar walked inside and closed the door behind her. “I don’t think we’ve Tropical Storm 435
met, have we?” She put a hand on her furious friend’s back. “My name is Dar Roberts.”
“I know who you are, you whore,” the man roared, “Get out of my house!” He turned for the phone. “I’ll have the law on you!”
“For…what?” Dar cut off Kerry’s violent protest. “Exactly?”
“Breaking and entering!” he answered, dialing.
“You let us in,” Dar reminded him.
“Of the hospital, you freak!”
“Actually, they’re an account of ours. I signed the visitors’ log like anyone else,” Dar replied calmly. “And I was requested there due to a computer problem.”
He stopped dialing. “You broke her out of there,” he accused.
“No, no, the nursing supervisor discharged her.” The executive smiled at him. “After they found nothing wrong with her.”
“There is something wrong with her.” He put the phone down. “And it’s your fault. You corrupted her, you bitch, and I’ll have you…”
A long, powerful finger lifted. “You will have me filing a lawsuit against you for libel, along with one for kidnapping and forcibly detaining an employee of mine if you don’t shut up.” She slid ahead of Kerry, dangerous as a panther as she walked up to him, staring him evenly in the eyes. “Now, I suggest we take this little discussion to whatever you use as an office, so the rest of your…family…doesn’t have to hear what I have to tell you, okay?”
“You think you’re so damn clever,” the man spat.
“No, the company does. In fact, the company pays me to be clever, and I like to give them their money’s worth,” Dar replied with a smile. “Now, you can move, or we can just collect Kerry’s things and be on our way, and I’ll just run a transmit to the news services when I get back in the car. Your choice.”