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Authors: James L. Ferrell
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attractive blonde, nodded and smiled. Taylor looked up just as he returned
the smile. She glanced at the other table, let out a small breath, then resumed her dinner. The blonde spoke briefly to her
companion, picked up her tray, and walked over to Leahy’s table.
"Hi,
Taylor," she said cheerfully. "Haven't seen you in a while. You must
be staying busy."
"Hello,
Gail." Taylor’s tone was stiffly polite, almost snippy.
The woman blessed
Leahy with a dazzling smile. "I don't believe I've met your friend."
Taylor put her
fork down and bit her lower lip. She looked the other woman straight in the
eye. “Matt Leahy, Gail Wilson. Gail is one of our systems analysts."
Gail balanced one
edge of the food tray on her hip and stuck out her hand. "Glad to meet
you, Matt. Are you new here or have they just been hiding you out?"
He rose halfway
from the table and started to answer, but Taylor cut him off. "Matt's not
directly connected with the facility, Gail," she said in a peevish voice. "He's
a VIP on temporary assignment from the NSA."
"The
NSA?" She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips as though impressed.
"Only
temporarily," Leahy answered, resuming his seat. "Actually, I'm ...... "
"Here's Dr.
Durant," Taylor interrupted him again.
All three of them
looked toward the entrance. A tall, thin man with white hair had entered the
room and was speaking to two technicians who were just leaving. After they
departed he scanned the room, finally spotting Taylor. He waved and entered the
serving line.
"Well, I have
to run," Gail said. "See you later, Matt." Her smile could have
been used in a toothpaste commercial. She raised her
chin slightly and said, "Bye-bye, Taylor."
"Goodbye,
Gail," Taylor replied in a slightly sarcastic tone.
Gail's chin went
up a little higher as she turned away. Leahy watched her weave through the maze
of tables and slip the tray into a service window near the exit. She glanced
back at them and gave a little wave before going out. Taylor mumbled something
unintelligible under her breath and tossed her napkin onto the table.
"Did you say
something?" Leahy inquired, turning back to Taylor.
"No .. . well , yes. I'm sorry, Matt. I
didn't mean to cut you short with Gail, but there are some things you need to
know before...well, before you get too acquainted with any of the people around
here. Gail doesn't have the proper security clearance to be privy to any
information about you. And she talks too much."
"At this
point she probably knows as much about why I'm here as I do. From the
conversation I take it you two aren't the best of friends."
"I wouldn't
choose her as my personal confessor, if that's what you mean. Besides, until
I'm told differently, you're my responsibility."
“Responsibility,
huh?” He used a hurt tone. “Now I’m disappointed. I thought you were
jealous."
She flushed and
gave him a narrow-eyed look. “Don’t get smart.” The retort made them both
laugh.
"Good
evening," said a pleasant voice. They looked up to see the physicist
standing beside their table. He took a seat and introduced himself to Leahy. “I’m
Dr. Richard Durant. I hope we haven't inconvenienced you beyond reason,
Lieutenant Leahy," he said in a friendly manner.
"No sir, not
at all." They both knew it was a polite lie.
"I understand
you had a little trouble on the way in," he said to Taylor.
"Yes, but it
was unavoidable." She gave him an abridged version of the incident in the
desert.
He turned to
Leahy. "Please accept my apologies, Mr. Leahy. That was unforgivable and
extremely dangerous. I've discussed it with Colonel Pope, head of our military
forces here, and he has assured me he will take corrective action."
"Thank you,
sir, but apologies aren't necessary. They were only doing their jobs. I've been
in worse situations."
Durant smiled and
nodded. "I'm sure you have, but we can't afford to place you in a position
of danger. You're very important to us."
Leahy looked at
the man who supposedly
the smile. She glanced at the other table, let out a small breath, then resumed her dinner. The blonde spoke briefly to her
companion, picked up her tray, and walked over to Leahy’s table.
"Hi,
Taylor," she said cheerfully. "Haven't seen you in a while. You must
be staying busy."
"Hello,
Gail." Taylor’s tone was stiffly polite, almost snippy.
The woman blessed
Leahy with a dazzling smile. "I don't believe I've met your friend."
Taylor put her
fork down and bit her lower lip. She looked the other woman straight in the
eye. “Matt Leahy, Gail Wilson. Gail is one of our systems analysts."
Gail balanced one
edge of the food tray on her hip and stuck out her hand. "Glad to meet
you, Matt. Are you new here or have they just been hiding you out?"
He rose halfway
from the table and started to answer, but Taylor cut him off. "Matt's not
directly connected with the facility, Gail," she said in a peevish voice. "He's
a VIP on temporary assignment from the NSA."
"The
NSA?" She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips as though impressed.
"Only
temporarily," Leahy answered, resuming his seat. "Actually, I'm ...... "
"Here's Dr.
Durant," Taylor interrupted him again.
All three of them
looked toward the entrance. A tall, thin man with white hair had entered the
room and was speaking to two technicians who were just leaving. After they
departed he scanned the room, finally spotting Taylor. He waved and entered the
serving line.
"Well, I have
to run," Gail said. "See you later, Matt." Her smile could have
been used in a toothpaste commercial. She raised her
chin slightly and said, "Bye-bye, Taylor."
"Goodbye,
Gail," Taylor replied in a slightly sarcastic tone.
Gail's chin went
up a little higher as she turned away. Leahy watched her weave through the maze
of tables and slip the tray into a service window near the exit. She glanced
back at them and gave a little wave before going out. Taylor mumbled something
unintelligible under her breath and tossed her napkin onto the table.
"Did you say
something?" Leahy inquired, turning back to Taylor.
"No .. . well , yes. I'm sorry, Matt. I
didn't mean to cut you short with Gail, but there are some things you need to
know before...well, before you get too acquainted with any of the people around
here. Gail doesn't have the proper security clearance to be privy to any
information about you. And she talks too much."
"At this
point she probably knows as much about why I'm here as I do. From the
conversation I take it you two aren't the best of friends."
"I wouldn't
choose her as my personal confessor, if that's what you mean. Besides, until
I'm told differently, you're my responsibility."
“Responsibility,
huh?” He used a hurt tone. “Now I’m disappointed. I thought you were
jealous."
She flushed and
gave him a narrow-eyed look. “Don’t get smart.” The retort made them both
laugh.
"Good
evening," said a pleasant voice. They looked up to see the physicist
standing beside their table. He took a seat and introduced himself to Leahy. “I’m
Dr. Richard Durant. I hope we haven't inconvenienced you beyond reason,
Lieutenant Leahy," he said in a friendly manner.
"No sir, not
at all." They both knew it was a polite lie.
"I understand
you had a little trouble on the way in," he said to Taylor.
"Yes, but it
was unavoidable." She gave him an abridged version of the incident in the
desert.
He turned to
Leahy. "Please accept my apologies, Mr. Leahy. That was unforgivable and
extremely dangerous. I've discussed it with Colonel Pope, head of our military
forces here, and he has assured me he will take corrective action."
"Thank you,
sir, but apologies aren't necessary. They were only doing their jobs. I've been
in worse situations."
Durant smiled and
nodded. "I'm sure you have, but we can't afford to place you in a position
of danger. You're very important to us."
Leahy looked at
the man who supposedly
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