Audacious

44

Security at the top of the steps was stiff…if you didn't have a weapons permit. Kris presented hers and she and her Marines were ushered around the metal detectors and explosive sniffers. In the few minutes Kris watched, several other groups were similarly treated.

A lot of personal heat here.

Were some of these in on the plan?

Now that was an ugly thought.

Kris circulated quickly among the milling crowd. Here she shook a hand, there she accepted a quick kiss on the cheek. Few people waved her down, so she was able to move almost as rapidly as she wanted to.

Quickly, she made a recon of what she could only think of as tonight's battlefield.

She didn't much care for what she saw.

The security setup on the west portico guided her through wide doors into a huge rotunda. The place of honor in the center of that was an immense bronze sculpture that portrayed the first settlers setting foot on Eden.

Maybe it was accurate for the American Express team.

Two expansive halls went north and south off the rotunda. Both were expensively done in marble and lined with sculptures. Off of each hall, doors led into specific rooms with exhibits. Rooms two or three deep on both sides.

So people could be ambushed in small rooms or machine gunned in the two halls. Not a pretty picture either way.

''What's the nano situation?'' Kris asked Penny.

''Top of the line,'' was the answer from Penny and Nelly.

''About half of them are scouts,'' Nelly added. ''The other half are hunter-killers.''

''Doesn't sound like a good idea to launch our own,'' Kris said. Both woman and computer agreed.

Kris finished her review of the south wing just as police in formal uniforms began to close it off to prepare for the arrival of government officials.

''I need to find a little girls room,'' Kris said to one of them. The one she was pointed to had a long line in front.

''There's two more on the ground floor. Took a left at the bottom of the stairs.''

Kris shed most of her escort and it was just Jack and a Marine couple that took the stairs down.

And Kris hooked a right.

''You should have gone left,'' Jack said.

''No, it's right,'' Kris said.

And they ran into a guard.

''May I help you?'' It didn't sound like he wanted to.

''I'm looking for the ladies' room,'' Kris said.

''It's that away. You should have turned left off the stairs.''

''That's what I told her,'' Jack said.

''I hear that a lot,'' the guard said.

Kris retreated with ill grace.

''What did you see?'' Jack asked when they were out of the guard's earshot.

''That the offices are not locked off or all that well guarded,'' Kris said. ''Also, did you see that guard?''

''No body armor and I doubt if he's carrying more than a revolver or automatic.''

''Exactly. If he's what Inspector Johnson is counting on to handle a serious assault with the weapons we found in the warehouse, there's going to be lots of blood and guts on the floor but not an ounce of brain.''

Kris actually did make use of the ladies' room.

She was just coming out when Nelly said, ''Kris, you have a call coming in from Abby.''

''What's happening?'' Kris said.

''Cara's gone.''

''Where'd she go?''

''That's the problem, we don't know. She got a call, which she took outside the Tac Center. When she came back in she said it was not from Bronc, but that she needed to go to the bathroom. That was fifteen minutes ago. She's not in the bathroom and she's nowhere in the embassy.''

''Have you tried to trace her phone?'' Kris asked.

''Yep. She's got it throttled. Twelve and already breaking the law. I suspect it's the company she keeps.''

''She's got good teachers,'' Kris said. ''Where do you think she headed?''

''I bet either her mom or grandmom told her to go home,'' Abby said.

''Where she'll be safe?'' Kris asked.

That brought a long pause. ''I wouldn't bet an Earth penny on that,'' Abby said.

''You think Cara's included in the ‘kill them all,' coverage,'' Kris said, not really believing her own words.

''I'm thinking that tonight is supposed to be bigger than any of us can get our minds around.''

Kris let that hang in the air for a long moment. Apparently long enough for Abby to make up her mind.

''Kris, I'm headed down to Five Corners to pick up Cara.''

''Abby, I figured you to keep an eye on the place there, maybe lead some last desperate reaction team.''

''Gramma Ruth is doing a fine job of eyeballing this place. She's enjoying using her commander's commission.''

''What's your reserve commission?'' Kris asked. The last thing she expected was an answer. But now that things were getting interesting and deadly, any sort of answer from Abby would be enlightening.

''I hold a reserve first lieutenant's commission in Wardhaven Army Intelligence.''

''Admiral Crossenshield made you a first lieutenant!''

''I started as a second louie,'' Abby said. ''Having survived chasing you around space, I got a promotion awhile back.''

Kris didn't know which shocked her more. That Abby held a reserve commission…or that she'd admitted it. She was very worried about her niece. ''You really want to get Cara back.''

''I haven't been much use to her, my own flesh and blood. I will not let her down now.''

''Then you better go get her,'' Kris said. Only after the order was given did she glance at Jack. He was smiling proudly, like maybe a papa does when his little hellion is showing signs of becoming a civilized human being.

''Gramma Ruth, here.'' came over the line. ''I'm looking at a Marine sergeant that sure looks in need of going with Abby. Sergeant Bruce, isn't it?'' A ''yes, ma'am'' came in the background.

''Can you cover the center without him?'' Kris asked, not at all happy asking the old woman to take on that responsibility.

''I don't see a problem, Kris. And if things go south, I can always call them back. You do understand, Abby, I call and you come running no matter where you are.''

''Understood, Commander.''

Kris rang off and found a bench to sit down on.

''Abby holds a reserve commission,'' she marveled. Jack was busy looking up and down the lower halls, the north a duplicate of the one above. The south offices. He nodded agreement.

''And our forces are getting scattered all to hell in a hand basket,'' Kris growled.

''Somehow I don't think that is by accident,'' Jack said.

''These folks haven't been dumb since that first shoot-out. Why should they start dumbing down now?'' Kris sighed.

Chimes sounded upstairs.

''I suspect that either means dinner is served or the cattle are being lined up. Want to bet which?''

Jack offered Kris his arm and, with the Marine couple trailing them, they headed back the way they'd come.

Through the east-facing rear doors of the ground floor, Kris got a gorgeous view of a river reflecting back bloodred clouds on fire with the sunset.

Kris hoped that wasn't a harbinger of things to come as she turned to ascend the stairs and do her part in what would happen next.