WARNING!!!

This story contains over 108,000 words in 19 chapters and is submitted as a single post.

I'm sure that I'll get as many complaints from people wishing that I had broken it up as I get from other people when I break a story up into several smaller portions. Earmark the corner of the page and come back to it later, or take the opportunity now to avoid this story entirely.

While this story exists outside of the Brandt family series (His Daddy's Car, Change, Searching, and Elements), reading those stories first will help you navigate, comprehend, and fully understand much of what transpires in this one.

There is a heavy reliance on character dialog to tell the tale. For those of you who pride yourselves on the use of pronouns and proper grammar, remember to look for those pesky little things called "quotation marks". They indicate SPEECH, which does not follow the same rules of grammar as writing. Got it? Good. Enjoy

Chapter One

"Are you shooting to be viewed more as a Geek or a Nerd?" Janelle asked.

Peggy considered the question before answering, "If I have a choice, I would choose 'Nerd' since 'Geek' still holds negative connotations for me due to its association with carnival performers who supposedly ate chicken heads and stuff. Unfortunately, people too frequently see the two as interchangeable, so I'll probably be labeled by some as one and some as the other. It doesn't change who I am on the inside."

"Thank God for that," Janelle said with a smile. "I'm glad that you already resorted to this subterfuge during your internships and you know how to handle the perceptions of others. I know that you're strong enough and have enough self-esteem to weather anybody's opinion of you, but I will still bury anyone that I witness showing you any disrespect, male or female."

Peggy laughed and said, "Then it's a good thing that we won't be working together at Armore. You'll be safe and secure at headquarters here in Atlanta while I will be working my way up from the bottom at the west coast offices. You kept my existing employee photo in the HR system, right?"

"It was a piece of cake," Janelle confirmed. "I hope that you falsifying your resume and me altering your employee record doesn't come back to bite you in the ass, or mine for that matter. I was the recruiter that recommended you for the position."

"Come on," exclaimed Peggy, "It's not like I'm claiming to have education or experience that I don't have. Who's going to care if I 'dumbed-down' my qualifications. I'm only twenty-four, and no one is interested in interviewing someone with a doctorate for a bottom-rung position."

"I know," admitted Janelle, "but people are going to catch on pretty quick that you're smarter than your resume and work history would lead them to believe."

Peggy nodded and said, "That's where my 'Nerd' persona has benefited me. Being viewed as intellectual but introverted, as many people perceive me, helps explain to them why I may know more about certain subjects than my documented education level would indicate. It will also explain my seeking an entry-level position and the lack of any signs of ambition on my part. I will be comfortable not having to make any decisions, and simply performing the jobs assigned to me."

Janelle studied Peggy and wondered for the umpteenth time how they had ever become best friends. Their bond had been built from an episode of shared grief. Peggy's mother and Janelle's older brother had perished in the same airplane crash when both girls were twelve years old. Other than the event that had introduced the two girls to one another, they had had virtually nothing other than their age and gender in common.

Janelle and her parents had just moved to Georgia from California due to her father being transferred for his job. Her sixteen-year-old brother, Eddie, had remained behind, staying with a friend so that he could finish the last month of his sophomore year of high school. The flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta had crashed into the Pacific Ocean seconds after taking off from LAX. All one-hundred-forty-seven souls on board perished. Peggy's mother had been on the same flight, returning home from a business meeting that she had attended in place of her husband. They had decided that she should go in his place because he had been recovering from the broken arm that he acquired playing in a club rugby match.

Although neither girl remembered seeing the other at the memorial service that was held for families in Atlanta, they each recognized the other when they wound up as roommates the first day at the Rabun Gap -- Nacoochee private boarding school. The school was in the northeast Georgia foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, outside the town of Clayton. It was a private coeducational college-preparatory school that they both started attending in seventh grade.

This is also the school where they were both first administered the Stanford-Binet intelligence tests. Peggy was embarrassed when teachers and staff at the school started making a fuss over her achieving a verified IQ score of 147, for a Stanford-Binet classification of "Very gifted or highly advanced". When she had cried about the attention, her father had insisted that her test results, as well as the rest of her academic records, be considered confidential, and had his lawyers threaten legal action for any breaches of said confidentiality. When Janelle saw how people reacted to Peggy's IQ score, she was thankful that she had only scored an IQ of 119.

Even in her grief, Janelle had quickly established her popularity among her classmates, due in large part to her friendly, outgoing nature, innocent beauty, and her participation in every activity offered to students. She wasn't loquacious, but she was certainly no wallflower either. Peggy had always been the quiet, shy, and bookish neutral-looking girl that people assigned to the background in most situations. As demure as Peggy appeared to others, Janelle knew that she was willful, had a fighter's heart, and possessed the tenacity of a mother bear protecting her cub. The fact that these two diametrically different personalities would bond like sisters and become life-long friends still baffled them both. They would each willingly walk through molten lava for the other.

Although they lived in the same town when not at school, the difference in their homes was as great as their personalities. Janelle and her parents lived in a comfortable three-bedroom house in a small subdivision about three miles from her best friend. Peggy and her father lived in a sixteen-room mansion on a gated estate along the Chattahoochee River, with a live-in housekeeper and cook. These differences were lost on the girls as they functioned as comfortably together regardless of which house they were in, flitting in and out of either as if both were their home.

Janelle's body developed faster, with larger breasts and wider hips than Peggy's, but the two girls grew to be the same five-foot-eight inches tall, so they were able to share a lot of their clothes. They even wore the same size shoe.

Janelle, as a cheerleader with a friendly, outgoing personality never lacked for attention from boys. She dated frequently but avoided any type of steady or exclusive relationship. She wanted to be firmly established in a career before even considering something more serious with a man. Peggy was far more selective in who she dated, focusing on boys who had enough between the ears to keep her intellectually stimulated for longer than it took to drink a cup of coffee. When she found someone that interested her, she would remain exclusive to him, even if it was not a mutually agreed upon arrangement.

The two friends shared an apartment in Athens while attending the University of Georgia, so the first time that they were separated for more than a few days was when Janelle entered the workforce, relocating to Atlanta in a condominium that Peggy's father had bought for them to eventually share. Peggy remained in Athens, Georgia, for one more year to continue her graduate studies towards her Ph.D. Peggy was so far ahead on her college credits by the time that she and Janelle had started at UGA, that her post-graduate work coincided with Janelle's underclass schedule. With her degree in hand after only six years, Peggy was finally ready to permanently join her friend at Armore but had recently chosen to do so on the west coast.

The geographic distance that would soon be between them weighed on Janelle much more than Peggy, which would confuse most people who knew the two of them. Janelle had always presented herself as the more self-confident one of the pair, but the two friends knew that Peggy was the one with the greater inner strength and confidence. To a large part, Janelle was able to exhibit self-confidence only because she had the strength of Peggy's friendship and support behind her.

Janelle watched Peggy packing the suitcase that was laying open on her bed. Her friend was always so confident and graceful. "Regal" was the term that Janelle had heard her parents use to describe Peggy soon after meeting her for the first time. In the almost thirteen years since Peggy had grown even more statuesque. She had a lithe dancer's physique, athletically slender yet shapely, and was a fashion designer's dream. Everything looked good on her, and while Peggy could light up a party simply by entering the room, she preferred to wear casual, unpretentious outfits that didn't draw attention to her.

Twisting a strand of her blonde hair around one of her fingers, Janelle watched as Peggy's hair fell over her left shoulder when she leaned forward. The long, wavy, burgundy-colored hair was such a dark shade of red that it often appeared to be black. Professionally trimmed to always fall just to the middle of Peggy's back when clipped into a barrette or tied into a ponytail, the lustrous hair appeared almost liquid when Peggy moved. Janelle wondered how Peggy would wear her hair once she got to California.

As if sensing her friend's attention on her, Peggy glanced over at Janelle and grinned. Peggy's cobalt blue eyes were smiling, as they usually did when she looked at her best friend. Not as obvious in the artificial light of her bedroom, the silvery flecks around the iris of each eye would glitter in the sunlight and instantly draw a person's attention in the same way that a strobing light drew one's attention faster than a solid light would.

Peggy closed and latched her suitcase before asking, "Are you sure that you don't mind driving me to the airport?"

"I insist upon it," Janelle replied for the third time that morning. "I get to start driving your car even sooner this way."

Peggy was leaving her grey metallic Mazda Miata ND2 retractable fastback sports car with Janelle, with permission to drive it any time she wanted. Janelle loved the car and Peggy was glad that her friend would have it to enjoy in her absence.

Janelle added, "It gives us more time together. We're not going to see each other until I come out to visit you over the Fourth of July. You're not scheduled to start working out there for another two weeks. Are you sure that you want to get there so early?"

"The apartment is all arranged," Peggy said. "I still need to find a decent car, rent furniture, buy groceries and find more clothes to match the hapless Nerd image I will be trying to portray. I'm hoping to get all of that done and still have a few days to spend in La Jolla before I start working. Have you put in for the two weeks of vacation so that you'll be able to stay beyond the Fourth until my birthday?"

Nodding her head, Janelle said, "It's already approved. It's a shame that you're leaving almost your entire wardrobe here. All you've packed are your underwear, bras, pajamas, and a few of your rattiest casual clothes."

Peggy glanced down at the paint-stained sweatshirt and holey jeans that she would be wearing on her flight and asked, "Are you criticizing my sense of style?"

Laughing, Janelle said, "Stevie Wonder would criticize your sense of style right now."

Peggy set her suitcase on the floor and extracted the handle that would allow her to place her laptop bag onto the suitcase and strap the two together while she rolled them.

Placing an arm around Janelle's shoulder, she said, "I'm confident that you will make good use of any of my clothes that suit you while I am gone. We will see each other sooner than that if we Skype or Zoom every few days. Come on, we'll work out a schedule while on our way to the airport."

Janelle placed her arm around Peggy and silently followed her out of the room.

~~~

"Your direct manager is in a meeting," the HR representative explained, "but he is sending one of the team leads to escort you. You will need to be escorted everywhere in the building until your new employee badge gets activated by security. That usually takes about two hours on a Monday morning."

Peggy nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you."

Although Peggy had anticipated the onboarding process with human resources to be routine, the guy that had guided her through all the paperwork and employee policies had made her feel unwelcome and unappreciated as a new employee. He hadn't smiled once and had exuded an air of impatience over tasks that he obviously felt overqualified to be dealing with. She sensed his indifference to her immediately upon meeting him and accepted that her frumpy appearance likely contributed to his attitude.

Her long hair was stacked indiscriminately on top of her head and held in place with several bobby pins. Her thick-framed eyeglasses had tinted lenses that dimmed the color and glint of her eyes. Under an oversized pale green man's cardigan sweater, she wore a blue polo shirt tucked into a khaki skirt that was too big for her waist, which resulted in several bulges of fabric under the bright orange leather belt. The grey fabric deck shoes contrasted with the white crew socks that she wore at an uneven height. She didn't think that she could look more like a Nerd if she had worn a superhero costume.

"Ah good, you're here," the HR representative said as someone stepped into his cubicle. "Jamaal, this is Peggy Arthur. She is joining the business data analyst team this morning and Bruce volunteered you as her escort."

Peggy turned and smiled at the friendly face of her escort. "I'm pleased to meet you, Jamaal," she said as she rose and offered him her hand.

Jamaal smiled back and took her hand into his. Not only was the contrast in the size of their hands obvious, but her pale skin against his darker skin tone also made Peggy's hand look too delicate to shake by the big black man.

He gently squeezed and said, "Welcome to Armore. Did I hear right? Your last name is Arthur?"

Peggy hesitated for a second before saying, "Yes, my name is Peggy Arthur."

"Hey, maybe we're cousins or something," Jamaal chuckled. "My last name is also Arthur."

Peggy's laugh was interrupted by the HR representative, "I have other new hires to see, so good luck, Peggy. Thank you, Jamaal."

Recognizing their dismissal, Jamaal led Peggy out of the cubicle and down a long hallway, giving her a brief explanation of the different departments as they passed them. He also pointed out breakrooms, restrooms, and other facilities for employees to utilize along the way. Reaching a stairway, he led her to the second floor into a large open area where hundreds of call center employees sat haphazardly around the space. Some sat with other employees at tables, some sat on couches and some wandered around holding a laptop or tablet while conversing with someone through their wireless headset.

Waving his arm to indicate the entire space, Jamaal said, "No one has assigned seating here, even the managers. Some people tend to find themselves in the same spot every day, but when one of the managers sees that, they'll generally ask the person to move to someplace different. The only exceptions are the managers, who tend to stay in the same general area so that their employees know approximately where to find them."

"So, I can sit anywhere?" Peggy asked.

Jamaal nodded and said, "In theory, yes. There are currently two other business data analysts and they're probably better suited to explain the seating arrangements for that team than I am. I'll take you to them."

Peggy followed Jamaal across the total expanse of the second floor to a four-person workstation. All four seats were empty, but there was a closed laptop at one spot. There was a sticky note on the lid of the laptop with Peggy's name written on it.

"I guess that this will be your initial spot," Jamaal told her. "IT has left your new laptop here anyway. Oh, here come Russ and Kevin. They're the other two analysts on your team."

Peggy glanced in the direction that Jamaal had indicated and saw two men walking toward them. The taller one was almost as dark-skinned as Jamaal, but even larger. He looked big enough to be a lineman on a professional football team, but one look at his face made Peggy think instead of a great big teddy bear. His eyes denoted intelligence and kindness in equal portions. The shorter man had a more serious, almost studious air about him, but once more, his eyes told Peggy that there was an impishness within this man that she would enjoy. Both men smiled broadly when they saw Peggy standing near their work area.

"You must be Peggy," the larger man said in a deep, baritone voice. "I'm Russell Mason."

"Hi," Peggy glanced at her feet, extended her hand to Russ, and said, "I'm Peggy Arthur."

"More nepotism?" The shorter man grinned. "Jamaal already calls all the guys here 'Brother'. Now he's bringing his other relatives in too?"

While Peggy giggled but kept her glance downward, Jamaal said, "The funny man here is Kevin Hardee."

Peggy extended her hand and said, "Hi Kevin. I'm pleased to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Peggy. Have a seat and we'll all get acquainted."

Peggy set her backpack down and pulled out the chair at the spot that had her laptop. Before she could sit, Jamaal said, "I'm going to leave you with these two trouble makers for now. I'll be over by the whiteboard if you need rescuing or anything."

"Thank you, Jamaal. I'm sure that I'll be safe here."

"So, tell us about yourself," Russ said as both he and Kevin got their own laptops set up.

Peggy glanced up and opened the lid on her laptop. There was another sticky note on the keyboard that listed her user name and temporary password. She hit the power button to start the booting process before responding, "I'm not very good at talking about myself. Maybe it would be better if you both just asked me questions about what you would like to know about me."

It became clear from the questions that each of the men asked which one was more personable and which one was more work-focused. Russ asked questions like, "Where are you from?", and "Have you found someplace to live out here?" Kevin asked questions such as, "What databases do you have experience creating reports from?" and, "How familiar are you with Crystal Reports?"

"Bruce will explain his expectations to you," Russ informed her, "but we can assume that they will be similar to Kevin's and mine."

"What are those?" Peggy asked.

Kevin answered first, "Until six months ago, our roles didn't exist. There were people with the title, 'Data Analyst', but their responsibilities were simply to generate reports for the customer accounts and internal teams that they were assigned to support. For example, I used to be the data analyst responsible for the Simonsen IT support desk and the internal teams that support that account. All I did was create reports and ensure that they were run and distributed to the appropriate people or groups."

"Bruce got rid of all the data analysts seven months ago," Russ continued. "His vision was for a team of true business analysts who didn't simply report on data but dug down into it, with a detailed knowledge of our operations and our customers to find potential problems and help the respective managers develop solutions. We are no longer assigned to specific customers or teams, but rather work collaboratively to analyze and support the business as a whole."

Kevin picked back up, "Our biggest challenge has been getting the managers to understand our new role. They are used to a certain way of managing their teams, which in many cases involved a ton of reports on things like staff utilization and customer satisfaction. With just the two, and now three of us responsible for the entire operation here, we don't have the luxury or the time to create reports for any manager just on a whim..."

"Did you work with Gene Hahn during your internships at corporate?" Russ asked. They had already established that Peggy's only practical experience with databases had been working as an intern in the finance department at Armore's headquarters in Atlanta.

"Yes, he was my site supervisor for all three internships," Peggy admitted. "Do you know Gene?"

"We've never physically met him," Russ said, "but we've interacted with him on several projects. We don't get tasked here with many financial reports, but data contained within the reports that Gene and his team have created is sometimes necessary for our analysis. Maybe you will be able to help us write our own queries when we need the data so that we won't have to bother Gene or his team."

Before she could respond, Peggy heard simultaneous 'dings' from Russ and Kevin's laptops. They both glanced at their screens and then up at her.

Russ spoke for the pair, "Bruce is asking us to let you know that he wants to see you in his office. He tried messaging you directly but you're still offline."

Peggy glanced at her laptop and saw that it remained on the login screen. She had been so focused on the question-and-answer session with her two coworkers that she hadn't even tried the credentials that IT had provided her. "Oh well, it could wait now," she thought.

"Can you direct me to where Bruce's office is?" she asked, looking around at all the doors that lined the periphery of the open workspace.

"It would be better if I showed you," Russ offered. "He's still down on the first floor until the new furniture arrives and we all get repositioned. Then he plans to work up here with the rest of the managers." He turned to Kevin and asked, "Are you going to hang here?"

Kevin nodded and turned his attention to his laptop before responding, "Yeah, I have the conference call with warranty administration in a few minutes, so I'll just take it here."

Standing, Russ said, "That's right. I'll just drop Peggy off with Bruce and then come back and join the call with you. Come on, Peggy, follow me."

Peggy picked up her backpack, rose, and followed Russ toward the stairs. Finally catching up to walk beside him, she asked, "Won't I need someone to escort me back from Bruce's office?"

Russ glanced at the temporary badge clipped to Peggy's belt and said, "Technically, you should be escorted, but there are no card reader restricted doors between Bruce's office and here, so you'll be able to get back by yourself. You're dropping breadcrumbs or something so that you'll be able to find your way, right?"

Laughing, Peggy said, "Mental breadcrumbs, for sure."

~~~

"Crap!" Peggy thought the instant that Russ pointed her towards Bruce Goddard's office and then turned on his heels to head back upstairs. Though still ten yards or more from the open door to the office, Peggy could clearly see the face of her direct manager, and it was not a welcomed sight.

Ten years had added more than fifty pounds to his midsection, but his ruddy face was the same as the last time that Peggy had seen it. She admonished herself for not recognizing the name, "Bruce Goddard" sooner. If she had, she would have sought a position with some other group out here in California. Her plans weren't ruined yet, but she would have to be cautious around Bruce. She approached his open door, and while his eyes seemed to smile warmly when he saw her, his rigid posture and chewing on his lower lip as he stood behind his desk sent a conflicting message. She couldn't decipher what it was, so her apprehension over this initial meeting increased.

"Please close the door," Bruce instructed as soon as Peggy had crossed the threshold. She did as requested and stood silently awaiting further direction. Bruce took his seat behind his desk and motioned with his arm for Peggy to sit in one of the visitor chairs across from him.

The pair sat silently studying each other for several seconds. Peggy was beginning to feel like she was sitting across a boxing ring from her opponent, both waiting for the bell to ring signaling the start of their impending battle. Glancing over Bruce's shoulder to the framed pictures on the credenza behind him, her eyes fell on one in particular, and she immediately recognized the captured scene. She quickly averted her eyes back to Bruce's.

Bruce finally sighed, leaned back in his chair, and said, "I'm not going to hold the circumstances surrounding your hiring against you, but I'm also not going to cut you any slack..."

"I don't understand," Peggy said in genuine confusion. "What circumstances are you referring to?"

"I had the requisitions for your team in the approval process for more than six months," Bruce began. "The requisitions for two of the business data analyst positions got approved within about ninety days, but the third one, the one for your position had been held up in finance claiming that my personnel budget had been exceeded, which wasn't anywhere near reality. Suddenly, without any prodding from me, the final requisition gets approved, but along with that approval came you. I was told that if I wanted the third business data analyst that I had to accept you into that role."

"I think I can explain," Peggy offered with an apologetic grin.

"Please do," Bruce said. "I have my suspicions, but I would love to hear your thoughts."

Peggy nodded and said, "I interned in the finance department under an agreement between the Terry School of Business at the University of Georgia and Corbin Baker, vice president, and Chief Technology Officer at Armore. The agreement stipulates that Armore would provide preference in hiring to qualified graduates who had successfully completed the internship program. Armore had not complied with the terms of the agreement in prior years and was at risk of being dropped from the program. Mr. Baker thought that the partnership with the MBA program at the University of Georgia was too important to lose, so he encouraged me to apply for any position that interested me and which I was qualified for."

Bruce grunted and said, "Close to what I suspected, but that doesn't explain how you ended up here. Why leave your home and a choice position at Armore's corporate headquarters to come here?"

Peggy mentally recalled all the details in her employment records as she sat taller in her chair and explained, "Headquarters houses cost-center operations almost exclusively. There's administration, finance, personnel, IT, and a few other groups, but they do nothing to contribute to the success of the company beyond trying to keep costs minimized. My Masters is in Business Analytics, so I want to contribute to those operations of the company that makes a difference; those that have a direct impact on our customers and the services that we deliver globally. That left me with a choice of working in New Jersey or working here. If the weather in both locations wasn't enough of a determining factor, I suspected that the recent decision to expand operations here to provide twenty-four-seven support sounded the death knell for the operations in New Jersey. I may be wrong about the future of operations there, but there's still the nicer weather here."

Bruce's eyes grew wide in surprise but he soon recovered. He grinned and said, "Okay, well it looks like we're stuck with you. Before I explain my expectations for your role, I want to give you the same admonishment that every member of my inner circle gets. My instincts tell me that it's not necessary with you, but I'll give it to you just the same."

"Inner circle?" Peggy asked. "What's that?"

"It's what I call my direct reports. That includes all the senior managers for each department and the now three business data analysts. As part of my inner circle, you all occasionally become privy to confidential business information. I cannot function as the Director of this division without all of you being informed of things that we cannot yet make company-wide knowledge, and I need to trust each of you to maintain the confidentiality of anything that I share with you unless I approve otherwise. I call that rule my 'prime directive'."

"You mean things like my suspicions about operations in New Jersey being eliminated?" Peggy asked, seeking validation of her analysis.

Chuckling, Bruce said, "Exactly things like that. No one here besides me, and now you, know anything is even being discussed, but that will change later this afternoon at my staff meeting. I have been tasked with determining how many of the personnel in New Jersey we might be able to absorb here, so I will be delegating specific assignments to each of the senior managers at the meeting. They will likely be looking to the data analytics team for information to assist them."

"It won't matter much," Peggy said.

"What do you mean?"

"The culture in New Jersey, in most of the northeast, in fact, is different than many other areas of the country. Families there often go back generations and genealogical roots run much deeper. My analysis indicates that fewer than twelve percent of the existing New Jersey personnel would consider relocating if the operations there were eliminated, and ninety percent of those would try to find positions in Atlanta before ever considering California. You'll be lucky to see only a handful of manager-level or higher employees interested in relocating here, and those positions would most likely be redundant to ones already in place."

"Would you be prepared to share your analysis at the staff meeting?" Bruce asked.

Peggy considered the request and said, "You have to remember, this analysis was a personal project that I did to help me decide where I would want to seek a position. It isn't a comprehensive analysis by any stretch of the imagination. I will be glad to e-mail it to you when I get back to my computer so that you can review it before your meeting, but I don't think it is presentation-ready as it is. I wouldn't object to you sharing any part of it that you feel is relevant, but I think that you are in a better position than me to make that determination."

Her explanation wasn't entirely true. The analysis had been completed for reasons other than her possible relocation and contained information that she could not share with anyone, but she would be able to extract portions of the report adequate to satisfy Bruce's current needs.

Bruce studied the young lady before him. She seemed capable and confident in their one-on-one interaction, but he didn't want to assume that she would be the same when placed before a dozen people that she was yet to meet. Her personal appearance was not that of someone trying to impress others, and he could assume that her personality was just as reserved. In fairness to her, he wouldn't put her on the spot so soon. "That's fair. Send me what you have and keep your messaging application open on your laptop in case I want to ask you any questions prior to the meeting."

Peggy was feeling more at ease, so she simply nodded and smiled. Bruce checked the time and said, "I don't have enough time right now to explain the rest of my expectations to you, but I'll find some time on my calendar tomorrow and send you an invite. Stick with Russ and Kevin for the rest of the week and make certain that they get you access to all of the databases that they have access to. If they help you get the access requests submitted, those will route through me for first approval and I'll explain that IT should clone your access rights to be the same as your two coworkers before I forward them. That's the easiest way to ensure that all of you can do the same job."

Peggy picked up her backpack and spoke as she began to stand, believing herself to be dismissed. She said, "I'll send you an e-mail as soon as I log onto my laptop."

Opening the top center drawer on the desk, Bruce said, "Hang on." Removing an item from the drawer, he placed it on the top of his desk and slid it across to Peggy. "Let's trade. Give me your temporary badge and you can have your new employee badge."

Peggy silently unclipped the temporary badge from her belt and placed it onto the desk. She placed the new employee badge onto her belt and said, "Thank you. I feel somehow more official now."

"Good," Bruce said. "I want everyone to feel that they belong. I look forward to reviewing your analysis."

Nodding, Peggy turned and walked quickly towards the door. Before opening it, she turned and asked, "Would you like me to close the door when I leave?"

"No, you can leave it open," Bruce told her, so that is what she did.

Retracing her earlier route to return upstairs, Peggy contemplated her first meeting with her direct manager, a man who she had met briefly ten years ago, and someone who stood a better than average chance of not only recognizing her, but knowing exactly who she was. Reflecting on the way that her father always introduced her to people, Peggy found some comfort in him having always used her proper name. Plus, the picture on Bruce's credenza illustrated just how much in the background Peggy had always attempted to be at events similar to the one where she and Bruce had been briefly introduced.

The picture had been taken by Peggy's father at the request of Bruce's wife. She had wanted a picture of them together as they rode on the ski boat while it raced across Lake Lanier, towing two teenage girls on water skis behind it. Peggy had seen her father holding the camera, and assuming he was trying to take a picture of her and Janelle as they waterskied. She could be seen over Bruce's right shoulder in the background of the picture, waving.

Arriving at her workstation, Peggy saw that Russ and Kevin were both wearing wireless headsets, so she assumed that they were on a conference call. She simply waved at both of them and sat down to log onto her new laptop. Her temporary credentials worked to get her to the spot where she had to enter a new password. Her user name was the same as when she had been an intern, so she saw no problem with using the same password from that time. The system accepted her assumption without question.

Reaching into a pocket on her backpack, Peggy withdrew a USB clip drive and inserted it into the laptop. She then opened the e-mail application, which reminded her to also open the messaging application. She saw a message from Bruce, but it was the one from earlier so she ignored it and focused on sending him an e-mail instead. Editing out confidential portions of the analysis, she saved the new version as a different file. She quickly drafted a short e-mail, attached the new file containing her redacted analysis on the operations in New Jersey, and then hit the 'send' icon.

Chapter Two

Peggy knew that her first week of employment would be boring, but she had underestimated just how mind-numbingly boring it would truly be to spend hours with mandatory online tutorials on everything from company policies to setting up direct deposit of her pay.

There were moments of interest, such as Bruce's staff meeting, where she was introduced to the rest of his 'inner circle' and watched each of the senior managers as they tried to form an impression of her from her frumpy appearance coupled with Bruce's appreciation for the analysis that she had shared with him. He gave her full credit for providing the information that would make the pending transition of the New Jersey operations to California so much easier for all of them.

When Bruce and Peggy met the following day to discuss his expectations for her as a business data analyst, he brought up her report on the New Jersey analysis, "Who else did you share this with?"

Peggy considered the motivation for the question before answering, "I only showed it to my best friend, Janelle Sanders. She's an executive recruiter in our HR department in Atlanta. I wanted to get her feedback on my personnel assessments. Why?"

"Because your analysis and report could serve as a blueprint for the plan being implemented in New Jersey by corporate. Your analysis of the favorable job market in that area being a factor in people not wanting to relocate tipped the scales in the minds of corporate to offer severance packages with outplacement assistance to employees instead of offering relocation. Then, there was your part about the cultural differences between the New Jersey operations and ours out here and how that would impact the morale and performance of employees from both locations."

"Well, you have to admit that the open, collaborative approach that you have introduced here is night and day different from the work environment in New Jersey," Peggy said with a grin. "Employees need to buy into taking greater responsibility for their performance and productivity when they aren't being measured by the traditional metrics. You seem to have made great progress in getting that buy-in."

Bruce's eyes grew wide again as he asked, "And how would you know that? You've been here less than two days."

"Janelle wanted to help me make the right choice on location. She shared personnel statistics that show how much employee retention has increased dramatically through your 'New World of Work' initiatives. I know that some in corporate are questioning the lack of traditional performance metrics, but the overall results seen by them so far have quelled most of the criticism of your ideas."

Bruce didn't acknowledge the praise, but said, "Either your friend passed your analysis and report along to someone in upper management, or the time you spent as an intern has you channeling their same thoughts and opinions. That can be good and bad going forward. I need you and the rest of the business data analyst team to provide me with the same type of insight that you demonstrated with New Jersey. Russ and Kevin are excellent at gathering data, as you also appear to be, but I sense that you are far ahead of them with your ability to analyze that data to identify where opportunities for operational, system, or personnel improvements exist. Hopefully, they will be able to learn from your examples over time. I don't want anything to be off the table for consideration."

"We'll each have our strengths and weaknesses," Peggy offered. "I understand that you don't want any of us to focus on specific departments or operations, but won't there be advantages to just such a focus at times?"

"Let me give you some background on your coworkers that might help you understand my concerns relative to focus," Bruce said. "Russ had an extensive background working in the telecommunications industry before joining Armore. He is very knowledgeable about telephony systems and has already provided me with some recommendations on changes to our system that we may want to consider. What he hasn't provided to me, and what he seems to be struggling with, is what his proposed changes would mean to our disaster recovery strategy, which will be even more important than ever if the redundant operation that we have currently with the New Jersey location gets closed down. He isn't thinking broad enough about all of our operations yet. The same holds true with Kevin, only his background in outsourced computer help desk operations is limiting his vision. He has been viewing everything from a perspective that doesn't apply to most of our other operations. Both of them need to spend more time with other departments to gain the insights that will open their eyes and their minds. You will need to do the same, but I believe that you are already self-aware of that. Am I right?"

"Maybe if you provided some guidance on areas that each of us should target as a priority..." Peggy suggested.

"I shouldn't have to tell each of you where your greatest lack of understanding is," Bruce said with obvious annoyance in his voice. "If you can't take the initiative to seek out your own areas with the greatest opportunity for improvement, then your value to me and this division is questionable at best. I've explained that to your coworkers, so now you should all be on the same page."

"I understand your position in that regard," Peggy calmly said, refusing to wilt under Bruce's glare, "but isn't our value to you also diminished by us not being fully aware and respectful of your leadership objectives and how we can best support those? For example, if Armore's contract with one of our clients was coming due for renegotiation, wouldn't a comprehensive analysis of the operations covered by the existing contract, along with future opportunities within other operational areas of the company be something that one or more of our team should be focused on? Why does good leadership have to constitute the 'hand holding' that you're implying simple guidance would entail?"

"None of our operations are dedicated to a single client," Bruce countered, "and any operational improvements would likely benefit most of the clients handled by that particular department."

Peggy sighed and said, "I'm not arguing that. However, not all clients utilize all of our services, which means that my spending time with IT help desk operations when a client doesn't utilize that component of our services wouldn't allow my analysis, regardless of what it reported, to benefit the contract discussions with that client. What is the value of having improved operations that don't benefit our clients and drive increased business opportunities? I think our team can accomplish both, as long as you share with us what the client priorities are in a timely manner."

In addition to the accounting and consulting services popularized by companies such as Accenture, Deloitte, and McKinsey, Armore also provided outsourced services that included extended warranty underwriting, warranty claims processing, IT help desk support, consumer technical helpdesk for a variety of products, field marketing of consumer products, managed services, and third-party field service repair on everything from robotics to point-of-sale systems. The New Jersey operations had focused on European clients doing business in the United States while the California operations had handled primarily domestic and East Asian clients.

Bruce's face was turning red. He took a deep breath and asked, "Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think that if my business data analyst team has provided me with the information I am requesting that I couldn't run that information through my pea brain and identify client-specific opportunities? Do you think that the senior client advocates and I don't communicate? What in the hell do you think I do, if you don't mind me asking?"

Even though Peggy was literally and figuratively 'bullet-proof' in her position with Armore, she tempered her response to Bruce by saying, "Time will tell."

~~~

Peggy had spent Monday evening after work at a new thrift shop that raised money for homeless women. She had assumed that people who donated to the charity would probably tend to donate more clothes for women than any other items, and she had not been disappointed. Although, there were a few men's items that she thought would fit her image that she might go back for.

She felt that she had really scored when she found a keyring fob designed to resemble the Golden Snitch from the Harry Potter stories. She would attach it to her backpack in a very visible manner so that everyone she passed would see it. She also made a point of letting people see her playing on her Nintendo Switch whenever she was in the breakroom. If those didn't cement her image as a "Nerd" among her coworkers, not much else would.

Although she would hesitate to call them "enemies", she couldn't ignore the reality that if not today, someday in the near future there would be people within Armore challenging her; and her father and Janelle might not be in a position to help her. She was relying upon everyone viewing her as harmless, innocent, and introverted for as long as possible to be her best hope of remaining under the radar that would allow others to target her.

Once Peggy had gotten her laptop connected to the corporate network in the office on her first day, she printed out the bus schedule that she had downloaded earlier. She was happy to see that the route from the stop closest to her apartment would go directly past the office without her having to make any transfers. She would be able to catch the bus at just past seven each morning and get to work within twenty minutes. Getting home would take a bit longer since it wasn't likely that she would be able to catch the bus that went by the office only a few minutes after five in the afternoon, which meant that she would have to wait for the one that came by a half-hour later.

Her two-bedroom apartment was in one of the smaller complexes that lined Clemmons Lane in Fallbrook. None of the twenty units in her complex had assigned parking spaces, and they were frequently purloined by residents and visitors of neighboring apartment complexes when street parking along Clemmons Lane was restricted during street-sweeping hours.

Peggy had eyed the parking space beside the mysterious vehicle that had been hidden under a canvas cover for the last two weeks. It was fine with her if that vehicle never moved since riding the bus to work most days would allow her to keep the used Toyota Prius that she had purchased in the space directly in front of her apartment door. If that other tenant could claim squatter rights to a parking space, so could she.

Her apartment was sparsely furnished with items that she had rented hastily after getting the keys to the unit. She had a bedroom set with a queen-size bed and matching dresser in each bedroom, an overstuffed leather sectional and coffee table in the living room, a faux-wood entertainment center that held a Sony PlayStation connected to a forty-inch flat-screen television, and two stools at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. There was room on the small patio beyond the sliding glass doors for a table and chairs, but Peggy hadn't decided how she might utilize the area, so it remained empty.

Arriving home Tuesday slightly before six in the evening, Peggy pulled into the parking space that she had coveted. She reasoned that most of her neighbors likely commuted to either Escondido or possibly even San Diego for work, so they would probably still be on their way home. Some of them might work at Camp Pendleton, but she hadn't seen any of her neighbors wearing a Marine Corps uniform. Wherever her neighbors were, she had arrived before them, so the parking spot she wanted was hers until she moved her car the next time.

Immediately after setting her backpack onto the coffee table, Peggy used her cell phone to call Janelle. She had gotten home too late on Monday to call her, but they had exchanged several text messages over the past two days. When she heard the call going through, Peggy hit the speaker icon on her screen and headed toward her bedroom to change her clothes while she and her best friend chatted.

"I thought that we were going to do a Zoom session today," Janelle said upon answering her phone.

"I didn't think that there was going to be anything worth you seeing," Peggy said with a laugh. "I'm just going to be changing my clothes and making myself some dinner while we chat. I can always turn the camera on my cell phone on if you want to watch."

Joining her friend in laughter, Janelle said, "I can skip the visual. How were your first couple of days out there?"

Peggy brought her friend up to date on her orientation events, focusing heavily on her interactions with Bruce Goddard. When she told Janelle about the picture on his credenza, she heard her gasp.

"I remember that day!" Janelle said. "We were wearing our one-piece swimsuits from school because we didn't want to waterski in our bikinis. They were identical and people kept teasing us about being twins."

"Yeah, like we look so much alike," Peggy laughed.

"Hey, we could be paternal twins," Janelle countered. "We're the same age and our height is about the same."

Peggy was laughing harder now while she changed into a pair of cut-off shorts and a tank top. She calmed enough to say, "Right, and your boobs being at least two cup sizes larger than mine, not to mention our hair and eye color being different wouldn't be a clue that we weren't twins, paternal or otherwise."

Janelle sounded almost offended as she said, "I think people sometimes see the bond between us more than they see our appearances as a sign that you and I must be sisters. I hope that everyone always sees my love for you when we're together."

"Me too," Peggy admitted. "You will always be my sister."

While Janelle updated her on a few of their mutual friends back in Georgia, Peggy carried her phone as she walked into the bathroom so she could use the mirror to remove the bobby pins from her hair. Setting her glasses on the counter, she let her hair fall around her shoulders and on her back, she shook her head to loosen it up before taking a brush to it.

Janelle was still talking when Peggy heard what sounded like a knock on her front door. She stepped into the hallway off the living room that separated the two bedrooms and listened. In a few seconds, there was confirmation that someone was, indeed, knocking on her door.

"Hang on," she told Janelle, "There's someone at the door."

Peggy glanced through the peephole in the front door and saw the fisheye view of a man holding a vase of flowers. She kept the security chain in place as she opened the door a crack. A nice-looking guy in his mid-thirties stood there. Slightly under six feet, with dark blond hair, a trim athletic body, and an open, handsome face.

"Yes?" Peggy said.

The man couldn't see much of Peggy other than a portion of the right side of her face, but he smiled and said, "Hi, I'm your next-door neighbor, Gabe Lewis. These flowers were delivered for you about fifteen minutes before you arrived home. The delivery guy said that he wouldn't be able to attempt a delivery again until tomorrow, so I hope you don't mind that I accepted them on your behalf."

"How does he know when you arrived home?" Peggy heard Janelle asking. She had forgotten to mute the phone which allowed Janelle to hear everything being said, and now her neighbor had also heard Janelle's question.

"I have a battery-powered video doorbell," Gabe quickly explained. "It allows me to answer my door when I am not at home, but it also notifies me of motion within the range I have it set for. Your car is parked in an area where the motion would be detected, so I was notified when you pulled in. I'll just set the flowers down here and you can get them after I leave."

He bent down but Peggy stopped him, "No, please wait."

She quickly closed the door enough to remove the security chain, and then swung it fully open. Gabe stepped back in surprise as the woman behind the door came fully into view. He had been expecting the dowdy and drab figure of a woman that he had witnessed coming and going from this apartment for the past couple of weeks. The woman before him radiated poise and her appearance was certainly anything but drab.

He was drawn to her eyes first. They were mesmerizing; both penetrating and expressive at the same time. Her nose was intolerably cute and her lips were perfectly symmetrical, reminding Gabe of a flower preparing to bloom. She was almost the same height as him, delicately feminine, but with no hint of fragility.

Finally regaining some semblance of cognitive ability, Gabe glanced at the card that stood among the flowers and asked, "Are you Peggy Arthur?"

The questioning expression on her neighbor's face reminded Peggy for the first time that she was standing before him in her natural visage. "Crap!" she thought. She quickly reached for the vase of flowers and said, "Yes, that's me. I was just getting ready for a bath when you knocked, so I apologize for my appearance."

As Gabe transferred the flowers from his hands to hers, he was lost for words. How could this beauty before him ever believe that she would need to apologize for her appearance?

Peggy cradled the vase of flowers with one arm as she stepped back to allow her to closed the door. "Thank you for getting the flowers to me. I appreciate you making the effort."

"It was no problem," Gabe said to the door quickly closing in his face. To the closed door, he said, "I was glad to help."

"Who sent you flowers?" Janelle asked the instant that she could tell that Peggy had unmuted her phone.

Peggy set the flowers on the kitchen counter and said, "They're probably from my dad, but give me a second to read the card and I'll let you know."

"Go ahead," Janelle laughed, "but unless you've acquired a secret admirer somewhere, we both know that the flowers have to be from your dad."

Peggy had never had a truly serious relationship with any boy or man due to her selectiveness and her focus on school, followed by her career. She typically wound up being Janelle's wingman, or a standby date when the guy Janelle was dating had a friend that he needed to fix up so they could all go out together. Both women found it interesting that when together, men would typically approach Peggy first, only to move on when they found her intelligence too intimidating. She once told a guy that she would only date him if he wrote her an essay on quantum physics. That guy ended up dating Janelle for three months instead.

Ignoring the teasing of her friend, Peggy read the card and laughed. "Dad says that I should tell you that these flowers are from a secret admirer instead of him. Then he congratulates me on starting the new role out here and he sends us both his love."

"Is he still in Dubai?" Janelle asked?

"Yes, the global helpdesk consortium runs through the end of next week. He will then make quick stops in India, followed by South Korea, and finally Japan before heading back to Dubai to meet up with my uncle. They're going to sail from there to Scotland together. He should be back in the U.S. around the first of July. Hang on while I heat up my dinner."

Peggy set her phone on the kitchen counter but left the speaker active while she took a container of left-overs out of the refrigerator and placed it in the microwave. As had been her practice in Georgia, she typically spent Sunday cooking meals and preparing her lunches for the following week so that she didn't have to worry about them each morning and evening. While the results resembled her heating up a TV dinner each night, the food was much better and the satisfaction of preparing her own meals was much more gratifying.

"So, what did you think of your neighbor?" Janelle asked after she heard the microwave had dinged.

Peggy considered the question. She had purposely kept the interaction with her next-door neighbor as brief as possible once she had realized that her appearance was not what she was trying to portray to everyone. She smiled when she remembered the confusion evident on her neighbor's face when she had opened the front door fully. The confused expression had morphed quickly into one of appreciation, followed by attraction, but that had been short-lived since she had taken the flowers and retreated behind her closed door so quickly.

Peggy answered Janelle as honestly as she could, "I thought he was considerate to accept the delivery and then bring them to me personally. I may have to find some way to show him my appreciation for his kindness. I'll think about it."

"You could bake him some of your brownies," Janelle suggested. "Those are always appreciated."

"You know," Peggy agreed, "that's not a bad idea. I could bake up a batch, give him some, and then take the rest to work to share with people there. Do nerdy girls bake?"

Janelle laughed again, "How the hell would I know? Wait! I read somewhere that Valerie Bertinelli considered herself nerdy and she has her own cooking show now. There's your answer."

~~~

Peggy spent most of her second week in a huddle room with Kevin and Russ while their workstation was being relocated as part of the redesign of the second-floor workspace. While letting the online tutorial for the staff scheduling application continue to play on her laptop without paying it much attention, she sat between her coworkers as they edited several database queries to modify either the time that the desired report would be generated or who the report would be sent to. She had asked them, "Why don't you have these reports created through the corporate CRM system? Then the managers could manage them on their own without needing our assistance?"

"Most are legacy reports that pull data from external customer systems," Russ explained. "Only the three of us have been granted credentials to access the customers' data and extract it. We have been bringing everything into Business Objects, which again, the managers don't have access to, and then scheduling the reports and their distribution."

Peggy nodded and said, "But from what I have seen by watching you two, each of you is doing different queries using your individual credentials. What happens if say Kevin isn't available?"

"Nothing would happen," Kevin said. "Reports that I manage would be generated and distributed in the format that I had last left them. Any changes would have to wait until I was available to make them. The same with Russ' reports."

"You can't temporarily transfer the ownership of a report in Business Objects?" Peggy asked.

"No," Russ explained. "Kevin could copy the queries and data calls within his report and send them to me. I could then use them to create a new report that I owned and could modify as needed, but that would not stop his report from also running and creating duplicate distributions. The two would not be in synch and that would result in a lot of confusion."

Peggy didn't have to think about the situation long before offering a suggestion, "Okay, we haven't requested my credentials yet for any of the internal or external databases, so let me know what you think about us using mine as a shared login, maybe with a user name such as 'ArmoreDAT'. Once that account is established, you could both copy the most recent report requests into new ones under the shared account and delete your own reports. We would all have equal access if we ever needed to support one another."

"You would need to get Bruce to approve it," Kevin told her.

Chuckling, she said, "One of you should suggest it to Bruce. I don't think he would appreciate any suggestions from me right now."

Russ looked puzzled, but said, "Oh, it can't be that bad. It's your idea, so you should suggest it."

Peggy stood to stretch and also consider her response. Walking around the table so that she was facing her two coworkers, she adjusted the too-large cardigan sweater that she had started wearing while in the office and said, "Guys, I have no intention of ever competing with either of you. The only reason that I came up with the idea was that you two were generous enough to let me watch you work and share your insights with me. Without both of you, there is no idea from me. I don't expect the same from you, but as far as I'm concerned, any ideas or suggestions that I derive from working with you will be considered a collective idea that we all came up with together. If you want to present them as your own ideas, I won't take offense. One of you should suggest the shared credential idea to Bruce, not only because of his opinion of me right now but also because you two are more familiar with the reports processing and could answer any of his questions related to the idea better than I could."

"I'll do it," offered Kevin as he turned to Russ, "then you could present the idea that you and I had about the employee reviews."

"What idea is that?" Peggy asked.

Russ explained, "The managers have to perform employee reviews every year. We just went through the last cycle and it was brutal."

"Why?" Peggy asked.

Kevin broke in, "Because the managers are still required to utilize the existing system that HR has in place. It relies almost entirely upon Key Performance Indicators that are no longer being measured under the New World of Work environment and the collaborative work culture that Bruce has initiated. Managers came to us asking for reports on things like how fast an agent answered an inbound call or how much time they had a customer on hold during a call, and that data no longer applies for many agents. As we move to providing customers with other options for support, such as online chat, e-mail, and FAQs, simply measuring an agent's phone activity won't be a true indication of their performance."

"Ah," Peggy said in understanding. "We need new KPIs. What did you guys have in mind?"

"We've come up with some things that we think would be better measurements for the agents while still being objective enough to satisfy HR," Kevin said. "Most are pretty straightforward, such as tracking how many times an agent contributes information to the global knowledgebase, how many times they pull information from the knowledgebase, and their customer satisfaction score. The one that we think we'll need Bruce's help to sell to HR is more subjective. We think that the agents' performance should be graded more by their peers than by their manager, so we want to develop a means to do just that."

Peggy nodded and said, "That can be tough to accomplish without it becoming a popularity contest. How do we keep it a fair and unbiased measurement for each agent? I can see that being HR's biggest concern. Have you run your idea past anyone in HR yet?"

Kevin and Russ both shook their heads. Russ answered for the pair, "We didn't want to overstep and thought that we would run the idea past Bruce first. If he embraces the idea, he might want to present it to HR himself."

Peggy sat silently in thought for a couple of minutes before asking, "How do agents currently collaborate most frequently; by messaging one of their coworkers or simply going to talk to them, right? Now, regardless of the support option the customer chooses, every interaction must be entered into the CRM system. If we implemented a workflow process change that utilized the CRM system for all agent collaboration, we could then create reports to track the peer-to-peer activity of each agent. Agents would be instructed to use the CRM system for messaging with their coworkers and for entering any communication with other agents related to a customer interaction into the notes."

"But not all of the collaborative activities among agents relates to customer incidents," Kevin stated. "They support each other with everything from certification training to morale building. An employee could have limited contributions from a technical perspective but be the most important person on a team because they encourage and motivate others. Managers have had to provide subjective assessments on things like that in the past, so I think that we need to find a way for agents to do the same for their peers."

"We were thinking of a survey for the agents," Russ added. "The challenge is developing the questions so that HR would accept the results."

Peggy nodded in understanding and said, "I'll tell you what, let's table the KPI idea for a few days. I want to do some research to see if there are any other companies that might be using peer reviews as a component of their employee performance measurement. If we can identify others using that approach, it will serve two purposes; first, it will prevent us from having to entirely reinvent the wheel since we could build off what someone else has already done, and second, it will provide us with documented evidence for Bruce and HR that the idea has worked someplace else. That will mitigate most of their perceived risk associated with Armore doing the same."

Russ and Kevin looked at each other and merely nodded their approval of Peggy's suggestion.

~~~

Brent Mize walked back into the bedroom with one towel wrapped around his waist and another draped over his shoulders. He had left the shower running, but upon seeing the activity on the bed, he returned to the bathroom and turned the shower off.

"Are you two going to be going at it all night?" Brent asked.

Evan Foster probably couldn't hear the question. He was laying on his back on the bed with Kelly Proctor's thighs covering each of his ears. Brent couldn't see anything but the top of Evan's head, but from the moans emanating from Kelly as she licked Evan's member, he could assume that Evan's mouth was as busy as Kelly's. Brent shook his head and shuddered at the image in his head. Evan had to be getting mouthfuls of the semen that both men had been depositing into Kelly over the last three hours.

Kelly paused in her activity on the bed to reply to Brent's question, "My husband is out of town and Evan doesn't have a wife to go home to like you, so we thought that we would make a night of it for a change. You're welcome to stay too if you want."

"I would love to," Brent said as he used the towel from around his neck to finish drying his light brown hair, "but I have an early morning flight tomorrow if you remember."

Since her mouth had returned to its previous activities, Kelly just shrugged her shoulders in response. Brent stood in front of the mirror over the dresser and began getting dressed as the two lovers on the bed ignored him. He preferred having Kelly to himself but acknowledged that sharing her with Evan after their meetings here in the corporate condo had always been enjoyable. Screwing each other after reviewing their conspiracy that was effectively screwing Armore just seemed so much more satisfying for all of them.

In their earlier meeting, they had reviewed the precautions that they had taken to keep their embezzlement hidden from the Board of Directors, and in particular, the chairman and CEO, Liam Donahue. Brent would be flying to New Jersey in the morning to formally announce the closing of the New Jersey operations of Armore.

This had become their strategy as soon as they had learned of a pending audit of those operations by the New Jersey Department of Labor. By eliminating all of the New Jersey employees, they would be eliminating the jurisdiction of the agency and prevent the discovery of the falsified personnel and payroll records that had allowed the three to siphon off almost seven million dollars from Armore over the past three years. The falsified records would net them another million and a half through the severance packages that would be paid to non-existent employees.

As a senior vice president and Chief Financial Officer, Brent Mize had found little challenge in manipulating the financial data that would make detection of their conspiracy evident to anyone internal to the corporation. His only concern was if an external resource ever got involved. However, he would likely be involved in making the decision on bringing someone in from the outside so he would have the opportunity to either hide things deeper or execute their contingency plans.

As Vice President of Human Resources, Kelly Proctor was in a position to intercept any employee suspicious of the conspiracy, and she had used that to their advantage on two occasions so far. One purchasing agent and one payroll clerk had each found themselves terminated for cause when allegations of company policy violations were brought against them by other employees. Having a zero-tolerance policy for most violations that protected the identity of the accuser made it easy to cook up claims that the employee could not counter.

Personnel and payroll manipulation were not their only tricks. With Evan Foster as the Director of Operations in New Jersey, they had been able to also falsify supply and service contracts through fictitious vendors or at greatly inflated rates. Brent had considered relocating Evan to California so that they could continue pilfering from the company through that operation, but he could find no justification to replace Bruce Goddard that would be acceptable to Liam Donahue. Instead, Evan got promoted to Vice President of Operations and now had Bruce Goddard grudgingly reporting to him.

Evan had been given the promotion with the understanding that he needed to find some reason to either get Bruce Goddard transferred from the California operation to somewhere else in the organization, terminated for cause, or given an incentive to take early retirement. Until they had someone loyal to them running things in California, the money train that they had been riding with the New Jersey operation was stalled on the tracks.

Evan's other value to the trio was his connections to the underbelly of New Jersey's international population. The contingency plans that they had if their embezzlement was ever discovered included schemes to wrestle control of Armore away from the Donahue family, which might or might not involve coercing the administrator of Margaret Donahue's trust. A trust which controlled the majority stock in Armore. If Liam Donahue didn't have the proxy shares from his daughter's trust, he wouldn't have enough votes to retain control of his company.

Evan had already begun laying the groundwork for just such an eventuality.

Chapter Three

"What do you think of the new bushes?"

Peggy took her hands off the clay flower pot that she had just set onto the baker's rack that she bought to hold plants on her small patio. She turned her head to the right, toward the direction that the voice had come from. Through the lattice divider between their patios, she saw the man who had introduced himself to her as her next-door neighbor. He was stretched out on a mat, doing some kind of exercise or yoga.

"I'm sorry?" Peggy replied in a confused tone.

The man remained in position, doing what Peggy now recognized as a plank while he spoke to her, "The new holly bushes that were planted yesterday outside the railing of all of our patios. How do you like them? Personally, I would have preferred cactus, roses, or something with even more sharp points, but holly works better for the partial sun that the areas get."

Peggy turned and examined the holly bushes for the first time. Until her neighbor had mentioned them, she hadn't even noticed that the bushes had been recently planted in the dirt just beyond the railing of all the patios. The bushes were substantial in size, with little gaps between them that would fill in as the plants grew, and Peggy could see that the tops had been recently trimmed to bring them level with the railings.

Her neighbor rolled over on the mat and began doing sit-ups while continuing the mostly one-sided conversation, "Anyway, those should be a deterrent to some of the patio thefts the complex has experienced recently. Someone would have to be pretty determined to crawl through or over holly bushes."

Peggy considered his comment and said, "I didn't think that crime around here was that bad. I checked the crime statistics before selecting this area and didn't see anything that reflects the thefts you are describing."

Her neighbor didn't respond for several seconds as he was apparently trying to maintain the count of his sit-ups. He eventually paused and asked, "Would you go to the trouble to file a police report if someone steals one or more of your pots? If you do, you'll probably be the first."

Peggy understood where he was going with his question and had to admit that she would likely just write off the loss of a flower pot and not bother with notifying the police. No one reporting the thefts meant that they would not appear in the crime statistics for the area. She saw that he had resumed his sit-ups, so she decided not to ask if there were other unreported crimes occurring around there that she should know about. Instead, she asked, "Did you enjoy the brownies?"

Her neighbor had been on his cell phone the afternoon three weeks ago when she rang his doorbell and presented him with a plate of freshly baked brownies. He had mouthed a "thank you" to her and then pointed to the headset he was wearing to indicate that he was involved in a conversation with someone. Peggy had nodded in understanding before turning and returning to her apartment. She had not seen or heard from him since.

"Oh, man, those were great!" he panted between sit-ups. "I'm sorry that I haven't had a chance to thank you, but I left on a trip the next morning and just returned last night."

"It's not a problem," Peggy said. "I'm just glad that you enjoyed them."

Stepping back into her apartment, Peggy slid the screen door closed but left the sliding glass door open. She stood and listened to the sound of the exercise mat as it shifted slightly on the concrete patio during each sit-up the man performed. He had probably done less than twenty while talking to her, but as she silently began counting the repetitive sounds of the mat, Peggy recognized his target must be somewhere close to one-hundred sit-ups and he was making them seem effortless. He was wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts, but Peggy was imagining washboard abs were beneath the clothing. Though he was probably ten or fifteen years older than her, he appeared to be in excellent physical condition.

Gabe heard her entering her apartment, so he didn't bother with a response. The lattice that separated their patios had obscured most of his ability to see his neighbor while they spoke, but he had been able to determine that she once more had her hair indiscriminately crammed on top of her head and that she was wearing a t-shirt beneath too large bib overalls. The image of her standing at her door in those spectacular shorts and the tight tank top had haunted him for the past three weeks. Realizing that there was a beautiful figure being so seriously disrespected by her choice in clothing disappointed Gabe and distracted him from his count.

Glancing at his cell phone, he decided that he would end his exercise routine for the day a little early. He had to get the charcoal for the barbeques out to the grills by 3 pm, which meant that he should get his shower and head to the store pretty soon. The "Start of Summer" cookout had been a tradition at the apartment complex since he had moved there, and most of the residents had come to expect and appreciate the event. He wished that he had thought to remind his new neighbor about the event. It wouldn't hurt to stop by and do just that on his way to his car.

"Ouch! Damn," Gabe cried to himself as he examined the gash that had appeared on his right hand when he had reached to open his sliding screen door. His hand had discovered the ragged head of a metal screw, or in reality, the sharp edge of a protruding metal screw whose head had broken off. There was a razor-like cut almost an inch long in the soft skin between his right pointer and index fingers, and judging by the amount of blood already present, it was more than simply a scratch.

Cradling his right hand in his left to try and keep blood from dripping onto his floor, Gabe walked quickly to his kitchen sink and ran cold water over his wound. He had to examine the cut while the water was running over it since blood quickly obscured it when the water flow ceased. The slice didn't appear deep enough to require stitches, but it would probably benefit from a butterfly-type bandage to pull the skin together while it healed. A tetanus shot was likely to be recommended as well. Crap, he didn't have time for this today.

"First things first," he thought. Reaching for the paper towel holder, Gabe pulled off a couple of sheets with his left hand and clumsily folded them until he had a thickness that he could work between his fingers to cover the cut. He had never been coordinated with his left hand, so he didn't even consider being able to wrap tape or anything around his right hand to hold the paper towel in place. Grabbing the partial roll of duct tape out of the utility drawer in his kitchen, he headed for his front door.

Finished watering her plants, Peggy was placing the watering can under her kitchen sink when the knock on her front door surprised her. Checking the peephole and recognizing her next-door neighbor, she unhooked the security chain before opening the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Gabe apologized. "I'm hoping that you could render a little first-aid assistance to me. I have a cut on my right hand, and I'm right-handed."

The smile on his face was infectious and it made her instantly smile. She looked into his ice-blue eyes and was lost. She suspected that she could look into those eyes for the rest of her life.

Peggy couldn't help but notice how great Gabe looked in a plain cotton tee shirt and gym shorts. His stomach was flat and the muscles in his chest stretched the fabric covering it. His arms were muscular and defined.

Dropping her eyes from his torso, Peggy saw him holding a roll of duct tape in the fingers of his left hand as he held what looked like gauze against a spot on his right hand with his left thumb.

Stepping back, she said, "Come on in. What do you need?"

Gabe entered her apartment and waited to hear the front door close before answering her, "If you could just wrap some of this duct tape around my right hand to hold the paper towel in place, I could drive over to the urgent care on Mission Boulevard. I'm pretty sure that they're open on Saturdays."

Peggy took his right hand in hers and pulled him towards the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Have a seat," she instructed. Once he was seated, she asked, "Do you mind if I take a look?"

Gabe just shrugged his shoulders, so Peggy slowly removed the bloody wad of paper towel and examined the cut. Blood started seeping and running down his hand, so she quickly replaced the paper towel. Without saying anything, she left him sitting at the counter and walked across the living room and through the hall to the bathroom. She returned quickly with a package of gauze and a roll of white medical tape.

"Let's go over to the sink," she said. "I want to rinse it off again before placing a better bandage of sorts on it. How did this happen?"

Following her to her kitchen sink, Gabe explained about the exposed screw.

Running cold water over his hand to wash off the blood once more, Peggy said, "You need to let the complex management know so that they get that screw taken care of."

"You can count on that," Gabe assured her. "This couldn't have happened on a more inconvenient day."

Peggy released Gabe's hand, saying, "Keep it under the water for a second more." She quickly dried her hands and opened the package of gauze. "What makes today more inconvenient than any other day?" she asked while pulling some paper towels off the roll in her kitchen.

"Didn't you get the invitation for the barbeque today?" Gabe asked, lowering his voice once she had turned off the water and began gently drying his hand.

Placing the folded gauze between his fingers, Peggy said, "Hold that in place while I get some tape ready."

Following her instructions, Gabe waited for her reply to his question. When he didn't receive one, he said, "I need to go get the charcoal for the barbeque and get things set up by 3 pm. Spending time at the urgent care won't make it easy for me to get back in time.

Glancing at the time displayed on her microwave while pulling a little tape off the roll, Peggy said, "It's only ten-thirty. Where were you going to get the charcoal that would require so much time?"

She turned and pointed, "Why don't you go back and sit at the counter?"

Holding the gauze in place, Gabe went back to the chair at the counter and sat down. He placed his hand on top of the counter for Peggy to have better access to it as she stood on the opposite side. She began gently applying short strips of tape to hold the gauze in place. He found himself disappointed in her almost clinical application of the gauze and tape. A little more contact with her hand on his would have been welcomed by Gabe.

"I was going to get the charcoal at Costco," Gabe said as he watched Peggy run a few long pieces of tape completely around his right hand which would keep all the smaller pieces holding the gauze secure. He continued, "Setting up the tables and stuff is what will take most of the time."

"Why don't the managers do the setup?" Peggy asked as she finished with the tape and began collecting discarded bloody paper towels for the trash.

Gabe seemed to be considering her question as he watched her cleaning up. He finally said, "Please keep it to yourself, but I own this complex. The barbeques and events that I organize are my own ideas, so I always try to give the couple that actually manages the place for me an opportunity to enjoy them along with everyone else instead of adding to their workload. As far as almost everyone here knows, I am just some lonely guy who likes to organize parties for the complex."

Coming around the counter to stand beside him, Peggy asked, "Isn't the barbeque potluck? I was going to bring some of my brownies if I decide to go."

Gabe stood and said, "Yeah, for the most part. I generally provide the burgers, hot dogs, or whatever other meats are to be grilled and let the residents contribute whatever they feel comfortable with. Everyone is responsible for whatever they want to drink. So, you're considering coming?"

The truth was, Peggy had not planned on attending or contributing anything to the barbeque until that moment. Something about assisting Gabe with his wound was motivating her to want to help him further; to spend more time with him. Whipping up a batch of brownies wouldn't be too much trouble for her.

Peggy escorted Gabe to her front door. After opening it for him, she said, "I'm not a very social person but if you need help setting up, I guess I could chip in. Maybe I'll hang around for a while after things are set up."

Gabe smiled and said, "Well, it will be a moot point if I don't get going so that I have time to pick up the charcoal. Thanks for helping to bandage my hand."

When he turned to walk toward his apartment, Peggy's question made him pause, "How many bags of charcoal do you usually get for one of these barbeques?"

Turning back to face her, Gabe said, "I usually get three when burgers and hot dogs are on the menu. Why?"

"I have to go out to pick up some things for my brownies," Peggy told him. "I wouldn't mind picking up the charcoal for you. Is there anything else you might need?"

Gabe smiled at her for several seconds before shaking his head and saying, "There's nothing else that I need. Are you sure you don't mind? I'll pay you back whatever the price, so you don't have to get the charcoal at Costco."

"It's no problem," Peggy assured him. "Consider the charcoal part of my contribution to the barbeque. You should get to the urgent care before it gets any later or your wait will probably be longer."

Without waiting for a response, she stepped back into her apartment and closed the door.

~~~

"Why in the hell did she even care?" Peggy thought as she sat on her bed taking off her ankle socks. The question of which bedroom in his apartment Gabe slept in should be of absolutely zero interest for her, so why had it popped into her head?

She had never been in his apartment, but she naturally assumed that to minimize construction costs when the complex was built, adjacent units would typically be mirror images of each other. That would mean that Gabe's bedrooms and bathroom would share a common wall with hers. She had never heard any sounds through the wall that would either confirm or deny her assumptions, but it would be the logical layout. That meant that Gabe slept in either the bedroom that shared a wall with hers or the front bedroom in his apartment that shared a wall with her guest bedroom.

Placing the socks into her hamper, she had to admit to herself that she knew why the question of which bedroom Gabe slept in interested her; there was a connection forming between them. Daily conversations with Janelle and professional interactions with her coworkers were fine, but she was otherwise alone on this side of the country. Helping Gabe with his injury and then assisting him with the barbeque had made Peggy feel connected with another person for the first time since her relocation. Even before leaving Georgia, Peggy had felt "lose around the edges", somewhat unstable in where she was heading in life.

She didn't know how or why, but she realized that spending time with Gabe had stabilized her. There was that flutter, that excitement one feels when they felt some connection with another, yet didn't know what it is, nonetheless, they're curious to find out where it leads, to see how far that feeling leads them down that proverbial rabbit hole.

Her time with Gabe today had been very casual, which Peggy realized is just what she needed. Once he had turned the grills over to other residents to prepare the meats, Gabe had made it a point to chat with everyone at the barbeque, ensuring that they were introduced to anyone that they didn't already know and thanking everyone for the items that they had contributed. Peggy couldn't help but notice that even when Gabe was paying attention to the conversation with someone else, he always seemed to have an eye on her, almost as if he was fearful of her disappearing. He also made certain that every other resident got introduced to her.

Peggy liked him, or what she had learned of him so far. Everything that she knew about Gabe had come entirely from her observation of him, his actions, and his interactions with other people. It was through these interactions with other residents where it was easy for Peggy to recognize that he was an unassuming and kind man. The apparent strength of his character surprised her.

It was also obvious that his humility in keeping his ownership of the complex a secret allowed him to be accepted by the residents as one of their own, and that was the motivation for hiding his true role. She had been impressed with how many people had participated in the barbeque considering that there were only the twenty units here. But, with couples and families all attending, there were more than fifty attendees, and every one of them seemed to know and respect Gabe.

He hadn't drilled her with a lot of personal questions during the times when they worked together either; both when they were setting up for the barbeque, or afterward when they were cleaning things up. Gabe asked her how she liked her apartment, if she had any issues finding things in the neighborhood, and seemed to be genuinely interested in being of whatever assistance she might need to help her get acclimated to the area. She had been expecting him to query her about where she was from, where she worked, and things like that, but then she realized that as the owner of the complex, he likely had access to her lease application which would answer all of those types of questions for him.

She knew that she had been the one assisting Gabe this afternoon, but she felt that he had done more to help her than the other way around. Without knowing it, he had shown her that much of the persona that she portrayed at work could remain at work, allowing her to be more gregarious and receptive to the types of interactions with people that she used to enjoy in Georgia. Having met all the other residents in the complex, Peggy knew with certainty that none of them worked at Armore. In fact, she had learned that most of the other residents commuted to Escondido or San Diego as she had suspected. Her apartment and the residents of the complex could be a safe haven for Peggy Arthur.

Peggy wasn't to the point yet where she would accept any of the dinner invitations from couples living in the complex, or from the single men who had expressed an interest in a date with her during the barbeque, but she would start venturing out around the complex more than she had so far. Using the laundry facilities would be more convenient than driving to the laundromat with her clothes, and as the weather continued to warm, the pool would offer both some relief as well as a social opportunity for her.

Standing, Peggy patted her thighs while trying to decide if she wanted to go ahead and change for bed. It was only a little after six in the evening, but the long t-shirt that she liked to sleep in would be more comfortable to lounge around in than her shorts and tank top, especially when she had removed her bra and panties. She heard rather than felt something in the right front pocket of her shorts and that is when she remembered the receipt for the charcoal that she had meant to give Gabe. She didn't expect him to pay her back the twenty dollars that the charcoal had cost, but she did want him to have the receipt in case he could use it for an entertainment deduction or anything.

Pulling the receipt from her pocket, Peggy decided to take it over to Gabe before she changed her clothes for the night. She wouldn't even bother to put on shoes for the short walk next door and back.

~~~

Considering all the disappointments that he had experienced in the day, Gabe was in an incredibly good mood that evening. He attributed this to his acceptance of the adage, "Disappointment comes only from unfulfilled expectations", and his recognition that Peggy Arthur continued to defy every expectation imaginable.

He recalled his disappointment with her style of dress that morning, or rather her apparent lack of any style. Gabe knew that his experiences with other women fueled his expectation that most of them would endeavor to wear clothes that flattered their figures or were appealing to the opposite sex. Peggy Arthur definitely didn't seek to flatter her figure with the clothes that she selected. If anything, she sought to purposely disguise it, but not in a puritan manner motivated by religious or spiritual beliefs.

Musing, he wondered how a woman could be so many people in one. Peggy was one who seemed to be many, all singularly attractive, all remarkably competent. When she had joined him to set things up for the barbeque, he had expected her to be dressed in the same bib overalls from that morning. Instead, she had been wearing dark gray women's cargo shorts, and although they weren't as short as what Gabe had seen her in when he delivered her the flowers, her long, shapely legs were beautifully on display. She also wore a pale pink tank top that exposed her toned arms. The most unexpected thing, at least to Gabe, was the fact that her long and lustrous hair was not piled on top of her head, but rather tied into a ponytail that stuck out the back of the white baseball cap that she was wearing. It was hard not to notice how her hair bounced playfully across her back whenever she moved. Her sunglasses were stylish and her clothing was well-suited for a summer barbeque. Peggy was easily the most attractive woman there.

Then there was his expectation that Peggy would be of little assistance lifting tables and chairs due to her delicate and bookish appearance. She had deported herself like a longshoreman, with strength and agility that Gabe had struggled to match. This was followed by his expectation that she wouldn't want to place charcoal briquets inside each of the grills and arrange them with her hands, but she had insisted on doing all of that so that Gabe could keep the bandage on his injured hand clean. When she returned from washing her hands in her apartment, in addition to her brownies, she had brought Gabe a heavy rubber glove for him to further protect his bandaged hand.

The complex's cornhole tournament had always been Gabe's for the taking. Someone should have told Peggy that. She had destroyed Gabe and every other player in singles play by not only getting virtually every one of her tosses into the hole, but frequently knocking her opponent's bags off the board at the same time, thus denying them even a single point. The only time that she showed anyone else the slightest mercy was after the tournament when she played against some of the children.

It hadn't seemed to matter what age the child was; from toddlers to adolescents, Peggy had won each of their hearts. Gabe chuckled to think about how many requests to serve as a babysitter Peggy was going to be receiving from parents in the complex. He also couldn't avoid noticing how every single guy at the barbeque had made a point of not only getting introduced to Peggy, but also learning her apartment number before the barbeque was over.

His instinct told Gabe that Peggy Arthur had erected a solid brick wall around herself, metaphorically speaking. The big bad wolves in the complex, and elsewhere, could huff and puff all they wanted. Peggy's wall would stand up to them all. Thoughts about what someone could do to penetrate Peggy Arthur's defenses were interrupted when his cell phone chimed, indicating that someone had pressed his doorbell.

Normally, he would open the application for the doorbell on his cell phone and check to see who was there, but he would have to walk by the door to retrieve his phone from the kitchen counter, so he decided to just open the door. He was surprised to see Peggy Arthur standing on the other side, with an actual smile on her spectacle-free face.

"I forgot to give this receipt to you at the barbeque," Peggy said, reaching toward Gabe with a piece of paper in her hand.

Gabe tore his gaze away from her hypnotic eyes to glance at what she was presenting him. "What's this?" he asked as he accepted the receipt from her and stepped back. "Come on in."

Peggy stepped into his apartment and looked around while Gabe closed his front door. The appearance demonstrated that an orderly and concise lifestyle existed within these walls. She turned to him and said, "That's the receipt for the charcoal. I don't want you to reimburse me, but I thought that you might want the receipt for business purposes."

Gabe quickly studied the receipt and said, "Thanks, but I insist on paying you back. The barbeques and other events I organize are personal and not business-related. You contributed more than anyone else with your brownies, helping me with the setup and then the cleanup. Have a seat while I go get you the money out of my wallet."

"Gabe, I would be insulted if you paid me back," Peggy stated emphatically. "I bought the charcoal and want to contribute it to you personally for the kindness you showed me at the barbeque. You made me feel welcomed and comfortable with meeting all my neighbors. Thank you."

Gabe laughed and said, "And here I was, just being nice to you as repayment for helping me with my bandage earlier and you read it as me being kind or something..."

Peggy laughed as well and said, "Save your roguish, misogynist alter-ego for someone who hasn't seen you hovering over children or selflessly catering to the wants and needs of your guests. You're one of the good guys. I know your secret, or at least that one. I'm sure that you have other secrets."

"I have an ex-wife who would disagree with you about me being a 'good guy'," Gabe said with a barely disguised hint of animosity in the tone of his voice. "Can I get you anything to drink? I was just getting ready to mix up some margaritas and I'd love it if you would join me."

"Sure." Peggy followed Gabe toward his kitchen and took a seat on one of the chairs at the dining table, studying his apartment along the way. It was, as she suspected, a mirror image of hers from a layout perspective, but much homier in furnishings and décor. "How long have you lived here?"

"For almost five years now," Gabe said while preparing their drinks. "I inherited the complex from an aunt who died of breast cancer when I was in college. ROTC had helped defray my college education, so I had a minimum eight-year commitment to serve in the Marine Corps. While I was in the Corps, I married my high school sweetheart, but that only lasted a little over a year before she discovered that I wasn't the nice guy she expected me to be. I moved here after I resigned my commission."

Her neighbor was a powerful, virile man, capable and confident. Peggy was surprised to realize how strongly she was suddenly reacting to his presence. She didn't want to ask Gabe too many personal questions, but his disclosure that his wife had divorced him because he wasn't a nice guy just didn't seem to ring true from what she had witnessed of him.

"Salt or no salt?" Gabe asked. Peggy refocused on his activity and saw that he was holding up a Margarita glass.

"Salt please."

She watched as he efficiently ran a slice of lime around the rim of the glass and then set it into a container of salt. He repeated the process with another glass and then filled both with ice, followed by the mixed margarita. He came out of the kitchen and set one of the glasses onto the counter for her to taste. It was delicious and she smiled in appreciation.

"Do you want to remain at the table," Gabe asked, "or take a seat in the living room on something more comfortable?"

"I'll follow your led," Peggy said.

Gabe picked up her glass. Carrying both, he said, "Grab one of the chairs. I'll put the drinks on the table between them. Both chairs recline, so there's no difference in the comfort. You take one and I'll take the other."

Peggy took a seat in the chair farthest from the kitchen, assuming her host would appreciate her courtesy. Gabe didn't seem to notice or care as he placed both of their drinks onto the table between the two chairs and said, "The release for the reclining feature is on the right side of the chair. Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to toss this receipt onto the desk in my home office, then I'll come back and join you."

Peggy smiled and said, "Thanks. Take your time."

Her eyes followed him as he went through the hallway entrance and turned in the direction of the front bedroom, thus answering the question that Peggy had silently asked herself earlier. His bedroom did share a common wall with hers. Just thinking about his proximity to her while she was in bed had her temperature rising.

Diverting her eyes from the hallway entrance, they fell upon a large framed photograph that was mounted on the wall just right of the entrance. She could see that the photo was of a large bird in flight, but there were details in the picture that she couldn't make out from her current position due to a reflective glare. She noticed that there was also something visible on the surface of the glass covering the picture.

Standing and walking closer to the picture, the first thing that became clear was the gold aviator wing badge affixed to the top left corner of the glass. It covered only a small part of the blue sky in the photograph, the main subject of which was a bird that Peggy recognized as an osprey.

"Do you know what kind of bird that is?" Gabe asked. He had returned through the hallway without Peggy noticing.

Nodding, she said, "I'm pretty sure that it's an osprey. Is that Cumberland Island in the background?"

"Very good. Yes, on both counts. It is an osprey flying over the shoreline of Cumberland Island. I suppose that you recognized the Dungeness ruins."

She nodded, then pointing to the aviator wings, Peggy asked, "Yours?"

Gabe walked over to the chair that Peggy had left available for him and took a seat. Picking up his drink, he said, "Yep. I flew the MV-22 Osprey when I was in the Corps. That's the reason my old wings are affixed to that particular photo."

Peggy returned to the chair beside him. After sitting and picking up her drink, she said, "That's an amazing photo of a bird in flight. I wonder how the photographer happened to be in a position to capture the shot. He or she must have been in a helicopter or other aircraft. Maybe using a drone?"

Gabe admitted, "I've wondered the same thing every time I've looked at that picture since it was given to me by my flight crew at my farewell party."

Peggy licked some of the salt from the rim of her glass before taking a sip. She saw that Gabe had reclined his chair, so she set her glass down and positioned hers to match his. "You make a mighty fine margarita, Sir."

Peggy exuded more sensuality than Gabe could describe. Everything about her just screamed "sensual" in foot-high neon letters. She was obviously gorgeous, but that's wasn't it. Gabe sensed that she had the ability to make men into fools. Men were pretty much fools when it comes to women, anyway, but he recognized that Peggy was in a class of her own.

With Peggy's presence enveloping his awareness Gabe was having trouble paying attention. He regained his focus, chuckled, and said, "Thank you. You're welcome to join me for another one any time that you wish."

"How about tomorrow?" Peggy said, an idea spontaneously popping into her head. "I have been wanting to make a batch of enchiladas, but cooking just for me would be a waste. If I make some tomorrow, maybe you would be interested in bringing a pitcher of margaritas over to join me."

"I would love to," Gabe replied. "Were you thinking of making the enchiladas for lunch or dinner?"

"It will have to be dinner," Peggy explained. "I brought some work home with me that I neglected today so I'll have to spend most of tomorrow catching up on it."

Nodding in understanding, Gabe asked, "What kind of work do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

Peggy was impressed with Gabe asking what kind of work she did rather than asking where she worked. It demonstrated manners and respect for her privacy. Although, she had to assume once again that if he had access to her lease application, he might already know where she worked and wouldn't need to ask. She chose to remain impressed, so she answered, "I am a business data analyst."

"Is that something related to information technology?" Gabe asked with interest. "Computer systems and the like?"

Shaking her head before taking another sip of her drink, she answered after swallowing, "No. Think of me more as an efficiency expert. The team I work on examines the various operations of our company and looks for ways to make things as efficient, organized, and profitable as possible. We evaluate everything from job descriptions to the workflow and the support systems utilized within each department. So, you were a pilot in the Marine Corps and now you own apartments?"

Gabe finished his margarita and said, "Yes, I was a pilot in the Marines. These apartments were part of a trust that I inherited from my aunt who raised me after my parents died in a traffic accident. Would you like another drink?"

Peggy gulped down the rest of her drink and handed the empty glass to Gabe. "Maybe one more, thanks. I'm sorry to hear about your parents. I lost my mother when I was twelve, but I still have my father. Losing both must have been truly devastating."

Gabe spoke as he rose from his chair and headed toward the kitchen, "I was only eight when they died. I think I was affected more by having to move away from my home and friends to go live with my aunt and uncle than by the loss of my parents at the time. For a long time, I blamed my parents for making me get uprooted and moved halfway across the country. It wasn't until I was twelve or thirteen that the thought of them being gone forever really sank in with me. My aunt and uncle were going through a divorce at that time so the only male role model in my life was leaving. I guess that caused me to start missing my dad first, and then the same emptiness toward my mom followed.".

"The emptiness of missing a parent is one I know very well," Peggy said. "But this conversation is turning melancholic. Let's talk about something cheerier."

"I agree with that," Gabe said as he continued mixing their new drinks. "How about if you share with me the circumstances that resulted in you being such a world-class cornhole player?"

Peggy laughed and said, "That's nothing. You should try me at darts sometime. Both cornhole and darts are practically a core requirement at the University of Georgia. Rumor has it that not being proficient in either activity could affect a student's eligibility to graduate."

Gabe had to wait until he had stopped laughing before attempting to carry the full glasses back into the living room. Once he had set them down and retaken his seat, Peggy asked, "Did you see any combat when you were in the Marines?"

"The only conflicts I experienced," Gabe said, "were with my wife at the time. Where my eight-year tour of duty in the Corps was concerned, I spent most of it at MCAS New River, in North Carolina, and about twenty-three months at MCAS Futenma on Okinawa. I spent the remainder at MCAS Miramar."

Peggy cocked an eyebrow at him and said wryly, "That's the second time you've mentioned your ex-wife. Is there something that you wish to share?"

Gabe reclined his chair and stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before sighing and said, "It's been almost eight years and I guess I still harbor some animosity towards her. That must be the reason why I tend to make snarky comments related to her or our marriage."

"That could be the reason," Peggy agreed. "I certainly got the impression that the dissolution of your marriage was not amicable."

Gabe snorted and said, "There wasn't much about our entire relationship that was amicable once we got married. Before then, we were like star-crossed lovers; living almost entirely for the other. Soul mates and destined to be lovers and partners for life. But, like so many people, once you put a label on them, they have to prove you wrong. Our marriage vows placed the label of 'faithful wife' onto her, and she did everything she could to shed that moniker."

"I take it that she was fidelity challenged? How did you discover her wandering ways?"

Once he stopped laughing, Gabe answered, "That's a very politically correct way of phrasing it." Then he picked up his drink and said, "Being a military wife isn't easy, and everyone knows that going into in. I was an officer, which helped us with living accommodations and such, and I was never stationed anywhere that would preclude her accompanying me. Kayla insisted on staying here in Southern California and after about a year, it seemed like most of the times that I would come home on leave, Kayla would have pink eye."

"Pink eye?" Peggy asked. "You mean like conjunctivitis? How was that a clue to her infidelity?"

"I had a friend who worked at the clinic where Kayla sought treatment for her eyes. He explained that she had been treated several times for bacterial conjunctivitis. He also explained the most likely source for the bacteria in question."

"Which was what?" Peggy asked.

"Semen."

Peggy gasped and her expression became one of amazed puzzlement when she said, "Okay, I don't have a great deal of experience, so please explain what would be the circumstance under which semen would get into her eyes."

Gabe shrugged and explained, "Having decided that our wedding vows applied only to me, Kayla found herself a male companion to play with while I was gone. From what I learned about the guy, he thought of himself as a real alpha male, a man's man who felt that it was his right to take and use any woman he wanted, regardless of her relationship status."

Gabe chuckled and continued, "The guy wouldn't even wash his butt because he thought that doing so was 'too gay'."

Peggy almost choked on her drink. She said, "Now that's funny. Go on..."

Gabe grinned and said, "Part of this guy's appeal to Kayla was that their sex was so spontaneous, wild, and depraved. He would only ejaculate on her face, and she got her kicks out of watching him do it, so it would frequently get in her eyes. She freely admitted that she enjoyed her time with him and expected me to agree to sharing her with him since he had no issues with sharing her with me."

"And you weren't a nice guy because you didn't agree with her?"

Gabe saluted her by raising his glass and said, "You catch on quick. That and she still suspects that I had something to do with him moving away within a few weeks of her confessing to me about their relationship."

"Did you have something to do with his decision?"

"No, but I have a pretty good idea that his decision might have been influenced by some of my Navy brethren. I never asked anyone to get involved, but some guys take things on without being asked."

Gabe returned his attention to his drink for a few seconds before asking, "What about you? I haven't seen the hordes of guys or gals coming and going from your place that a woman with your qualities would attract. Are you in an exclusive relationship?"

Peggy was enjoying her time with Gabe and their conversations up to this point. She vacillated for several seconds before deciding how she wanted to respond to his question. Finally, she trusted that her instinct about him was correct and he would understand her response for what it was. She told him, "I'm in several exclusive relationships right now."

She watched for his reaction before continuing. When she saw the look of confusion that she had expected, she said, "I am in an exclusive father-daughter relationship with my dad. I am in an exclusive BFF relationship with my best friend, Janelle. And, I am in an exclusive next-door neighbor relationship with you."

Gabe saluted her with his glass again and said, "I'm honored."

Attempting to lighten the mood, Peggy asked, "What can you tell me about whatever is sitting under that cover in the parking lot? I assume it belongs to someone who lives in the complex, and since you apparently know everyone here..."

Setting his drink on the table, Gabe rose and extended a hand toward Peggy. "Come on, and I'll show you."

Peggy took Gabe's hand and let him lead her out to the parking lot where he made quick work of removing the canvas cover to reveal a boxy-looking station wagon. She assumed that it was a vintage model of some sort, but Peggy knew that she had never seen a car like it before.

"It's a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza series 900 wagon," Gabe explained as Peggy walked around the car, examining it closely.

"I've never seen one before. Did you restore it?"

"To explain your first comment, this is a pretty unique make and model. Chevrolet only manufactured 2,362 of this particular estate station wagon. Regarding your question about whether or not I restored it, the answer is 'no'. It is still in its original condition as it came from the factory. I mean, the tires have been changed several times over the years and things like that, but what you see here is the car pretty much as it existed the night that I was conceived in it."

Peggy didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Gabe's revelation. Taking a middle ground, she held his hand and simply waited for him to expound on his comment. He didn't make her wait too long as he led her to the back end of the station wagon and opened the rear door.

"This car originally belonged to my dad's uncle, which made him my great-uncle Stanley. My dad inherited it from Uncle Stanley while he was still in college at the University of Nebraska, and drove it when he started dating my mom. I was told by my aunt that my parents used to spend quiet, star-filled nights watching for shooting stars while laying together in the car with the back seat folded down, like it is right now."

Gabe released Peggy's hand and used both of his to lift a hatch in the back of the car to reveal the engine compartment. "Laying on top of the engine compartment would keep them warm on the colder nights, and it appears that they also found other ways to keep each other warm. My aunt says that my mom had shared with her that the back of this car is where I was conceived."

Pushing aside the sudden, yet surprisingly vivid carnal image in her mind of her and Gabe together in the back of the car, Peggy smiled at the fond emotional attachment that this car must hold for a boy, now man, who had lost both of his parents. She said, "So, you inherited this car when your parents died..."

"No. I've only owned it for a couple of years."

"What?"

Gabe explained, "Okay, I know it's weird, but a few years back, I read this series of books. I don't remember the name of the author, but each book involved a subplot with this family having a sentimental attachment to a classic Corvair, only in the books, it was always a convertible model. After reading those stories and remembering what my aunt had told me about my parents, I decided to try and locate this car. A second cousin had been keeping it in storage for decades and she had no problem with giving it to me in return for my reimbursing her for the storage costs over the years."

Peggy nodded at Gabe's answer and asked, "How come I never see you drive it?"

Gabe closed the back door and picked up the canvas cover as he said, "Were it not for having had a couple of margaritas, I would take you for a ride in it right now. It's kind of fun to drive an older car without all the comforts and technology present in newer vehicles. Although, it doesn't have air conditioning, so hot days around here should be avoided unless you enjoy sweating a lot."

Peggy took a side of the cover and walked around to help Gabe position it as she asked, "Do you ever enter it into car shows?"

"I only did a car show once," Gabe answered as he attached the cover clips to the underside of the car. "I was hounded for months by people wanting to buy it from me. "I'll never sell it, so I decided to avoid environments where potential buyers would see it. That's also a major reason why I keep it covered while it's parked here."

Peggy followed a now silent Gabe back into his apartment where they retook their seats. Gabe sat silently for several minutes, staring at the rotating blades of the ceiling fan and occasionally sipping on his margarita. Peggy didn't interrupt his silence but just glanced around his living room as she nursed her drink.

Finally, Gabe spoke. His eyes were still focused on the ceiling fan when he said, "I hope you know that I am not some Lothario trying to put the make on you."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe your intentions were honorable," Peggy teased. "It's difficult in the best of circumstances for two people to get to know one another without resorting to cliché questions and answers..."

Nodding, Gabe said, "Trust issues have limited my interactions with women over the past eight years, so I apologize if my questions or anything I said seems disrespectful. What I have learned of you so far gives me the impression that I do want to get to know you better, as a neighbor and a friend."

Peggy stifled a laugh but couldn't avoid a smile. She asked, "Other than the details on my lease application, what could you have learned about me that would give you the impression that you wanted to know more about me?"

Confusion flashed across Gabe's expression for a few seconds before it was replaced with understanding. He smiled back at Peggy and said, "I am totally hands-off where the operations of this complex are concerned. I pay rent just like everyone else and I never see any of the details on the other residents. The husband and wife who manage for me are the only ones who do. If they face an unexpected expenditure or require assistance with some government entity, I get involved, but that's it. Is there something on your lease application that might change my impression?"

Peggy appeared skeptical when she asked, "So if you don't know who my employer is, what my monthly income is, my credit score, what my last address was, or any other details about me, what could you have learned to give you the impression you claim to have?"

"Maybe I misspoke," Gabe said. "After all, does anyone ever really know somebody else? I should have said that I suspect things about you that make me want to get to know more about you. For example, I suspect that you are uber-intelligent, loyal to those you care about, confident yet self-contained, private around casual acquaintances but open and sharing with people you know and trust.

Getting no response from Peggy, either positive or negative, Gabe continued, "I was not surprised to learn that you are not in an exclusive romantic relationship because I suspect that you intimidate the hell out of suitors, and have extremely high standards that anyone interested in you would have to not just meet, but exceed."

Peggy had never felt this way. Gabe had a depth and yet a presence she had never seen in a man. Maybe some ministers she'd met, but he didn't seem to be the religious type. "How could you possibly suspect all of that about me?" Peggy asked in frustration. "We have spent less than an hour in each other's company since this morning."

"Observation," Gabe explained. "And listening to you. You mentioning that you are in exclusive relationships with your father and your best friend tells me that you place great value on those relationships, which denotes loyalty and commitment. You try to hide it with your glasses and other disguises, but as soon as someone can look you directly in your eyes, the intelligence within you shines clear. Watching you at the barbeque and how you interacted with the adults compared to the children is another tell about how you are open and trusting with some but not others."

"Maybe you are very perceptive," Peggy said, "or maybe your suspicions will all prove to be figments of your imagination."

Gabe's expression turned serious as he asked, "Maybe. So, without knowing any of those same details about me, why do you want to get to know me?"

Peggy tried to make the atmosphere more light-hearted again. She teasingly asked, "Other than wanting to enjoy more of your killer margaritas, what makes you think that I have any interest in getting to know you better?"

Gabe assumed a shocked expression as he replied, "You've discovered that I am a former United States Marine Corps aviator. Wanting to know me better is a no-brainer."

Peggy couldn't resist laughing, and said, "Yes, yes, that's exactly why I am interested in getting to know you better."

Chapter Four

If there was another employee at Armore that Bruce Goddard would like to get rid of more than her, Peggy Arthur would be surprised. She had remained mostly silent in all of the meetings that she attended and deferred any credit for the suggestions her team made to either Kevin or Russ. In Bruce's eyes, she never contributed anything and was simply picayune. Peggy didn't have any problem with her attitude at work. If Bruce had a problem with her attitude, that was his problem, not hers.

Due to the agreement between the University of Georgia and Corbin Baker, Peggy remained bullet-proof during her ninety-day probationary period, and both her and Bruce Goddard knew it. That fact alone infuriated him more than any other. He needed a minimum of three business data analysts to drive the improvements he was envisioning for the California operations, and he was being limited by corporate to two analysts and a nerdy girl.

Now, with Russ and Kevin both occupied with the needed analysis of the after-hours operations, they would not be available to attend the meeting that morning with the marketing liaison team and the representative from Sagikkun, one of Armore's largest customers. Bruce was being forced to update Peggy Arthur on the meeting agenda to prepare her to attend and represent her team. Fortunately, she would only need to listen and take notes that Russ and Kevin could later use for their analysis of the customer's needs.

Peggy was waiting in the designated huddle room when Bruce entered and closed the door. She glanced up from her laptop momentarily, and then closed the lid as Bruce sat across from her. "Good morning," she said in greeting.

Bruce simply nodded and asked, "How familiar are you with the services that Armore provides to Sagikkun?"

Peggy didn't hesitate to reply, "We administer all of the support operations for their consumer electronics, home appliance, and computer peripheral products in North America. We have nothing to do with their cellular products. Our services include all call center and help desk support, all field marketing support, all warranty administration for their service network, and technical training for their service providers. Did I miss anything?"

Bruce grudgingly said, "No, that's a basic overview of what we do for them. A Senior Strategic Account Manager from Sagikkun will be here at ten this morning to hold a round table with the field marketing team that covers GoodBuy. They are seeking input from the field marketing team to help explain a decline in consumer electronic sales at most of the GoodBuy stores. I need you to sit in on this meeting and take notes of what the field marketing team relates to the rep from Sagikkun so that your team will be able to recommend improvements to any of our services that may be mentioned as a concern to GoodBuy."

"How long is this meeting, or round table supposed to last?" Peggy asked. "I have a meeting with telecommunications scheduled for this afternoon, but I can reschedule if necessary."

"Go ahead and reschedule it," Bruce instructed. "I'll forward you the meeting invite. Field Marketing and Sagikkun take priority today. Fill me in before you leave for the day."

Peggy nodded and raised the lid on her laptop assuming that the meeting with Bruce was over. His speaking again surprised her, but she lowered the lid to look at him. He asked, "You still have some pretty influential contacts in corporate, don't you?"

Peggy studied Bruce's face to try and garner some hint as to the motivation behind his question. He was maintaining a neutral expression, so she just nodded in response.

"Have any of your contacts mentioned anything to you about what's going on with Liam Donahue?" Bruce asked.

Peggy focused her eyes on Bruce's more intently and asked, "The chairman and CEO of Armore? No, no one has said anything. Why?"

Bruce shrugged his shoulders and said, "I was just curious. I've been hearing some rumors and was trying to either substantiate them or dismiss them."

"What kind of rumors?"

"Nothing concrete, and nothing for you to worry about at your level in the organization. Just do me a favor and let me know if your contacts in Atlanta mention anything. Okay?"

Without waiting for Peggy to respond, Bruce rose and left the huddle room. He left the door open behind him.

Peggy had booked this room for an hour to facilitate the requested meeting with Bruce, so she decided to close the door and remain where she was until her time in the room expired. She pulled her cell phone from her backpack and called Janelle on her cell phone.

"Hey, Pegs," Janelle answered. "You have perfect timing. I was just heading out to lunch so we can talk uninterrupted."

"Good," Peggy said. She then proceeded to update her best friend on the conversation with Bruce regarding the CEO. "Is there something that I need to know?" she asked when she had finished.

"Pegs, you know that I am not at a level in the organization to be in the loop on anything related to the CEO," Janelle reminded her friend, "but you also know that I can find someone who is and get back to you with what I learn. Give me a couple of hours and I'll call you back."

Checking the time before responding, Peggy told her friend, "No, just send me a text if you learn anything that I need to know right away. I'm going to be in a round table meeting with someone from Sagikkun and might not be able to get back to you on the phone until after five. I wanted to call you after work anyway to share something that happened to me this past weekend. Do you remember the neighbor of mine who brought the flowers over a few weeks ago?"

"You mean the guy who watches your comings and goings on his doorbell camera?" Janelle teased.

Chuckling at the details that her friend would remember, Peggy said, "Yes, him. His name is Gabriel, but he goes by Gabe. Anyway, he and I spent quite a bit of time together this weekend and I wanted to fill you in..."

"Say no more," Janelle squealed. "The fact that you have something to fill me in on is more than enough for now. I'll send you anything that I learn via text, but I can't wait to hear about your weekend later."

"I can't wait to share it with you," Peggy said as she saw the meeting reminder pop onto her screen. "I have to get going right now or I'd fill you in over your lunch. Talk to you later. Bye."

Disconnecting the call with Janelle, Peggy placed her cell phone into the pocket of her skirt so that she wouldn't have to retrieve it from her backpack to check it during the meeting. She closed her laptop and placed it into her backpack and then headed to the first-floor conference room for the meeting.

Entering the conference room about ten minutes before the meeting was scheduled to begin, Peggy saw that the room had been configured in a classroom layout, with rows of chairs and tables all facing in one direction. There was a smaller table at what was positioned to be the direction that everyone else would be facing with two chairs behind it. Since her role was to simply be an observer, Peggy took a seat at the rearmost table, pulled her laptop out of her backpack and her cell phone out of her pocket.

Quickly establishing a cellular "hot-spot" with her cell phone, she used that to connect the laptop to her personal VPN, and then to log into her personal e-mail account. There were no new messages, which wasn't uncommon since few people had her personal e-mail address. She had previously composed an e-mail to her father detailing the time that she had spent with Gabe over the weekend, so she used this opportunity to send it to him. She wouldn't want him to learn about Gabe through Janelle or someone else before her telling him.

Peggy had been telling herself since last night that there wasn't anything serious developing between her and Gabe, so why was he was being tattooed onto her heart a little more with every thought of him that crossed her mind? Six weeks ago, she didn't know him. Now, today, he was constantly on her mind.

The door to the conference room opened and Peggy glanced up to see several people that she recognized from the field marketing team entering. As they began filtering through the room selecting seats, Peggy disconnected the laptop from her cell phone and reconnected with the corporate network. She placed her messenger application in a "Do Not Disturb" status and silenced her cell phone in preparation for the meeting to start.

The room was filling quickly. Peggy hadn't realized how many field marketing people would be attending this meeting, but then assumed that since GoodBuy was a nationwide retailer, Sagikkun would have likely requested nationwide feedback from the team that represented Sagikkun in the field. That meant that there would be between seventy and eighty people attending this meeting. This should be interesting from a meeting management perspective. Peggy wondered if the person from Sagikkun would be up to the task.

Taking the opportunity to launch her note-taking application, Peggy didn't immediately notice Veronica Reyes escorting the representative from Sagikkun toward the front of the room. At least that's who Peggy initially assumed the man following Veronica was. So, what was Gabriel Lewis doing taking a seat at the front table next to Veronica?

~~~

Janelle Sanders had a direct line to knowledge on Liam Donahue, but couldn't reveal that to anyone, even her best friend. It was the only secret that she had ever kept from Peggy, and she needed to continue acting as uninformed as everyone else.

Immediately upon returning from lunch and checking her e-mail for any urgent messages, Janelle messaged Thaddeus 'Tank' Chambers, head of building services at Armore's corporate headquarters. He confirmed that he had time to meet with her, so she locked her computer and took a shortcut by crossing through the lobby to reach his office.

Tank normally kept the door to his office open while he was in it, but Janelle made certain to close it after she entered. Tank looked up from his desk and flashed a lecherous smile. He had been trying to get a date with Janelle Sanders for almost two years, and here she was, apparently wanting a private meeting with him, and in his office instead of hers.

Without taking a seat, Janelle asked, "Tank, what have you heard recently concerning Liam Donahue?"

Tank and his staff provided maintenance, security, and facilities service to the entire building, which frequently put them in places where some of the most sensitive corporate information was disclosed. If they didn't get the information first-hand, they were often very close to the start of the rumor mill when something was just beginning to spread.

"Well, hello to you too, Janelle. How was your weekend? Mine was fine, thanks for asking. Beautiful weather we're having, isn't it?"

Janelle sank into the chair in front of Tank's desk and said, "I'm sorry, Tank, but I'm kind of rushed. I've heard that there is some rumor circulating about the CEO, yet no one I've spoken with seems to know the meat of the rumor. Everyone just agrees that there is something going on related to Liam Donahue. Please share what you or your team have heard."

Tank clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. With a smug grin on his face, he asked, "Why is it so important to you?"

Janelle suspected that Tank would try to leverage her request to get her to go out with him and she had prepared a response that she hoped would derail him. She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial tone and said, "I have been tasked with recruiting replacements for several existing managers. It's almost as if a purge is being planned here at corporate. I am trying to find out if this might have anything to do with the rumor about the CEO. Tank, a lot of these existing managers are friends of mine. If I can do something to give them a heads up or protect their jobs, I want to try."

Tank continued to grin as he shrugged and said, "We both know that there are a lot of managers here who should be replaced. Maybe we should just let nature take its course..."

Janelle leaned in and whispered, "Tank, your position is one that I am supposed to recruit a replacement for."

Tank sprang forward and placed his forearms on his desk. He leaned toward Janelle and said with an angry snarl, "Those bastards!"

Janelle snapped back to sit upright in her chair with a surprised expression. Tank's face was growing redder by the second. She asked, "What bastards?"

"Mize, Foster, and your big boss, Proctor are planning some sort of coup to replace Liam Donahue as the CEO. That's all I know. They are frustrated right now because no one has heard from Donahue for a couple of weeks. He was supposed to return from his last business trip on the first of the month but never showed. Apparently, no one can locate Margaret Donahue either, so it's rumored that the two of them don't want to be found for some reason."

"What reason could they have for hiding out?"

Tank looked over Janelle's shoulder to the door, as if verifying that it was still closed tightly. Satisfied, he said, "Okay, all I've heard is that there is something in the works related to the company stock and who controls most of it. Mize, Foster, and Proctor don't sit on the board, but as CEO and chairman, Liam Donahue does. Even if someone other than Donahue gets control of a majority of the company stock, they would not be able to wrest control of the company away from Donahue until a shareholders' meeting is called where a new Board could be elected. They need Donahue back so that they can force him to call a shareholders' meeting, but no one knows where he is."

Janelle moaned. She sat in silence for several seconds before finding her voice. "Are they looking for him?" She asked. "What about Margaret Donahue? Doesn't she own the majority of Armore stock?"

Tank was shaking his head as he said, "Her stock is controlled by a trust that has always assigned its voting proxies to Donahue. If Mize, Foster, and Proctor can get the administrator of that trust to side with them instead of Liam Donahue, they would get the votes associated with those shares."

"How could they do that?"

Tank shrugged and said, "There are lots of ways to convince someone to alter their loyalties. Threats of physical harm, blackmail, kidnapping a loved one, you name it. Whoever the administrator for the trust is, they're probably safe until Liam Donahue returns and is forced to call a shareholders' meeting. The proxies don't mean anything until that time. Now, let me ask you something..."

"Sure," Janelle said, expecting him to ask her for a date again. She had her excuse ready.

"The managers that you have been told to find replacement candidates for, is there anything in common amongst them?"

Janelle shook her head and replied, "I haven't discovered anything yet. Do you know of some reason why you would be targeted for replacement?"

Tank pointed to a computer in a corner of his office and said, "I alone among the managers and VPs have the admin rights to the security system for all of Armore's buildings and all the personnel that work in them. That gives me access to the logs of all employee access events and all security camera footage. If there is anything in that archive of information that someone wanted control of, they would have to go through me, or whoever they hired to replace me."

"Well," said Janelle with a wink, "I'll make a replacement for your position my lowest priority, I can promise you that."

Tank relaxed and leaned back in his chair again before smiling. To himself, he thought, "I think I'll take some steps to protect myself." To Janelle, he said, "Thanks. Let me know when you want to get together for a drink sometime after work."

"Not likely," Janelle thought. She needed to send a text to Peggy.

~~~

"Good morning, Gabe. How are you doing?"

Peggy had remained unnoticed by Veronica and Gabe, obscured behind all of the field marketing representatives sitting between them. As the meeting participants began moving through the catered lunch buffet set up for them in the conference room, Peggy had taken the opportunity to move over to where Gabe was checking messages on his cell phone while waiting his turn for food.

Distracted by his activity with his phone, Gabe didn't look up to see who had asked how he was doing. He flippantly replied, "Fine. Why? What have you heard?"

Lowering her voice so that only he could hear her, Peggy said, "I heard that you are a real shit."

This response caused Gabe to take his eyes off his phone and look into those of the person speaking to him. Recognition was quick, but not instantaneous. Her hair was in that unattractive mess on top of her head, her crooked and tinted glasses hid the gleam of her eyes and her clothing couldn't have been more unflattering to the figure that Gabe knew existed beneath everything. He smiled at Peggy and said, "You must have been talking to someone who knew my mother, but she always said that I was a 'Little Shit'."

Peggy didn't return his smile. She said, "There's nothing 'little' about your shitiness. How come you didn't tell me that you worked for Sagikkun? I thought you made your living from the properties that you own."

"How come you didn't tell me that you worked for Armore?" Gabe countered.

"I thought that you knew," Peggy snarled as quietly as possible. "They're listed on my lease application as my employer."

Gabe stepped out of the line and motioned for Peggy to follow him so that they weren't impeding the food line snaking around the periphery of the conference room. They wound up standing almost in the middle of the room before he said, "I told you that I never see the lease applications or any information on the tenants in the apartments. Plus, I don't see why it matters. We both have jobs, and now it turns out that there is some relationship between your job and mine. I assume that's why you're attending this round table."

Peggy began to respond when she heard a notification of an incoming text message on her cell phone. She held up a finger to Gabe, pulled her phone from the pocket of her skirt, read the text, and then grinned. She returned her focus to Gabe and said, "Yes, I was asked to sit in and listen to the discussions but I realize that my being here is pointless. You better get back in line or you'll miss out on lunch."

Peggy moved to walk away when Gabe touched her arm to get her attention and stop her. He asked, "Why is you being here pointless, and aren't you going to eat anything?"

Sighing, Peggy said, "Get in line and grab some food. Then I'll escort you to the breakroom where my lunch is and I can explain why it's pointless while we eat. Okay?"

Gabe didn't question why Peggy would prefer for him to bring his lunch to the breakroom rather than her bringing her lunch to the conference room. He was just glad that she had suggested that they eat lunch together. He had learned over the weekend that food tasted so much better when the meal was spent in the company of his next-door neighbor. Waking earlier than was normal that morning, Gabe's first thoughts had been of Peggy and they had set the tone for his day. Now the prospect of sharing their lunch brought a smile to his heart that he could actually feel inside himself.

The food line had thinned out considerably, so Gabe was able to fill his plate with two sandwich halves and some potato salad in short order. Peggy had followed silently beside him, watching his actions without expression. Since he was holding his plate, Peggy picked up a bottle of water for each of them and said, "If you're ready, follow me."

Gabe did as Peggy instructed. There was no conversation as she escorted him upstairs to the second-floor breakroom. She set the two bottles of water on an empty table as an indication of where he should sit. The table was in a corner of the breakroom and as isolated from the occupied tables as they could hope for. Peggy turned and walked to the refrigerator, where she took out her lunch cooler and set it on the counter. She withdrew a plastic container, removed the lid, and then placed it into the microwave. After setting the timer, she carried her lunch cooler back to the table and set it on one of the empty chairs.

Noticing that Gabe hadn't started on his lunch yet, she said, "Go ahead. Don't wait for me."

"That's okay," Gabe said with a broad smile. "I would rather wait for your food to be ready. What are you having?"

"Leftover enchiladas," Peggy replied with a smile of her own. "Not that there was much left over after you stuffed yourself last night."

Peggy's chicken enchiladas were "broke the mouth" delicious. Gabe had never tasted a chili verde sauce as flavorful, and the fact that she layered the ingredients rather than rolling them seemed to distribute things so much better. Every bite was as scrumptious as the last, and Gabe had to admit that he probably did make a pig of himself by eating as much as he had.

He held up his plate and asked "Care to trade lunches?" He was shocked when Peggy took his plate and set it in front of her.

"For you, okay," she said. "Just don't make a habit of it. I'll be right back."

She rose and returned to check the food in the microwave. Gabe watched her but began paying more attention to the other employees in the breakroom also watching her and talking amongst themselves. Gabe knew without question that her fellow employees viewed Peggy as an oddity that they found curious, but not curious enough to explore what she was about. He imagined that she was perceived as a loner and an outcast by her coworkers, and they were probably surprised to see her sharing her lunch with some stranger. Things weren't computing for them. He recognized how fortunate he was to be able to see Peggy in a different light than her coworkers; to see the real woman behind the disguise.

"Be careful. It's pretty hot."

Gabe had been paying so much attention to the other people in the breakroom that he hadn't noticed Peggy returning and setting the container in front of him. "Are you sure that you don't mind trading?" he asked.

Taking her seat once more, Peggy said, "I don't mind at all. I'm flattered that you like them enough to want more. Here, let me give you a real fork to eat them with. That plastic one will probably melt if you try to use it."

She pulled a fork out of her lunch cooler and handed it to him, taking the plastic one that he held to use with her lunch. She watched with a slight grin as Gabe attacked the enchiladas, ignoring her warning about them being too hot. He blew air on a bite before placing it into his mouth, and Peggy had to suppress a laugh as he still had to suck air into his open mouth in an effort to cool the bite down before chewing it.

"I told you it was hot," she chided, but in a friendly tone. She opened his bottle of water and handed it to him with a grin.

Gabe washed down the bite of enchilada and said, "Thanks. It tastes even better left over. I couldn't resist. So, why is it pointless for you to sit through the discussions?"

"Because the issues between Sagikkun and GoodBuy don't involve Armore so there is nothing that I can offer to improve the situation and increase sales of your products through their stores," Peggy explained. "Every field marketing rep that you asked gave the same explanation for the reason that GoodBuy employees are promoting your competitors' products over Sagikkun's."

"Not really," Gabe objected.

"Yes, they did. They may have phrased things differently or used different terms, but the core issue is the same; Sagikkun's return policy isn't in alignment with GoodBuy's. Armore can't fix that for you, so it's pointless for me to participate."

Gabe kept eating, but it was obvious from his expression that he was deep in thought, trying to replay all of the discussions with the field marketing reps from that morning. Peggy started on her lunch while watching Gabe, waiting for the reality of the issue to become clear to him.

Gabe seemed like he was thinking out loud when he said, "The contract between Sagikkun and GoodBuy clearly states that we will not support the return of product."

"Hence your problem," Peggy said. "GoodBuy attracts a lot of their customers by promoting their extremely liberal product return policy. Other manufacturers will accept returned products from GoodBuy transactions, but Sagikkun won't. That leaves GoodBuy with Sagikkun products that they can no longer sell as new, even if there are no defects. Discarding or discounting Sagikkun products that customers return impacts the commission that their salespeople earn, so they are less likely to steer customers to your products."

Gabe nodded in understanding and then said, "Our competitors have warehouses and repair facilities in the US that we don't. Management in Korea would never agree to fund the infrastructure that would allow for that to change."

"It looks like someone is going to have to get pretty creative to turn things around," Peggy said. "How much longer do you expect the discussions with the field marketing team to continue? I could remain in the back of the room and keep listening if you wanted me to, but if you just keep hearing the same things..."

Gabe considered whether he wanted Peggy to sit through more of the meeting. Now, if he knew that she would be there, would he be able to avoid embarrassing himself with the obvious bulge that thoughts of his neighbor had induced since the weekend. She may be dressed as some unattractive nerdy waif, but he still had the vision of the beauty he had spent time with in his mind.

"I guess I'll wrap things up after I present the new product information for the launches planned for this Fall," Gabe said. "You might want to sit through that since some of the new products will likely require changes to the existing training for help desk and other support personnel at Armore. I'll send Bruce Goddard an e-mail requesting a meeting with him at 3 pm so that he is brought up to date as well."

Indicating the now empty plastic container, he asked, "Would you like me to wash this here or take it home and wash it there?"

Peggy snatched the container out of his hands and tossed it and the fork back into her lunch cooler. "I'll take care of it," she said "Please copy me on the e-mail since he will probably want me to sit in the meeting with him. As long as neither of you gets too long-winded, I'll be able to catch the bus at 5."

"You know," Gabe said with a wink, "we're going to be going to the same place when we leave here. I would be honored if you rode with me."

"I've never ridden with a former United States Marine Corps aviator," Peggy teased. "It sounds like it could be fun."

~~~

"I'm serious," Peggy giggled into her cell phone, "guys like Gabe ought to come with warning labels."

Janelle was laughing on the other end of their call. She was thrilled with the details that her best friend had been sharing about her weekend encounters with her next-door neighbor. She calmed enough to ask, "And what would the warning label on Gabe say?"

"Where I am concerned, there should probably be one on him that read, 'Danger: HOT, Do Not Touch'," Peggy admitted. "Maybe another one that reads, 'Warning: This man can cause you to have inappropriate thoughts that place your virtue at risk', or 'Notice: Prolonged exposure to this person may retard the intellectual capabilities of impressionable young women'."

"I can't wait to meet him," Janelle gushed. "I've never heard you so excited about a guy before. He must really be something to have turned your head so quickly and completely."

There had been a fellow student in graduate school, but Peggy had not been very serious about him. Sex to her had always been only a physical act. She had admitted that maybe she'd fall in love someday and things would be different. Spending time with Gabe had rekindled those thoughts. She never thought that she would meet someone that would permeate her thoughts and feelings as he was doing.

Peggy had been pondering her attraction to Gabriel Lewis since Saturday. There was something about him that made Peggy feel better about herself; like she was somehow a better person because he considered her a friend and was willing to spend time with her. So far, she had concluded that it was his trust in her, after he had admitted to having trust issues with women, that fostered the connection that she felt toward him, and which allowed her to trust him so soon. It was through this trust that she allowed her mind to start wandering into intimate thoughts about him. It was these intimate thoughts that were fueling a growing desire within her to spend more time with Gabe. It felt like she was living on a new level. Just being near this man made her melt.

"You'll be out here in just a few more weeks," Peggy reminded Janelle. "You'll get a chance to meet Gabe then."

"I know, but now I don't know whether seeing you or meeting him is exciting me more," Janelle said.

"Hey! It better be seeing me," Peggy exclaimed.

Laughing, Janelle said, "Of course, it's seeing you. Followed by seeing your dad. Gabe comes in third right now. Once I meet him, he might move up the excitement ranks. By the way, have you heard from your dad?"

"Yeah, he replied to my e-mail this morning," Peggy said. "He confirmed that he has hooked up with my Uncle Tavish on his yacht. They just crossed through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. He expects that they will dock in South Queensferry Harbor by June 26^th."

"That's the marina near Edinburgh Castle, isn't it?"

"That's right. You remember that from our trip? That was over eight years ago."

"It was a very memorable trip for me," Janelle said. "It was my first international trip after all, and your cousins showed us such a wonderful time. Is your dad going to fly from Scotland directly to California?"

"Uncle Tavish will fly him from Edinburgh to London, then he'll be able to take a flight from there to Ontario International Airport here with a layover in Dallas. He has never missed my birthday and I know that he would never miss this one. He said that he should be here to celebrate the Fourth with us."

Janelle laughed and said, "A girl only joins the 'quarter-century' club once in her life. We will welcome you to the club with open arms."

Joining her friend's laughter, Peggy said, "God, you have a way of making the age of twenty-five sound almost geriatric. Listen, I better go. I have some research that I need to get to for a project and I don't want to be up all night doing it. Plus, it's already past your bedtime."

"Okay," Janelle said, "but try to leave work at the office more often. A work-life balance requires both work and a life. You have something, or I should say, someone else to help occupy your time now."

"I know that Gabe is confused by me right now, especially after spending time with me at home and now at work too," Peggy said. "I'm trying to find a way of explaining things to him so that he doesn't start thinking that I have a split personality. It's probably best for me to limit my time with him until I figure that out."

While driving them home, Gabe had commented on his observations of how her coworkers appeared to perceive her and asked why she deliberately contributed to those perceptions. She had offhandedly explained that her motivations were similar to his wanting to keep his ownership of the apartment complex secret from the other residents. Gabe had accepted that, but Peggy sensed that he wasn't completely satisfied with the answer.

Janelle's voice brought Peggy back to the present, "If I come up with any ideas, I'll pass them along. Good night."

"Good night."

Disconnecting the call, Peggy saw the time once more displayed on her cell phone screen. It was still early enough she decided. She carried her cell phone in her hand as she quickly walked over to Gabe's apartment and rang his doorbell. The country music that she heard playing through the closed door dropped in volume just before it opened.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Gabe asked with a smile that warmed Peggy with its intensity.

"Would you mind giving me your phone number?" she asked. "While I don't mind walking over to ask you a question or anything, I may not always be suitably dressed to come visiting."

Gabe had a playfully, yet sensual gleam in his eyes when he said, "I don't think that providing you with an alternative means to ask me questions when you are not suitably dressed would necessarily be in my best interests. What do you think?"

Peggy was just about to respond with a snarky comment about his continued "shitiness" when another inspiration hit her. Doing something completely out of character for her, she glanced around quickly to ensure that no one else was around. Satisfied, she quickly raised the hem of her t-shirt to expose her demi-bra encased breasts to Gabe. Smiling and licking her bottom lip in a way that if it wasn't illegal in most states, it should be. Her eyes locked onto his face as she lowered the shirt back down. She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression that she saw.

Since Gabe appeared speechless, Peggy offered, "If it's easier for you, I can give you my phone number, and then you can call or text me so that I can capture yours."

Without speaking, Gabe turned and walked to his kitchen counter. He retrieved his cell phone and returned to the front door where he handed it to Peggy. She was laughing as she created a new contact in his phone and entered her number. Not trusting that Gabe would have the sense right then to utilize his phone correctly, she took the liberty to call herself. Once her phone started ringing, she disconnected the call and handed his phone back to him.

"You're good for a girl's ego, Mr. Former United States Marine Corps Aviator. Thanks. I'll try not to bother you too much."

Gabe finally recovered the ability to speak as Peggy was turning to leave. He said, "It would be hard for you to bother me more than your little stunt just did."

Peggy literally cooed at him when she said over her shoulder, "That sounds like a challenge that I might have to consider undertaking."

~~~

By Friday morning, Peggy had compiled as much of the data as she could access and believed that she could put together a presentation of her idea that would be compelling enough for someone else to successfully promote it. Wanting to arrive at the office by 6 am, she had decided to drive rather than take the bus. Although it was extremely unlikely that anyone else would have her favorite huddle room reserved at that time of the morning, she took the time to log into the scheduling application and put her name down for the room, blocking it out until lunch time.

She had barely sat down at the table in the room when she looked through the window in the wall across from her and saw Bruce Goddard getting situated at his usual spot on the main floor. His back was to her, so she didn't think that he had noticed her, but if he followed his typical routine, he would start his computer booting and then stroll around the building to check how well the cleaning crew had done their jobs the previous night. He was certain to notice her then, and she hoped that he wouldn't interrupt her work once he did. She didn't want to make excuses not to share her project with him.

She placed a wireless headset onto her head, covering both ears. These would give the impression that she was listening to recordings of help desk agents' calls with customers, which is something that her team did regularly. Bruce would be less likely to interrupt her if he thought that she was concentrating on recorded customer interactions.

Just as she had hoped, once he had his laptop started, Bruce stood and turned in her direction. Seeing her through the huddle room glass, he simply nodded and waved before heading off in the opposite direction.

She had the privacy that she craved.

~~~

"Mr. Covault, your ten o'clock call is waiting for you on line one."

Jordan Covault spoke into the intercom on his desk phone and said, "Thank you, Constance."

He smiled at the fortune that had befallen him all those years ago when he had accepted the offer from a shy little classmate to help him with his math homework. She had helped him understand concepts that had alluded him to that point, which resulted in him turning his math grade around within weeks. They had remained acquaintances throughout their school years and had exchanged a few birthday and holiday cards while attending different universities, but their contact waned after a while.

He had completed law school, passed the New York bar exam, and been working as a junior associate for this prestigious Manhattan law firm for less than six months when she had re-entered his life. Unbeknownst to him, his firm held the trusteeship where Margaret Donahue was the sole beneficiary. When she had learned that he now worked for the firm, she had insisted that he be assigned as the administrator for the trust. In order to comply with her demands, he had been promoted to a junior partner, side-stepping dozens of more senior associates.

Of course, administering Margaret Donahue's trust wasn't his only responsibility, and he had deported himself as well, if not better than other junior partners when it came to bringing new business to the firm and exceeding expectations for billable hours. He could not forget, however, that it was the girl, now lady, waiting for him on the phone that he owed his good fortune to.

"Good morning, Miss Donahue," he said in greeting. "How can I be of service to you?"

"You can start by knocking off the 'Miss Donahue' crap," she teased. "Did you get my e-mail about protecting yourself?"

"I did," Jordan replied. "I've discussed your concerns with the partners here and they all agree with me. I have nothing to fear until a shareholders' meeting is called. Your father's absence makes that problematic, if not a total impossibility..."

She interrupted, "Jordan, my father is going to be calling a shareholders' meeting for July 14^th. While the actions that they would try to force you to take would only be needed at the shareholders' meeting, there is a very real risk that they will implement whatever plans they have to compromise you before then. I would hate myself if something happened to you, so please take things more seriously."

"You make a good point. I'll discuss it with the partners again and put things in place to keep me safe..."

Interrupting him again, she said, "Not just you, but the entire firm. Make certain that your computer systems are protected from hackers and planters. If the authorities, acting on an anonymous tip discovered compromising data on your corporate system, such as child pornography, your entire firm would be affected until you could prove that it was planted, if you could ever prove that."

"Understood," he said. "We'll take the necessary precautions."

"Just until July 11^th," she advised. "You and your firm will have nothing to fear after that. How soon can you get the transfer completed after that date?"

"The transfer of the securities in the trust to a beneficiary is considered a private transaction by the Securities and Exchange Commission and thus exempt from registration, but we will report it to them today anyway so that everything is by the book on July 11^th. The draft of that notification is on my computer and will be sent to both the SEC and the brokerage firm by the end of business today. The transfer of ownership paperwork required by the brokerage firm has been prepared and will be e-mailed to you later today. You will need to sign those forms in front of a notary on July 11^th and then overnight them to the brokerage firm. There will be no restrictions to your full control of the securities after that document is received."

"So, by the afternoon of July 12^th, I will be the majority stockholder for Armore, correct?"

"That is correct, three days before the shareholders' meeting," Jordan confirmed. "However, we still need to review your instructions related to the other aspects of the trust that take effect on July 11^th. Do you want to do that now?"

"I don't have the time to dedicate to it right now, Jordan. Why don't you e-mail me specific questions that you have and a list of decisions that I need to make and I'll deal with things that way? I won't leave you in the lurch. I promise."

"I know you won't. Look for an e-mail from me on Monday."

"I will. Remember to look out for yourself in the meantime. Oh, and don't neglect Vince's safety too. They may try to influence your actions by doing something to him."

The thought of harm coming to his partner drove Margaret's concerns for precautions home with Jordan more than any of the other risks she had warned him of. Jordan decided that he and Vince would work from their retreat in the hills of Vermont for the next few weeks.

Chapter Five

Peggy didn't bother to even check the peephole on her front door when she heard the knock. She was expecting Gabe, and since he was the only person to have ever knocked on her door, she took it on faith that he would be the person on the other side.

She opened the door, let it swing open for him, and then hurried back to her kitchen, greeting him over her shoulder as she went, "Come on in and make yourself at home. I just need to pull the cinnamon rolls out of the oven."

Gabe closed her front door and took a seat on one of her barstools. "What is so important that you insisted I alter my workout schedule for today?" He asked. Not that he wouldn't trade spending time with Peggy for exercise, but she had been quite emphatic that she needed to share something with him that morning. She was wearing the short shorts that he had seen her in the first time that they had met, but a different tank top. She wore her hair in a ponytail, but no glasses, and her feet were bare. There was no place else that Gabe would have wanted to be at that moment.

Her back was to him as she spread icing onto the freshly baked cinnamon rolls. "When I share my idea with you, you're going to want to spend the rest of the weekend working on it. I'll help you if you want, but it has to be your idea when we're done."

"What idea is that?"

Peggy turned and set a plate of cinnamon rolls onto the counter. She pulled two smaller plates out of a cupboard and set them next to the larger plate. "How do you take your coffee?" she asked.

Conceding that he was stuck following Peggy's agenda, at least until she explained what her agenda was, Gabe said, "Black is fine. Thanks."

She set two forks onto the counter before pouring each of them a cup of coffee. She carried these around the counter, setting them down and taking a seat on the barstool next to Gabe. "Dig in," she said as she placed one of the cinnamon rolls onto a smaller plate for herself.

Gabe followed her lead but took a sip of his coffee before taking a bite of the pastry. He asked, "Is your idea related to something here at the complex?"

"Eat first," Peggy instructed. "You will process things better with something in your stomach."

Gabe grudgingly took a bite of his cinnamon roll. Damn, that thing was delicious! He didn't even try to say another word until he had eaten that cinnamon roll, followed by two more. Peggy finished her one roll and then sat smiling as she watched Gabe once again gorge himself on something that she had cooked just for him. She might not have his heart yet, but she was pretty sure that she was winning his stomach over.

"I'll wrap the rest of them up so you can take them home with you," Peggy offered when Gabe had finally set down his fork and wiped his lips with a napkin.

As she was reaching for the plate, Gabe took her hand into his. Once their eye met, he said, "I appreciate the rolls, but I know, and I think you know, that they will always taste better if I eat them over here with you."

Peggy squeezed his hand and smiled. Maybe his heart wasn't too far behind his stomach after all. She said, "Okay, but you have to promise to save me from them if we keep them here. As long as I know that you're coming over to eat them, I won't be tempted as much. Deal?"

"I'll be over for breakfast every morning until they're gone. I promise."

"Alright then. Why don't you take our coffee over to the couch while I cover the rolls and put them out of sight? I'll do the dishes later."

Gabe picked up the two cups of coffee and set one each on the tables at either end of Peggy's couch. After finishing in the kitchen, she walked to her flat-screen TV and began pulling a rolled-up cable from behind it. She unrolled the cable as she walked toward the couch and Gabe could see that it was a standard HDMI cable. Picking her laptop up from where it sat on the coffee table, she plugged the cable into it before sitting on the couch and motioning for Gabe to sit next to her. While he was getting situated next to her, she picked up the remote for the TV and turned it on.

Pointing to a USB clip drive plugged into her laptop, Peggy said, "Everything I have is on here. I'll give it to you after explaining the idea so that you can manipulate the data to make it your own."

Gabe simply shrugged and said, "Let 'er rip."

The television screen became a second display for Peggy's laptop. She opened a presentation file and said, "As you said last Monday, the management of Sagikkun is unlikely to change your product return policy, so your only chance of improving business with GoodBuy is to provide them with some incentive to willingly accept that policy as being beneficial for them."

"How in the hell am I supposed to do that?" Gabe asked. "They don't have to accept it from our competitors..."

"Offer them something that your competitors don't," Peggy interrupted. "Let me show you something using hypothetical numbers."

She started the presentation entitled, "Sagikkun -- GoodBuy Zero Returns Program". Clicking her mouse to move to the next slide, she explained, "Let's say that Sagikkun sells one model of your televisions to GoodBuy at a price of one thousand dollars. If they purchase fifty of these for each of their one hundred stores, that's five million dollars. That's a significant inventory investment, and it only relates to a single product."

"I know that," Gabe said. "I understand the pain points on both sides."

Peggy reached over and patted his hand, saying, "I know that you do. Do you also know what the number one reason for the return of consumer electronics by customers is?"

Gabe didn't hesitate to answer, "Buyer's remorse. They buy something and then get it home and decide that it wasn't what they really wanted or needed and return it to the store."

Nodding, Peggy said, "Exactly, although research indicates that there is significant fraud involved, as demonstrated by the high volume of televisions purchased just before major sporting events like the Super Bowl are due to be telecast, followed by higher-than-normal returns of televisions in the days immediately following the event. Retailers have come to expect this and will frequently institute re-stocking fees for returns of certain products at key times to offset the costs of handling the returns. The point is, the overwhelming majority of consumer electronic product returns have nothing wrong with them. Retailers have perfectly good products that they can no longer sell as new. Your best option is to find a way to make GoodBuy stores whole relative to the profit they expect from Sagikkun products."

She moved on to the next slide and said, "Using the same hypothetical TV at one-thousand dollars cost to GoodBuy, let's assume Sagikkun provided them with a one-percent credit for each unit that they purchased for their inventory. That's ten dollars per television, which, if they bought fifty for each of their stores would equate to fifty-thousand dollars. That would provide quite a nest egg to GoodBuy as compensation for accepting returns on your products. Of course, the per-unit credit would need to be a component of a more comprehensive strategy within GoodBuy, which I will explain now."

Peggy had piqued Gabe's interest so he didn't interrupt her with any questions. She continued, "First, GoodBuy would have to implement a compensation plan that presented their sales personnel with the same reward for selling an open box model as a new-in-the-box model. Rather than compensating them on the price something sold for, they would need to always pay them based upon the new-product sale price. They already have programs in place that address sales compensation when products go on sale or clearance, so they know how to make that work."

"Secondly, Sagikkun would have to agree to transfer the original product warranty on all returned units as long as the customer holds a valid proof of sale from GoodBuy. Armore can help with that since we handle your warranty registrations and administration."

"Thirdly, GoodBuy should develop a strategy for using open box units for in-store displays and demos rather than brand new units, even if it involves transferring products between stores. Finally, Sagikkun should put more into the program than just the one-percent credit. Other than the change of allowing for a transfer of the original product warranty, you should work to establish every GoodBuy store as an authorized Sagikkun Service Center, entitling them to free warranty parts and technical support from your Region Technical Specialists."

Peggy closed the slide show and said, "What do you think? Do you think you can sell the ideas?"

"Have you completed a cost analysis?" Gabe asked. "Hypothetical numbers won't sway Korean management."

Peggy shook her head and said, "No. I do not have access to Sagikkun pricing for GoodBuy, or any other customer, which is one reason that this has to be your baby from here on. I will be more than happy to help you create the analysis once you obtain the necessary figures."

"What's the other reason or reasons?"

Peggy shut down her laptop, unplugged the video cable, and then pulled out the USB clip drive and handed it to Gabe. She set the laptop onto the coffee table and turned to face him. She asked, "What would happen if residents here started seeing you talking to painters or construction workers who were doing work on the complex, giving them direction or answering their questions?"

Gabe nodded in understanding and said, "They would assume that I am more than just another resident here. It would imply that I had some authority where the complex is concerned."

"You're probably right," Peggy agreed. "I'm in a similar situation at Armore. I am extremely overqualified for the position I currently hold. I had to dumb down my qualifications in order to even be considered for it. They think that I have a Master's degree when I actually hold a doctorate. I dress and act the part of an unambitious introvert and avoid taking credit for anything. If the ideas I presented to you are accepted by Sagikkun and GoodBuy, and then implemented, both organizations will benefit, as will Armore through our support services. I can't allow my name to be associated with that success right now. I hope that you understand and will support me on this."

"So as long as you work at Armore, you're going to have to pretend to be someone that you're not?" Gabe asked. "Is the job really worth that to you? I mean, I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to have the opportunity to see you as you are when you are home versus when you are at work. I would never betray your trust by doing anything to jeopardize your alter ego, but I hope you know what you're sacrificing."

"It would only be a sacrifice for me if I couldn't be myself with you," Peggy said. "I can do that, can't I?"

"That depends," Gabe teased. "Does my shitiness exist only in the eyes of your alter ego?"

Peggy giggled and said, "Oh, no. Your shitiness is evident to all of me, but I'm starting to embrace your shitiness."

Gabe surprised both of them by leaning over and placing a light kiss on Peggy's lips. "Good," he said, "because I probably have enough shitiness for all your personalities and alter egos."

Peggy stood and picked up their empty coffee cups. She carried them to the kitchen sink and then turned and stared at Gabe watching her from the couch. The corner of her mouth turned up as she said, "There's another reason that I wanted you to come over before you did your exercises this morning." She walked to her front door and locked it.

"What reason might that be?" Gabe asked, just to clarify where his thoughts were being directed by Peggy's actions.

"Like I said, you have a lot of work to do on the presentation this weekend, and I will help you with that. But first, I am going to show you how I treat men with your level of shitiness in them. I am going to screw the crap out of you."

~~~

Gabe's muscular torso glistened in the sunlight, as the beads of water fell from his skin. He walked over to where Peggy lay on the lounge chair beside the complex's swimming pool. Careful not to drip water on her, he walked around the chair next to her and picked up his towel.

Laying on her front, Peggy didn't see Gabe approach, but she sensed his presence and asked, "Are you happy with the progress we have made?"

Gabe asked teasingly, "Progress in what context?"

Where the zero-returns program was concerned, they had worked all Saturday afternoon in Gabe's home office where his computer allowed them to access the Sagikkun servers and collect the latest product pricing for GoodBuy. Peggy had spent the night in his bed, and while the discussions about how to present the cost analysis might not have made for the most romantic conversation between two new lovers, the dialog while they were making love compensated for that.

Gabe found that Peggy's body was soft and yielding at the same time that her passion was firm and uncompromising. She was as soft as a kitten, but steel underneath. Gabe could not get enough of the feeling that any contact with her body incited in his. She was stimulation on steroids and she could position her body in ways that even the Kama Sutra had never covered.

She raised her head and smiled over at Gabe as if she could read his mind. Or, maybe he had been reading hers? He might be a "former" United States Marine Corps aviator, but he certainly still knew how to take her to new heights. Peggy had surrendered herself to his skills, and he had elevated her passion to levels never before imagined, let alone experienced. She had been "soaring", either in the throes of an orgasm or the wonderous afterglow of one since Saturday morning. Oh, yes, the progress in their physical relationship had made her very happy.

Peggy said, "The analysis for the program. Are you happy with the progress of that?" She winked up at him and said, "We can discuss our progress in other areas from the comfort of your bed."

"That works for me," Gabe said as he sat down on the chair beside Peggy, admiring her bikini-clad backside as he did so. "Where the program is concerned, pretty much all that's left for me to do is pull warranty service records from a sampling of our authorized service centers to develop projections for setting GoodBuy stores up in the program. You did all the heavy lifting. How do you feel about our progress?"

"I felt good enough to suggest that we take a break to enjoy a few minutes at the pool," Peggy said.

"When you suggested it, I thought that you wanted to actually go into the pool," Gabe said.

Rolling over and sitting up, Peggy said with a broad smile, "I did, but I had a better view of you playing with the kids from here."

"You could have come in and helped me," Gabe complained. "There wasn't enough of me to go around. Having another grown-up in there with me would have been helpful."

Laughing, Peggy said, "Next time, I will wear a one-piece bathing suit and play with the kids with you. You would be surprised at how little respect little kids have for bikini straps.

Gabe winked at her and said, "I'm losing my respect for bikini straps too. What are we going to do about that?"

Peggy jumped up and ran towards their apartments with Gabe in hot pursuit.

~~~

"What would you say if I told you that I've never met anyone else like you?" Gabe asked as he stroked Peggy's hair. Her head was nestled onto his shoulder with her warm, quieting breath puffing softly against his neck.

Peggy knew that Gabe was serious, but she was still feeling euphoric and playful from their earlier lovemaking, so she said, "I would probably say that you do a rotten impersonation of John Cusack. That was a line from one of his movies, wasn't it? I think the rest of the line is that you 'usually feel awkward and shy, but with me it's different'."

"You aren't old enough to have seen too many John Cusack movies, but I find it interesting that you can quote lines from his movie, 'A Sure Thing'. I would like to think that us being together turns out to be a sure thing."

"This feels pretty sure to me," Peggy thought, but didn't verbalize it. Over the last two days, she had tried to analyze and rationalize the emptiness that she was experiencing while Gabe had been on a business trip. She had concluded that it was definitely the absence of Gabe that she had missed and not just the absence of their joint routine. His quick mind bounced around delightfully, always keeping her just slightly off-balance. She knew that she was in love with all of his being.

They were so in love. Both were no longer thinking as an individual by this point. Instead, they thought of themselves together as "Us". What would "They" do that day? What would "They" eat for dinner? Where would "They" sleep that night? It was something totally new to them. Surrender of self and the embracing of "They" as a unit. A couple.

They had become fixtures in each other's lives while working on the presentation for the management of Sagikkun and GoodBuy, spending every waking moment when not at work together. They started out alternating apartments each night, but Gabe had quickly offered to spend every night at her apartment since he didn't have to leave as early in the mornings to begin work, and frequently worked out of the office in his apartment anyway.

The physical intimacy which Peggy had initiated that Saturday afternoon served to open both of them up to greater intimacies in other ways. Each felt more confident and comfortable sharing personal details about themselves with the other. Peggy gained a fuller understanding of Gabe's former relationship with his ex-wife and how much damage had been done by the betrayal he had suffered. He had gained a better understanding of Peggy's introversion while at work and her zest for life outside of work.

Neither Peggy nor Gabe had a lot of sexual experience. Peggy had only had sex twice and Gabe had only been with one other partner, his ex-wife. They both learned that they were good for each other. They shared compatible senses of humor, thrived on mental stimulation, and each had effortlessly adjusted or adapted to the habits and idiosyncrasies of the other. Since both of them were tidy, organized, and respectful individuals, practically living together came as something natural to them. Basically, they "fit", and that was evident no place more than when they were in bed together.

Peggy disentangled herself from Gabe and started to get out of bed. She needed to shower and get dressed in the next twenty minutes to drive and get to work on time. "What time are you planning on coming over?" she asked.

Watching her stretch beside the bed and smile down at him, Gabe found himself almost believing that the sun would not rise if Peggy was out and about, because when she wasn't in her Nerd disguise, her beauty would easily outshine it. When she smiled at him in that way, her love for him flowed from her. It was a beautiful thing to see at any time.

"I have my monthly investment club meeting this morning. I was thinking about stopping off at Miguel's and picking us up lunch before coming over, so how about around 11:30? We could eat lunch together before the meeting,"

Peggy didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable to be standing naked before Gabe. She met his eyes and said, "The meeting with Bruce isn't until one and I have to leave the office by three to pick up Janelle from the airport. Were you planning to just hang around until then?"

Gabe arranged the pillows behind his head and sat up higher in the bed. "No, I planned to review the warranty transfer process with your warranty administration staff so that they understand what Sagikkun expects when the program goes live next month and probably chat with Veronica Reyes for a few minutes.

Gabe had made the presentation to his upper management, and they had agreed to let him present the program to the leadership of GoodBuy, although not very enthusiastically. Several high-ranking executives from Korea had met Gabe in Boise in advance of the GoodBuy meeting to review his presentation one more time and to offer changes that made the program more favorable for Sagikkun. Gabe, with texted advice from Peggy, was able to convince them that GoodBuy's leadership would never go for the inequities so obvious with the changes proposed. He was able to get the Korean executives to relent only minutes before the meeting with GoodBuy.

During Gabe's presentation, the leadership at GoodBuy headquarters had asked questions that indicated that they were not inclined to consider the program. The business analysis that Peggy had assisted Gabe in preparing started the conversion of belief, and by the end of the meeting, GoodBuy corporate leadership was fully onboard, pending a review of the cost analysis by their own accounting department. Two days later, Gabe had the agreement that vaulted his name to the top at Sagikkun and virtually ensured that his yearly bonus would be one for the record books.

Sagikkun and GoodBuy had decided to launch the new program at the beginning of August. To facilitate that schedule, Gabe would be spending most of the month of July in Armore's California offices meeting with the various support groups who would be involved in the administration of the program for Sagikkun. His meeting today with Bruce Goddard was to review the details of the program support that Armore would be expected to provide, and while she didn't know it, he also wanted to make certain that Peggy Arthur remained his liaison at Armore.

"Okay," Peggy said, stepping into the hallway on her way to the bathroom to get ready. "I'll escort you to the warranty administration group after we have lunch."

Gabe heard the shower turn on, so he got out of bed, pulled on his gym shorts, and went out to the kitchen to make them some coffee. As he waited for the coffee to brew, he leaned against the counter and gazed around Peggy's apartment. It felt like an extension of his own.

He realized the undeniable fact that Peggy had become a true extension of him. His heart and soul were tied to her in a way that he had never experienced before, or had ever expected, even with the woman, his ex-wife, that he would have sworn had been his soulmate. There was no question that Peggy had become precious to him in an amazingly short time.

After his divorce, Gabe spent months on self-reflection and contemplation about what the perfect woman was for him. Recalling his rationalization from that time in his life, he realized that he was sapiosexual. Gabe viewed Peggy as a representation of all intellectual women, and for the first time, didn't find one of them wanting. Wanting of a full life, of interconnectedness, of self-actualization. Like himself, she did not want compartmentalization; she wanted synthesis, fullness, consilience.

They both wanted someone who was athletic and smart and active and bright and thoughtful. They wanted someone who could cry at a sappy movie and read 'War and Peace'. They wanted someone who became excited at the start of a squeeze play and still liked a walk in the woods. Neither of them wanted a great scholar, nor a great athlete, nor any other single superlative. They wanted a whole person. So far, neither had been disappointed with the other.

~~~

"The last name of Lewis wasn't bad," Peggy thought while driving to work. She had been struggling with whether she would take Gabe's last name when they got married, and she had every confidence in the world that marriage was a destination for them. No man's feelings had ever been more evident to her, not that there had been many men with feelings of any significance before Gabe. She trusted that what she saw and felt with Gabe was at least equal to what she felt for him, and she hoped that he saw things the same way where she was concerned. She had long ago decided that fleeting emotional entanglements would not advance her career plans. She recognized that this emotional entanglement with Gabe was anything but fleeting, and in a little more than a week, she would not have to choose between a relationship and her career.

She was giddy with excitement. This was going to be a watershed day in her life. Peggy Arthur was going to introduce the man that she loved to the two people in the world that she loved almost as much as Gabe, her father, and Janelle. While her father had arrived two days ago and been visiting with friends of his in La Jolla, Janelle was going to be flying in that afternoon and staying with Peggy for two weeks. Dinner reservations had been confirmed at a restaurant that Peggy knew that her father would approve of, and Gabe's master bedroom had been prepared for her father's use. Gabe of course would be sleeping with her with Janelle in her guest room.

When she walked into the lobby at Armore, the receptionist waved to catch Peggy's attention before she could swipe her key card to enter the first-floor area. "Excuse me," the receptionist said. "There is a visitor currently in the guest restroom who has been waiting for you. He said that he has a meeting with Mr. Goddard but preferred to wait for you to escort him in."

Approaching the reception desk, Peggy asked, "Who is it?"

Glancing at the visitor log, the receptionist said, "His writing is difficult to read, but it looks like his name is 'Lion', no 'Liam'. I can't decipher his last name."

"It's Donahue," said a male voice. It was a melodic baritone voice that would sound playful even when raised in anger. Peggy turned to face the man and smiled.

The huge beast of a man before her was smiling warmly back at her. His curly red hair was covering his ears and falling over the collar of his dress shirt. While his size was impressive, this was dwarfed by his penetrating green eyes and heart-stopping handsome facial features. His voice held the slightest hint of a Scottish brogue which added a strength and warmth in equal measure to his speech.

"Of course," she said. "Laird Liam Donahue, chairman, and CEO of Armore. I'm Peggy Arthur. I was told that you were waiting for me."

"Indeed I am," Liam said with a wink. "I'm a bit early for my meeting with Bruce Goddard, so I was hoping to spend a few minutes with you as you escorted me to the room where Bruce and I are supposed to meet."

"It would be my pleasure, Laird Donahue. Follow me."

Peggy led them to the door and swiped her key card. Once the indicator denoted the release of the magnetic locks, she pulled the door open and waited for Liam Donahue to enter. "Do you know which room you're scheduled to meet in?" she asked as the door swung closed.

"I believe Bruce reserved the 'Palomar' room. Is that the name of a room here?"

Peggy nodded and said, "Yes, all the conference rooms in the building are named after locales in Southern California. Bruce thinks it makes the place sound friendlier than using only letters and numbers to designate the rooms. We held a room naming contest for the employees and it was a big morale builder."

"I can understand why it would be," Liam said as he walked up the stairs beside her. "How is your morale, Miss Arthur? Are Armore's California operations everything that you thought they would be?"

"The working environment and culture here are phenomenal," Peggy said. "We hold tours almost every day where executives from major Fortune five-hundred companies come through to see what we have accomplished. The operations here are a model that everyone wants to emulate."

"I'm embarrassed to admit that I have never taken the time to visit this location personally," Donahue said. "From the way that you describe it, I believe that I might want to spend some extended time here soon."

As they approached the open workspace, Peggy spotted Bruce Goddard sitting in his normal location. She turned to Mr. Donahue and said, "I would be happy to escort you to the Palomar room, but Bruce is sitting right over there if you would rather me take you to him instead."

"Yes, that would be fine. Leave me with Bruce so you can go about your day."

Peggy led him over to where Bruce was sitting by himself and said, "Bruce, Laird Donahue asked me to escort him to you from the lobby."

Bruce Goddard turned his head and looked up at Peggy before diverting his eyes to their visitor. He stood and extended his hand. "Liam, it's great to see you again. I was surprised to receive word that you would be visiting us before returning to corporate, especially since you've been out of the country for so long."

Before Donahue could reply, Peggy said, "I hope that you enjoy your visit, Laird Donahue."

Both men watched her walk away and Donahue noted the apparent animosity that existed between the director of this facility and one of his employees. He said, "I had hoped to thank Miss Arthur for escorting me here. Oh well, perhaps I'll get a chance before I leave."

Bruce said, "Have a seat, Liam. Let's catch up. I would also like to have a discussion with you about Miss Arthur before our meeting, if you don't mind."

Liam Donahue took a seat on a modernistic sofa-type piece of furniture across from Bruce Goddard, smiled, and asked, "Other than her insistence on the use of my formal title, is there a problem?"

"I think we need to get rid of her at the end of her probationary period," Bruce said with no hesitation. "I have tried to be objective in my appraisal of her performance even though I resented the fact that I was forced to accept her by Corbin Baker, but she has turned out to be dead weight. Her analysis of the New Jersey operation was initially impressive, but I've come to view it as a fluke; a 'one-and-done' demonstration of her abilities. I need three competent business data analysts, and she isn't one of them."

"From what I understand, she impressed a lot of people at corporate during her internship," Donahue replied.

"The expectations of an intern are not the same as a full-time employee," Bruce countered. "Her two coworkers deserve to have someone who carries their fair share of the workload. Miss Arthur is not that person."

"Have her coworkers complained about her contributions?" Donahue asked.

"No, but they're both loyal team players," Bruce explained. "They wouldn't throw her under the bus if she personally cut their dicks off. Excuse the metaphor."

Donahue nodded and said, "I'll tell you what, I'll meet with the three business data analysts while I am here. Let me see if I can get the two others to admit that Miss Arthur isn't contributing her fair share. If they agree, then I'll make certain that she is no longer a burden to you."

"That may be a problem," Bruce said. "We have the meeting with the rep from Sagikkun this afternoon at one, and Miss Arthur has requested time off so that she can leave early today."

Donahue nodded and said, "Why don't we do it this morning? You and I can have our discussion after we meet with the person from Sagikkun if that will work for you."

"If that's what you would prefer. I'll send a meeting invite to the business data analysts and rearrange a few other things to make it work."

Donahue nodded and asked, "Will you and Carol have an opportunity to have dinner with me while I am here? I haven't seen your lovely wife since you two relocated out here."

"It's possible. How long did you say you would be staying?"

"It depends on what happens at the stockholders' meeting on the 14^th," Donahue said. "If things don't go my way, I might be staying out here permanently. There would be no reason to go back to Georgia."

"Oh, come on," Bruce said dismissively, "you still control the majority stock, don't you?"

Donahue shook his head, "I never have. When Sarah and I started Armore, we each held fifty-percent ownership. We took the company public releasing only forty-nine percent of the common stock, which all came from my shares. I retained one share while Sarah retained her fifty shares. When she died, those shares passed to a trust naming Margaret as the sole beneficiary. Margaret gets control of the securities and everything else in the trust on her twenty-fifth birthday."

"And when is that?" Bruce asked.

"July 11^th. One week from tomorrow."

"Ah, now your timing of things makes more sense," Bruce said. "How is Margaret? Is she still at UGA?"

Donahue shook his head and said, "No, Margaret received her doctorate last June. She's out in the world now doing whatever makes her feel fulfilled. I haven't seen her in several months, but we communicate often, and she seems happy."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about with that one," Bruce said. "She has to know how proud you have always been of her and I have to believe that she would always have your back where the majority stock in the company is concerned. Going back to your question about having dinner with me and Carol; she is back in Georgia visiting with our son and his family. We have our first grandchild and Carol insisted on going back there to see him and help out. She is supposed to return after the Fourth of July holiday, but said that she might extend her stay if she feels that her help with the baby is still needed."

"Why didn't you go with her?" Donahue asked. "You're not afraid of messy diapers or anything are you?"

Bruce chuckled and said, "No, nothing like that. I had planned to go, but my new boss, wouldn't approve my vacation request."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't here to intercede on your behalf," Donahue said. "Listen, Bruce, you and Miss Arthur are the only ones in this location of the company right now that know who I am and that I am here. Now that the shareholders' meeting is scheduled, the quest to learn my whereabouts by some people won't be as intense, but it won't disappear entirely. Please keep my presence here as confidential as possible. After today, I won't be back in the offices here until after July 14^th, so let's get to the conference room but introduce me as the CEO to as few people as possible."

~~~

Peggy adjusted the strap of her backpack as she walked beside Kevin and Russ on their way to the surprise meeting in the Palomar conference room. She knew that the CEO was meeting with Bruce in that room this morning, but her coworkers didn't. The reason for the three of them being unexpectedly summoned to the conference room was a mystery, and she knew how little Kevin and Russ liked mysteries.

"The Palomar room is kind of big for just the three of us and Bruce," Russ said as they approached the conference room. "I wonder who else might be there."

Kevin replied, "Our three names were the only ones on the invitation, so I guess we'll find out."

Kevin tapped on the closed door to the conference room and all three of them heard Bruce's booming voice saying "Come in." Kevin opened the door and they all entered the large windowless space. Peggy entered last and closed the door behind her.

The Palomar conference room wasn't the largest conference room in the building, but it was large enough. The long, rectangular conference table had twenty chairs arranged around it, ten on each side. All four walls had been painted in whiteboard paint so that the entire surface of each could be used for writing or drawing on. The glossy walls were all blank at the moment.

Bruce and Liam Donahue sat next to one another in the center seats along one side of the table. Bruce pointed to chairs on the opposite side and said, "Thanks for making the time in your schedules to join us. Please take a seat."

As had become their routine, Kevin and Russ let Peggy sit first, and then took seats on either side of her. Peggy had at first interpreted their actions as being protective of her, but she soon came to realize their real motivation was so that each of them would have an equal opportunity to see what was on the display of her laptop. As she had told them, she didn't mind sharing her ideas and work product with them, so she took no offense at them frequently reading either her own words as she typed them, or the research that she had found for them.

Bruce said, "This obviously isn't one of my staff meetings since only the three of you are here, but my 'prime directive' still applies. What you see here is company confidential. What you hear here is company confidential. What you say here is company confidential. Are you all clear on that?" All three nodded but remained silent, with neutral expressions on their faces.

"Good," Bruce said. "Now that you're clear on that, let me introduce you to Armore's chairman and CEO, Liam Donahue. Mr. Donahue requested a meeting with your team this morning, so I'll turn things over to him."

Donahue smiled and said, "Thank you, Bruce, and thank the three of you for meeting with me. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Arthur when she worked in our corporate offices, so that introduction is covered. Which of you is Kevin Hardee?"

"That would be me," said the man to the left of Peggy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kevin," Donahue said. He then turned his gaze to the man on the right side of Peggy and said, "Then you must be Russ Mason. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Thanks," Russ said.

"The success of the operations here in California have exceeded everyone's expectations," Donahue began. "Bruce's leadership has been critical to that success, but he insists that it is the insight and innovative ideas of your team that has fueled this success. That is what I want to discuss with you all today. While I seriously doubt that we could bottle what your team provides to Armore and sell it as one of our products, Bruce tells me that several of the organizations that tour these facilities have expressed an interest in us doing just that."

There was understanding in Peggy's eyes, but confusion in the eyes of Russ and Kevin, so Donahue continued. "I want you three to summarize for me how you came up with a few of your more recent ideas. For example, did one of you identify a business process that would benefit from an improvement and then others on the team collaborated on a solution, or do you divide tasks among yourself and work on them individually? Let's start with the development of the new key performance indicators for employees. Lay that out for me."

Russ and Kevin explained how, before Peggy had joined them, the various managers had been challenged to complete employee reviews because the KPIs in place were no longer relevant to how the work was being done. Peggy sat silent as her coworkers explained her idea to change the business process in the CRM system to capture employee collaboration. They then detailed her research into how other companies included peer reviews from employees into their yearly evaluations and her use of this information to develop the proposal that the team submitted to Bruce.

Bruce interrupted, "Kevin, you presented that proposal to me as yours and Russ' idea. Why didn't you include Peggy's contributions?"

Russ spoke up and said, "Peggy didn't want us to. She feels that if you saw her involvement in any of our proposals that you would give the ideas less consideration."

Peggy locked eyes with Bruce but remained silent. Donahue noticed this and addressed Peggy directly, "Miss Arthur, do you feel that your contributions to the business data analyst team are on par with those of Mr. Hardee and Mr. Mason?"

"Yes," Peggy softly said.

"No, they're not!" Kevin and Russ exclaimed simultaneously. Then Kevin said, "Peggy is the one that has come up with almost every idea we have proposed, and those that she didn't come up with herself, she showed us how to properly research and document the proposal so that it made a solid business case."

"She just refuses to let us give her any credit," Russ said. "Kevin and I consider her the leader of our team. She does everything she can to make our team shine within the organization while she stays in the background." He looked directly at Bruce and said, "It isn't fair that she gets no personal recognition."

Donahue sensed Bruce about to reply so he said, "In Bruce's defense, it's difficult to recognize that which is being hidden from you. Miss Donahue, do you feel that you are unappreciated?"

Peggy placed an arm around the shoulders of each of her two colleagues and proudly said, "Kevin and Russ appreciate me. That's good enough for me."

Donahue smiled and asked, "You don't mind that your manager lacks respect and appreciation for you because you have purposely kept him in the dark relative to your contributions to the team?"

"I'm fine with things the way they are. I don't need praise from anyone to know my worth, both as an individual and as an employee."

"Well, I'm not fine with it," Donahue said, "and I want things to change." Looking around to make contact with the eyes of each person in the room, he continued, "I am hesitant to make any significant personnel changes for a couple of weeks, which gives me time to consider how best to utilize all of you within the organization. With Bruce's permission, I would like the three of you to spend the next two weeks developing a strategy for Armore to offer business data analytical services as a product. Any questions?"

"If we use our existing consulting services as a model," Kevin said, "it shouldn't take us more than a couple of days to develop the strategy you..."

Peggy interrupted him and said, "It will if we include a marketing analysis. The consulting services currently offered by Armore are targeted at an entirely different client demographic than the services that we provide as a business data analytic team. We need to define what we do in a general business sense rather than specific to Armore's operations, and then we need to identify what types of customers would contract with us to provide those services to them as well as what they would be willing to pay for it. The marketing strategy would be critical to a comprehensive proposal such as Laird Donahue is requesting."

"Peggy's right, as usual," Russ said.

"However," Peggy continued, "while I believe that your idea has merit, Laird Donahue, I think you should wait until after your meeting this afternoon with Gabriel Lewis before deciding if our team will have time to develop this strategy. With the launch of Sagikkun's zero-returns program at GoodBuy slated to launch at the first of August, you might find our team more valuable in support of that."

"What would this launch entail that would require the involvement of the business data analyst team?" Donahue asked.

Peggy explained, "Armore's support of the program will be minimal, but crucial for its success, especially in two specific areas; field marketing and warranty administration. The specific support changes will require modifications to business processes currently in place supporting Sagikkun. Those modifications will require our team to be involved in everything from the documentation and training for the affected teams to drafting the system change requests and marching those through the approval process within IT. Then, we will need to verify that everything works in the CRM sandbox before it goes live."

"How do you know so much about the Sagikkun zero-return program and Armore's role in it?" Bruce asked.

"I would rather let Gabe Lewis explain that to you," Peggy said. "It's his program."

Bruce was preparing to object when Donahue placed a hand on his arm and said, "That's fine. I'll let Bruce know after we meet with Mr. Lewis which of the projects I want to be a priority for your team. Thanks for bringing the Sagikkun program to our attention, Miss Arthur. Unless any of you have something further, I'll let you get back to your normal routines. Thanks again for making time in your schedules to meet with me."

As the three analysts stood to leave, Donahue said, "Miss Arthur, could you please hang back for a minute?" He turned to Bruce and said, "Bruce, why don't you take a bio break or go get yourself some more coffee? I'd like a few minutes alone with Miss Arthur to discuss her future with Armore."

Peggy retook her seat and waited patiently as Bruce and her two coworkers left the conference room. As soon as she heard the door close, she turned to verify that she and Donahue were alone in the room. He had risen from his seat and was walking toward the far end of the conference table. Peggy quickly stood and raced toward him.

"I have missed you so much, Daddy," Peggy exclaimed when she was finally in her father's embrace.

"I've missed you too, Baby." He then laughed and said, "Or should I call you 'Maid of Lauriston'?"

Chapter Six

"Here you go, Gabe," Veronica Reyes said. "Delivered to your new escort with five minutes to spare."

Peggy closed the top of her laptop and smiled up at Gabe. She addressed Veronica, "Thanks for taking care of him. I'll get him to the Palomar room in time."

Veronica said, "It was my pleasure. I'll see you after the holiday, Gabe."

They both watched Veronica walking away. Peggy said, "I don't expect that I'll need my laptop as long as you still have the USB clip drive with everything on it."

Gabe tapped his shirt pocket and said, "I carry it right next to my heart, the same heart that you own."

Peggy didn't want to show any signs of affection while they were standing in the open work area where everyone could see them. What she wanted to do was drag Gabe into one of the huddle rooms and spend the time remaining before she had to leave for the airport ravaging him and being ravaged in return.

She smiled brighter and said, "My, but you former United States Marine Corps aviators are certainly sweet talkers. Come on, let's get you to your meeting."

Gabe fell in beside her as she started toward the conference room. He said, "Lead the way, but it's OUR meeting, not mine."

Peggy didn't bother knocking when they reached the conference room. She just opened the door and let Gabe follow her in. Both Bruce and Mr. Donahue appeared surprised to see her. She introduced Gabe to both of them and then let him explain her presence as they had discussed.

Gabe took a seat directly across from Bruce Goddard leaving the seat across from Mr. Donahue for Peggy. As soon as he was seated, he said, "I requested Peggy attend this meeting because Sagikkun is expecting her to be our liaison for all support services in the future."

"Don't you think that is something that Sagikkun should discuss with me first?" Bruce asked.

"A discussion implies two or more people reviewing a topic and arriving at a decision," Gabe calmly said. "Where Peggy Arthur being the liaison between Sagikkun and Armore is concerned, as long as you want our business, there is nothing for us to discuss."

Donahue spoke, "I assume there is some reasoning behind your insistence that Miss Arthur act as the liaison between our two companies, but why don't you move on to the agenda for this meeting and we'll table your request until after we have a better understanding of what this new program will entail."

Gabe glanced at Peggy who was silently focused on Donahue. She nodded, so Gabe said, "Fair enough."

He spent the next half hour delivering the same presentation that he had shared with GoodBuy. Peggy believed that this would provide the greatest level of understanding to Bruce and Mr. Donahue, which would make the services expected from Armore fairly evident.

When Gabe had finished, Bruce said, "Sagikkun expects this program to launch at GoodBuy August 1^st and for Armore to be prepared to support it at that time?"

Gabe just nodded and leaned back in his chair. Bruce picked up an erasable marker from the container on the conference table and stood. As he turned toward the whiteboard painted wall and began to draw something, he glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Are you familiar with those huge cargo ships that sail the oceans of this world." Peggy and Gabe could see that Bruce was trying to draw a representation on the wall of a large ship.

When he finished, he turned around to face them. He smiled as he explained, "Armore is like one of those ships. We're very reliable, but we don't change course very fast. We're hard to move and it takes us time to do so."

Bruce retook his seat, confident that he had made his point. Gabe simply smiled and pointed to the marker still in Bruce's hand, "Do you mind?"

With a puzzled expression, Bruce handed the marker to Gabe who turned to the whiteboard wall behind him and started drawing something. When he was finished, he returned to sit beside Peggy and handed the marker back to Bruce. He said, "Armore might be like a large ship, slow and difficult to move, but Sagikkun is like an island."

He pointed to the drawing on the wall behind him, which upon examination did resemble a large volcanic island, and said, "We don't move at all. Trust me when I tell you that the launch date of August 1^st was only agreed to by Sagikkun after we had assurance from Armore that the modifications to your systems, processes, and training required to support the program could be ready by that time."

Donahue spoke directly to Peggy. He asked, "You committed Armore to the August 1^st launch date, didn't you?"

Peggy nodded and said, "Yes, and until you dropped your new project bomb on us this morning, I had every confidence that we could meet the deadline for Sagikkun and GoodBuy."

Donahue started laughing, which confused the hell out of Bruce Goddard. He was even more confused when Donahue walked around the table and pulled Peggy Arthur from her chair and into a strong embrace. When he released her, he kissed her on the forehead and then took the seat on the other side of her.

Donahue said, "As I was listening to Mr. Lewis give his presentation on the zero-returns program, I thought that I noticed your handiwork. How much of this idea was yours?"

A visibly confused Gabe answered, "The idea was totally hers. I just had to plug in real cost and inventory figures to match Sagikkun's actual business projections with GoodBuy."

Donahue looked past Peggy to address Gabe. He said, "I know, and you know, that there is no way on God's green earth that you would allow Sagikkun's support to ever be pulled away from Armore. I also know that as long as our companies are doing business together you will consider Miss Arthur your liaison whether we designate her as that or not. Am I right?"

Gabe didn't hesitate in his answer, "Yes sir. Peggy is the best that Armore has to offer, and we expect that you would provide us with your best."

Donahue looked across the table at a perplexed Bruce Goddard and asked, "Bruce, I trust that your 'prime directive' applies to you as well as those that work for you?"

"Of course," Bruce answered.

"Good," Donahue said. "I am going to contradict myself on a statement that I made earlier related to my hesitancy to make significant personnel changes before July 14^th. Margaret Arthur Donahue is being promoted from a business data analyst to the position of General Manager effective immediately. She will report directly to me in her new capacity. Any questions?"

Peggy leaned over, kissed her father's cheek, and said, "Thank you, Daddy."

Bruce choked momentarily and asked, "You're little Margaret Donahue?"

Peggy simply smiled and nodded at Bruce.

Gabe turned to her and asked, "Your name isn't Peggy Arthur?"

She leaned over and kissed Gabe on his cheek as well, and said, "Of course it is. 'Peggy' is a diminutive form of 'Margaret', just as 'Gabe' is a diminutive form of 'Gabriel'. Arthur was my mother's maiden name. It's a tradition among various Scottish clans, especially those in the nobility, to use the surname of the mother as the middle name of a girl child so that both the mother's and the father's clans are recognized. I guess now would be an appropriate time to introduce you to my father, Laird Liam Donahue."

"I trust that Sagikkun will not feel slighted if the General Manager of Armore is your liaison," Liam Donahue asked with a chuckle.

Gabe grinned and said, "I'm sure that I can sell the idea to upper management."

~~~

Janelle walked past Peggy twice. The first time was on her way to the baggage carousel and the second time was on her way to the airport exit doors.

"If you keep ignoring me, I'll make you walk," Peggy said while standing behind her friend. Janelle might not have recognized the nerdy girl, but she certainly recognized the voice of her best friend.

"Pegs!" Janelle screamed. "Jesus, you look so different. I may just decide to walk rather than be seen with a nerd like you," she teased just before pulling Peggy into a hungry embrace.

Released from her friend's arms, Peggy grabbed the handle of Janelle's rolling suitcase and said, "Sorry I didn't have the time to change for you. I'll explain on the way home."

Janelle followed Peggy into the short-term parking and laughed when she saw the car that Peggy was unlocking. She said, "Oh, this is just wrong in so many ways. A Prius? Seriously?"

Peggy laughed along with her friend and said, "This car has served its purpose. Climb in. We have a little over an hour to get to Fallbrook, so I can fill you in along the way."

They were on Archibald Avenue, taking the ramp onto Interstate 10 east before Peggy spoke again. She explained about her father surprising her by showing up at Armore that morning and everything that transpired after they had met in the lobby. Janelle's excitement grew exponentially as Peggy described her coworkers outing her as the source for most of the team's ideas, followed by Gabe doing essentially the same thing later on with the GoodBuy zero-return program. Her father outing her to both Gabe and Bruce as the heir apparent of Armore was what Janelle found most exciting.

"Does this mean that you can stop impersonating Felicity Smoak and let the real Peggy Donahue come out to play?" Janelle asked hopefully.

"Isn't Felicity Smoak a blonde?" Peggy retorted, relying upon her memory of the one time that she had seen an episode of the television show, "Arrow".

"Yes," Janelle conceded, "but other than that, you look just like her. So, answer my question. Are you going to be able to start looking like yourself?"

"Actually," Peggy replied with a snort, "I am looking forward to acting like myself more than looking like myself. Being a nerd is boring. Either way, my dad says that people will meet Margaret Donahue next week when the announcement related to my position with the company is sent out to all employees."

Janelle nodded and asked, "What exactly does you being a general manager mean? Armore has never had anyone with that title before."

"Yes, it has," Peggy said. "A general manager is the executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of an organization. It's the role that my mom held before her death. As general manager, I will oversee most or all of Armore's marketing and sales functions as well as the day-to-day operations of the business. I'll be responsible for the effective planning, delegating, coordinating, staffing, organizing, and decisions for Armore."

"That is what the CEO's role is," Janelle said. "Is your dad stepping down as CEO, and are you ready to step into that role?"

Peggy shook her head, "No, he is just delegating most of his job to me. When he does retire, the Board would have to appoint me as his replacement. He's only fifty years old, so we'll have a lot of years to work together before I have to worry about taking the reins alone."

Janelle laughed again, "Well, getting the Board to appoint you as his replacement when the time comes will be a no-brainer. You will have the majority votes necessary to name whoever you want as CEO. So, when are you planning to move home?"

Peggy chewed on her upper lip for a few seconds before answering her friend's question, "Now, that's complicated. With the New York operation closing, the Fallbrook location will be the main operational component of Armore. In a lot of ways, it would make the most sense for the general manager to be in Fallbrook rather than Atlanta..."

"You think that you might stay out here permanently?"

"I honestly don't know," Peggy said, and then sighed. "Then there's Gabe. We haven't discussed anything about our future, and I'm not even sure how his feelings for me have weathered him finding out who I really am. I know with certainty that he loves Peggy Arthur, but will that same love be conveyed to Peggy Donahue? I just don't know."

"Bullshit," Janelle said. "You told me that one of the things that you love about him is that you trust him enough to be yourself around him. Your relationship started and then developed when you had shed your nerd girl persona while away from work. He fell in love with Peggy Donahue and just tolerated Peggy Arthur. You know that."

"I suppose you're right. I just know that he has a lot more questions for me now. I'm tempted to let you and my dad go to dinner together so that Gabe and I will have a chance to talk tonight."

Janelle shook her head and said, "Nope. We will all go to dinner together and your dad and I will help explain the reasoning behind your subterfuge at Armore to Gabe. Anything more that you need to explain to him should be done as 'pillow talk' between the two of you. Tomorrow is the holiday, so you can sleep in as late as you desire."

Peggy giggled and said, "I don't think that will work. Whenever Gabe and I are in bed together, the only words that I have been able to say are, 'OH, YES'."

~~~

Tank Chambers played the recording for the third time since the two FBI agents had arrived in his office. He was already frustrated with their lack of response to his initial contact from two days ago, and now their lack of attention to the conversations that his equipment in the corporate condo had captured had Tank questioning his decision to notify the Feds in the first place.

"Mr. Chambers, explain to us again how you came into possession of these recordings," the first agent said.

"As I mentioned when I contacted your Atlanta field office two days ago, and twice since you arrived here, I am responsible for all security and access for Armore. When I noticed unscheduled entry access at the condominium that the company owns on Peachtree Street, I began reviewing the security footage from the cameras installed there."

The second agent asked, "Your company allows audio and video recordings of people who use the condo?"

Tank nodded and said, "Only the entry is monitored visually so that we can verify who comes and goes. The condo is supposed to be reserved by any upper management employee who needs it for business purposes, whether for their own use or the use of a visiting guest. While the security camera's visual range is limited, as you can tell from the audio that its sound range is not as limited. The conversation you have been listening to took place in the living room, right off the foyer."

"And this is the complete, unedited recording from the time someone entered the condo until they left?" The first agent asked. "There isn't a chance that someone else entered before the three people shown?"

"Not unless they were invisible," Tank assured them. "The camera is motion activated. If you look at the security camera log, the only activity that day before the three vice presidents entering the condo was at 8:15 in the morning when the housekeeper came to inspect the unit for any required services."

The first agent nodded and continued, "You recognize the voice of each of the three individuals well enough the determine who spoke when?"

"Of course," Tank said. "The woman, Kelly Proctor is easy. The two men, Brent Mize and Evan Foster can be distinguished by the heavy New Jersey accent of Foster."

"Who are this Liam and Margaret Donahue that the three are discussing?" asked the second agent.

Tank sighed. He hated having to repeat himself, but he said, "Liam Donahue is one of the founders of Armore and the current CEO. Margaret Donahue is his daughter and the heir apparent to take over the company once her father retires."

"Who is Jordan Covault?" asked the second agent?

Tank shrugged and said, "I have no idea. I know that he doesn't work for Armore. I checked with HR."

"Well, the threats made against him and the Donahues are clear," said the first agent. "What isn't clear is just how credible the threats are. Hector Munoz is a reputed hitman for a couple of the Latino gangs on the east coast, so them mentioning his name specifically makes the likelihood of them being serious better than fifty-fifty. I'm not sure if this recording is enough for the US Attorney to want to move forward, but we'll take it to him tomorrow anyway."

The second agent asked, "Do you have any other recordings of these three individuals entering the condo?"

"I would have to go back to the access log and see when unregistered access occurred and then view the videos for those times to see if it was the same people," Tank explained. "I could let you know in a couple of days."

Holding up a USB flash drive that Tank had given him earlier, the first agent said, "We'll get a transcript of this recording sent out to our field office in New York to see if they have anything to add where Hector Munoz is concerned. Are you sure that you have no idea where Liam or Margaret Donahue might be? I got the impression from the conversation on the recording that the three people talking had a pretty good idea where they are."

"As far as I know, their current whereabouts aren't known by anyone in the company," Tank said. "If Mize, Foster, and Proctor know, they've kept it quiet. I would suggest that you talk to Janelle Sanders in our HR department since she is supposed to be very close to the Donahues, but she flew to California for a two-week vacation. Hang on though, I do have her cell phone number."

Tank looked up the contact information on Janelle that he had purloined and read the telephone number off to the FBI agents. "Please don't reveal that I'm the one who gave you her number."

~~~

"Isn't that your table?" Peggy asked Gabe as she led Janelle into her apartment. Gabe and her father were both seated at a dining room table that hadn't been there when she had left for work that morning. Each had a glass in front of them that explained the pitcher of margaritas in the center of the table being only half full.

"Yep," Gabe replied. "Liam helped me move it and the chairs over while we were waiting for you to get back. I assume the lovely lady with you is the infamous Janelle?"

Janelle closed the front door and walked quickly over to embrace Liam Donahue, who had risen from his seat after his daughter and Janelle had entered. He gave Janelle a fatherly hug and bent his head down to accept the kiss on his cheek that he knew Janelle would want to give him.

Peggy was hugging Gabe and kissing his lips, so Janelle waited her turn. When Peggy stepped back, Janelle took her place in Gabe's arms for a welcoming embrace. She said, "As long as Pegs is happy, you and I will get along just fine. Hurt her, and your fancy military plane won't get you away from me fast enough or have enough weaponry on it to save you."

Gabe looked at Peggy, who had an "I told you so" look on her face and he laughed.

Janelle looked offended and said, "You think something is funny, Mr. Hotshot former United States Marine Corps aviator?"

Gabe couldn't help it. He laughed even harder. It took Peggy pulling Janelle back a few steps to keep him from getting a swift kick between his legs. As it was, her foot only missed him by inches.

"Settle down, Jan," Peggy said. "He's laughing because I had told him what your first words to him were going to be and you matched then almost verbatim. Then you used the phrase that I told you I had penned for him and it tweaked his funny bone even more."

Gabe was still trying to calm his laughter when Janelle said, "Well, alright then, but I meant every word of what I said even if Pegs forewarned you that I was going to say it."

Gabe smiled and said, "Your warning is duly noted, as is your willingness to carry it out. Now, will you allow me to carry your suitcase to your room for you?"

Peggy answered before Janelle, "I'll take care of it while you pour us each a glass of the margaritas that you mixed in that pitcher. Please don't salt the rim of Janelle's glass. I'll be back in a second so you can explain to me why there is now a dining table in my apartment."

When they returned from the guest bedroom, Janelle took the seat next to Liam while Peggy took a seat on Gabe's lap. She felt that it was important that he know that nothing in her heart had changed towards him today and hoped that the reciprocal was true. When he reached up to remove the single clip holding her hair on top of her head, and then used his hands to fluff the locks as they fell, Peggy felt reassured. Feeling his face nuzzling against her hair around her neck as he whispered, "I missed you," convinced her.

Gabe turned his head towards the kitchen and said, "I forgot. There is a vegetable tray in the refrigerator if anyone wants an appetizer before dinner."

"I'll get it," Peggy said as she quickly rose and headed for the kitchen. "What made you decide to fix a veggie tray rather than wait until we get to the restaurant?" Then, she saw the steaks sitting on the counter and added, "Has there been a change in plans for dinner tonight?"

"Gabe and I thought that it would be more comfortable and convenient for everyone if we ate in tonight," Liam said. "I'll go out and start the charcoal in the grill in a few minutes. Potatoes are baking in Gabe's oven so that we don't heat this place up."

Peggy returned with the vegetable tray and set it in the middle of the table. She nudged Janelle and said, "How do you think we should deal with these men making so many decisions without consulting the women folk?"

Janelle giggled and said, "If all of their decisions are as good as this margarita, I say we give them a pass this time."

The corner of her lip was turned up as Peggy took the chair next to Gabe and picked up her margarita. After taking a sip, she said, "Maybe if they explain some of their decisions, I will agree to give them a pass. For example, why is this table here rather than in Gabe's apartment?"

"That was Liam's suggestion," Gabe said. "When I was getting him settled in my place, I was telling him about how you make such great things for breakfast. We started discussing the seating arrangements for eating here versus my apartment and he thought that the table would serve us all better if it was moved over here. He will have the barstools at the counter at my place for anytime that he wants to eat something alone. We'll have the table here for when three or more of us want to eat together. It made sense, so I agreed."

Peggy smiled warmly at her father and said, "Good idea, Dad. Thanks."

"We're all going to be sharing these two apartments for a couple of weeks," Liam shrugged. "We might as well make them work for us all during that time. Things can revert to normal afterward if you and Gabe choose. I better go check the potatoes in the oven. They should be just about ready."

Peggy rose and said, "I can do that, Dad. You're our guest."

"Bullshit," Liam said. "This is my home just as much as the house in Dunwoody is your home. Just because I am visiting, that doesn't make me a guest. Am I right, Janelle?"

"Absolutely, G.G.," Janelle exclaimed. To Peggy, she said, "The minute that you treat me like a guest is the minute that I go find a hotel room. We've always shared our homes, and this place is no different. Come on, G.G., I'll help you check the potatoes."

Peggy and Gabe sat silently as Janelle and Liam headed next door hand in hand. Peggy watched them with a curious look on her face. Once they were alone, Gabe asked, "You aren't upset that we're eating here tonight, are you?"

Peggy leaned over and kissed his cheek, "Not at all. I agree that it will be more comfortable and convenient for everyone. Is my dad all settled in?"

"Oh yeah. He's commandeered my apartment as if it were his own. I really like him, by the way. Why did Janelle call hin 'G.G.'?"

"I'm glad," Peggy said. "Although, I wasn't entirely certain how he would treat you. You're the first guy that he's had to share his daughter's heart with. 'G.G.' stands for 'Gallowglass'. They were a class of elite mercenary warriors in ancient Scotland and Janelle always teased my dad about looking like he could have been one of them."

Gabe chuckled and said, "Well, he seems to be believing whatever lies you've told him about me, so for now, we're getting along just fine."

Laughing with him, Peggy said, "Oh, he's a pretty good judge of people on his own, so don't give me any credit for him liking you. I know that he trusts my judgment, but he trusts his own a lot more."

"So," Gabe asked, "If your father is some a Scottish Baron, or whatever, does that also make you royalty?"

Peggy laughed and said, "You're confusing royalty with nobility. Courtesy titles of nobility in Scotland are applied to the owner of certain long-established Scottish estates. Our family still owns an estate called 'Lauriston' so my father holds the courtesy title of 'Liam Donahue, Laird of Lauriston'. As his daughter, I would be considered 'Margaret Donahue, Maid of Lauriston'. Neither of us takes the titles seriously, but we do sometimes tease each other with them. Janelle will get snarky at times and insist on curtsying when I walk into a room or something, but it's all in fun."

Gabe grinned mischievously before getting serious again. He said, "His Lairdship told me about the investigation that you got started while working at Armore corporate as an intern and how that led to you relocating out here. He never got around to explaining why he didn't just fire those involved."

"The suspected conspiracy was only part of my motivation, although it did influence the timing of my relocation. Once I discovered the embezzlement and stock purchases taking place, I took what I had learned to the FBI. They are the ones who feared that terminating any of the conspirators would tip them off to the investigation. That would make the money and securities harder to recover. Both my father and I thought that we should distance ourselves from the conspirators while the FBI and SEC conducted their investigations. He took off on the extended business trip and I moved out here."

"He said that the Feds are preparing the indictments next week," Gabe replied.

"Really?" Peggy said. "I wasn't aware of that."

"That's what he said. He also seems concerned that certain people learning where you are could put you at risk. Were you aware of that?"

"Life is full of risks. That's what I told the FBI Special Agent who I presented the evidence I had uncovered when he had mentioned the possible threat of retaliation by the conspirators. Even if they find out where we are, they don't know that we suspect them or that the Feds are ready to drop a net over all of them, so I think we should be fine until the indictments are ready and they are taken into custody. Hopefully, that will happen next week."

"Liam didn't explain why you became suspicious in the first place."

Peggy finished her margarita and waited while Gabe refilled both of their glasses. She then explained, "Janelle got me started originally. She was appointed by her manager to coordinate the yearly United Way campaign for Armore. While reviewing the past employee participation in the campaign, she discovered that the New York operation had seen far lower employee participation as a percentage of the total number of employees there. I was interning in the financial department at the time, using Peggy Arthur as my name. When she asked me to review payroll records to see if the New York employees were burdened with higher mandatory deductions than our other locations, that is when I used my backdoor access credentials to review the security records and discovered that almost half the employees on the books for the New York operation never accessed the facilities there. That led to me discovering the embezzlement scheme. The FBI office in New York started tracking the embezzled funds, and when this led them to the fraudulent stock purchases, they got the SEC involved."

Janelle opened the front door and held it for Liam to enter, carrying a large bowl with four potatoes still wrapped in aluminum foil. He took the bowl into the kitchen and set it on the counter. "These should stay hot while I grill the steaks," he said. "I know how Janelle and Margaret like their steaks, but how about you, Gabe?"

"Medium. Do you need any help getting the grill ready or anything?"

"If you can direct me to a lighter or some matches, I think that Janelle and I can handle the rest while you and Margaret continue talking."

Peggy said, "There is a lighter that I use for candles in the last drawer on the right."

Liam retrieved the lighter and said, "Great. Let's go get the charcoal started, Janelle. You might as well bring the steaks along with us."

"I'll be right behind you, G.G.," Janelle replied as she walked into the kitchen. "Pegs, where is a platter that we can put the steaks on once they're ready?"

"In the cupboard next to the microwave," Peggy instructed.

Janelle found the platter, grabbed it along with the steaks, and hurried after Liam. As soon as they were alone again, Peggy looked into Gabe's eyes and asked, "Are you okay with learning about me being Margaret Donahue? I mean, I'm still the same person that I have always been around you, but does my deception at work change anything between us?"

Gabe stood and encouraged Peggy to stand with him. He took both of her hands into his and said, "My trust in you is unwavering, and my love for you is undaunted. I'm sure that we'll have to make some decisions about our future as a couple, but I don't fear those. In fact, I welcome them. I am the lucky guy that you will be making them with. You make me a better person."

"You love me?" Peggy whispered.

Gabe simply nodded. Peggy threw her arms around his neck and pressed her body fully against his as she said, "I love you too, Gabe, and I also love us as a couple."

Gabe was preparing to respond when he saw an epiphany in the expression that appeared on Peggy's face. Before he could ask what was on her mind, the front door opened.

"We forgot something to turn the steaks," Janelle said as she came through the door.

Before Janelle could reach the kitchen, Peggy jumped up and intercepted her. "Gabe can take the barbeque utensils out while you and I have a little chat."

She walked past Janelle, opened a drawer, and pulled out a packaged set containing long-handled utensils. Handing it to Gabe, Peggy said, "Please give Janelle and me a few minutes."

Gabe lightly kissed Peggy on the lips, and then silently exited the apartment.

Peggy took a nervous-looking Janelle by the hand and led her to her previous seat at the table. "Sit," she instructed. Walking around the table to be across from her best friend, Peggy began speaking before she had taken her seat, "Okay, spill it. How long has it been going on?"

Janelle wouldn't meet Peggy's eyes. She glanced around, almost as if she was exploring her escape options. Peggy watched her best friend for several seconds before asking, "How could I not have known? What would make you want to keep it secret from me?"

Janelle sighed and finally looked at her friend. "You're asking a lot of questions, but I can understand that. I guess I should start at the beginning. Just promise not to hate me. Please. I never wanted any of this to come between us."

Peggy reached across and took both of Janelle's hands into hers. She said in a consoling tone, "Janelle, I am not upset. I am just curious. Tell me how long it has been going on. I promise that I won't get mad."

"Eight years," Janelle answered nervously. "Soon after my seventeenth birthday. However, I know now that it really started for me long before then."

"Why then?" Peggy asked.

"I couldn't avoid my feelings any longer. Do you remember when I was going to the counselor when we were teenagers?"

"Of course," Peggy answered. "You went to the lady in Flowery Branch and had to get out of classes early to make your appointments."

Janelle nodded and said, "Just like you, the sessions started as a way for me to deal with my grief over Eddie's death, and they did help with that. However, by the time I was fifteen, I started having to deal with another emotional challenge; being in love with my best friend's father. I knew that my feelings for Liam were different than the feelings that I had for my own father, but I didn't understand them at the time. That confusion was coupled with my guilt over not being able to share my feelings with you."

"And what about my dad?" Peggy asked.

"Well, obviously he tried to convince me, and himself, that what we felt for each other was platonic. Shortly after my seventeenth birthday, I decided to confess my feelings to him. You were taking summer classes at UGA, so he and I spent a lot of time alone together. As much as he tried to convince me that what I felt wasn't romantic love, the more I tried to convince him that it was. I had been discussing my feelings with my counselor for almost two years by that time and she had been the one to encourage me to broach the subject with Liam. He was so worried about taking advantage of me, that he started seeing my counselor to help him understand that his feelings for me were different than his feelings for you, and to eventually accept it. Even then, it took him a few more months to get past the twenty-five-year age difference and to give our relationship a chance."

Peggy could understand the age difference as something that would weigh on her father, almost as much as him being in a relationship with his daughter's best friend. It would be much easier for him to deal with any confusion or guilt that he had felt over their relationship than it would be to deal with the biological age difference and how this could eventually impact Janelle.

"I gave myself to Liam for the first time the weekend following my eighteenth birthday," Janelle continued. "You learned that I had lost my virginity when you came back from your trip to Scotland that summer, but you always assumed that it was that Tim guy that you had seen me dating. I have never had sex with anyone other than Liam, and I never want to."

Peggy was shaking her head and verbalizing the biggest question in her mind, "How could I not have known? For eight years!"

Janelle shrugged and said, "We didn't know how to tell you or how you would react, so we've been extremely discrete. It was easier when you were still attending classes at UGA and living in Athens. Liam and I hardly ever interact at work, so there was little chance of us giving ourselves away by our actions there. You didn't know it, but your dad owns a condo two floors below yours. All the dates that you thought that I was going on were usually me meeting up with Liam. There have been several times when we wanted to tell you. Liam almost broke down and outed us to you when he bought you your Miata. He is such a warm, generous, and loving man, it really eats at him to not be able to give me the gifts that he wants to. He had a red Miata, the same as yours on order for me that I had to talk him out of buying."

Peggy wiped a tear from Janelle's cheek and said, "As I have discovered with Gabe, the heart doesn't care about timing; it only cares about what makes it beat. Anyway, you don't have to hide from me any longer. I assume that you would prefer to sleep with my dad rather than in my guest room, right?"

Janelle's eyes grew wide and had more tears appearing in the corners. "If you and Gabe wouldn't mind, that would be my preference. Liam and I haven't been together since he left on his extended business trip."

Peggy stood and started for the guest bedroom, "Then come on. It's a good thing that you hadn't started to unpack yet. We can get all of your stuff moved over before dinner."

Chapter Seven

"Thud"

The sound reminded Hector Munoz of the fireworks exploding off in the distant sky over the Killington ski resort.

A gag shoved into his mouth and secured with a strap of some sort around his head muted the scream from Jordan Covault. The sound reminded him of that made when the ax hit the end of a log that had been placed onto the tree stump to be chopped. The ax was currently in the shed. He and Vince had finished chopping all the wood that they would need during the warmer summer months at their remote vacation retreat. Their rustic A-frame house was in a secluded forested area just south of Killington Peak.

Tears ran down his cheeks as Jordan's eyes met those of his life partner and lover, Vince Covault. There was pain and fear in Vince's eyes, but they held no recrimination toward Jason for the torture Vince was enduring. Breaking eye contact, Jason glanced to the ground at the still twitching left hand that had just been severed at the wrist by a machete. Tears and sweat glistened on Vince's face, pooling in sections where they met the strap securing the gag in his mouth.

While the man holding the machete, blood dripping from the blade, stepped back from the stump, another man repositioned Vince's kneeling body so that his right hand could be placed onto the tree stump. Hector leaned down to speak into Jason's ear.

"The machete is unforgiving, and so am I. His right hand is next. That will be followed by his feet, one at a time. We'll keep moving up each of his limbs until the only thing left is his head. My compadres know how to keep him alive so that he feels everything, and you will sit here and watch."

Hector removed the gag from Jason and asked, "Where are the Donahues?"

Sobbing, almost hysterical, Jason cried, "I told you that I don't know their physical location. All I know is that Liam Donahue has scheduled a shareholder meeting to be held on July 14^th. The location for that hasn't even been announced yet."

"Don't lie to me!" Hector threatened. "Your secretary told me that you spoke with Margaret Donahue just a few weeks ago."

That explained how these men had found him and Vince, Jordan thought. Constance Ward, his trusted assistant must have been forced to disclose it. Jordan knew that Constance wouldn't have volunteered any information to these men, and he shivered to think of what unspeakable things they had done to get the information from her.

"Yes," Jordan said, "I did speak with Margaret Donahue, but that was over the phone. She never told me where she was calling from and I didn't ask. She could have called me from anywhere in the world."

Hector believed Jordan. If he knew where the Donahues were, he would have screamed the location before watching his lover lose his hand to the machete. Regardless, Hector was being paid to get results, so results he would get.

"Your assistant said that you have been working from your house here. Is that correct?"

Jason sobbed and said, "Yes, Vince and I both have small offices that allow us to work while we are here."

"Then you have the access required to move the securities held by the Donahue trust to someone else," Hector stated rather than asking. "Your lover will remain here with my compadres while you and I go into the house and you transfer the securities as I instruct you."

Jordan was shaking his head and said in a pleading voice, "I can't. The securities have already been reported to the SEC as transferred. I no longer have the rights that would allow me to transfer them someplace else."

Hector simply glanced at the man with the machete and nodded.

"Thud."

"NO!" Jordan screamed. "I truly have no control over the securities any longer. They are being transferred from the trust to Margaret Donahue on her twenty-fifth birthday as the terms of the trust dictates."

Grabbing a handful of Jordan's hair and pulling his head back to force his eyes on his own, Hector asked, "When is her birthday?"

"July 11^th," Jordan moaned. The angle at which his head was being held made it difficult for him to speak. "One week from today."

"So, she doesn't have them yet. What is the problem with transferring them?" Hector asked with a smirk as he released Jordan's head.

"The securities are in a type of escrow account right now," Jordan tried to explain. "Notifying the SEC of the pending transfer triggered the brokerage house that has them to secure them from transfer or trading until the new registered owner provides them with further instructions. No one can do anything with those securities until Margaret Donahue takes control of them."

Hector stared at Jordan's bowed head and sob racked body as he stepped over to where their cars were parked and pulled out his cell phone. After a brief conversation with someone, he returned to stand in front of Jordan.

"You are certain that you do not know the current location of the Donahues?" he asked Jordan.

"I swear that I don't," Jordan pleaded.

"And you are also certain that you cannot transfer the securities held in trust for Margaret Donahue?"

"No one can transfer them until Margaret takes control of them on her birthday," Jordan confirmed.

Hector simply turned and nodded once more to the man holding the machete. The "whoosh" of the blade as it moved through the air was the last sound that Vince Covault would ever hear before his head joined his hands on the ground.

Jordan's bound body fell to the ground as his guttural screams tore through the night air. Hector turned and stood above him as he said, "Then you are of no use to me."

~~~

"Why would some El Salvadoran gang want to assassinate Liam and Margaret Donahue?" Janelle asked.

When she had finally turned her cell phone back on July 4^th after her flight to California the day before, there had been two voicemail messages from some FBI agent in Atlanta requesting a return call. After Liam had showered and dressed on July 5^th, she encouraged him to go to Peggy's apartment for breakfast, while she had returned the calls.

The FBI agent explained that they had reason to believe that there was a conspiracy underway to have Liam and Margaret Donahue assassinated. The FBI was seeking her assistance in locating the Donahues to warn them of the threat.

The FBI agent said, "Our file on this Hector Munoz indicates that he typically sub-contracts any 'wet-work', jobs that might involve bloodshed, to one of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 gangs in proximity to where the work is to be carried out. MS-13 began in Los Angeles and they still have their largest presence in Southern California, which is where the conspirators seem to believe the Donahues are currently. So, once again, do you know where either Liam or Margaret Donahue are at the present time?"

"I might," Janelle said. "I would need to confirm a few things first. Let me get back to you later this morning."

Before the FBI agent could reply, Janelle ended the phone call. She quickly walked next door to Peggy's apartment where everyone was waiting for her to join them for breakfast.

Janelle sat next to Liam and said, "I may need your help with something."

"What?" Liam and Peggy replied at the same time.

"I need to call Tank Chambers and ask him to share something with me. He may question why I want to see it and offer some resistance based upon my role in the company. While I don't want him to know that I am with the two of you, I may need one of yours's authority in order for him to agree to send it to me."

"What do you need him to share?" Peggy asked.

Janelle sighed and said, "I just spoke with a special agent with the FBI office in Atlanta. Based upon what they saw and heard on a recording that Tank provided them, they feel there is a credible assassination conspiracy threat where you two are concerned. They want me to help them locate you. I think that you need to watch the recording yourselves to see whether or not it is something to take seriously. The FBI won't share it with me, but I might be able to get Tank to share it."

Liam said, "We can assume that it involves the same trio of conspirators that we have been investigating, but Tank will wonder why you want him to share it if you weren't in contact with us? He would naturally suspect that you were asking for it on our behalf."

"I have a better idea," Peggy said. "Dad, what was the last you heard on the indictments. Gabe mentioned that they are almost ready."

"Special Agent Holder informed me that the indictments would be ready by the seventh," Liam answered.

"So, two more days," Peggy said. "Janelle, did the agent that you speak with seem to know about the pending indictments?"

"If he did, he didn't mention anything about them."

Peggy said, "Everyone finish your breakfast while I make a call."

Without waiting for a response, Peggy quickly rose from her seat next to Gabe, retrieved her cell phone from the kitchen counter, and walked into her bedroom. Finding the desired contact on her phone, Peggy initiated the call.

"Blanton," was the response as her call was answered.

"Special Agent Blanton, this is Margaret Donahue. Do you have a minute?"

"Ms. Donahue, are you psychic or something? I was just preparing to call you."

"Well, I'm glad that I could save you the trouble," Peggy said. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It concerns an attorney named Jordan Covault. I believe when you and I met you mentioned that he worked at the law firm that administered your trust."

"Yes, Jordan is the attorney that I selected to oversee the trust. Why?"

"The body of a woman identified as a Constance Ward was found last evening floating in the East River. NYPD contacted our office due to the types of injuries that appear to have led to her death. We suspect that she was viciously tortured before her death. The injuries are suggestive of involvement by the local Mara Salvatrucha clique."

"Mara Salvatrucha?" Peggy asked. "You mean you think that MS-13 tortured and then killed this woman? What does that have to do with Jordan?"

"Constance Ward was Jordan Covault's assistant. I am leaving shortly for Vermont to investigate the reported mutilation deaths of two men found on the property owned by Jordan Covault. It appears like the deaths of Constance Ward and the two men might be related. If so, that could mean that they could be related to his relationship with one of his clients. You came to mind for me first."

"Oh, Jesus," said Peggy. She then explained the conversation that Janelle had with the agent from the FBI's Atlanta offices.

"Did she get the name of the agent that she spoke with?"

"She believes he said his name was Isaiah Norris," Peggy replied. "I can get the number that he left for her to call him back if you need it."

"No need," Blanton said after a few seconds. "I found him here in my directory. Let me give him a call real quick and then I'll call you right back."

"Okay. Thanks," Peggy said.

All eyes were on Peggy as she carried her cell phone back out to the dining room table and took her seat beside Gabe.

Peggy glanced around the table and said, "One thing is for certain. I'm not going anywhere near Armore offices today. It looks like the threats made in the recording that Tank has are confirmed."

She explained the deaths in New York and Vermont to an astonished audience. When she had finished, Gabe place a protective arm around her shoulders and asked, "What are the chances that they know where you live?"

"I used the name 'Peggy Arthur' on my lease here as well as on all the utilities. As long as they don't tie Peggy Arthur and Margaret Donahue together, it would be tough for them to learn where I live."

"Bruce Goddard could point them to you," Liam said. "He's the only person at Armore besides myself and Janelle who currently knows you as both Peggy and Margaret. We need to get him isolated from the company for a few days. I'll call and instruct him to leave immediately for Georgia to join his wife there..."

Peggy's cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and then answered the call. Placing her phone on speaker mode so that the others would also be able to hear the conversation, she put her finger to her lips encouraging everyone to be quiet. She said, "Hello, Agent Blanton. I have you on speaker in case I need my hands to take any notes. Did you speak with your office in Atlanta?"

"Yes, but only long enough to arrange for a conference call later this afternoon. We need to get the two assistant US Attorney's working the separate cases together. The embezzlement and securities conspiracy cases that the indictments are prepared for will likely be modified to include the murder-for-hire conspiracy, but that's for the attorneys with the Justice Department to work out and it may delay the indictments by a few days. Now, I need to ask you something. Are you and your father in Southern California as the conspirators stated in their recording?"

Peggy glanced around the table at the faces of her father, best friend, and the man that she loved. She said, "Before I divulge our location, I would like to listen to the recording where the threats against us were made. How soon can you arrange that for me?"

"I would need to check with Atlanta, but the recording is certainly going to be too large to send to you in an e-mail. We'll need to identify a cloud server that it could be shared to so that only you had rights to retrieve it."

Gabe tapped Peggy on her arm to get her attention. He then mouthed the word "mute" and pointed to her phone.

Peggy understood and said, "Agent Blanton, hang on one second. I may have an option for you to consider."

She muted the call and turned to face Gabe. He said, "The FBI and NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, share information all the time. Ask if they can get the file to the Marine Corps West Field office of NCIS. Since that is on Camp Pendleton, asking will probably confirm for them that you are in Southern California, but you would get to hear the recording much sooner. Plus, it would be secure."

Peggy glanced at her father, who was shaking his head. She said, "No, I don't like that option either. How about if we ask if there is a transcript of the recording that we can read. Do we really need to hear their voices?"

"That would work for me," Liam said.

Peggy unmuted her phone and asked, "Agent Blanton, is there a transcript of the recording that I could read instead of listening to the actual conversation between the conspirators?"

"Of course. Would you like it sent to your personal e-mail address?"

"That would be fine," Peggy said. "Let me review what was actually said and then I'll get back to you."

Agent Blanton said, "I'll send it right now. Please don't take too long. Once you've reviewed the threats made and associate them with the murders that we suspect are related to them in New York and Vermont, I think you will agree with our desire to place you and your father in protective custody until the indictments are approved and a judge issues arrest warrants that allow us to take the conspirators into custody."

"I'll review the transcript as soon as I receive it, and discuss it with my father. I'll get back to you, probably through e-mail since you said that you will be traveling to Vermont."

"Good point," Blanton said. "E-mail would be the best way to communicate with me for at least the rest of the day. I'll wait to hear from you then."

While Peggy disconnected the call, Gabe rose and said, "There are a few things that I need to take care of in my office before I head over to Armore. Call or text me if you need me for anything."

Liam held up a hand to get Gabe's attention. Once he had it, he said, "When you see Bruce, please relay my message that he should leave as soon as possible to join his wife in Georgia. Call me from your cell phone if he has any doubts about your authority to convey the message."

Gabe saw a fire in Liam's expression and believed that he understood its significance. He offered, "Why don't you and I chat while I gather my things? That way I'll be certain to get your message straight." He leaned down and kissed the top of Peggy's head before departing for his apartment with Liam following.

Janelle's cell phone rang. She glanced at the display and announced, "It's the main number for Armore in Atlanta." She placed the phone into 'speaker' mode before tapping the icon to answer it.

"Hello?"

The feminine voice on the other end was familiar but not recognizable to Janelle as it said, "Janelle Sanders, this is Kelly Proctor. I apologize for interrupting your vacation, but I need some information that I hope you can provide."

Although her boss' boss reported to Kelly Proctor, Janelle had very little interaction with the head of Armore's human resources department. Janelle glanced at Peggy before responding, "I don't have a lot of time right now, Mrs. Proctor. My boyfriend and I were just about ready to head out for the day, but I'll do what I can. What would you like to know?"

Dismissing Janelle's response, Kelly said, "I understand from Shantel Williamson that you were hired after your internship here largely due to a recommendation on your behalf from Liam Donahue. She also mentioned that you were friends with his daughter, Margaret Donahue, and in fact, you two had been classmates at UGA. Is that correct?"

Janelle watched for any signs of concern on the face of Peggy. Seeing none, she said, "Yes, Pe... I mean Margaret and I are friends. I didn't know about a recommendation from Mr. Donahue though."

Peggy had her eyes squeezed shut in response to Janelle's near mistake. She opened them slowly as she heard the conversation continue with no obvious signs that the brief slip had been recognized by Kelly Proctor.

Kelly seemed to have not even noticed as she said, "Oh yes, Mr. Donahue gave you a glowing recommendation. I have to say, after reviewing your performance appraisals since you started at Armore, his confidence in you was well placed."

Janelle said, "I'll have to remember to thank him the next time I see him."

"Yes, well, that brings us to the point of my call," Kelly said. "Being as close as you are with the Donahues, I am hoping that you might have some knowledge about where either of them might be at this time. I know that Mr. Donahue has returned from his business trip, but no one here at corporate has heard from him in weeks. I did hear a rumor that he visited our Southern California operation recently, and since you are vacationing in California, I thought that you might be in contact with either of them out there."

"California is a big state," Janelle replied. "I know that Armore has operations here in someplace called Fallbrook, but I would need to check a map to see if that is anywhere near where I am vacationing."

Kelly was silent for a few seconds before saying, "So, based upon your answer, I assume that you are not currently in contact with one or both of the Donahues."

Janelle considered her response before answering, "Margaret and I stay in pretty close contact but I don't know where she is or what she's doing every minute of the day or anything. Like, we chatted last night about my boyfriend but where she was never entered our conversation."

"But you do have a telephone number for her?" Kelly clarified.

"Sure, and she has mine."

"Would you mind giving me her number?"

Janelle winked at Peggy and said, "I have to believe that if Margaret wanted you or anyone else at Armore to have her personal cell phone number, she would have provided it. The next time I speak with her I will ask if she wants me to give it to you though."

Kelly was not pleased, as the tone of her voice clearly communicated. She asked, "When do you expect to speak with Miss Donahue next?"

"We don't have a fixed schedule or anything," Janelle tried to explain. "When one of us has something that we want to share with the other, we reach out to them, either by text or with a phone call."

"Well then, how about if you share with her my request to get in contact with her or her father as soon as possible," Kelly said. "Maybe you can send her a text message as soon as we finish our call?"

Janelle paused a beat before responding. She finally said, "I'll send her a text when my boyfriend and I are driving to our destination, but you shouldn't expect a response from me today even if I do get a reply from Margaret. We'll be out of cellular coverage in a few hours." Janelle was planning to turn her cell phone off as soon as this call was over.

"I understand," Kelly said. "Please get back to me when you have an opportunity to let me know if she received your message. Now, there is one more question that I have for you before I let you get back to your vacation. What can you tell me about a former intern here at corporate named Peggy Arthur?"

Peggy locked eyes with Janelle when she replied, "Corbin Baker asked me to assist Miss Arthur with finding a suitable position within Armore at the end of her internship. Why, is there a problem with her?"

Ignoring the question, Kelly said, "I understand that you found her a position within our operations in California. Is that correct?"

"I gave her a list of open positions within the entire organization," Janelle explained. "She decided on the ones that interested her and we then discussed her qualifications for each role. She chose a position in California and once I confirmed that she had the qualifications for it, I informed Mr. Corbin and he approved hiring her."

"So, you never discussed her qualifications for the position with Bruce Goddard?"

"No, I assumed that Mr. Baker had those discussions with Mr. Goddard," Janelle replied. "Why, is there some issue with her qualifications for the role?"

"I'm not sure yet," Kelly said, with an evasive tone to her voice. "I have several e-mail messages from Bruce Goddard asking about how Miss Arthur was vetted for the position. I am simply trying to establish the facts behind her recruitment and hiring before I reply to the messages."

Peggy and Janelle winked at each other before Janelle said, "I have it on good authority that Mr. Goddard is extremely pleased with the work that Miss Arthur is doing and that he views her as an asset to Armore."

"What good authority might that be?"

Janelle couldn't hide the laugh that escaped as she said, "The new General Manager of Armore, of course."

~~~

Growing through his teen years in Southern California, Gabe received the standard education in school and from community resource officers with the local law enforcement agencies on how to recognize the various gang hand signs common to the area.

The purpose behind this education was for the kids to know what types of hand signs to avoid when in public so that they didn't inadvertently flash a rival gang's sign where a member of another gang would see them and take offense. Several innocent teens had been beaten or shot by gang members for the simple mistake of using the wrong hand sign in the wrong place. Gabe remembered enough of this education to easily recognize the hand signals that the men posing as landscapers outside Armore's facilities were displaying to one another.

Standing beside Gabe at the window of the conference room, Bruce Goddard pointed and said, "Is that the helicopter that you were expecting?"

Glancing in the direction that Bruce had pointed, Gabe studied the approaching aircraft until he could distinguish the markings on it. He said, "They must have asked the San Diego Sheriff for air support. I had expected the Coast Guard if all of the Border Patrol helicopters were unavailable, but the Sheriff is an obvious option."

When the helicopter was close enough for the sound of its approach to be heard, several of the men posing as landscapers glanced up, which distracted them from noticing the two dozen immigration agents suddenly appearing to block the driveways with a half dozen large, official SUV's.

Both men watched the surprised reaction of the Hispanic landscape workers as they quickly became aware of the immigration raid targeting them. A few glanced around furtively, searching for a path of escape that would allow them to avoid apprehension, but when their colleagues pointed to the hovering helicopter, their shoulders sagged in acceptance of their fate.

Bruce said, "You mentioned that your contact at the San Onofre checkpoint would send some agents over from there. They can't have that many agents available at that one checkpoint."

Gabe nodded in agreement, "I guess my telling them that the guys here were possible MS-13 members caused them to pull agents from the Temecula, and possibly even the San Ysidro checkpoints. They seem to have brought enough cowboys to handle whatever happens at this rodeo."

While they couldn't hear what commands the Border Patrol agents were yelling at the landscapers, it wasn't hard to figure them out as Gabe and Bruce watched the workers place their hands on top of their heads and drop to their knees.

"They're going to know that someone here must have reported them," Bruce said.

"Probably," Gabe agreed, "but if they're stupid enough to use a landscaping service as their ruse to conduct surveillance on Armore when the landscaper actually contracted for this location had a crew here two days ago, then they might not figure out who notified the Border Patrol."

"True," Bruce agreed, "but you're not here that often. What tipped you off to them being phony?"

"When I was here for our last meeting two days ago, four of the visitor parking spaces were blocked by the regular landscaper's trailer. When I saw the name of the landscaping company on these guys' truck it was different. Then the fact that they were all just moving around the existing mulch and not really doing anything productive made me pay more attention to them. As soon as I saw them flashing hand signals to one another and paying too much attention to people coming and going from the building, I knew that they were probably here trying to see if one of the Donahues showed up."

Gabe had already told Bruce about the conversation that had transpired at Peggy's apartment with the FBI, as well as the instructions from Liam Donahue directing Bruce to join his wife in Georgia immediately. Bruce had spent the time since Gabe had contacted his friend with the Border Patrol booking a flight that would leave San Diego's Lindbergh Field in two hours.

"They should have the driveway unblocked in a few minutes," Gabe assumed. "Why don't I drive around to the shipping/receiving entrance and pick you up there?"

Bruce nodded and asked, "Do you think they have someone posted on the road who may try to follow us?"

"I suppose that might be a possibility, but even if they do, they won't be able to follow us far. I still have vehicle access to Camp Pendleton, so we can cut through there to get us to Interstate 5. They won't know which direction we're headed once we leave them behind at the gate."

"Sounds like a plan," Bruce said. "I'll pack up my laptop and meet you out back."

Gabe picked up his computer bag and said, "You said your house was across the street from Goat Hill Park. Is it faster to get to it from the Mission Avenue or the Oceanside Boulevard exit from the Five?"

"Oceanside Boulevard should be much faster at this time of day, both exiting the freeway and then getting back on it," Bruce confirmed as he led Gabe to the door. "We better hurry though since the traffic into San Diego is always unpredictable."

As they entered the hallway, Bruce prepared to head in one direction while Gabe would go in the opposite. Gabe paused and asked, "Will you have any problem getting a ride once you get to Atlanta?"

"If you'll allow me to use your cell phone when we get on the road, I'll call my wife to let her know of my planned arrival. I'm sure that either her or my son will be able to meet me at the airport."

One of the first things that Gabe had advised Bruce to do when they had met that morning was to turn his cell phone off. After relaying Liam's instructions and the reasons for them, Bruce understood that he, his family, and both of the Donahues would be safer if no one from Armore was able to contact him. If no one could confirm the rumors about the Donahues being in California, they would remain just that; rumors.

Bruce had taken the additional steps of turning his 'out of office' notification on for his e-mails and changed his office voicemail announcement to notify callers that he was on vacation. His senior managers were each told to run their own groups and to contact Evan Foster only if there was an emergency.

As Bruce turned to continue down the hallway, he smiled at the thought that if push came to shove, Peggy Arthur would be around to resolve any issues.

Chapter Eight

Peggy, Liam, and Janelle were growing impatient as they waited for the promised e-mail from Special Agent Blanton that would hopefully include an attachment of the transcript that Peggy had requested. Her laptop pinged announcing the arrival of a new e-mail message and all conversation between the three of them paused as Peggy checked to see who it was from.

She nodded and prepared to open the e-mail when she was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. Glancing at the caller ID, she recognized the main number for Armore's corporate offices. Peggy held the phone so that Janelle and her father could see the calling number, but left the phone call unanswered, and waited until the ringing stopped. She kept holding the phone as she opened the e-mail from Agent Blanton. As the attachment was launching, they all heard the ping on her phone indicating a new voicemail message.

"How much do you want to bet that call was from Kelly Proctor?" Janelle asked.

"How would she get my number?" countered Peggy.

Liam smiled and said, "She didn't call Margaret Donahue's number, she called Peggy Arthur's number. Play the voicemail and I am certain that's what you'll find. She probably had your employee information pulled after her earlier conversation with Janelle."

Peggy put her phone in speaker mode before retrieving the lone voicemail. It was indeed from Kelly Proctor.

"Hello, Miss Arthur. This is Kelly Proctor, vice president of human resources at Armore. I apologize for not reaching out to you sooner to personally welcome you to Armore, but I sometimes experience a delay in learning about new employees in our other locations. Anyway, if you would return my call at your earliest convenience, I would love the opportunity to discuss your future with our company and offer whatever assistance I can to help you maximize your career objectives with us. Please call me as soon as possible. Thank you."

Peggy disconnected from her voicemail and said, "Let's review the transcript before I return the call. I'm curious to know what she has to say to Peggy Arthur, but I want to do so armed with the perspective of what they have planned for Margaret Donahue and her father."

~~~

Kelly Proctor turned her attention back to her laptop as she heard Brent Mize and Evan Foster entering the private conference room adjacent to her office.

"Any luck reaching Bruce Goddard?" she asked.

Evan Foster took a seat at the small conference table directly across from Kelly and said, "Nope. He was in the office for only a few minutes before scheduling vacation time in the employee time management system, then without waiting for my approval, he left the office. He isn't answering his cell phone, receiving e-mail, or responding to texts from anyone."

"I thought you told him that he couldn't take any time off until after the New York operations had been fully transitioned to Fallbrook," Brent Mize said as he took the seat next to Kelly. "You did follow my instructions about that, didn't you?"

"Of course, I did," Evan assured them. "And, as soon as I saw his request from this morning come across the system, I declined it. Technically, he is AWOL but that doesn't do us any good if we can't contact him. We need to be able to find his wrists before we can slap them for taking unauthorized time off."

Brent just shrugged and turned to Kelly, "Have you had any luck tracking down Janelle Sanders?"

"Yes, I spoke with her earlier this morning." Kelly filled her two co-conspirators in on her conversation with Janelle.

"New General Manager?" Brent asked. "That isn't even a role with a job description, is it?"

"Actually, it is," Kelly confirmed. "It was one of the first job descriptions developed when Armore was taken public. It was the position held by Sarah Donahue until her passing. Her husband was CEO and she was General Manager, so they essentially shared the responsibility of running Armore. I can pull up the job description if you want to review it."

"E-mail it to us," Brent said. "Have you figured out who this mysterious new general manager is?"

"I haven't a clue," Kelly admitted. "There has been no paperwork submitted to indicate a new hire, I have confirmed that. The comment that Miss. Sanders made about this person implied that either Bruce Goddard or an employee in Fallbrook named Peggy Arthur know who it might be. I took the liberty of pulling up the personnel file on Peggy Arthur and I was just preparing to review it. Would you like me to put it on the projector so we all can see it?"

"That name sounds familiar," Brent said. "Go ahead."

Kelly hit the keys to toggle her laptop display to the external video port so that the image she was seeing would display onto the projector screen. The three heads turned to look at the screen and saw the photo of Peggy Arthur that was used for her employee badge.

Evan Foster chuckled and said, "That is one homely looking girl. She reminds me of the old saying, 'She's so ugly that a blow job from her would be considered anal sex'."

"Christ, Evan," Kelly exclaimed. "Curb your crudeness for a while. The girl obviously has some challenges where her appearance is concerned, but her looks are not what we're concerned with."

Kelly used her mouse to navigate to the first page of Peggy Arthur's personnel file. She silently read the scant personal data listed, focusing on her education and work experience. The two men were reading silently along with Kelly.

Brent spoke first, "That's where I recognize the name from. She interned in my department during her summer breaks from her post-graduate studies. I don't remember ever meeting her, but people on my team spoke favorably about her."

"Wait," Evan said. "Is she the new business data analyst that Bruce Goddard has been complaining about?"

"The one and same," Kelly confirmed. "Only, according to Janelle Sanders, she was informed by the new General Manager that Bruce has changed his opinion on Miss Arthur and now considers her a valuable asset for Armore."

"That's what makes you think that this Peggy Arthur may know who the new General Manager is?" Brent asked.

Kelly nodded and said, "Let's look at what we know: Liam and Margaret Donahue do a disappearing act for months for unexplained reasons; Margaret Donahue contacts the lawyer administering the trust that she is the sole heir to and provides him with instructions regarding the Armore securities controlled by the trust; We are hearing rumors that Liam Donahue visited the Fallbrook operation two days ago but can't find anyone to confirm that; Finally, this Peggy Arthur went from almost certain termination at the end of her probationary period to suddenly being Bruce Goddard's golden child. What could a visit to the Fallbrook operation by Liam Donahue have to do with that, if anything? I don't see any harm in speaking with Miss Arthur to see what she may know, do you?"

"How could someone, even a new General Manager be hired without your department being involved?" asked Evan.

"They couldn't," Kelly stated. "However, someone within the organization could be promoted, much like Brent did with you, without having to do the headcount justification and getting budgetary approval. As long as the head of the particular department has the budget for the position and there is an existing job description, my department would just make the necessary modifications in the payroll and employee management systems. Even these would not prevent someone from assuming their new role while the system modifications were pending."

"Wouldn't a General Manager position require approval of the board?" asked Brent.

Kelly shook her head and said, "Under the existing job description, the GM reports directly to the CEO. Consequently, board approval of the CEO empowers him or her to select the GM without board approval. The GM does not sit on the board either, but is typically required to attend all board meetings to present updates on operations or answer questions from the board."

"Promoted from within the organization," Brent postulated, "would mean that one of the senior VPs or someone at our level of the organization would likely have had to be considered. I know that no one mentioned the GM role to me, but have either of you heard anything from Corbin Baker or Angela White? They're the other two senior VPs and the most likely candidates for a promotion such as this."

"I considered them," Kelly said, "but Angela claims to know nothing about the new position, and Corbin is still unavailable to take calls while on his vacation cruise. Of course, one or both of them could be sworn to secrecy and are waiting for the official announcement before saying something."

Brent and Evan looked at each other before Brent said, "Go ahead and call this Peggy Arthur..."

"I already did," Kelly informed them. "I got her voicemail and left her a message. I then checked the system and saw that she logged on this morning and took personal days for the rest of the week. I don't know if she will be checking her voicemail before Monday, but I hope so."

"How did she have paid time off already?" Evan asked. "She hasn't been with Armore for ninety days yet."

Kelly sighed in frustration and said, "If you remember, the policy of personal days is different from vacation days. Every employee regardless of their role or seniority is allowed five paid personal days each year, effective from their date of hire. Vacation time accrues differently based upon seniority and employees are not eligible to take vacation time until they have been with the company for at least six months. She requested personal days, which she is entitled to, and it was approved by Bruce Goddard before he left the office this morning."

"Look," Brent said, "we need to get a handle on this situation and I'm open to suggestions on how we can accomplish that. We have less than two weeks to get majority control of the stock. With the thirty-eight shares that we have directly in hand, we still need at least thirteen more shares and the only source for those is the trust for Margaret Donahue. I verified that what the lawyer told Hector was true; the shares are being held at the brokerage and no action is permitted on them until the transfer to Margaret Donahue is complete..."

"And that will occur only a few days before the shareholder meeting," Evan added. "If Hector's people can find Margaret Donahue, they would have to hold her someplace until she gets control of the stock on her birthday, but we would still need something to threaten her with in order to get her to do as we want. Getting ahold of Liam Donahue would allow us to use him for ransom, but if Janelle Sanders is as close as she appears to be with Margaret Donahue, she might be an alternative in case Hector can't locate Liam. What do you think?"

Brent answered, "As we discussed, we're probably past the point where holding one of the Donahues or someone close to them to force a transfer of the required shares could be accomplished in time. I think that we're in agreement that eliminating both of them before the shareholder meeting is our only alternative. Their combined fifty-one percent of the shares would be tied up in the probate of their estates and not eligible to vote. That would leave our thirty-eight percent as the majority."

Kelly voiced her apprehensions, "Look, guys, we need to make certain that we are insulated from whatever happens to the Donahues or anyone else that gets in Hector Munoz's way while he is trying to find them. I know that Evan insists that the payments and arrangements made so far can't be tied back to us, but the more involved that we become ourselves in trying to locate the Donahues, the more likely it is that our interest will come up during any future investigations."

Evan waved a dismissive hand and said, "It is perfectly reasonable for any or all of us to be making inquiries into the whereabouts of Liam Donahue since we technically work for him, and our concern over his disappearance would be expected. Similarly, when not finding any information about his location, our searching for his daughter would also be expected..."

Brent cut Evan off and said, "You're both right. To Evan's point, we would raise more suspicion if we didn't make any inquiries. To Kelly's point, we need to be certain to phrase all inquiries as professional and company-related only. I think we're okay on both points right now."

After Kelly and Evan nodded silently in agreement, Brent looked into Kelly's eyes and continued, "What are we going to do about your husband?"

"We're not going to 'do' anything about my husband. I have the divorce papers ready to be served within four hours of giving my lawyer the signal. I am leaving him the house and seventy percent of our financial assets in the proposed settlement. With no children for him to support and no alimony requested from me, he will recognize that he is getting a better settlement than if he challenges my decision to just walk away from the marriage. I expect that he'll shed a few tears and that will be the end of it. What about your arrangements?"

As Brent described the plot he had developed to ruin his wife's life rather than simply divorce her, Evan and Kelly both silently reminded themselves to never get on Brent's bad side.

~~~

"You own a yacht?" Peggy asked.

All his passengers looked out their windows as Gabe drove past the Armed Forces Reserve Center at Del Mar Harbor and found a space in the parking lot behind it. From there, they could see the numerous boats docked in the marina, the largest of which Gabe had indicated as their destination.

Gabe turned his truck off and unfastened his seatbelt before answering Peggy, but he was addressing all of them, "I have an arrangement that allows me to moor it here rather than in the public marina. This marina is part of Camp Pendleton. It is patrolled by Marine guards, and while the public could technically access it, the guards pay close attention to anyone who doesn't have a base decal on their windshield. Let me show you to the boat and then I'll come back for our stuff."

"What kind of boat is it?" Peggy asked as they walked towards the beautiful motor cruiser.

Gabe explained, "It's a sixty-five-foot conversion of a surplus U.S. Navy noise monitoring boat. Since it wasn't constructed for personal use, a lot of people wouldn't classify it as a yacht, but if they did, it would be considered a medium-sized motor yacht."

"Well, it's bigger than my brother-in-law's sailboat and he considers his a yacht," said Liam.

As they came into a position where the name of the boat could be read on its stern, Liam asked, "Is there a story behind the name, 'Ooh-Rah Eyrie'?"

Peggy laughed before Gabe could answer and said, "I would expect nothing less from a former United States Marine Corps aviator."

To her dad, she said, "'Ooh-Rah' is a greeting of sorts that Marines use. 'Eyrie' is a common term for the nest of the Osprey. I guess that roughly translated, the name would mean something like "Marine's Nest', and since Gabe used to fly an aircraft called the 'Osprey', it is a fitting name for his boat. But my Latin is a bit stale. What does the saying underneath the name mean?"

Gabe chuckled and kissed Peggy on her forehead before climbing aboard the boat, sliding a gangplank into place on the deck and directing Liam on where to secure the dockside end. When completed, he answered her question, "It's a play off of one the Corps earliest mottos, 'Fortitudine', which is Latin for 'with courage'."

"So, 'Nest with courage'," said Peggy as she, Janelle, and Liam walked aboard the boat. She stepped up to Gabe, pulled his face to hers, and said, "I have discovered that nesting with you requires no courage at all."

Kissing her on the lips, he simply grinned at her remark and said, "Follow me and I'll give you all a quick tour of her."

"Is it your intention that we all live on this boat until after the board meeting?" Liam asked. "How are we supposed to remain in contact with the FBI and others if we are out on the ocean?"

"Let me show you the bridge," Gabe suggested. "That will help explain more than my words alone would be able to do."

He escorted them across the deck to the door leading to the large enclosed bridge. After opening it, Gabe held the door so each of his guests could precede him into the space.

The boat's bridge was all business from what his guests could tell. Of the three, only Liam had spent any significant time on a boat, and those had been almost exclusively personal sailing craft. The impressive array of screens, gauges, controls, and other instruments present on Gabe's boat were as foreign to Liam as they were to the two women. There were several instruments at the front of the bridge that were recognizable for navigation and monitoring of the various systems on the boat. Behind the two swivel seats at the "helm", was a large map table that would easily sit the four of them as a conference table if needed.

Peggy remained beside him with an arm around his waist as Gabe explained. "A lot of the instruments still here are related to sound and vibration measurements. They're not exclusive to the military anymore, which is why I was able to retain them when I bought the boat. I thought that they might come in handy for tracking shoals of fish, or whales during their migratory seasons. I was right, at least about the whale tracking, which is why my boat is popular with the base schools and other organizations that I let use it for whale watching expeditions several times a year. That's why I get to use this marina instead of the public one."

"How does any of that help us remain in contact with the mainland while we are at sea?" asked Liam.

"This is a former U.S. Navy vessel," Gabe assured him. "The very construction of this boat had worldwide communications as a consideration, and all of that technology remains. For example, the trim along the roofline of this bridge shields an antenna array that will receive signals from any source less than twenty degrees under the visible horizon. If we keep the coastline in view, we will maintain connectivity with the wide-area network at Camp Pendleton. We won't be allowed access to the secure network, but we will be able to access the internet on the public nodes. You'll want to make use of a VPN when you do so, otherwise, your communications are wide open for anyone with the right equipment to view them."

"What about cell service?" Janelle asked as she strolled around the bridge looking at both the instruments as well as the view possible through all of the windows.

Gabe shook his head. "Cellular service degrades the farther we get from the coastline. You'll need to make certain that you have internet-assisted calling enabled on your phones if you want to use them reliably."

"Will we lose communication capabilities if we go too far to sea and lose sight of the coastline?" Peggy asked.

Gabe squeezed her waist and said, "No, we'll just have to use satellites if that happens. It's a little bit slower but pretty reliable. Who's ready to go below?"

Nobody voiced a reply, but it was obvious from the attention that they all focused upon Gabe that they were ready to follow his lead. Releasing Peggy, he used his foot to flip a handle on a hatch which then allowed him to slide it into a pocket in the wooden floor, revealing a stairway leading down into the boat. Gabe started down, followed by Peggy, then, Janelle, with Liam bringing up the rear.

As they all reached the bottom of the stairs and congregated in the salon area, Gabe continued explaining his boat, "I found out that this particular watercraft was being auctioned off as surplus after the Naval Submarine Base Bangor was merged with Naval Station Bremerton during the base realignments back in 2004. It turns out that a former admiral had pulled some administrative strings to keep this particular ship hidden in a sea of lost and misplaced paperwork, intending to have a few of his business associates procure it in the future."

"Why?" asked Liam. "What's so special about the boat that some former admiral would want it?"

Gabe said. "It is about the largest boat in the Navy that could be converted easily for personal use without requiring a professional crew to man it. It is a class-three motor cruiser with a displacement hull, powered by two 350-horsepower diesel engines. Her nominal cruising speed is around 20 knots, but she can go quite a bit faster if necessary. As you saw, the bridge is on the main deck, and there are two decks below. This first deck has been divided into two sections, the salon area here, where the galley and eating areas are located, and the main stateroom up there towards the bow. There is a half bath behind the stairway and a full bath inside the main stateroom. The lower deck holds the engine room, a storage area, and two nicely appointed staterooms that share a full bathroom."

Janelle asked, "So, how did you get ahold of it?"

"The admiral in question had resigned his commission in an attempt to avoid any charges related to the 'Tailhook scandal' over two decades ago..."

Liam interrupted, "Why would he fear charges from an incident that happened almost two decades ago?"

Gabe tried to explain, "He was a mere Captain at the time that the Tailhook scandal occurred. Although he was clearly implicit in the events at the time, his involvement was not disclosed in the Navy's investigation report because of his family's political connections. By retiring earlier than he had planned, the admiral was no longer in a position to keep the promises that he had made to the clerks hiding the boat, so they felt no obligation to do so any longer. One of them gave me a heads up to the auction details and I was able to cash out some other investments and raise the winning bid."

Peggy wanted to see the main stateroom but decided to wait for the private tour that she was certain Gabe would give her later. Instead, she said, "I understand how you came to own this boat, but I don't understand why. What would motivate a former United States Marine Corps aviator to buy a boat? I would think an airplane would be more your style."

Gabe chuckled and said, "I considered it, but any future desires for international travel that I might have would be limited with almost any small aircraft that I would be able to fly on my own. Their range just isn't far enough. While it wouldn't be smart to try taking this boat on a cruise to someplace like Tahiti by myself, one person can navigate it and run all the systems without assistance. I would just need someone to basically be a lookout while I slept. I couldn't make that trip in a plane or jet without a qualified co-pilot."

Pointing to a hatch in the floor behind the stairway that they had come down, Gabe said to Liam, "Why don't you open that latch so that you and Janelle can check out the lower level and select your accommodations? I'll show Peggy the main stateroom while you two do that. We can meet back here in ten minutes and then go unload the truck."

"Picking our stateroom is my job," said Janelle as Liam opened the hatch and allowed her to descend the stairs before him.

Gabe smiled down at Peggy and said, "Follow me into our stateroom, and I'll answer what you're too polite to ask."

Simply nodding and wrapping her left arm into his right, Peggy let Gabe take the lead across the salon area towards the large mahogany door that he had pointed to earlier. She released his arm to allow him to unlock the door with a key on the same keyring that he used for his truck and apartment keys.

"This is the only key," Gabe explained. "I keep this room off-limits to anyone that I let use the boat. We can leave it unlocked as long as we're on it."

"I wouldn't be opposed to locking it from the inside," teased Peggy.

"We can certainly do that," Gabe said as he swung the door open for Peggy to inspect the area behind it.

The main stateroom resembled a luxury hotel suite far more than any stateroom that Peggy had ever seen on an ocean-going vessel. The rich mahogany wooden walls were adorned with intricate scrolled molding and trim, with recessed lights that provided a warm glow. Gabe provided further illumination when he flipped a switch on the wall to turn on the lamps on either side of the queen-sized four-poster bed.

There were additional lamps next to the overstuffed chairs in a sitting area next to a closed door. There was a roll-top desk on the opposite wall, next to another closed door. Gabe walked to the door next to the sitting area and opened it, revealing a compact, but surprisingly luxurious bathroom with a shower large enough for two people. He left Peggy to inspect that room while he walked across and opened the door next to the desk. It revealed a large closet to hang clothes above a built-in dresser.

"I think I could be comfortable here for a while," Peggy said as she walked over to join Gabe at the foot of the bed.

Laughing, Gabe led her over to the chairs and urged her to sit. He took the other chair and silently gazed into her sparkling eyes for several seconds before speaking, "To answer your unasked question..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Peggy assured him. "What's yours is yours, and how you came about it isn't anyone else's business."

Although naturally curious, Peggy had learned that there were layers of Gabe that were gradually being revealed to her. He had patiently accepted her masking parts of herself, so she owed him the same patience. She looked forward to learning all there was to know about him, confident that in the end, she would love him more than she did now, and that was saying something.

Gabe simply nodded before continuing, "In 1985, Ted Waters and his brother Sylvester started Pathway Computers in Omaha, Nebraska with a $10,000 loan secured by their grandmother. That loan and most of the subsequent starting capital was provided by a former classmate of Ted's from the University of Nebraska, Geoff Lewis."

"Your father?" Peggy asked.

Gabe simply nodded and continued, "When my parents died in the auto accident, everything including all of the stock from Pathway Computers went into a trust for me, administered by my aunt, who was my mother's older sister. I already told you that I inherited the apartment complex from my aunt, but in reality, I inherited control of both trusts."

"That certainly explains how you could afford to buy a boat like this," Peggy said. Turning her attention to the direction of the bed, she asked, "Is that a water bed?"

"Check it out," Gabe replied.

He remained seated as Peggy rose and walked the short distance to stand beside the bed. Placing a hand onto the dark blue chenille bedspread she applied a slight amount of pressure. Turning back to Gabe, she asked, "Is it filled with air?"

She was so intent on waiting for her answer, that when her cell phone rang, she answered it without first checking the caller ID on the screen.

"Hello?" Peggy said.

"Is this Peggy Arthur?" the woman calling asked.

Peggy recognized the voice and contemplated disconnecting the call, but quickly surmised that she would have to speak with Kelly Proctor at some point, so why fight it now?

"Yes, this is Peggy Arthur."

"This is Kelly Proctor. I'm glad that I was able to make contact with you..."

"I received your voicemail message, Mrs. Proctor, and I appreciate your comments. What I don't understand is your interest in speaking with me while I am taking personal time off, however. That's why I hadn't yet returned your call."

Sounding only slightly flustered, Kelly Proctor said, "Yes, well, in addition to welcoming you to Armore, I have reason to believe that you might be able to assist me with something that has come up recently."

"Mrs. Proctor, I have only been in my position for a few weeks. I'm sure that there are any number of employees better positioned to assist you than I would be."

With a tone of obvious annoyance, Kelly Proctors replied, "That may be true, but I don't have the luxury at the moment of tracking someone else in a better position. What can you tell me about Liam Donahue visiting the Fallbrook operation on July 3^rd?"

Peggy assumed that the visitor log or a copy of it had probably made its way to Armore's corporate offices by now, so there was no reason to avoid this question. She said, "Mr. Donahue was waiting in the lobby when I arrived that day and asked me to escort him to Bruce Goddard."

"I was told that Mr. Donahue waited more than fifteen minutes to be escorted by you specifically rather than allowing another employee to escort him. Can you explain that?"

"Sure," Peggy said. "He wanted to ask me how I liked working in Fallbrook instead of Atlanta."

"How did he even know who you were?" asked Proctor.

"You would have to ask him that," Peggy said. "Is there anything else?"

"So, your only interaction with Mr. Donahue was you escorting him to Bruce Goddard?"

Peggy tried to keep the smile out of her voice as she answered, "No, I was invited to attend a couple of meetings where Mr. Donahue was in attendance."

"What were the subjects of those meetings?"

"I'm afraid that you would have to get that information from Mr. Goddard," Peggy explained. "He holds all of his direct reports to a strict confidentiality policy where his meetings are concerned. I couldn't divulge anything to you without permission from my direct superior."

"Miss. Arthur...Peggy, as a vice president of Armore, I give you permission to tell me about the meetings in question. I assure you that you will face no repercussions for doing so from Bruce Goddard."

"Oh, I'm not concerned about getting permission from Mr. Goddard. I would need permission from my direct supervisor."

With confusion evident, Proctor said, "I have your employee records in front of me, and they clearly state that Bruce Goddard is your direct supervisor..."

"Then I guess that the records haven't been updated yet," Peggy giggled.

There was an audible sigh of frustration from Proctor before she asked, "What would this update tell me? Who is your new direct supervisor?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to say. I believe that Mr. Donahue wants to wait until his announcement is made public before anyone comments on the changes."

Proctor was silent for several seconds before asking her next question, "Peggy, do you know where Liam Donahue is right now?"

"Yes, I do."

"Can you share that information with me?"

"Sure. He's with his daughter, Margaret Donahue, and some friends."

"And do you know where Margaret Donahue is?"

"Of course. She's with her father and some friends."

Trying and failing to disguise her growing anger, Proctor said, "Miss. Arthur, please quit playing these silly games. I didn't ask who either Liam or Margaret Donahue was with, I asked you if you knew where they were. That should be a clear indication for someone as intelligent as I have been led to believe you are that I am requesting to know their physical location."

"Mrs. Proctor, it should be clear to someone as intelligent as you think you are that I will not divulge a confidence entrusted to me without either the consent of the person entrusting me or suitable justification for breaking that trust. I have not received consent from those trusting me, nor have I received suitable justification from you. Is there anything further that I can assist you with before returning to my vacation?"

Kelly Proctor's voice became shriller as she said, "How is the risk of immediate termination from your position at Armore for disobeying a direct order to tell me where Liam or Margaret Donahue are located for suitable justification?"

"That might work," Peggy said. "Except for one small thing?"

"And what small thing might that be?"

"As of the afternoon of July 3^rd, Peggy Arthur no longer works for Armore. Goodbye."

Chapter Nine

"Your father would have made a great officer in the Marines," Gabe stated with undisguised admiration in his voice.

Peggy took her eyes from watching the seagulls, pelicans, and other birds on their sunrise quest for food and focused them on Gabe sitting on the helm chair beside hers.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he ascribes to the principal that patience is not passive, but rather it is concentrated strength."

"He certainly isn't weak or indecisive, if that's what you mean..."

Gabe reached over and took the coffee cup from Peggy's hand before walking to the coffeemaker and refilling both of their cups. After handing it back to her, he retook his seat and said, "It has nothing to do with his physical strength. Listen, you explained how the authorities advised you not to confront the employees at Armore who were suspected of embezzling the money to buy the stock, but you never mentioned how you were able to get your father to go along with that plan."

Peggy tried to recall the conversations that she and her father had shared when she first informed him of her discoveries. She finally said, "He didn't want to go along with the plan at first. He wanted to handle it personally, without consideration for whether or not the money and stocks would get recovered. He only agreed to it if we both remained out of the corporate offices so that we could prove that we were not anyway involved. That's why I took the position out here and he took off on his extended business trip."

"I had suspected that your father acquiesced to your strategy reluctantly," Gabe asserted. "When the only threat was financial, it was easier for him to leave matters in someone else's hands. Understanding how he feels now that there is a real threat to you or Janelle's safety is the main reason that I wanted us all to come and stay on the boat."

Peggy reached over and squeezed Gabe's hand as she said, "I understand. It should be much harder for anyone to find us on the boat. What I don't understand is why we are still docked in this marina. I would think that being anchored off the coast somewhere would be your objective if you wanted to prevent anyone from finding us."

Gabe squeezed her hand in return as he said, "Being on the boat should certainly make finding you all more difficult, especially since it is registered to my trust, but even more important, at least in the short-term, is that being on the boat while at sea makes it more difficult for your father to take any type of direct action against anyone attempting to harm you or Janelle. It took a lot of convincing, and I had to call in some big favors in order to get your father to agree to come with us instead of flying to Atlanta yesterday."

Before Peggy could ask for clarification or further explanation, Gabe's cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID before answering. The short, clipped conversation was over in seconds.

"Can you go down and let your father know that his visitors are here? I'll get coffee poured and ready for everyone after greeting them."

Peggy wanted to inquire about who was coming to visit her father but decided that she would find out soon enough. After giving Gabe a quick kiss, she scampered down the stairs to notify her father as requested. Liam Donahue didn't appear surprised at the announcement that he had visitors. The surprise was on Peggy and Janelle when he insisted that they remain on the lower decks while he met with the visitors.

Liam climbed the stairs up to the bridge and quickly slid the hatch closed before turning to see two strangers sitting at the map table as Gabe served them each a cup of coffee. A cup for Liam was placed across the table just as he took a seat.

"Gentlemen," Liam began, "my name i..."

"There's no need for introductions," one of the men interrupted. "You are the client and we are the contractors that you want to hire. We've already agreed on terms through Gabe as the intermediary, so there's no reason to muddy things up with names."

Liam glanced at Gabe, who nodded in return. "Fine, then. Gabe assures me that you gentlemen are the best at what I want to be accomplished, so what information do you need from me in order to consider the assignment that I am proposing?"

The second of the two men took a sip of his coffee and said, "Names are typically good enough to establish the 'who'. Other than that, you would simply need to tell us the 'what' you wanted doing and the 'when' you want it done by."

The first man added, "We don't need to know the 'why'." He slid a piece of paper across to Liam and continued, "Once the assignment is complete, you will need this information to find the correct website."

"That is acceptable," Liam assured them. "Now, let's start with a man named Hector Munoz. He is to be your first priority..."

Peggy and Janelle had assumed seats on the stairway as high as possible without having to bend over too far to keep their heads from hitting the closed hatch. They didn't dare speak to each other since they knew that their voices would likely be heard as clearly by the men above them as those voices were to them.

Listening in silence, they heard Liam provide his list of targets for the visiting men, who they had no doubt were being hired to dispose of individuals that Liam felt were a threat. Peggy wondered what role Gabe had played in bringing men like this in contact with her father and debated how to broach the subject with him later.

Eavesdropping on the conversation had provided the ladies with the "who", and they could pretty much ascertain the "why" from the reports that the FBI had been providing. The "where" was never discussed, and they could both understand when the "when" became, "As soon as humanly possible," as Liam had phrased it.

The remainder of the conversation was surprisingly brief. Peggy didn't have any experience in dealing with hired help such as these men, but their insistence that no payment was expected until the jobs had been completed seemed overly courteous until she heard them mention the fact that they owed Gabe more than a few favors.

Hearing the men walking across the deck, as well as the slight movement of the boat, as they jumped off onto the dock, let the ladies know that the meeting was over. They contemplated moving from their positions on the stairs but then decided that they wanted Liam and Gabe to know that they had heard the transaction taking place.

As soon as the hatch was opened, Peggy climbed out past her father who was climbing down at the same time. No words were exchanged as the two went in their opposite direction. When Janelle didn't join her on the deck level, Peggy assumed that she had remained below with Liam to have her own discussion about what they had heard.

Peggy saw that Gabe was outside of the bridge area, pulling the gangplank aboard and securing it to the deck. She was preparing to walk out to join him when he turned and headed back towards the bridge.

He gave her a smile and a quick kiss on her lips as he entered the bridge and headed to the navigation panel. As he turned a key and pressed a button, on the panel. Peggy felt more than heard the engines of the boat come to life. Gabe then turned to her and said, "If you want to help me release the mooring lines, we can get underway and discuss your questions a little faster."

Peggy nodded and said, "Just tell me what to do."

Gabe directed her to unwind the stern mooring line from the cleat on the dock and to just leave the rope on the deck. He would wrap it up after they were underway. He did the same with the mooring line at the bow. Both made quick work of their task and met back at the bridge, where Gabe took a seat at the wheel and prepared to slowly move the boat out of the marina and onto the open waters of the Pacific Ocean.

"Where are we headed?", Peggy asked as she climbed onto the seat next to Gabe.

"Just past the three-mile state boundary there is a decommissioned oil platform in federal waters that we can moor to indefinitely. By mooring to it, I won't have to set the anchor or have one of us maintain a watch at night."

"How do you know about this location?"

Gabe focused on safely navigating the maze of boats entering and exiting the marina before answering, "The Navy Seals out of Coronado use it for training on occasion."

Silently watching their transition from the marina, Peggy recalled in her mind all the inferences from her conversations with Gabe since they had met where a subtle mention of a more than professional brotherhood with members of the Navy Seals had been implied. First, there were the circumstances of his ex-wife's lover being possibly encouraged by "some of his Navy friends" to relocate. Then there had been more than a couple of instances where Gabe had described things which he had done to assist the friends or family of "some old Navy buddies". Finally, in further discussions about his years as an Osprey pilot, Gabe had alluded to spending time exploring the suitability of that aircraft for military special operations, which Peggy took to mean covert special forces operations, which likely had involved Navy Seal and possibly Marine Corps Force Recon units.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Gabe asking, "You want to know who our visitors were and what the meeting was about, don't you?"

Peggy turned to look at him. His vision was on the open sea before them, but she knew that he was sharing his focus and attention on her at the same time. "Janelle and I heard most of the conversation, so I think that we know what the meeting was about. What we don't know is who those men were and why certain decisions were made without discussing it with us."

"Liam is taking the threats against all of you personally. I wanted to find an option that allowed him to deal with the threats without him feeling that he had to personally handle them, which is what he was prepared to do. I introduced him to a couple of acquaintances who have the capabilities required to achieve the results that Liam is seeking without implicating any of us."

Peggy nodded and said, "A couple of special acquaintances with capabilities derived from their time as Navy Seals, I assume."

"You and Janelle don't need to know their background or anything else about them. That's why they insisted on only Liam and I meeting with them."

"So, you helped my father hire a couple of hitmen so that he wouldn't go after the people threatening us himself," Peggy stated.

"I put Liam in contact with some people who could help him with a problem. The methods to be used in resolving the problem were between him and those people. In fact, if you were listening, you know that Liam didn't specify how the problem should be resolved, just that it be resolved as quickly as possible."

Frowning, Peggy asked, "Do you really want to play a semantics game with me? Those men don't expect to be paid for anything other than eliminating the people that my father is sending them after..."

"They're not being paid," Gabe told her. "In exchange for their assistance, Armore will be making a sizeable donation to the Wounded Warrior Project."

Sighing, Peggy said, "I don't disagree with my father's actions, I just think that as his daughter, your fiancée, and the general manager of Armore, I should have been informed of your plans and afforded an opportunity to contribute my thoughts on the matter."

Gabe laughed and asked, "And as your fiancé, shouldn't I have been informed of your plans and afforded an opportunity to contribute my thoughts on the matter?"

Peggy leaned over and kissed his cheek before answering, "No. You're comparing apples and fire trucks. Besides, I already know your thoughts on the matter."

"Oh, do you? What are my thoughts?"

Standing behind her chair and wrapping her arms around him, Peggy said, "Your only thought is, 'As soon as humanly possible'."

Gabe tilted his head back for a kiss as he said, "You're good."

~~~

"What's the latest?" Brent Mize hollered when he heard the front door close and knew that Evan had finally joined him and Kelly in the condo.

The trio was supposed to get together over an hour ago, but Evan had wanted to meet with his contacts to get an update on the search for the Donahues. He could tell by the appearance of Brent and Kelly in the condo's king-sized bed that the two of them had been happily entertaining each other while waiting for him.

"I'm going to make myself a drink," Evan informed the others and waved a file folder at them. "Why don't you two throw something on and meet me in the living room."

"White wine, please," Kelly said as she disentangled herself from the sheets and headed for the bathroom.

Evan raised an eyebrow at Brent, who replied, "Just get me a beer. I'll be out in a minute."

Brent followed Kelly into the bathroom where Evan could already hear the shower running. He headed for the kitchen to prepare their drinks, contemplating how he wanted to present his findings. He trusted his decision on what had been revealed and what that meant, so he was curious to see if the other two would come to the same conclusions.

Brent had his pants on, but nothing else as he entered the living room area and took a seat in the chair next to the table where Evan had placed a beer for him. Kelly followed shortly after, wearing a terrycloth robe. She accepted the glass of wine that Evan held for her and then took a seat on the love seat. Neither spoke as they awaited Evan's update to begin.

Evan dropped the folder onto the coffee table that sat in front of Brent and Kelly and began, "Munoz finally found an employee of the alarm company for the Donahue house and did whatever it is that Munoz does to get cooperation from people. He was provided a maintenance code that allowed his people to enter the house and disable the alarm while they searched it."

"Don't tell me that they found one or both of the Donahues there?" asked Kelly with excitement.

"No, but they spend hours tearing the place apart trying to find something that would tell them where the Donahues are," Evan explained. "There wasn't much in the way of paperwork, receipts, or other documentation that would provide a trail to follow, but there were a few items, including the photos in that file folder there that I think tells us something."

Brent leaned forward and opened the file folder to examine its contents. There were three photos of Liam Donahue, two with one young woman and one with a different one. He held the pictures so that Kelly could also see them and asked, "Do you recognize them?"

"Kelly pointed to one of the two photos with the blonde girl and said, "That's Janelle Sanders, and when we heard that she was close to the Donahues, I didn't expect her to be THAT close."

The picture that Kelly was indicating was of a bare-chested Liam Donahue with a bikini-clad Janelle Sanders on his back, getting a piggyback ride while nibbling playfully on his left ear. It showed an obvious intimacy between the two of them, as did the second photo that showed the same couple walking hand-in-hand on a beach, staring lovingly at each other.

She pointed to the last picture of a young woman hugging Liam Donahue while wearing a graduation cap and gown, and said, "You should recognize that girl. She's the same girl in the photo in Donahue's office. It's his daughter, Margaret."

"So, what do these photos tell us?" asked Brent.

"By themselves, not much," said Evan. "But Munoz's guys also found these." He held up two sets of keys with alarm remotes attached to each set.

"What's the significance?" asked Brent.

Evan explained, "These are keys to two other units in this same building. I visited each before coming here and you're welcome to do the same if you want."

"Just tell us about them," Brent demanded, "Then we'll decide if it's worth visiting them ourselves."

Evan tossed both sets of keys onto the coffee table in frustration before taking a seat on the sofa across from Kelly. He said, "One set of keys is to one of the penthouse units. It is owned by the Donahues, but is the address in the employment file for Janelle Sanders. She apparently has a roommate, but indications are that the roommate has either moved out or is has been away for an extended period. There are some clothes in both bedrooms, but the ensuite bath for one of them is almost bare. The other bedroom is where Sanders must sleep because it has far more signs of recent occupancy."

"So, you surmise that the roommate is Margaret Donahue?" said Kelly. "That makes sense, and would explain why the bedroom for her didn't appear to have been occupied recently."

"We knew that Sanders and Margaret Donahue were friends, so this isn't especially Earth-shattering news," Brent said. "What about the second unit?"

Evan wanted to snarl at Brent's condescending attitude, but restrained himself and said, "If I hadn't visited the penthouse unit first, I probably wouldn't have given much credence to what I discovered in a unit four floors down, just two floors above where we now sit. There I saw signs that the unit was shared by both a man and a woman. An examination of toiletries and other items in the bathroom, as well as the woman's clothes present in this unit made it clear to me that Janelle Sanders spent time in both units, sharing each with a different person."

Kelly beat Brent to the question, "Who lives in the second unit?"

"Liam Donahue."

Kelly was about to ask another question but hesitated when Brent held his hand up to stop her. "Explain," he said.

Evan did so, "Those photos of Donahue and Sanders tend to indicate that old man Donahue and she have a relationship that is more than platonic. They could be staged to look that way, but we now know, or at least suspect, that Sanders slept in a condo owned and occasionally occupied by Liam Donahue. And before you ask, his unit is a one-bedroom with only a single king-sized bed. If Sanders was staying with him while he was there, they were sharing the bed."

Kelly would not be dissuaded by Brent's hand this time. She said, "If Janelle Sanders and Liam Donahue are lovers, as you are suspecting, then it is almost a certainty that she lied to us about knowing where he and Margaret Donahue are. I'll bet that she is actually with one or both of them right now out in California."

Evan was nodding as he said, "My thoughts exactly. I have already suggested to Munoz's people that they attempt to track Sander's cell phone's GPS to see if he can determine her location. They should know how successful that will be shortly. If that fails, they will try the same with Peggy Arthur's cell phone."

"Peggy Arthur?" Brent asked. "How does she fit in with what you learned?"

In response, Evan tossed a piece of paper onto the coffee table. It fluttered towards Kelly who picked it up and studied it. "This looks like Peggy Arthur. Why did you print out her picture?"

"I didn't," Evan said. "It was affixed by magnets to the refrigerator in the unit that Sanders shared with Margaret Donahue. Read what's written on the back."

Kelly turned the paper over and read aloud, "My BFF is a NERD!"

"Well fuck me," said Brent. "Margaret Donahue is Peggy Arthur..."

Kelly sighed and said, "Or Peggy Arthur is Margaret Donahue."

~~~

"Why did I let that bitch talk me into playing tennis in the fucking middle of July?" thought Hector Munoz.

He knew why. It was because he knew that agreeing to do something that she wanted was the surest way to get her to do something that he wanted, which was to fuck her married ass into oblivion. It was all part of his plan to seduce her and cuckold her prissy Wall Street husband while he was out sailing with his old college friends.

He was sitting on a bench in the men's locker room at the Middle Bay Country Club near Queens, New York, drenched in sweat from his recent tennis match. He savored the cool feeling when he removed his shoes and socks and set his bare feet on the concrete floor. Pulling the sweat-soaked shirt over his head was a challenge as it clung to his body. He had his arms extended over his head, attempting to get his head out of the shirt when he screamed in pain.

Dropping the shirt back down so that his head was no longer covered, Hector yelled, "What the fuck!"

A visibly upset man wearing a Tommy Bahama shirt, khaki shorts, and golf shoes stood in front of Hector offering his sincere and very conciliatory apology. "I am so sorry!, I was trying to step around those tennis shoes on the floor and accidentally found your foot instead."

Hector could tell from the man's accent and very proper way of speaking that he wasn't a native of Queens. Cradling his right foot in his hands, Hector did see that he had carelessly left his own shoes lying almost in the middle of the narrow aisle between the lockers. The initial pain from having one of the spikes on the bottom of the man's golf shoes break the skin on the top of his foot was already abating, but the injury was starting to bleed.

Whether he shared a portion of the blame for his injury or not, Hector was not a forgiving man by nature. It was out of character when he glared up at the man and simply said, "Just watch where you're going next time."

The man stammered, "Yes, of course. Is there anything that I can do to help you with your foot? I think I have a few bandages in my locker if you would like me to look."

Examining the small hole in the skin and the blood seeping slowly from it, Hector said, "Let me take a shower first and see how it looks afterward."

The man turned to a locker across the aisle from Hector and said over his shoulder, "I have to leave as soon as I change out of these shoes, but let me find you a bandage and leave it with you in case you decide that you need it later."

Quickly opening the locker and locating the box of bandages, the man handed one to Hector as he said, "Again, I am very sorry. I hope the rest of your day goes better."

Hector didn't reply as he finished undressing and headed for an available shower. He allowed the lukewarm water to cascade over his body for several minutes to cool him further, lathering from head to toe with product from the liquid soap dispenser. He spent extra time washing the area around the injury on his foot and was relieved that the pain was almost entirely gone.

Unfortunately, after drying off, it became obvious that the bleeding had resumed, although at a slower rate than before the shower. Hector kept dabbing the blood with the wet towel in between pulling on his underwear, followed by his pants. The blood was barely seeping any longer, but Hector decided to make use of the bandage that the clumsy golfer had provided him. Upon opening the wrapper, Hector assumed that the medication present on the pad section of the bandage was some sort of antiseptic to help prevent infection. "That couldn't hurt", he thought.

~~~

"The weather matches my mental state after Liam has finished ravaging me," Janelle admitted to Peggy.

Glancing out one of the windows of the galley where she and Janelle were preparing breakfast, Peggy felt like she was inside a cloud, and could actually see the thick texture of the fog as it seemed to slowly float past the boat. They had experienced the same heavy morning fog each of the three mornings that they had been moored to the abandoned oil platform, and she had to smile at the remark made by Janelle each of those mornings about how the intensity of sex had made her mind as 'foggy' as the weather outside.

While Janelle had originally thought that it would be awkward discussing intimate details of the sexual aspects of her relationship with her best friend's father, their years of sharing the most intimate details of their lives had allowed them to be as open about this subject as they had always been about everything else.

Knowing how loving her father had been with her mother, Peggy did not doubt that he would be a considerate and attentive lover to a woman, should he ever find someone who could replace her mother in his heart. She was glad to know that her assessment was being confirmed by one of the people that she loved almost as much as her father, and the happiness that Janelle and her father had been keeping secret could now be shared openly with her.

The sound of Gabe and Liam coming down the stairs drew the attention of both women. Peggy asked, "Any word?"

They had each turned their cell phones off and removed the batteries before leaving the marina but had taken turns each morning at sea powering their phones back on to check voicemail. Emails were monitored throughout the day on the laptop that Gabe was carrying with him as he approached the dining table.

"A bit of an update," Liam said. "Gabe received an anonymous e-mail directing him to an online news story of interest."

Gabe set the laptop onto the table and stepped back to allow Peggy and Janelle to view the information on the screen themselves. Both women leaned in to silently read the information.

"Dad," Peggy said when she had finished reading, "I know that we have discussed this multiple times, but are you absolutely certain that none of this can be traced back to us?"

Gabe spoke up, "Even if Liam isn't absolutely certain, I am. The people threatening you all will be dealt with, which in this case means 'terminated with extreme prejudice' as the military refers to it, and it will be accomplished in a manner that no law enforcement professional will ever suspect was a deliberate act. As in the case that you just read about, the man died of respiratory arrest while seated in his own vehicle. The cause of the respiratory arrest hasn't been determined yet, but I suspect it will be attributed to an overdose of some potent prescription pharmaceutical, such as sufentanil."

Liam added, "You can also rest assured that the authorities won't be wasting a lot of taxpayer dollars investigating the death of someone like Hector Munoz, especially if the cause turns out to be drug-related."

Janelle asked, "Are we sure that this is the same Hector Munoz that is suspected of hunting for us? And if so, do you have any idea how much longer we'll need to remain at sea? Although I finally have my sea legs and aren't getting seasick, today is Saturday and I think we would all like to spend Peggy's birthday next Tuesday on dry land."

"Hector Munoz was the biggest threat, which is why I gave instructions to target him first," Liam said. "With him out of the picture, we should all be relatively safe while the others back in Georgia are dealt with. From what the FBI and others have explained to us when you insisted that we were going to go into seclusion at sea rather than being sequestered in a safe house somewhere, none of the people that Hector uses will be inclined to continue looking for us without his guidance and financial backing. They would have no incentive to even try. That was what the FBI hoped to accomplish by arresting him once the indictments were released. We have the same result with him dying from a drug overdose."

"Okay, then here's another question," Peggy said. "What happens with your instructions relative to the 'gang of three' in Georgia if the indictments are issued on Monday and all three are picked up by the FBI? Once in custody, terminating them with extreme prejudice would appear to be unlikely."

Liam nodded in understanding and said, "I considered that. As executives with Armore, all three would be eligible for legal representation paid for by the company, which would include the posting of bail once granted by a judge. None of the three are being accused of personally committing a violent crime, so it is a virtual certainty that each will be granted bail and released pending their trial. While they will probably be required to relinquish their passports as a condition of bail being granted, within hours of being arrested, all of them should be back on the street, which makes them accessible for termination."

Peggy closed the lid on the laptop and said to Gabe, "Go ahead and set that aside while I get you and Dad some breakfast. Then I'll check my voicemail to see if there are any important messages. Jan, why don't you check your messages while I serve the men?"

"Okay. I left my phone below so it will take me a few seconds to get it and then replace the battery before I can turn it on. I'll be right back."

Janelle hurried down to the lower deck as Peggy dished out the scrambled eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes to Liam and Gabe. The three of them were discussing what a good time would be to return to the marina to avoid the heavier traffic periods when Janelle's ashen-colored face appeared as it rose above the hatch.

Liam was the first to notice her. "What's wrong, Sweetie?"

Janelle continued slowly up the stairs. Her shocked expression didn't change as she handed her cell phone to Liam and said, "Listen to my last message."

The message was already rewound to the start, so Liam switched the phone to speaker mode before hitting the play icon.

"Janelle Sanders, this is Quincy Gates, ethics and compliance director in the Human Resource department at Armore. I am calling to notify you that you are expected to report to the main lobby of the corporate offices at 8 AM on Monday, July 17^th to be escorted to my office, where you face an ethics inquiry related to allegations that you had, and continue to have a sexual relationship with an executive of this company in violation of our corporate policies. While you are technically still on vacation, your building and systems access have been immediately suspended pending the outcome of your hearing. You are not to attempt to contact any other employee of Armore before your hearing and violation of this order will be grounds for immediate 'for cause' termination from the company. A copy of this notice is being sent to the address in your employment file via registered mail."

As the recording finished, Liam set the phone on the table and pulled Janelle onto his lap. Chuckling softly, he told her, "I hope you know that your job with Armore will be there as long as you want it to be. I'll call Gates myself and explain that to him, so don't let his message upset you."

"That's not what upset her," Peggy said as she brushed a lock of hair off Janelle's face. "Is it?"

Shaking her head slowly, Janelle mumbled, "No." Then she cleared her throat and said, "It was the message before that one, from my mom. She said that they had been visited by Kelly Proctor, who showed them photos of Liam and me in a couple of romantic situations and blatantly asked my parents at what age I had started having sex with him. They now think that I am some Trilby under the influence of Liam's Svengali."

"They were shown pictures of you and me together?" Liam asked, his face growing noticeably redder as he spoke.

Janelle simply nodded and asked, "Aren't the only ones like that the ones that you kept in your home office?" Then she thought to add, "Kelly also showed them personal items of mine that she told them came from a secret 'love nest' that I shared with you."

Liam coaxed Janelle off of his lap so he could dig his own cell phone out of his pocket. "Those sons of bitches," he growled while replacing the battery and turning the phone on.

The others waited silently as Liam searched the contacts on his phone, selected one, and then placed a call. They heard only his side of the conversation, "Chambers, this is Liam Donahue. I want you to be in your office within the next half hour. Pull up the security logs for my house and my condo. The last week's period should be sufficient. Identify the dates and times for all entries during that period. Once you have the dates and times, find the associated video recordings on the cloud server and secure them. Text me the required passwords so that I can access them from that server."

There was silence as Liam listened to Tank Chambers replying to his directions. Liam did not seem pleased with that and said, "I don't care if it's Sunday, your niece's birthday, or bloody Christmas Eve and you're Santa Claus. Just get those videos secured on the cloud server and the passwords to me within the hour or find another job. I'm not screwing around on this." Another brief pause as Liam listened then, "That's right. Okay then, I'll be waiting for your text."

After disconnecting the call, Liam pulled Janelle back onto his lap and addressed the group, "We don't have to wait for the security logs and videos to know that someone has illegally entered both the house in Dunwoody and the condo in Buckhead. That's the only way that they could have seen the pictures mentioned as well as find some of Janelle's personal items and associate them with me."

Peggy placed a plate of food on the table in the spot where Janelle normally sat and said, "Here, you might as well eat while we wait to hear back from Tank."

She turned and started preparing a plate for herself when a realization came to her. She turned and asked no one in particular, "How would they know that any personal items in Dad's condo belonged to Janelle unless they had first been in mine and Janelle's condo? They would need something to compare things to in order to assume that they belong to Janelle rather than someone else."

Liam didn't answer, but simply picked up his phone and placed a call. When it was answered, he said, "Chambers, get the same security logs and videos secured for my daughter's condo. I want the password for those files when you send me the information on the others." He didn't wait for a reply before disconnecting the call.

Gabe had finished his breakfast while listening to the others discuss the possible break-ins of their properties in Georgia. There wasn't anything that he could do about those, but he could do something about the apartments in Fallbrook, if it wasn't already too late. They had all been relatively certain that there was no easy way for the conspirators to associate Peggy with Margaret Donahue, so her apartment in Fallbrook should remain off of their radar. Gabe didn't want to continue trusting a lack of resourcefulness on the part of their adversaries. Excusing himself, he kissed Peggy on the top of her head, picked up his laptop, and began climbing the stairs up to the bridge area.

Chapter Ten

John Castle peeled the sweaty tank top over his head as soon as he had stepped inside of his apartment. The screen door hadn't finished closing before his wife, Frances gave his back a nudge and said, "Scoot in so that I can get through the doorway too. Unlike you, I need to be able to close the front door before I can take my top off."

He stepped aside so that his wife could come in. He turned to her, closed the door, and said, "Baby, you know that you'll struggle to get it off. It looks like man's work to me."

Giving the sultry smile that affirmed her approval, she raised her arms above her head. John wasted no time in gripping the hem of her sports bra and gently pulling it up until her perfect pale breasts were free of the tight, sweaty material. He released the material from his hands and gently massaged a breast in each. His actions at this point were not sexual. He knew that his wife's breasts enjoyed this gentle, caressing attention to help them cool down and recover from the tight encasement of her sports bra during their morning run.

She bent her extended arms at the elbows, crossed them, and then finished pulling the sports bra over her head. Her hands now free, she brought them to the muscular chest of her husband and proceeded to return similar gentle massaging actions that she was enjoying. Her intent though was to start warming John up. He might be purposely avoiding too much attention towards her nipples, but she was not so inclined where his were concerned. She had always loved the way that she had been able to raise goosebumps of pleasure on her man.

"Shower first?" John asked.

Baby moved her hands up, wrapped them around John's neck, and pulled him down for a scorching kiss before replying, "Only if you want to use the bed. You can take me anywhere else as we are. I just don't want to get the freshly changed sheets covered in our sweat."

They both turned at the nearly simultaneous notification tones from their cell phones. These were currently plugged into their respective chargers on the kitchen counter. Recognizing the tone of the notification as a motion alert from one of the security cameras around the apartment complex, Baby walked into the kitchen and picked up her cell phone. She selected the appropriate application on the screen and then watched the relevant video feed.

"It's Gabe's doorbell," she informed John as she retrieved his phone along with hers and walked back. She turned her cell phone so that he could see the live view on the screen. While he was watching it, she checked his phone to see if he had received the same notification and saw that John had received a text from Gabe.

As the managers of the apartment complex, as well as being friends of Gabe, he had shared his doorbell with them so that it would provide them with a view of that side of the complex's parking lot. Detected motions were typically those caused by one of the tenants coming or going and didn't warrant their attention. However, the alerts did allow them to catch non-residents trying to park in the lot and for them to be chased off before they were able to leave the parking lot. John and Baby knew that the four Hispanic men getting out of a dark sedan were not residents of their complex.

He handed the phone back to his wife, and she handed him his. "You received a text from Gabe while we were on our run."

John quickly read the text. He glanced up at Baby and said, "Gabe is warning us to watch out for someone trying to break into apartment seven, Peggy Arthur's place. He wants us to prevent that from happening. Now we have these guys showing up and they don't look like they are merely pilfering a parking space. We better go check them out to see what they're up to."

Nodding in agreement, Baby picked up John's discarded tank top and slid it on. It was far too large for her, and her breasts would be pretty exposed through the armholes, but that didn't concern her. John slid his Sig Sauer semi-automatic, holstered in its quick draw sleeve into the waistband at his back. He placed his cell phone into the front pocket of his red USMC emblazoned shorts.

His wife grinned at John's desire to arm himself as she followed him out their front door and closed it behind them. As a Marine Corps drill instructor for more than twenty-five years, John was intimately familiar with firearms and had won the Corps marksmanship badge every year that he had competed. It was natural for him to feel more comfortable with his gun than without it.

Before they both left the Corps and got married, Frances Houseman had also been a drill instructor, but she had retired with an even twenty years under her belt. The fact that her "belt" included her being the only woman in the Marines to have achieved a third-degree black belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, or MCMAP, made her just as confident without a weapon as her husband was with one.

The apartment complex consisted of four single-story buildings arranged in a large rectangle with a pool and recreation building in the center. Each building had five two or three-bedroom apartments with the entrance to each facing a parking lot and the small patios facing the pool area. The Castles lived in the building directly across the pool area from Gabe, so they had to walk around their building and cut across this area to get to the building, and then walk around it to be on the side with the entrances and the parking lot where the four men had been captured on the video.

Approaching the side of Gabe's building, John and Baby encountered two of the Hispanic men walking on the path towards the pool area, which would allow them to access the back of the units in all of the buildings. John paused and held up a hand in the universal indication that he wanted the men to stop.

"Can we help you, gentlemen?" John asked.

"No, we know where we're going," the heavier of the two men retorted in heavily accented English.

Both men made to move around the couple, but John and his wife adjusted their positions on the path to obstruct them.

"Why don't we go back to the parking lot," John told them. "Then I won't have to repeat myself to you and your other two friends."

Frances Castle was a slender, yet extremely fit five-foot-seven-inch woman. She was about the same height as both of their visitors, but her husband, at six-foot-four, was nine inches taller than her and his still bare and sweaty shoulders were wider than both of these men put together. She smiled as she saw the wheels turning in the minds of their visitors. The bravado that they wanted to demonstrate was being weighed against their own survival instincts. Which would win out?

"Why don't you mind your own business and get out of our way?" asked the second man, with less strength behind his question than he had intended.

John smiled down at both men and made a circular motion with his hand indicating that he wanted them to turn around, and said, "We manage this complex, so everything that goes on here is our business. Now, go back and join your friends and we'll have a little discussion with all of you at the same time."

This group of MS-13 gang members were not "muscle". They were low-level go-fers who were dispatched to handle simple tasks such as surveillance of other gangs and the occasional break-in. They did belong to the gang though, and that came with expectations that they would do what they were sent to do or face the consequences. Facing the unexpected obstacle of this massive man and his wife would make accomplishing their mission much more difficult.

The two men glanced at one another and seemed to share the same thought, "Better to have four against two than two against two, and Pedro at least had his gun." Turning simultaneously, they started back in the direction from which they had come with the man and woman following them.

John Castle chuckled to himself when he saw one of the other two men tap his partner on the shoulder when he noticed that they were being approached. His partner quickly removed the bump key that he had been fruitlessly trying to use on the deadbolt lock on apartment seven's door. John was half tempted to let the guy continue trying to bump the lock because he knew that all the doors in the complex had ANSI Grade 1 locks, which were impossible to bump. These were obviously very unskilled burglars to not recognize the type of lock they were trying to open.

"Amigos," John said as the two men leading them stepped beside their partners at the door, "Why are you trying to gain entry into that apartment?"

The heavier of the two men that the Castles had met on the walkway whispered something in Spanish to the guy who had been keeping watch for the man trying to bump the lock. The man was apparently their leader and he kept his eyes on John as he listened. He then spoke to all of his partners in a low voice. Though he spoke the words in Spanish, both John and Baby understood every word.

John tried to reason with the leader before things escalated too far. He explained in Spanish, "No quieres bailar con nosotros. Te harán daño," which roughly translates in English to, "You do not want to dance with us. You will get hurt."

Undaunted, the man began to reach into the right pocket of the windbreaker he was wearing. The way that the light-weight garment hung lower on the one side had been a clear indication that something weighing more than a few ounces was in that side's pocket. The tips of the man's fingers had barely cleared the top edge of the pocket when the barrel of John's pistol was resting on the bridge of his nose.

"You're short on hearing and long on stupid, aren't you?" John snarled. "Put both hands on top of your head while it's still attached to your body."

Two of the other men followed the example of their leader and also placed their hands on top of their heads. The last member of the gang decided to flee. His efforts were thwarted when Baby dropped and performed a picture-perfect leg sweep, taking the man's feet out from beneath him and forcing him to the ground. She bounced back up and had her right foot on the back of the man's neck before he could react.

"Nice move, Gunny. I could have Patrick mind your wayward friend there if you would like."

Baby glanced back and saw a San Diego Sheriff deputy that she knew well from her days in the Corps. "Corporal Swayze, what brings you to our modest apartment complex?"

Jennifer Swayze had been a "boot" in one of Frances Houseman's last recruit training groups. She had joined the San Diego Sheriff's department directly out of the Corps and the two former female Marines had remained in contact even if they didn't socialize together frequently.

Deputy Swayze released the lead on her K9 partner, Patrick, and gave the command for him to secure the man under Baby's foot. Once the dog was on station at the man's head, Baby lifted her foot and walked back to stand with John.

"Gabe texted me," Deputy Swayze said. "He wasn't sure if his message to John was received, so he asked me to swing by when I had a chance. I noticed that your cars were in the lot, so when no one answered your door, I figured that you were around the complex somewhere and decided to try to find you. Fallbrook PD units should be here shortly."

John hadn't taken his eyes off the three men in front of him but he did lower his gun as he listened to the conversation between his wife and Jennifer Swayze. "Deputy," he said, "If you reach into the right pocket of this gentleman's windbreaker, I think that you will likely find an illegal handgun. I do not believe that any of the others are armed, but I'll leave that for you to verify."

Unclipping a set of handcuffs from her utility belt, the Deputy walked around the group until she was behind the man wearing the windbreaker. She instructed him in Spanish to lower only his right hand and to place it behind his back. Once she had that hand secured, she repeated the instructions, only this time for the left hand. With both hands cuffed securely behind his back, she reached into the indicated pocket and withdrew a Smith and Wesson "Police Special".

Although she knew the probable answer, she asked in Spanish whether the man had a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the State of California. When the man didn't respond, she spoke over his shoulder to John and Baby, "Maybe his dress is bunched up in the back and it's affecting his brain."

John and Baby laughed at the comment as well as the reddening of the man's face from the insult directed at him by Deputy Swayze. John replaced his own gun in the holster just before three Fallbrook police cruisers pulled into the parking lot, followed almost immediately by two additional San Diego Sheriff units.

A patrol sergeant stepped out of a Fallbrook PD SUV and surveyed the scene. He nodded at John Castle as he walked purposely toward Deputy Swayze with the other arriving officers following him. One of the other Fallbrook officers paused to place handcuffs on the man being guarded by the K9, Patrick. The dog quickly joined his partner by her side.

The sergeant asked, "Deputy, what have you got for us today?" He handed her his own set of handcuffs to replace those that she had used to secure the leader of the gang. The remaining two were handcuffed by other officers and were being escorted to patrol cars before Deputy Swayze could finish explaining the likely charges against the men.

When she mentioned possible possession of an illegal weapon, the leader objected, "If it is illegal for me to carry a weapon, then you should also search that man." He nodded his head towards John Castle, and continued, "He has a pistol behind his back that he pointed directly at my face."

The sergeant laughed and said, "You can't compare you having a weapon and Johnny having one unless you too have a badge identifying you as a reserve law enforcement officer. Do you have one of those?"

"He didn't show me a badge," the man argued.

John and Baby replied in their best desperado impersonations, "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges..."

Once the sergeant and other officers stopped laughing at the paraphrase of a classic line from the movie "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," Deputy Swayze explained, "As reserve officers with the San Diego Sheriff's Department, they are only required to carry their badges while on active duty. Their authorization to carry their weapons isn't restricted to when they are on duty."

The sergeant grabbed the leader's upper arm and began leading him back to his vehicle, explaining as they walked, "You will be booked into the Fallbrook jail on the charges mentioned by Deputy Swayze. You will be held on those charges as well as on an immigration hold until the INS has determined your status. After that time, you will either be transferred to the county jail pending arraignment or to an immigration holding facility pending an immigration hearing."

"Where's your car?" John asked Jennifer Swayze.

"It's parked in front of your place, on the other side of the complex. I'll walk back with you and we can discuss what brought me here today."

Taking Baby's hand in his, John began heading towards their apartment with Jennifer Swayze and her partner, Patrick following behind. John Said, "I suppose one of us should text Gabe to let him know what happened."

~~~

"Do you think there is a background check being run on you?" Angela White asked.

"No," Corbin Baker said, "These aren't the types of questions typically asked during a background check. Plus, as far as I know, the FBI only does background checks for prospective government employees. I haven't any interest in working for the government, so there's no reason for them to be checking me out. No one that you know has mentioned being contacted by the FBI and asked questions about you?"

"No one has mentioned anything, but I have barely spoken to anyone outside of the company except my husband for the past four weeks. Trying to reorganize the headquarters support with the closing of the New Jersey operations has left me with no life outside of Armore."

Corbin nodded in agreement and said, "Imagine how you'll feel if all your work was for naught because the new General Manager has different ideas."

Shaking her head, Angela said, "No, Liam assured us that he wanted you and me to formulate the headquarters support strategy and I have to believe that when he did so, he already had plans to bring on a new General Manager. Any idea who he selected?"

"I'm pretty sure that I know exactly who Liam selected, and if you gave it some thought, you would come to the same conclusion," Corbin said. Laughing and nodding through the patio doors to the crowds outside, "I do enjoy watching those three speculate though."

Angela followed his gaze and saw Brent Mize, Evan Foster, and Kelly Proctor clustered together in conversation away from all the other guests at the wedding reception for a local State Senator's youngest daughter. All the executive-level employees from the Atlanta area's largest companies had been invited, and each thought that it was a career-enriching opportunity to network with their peers.

Turning her attention back to Corbin, she said, "They have all been driving me batty while you were on your cruise. I don't think any of them believed me when I told them that I didn't know who Liam had selected as the new General Manager. And, to your point about whether I suspect who it is, you're right. I would be completely surprised if it was anyone else."

Corbin glanced around to make certain that they were still outside of hearing distance to any of the other guests, although there were few inside the clubhouse of the country club where the reception was being held. The caterers were just beginning to place salads on the tables where each guest had their name printed on a card indicating where they should sit. He figured that they had only a couple of minutes before they would be expected to take their seats at the same table as the other executives from Armore. A seating arrangement that was definitely not conducive to the type of networking that many had hoped for.

He lowered his voice to almost a whisper and leaned closer to Angela as he said, "You know that she interned in Brent's department while in college, don't you?"

Angela had a shocked expression on her face as she answered, "No way! If Margaret Donahue interned at Armore, every ass-kisser and brown-noser in the company, especially those three would have been all over her."

Corbin winked and said, "Not if they didn't know that it was her. Even I wasn't supposed to know, but the Dean of the Terry School of Business let it slip in a conversation that we had one day over lunch. When I expressed hesitancy in complying with the agreement where Armore was expected to hire an intern from the school, the Dean laughed at me and asked if I really felt so secure in my position with Armore that I would refuse to find a position for the CEO's daughter. The intern went by the name of Peggy Arthur, which is what her employee records still indicate."

Angela gasped and asked, "You mean the intern that wrote that analysis on the New Jersey operations that you shared with me and now works out in Fallbrook is really Margaret Donahue? That girl is brilliant! Have you seen some of the ideas and strategies coming out of the business analytics group there? The son of a former classmate of mine works on the same team as her. Russ told his mother, who told me, that the new girl on their team is the one that has come up with all the ideas and then lets him and the other guy on their team take all the credit. I was going to mention that to Bruce Goddard, but now it makes sense if Peggy Arthur is really Margaret Donahue trying to keep a low profile."

Nodding, Corbin pointed to the group outside and said, "We better get out there and join the others. Continue to play dumb where the new General Manager is concerned when those three bring it up, which you know that they will."

Angela walked through the door that Corbin held open for her and led him to the table where their colleagues were already seated and eating the salads. They took the two open seats at the table, which placed a real estate developer on one side of them, and a couple of executives from Delta Airlines on the other side. Mize, Foster, and Proctor sat as a group across the table. As soon as Angela and Corbin were seated, servers set salads in front of them.

They introduced themselves to the executives from the other organizations and prepared to join them in eating their salads. Noticing the array of bowls in the center of the table, Corbin asked, "What are our choices of salad dressings?"

"The standard crap," Kelly Proctors said in her typical haughty tone of voice. "Ranch, Thousand Island, and some vinaigrette concoction. And those aren't mushy croutons mixed into the greens, they're mushrooms. They're tasty, but I don't think the texture works as well as someone thought it would."

Angela and Corbin added salad dressing and mixed it into the greens of their salads, noticing that they didn't have any of the mushrooms that Kelly had mentioned. Maybe the caterer had run out by the time that their salads had been served? It wasn't worth the effort to ask for some, so they just ate their salads as served and joined the conversation about the various local sports teams' prospects for the year ahead.

Angela watched Evan Foster devouring his salad and grinned wondering if he would be crude enough to lick the bowl when he was done. She didn't have the chance to find out because his cell phone notified him of an incoming message just as he had set his fork onto the table.

"Excuse me for a minute," Foster said as he rose from his seat and walked away from the group. He was gone for less than two minutes when both Kelly and Brent received text messages on their own cell phones. They each checked the message and then excused themselves as well and headed off in the same direction that Evan had taken.

"I wonder what's up?" Corbin asked.

One of the executives from Delta Airlines asked, "Don't you all work for the same company? If it was work-related, I would think that you two would also be getting messages."

"You would think, wouldn't you..." Angela said, returning to her salad.

~~~

"You fucking moron," Brent Mize hissed. "You set things up through a fucking drug addict?"

"Keep it down," Kelly implored.

They were huddled together in a gazebo about fifty yards from the wedding reception, but there remained a chance that a golf course employee could walk by them at any time.

"Munoz didn't use drugs," Evan insisted.

"Then how in the hell does someone overdose on something that they don't use?" asked Brent.

"Does it really matter at this point?" asked Kelly. "What do we do now? I mean, is the original plan to find the Donahues still in play, or what?"

Evan ran his fingers through his hair in a show of frustration and said, "I need to go and meet with some of my contacts to find out if someone is picking up the contract now that Munoz is dead..."

"What are we looking at time-wise?" Brent asked. "We have less than a week until the shareholders meeting."

"I realize that," Evan said. "Our snake has lost its head and I don't know if that means that it also lost its bite or if we need to find a new snake. We know that the Donahues are in Southern California at least, so that should be a point in our favor if we have to have someone else pick up the contract. Give me the rest of the night to track things down. Meet me in the condo tomorrow morning. You both can skip church tomorrow, can't you?"

Kelly glanced at Brent and smiled, "Weddings always make me horny and my husband is still pouting about being served with the divorce papers." Chuckling, she added, "The idiot is certain I am leaving him to be with Liam Donahue." Smiling at Brent, she said, "Maybe I could be convinced to spend the night at the condo with the right incentive?"

Brent didn't respond to Kelly's proposition directly, but simply informed Evan, "We'll be at the condo waiting for you."

Chapter Eleven

A high-pressure system had finally pushed the marine layer further offshore, leaving this Saturday evening as the first clear night for the two couples on the boat to enjoy the sunset, followed by a star-filled sky over the ocean.

Peggy and Janelle each sat on the aft deck of the boat, positioned between the legs of their respective partner as everyone gazed up at the spectacular night sky. Janelle said, "You know, if someone had told me that I would come to enjoy spending this much time on a boat, I would have said that they were crazy. I've come to enjoy the serenity as well as the minimalist lifestyle that living in such a confined space requires. I'm not saying that I would want to live on a boat permanently, but I could definitely embrace the opportunity to take an extended sea journey someplace."

Peggy couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her friend. She said, "We've only been on this boat for four days. That's not really much of an extended time at sea. Plus, we've been moored here almost the entire time. I seem to remember you having some pretty shaky sea legs during the trip here. Why don't you wait to see how you hold up on the trip back to the marina tomorrow before deciding whether life at sea is what you really want?"

Janelle stuck her tongue out at Peggy before saying in a haughty tone, "I don't have to endure such insolence. Come on, G.G. Let's go down to our room. It's time to feed the cat."

Liam was laughing so hard that he had trouble getting to his feet to join Janelle who had already stood. Peggy and Gabe continued their own laughter as they watched the other couple retreating down the stairs to the lower level of the boat.

Peggy took Gabe's hands and used them to pull his arms tighter around the front of her body. She said, "I have to agree with Janelle. It would be nice to spend more time at sea, living a simple life on a boat like this, even if it was just for a few weeks at a time."

Gabe rested his chin on the top of Peggy's head and said, "I bought and renovated this boat with that objective in mind. Now, the thought of island hopping across the Pacific Ocean with you sharing the journey holds so much more appeal than my original dream of doing it alone."

"What do you mean by 'island hopping'?"

"I mean traveling from island to island as we cross the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. There is no way that this boat could carry enough diesel to cross the ocean without refueling. So unless I outfitted it with a nuclear reactor and propulsion system, rigged it out with some oars, or found a way to fit it with sails, we would have to stop several times along the way at an island to get the needed fuel."

"You know," Peggy replied, "when you mentioned that this was formerly a Navy boat, I sort of assumed that it was capable of crossing oceans. The image of the big aircraft carriers must have been stuck in my head because now that you explained it, island hopping makes complete sense. I also like the idea of being able to visit different islands and cultures as part of the journey. Have you ever mapped out the route that you would take?"

"I have," Gabe said. "There are a couple of options depending on the time of year. The first involves traveling up the west coast to Alaska and then using the Aleutian Islands to hop our way across to the Kamchatka Peninsula. We would then be able to travel down the east coast of Asia..."

"That route doesn't sound very fun, and it sounds cold."

Gabe laughed and continued, "Okay, another option is to travel south along the west coast all the way to South America. Once we reached the Equator, we would have a couple of different routes to choose from with islands within the range of this boat's fuel supply. My personal favorite would be a southwesterly route that would take us past Easter Island. Through French Polynesia, the Solomon Islands, and then to New Zealand, followed by circumnavigating Australia..."

"That sounds like the one I would choose too. Can my dad and Janelle come with us?"

"Sure, as long as it isn't the trip we take for our honeymoon," Gabe teased.

Peggy turned around and kissed Gabe before saying, "That settles it. We'll take them with us on our next ocean crossing. The first one will be just you and me."

"Don't plan anything yet. I'll need to check the dates that I have already committed the use of the boat to someone else. Are you ready to head down?" Gabe asked.

"I suppose we should, especially if you and Dad want us to go home tomorrow."

Gabe rose and helped Peggy to her feet. He said, "I wouldn't suggest it or agree with your dad if I didn't think it was safe for you. With Hector Munoz dead and the other conspirators in the crosshairs, it makes sense for us to get back. Plus, don't you have a company to run? If nothing else, you have the Sagikkun-GoodBuy project that needs to be ready by the end of the month."

"Russ and Kevin have your little project well in hand," Peggy assured him as she let Gabe lead her to the stairs. "However, the arrangements for the shareholder meeting would be easier to handle, especially for my dad, if we were in the Fallbrook offices of Armore."

Once they had entered their stateroom and closed the door, Peggy sat on the side of the bed and slipped off her sandals. She plopped back onto the bed and said, "This is what you can get me for my birthday if you need any suggestions."

Gabe knelt at the side of the bed and began massaging Peggy's feet as he asked, "What's that? What can I get you for your birthday?"

Moaning softly at Gabe's ministrations of her feet, she barely whispered and answer, "You can get me a waterbed mattress filled with air like this one. You have to have noticed how soundly I have been sleeping in this bed. I love it."

"On land, you could fill it with water," Gabe said. "Maybe you would like that better."

"No, I've slept on a waterbed before and didn't like it, and that was with just me in the bed by myself. I wouldn't want to try it with someone else in the bed at the same time..."

"Someone else?" Gabe teased. "Someone other than me better not be in a bed with you, waterbed, or any other type of bed."

Peggy giggled as she leaned up, took Gabe's hands, and pulled, coaxing him to lay beside her on the bed. She turned to face him and said, "Until we have kids, no one will ever share my bed but you. But I still don't want a waterbed."

Gabe rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and said, "Okay, a waterbed mattress filled with air instead of water. Got it."

"Can I ask you something?" Peggy asked.

"Of course."

"Why do you work for Sagikkun? My dad asked me that question this morning and I couldn't answer him."

Gabe considered her question for several seconds. They had never had a full and detailed discussion about either of their financial situations. He knew that Peggy had made some assumptions about his property ownership being a source of income before she learned that he worked for Sagikkun, much like he had assumed that her income as a business data analyst at Armore was her source of income. Learning that she was the daughter of a very wealthy man, and due to benefit from her trust within a few days meant that she would likely also be very wealthy, if she wasn't already. She hadn't questioned his ability to afford to purchase this boat, but knowing that he could implied that he had more financial resources than merely an apartment complex and his salary at Sagikkun.

"Do you want to play 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours'?" Gabe asked with a grin.

"Well, I think you already know that I'm wealthy," Peggy stated. "Just how wealthy will depend on the value of my Armore shares on Tuesday. Besides that, my net worth isn't significant, maybe four million or so in the trust that my mom left me. Your turn."

Gabe rolled onto his side and Peggy did likewise to face him. He said, "Almost everything I have is in either the trust from my aunt or the one from my parents. You know about the apartment complex, which was last appraised at two point five million. This boat is worth another one point four million. Both are still held by the trust from my aunt which also has just under three-hundred thousand in cash still in it. The trust from my parents is much more significant and continues to be funded by dividends from the investments that my father made years ago, which have been extremely successful. I use some of the money from those dividends to fund my own investments through the investment club I belong to with three other guys..."

Peggy placed her finger onto his lips to quiet Gabe. She then said, "My dad checked into the man that his daughter loves and didn't find out much, and that's okay. I suspect that your net worth rivals my own, or will once I get control of the trust. What I don't understand is why do you work for a company that you have no ownership in when you obviously don't need to do it for the salary."

"I met Jay Byoung Park at a bar during my time in Japan. He learned that his wife was having an affair back in Seoul while he was in Japan establishing operations for Sagikkun. My divorce had just become final a few weeks before then, so we commiserated together over drinks and kept in touch in the years since. When he came to the U.S. to grow Sagikkun's business here, we reconnected and he offered me a position with the company. I had become pretty much a hermit once I got out of the Marines, so I saw the offered position as a chance to get out and meet new people, even if it was only in a professional capacity. I guess to answer your question, I work at Sagikkun so that I have a social life."

"Professional trust was easier for you than personal trust," Peggy said in understanding.

"Until you," Gabe admitted.

The knock at the stateroom door interrupted their conversation. They both stood, with Gabe walking to the door while Peggy rose to a sitting position on the bed. Opening the door, Gabe motioned silently for Liam and Janelle to enter. Liam was carrying Gabe's laptop in one hand.

"I thought that you might want to see the security footage from the house and condos," Liam explained.

"Does it show anything that we don't already know or suspect?" Peggy asked.

Liam shook his head, "Not really. I don't recognize any of the guys who ransacked the house, but Evan Foster is clearly seen searching both of the condos."

Janelle added, "It's pretty certain that they have what they need to figure out that Peggy Arthur and Margaret Donahue are the same person though."

"How's that?" Peggy asked.

Janelle explained about her and Liam seeing Evan Foster with the printed picture of Peggy Arthur that had been stuck to the refrigerator. She then described what she had written onto the back of the paper.

Peggy shrugged her shoulders and said, "It doesn't matter now. Dad's announcement about my promotion is scheduled to be blasted out to all employees of Armore at 8 AM Eastern time on Monday, so the three of them finding out a few days early won't benefit them at all. It may help explain why there was the attempt to break into Peggy Arthur's apartment though."

She looked over at Gabe and said, "Wait! You knew that there would be an attempt to break into my apartment, didn't you? That's why Johnny and Baby were able to prevent it."

Gabe walked over to stand directly in front of Peggy. Looking down at her, he said, "I didn't know for certain, but I thought that it would be prudent to notify John and Frances of the possibility. I mean, if they had already broken into places in Georgia, it stood to reason that they would target Peggy Arthur's place at some point, even if they didn't know that you were Margaret Donahue."

"I guess that makes sense, but I feel bad about getting Johnny and Baby involved..."

"Are you kidding? They loved it. Managing a pretty stable apartment complex is extremely dull for two retired Marines, and although they stay physically active, getting a chance for a little excitement once in a while is something that they will never turn down."

"Speaking of excitement," Janelle said, "G.G., tell them about the news bulletin in Atlanta."

Liam clicked on a browser window on the laptop and then turned it so Gabe and Peggy could see the screen. There was a static picture of a newscaster. Liam clicked on the "play" icon and the recorded news broadcast began, "Area hospitals are reporting that more than a dozen people are being treated for suspected poisoning from toxic mushrooms that were served at the wedding reception for Senator Chase Bennet's daughter. The exact type of mushroom hasn't been identified as of this time, nor is it known how many of the more than five hundred guests might have consumed some of the mushrooms in question. Authorities are investigating how potentially poisonous mushrooms were served to the guests and are attempting to contact all of the guests who attended the reception to urge them to seek medical attention if they experience any of the following symptoms, nausea, diarrhea, or severe stomach cramps..."

~~~

The overwhelming majority of deaths due to mushroom poisoning in America are attributed to the Destroying Angel, which has the scientific name, "Amanita bisporigera". Amatoxin is the specific toxin contained in the mushroom responsible for this. Victims may not experience symptoms for 5 to 24 hours, depending on the amount of mushrooms consumed, by which time the toxins will already be absorbed and the damage to the liver and kidney tissue is irreversible. As little as half a mushroom cap, or approximately one ounce will likely be fatal if the victim is not treated quickly enough. The salads served to Brent Mize, Evan Foster, and Kelly Proctor at the wedding reception each contained more than six ounces of the lethal Destroying Angel mushrooms harvested from the local Georgia mountains. Several other guests had been served salads with minuscule amounts of the mushroom; enough to make them sick so that they might seek medical attention, but not enough to be fatal.

The symptoms, including vomiting, cramps, delirium, convulsions, and diarrhea don't all appear at the same time in every individual. Kelly began experiencing stomach cramps while Brent was busy stinking up the bathroom in the condo with a case of diarrhea that left him exhausted. When Brent refused to vacate the toilet for Kelly's own impending gastronomic distress, she was forced to humiliate herself by discharging her eruption of diarrhea in the shower. That gave her the advantage of also being able to use the shower when the vomiting episodes began, while Brent scrambled to pull the small trash can over in time to catch his vomit.

Brent wasn't certain how long he sat on the toilet before his body seemed devoid of anything further for him to discharge from one end or the other. He struggled to join Kelly in the shower, where she had managed to turn the water on to let it begin to rinse the combination of excrement and vomit from her body while she sat naked on the floor. When she sensed Brent joining her, she scooted back and leaned against the far wall to allow him to position himself opposite her with the water falling between them. The two had showered together several times, but never under these conditions.

"This has to be something that we ate," Kelly moaned. Brent simply nodded. He felt too exhausted to form words.

She added, "Hopefully we got whatever it was out of our systems now. God knows that I can't have anything left inside me after what I just went through. Do you think we should seek medical attention?"

Brent finally found his voice and said, "I have no desire to spend a Saturday night in an Atlanta emergency room. I think that we should tough it out tonight and if things aren't better in the morning, then we can get checked out."

Hypoactive delirium set in before either of them could leave the shower. The water that had turned ice cold by then couldn't rouse the couple from the dazed confusion that had enveloped their minds. Even if they would have had the cognitive ability to recognize the danger that they were facing, diminished motor skills would have prevented them from taking any action to save themselves. Any actions would have been futile by this point, but neither knew that.

~~~

Belicia Barbano walked to the queen-sized bed in the seedy motel room and carefully inspected the thinning material of the bedspread. She was freezing in her light summer dress but Evan Foster had ignored her request to turn the thermostat on the air conditioner up a few notches. The beads of sweat that ran down his face and neck, combined with the sweat stains soaking his shirt evoked her sympathy, but she needed to wrap something around her shoulders to provide some warmth, or she would have to leave this refrigerator of a motel room.

Her first thought was to simply use one of the bath towels, but Evan had run into the bathroom and been on the toilet immediately after he had opened the door of the room for her to enter. Now, fifteen minutes later, he was still in the bathroom, talking to her through the closed door in between groans and the ghastly sounds of intestinal distress. Finding no signs of bed bugs on the bed or its linens, Belicia pulled the bedspread up, sat on the edge of the bed, and then wrapped her upper body in the cheap fabric, hoping that the scent didn't linger on her after her business here was completed.

Her new position on the bed rather than standing outside the bathroom made her ability to hear Evan's words almost impossible. She yelled, "You'll need to either crack the door so I can hear you or wait until you come out to continue our conversation."

She had been trying to relay to Evan what she had learned about the death of Hector Munoz. It had been through her that Munoz had been contracted and she had been the go-between in the subsequent communications between Evan and Hector. The bathroom door opened and Belicia was almost instantly assaulted by the stench of Evan's continuing bowel movement.

"For fuck's sake," she moaned, "isn't there an exhaust fan in there or a window that you can open?"

"Fuck you," Evan croaked. "I'm having to live with this much closer than you are. Feel free to open one of the windows out there if you can't stand it."

Pinching her nose between two fingers, Belicia replied in a nasally voice, "Sure, let me do that so that everyone in the world will be able to hear our conversation. Just hurry the fuck up. What did you eat, anyway? It smells like something crawled inside of you and died."

"If I knew what it was that caused this, I would shove some of it down your bitchy throat to see how you like it from this side. Now, tell me what our options are with Munoz dead." Evan then moaned, "Oh, fuck..."

Belicia heard the distinct sounds of someone retching, followed by the unmistakable sound of vomit splashing onto the tile floor of the bathroom. She suppressed a gag but knew that if the slightest scent of Evan's vomit reached her nose that her own body would react to the smell and follow suit. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on one's perspective, the odor of his diarrhea far overpowered the scent of his vomit.

Knowing that she had to cut this discussion short so that she could get out of the motel room and leave Evan to his misery, she tried to explain the situation to him as quickly as possible. "I have no idea who Hector sub-contracted portions of the project to or what terms he might have negotiated with them. I can tell you that once word of his death gets out, anyone who was working with Hector won't feel any sense of loyalty to him or obligation to carry out whatever they had agreed to with him. For all practical purposes, we have returned to square one."

There was the sound of more retching and vomiting before Belicia finally was able to understand Evan's reply, "What about the money that we paid Munoz? Can we get at least some of that back and pay someone else to pick things up where they were left by him?"

It sounded like Evan was getting weaker by the minute. Belicia really needed to wrap things up and get out of there. She unwrapped the bedspread from around her shoulders and stood. Facing the bathroom door directly to help ensure that she could be heard, she said, "That money is gone. I will try to find someone to take the contract again, but you're going to have to meet whatever price they demand. With the rumors now surrounding this contract, I can tell you that the price will be significantly more than Hector agreed to."

"What rumors?" Evan barely managed to speak before vomiting once again.

As soon as the sound of his current bout of sickness ended, Belicia said, "The rumor is that the target or targets for this contract are fighting back, and that Munoz's death was no accident."

Quickly exiting the motel room and walking around to the back of the building where she had parked, Belicia Barbano was so busy taking deep cleansing breaths to eradicate the remnants of the odors that had been assaulting her in Evan Foster's room that she didn't notice the black SUV slowly cruising through the motel parking lot. Unlocking her car door while not paying attention to her surroundings resulted in her becoming the latest fatality in Atlanta's current carjacking spree.

~~~

"Director, has every guest who attended the reception for Senator Bennett's daughter been contacted?" asked a reporter from the local Fox affiliate, WAGA-TV.

The Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation glanced at her notes and said, "Not as of this time, but we have agents attempting to make contact with them."

A reporter from WXIA-TV, the local NBC affiliate asked the next question, "Director, has it been determined how the poisonous mushrooms got served to the guests?"

The Director didn't have to check her notes to answer that question, "The mushrooms were mixed in with other ingredients, including some edible mushrooms in the salad that the guests were served. As you heard from Doctor Phillips earlier, the severity of the symptoms experienced by those who consumed the toxic mushrooms is proportionate to the amount of the mushrooms consumed. So far, we have been fortunate in the fact that all of the victims displaying symptoms appear to have consumed only a small amount of the toxic mushroom and as Doctor Phillips stated in his update, all the victims are expected to recover.

The senior reporter from WSB-TV asked, "Director Gowdy, do you agree with Doctor Phillips' assessment that this was not a deliberate act targeting the Senator, his family, and their guests?"

The Director of the GBI nodded and said, "As to the origin of the mushrooms, my team is still investigating and agents will be visiting the Springer Mountain Trail at Amicalola Falls State Park in the morning with representatives from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from UGA. They will verify that the suspect mushrooms, both the edible ones as well as the toxic ones, came from that area as the caterer for the reception claims. We'll know more after the team completes its investigation, but at this time, it appears to be simply a case of mistaken identity by some inexperienced mushroom harvesters."

~~~

Roland Charles practically lived in his car. Sunday through Thursday evenings he drove for one of the national rideshare companies, but he knew better than to work that job on a Friday or Saturday night when the likelihood of being dispatched to pick up some drunk was significantly higher.

No, he had found a much better gig for those nights, which is what had him scouting the parking lots of airport area hotels and motels, taking pictures of license plates. The application on his cell phone that reviewed these pictures compared them to a nationwide database where banks and other financial institutions that provided auto loans could enter the information on vehicles that they wanted to be recovered, or repossessed.

Roland's job was to find cars that were wanted for recovery, verify the information, and then call in a tow truck to come and pick the vehicle up. He would then contact the local police department and notify them so that they in turn could inform the driver about where their vehicle had been taken. Tonight, he would be calling the police about a totally different matter.

He didn't immediately recognize the shape as that of a woman's body because his headlights only illuminated a portion of her feet due to the way that she was laying in the empty parking space. He stopped his car and got out to check on the woman, and that is when he saw that almost the entire left side of her skull was missing. The blood and other tissues surrounding the bullet hole in the door of the car beside her made her condition clear to Roland.

Roland called 911 while returning to his car. Since there was nothing more that he could do for the woman, and he certainly didn't want to waste hours being involved with a police investigation, he went in search of cars that needed recovery elsewhere. He'd do his job and let the police do theirs.

The police did do their job, which included an easy identification of the victim, Belicia Barbano through the driver's license and credit cards in her purse. Through these, they were able to determine the make and model of her car. Since it was not parked in the lot, the police then immediately did two things; first, they put out a bulletin on the car to alert patrol units to watch for it as a possible carjacking, and second, since they were able to quickly determine that the victim was not a registered guest at the motel, they began canvassing the rooms to see if the victim was known to any of the current guests.

By the time he heard the knocking on his motel room door, Evan Foster was lying on the floor of the bathroom, barely conscious. He had just enough remaining strength to utter the word, "help" loud enough for the police officers on the outside to hear him. It took almost five more minutes before they were able to obtain a key to the room that would allow them entry.

Atlanta has the busiest airport in the United States, with thousands of international passengers entering every day, potentially carrying any one of hundreds of communicable diseases. Consequently, officers with the Atlanta airport police receive regular training on symptoms for the most dangerous diseases to help them quickly identify someone who might be entering the country with one of them.

Percy Judd had recently been promoted from the airport unit to a patrol sergeant, so his training on communicable diseases was still fresh on his mind when he entered the motel room and found the man there lying unconscious in his own vomit and diarrhea. The smell was ungodly, but it was the appearance of what looked like blood in the vomit that motivated him to back out of the room and pull the other officer with him.

"We might have a serious problem in there," Percy informed the other officer. "We need to keep everyone out of that room until we know what that guy has."

"What do you think he has?" asked the officer.

Percy shivered visibly when he answered, "It looks like Ebola."

"No fucking way! The guy's white as snow. I thought Ebola was in Africa."

"Ebola's a fucking virus, man," Percy explained as he pulled his radio microphone off his shoulder. "It doesn't care about the color of your skin or where you're from. I'm going to get paramedics here but I need to warn them of the potential danger. I bet the CDC will be all over this guy by the time he gets to the hospital."

One of the detectives overheard these comments as he approached, accompanied by the night manager of the motel. He said, "I don't know about that, Judd. The guy in there is listed in a BOLO, but not for any disease."

The detective turned his cell phone screen so that Percy Judd could see it. "You sure that is him?" he asked.

Nodding, the detective said, "The name used when he registered and the copy of his driver's license match. He was one of the guests at that wedding reception where all the people got poisoned by the bad mushrooms. The GBI has been trying to locate him to warn him that he should seek medical attention, and from what I can see from here, that guy sure does need medical attention."

Percy shrugged and said, "Well, you can hear the paramedics arriving now, so we can let them deal with the guy. Any idea why he was staying here in this motel when his address is listed in Lawrenceville?"

The group outside of the motel room watched silently as other officers directed the paramedic ambulance towards them.

"Once the paramedics get him stable, I'll be sure to ask," the detective assured Percy. "There's also the fact that this is the last room in our canvas so I need to know if this Foster guy knows anything about our victim on the parking lot."

The officer with Percy said under his breath, "If she was with that guy and left him lying there in his own piss, shit, and vomit, it's no wonder that someone capped the bitch."

Chapter Twelve

Angela White had heard the news stories about the sickness that had affected so many guests from the wedding, and she felt fortunate that she hadn't experienced any of them herself. She felt even more fortunate after a visit from two agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation who were waiting at her door when she and her husband had returned from their early Sunday church service.

Her husband had left her alone to speak with the agents at their kitchen table after playing the gracious host and serving them all coffee. As soon as he had left the room, the questions had begun, "You were seated at the same table as Brent Mize, Kelly Proctor, and Evan Foster?" asked the female agent of the pair.

"Yes, Corbin Baker and I were seated with the others from our company. We were joined by three people from other companies, I believe two were from Delta Airlines but I don't remember where the other man worked. Sorry."

"It's not a problem," the female agent said. "We have the seating chart and can look it up if necessary. You said that you ate the same salad as the rest of the people at your table, is that correct?"

Angela nodded and took another drink of her coffee before answering, "I suppose so. Corbin and I arrived at our seats after the others had already been served their salads so ours might have come from a different batch or something but they looked to be the same. I mean, there were subtle differences obvious, such as the others commented that theirs had mushrooms in them, but I seemed to have more tomato slices in mine, and no mushrooms of any significance were noticeable. The same with the salads that Corbin and the other three people had."

The male agent asked, "You mentioned that you and Mr. Baker were seated after the rest. Why was that?"

"We were inside the clubhouse having a work-related discussion. We didn't want to disrespect the wedding party by holding our talk outside where the festivities were, so we found a quiet spot in the clubhouse where we could watch for the meals being served while we chatted. When we saw people starting to be served, we headed to the table to take our seats with the others."

"How long was it from the time that you saw your colleagues being served before you joined them?" the male agent asked.

"I didn't see them actually being served," Angela explained. "We saw them being seated but lost sight of them when we headed through the clubhouse to the door leading to the patio area where the tables were. By the time we reached them, they had already begun eating their salads so they must have been served pretty quickly after being seated. It couldn't have taken us more than two minutes to get from the clubhouse to the table. The other three guests were being served their salads as we arrived, and ours were served shortly thereafter. Why does all of that matter?"

The female agent sounded conciliatory when she explained, "We're just trying to nail down the sequence of events that might explain why only certain people were served salads with a lethal, or near-lethal dose of the poisonous mushrooms while others had lower amounts or none at all. Understanding who was served when is important to help us understand that."

Angela put down her cup of coffee before she could take another drink and stared at the agents. She said, "The news reported that no one had died. You just said some people received lethal doses. Which is it?"

Glancing between themselves, the two agents shared a look before the male agent spoke, "The news reports were accurate up until early this morning. Since that time, three guests from the wedding have succumbed to the toxin in the mushrooms. All the rest of the victims are expected to recover completely."

Angela suddenly realized why these agents were questioning her about the events at her table yesterday. The fatalities must have been people who had shared the same table as her and Corbin Baker. "Is Corbin okay?" was her first question.

"Like you," the male agent said, "Mr. Baker experienced no symptoms to indicate that he had consumed any of the mushrooms."

The female agent cut in and said, "It appears that the highest doses of the toxic mushrooms were in the first salads served. Those were the salads consumed by your three colleagues from Armore. Evan Foster was pronounced dead upon arrival at Grady Memorial Hospital just after 1 AM this morning. Brent Mize and Kelly Proctor were discovered deceased by a cleaning woman in a condo owned by Armore."

Angela put a hand over her mouth as her eyes grew wide, realizing that but for the grace of God, and Corbin's insistence that he speak with her before they ate, she might have been one of those who received the tainted salads. She removed her hand and asked, "Does Corbin Baker know about the others? If not, I'm going to need to call him immediately..."

"Another team of agents is at Mr. Baker's house as we speak," the male agent informed her.

"Oh, this is terrible,' Angela lamented. "I feel awful for their families and I know that everyone at Armore will be in shock for us to lose three top executives at one time like this..."

"Our condolences," said the female agent. "We're just glad that it wasn't four or five of you. Luck was really on your side yesterday."

"I just can't believe this," Angela said. "I was talking to those three coworkers around this time yesterday and now they're all dead. Is there anything that either I or the company can do at this time to assist the families?"

"I'm certain that they would appreciate you reaching out to them," the female agent said. Looking at her partner, she asked, "Did you have anything else?"

He stood and said, "No, I think we have everything we need. Thank you for your time, Mrs. White, and once again, our condolences."

Angela stood to escort them to her front door. Opening it for them, she asked, "Has it been determined how such a mix-up could have happened?"

Stepping onto the porch, the male agent said, "The company that harvested the mushrooms insists that their people are extensively trained on how to distinguish poisonous mushrooms from edible ones and claim that they didn't mix up the two types when they filled the order for the caterer. However, tests of mushrooms from the same order still in the caterer's kitchen do show that poisonous mushrooms are present. It looks like just a tragic mistake in mushroom identification. Thanks again, and good luck."

Angela closed the door and headed quickly to the room that she used as a home office. She had several phone calls to make and e-mails to send. From the window in this room, she saw the two GBI agents sitting in their car at the curb talking to each other.

The male agent, Dario Bohannan was junior to his partner, Nicole Haize, but since he was driving, it was his cell phone that they had paired to the Bluetooth system in their SUV. This is the cell phone that they used to report on their investigation and to see if there were other guests from the wedding that Director Gowdy wanted them to interview.

Once Director Gowdy listened to their report, she inquired, "Did Angela White mention anything to you about an FBI investigation involving executives of Armore?"

Nicole Haize replied for both of them, "No, but we're still in front of her house if you would like us to return to ask her anything."

"No," Gowdy said, "Head over to Russell and get together with Frakes and Lawson. They are heading there from interviewing Corbin Baker. When I contacted the local FBI office after hearing the report on the Baker interview, the FBI SAC insisted on meeting on a Sunday morning to explain the scope of their investigation. He alluded to the probability that he would be joined by at least one representative from the U.S. Attorney's office."

The Richard B. Russell Federal Building in downtown Atlanta housed the federal courts and several U.S. government agencies, including the local FBI field office.

"It will take us about thirty minutes to get there," Bohannan said. "We'll contact Lawson and Frakes to arrange a place to rendezvous before entering the Russell."

Director Gowdy smiled at the recognition by her agents that they would benefit from meeting together to brainstorm over their separate interviews and development of a strategy for dealing with the FBI before actually meeting with them. The urgency with which the FBI wanted to arrange a meeting meant that they had a high interest in some aspect of this case, but it was, and would remain, a GBI case.

~~~

"It looks like your plan for our arrival was solid," Liam said as he stared out from the bridge of the boat.

They had just passed the tip of the jetty protecting the Del Mar Marina and it was evident that by them entering the marina at this time on a Sunday morning they would encounter far less traffic than the boats exiting were having to deal with.

Gabe kept his eyes straight ahead as he replied, "It wasn't too difficult to assume that on a beautiful summer Sunday, anyone with access to a boat would want to take it out for the day. Most of the people on the boats we are passing must think that we are either having mechanical problems with our boat or have some mental deficiencies because we're the ones heading in the wrong direction."

Watching as the shape of various objects on the shore started to become more defined, one object in particular caught Liam's attention. Seeing the cell tower in the distance reminded him that they were easily within the range that would allow their phones to receive a signal. He removed his cell phone from its holder, pulled the battery from his pocket, and reinstalled it into the phone. After turning it on, he returned his gaze to the approaching marina while the phone booted up.

Peggy and Janelle were climbing up from the salon level when they saw Liam turning his phone on, so they followed his lead and got both of theirs ready for use again. Liam's phone finished booting first, so that's the first one that received a signal from the cell tower and the subsequent message that was contained in that signal.

Liam glanced at the text notification from Tank Chambers. All it read was "911". Before he could reply to that message, he had the exact same emergency message from Angela White and Corbin Baker.

He held the phone up so that the others could see his screen and said, "Something must be hap..."

His comments were interrupted by the ringing of Peggy's cell phone. She saw from the caller ID that Special Agent Blanton was calling, so after seeing the messages that her father had received, she decided to answer the call, "Hello?"

"Miss Donahue, this is Agent Blanton with the FBI."

"Yes," Peggy replied.

"I apologize for disturbing your Sunday morning, but there have been developments in your case that I wanted to share with you."

"If you will hold on one second, my father is here with me. I'll put you on speaker so you can talk to both of us at the same time."

Peggy pressed the speaker icon on her phone, held it between her and Liam, and then said, "Go ahead, Agent Blanton, we can both hear you now."

Without preamble, Blanton said, "Brent Mize, Evan Foster, and Kelly Proctor all succumbed to the toxin in some poisonous mushrooms that they were served at a wedding reception yesterday. The interesting aspect of this is that they are the only three guests at the reception who were served salads containing a lethal dose of the mushrooms."

"You make it sound like you expected more people to die and are disappointed that they didn't'" Peggy replied in a mocking tone.

Agent Blanton's tone reflected his own attitude when he said, "What I don't expect are for three subjects of a federal investigation to all wind up dead on the same day, from the same cause. Adding to that coincidence, we also have the alleged hitman hired by these three dying from an overdose of a drug variant which our lab has learned originated in Finland and has never been seen on this side of the Atlantic before now. Couple that with finding a woman suspected of having contact with the hitman in question shot dead in the parking lot of the motel where Evan Foster was found."

Liam said, "I read somewhere that people involved in criminal activity are at significantly higher risk of also becoming victims of criminal activity. If these deaths that you mentioned are suspect, maybe something outside of your investigation came back to bite them in the ass, so to speak."

"True," Blanton admitted. "There are no indications that these deaths are directly related to our investigation. In fact, taken separately, each could be classified as either an accident or the person just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's just the mother of all coincidences that everyone involved in the threats against Armore, you, and your daughter died suddenly and within such a short time span."

"Well, before you ask us for an alibi," Liam said, "We're right where my daughter told you we would be when she declined your offer to protect us. We're on a bloody boat, on the bloody ocean, where we have been for the past five bloody days. I'm glad that the threats have been eliminated, and we'll be heading back to shore today in order to return to our office tomorrow morning."

Peggy's words were more conciliatory, "We are saddened to hear of the deaths and we will be reaching out to the families of all three of our executives to do whatever we can to support them in their time of grief. As my father indicated, we still have a company to run, which we will be focusing on once we return to shore."

"When do you expect to be back to shore?"

Peggy glanced at Liam and saw him nod his head. She replied to Agent Blanton, "We will be in the California offices of Armore tomorrow morning. However, as I'm sure you can understand, we will be quite busy for the next several days. Besides dealing with the loss of three executives and the grieving of our employees over that, we also have a shareholder meeting later in the week to prepare for."

Agent Blanton said, "If I can arrange a conference call tomorrow with the attorneys from Justice who prepared the indictments, it would be beneficial for you to make time to participate. The deaths of the conspirators also kill the criminal prosecution case, which will impact any strategy for recovering either the embezzled money or the securities purchased with that money."

"Yes," Liam agreed, "getting an update on that would be beneficial for us before the shareholder meeting. Communicate the details on the conference call once you have arranged it and we will be certain to participate in it. With the three-hour time difference, the earlier in the day you can arrange it the better."

"I'll do my best," Blanton said. "Reach out to me if anything comes to your attention related to the case before we chat again."

Peggy disconnected the call and walked over to stand next to Gabe. "Tell me again that we're totally in the clear on all of this."

Gabe glanced over at her and said, "The authorities can suspect all they want. There will be no evidence found that link the deaths to anything other than what they appear to be, which is the overdose in the case of Munoz, accidental mushroom poisoning with Mize, Proctor, and Foster, and finally, a carjacking victim in the case of that Barbano lady. It would have been nice if the deaths could have been spaced out more, but Liam didn't allow for the luxury of time in his instructions. The guys involved are highly trained professionals. They leave no trace and make no mistakes."

Leaning over to place a kiss on his cheek, Peggy said, "Thanks. I just wanted to be reassured after speaking with the FBI. Janelle and I got everything packed and secured down below as you asked. Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Liam said, "I'll go down and start bringing our stuff up onto the deck. I want to get into the office as soon as possible once we dock."

Janelle chimed in, "I'll help..."

Speaking over his shoulder as he kept his eyes forward, Gabe asked, "Wouldn't it be better to just head back to the apartments? You would probably be much more productive. Is there anything you need to do in the Armore offices that couldn't be done from the apartments this afternoon?"

Peggy explained, "We need to be able to hold conference calls with multiple people in Georgia. While using the speaker function on a cell phone is okay for the occasional, quick conversation, we would be better served with an actual speakerphone."

"I have a Bluetooth speakerphone that I could pair to one of your cell phones," Gabe said. "It provides the same sound quality as a Plantronics conference speakerphone."

Liam seemed to be considering Gabe's suggestion. He asked, "What time do you think we'll be back at the apartments if we went directly there after we docked?"

"We'll be docked and tied off within fifteen minutes. Figure ten minutes to get the truck loaded and then another thirty-five minutes to drive from the marina to Fallbrook, we're looking at maybe just over an hour from now."

Checking the time, Liam looked at Peggy and said, "While I'm bringing our stuff topside, would you mind contacting Tank Chambers, Angela White, and Corbin Baker? Tell them that we want them to be in the first-floor conference room at headquarters in ninety minutes. Ask them to invite..."

He turned to Janelle and asked, "What is the name of the senior manager in finance again?"

"Addison Miller," Janelle replied immediately.

Turning back to Peggy, he said, "Ask them to invite Addison Miller from the finance department. Janelle will represent HR from here with us. I will call Bruce Goddard on the drive to the apartment and ask him to head into headquarters to join the conference, but if he can't make it in time, we'll allow him to call in from his son's place."

"I'll take care of it," Peggy assured him. "I'll also text you my suggestions for the promotion announcements."

Liam smiled at his daughter and said, "You don't think they should be 'acting' promotions either, do you?"

Shaking her head, Peggy said, "No, we need to instill confidence and continuity of operations with all employees. Quickly promoting respected people that we know we can trust into the three positions will strengthen employee morale and solidify our leadership of the company. I mean, it's not like we weren't expecting these three to be gone shortly anyway once the indictments were announced. We just hadn't discussed names as of yet, but I agree with all of your choices."

Janelle was blinking rapidly as she listened to the conversation. She finally said, "Wait! I thought I was just going to represent HR because I happened to be here with you guys. You aren't thinking of promoting me to replace Kelly Proctor, are you?"

Liam put his arm around her waist and pulled Janelle into a warm embrace as he said, "We need qualified people that we can trust in key positions within Armore. There is no one that we trust more than you. You'll have a competent staff supporting you, and we'll send you to any training that you feel that you might want to feel more qualified than we already know you to be."

"I just don't know if the employees will respect someone as junior in the HR department being placed in charge of it."

Liam bent down to kiss Janelle on the forehead and said, "Any employee who disrespects my wife does so at their own peril."

Janelle was beaming as Liam easily picked her up and carried her down the stairs.

After Peggy had made the calls and arranged the meeting that Liam had requested, she returned to stand next to Gabe. They were only minutes from the dock by this time.

"You don't want a double wedding with Janelle or anything like that, do you," Gabe teased Peggy.

"Nope. I will be perfectly happy to do like my parents and have a quick Las Vegas wedding. No fuss, no muss. Just the two of us starting our lives together."

Gabe was surprised by Peggy's answer and wasn't certain that she was serious. He asked, "Don't you want to invite friends, coworkers, and family to watch you get married?"

Peggy wrapped her arm around Gabe's and said, "No, it's too much trouble. If I start inviting people then I will be expected to invite a whole lot of people and end up with the entire Donahue and Arthur clans expecting invitations. They will want the wedding to be held in Scotland so that they could then control things further. That's why my parents chose to get married in Las Vegas even if doing so led most of the family to believe they did it because my mom was pregnant, but she wasn't. I would expect Dad and Janelle to be there with us, and anyone that you wanted to invite, of course, but all I need is you to be there with me."

"Well, you know that I don't have any close family left, so simple works for me too. Do you have a date in mind for when you would want to go to Vegas?"

Peggy only thought for a few seconds before saying, "I will try to convince Janelle that she and Dad should get married as soon as possible. Now that her parents know about their relationship and have given their blessing there is nothing stopping them. That way, they could get their nuptials out of the way, along with the extended honeymoon that I know my dad will want. If we can get them married off by the end of, say October, then we could get married and leave for our honeymoon cruise at the best time for sailing in the southern hemisphere. It would be late spring into summer. What do you think?"

"I am happy that Janelle and Liam were able to explain things to her parents last night when she called them. Right now, I think that you should come out and help me tie up to the dock. We can discuss wedding plans more intimately tonight in bed."

Peggy hadn't been paying attention as Gabe had skillfully brought the boat alongside the dock. As he shut down the engines, she hurried out onto the deck to grab the rope at the stern. She held it in her hand while jumping onto the dock and quickly wrapped it around the same cleat that she had previously removed it from when they had launched five days prior.

Gabe was securing the bow rope to its cleat, so Peggy took the opportunity to slide the gangplank onto the dock and secured it on both sides. She had barely finished when Liam and Janelle stepped onto the deck with everyone's belongings.

Gabe tossed Peggy the keys to his truck and said, "I'm just going to do a quick walk-through. I'll meet everyone at the truck in a few minutes."

~~~

Isaiah Norris handed the USB clip drive to Nicole Haize, who passed it to Director Gowdy at the end of the conference table. She plugged it into her laptop and opened the only file that the drive contained. The image on the projected screen turned momentarily black before the video began playing.

Norris had already seen, or rather, listened to the video several times since the day that Tank Chambers had provided it to him and his partner, so he sat patiently next to one of the Atlanta Police detectives investigating the shooting death of Belicia Barbano. He would have to be patient since one or more of the people assembled to view the video would likely want all or parts of it replayed several times.

Besides Norris and the Atlanta detective next to him, that side of the conference table had an additional Atlanta detective, Norris' partner Uhlie Drake, and the Special Agent in Charge for the Atlanta field office of the FBI, Porter Johns. On the other side of the conference table sat a contingent of four agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; Haize, Bohannon, Frakes, and Lawson.

Everyone in the room except Isaiah Norris and Uhlie Drake kept their eyes focused on the screen, watching. The two FBI agents knew that there was nothing to see after the three people had entered since the video only captured the entry foyer of the condo. The real focus should have been on the words being spoken by the conspirators as they talked from an area out of view for the camera, but not out of its sound range. Subsequent reviews of the video would find the others watching it less and taking more notes on what was actually said.

The Atlanta detective sitting next to Norris asked, "And you said that your New York field office has surveillance footage of this Hector Munoz meeting up with Belicia Barbano?"

Norris replied, "Yes. They also have quite a file on her activities over the years. She was born in Panama to an American mother and a Brazilian developer father. Her father's work found them traveling all over Central and South America when she was growing up, which is where she made many of the contacts that brought her to the attention of the Norte del Valle Cartel. They recruited her, first as a mule to smuggle drugs into the U.S., and eventually as a sort of emissary for their dealings with gangs here."

"That explains the connection to Evan Foster's motel room," the other Atlanta detective said. "She must have been meeting with him to discuss the death of Munoz and stumbled into the path of the carjackers when she was leaving."

The late-model SUV leased to Belicia Barbano had been recovered earlier that morning near McDonough, Georgia. It had been stripped of anything with a value and set on fire in a secluded clearing off Highway 155. Preliminary ballistics tests had confirmed that the caliber of the bullet retrieved from the door of the car in the motel parking lot matched those of several other recent carjackings in the area. It was too early to tell if the bullet came from the exact same gun used in those other crimes, but whoever these carjackers were, they had no qualms about using violence.

Assuming that since the others were discussing the content of the video and its relevance to the deaths of Foster, Mize, Proctor, and Barbano, Director Gowdy shut the video down on her laptop and returned the USB clip drive to Agent Norris. Taking her seat, she said, "I agree that the timing of these deaths along with the victims' apparent connection to this Munoz character in New York presents us with a conundrum, but is there any evidence that the deaths are more than what they appear to be - random?"

Agent Frakes answered, "I've been focusing on the poisonings. Our field team confirmed with the scientists from UGA that the Deadly Angel mushrooms came from the area where the caterer's vendor harvested the mushrooms for the wedding reception. They picked some and did a direct comparison with those still in the caterer's refrigerator and they match. I guess they can compare spores from them or something to determine if they came from the same area. Anyway, I can't wrap my head around someone purposely spiking the salads with deadly mushrooms without knowing who would be served which. How would that targeting work out? Then there are the dozens of other people at the reception who were also served salads containing the toxic mushrooms who have no connection to the people who died. No, I think it was random chance that Proctor, Foster, and Mize just happened to be the first people served their salads and those were the ones with the highest concentration of poisonous mushrooms in them."

"Why didn't any of them seek medical attention?" asked one of the Atlanta police detectives.

"Who knows," offered GBI Agent Lawson. "We could speculate on that all day. Maybe they were too focused on their plot against these Donahue people to consider their own plight."

Director Gowdy asked the Atlanta detectives, "Is there anything about this carjacking that would lead you to believe that it was anything other than a random act just like the others you have seen recently?"

"No. In fact, the similarities are all there. A late-model, foreign-made SUV with a lone female occupant who apparently resists the perpetrators and is shot outside the vehicle with a nine-millimeter."

"Then the vehicle is stripped and set on fire," added his partner.

Porter Johns reviewed documents in the file folder in front of him and said, "The death of Hector Munoz is still being investigated by the NYPD. Munoz has no record of drug use, but that could simply be a contributing factor to his overdose of a drug that he was unfamiliar with. One avenue that the NYPD is looking at, however, is a rumor that Munoz was having an affair with the wife of one Jeremy Narus. Narus works as a sales manager for a pharmaceutical distributor. They are looking into whether his job might have provided him with access to the same variety of sufentanil that our lab identified as being the cause of Munoz's overdose."

Porter closed the file folder and continued, "For what it's worth, it is my opinion that unless these individuals pissed off someone like James Brandt or Sean Wallace, their deaths are just random acts, and them occurring so close together are mere coincidence."

Director Gowdy was the only other person at the table who understood the reference to Sean Wallace in particular. She had been part of the team a decade earlier that investigated the circumstances surrounding a notorious gang leader in Atlanta being dropped off at a hospital without his arms and legs. That incident, as well as the deaths of some other gang members in the state, had shone a light on the threats that the gangs had made towards Sean Wallace, his girlfriend at the time, and a bunch of young girls that the gangs had brought to this country to sell. The investigation never came close to linking Sean Wallace to any actions against the gangs, but everyone familiar with the investigation suspected that he had been intimately involved, and admired him for what he had accomplished.

She smiled at the memories, closed her laptop, and said, "I agree. Other than the conspiratorial relationship between the five individuals, I see nothing notable about their deaths other than the timing. I think we're done here."

Chapter Thirteen

"The laws are tougher in California than Georgia," Tank Chambers was explaining. "Intrepid can provide armed security here at headquarters, but they are not licensed to do so in California."

He was responding to Liam Donahue's instructions for him to arrange for the current security at Armore's facilities to be increased by having armed rather than unarmed guards in the lobbies. Tank knew that Liam Donahue hated to hear the word, "can't", so he had carefully phrased his response. The others around the conference table in Georgia remained silent, letting Tank Chambers continue uninterrupted, "I will be able to make arrangements with a qualified security company to replace Intrepid out there tomorrow, but my options are limited on a Sunday."

Gabe sat on the sofa in Peggy's apartment while she, Liam, and Janelle utilized the dining room table to conduct their conference call with the group at Armore's headquarters. Vice Presidents Angela White and Corbin Baker had been joined by Tank Chambers, Addison Miller, and Bruce Goddard. Liam had started the conference call by giving his instructions to the head of security. The others were waiting their turn to hear Liam's instructions for them.

He had no role at Armore, so Gabe had chosen to sit away from where the others were talking, but he could easily hear both sides of the conference call taking place. The subject of security, especially where it involved the safety and security of Peggy was his concern, so he felt no qualms about offering a suggestion on the subject, "Hire off-duty law enforcement officers as your security guards. Most cops are looking for easy ways to make a few extra dollars, they are licensed to carry their weapons at all times, and are trained far better than most security guards on how to provide security and deal with situations that arise."

"An excellent idea," Liam said. Then he asked Gabe, "Can you give Tank some suggestions on how to make the necessary arrangements. I'm sure that he could make them on his own in Georgia, but he's not as familiar with things out here."

Gabe nodded and said, "Text me his contact information and I'll have someone call him today."

"I'll take care of that," Janelle said as she picked up her cell phone and prepared to send Gabe the information.

"Thank you," Liam said to Janelle. He then addressed the group, "Tank, you can take off to start making the arrangements. I'll schedule a time to meet with you when I get back to Georgia so we can do a more comprehensive review of our corporate-wide security protocols."

"Yes, sir." Tank said.

After the sound of Tank leaving the conference room had subsided, Liam continued, "Okay then, the announcement related to Margaret's promotion is already on the server for distribution to everyone tomorrow morning so it's too late to retract it. Consequently, I will be asking Janelle Sanders to draft an additional announcement concerning both the tragic deaths of three vice presidents of our company, but also explaining the personnel changes necessary as a result. I will let our new General Manager explain these personnel changes and answer any questions that you may have about them."

Smiling at her father, Peggy began, "Good afternoon, everyone. While my father stands on formality when introducing me, I would prefer if everyone else continues to call me Peggy. The first personnel change that we want to announce is the promotion of Bruce Goddard to be the new Vice President of Operations. Congratulations, Bruce."

The sound of clapping hands could be heard on both ends of the conference call. Peggy continued after it had abated, "Next, Angela White and Corbin Baker are both being promoted to Executive Vice Presidents of their respective departments. Janelle Sanders will be promoted to replace Kelly Proctor as vice president of Human Resources, and we would like for Addison Miller to consider replacing Brent Mize as vice president of the Financial department."

The sound of Addison Miller's gasp was followed immediately by another round of applause for all those receiving promotions. Liam smiled and waited for the clapping to die down before he retook control of the meeting. He said, "As most of you know by now, I have scheduled a shareholders meeting for next Friday. I had originally planned to hold the meeting out here in California, but with the recent events, I believe it would be better to hold it there at Armore's headquarters. Addison, I'm going to be leaning heavily on you and your department to get the notice of the meeting location communicated to the appropriate people and organizations. Angela and Corbin, I expect you both to assist Addison as much as possible."

Peggy stared at her father and wondered if this was how things were going to be with her position in the company; him making decisions without discussing them with her. She reached over and pushed the "MUTE" button on the Bluetooth speakerphone device. Silence filled the room as Liam and Janelle looked over at Peggy.

"Dad, that was completely unacceptable," she said. "If you want to fly back to Atlanta, I can't stop you. But to move the meeting there without even discussing it with me was rude."

Liam's face turned red as he bowed his head and studied his hands for a few seconds before responding, "You are absolutely right, and I am proud of you for calling me on it. Your mother would have done the same thing. All these years of making decisions by myself have formed some habits that I will need yours and Janelle's help to break."

"And why are we promoting Addison Miller over Abraham Strong?" Peggy asked. "He's a Director and she is only a Senior Manager. How is that going to look to other employees?"

Liam glanced at Janelle and said, "Back me up here." He then turned to Peggy and said, "Abe is one of the best CPAs in the country, and he is unrivaled where corporate tax matters are concerned, but he thrives as an individual contributor. If we saddled him with supervisory responsibilities, he would be out the door within a week. Why do you think he has no direct reports and only a few dotted-line reports? Trust me, he would decline the position if it was offered to him, and we should respect that."

When she saw Janelle nodding her head in agreement with Liam, Peggy simply nodded, hit the "MUTE" button again, and spoke into the speakerphone, "Excuse us, folks, we're going to have a brief sidebar discussion here for a few minutes. Please be patient."

She placed the call on mute once more and asked, "Gabe, would you please join us here?"

Once Gabe took the remaining seat at the table, Peggy said, "Okay, let's discuss whether we should hold the meeting here or at headquarters. For me, the biggest deciding factor will be whether Gabe is fine with it..."

Gabe asked, "What have I got to do with it?"

Peggy gave him her most endearing smile and said, "Sweetie, we're together now. I won't make any decisions to travel unless they include you or you approve of them. If we move the meeting to Atlanta, I would have to fly out there on Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest in order to prepare for the meeting on Friday. That means that I possibly would not be here with you on my birthday. Are you okay with that?"

"I see what you mean," Gabe said. "I would definitely want to spend your birthday with you, but it doesn't have to be here. Why don't you go ahead and move the meeting to Atlanta, but let me make the travel arrangements for you and me."

"Are you going to be able to get more time off?" Peggy asked with concern.

Gabe smiled in reassurance and said, "I'm a salaried employee, so I get paid whether I work or not. But to answer your question, I have plenty of personal time accumulated to cover the days if necessary. You just worry about taking care of Armore and I'll take care of you."

Peggy was beaming as she said, "I love you. Can you be with me in the offices here on Monday and Tuesday so we can check on the status of the Sagikkun/GoodBuy project?"

"I assumed that's what we would do," Gabe agreed. He then rose and said, "If you don't need me for anything else right now, I'm going to head over to my home office and tackle a few things. Text me when your call is over and I'll come back."

Peggy came around the table to hug and kiss Gabe. She reached down and unmuted the speakerphone once he had left and closed the front door. She started talking again as she retook her seat, "Okay, now that we have the shareholders meeting location set, what's next on the agenda?"

"Can I ask a question?"

"Is that you, Addison?" asked Peggy.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Peggy wanted to ask her new vice president to not be so formal but decided to wait until she had the chance to do so in person. Instead, she said, "The floor is yours, Addison."

"When you mentioned 'what's next on the agenda' just now, it brought to mind a question that I will need answered before Friday, and that is what is the agenda for the shareholders meeting? I mean, will there be enough people or their proxies in attendance to conduct business?"

Liam answered for Peggy, "That's a fair question, so let me explain. This is not a regular meeting of the shareholders, but a special meeting called at the request of certain shareholders who wanted to attempt a takeover of the Board. Those shareholders will not be attending the meeting. In fact, their shares of Armore stock are in a kind of limbo right now. Consequently, we will have at most, sixty-two percent of the voting stock represented at the meeting, which is the simple majority required. As long as we have enough Board members present to establish a quorum, any business that does need to be conducted can be done legally. All of that being said, I will have a formal meeting agenda prepared and e-mailed to you by Tuesday morning."

When Liam paused, Peggy asked, "Was there anything else, Addison?"

"No, Ma'am. Thank you."

"Okay then," Peggy said. "Let's discuss how we want to back-fill the positions of those just promoted..."

~~~

"It will be impossible to replace you!"

Gabe chuckled and said into his cell phone, "Jay, your choice is replacing me or Sagikkun replacing Armore. Which of those will be easier?"

Jay Park considered this statement for a few seconds and said, "I'm certain that we could work things out so that any conflicts of interest or ethics concerns get addressed in a mutually beneficial fashion."

"Yeah, right," Gabe retorted. "How's that working out for Sagikkun right now in Seoul?"

Gabe was referring to the several bribery, corruption, and illegal trade allegations that Sagikkun was currently facing in the Korean courts. Jay Park had, so far, run the American operations of the company mostly above reproach, but he wasn't opposed to bending the rules himself if the reward for the company was large enough. Gabe had known Jay Park to provide incentives to customers such as female entertainment, free Sagikkun products, lavish dinners, and free tickets to major sporting events. Gabe knew that Jay would view his relationship with the General Manager of one of Sagikkun's largest vendors as beneficial.

The opportunity for Gabe to influence the operational aspects of the business relationship, as well as the pricing for services, would be foremost on Jay Park's mind. He would ignore the ethical issues associated with any influence that Gabe might exert on behalf of Sagikkun. This is why Gabe had called Jay Park to inform him that he would likely be resigning from Sagikkun tomorrow.

"Listen, Jay, I love this woman and I need to be in a position that allows me to support her and her dreams completely. I can't see that happening if I still have obligations to Sagikkun. I will remain loyal to you as a friend, but I cannot work for you and do what needs to be done for Peggy and me to have a future together."

"But she is a wealthy woman," Jay countered. "She doesn't need your support."

"Not financial support, no. What she needs and deserves is for me to be able to communicate freely with her about my interests as well as hers. She needs to know that she can share anything about her day, including information on her company without fear of it getting back to someone at Sagikkun or elsewhere. She needs to be able to bounce ideas off me and to receive my unbiased opinions. For all these reasons and more, I cannot work for any company that does business with Armore."

"Ahem."

Gabe would recognize that throat-clearing sound anywhere. He turned in his chair and smiled up at Peggy standing in the doorway of his home office. "Jay," he said into the phone, "I need to go now. We'll talk again tomorrow and I'll give you my final decision."

As soon as she saw Gabe end the call, Peggy walked over and sat on his lap. "How long were you listening?" he asked her.

"Not long. I thought that we were going to discuss things together."

"Oh, we are. I was simply giving Jay Park a heads-up on what I was thinking so that he had more time to come to terms with it. After you and I discuss it, I will give him my final decision about resigning."

"I just want you to be happy," Peggy whispered as she placed her head on his shoulder. "And I want you to know that I trust you completely. What you said about me not being able to communicate with you freely is never going to be a concern for me, and I know that you will always give me any support that I need. I will do the same for you."

"I know you will, but there are others that might not feel the same way, such as your father and other stakeholders at Armore. Since I don't really need the job with Sagikkun, I am in a position to eliminate any conflict of interest or ethics concerns for both of us. You're beginning a new chapter in your professional life this week. Being beside you without presenting any obstacles for you is what would make me happy."

Peggy gave Gabe such a passionate kiss that the resulting bulge in his pants practically lifted her off his thighs. Giggling as she ended the kiss, she said, "I like it when you get happy. Come on, let's go join Dad and Janelle to figure out our lunch plans. I vote for a barbeque out by the pool and might need your supporting vote to win. By the way, did you send the information that you promised to Tank Chambers?"

"I put him in contact with Johnny after explaining to Johnny what Liam wants. Johnny said that the district Fraternal Order of Police lodge maintains a database of law enforcement officers seeking off-duty assignments. Armore should have no problem getting all the armed officers they want."

Coming out of the office holding hands, Gabe and Peggy found Liam and Janelle sitting at the kitchen counter staring at Liam's laptop screen. They walked over to join them to discuss lunch. Sensing their approach, Janelle turned to face them while Liam remained focused on the computer screen.

"We're checking flights to Atlanta for tomorrow," Janelle informed them.

"I thought that it would be better if one of us made an appearance in headquarters as soon as possible," Liam stated without turning around. He continued scrolling through flight schedules as he explained, "I know that you are tied up here for a couple of days due to the Sagikkun project, so I suggested to Janelle that we be the ones to leave early."

"But the deal is," Janelle said, "that I get to throw a big belated birthday party for you at the Dunwoody house next Saturday.

Peggy laughed and said, "Well, at least I know it won't be a surprise party."

"How would you feel about taking a red-eye flight?" Liam asked Janelle. "If we catch the 5 PM flight from Ontario to Salt Lake City, we could then catch the midnight flight to Atlanta?"

Janelle leaned over, kissed Liam on the cheek, and said, "Whatever you want, G.G. I'll go start packing the rest of our things that aren't already still packed from the boat."

Janelle scurried into the bedroom, followed by Liam. Gabe spoke to Peggy while she watched her best friend and father pass them, "How about if we treat them to lunch at Miguel's on the way to the airport. It will be a late lunch for us, but it's on the way."

Peggy hugged him and said, "As long as they don't take too long getting ready to go. I know there is plenty of time before their flight, but I'm starving."

~~~

"You certainly made my dad's day by letting him drive your car to the airport."

Gabe laughed as he glanced across at Peggy in the driver's seat of his Corvair Estate Wagon. He yelled, "You seem to be enjoying it yourself."

They were just passing the Interstate 15 exit for Lake Elsinore, which placed them approximately halfway between the Ontario Airport where they had dropped off Liam and Janelle, and their apartments in Fallbrook. The warm summer day required them to keep all the windows in the car rolled down so they hadn't spoken much since leaving the airport, needing to raise their voices significantly to be heard over the sound of the wind and other vehicles on the freeway.

Nodding vigorously, Peggy said, "I am. This car runs really nice for being as old as it is."

Gabe sat silently for several more miles before asking, "What is this 'Moonshine Festival' that your dad was trying to explain?"

Peggy grinned and began to explain, "It's a world-famous festival of classic cars that is held on the weekend before Halloween in a small Georgia town named Dawsonville. It's called the 'Mountain Moonshine Festival' in commemoration of the old hot rods and trucks that the moonshiners used to drive through the mountains when they would transport their illegal product from the stills down to the speakeasies and other locations where they would sell it, frequently having to outrun sheriff or police cars. Stock car racing is said to have gotten its origins from the skills that the moonshiners had to use to evade being caught by the law."

"This car certainly doesn't fit into that mold," said Gabe. "No one would confuse this for a hot rod."

"Oh, all kinds of vintage vehicles come to the parade and car show during the Moonshine Festival," Peggy insisted. "Although my dad has taken me and Janelle there a few times, today is the first time that I heard him expressing an interest in owning a classic car of any kind. I blame you and this car for that."

They drove for another thirty minutes before Gabe spoke again. He asked, "Where do you want to live?"

Without hesitation, Peggy grinned and said, "With you, of course."

"Location, funny girl. Location."

Peggy's expression turned more serious as she said, "I had a brief conversation about that with Janelle. I will tell you the same thing I told her; with me being responsible for almost all of Armore's business operations and the New Jersey location closing, it makes more sense for me to live out here than in Georgia. I haven't spoken to my dad about it, and he might have a different perspective, but I doubt he will. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"For the most part," said Gabe. "I am glad that you are basing your decision on something other than where I currently live because I can and would move wherever you wanted to live. As a follow-up question, do you want to stay in the apartment, get a house, or something else?"

"My parents built a huge house in Georgia, in large part so that they could use it for entertaining potential customers and hosting other social events. I would want my home to be only my home, and as I think you've seen, I'm pretty down-to-earth where my home life is concerned. As long as it's just you and me, I am perfectly happy with things the way they are now. You and I share one of the apartments and we can utilize the other one as a home office and spare room for guests when necessary. What do you want?"

"I chose to live in one of the apartments for a few reasons. The first is the fact that I felt an obligation to be readily available to support John and Frances. They had no prior experience managing apartments when I talked them into taking the job, so I thought it only fair that I am close by in case anything came up. The second reason was that living in the apartment doesn't require anything more from me than keeping my own place clean. There's no maintenance or yard work for me to bother with like there would be with a house, or even a condo if I owned one. The final reason is that the apartment is easy to leave uninhabited on short notice and for prolonged periods of time. If I wanted to travel, such as taking my boat on an island-hopping trip across the Pacific, the apartment wouldn't hold me back. It's just the simplest for me, or at least it was."

"I believe we have compatible lifestyles," Peggy said. "At least it seems that way so far. Obviously, things in our lives could change that would affect our lifestyles, such as having children, but until then, the apartments seem like the best option for us."

Gabe nodded and expanded on a subject that Peggy had broached, "Are you anxious to start having kids, or do you want to get your career more solidly under you first?"

Grinning broadly, Peggy said, "I've been thinking about that too. Want to hear my thoughts?"

"Of course."

"Okay, you know how we discussed the timing of our wedding relative to that of Janelle and my dad?"

"Uh-huh." Gabe was trying to understand the significance of this statement when Peggy continued, "My dad is going to want to retire in ten years or so, and after that, I will have full responsibility for Armore. I think that we should start our family sooner rather than later because as long as my dad is still working, my burden will be lighter. What do you think?"

"What if Janelle and your dad have kids?" Gabe asked. "Won't your dad want to lessen his workload to spend more time with them?

"Well, Janelle sprung another little factoid on me while she was here, and that was her plan to get her tubes tied before her and my dad get married. She says that the two of them had discussed it and neither of them wants children, so Janelle is going to take steps to ensure that it never happens."

"So," Gabe said, "we have essentially a ten-year window in which we can have kids and you will have more flexibility with your role at Armore to raise them. If all the kids were school age by the time your dad retired, you working more wouldn't present many challenges at all. That makes sense."

"I'm glad you agree," Peggy said. "Now, let's get home and start practicing."

~~~

"If you're going to want to work in your office while I am home, then I think we should swap it with the second bedroom at the other apartment. That way I won't have to get dressed to come and tempt you back to bed."

Gabe looked up from his computer screen and smiled at Peggy in the doorway. She was wearing only the polo shirt that he had discarded beside the bed earlier and it barely covered areas that she would typically want covered walking between the two apartments.

"Come here," Gabe requested, patting his lap and pushing his chair back from the desk.

Peggy sauntered over and slid onto Gabe's gym short clad lap. She placed one arm around his shoulder and asked, "Planning our trip?"

Gabe nodded and said, "I want to confirm a few things with you first, but other than that, yes."

"What would you like to know?" Peggy asked as she glanced at the computer screen.

"Do you know how difficult it is to arrange a ride from Peachtree-DeKalb airport around dinner time? Because, if it's too much trouble, I can either rent us a car or schedule a car service to pick us up."

Peggy gave his question some thought before answering, "Whether we go from the airport to the condo or to the house in Dunwoody, the fare for a taxi, Uber, or Lyft driver wouldn't make the trip worth their while. Both are too close to the airport. I recommend arranging for a rental car. Now can I ask a question?"

"Sure."

"When you mention that airport, is that because we will not be flying to Atlanta on a commercial aircraft? Those all fly into Hartsfield-Jackson."

Gabe used the computer mouse to back his browser window up a few pages so that Peggy could see the image of a twin-engine private jet. He said, "I have an arrangement with a charter company whereby I shuttle their aircraft around the country for free. They have one at John Wayne Airport in Orange County that they want in Atlanta by the end of the week. They will have someone fly it here to the Fallbrook airport tomorrow and we will fly it to Atlanta on Tuesday morning. If that's okay with you, of course."

Peggy squealed, "Of course it's okay! I've always wanted to fly with a former United States Marine Corps aviator and now I get to do it on my birthday. Janelle will be so jealous! Wait. How are we getting back?"

Gabe stopped laughing long enough to answer, "That will depend on when we want to come back and what you might want to bring back with us. I assume that you have some personal belongings still in Georgia, such as a car and more clothes. If you wanted us to rent a truck and bring things back, we could drive. Otherwise, when we know what day we want to leave there, I will arrange another transport with the charter company."

"Why do they let you fly their planes for free?"

"Other than them wanting to stay in my good graces in case they ever need a favor from me, you mean?" Gabe teased. He then explained, "Pilots are limited to the number of hours that they can fly within a prescribed period of time. If the charter company used their own pilots to shuttle non-paying flights, that would cut into their ability to use those pilots for revenue-generating flights when they needed them. My hours in the air don't count towards their operations, but they do count towards the hours of flight that I need to log to keep some of my certifications current. It also allows me to try a variety of different aircraft, so it's a win-win for everyone."

"That makes sense," Peggy said. "Since the shareholder meeting is Friday, I think that I will want to stay in Georgia at least through next weekend. I've decided to give my car to Janelle, so we don't have to worry about bringing that to California, and any clothes that won't fit in a couple of suitcases can be shipped to me through FedEx or something. There's not much else that I would want to bring. What are you going to do while I'm working?"

"I'll need to find a suitable location to work remotely," Gabe said. "I have obligations to Sagikkun that I will need to start closing out, not the least of which is the GoodBuy project. I'll look online tomorrow for a Regus location in the Atlanta area where I can rent a private office space for a few days..."

"No way! I'll find you a private space at headquarters where you can work without being disturbed. Well, not disturbed by anyone other than your loving fiancée. Besides my wanting you close so that I can eat lunch with you and show you off. I am going to face a lot of decisions over the next week, both professionally as I assume my new role, but also with my, and soon to be our, personal finances. I will want your opinion on a lot of things, so having you at Armore will make things easier all around."

Gabe slid his hand under the hem of the polo shirt that Peggy was wearing and lightly caressed her thigh as he said, "Just please agree that my opinions should always be viewed as supportive of you. They shouldn't be an influence on the decisions you make beyond any new facts they provide that you might not have considered. You're the most intelligent person that I have ever known and you need to embrace the strength that gives you. I want you to trust yourself, knowing that I will always be here to support your decisions. You don't need my approval on everything."

With her one arm still resting on Gabe's shoulders, Peggy used her free hand to coax his hand currently on her thigh into a position between her legs. He could feel the heat between her legs at the same time that the fire in her kiss consumed him.

Slowly moving her lips from his, Peggy asked, "Is this a decision of mine that you will support?"

Chapter Fourteen

The armed off-duty DeKalb County police officer moonlighting as a security guard at Armore headquarters stood his ground.

"Yes, visitors must be escorted by an employee," he said, "but the employee doing the escorting must have a valid employee badge that would allow them entry into the building. Your badge not only isn't releasing the door lock, which means that you aren't authorized to use it in this building, but the employee picture on it looks nothing like you."

Peggy stood smiling at the guard. The fact that the photo of her on her badge no longer resembled how she looked today pleased her, and after reading the name on his uniform shirt, she told him so, "Thank you, Officer Burton. That's a welcomed compliment. And you're right, I do need to get my employee badge updated. Would you be so kind as to inform Mr. Chambers that Margaret Donahue is in the lobby and requires his assistance?"

"Sure. Would you and the gentleman mind signing in on the visitor log while I do that?"

"My guest will sign in, but I'll wait for Mr. Chambers if you don't mind," Peggy informed him.

The guard simply shrugged and placed a call to the number that he had been instructed to use if he needed to contact the head of Armore security. The discussion was brief and the guard soon hung up the phone. "Tank will be right out," he informed them."

Tank Chambers came scurrying into the lobby moments later, sliding to a stop at the counter where Peggy and Gabe had remained. He stared at Peggy for a few seconds, searching his mind for recognition. There is no way that he would have forgotten the walking wet dream that was standing before him claiming to be Margaret Donahue. This woman stood confidently in a tailored dress made of beige linen material that looked appropriate for anything from a business meeting to a formal dinner. Her dark, radiant hair was styled to flow down her back, past her shoulders, and secured at the base of her neck by a silver clip. She wore a diamond solitaire necklace that threw the occasional shock of reflected light as she moved. She had minimal makeup on her perfect face, and her eyes were mesmerizing to anyone who was captured by them.

Tearing his eyes away from hers and glancing at the employee badge the woman held in her hand for his inspection, Tank was stunned at the difference in the appearance.

"That badge belongs to a California employee named Peggy Arthur," he told her. "Why are you using it to gain entry here?"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Tank," said an exasperated Janelle who had just entered the lobby, "Just fix her darn badge."

Janelle came over and surprised Peggy and Gabe by hugging him first. She then warmly embraced Peggy and asked, "How was your flight? I still haven't recovered from the redeye that Liam and I took."

Peggy grinned and said, "With a former United States Marine Corps aviator as my pilot, how could it have been anything other than the most exciting thing I have ever done. It was spectacular! Gabe let me sit in the co-pilot seat and even let me take the controls for a while during the flight."

"No frigging way!" exclaimed Janelle in excitement. "You guys flew out here on a private plane with Gabe as the pilot?"

Peggy was nodding vigorously when she said, "Not a plane, it was a jet! I mean, it wasn't a military jet or anything, but it was sleek and fast and Gabe made it do all sorts of maneuvers for me."

While the two women continued talking excitedly about Peggy's flight, Tank took the opportunity to size up the guy that had accompanied the woman claiming to be Margaret Donahue. From the name, "Gabe", he recognized him as the guy who had suggested the conference call on Sunday for Armore to use off-duty police officers for security. He looked like he had just stepped off the cover of a GQ magazine in his suit and perfectly knotted tie. It was obvious that both Janelle and this other woman felt very comfortable with the guy by the way that Janelle had hugged him and the other woman clung to his arm while standing close at his side.

He extended his hand to Gabe and said, "I'm Thaddeus Chambers, head of facilities at Armore."

"Gabriel Lewis," Gabe replied.

"Can I ask the purpose of your visit to Armore?" Tank asked. "It will allow me to get you the visitor badge most appropriate for your purpose..."

"Tank, just escort Peggy and Gabe to your office," instructed Janelle. "Peggy will provide you with further instructions there."

Tank wasn't familiar with taking directions from Janelle, but she was a vice president now, and more importantly, Liam Donahue had announced on Monday that she was also his future wife. He nodded at the guard and said in a resigned tone, "I'll take care of these guests, Burton. Thanks."

Tank led them to his office right off the lobby and waited for them to both enter before following them and taking the seat behind his desk. Peggy rose from the chair she had selected and reached over to close the office door. Once seated again, she asked, "Do I need my father to come and identify me to your satisfaction? Tank, you are the one that gave the recordings to the FBI. You know why my father took his extended business trip and why I chose to hide in plain sight in Fallbrook, so let's get this done. You do know that you report to me now, don't you?"

She handed her current employee badge across the desk and said, "Add complete access to headquarters to this badge for now. We'll get a photo to you for the new badge later today. The name on the new badge will be 'Margaret (Peggy Arthur) Donahue' with the 'Peggy Arthur' in parenthesis. That should help alleviate any confusion."

Tank didn't respond verbally, but he flipped the badge over and used an application on his computer to update the security system with the number from the back of the badge. "This badge will now work throughout the building at all times," he said as he handed it back to Peggy.

She saw Tank's eyes flit over to a still silent Gabe. She smiled and said, "Tank, I would like to introduce Gabe Lewis. He will require the same access as me, but you should use either an unescorted visitor or contractor badge for him since he isn't an employee of Armore."

"Then what is he?"

Peggy didn't miss the hint of contempt in Tank's voice and she wouldn't tolerate it. She leaned forward in her chair and said, "Gabe is many things, Mr. Chambers, including a representative of Armore's largest client, Sagikkun. But far more than that, he is soon to be the son-in-law of Armore's CEO. If Gabe asks you for something, assume that the request came directly from me. Does that paint a clear enough picture for you, Mr. Chambers?"

She saw Tank glancing at her left hand. There was not yet a ring there to indicate that she was engaged, but her words should have certainly implied it. She asked again, "Are things clear, Mr. Chambers?"

"Things are clear," Tank muttered as he opened his desk drawer and retrieved a badge that had the word "CONTRACTOR" printed clearly across the front. Once again, he flipped the badge over to read the number on the back of it and used that to activate the card in the security system. He started to hand the badge to Gabe, but he refused to accept it.

"Does that badge have access to the Fallbrook facility programmed on it?" Gabe asked.

Tank looked down at the badge and said, "No, I..."

"Peggy instructed you to give me the same access as her," Gabe reminded him. "Are you telling me that Peggy's badge no longer has access to Fallbrook as well?"

Raising a questioning eyebrow at Tank while she squeezed Gabe's hand, Peggy, sat in silent admiration of her guy standing up for himself. There might be several others within Armore who would challenge the authority of Gabe, especially until she and he were husband and wife. Gabe sensed that him being respected by the employees was important to Peggy, and he would do whatever it took for her expectations to be met.

Once Tank had corrected the badge and Gabe had accepted it, Peggy said, "Thank you, Tank. Please update me on the availability of any private office space here. I won't need a permanent office for myself since I plan to work out of Fallbrook, but if there was something available for the remainder of this week..."

Tank was shaking his head before she finished her question. He said, "Those three Senior Managers from the New Jersey offices who are working on the transition commandeered the only available offices when they arrived here."

"Each manager has their own office?" Peggy asked in surprise. She had grown accustomed to managers working in the same space as their employees in the California offices.

"Yeah, they each had their own office in New Jersey and felt that they needed the same here. It makes no sense because they spend most of their days together in conference room 4L working on the same transition tasks. Evan Foster approved it, so I had to go along."

"It's not your fault, Tank. Do you think they're all in conference room 4L right now?"

Tank checked the time before merely nodding in the affirmative.

"Please describe the location of the offices occupied by them," Peggy asked.

Tank pulled up a floorplan diagram on his computer screen and turned it so that Peggy could see it. He said, "This is the second-floor layout. The office in the southwest corner is a 12x12 without much wall space because of all the windows. It's also hard to keep the temperature constant because of the solar gain that the room receives during the day. The guy who drew the short straw got this office."

Tank clicked on the mouse a few times and then said, "This is the layout for the fourth floor. The two offices next to each other have windows looking north, with an obstructed view of the Chattahoochee River. They are both 12x16..."

"We'll take those," Peggy told him. "Please pull up the conference room scheduling for this week and let's review that for a minute."

Tank quickly started reading off the reservations for conference rooms in the system. When he got to conference room 7C, Peggy stopped him.

"Brent Mize still has that room reserved?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I guess he doesn't need it anymore," Tank confirmed.

Peggy smiled at Gabe and asked, "Do you want to tag along, or wait here?"

In response, Gabe simply rose from his chair and said, "Lead the way."

Peggy was familiar with the headquarters building from all of her years there as an intern. Holding Gabe's hand as they walked down the halls with Tank following, she bypassed the elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs instead. The door to conference 4L was closed, but Peggy showed no hesitation as she turned the knob, opened the door, and walked into the room.

Three men in their mid to late thirties sat at one end of the conference table. Their laughter ceased when the door to the conference room opened and they all looked over at the intruders. "This room is reserved," said the man in the middle of the three, although he thought that they wouldn't mind sharing the room with this hot babe.

Peggy ignored the statement and asked, "Which of you has your e-mail open right now?"

She watched all three men glance at their respective laptops screens before the man on the left said, "I do. Why?"

Smiling warmly, she said, "At exactly 8 AM this morning a companywide e-mail from Liam Donahue was distributed. Please read that to me."

The other men watched as their coworker read the announcement related to the promotion of Margaret Donahue as the new General Manager of Armore. When he had finished, all three turned their focus back to Peggy and the two men with her.

Peggy walked towards the table. Gabe stepped beside her and pulled one of the chairs out for her. After she had taken a seat facing the three men, Gabe and Tank joined her on either side. She asked, "Gentlemen, do I need to introduce myself?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Donahue," said the man who had read the e-mail and thus put two and two together faster than his coworkers. "I'm Mike Hongstead."

"I'm Curtis Drummond," said the man to Hongstead's right.

"That would leave me as Perry Gaston," said the last man.

Peggy continued smiling and said, "It's a pleasure to meet each of you. I'm sorry that I don't have the time at the moment to get to know each of you better. What I need from each of you is for you to leave this room, go to the offices that you are using, and for you to clear out any personal belongings. You are being assigned conference room 7C for your exclusive joint use. Any questions?"

The three men exchanged glances before Drummond said, "Can you explain why?"

Peggy's smile never faltered when she replied, "Certainly. First of all, since the three of you are collaborating between yourselves and HR on the outplacement packages for the employees in New Jersey, placing you in a conference room on the same floor as the HR department will make you and them more productive. Secondly, by you all using a single conference room for your collaboration, having individual offices assigned to you is a waste of space, which brings me to the third reason, which is the need for temporary office space this week for myself and Mr. Lewis here."

She took Gabe's hand in hers and held it while the three men considered her reply. To help prod them along faster, she turned to Tank and said, "Please block out this conference room for me through the end of business on Friday."

Facing the three men again as she placed her laptop bag on the conference room table, she said, "I would appreciate you bringing the keys for your offices to me here on your way to the seventh floor."

Gabe followed her lead by setting his laptop bag on the table next to hers.

Perry Gaston was the first to finish packing up his laptop. "See you guys on the seventh floor," he said as he walked towards the door. He paused where Peggy was sitting and handed her the key to his office. "I don't have anything left in the office on two, so here's the key for you."

Peggy handed the key to Tank and said, "Thank you, Perry."

Drummond and Hongstead soon followed, also leaving their office keys with Peggy. She handed one key to Gabe and then turned to Tank, "Thank you Tank. Gabe and I will go check out our offices in a few minutes."

Taking that as his dismissal, Tank simply nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. Peggy turned her chair to face Gabe and asked, "I haven't been a harpy with anyone have I?"

Gabe understood Peggy's need to present a strong persona while first assuming her new role, and how this could conflict with her more introverted nature around people that she didn't know well. She would want reassurance from him that she wasn't behaving like a rapacious monster while exerting her authority. He held her hands in his and said, "I think that you have comported yourself politely and professionally so far. You've been firm, but not threatening. Your smile does wonders to convey your compassion and understanding, which makes your directions far more tolerable for people that are unfamiliar with you. I am proud of you."

After leaning forward to kiss Gabe on the lips, she said, "Those last words are all that matter to me. You make me proud too. Come on, I'll let you have the first choice of offices."

~~~

"After our conversation on Monday, I made some calls and got the information we will need to move forward."

"Let me know what you found out," Gabe said, even though his own research over the past two weeks was pretty conclusive. He was on his cell phone, alone in the private office that Peggy had arranged. On the other end of the call was Admiral Collette Jenkins (Ret), a dear friend, and personal financial advisor.

"The total number of shares is 150,000," Collette said. "The percentage that you mentioned would come to 57,000 shares. The people I've talked to about it consider it an orphan stock, which are typically blue-chip companies in non-cyclical industries like utilities. People who own the shares are happy enough with the dividends that there is seldom any movement in the price because little is available in the market. The price has held steady at around $125 a share for months."

Gabe knew that "widow-and-orphan stock" referred to an equity investment that often paid a high dividend and was generally considered low-risk. He did some quick calculations and said, "A little over seven million would be needed if we can pull it off. Can you liquidate enough in the next two days?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Collette said. "Your private portfolio is pretty diverse and I will be able to pull a little from enough different investments that you should retain a portion of each. Unless there are any that you want me to sell off entirely?"

Gabe considered the situation and said, "Focus on a dividend-positive or at least a dividend-equal strategy. Get rid of things in the portfolio where the dividends have been less than what I would expect from the new shares first. What's the point of having a high-priced stock paying a lower dividend that I would be trading for here?"

"Are you sure that you don't want to let anyone else in on this deal?"

Gabe knew why the Admiral was asking. Most of Gabe's personal investments had piggy-backed off the same investment that he had made through his investment group. This deal was not only personal, but it also involved some subterfuge. "No, I'm going this one alone," he replied.

"Okay, but there won't be much point in raising the money if the shares aren't available."

Gabe asked, "Have you had any experience in situations like this?"

Collette replied, "The stock certificates themselves still physically reside with the brokerage house. It is possible that if you notify the SEC's lost and stolen program with a copy of the indictment you could convince them to place a stop-order on the original certificates to keep them from being transferred to someone else's name. That would keep the estates of the three people who bought them from claiming ownership. There might also be recourse available through the Securities Investor Protection Corporation or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to get the securities transferred to you by you paying the market price. I assume that was the route that you were planning to take."

Gabe knew considerably more about the situation than he was willing to share with Collette. Through former military contacts now with the Department of Justice, Gabe had gained insight into the investigation by both the FBI and the SEC. He had learned that because the Armore shares were considered low-risk/high-yield stocks, they were held by mostly large insurance companies and several union pension funds. It was these union pension funds that the conspirators had approached with their plan.

The pension funds agreed to temporarily transfer their shares of Armore in exchange for being paid up-front the sum of five hundred dollars per share, with a written promise that the same shares would be transferred back to them once the conspirators had control of Armore. Knowing that the conspirators were executives with Armore left the principals at the unions complicit in the fraud scheme and gave the authorities all the evidence they needed to bring charges. Gabe didn't share any of this with his friend.

"I considered the estates," Gabe said, "but each family would have to go through probate to claim the shares and if I can get ownership of them first, probate would be a moot point. Do you remember John Zimmerman?"

"From New River? Sure."

"He now works at SIPC and since the SEC was involved in the investigation and privy to the indictments, he already has the ball rolling to get the shares in question declared fraudulently obtained so that the current ownership is invalidated. The managers of the pension funds are being offered the opportunity to relinquish all rights to the securities in exchange for immunity to the fraud charges. These deals should be completed by the end of the day. He assures me that if I then present the brokerage with the cash to cover the shares, they should jump at the opportunity to restore legitimacy to them. It's not critical that it get done in the next two days, but I like the challenge of trying to accomplish it."

"Well, I'll do my part and get the money into your account. Good luck with the rest."

There was a knock at the office door just as Gabe terminated his call. The door opened and Peggy's smiling face peered around it. "Is now a good time for you to join me and Bruce in the conference room for the Sagikkun/GoodBuy project update meeting?"

Checking the time, Gabe saw that it was a few minutes before 11 AM, the scheduled time for the meeting with the business data analyst team in Fallbrook. "Sure," he said as he stood and picked up his laptop. What were your thoughts on lunch?"

Peggy waited for him to join her outside the office before answering, "Janelle is making arrangements to have something catered in for the four of us. We're scheduled to meet her and my dad in her private conference room at noon."

Bruce Goddard was waiting for them in the conference room. After friendly greetings were exchanged, Bruce used his laptop to connect to the large flat-screen monitor in the room and joined the video conference that the team in Fallbrook had already initiated. He positioned the laptop so that the camera on it would capture all three participants in the room.

The first two minutes of the meeting were wasted as Kevin and Russ raved about the change in Peggy's appearance, followed by their sincere congratulations on her promotion, and undying gratitude for all that she had taught them. Gabe felt the heat from Peggy's embarrassment as she sat next to him, so he took the initiative to move the meeting's agenda along.

Gabe and Peggy expressed their surprise at the progress that had been made in the project since they had received their last update on Monday. In just two days, most of the systems integration and middleware tasks had been completed, which placed the project at least ten days ahead of schedule.

Kevin and Russ gave credit for the progress to Bruce, who explained that after the last update meeting, he had made a point of meeting with Corbin Baker and his various IT managers. He had explained the urgency of the project, but he also made sure to drop several hints that Margaret Donahue was personally involved in the project and would not view any delays in the completion of the required IT components favorably. IT resources had been quickly reassigned off of other projects and overtime approved for these resources to place their focus on what they now viewed as the General Manager's priority project.

The documentation on the process changes for the affected departments at Armore was complete and training for the associated teams would begin the next week. Peggy and Gabe expressed their appreciation for the efforts that everyone had put into the project, as well as their pride in the leadership roles that Russ and Kevin had assumed after Peggy's departure from their team. The scheduled hour-long meeting was adjourned after only twenty-five minutes.

While he was shutting down his laptop, Peggy asked, "Bruce, can you spare a few minutes for me to get your opinion on something?"

Gabe started to rise, assuming that Peggy and Bruce would be discussing Armore business unrelated to Sagikkun. Peggy placed her hand on his arm and said, "I'll want your opinion too."

Learning that it had been the selfless actions of Peggy Arthur that had been the impetus for most of the initiatives and organizational improvements in Armore's Fallbrook location, Bruce had gained a totally new level of respect for the woman. Recognizing that the beautiful, confident woman sitting across from him was now his immediate supervisor actually made Bruce proud, and it showed in his demeanor towards her.

The three had been seated next to each other on one side of the conference table to facilitate the camera being able to view all of them. Since the format of the meeting now would be better served by them being able to face one another, Bruce pulled his computer over to the opposite side of the table to sit across from Peggy and Gabe, where he smiled and took a seat. "What's on your mind?" he asked once settled.

Peggy smiled back and said, "I don't know if you and my father have discussed it, but I would like to understand your thoughts on your promotion and your vision for your future. For example, do you see yourself being better able to perform in your new role if you are based here at corporate or someplace else?"

Bruce contemplated the question for a few seconds before responding, "To start with, the only discussions that Liam and I had about my new role is that he expected me to support you to the best of my ability, and I assured him that I would be more than happy to do just that. In fact, my exact words were, 'I'm proud to be working under someone as professional and capable.' I believe that where I best perform for you will depend on a couple of factors..."

"Such as?" Peggy asked.

"Well," Bruce continued, "I believe that you and I will have a synergy between us, sharing a lot of the same core business principles and objectives for where we want Armore to be positioned in the future. The proposals and other initiatives that I now know were your work indicate that we have like minds in many ways. That being the case, I believe that Armore might be better served if one of us was in one location and the other in the other location..."

"I believe the same as you relative to us sharing a common vision," Peggy said. "And, your strategy for us to 'split up' by working in different locations has some merit. However, take me out of the equation for a minute. If it was just you in your new role, where do you think you would be able to contribute the most?"

Bruce didn't hesitate to answer, "If you weren't in the picture, there would still be your father, with whom I also share a lot of synergies with. Assuming that he remained at corporate, then I would think the best place for me would be in Fallbrook."

"If you weren't in Fallbrook, who would you see replacing you there?"

"I've been giving that some thought," Bruce said. "I have some good Senior Managers there, but none of them ever fully bought into the changes that I implemented. They all went along with them and supported them because they are loyal employees, but I don't see any of them embracing a continuation of the programs on their own or taking the initiative to expand upon them."

"So, you would look outside of the company for your replacement?" Peggy asked.

Bruce shook his head and said, "I will post the opening for internal candidates to apply, and give fair consideration to anyone who does, but I believe that eventually, we will find our best candidate is someone outside of our current ranks."

"Fair enough," Peggy said. She then turned to Gabe and asked, "What do you think?"

"I agree that filling Bruce's shoes will be tough," Gabe acknowledged. "If Bruce was based out of the Fallbrook location though, he would be positioned to mentor his replacement directly as he or she developed the skills and vision that you both desire for the role. I've worked with most of the Senior managers there, and I think that Veronica Reyes is the most 'outside-the-box' thinker and most respected leader among them. You might want to consider her."

Peggy beamed at Gabe's assessment and became even prouder when she saw Bruce nodding his head in approval as well. She moved on to the next item that she wanted Bruce's opinion on, "You have expressed your concerns about Armore's business continuity after the New Jersey facilities close. What are your ideas on how to mitigate those concerns?"

"Well, I never liked New Jersey as a location," Bruce said. "It was chosen solely due to its proximity to New York City and the draw of that for international customers. You did the research yourself, so you know how often each year our operations there were adversely impacted by weather or other circumstances. As I see things, we only have two options business continuity if Fallbrook goes off-line, and one of those isn't much of an option at that."

"Please explain," Peggy said.

"The most likely scenario where the California operations could not function in the Fallbrook facilities would be a major earthquake. While the majority of our employees are capable of working remotely from their homes, a major earthquake would likely impact their ability to do so. Even if their housing structures were undamaged, the projected disruptions in electrical, telecommunication, and utility services would extend beyond Armore's facilities alone. So, relying on remote workers for business continuity is not a viable option. The other option is to expand the role of headquarters to allow operations to continue here if Fallbrook closes for any reason."

"Why not a third option?" asked Gabe.

"Such as?" asked Peggy.

"Replace the New Jersey operation with one in a more stable environment."

Bruce nodded and said, "That was my suggestion to Foster. When he said that Brent Mize had nixed the idea, I thought it was due to the cost associated with it, so I didn't include it as a consideration as one of the options."

"Well, please consider it," Peggy said. "What would be likely locations for a clone of the California operation?"

Bruce was getting excited. He said, "I have researched several, from Texas to Florida..."

"Why those?" Peggy asked.

"We would want to stay south of the parts of the country most prone to severe weather. Arizona, New Mexico, southern Nevada, and even parts of southern Utah are pretty stable, but they are too close to our existing operations to provide the benefit that something farther east would. No place is immune to bad weather, but the south-central and southeast states provide the most seasonal stability. Spring brings with it the chance of thunderstorms and tornadoes, but those are typically isolated and can be mitigated through building design and construction. Losing power is the greatest risk and that's what emergency generators are for."

"Was there any particular place that stood out in your research?" Peggy asked.

"Horry County, South Carolina."

"Why there?" asked Gabe.

Bruce elaborated, "There are few bad weather days for starters. Thunderstorms come through, but they don't usually linger, tornadoes are a rarity, and hurricanes, when they do occur are predicted well in advance. This is the low country so flooding concerns would need to be considered when choosing a location, but the main reason I like the area is the workforce."

Gabe was the one to ask the question, "What about it?"

"There is a large services sector workforce in the area, predominantly focused on the tourism industry. These are frequently seasonal jobs that leave people searching for other employment when the tourist activity is slow. There is a pool of thousands of people with proven customer service skills that we could recruit. The icing on the cake is that Coastal Carolina University is there so we could establish an intern program like we have with San Diego State."

Gabe glanced at Peggy and nodded his approval, not that she needed it. She winked in response and said to Bruce, "Prepare a proposal for a comprehensive business continuity plan that leaves nothing off the table. Now, please give me your thoughts on implementing some or all of your new world of work ideas here at headquarters."

Chapter Fifteen

"I apologize about the misunderstanding with your badge this morning," Liam said. "I've been tied up with Addison and her team trying to find a way for Armore to buy back the stock that those bastards pilfered."

Peggy smiled and said, "It was interesting, but not that big of a deal. I should have considered it myself, but since my badge worked when I was an intern, I forgot that it had been replaced when I started in California. Tank got things squared away quickly for both Gabe and me. Getting control of the shares isn't that critical is it if there is no one to vote them anyway? Plus, they still represent a minority of the shares when you consider mine and yours together."

"I've been meaning to ask," Gabe said, "and if you don't want to answer, I'll understand. Who controls the remaining eleven percent of the shares?"

"Name any insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut and you'll identify one of the shareholders," Liam informed Gabe. "That's why we sought the underwriting of Armore's extended warranty products from the company in Texas. They didn't own any shares of our stock."

"Do they usually have representation at the shareholder meetings?" Gabe asked.

"Not usually," Liam answered. "As long as I have let them collectively select two of the members sitting on the Board of Directors, they have been content to simply assign their proxies to me. I expect that they will send representatives this week. The union fund managers on the other hand always showed up and usually tried to bully one decision or another, even if it was contrary to their own best interests. I won't miss their absence."

"Why won't they be at the meeting?" Janelle asked.

Gabe remained silent and let Liam explain, "The shares that our former employees obtained, that thirty-eight percent of the shares, all came from the union pension funds that held them. The shares still exist, but the fraud investigation has them tied up right now. I guess it will depend on how the investigation pans out as to whether or not the shares are returned to the pension funds."

"That could take months if not years," Peggy stated. "I suppose it doesn't matter as long as we maintain the majority..."

Gabe felt that he should contribute at this point, "It will matter. While the votes associated with the shares might not be critical, having thirty-eight percent of Armore stock tied up in a criminal investigation will impact not only the prices of the remaining shares but also affect how dividends are distributed. The SEC could even block any dividend distributions entirely until the ownership of the shares is determined."

"Couldn't we buy the shares back?" asked Peggy.

"Gabe is right," said Liam. "The shares will be held by the brokerage house until the criminal investigation is complete. Even if they were available for purchase right now, we're talking upwards of seven million dollars worth of stock. I don't have that type of cash available right now and neither do you. We would need the approval of the board for Armore to buy the stock back, and with the costs associated with closing the New Jersey operations, our cash assets would likely be deficient as well."

"Then there would be the risk of you facing allegations of insider trading," added Gabe, "especially if the price of Armore stock rose even moderately due to the transaction. As long as the status of the shares in question isn't available to the general public, you need to stay away from it."

He didn't mention that he faced almost the same risks because it was through his relationship with Peggy that he was aware of the status of the shares. If he could buy them at the current market value and not profit from that transaction, at least for several years, his risk would be greatly minimized. That was his hope anyway.

This is also one of the reasons why he was keeping this transaction away from his investment group. They would not be able to share in the benefit of owning shares of Armore, but they also would be avoiding any potential risk. Likewise, he couldn't let Peggy and Liam know about his plans because their knowledge of them would add to their own exposure. He was climbing out onto this tree limb all by himself.

"Why are we even bothering with a shareholder meeting then?" asked Janelle.

Liam explained, "The bylaws of the corporation require that the meeting be held when requested by at least twenty-five percent of the voting shareholders. The death of those shareholders prior to the meeting does not negate the requirement that the meeting be held."

Janelle checked a text message that had just arrived on her cell phone and said, "Lunch is here. Let me go escort them from the lobby so they can set up for us."

Janelle quickly left the private conference room adjacent to her new office to go retrieve the caterer's people. Liam leaned back in his chair at the conference table and looked at Gabe seated across from him. "Peggy informed me that you are resigning from Sagikkun."

Gabe nodded and said, "That's right. This Friday will be my last day with them."

"What's the haste?", Liam asked. "I mean legally there could not be any conflict of interest allegations made until you had more than just a casual relationship with an employee of Armore..."

Peggy bristled at her father's comments, but Gabe squeezed her hand before she could respond, which she took as his message that he would handle this. Gabe stared Liam in the eyes and said with vitriol in his voice, "I hope that your words were not intended to be as insulting as they were, because I can give as good as I get. You are Peggy's father, and I will afford you all the respect that role bestows upon you. But that doesn't mean that I have to respect you as a man. Either you apologize to the woman that I love with all my heart right now, or you and I will have serious issues. Have I made myself clear, Mr. Donahue?"

Liam began clapping and laughing at the same time. When he stopped, he smiled at Gabe and said, "Well done! Nothing makes a father more confident in the man his daughter is going to marry than having him stand up to him. I trust that you know how much I respect you, Gabe. Your love for my daughter and hers for you has never been in doubt. You have my blessing."

"Daddy, that was mean."

Liam chuckled again and said, "Sweety, that was mild compared to what your grandfather did to me when I asked for your mother's hand. We nearly came to blows that day. It's clan tradition for the father to rile up the bastard intending to take his little girl away from him. So, Gabe, back to your resignation. What are your plans after Friday?"

Gabe glanced over at Peggy. She was with him when he had called Jay Park on Monday to finalize his resignation, but they had then gotten busy with the project update and not discussed things further. He owed her a discussion on his plans before sharing them with anyone else, even her father.

"Peggy and I will discuss the options," Gabe said. "As soon as we come to a decision, we'll let you know. Right now, we're focused on her career and getting her established as the new General Manager at Armore. Supporting that will be my priority, at least in the short term."

"Can I give you both something to consider?" Liam asked.

Peggy and Gabe nodded in unison, so Liam continued, "Have you ever heard of Brandt Consulting?"

Peggy said, "Of course", while Gabe started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Peggy asked with a confused expression.

Gabe's expression also turned to one of confusion when he said, "Brandt Consulting. It's just a fictitious company name that a writer came up with in some of his books. It's no more real than Samsung, or..."

Liam interrupted, "I don't know anything about a Samsung, but Brandt Consulting is quite a real company, and quite successful in the market niche that they dominate."

"Which is what?" asked Gabe, not convinced that Liam wasn't still fooling with him.

"They're mostly into classified government projects," Peggy explained. "They are a major 'think-tank' for several government agencies, especially those that deal with national security. They also do a great deal of IT security work for the government and other government contractors."

Gabe's skepticism was still evident when he asked Liam, "Okay, so what do you want us to consider about Brandt Consulting?"

"The owner and I go way back," Liam explained. "It seems that his children have no interest in taking the reins of the company. They're currently searching for someone to take the helm when the owner retires, and your name came up in some of those discussions."

Gabe was weighing the fictional from the real in his mind. When he had explained about his Corvair, he had told Peggy about the series of books, but he had never mentioned the role that the company "Brandt Consulting" had played in them. He hadn't even mentioned the author's name because he couldn't remember it. Now, Liam was claiming that not only was Brandt Consulting a real company, but he wanted Gabe to consider working there.

He finally spoke, "It's nice to have options. However, as I said, supporting Peggy is my priority right now. I'm not going to consider other options until some time in the future."

The door opened and Janelle entered, followed by a cart and two people wearing polo shirts emblazoned with "Matthew's Catering". All conversation paused while the catering staff set out the food, drinks, dishes, and utensils. Janelle had one of her staff escort the caterers back to the lobby when they had completed the setup.

"It smells good," Liam said. "What are we having?"

Janelle poured a cup of iced tea for Liam and handed him utensils wrapped in a napkin. After kissing his cheek, she winked at him and said, "Guinness Stew and all the fixings. They only serve haggis on the weekends, so I thought that some of your favorite Irish fare would do for lunch."

Liam was laughing as Janelle set a plate of mixed barbeque in front of him before taking her seat beside him. Chicken, brisket, and pork ribs took up almost the entire plate, but Janelle had been able to squeeze in some potato salad and a slice of cornbread on both plates.

Peggy stood and Gabe prepared to join her when she stopped him by leaning down and placing a kiss on his lips. "It's better if just one of us serves. There's not enough room for multiple people to navigate around the service."

Gabe reluctantly acquiesced. Peggy made quick work of preparing plates for her and Gabe and handed both to him to place on the table while she poured the drinks. Conversation waned while everyone ate. It was mostly Janelle providing updates on which employees had accepted the written offers associated with their new positions and which ones hadn't.

"Did you want me to prepare an update to the organization chart for the shareholder meeting?" Janelle asked Liam.

"I'll do it," Peggy offered. "It will help me fill in any blanks in my mind about who holds what role, especially with all the changes here at headquarters."

Liam nodded and said, "Good idea. Be certain to review the corporation documents to assure that we stay in compliance. A couple of our board members are anal about job titles matching exactly with what the articles of incorporation and bylaws specify."

Peggy chuckled and said, "Daddy, watch your language. Try saying that the board members are 'OCD' or something other than calling them 'anal'.

"Since five of our seven board members are female, I suppose you're right," Liam agreed. The images of those five women's aged and more than bountiful derrieres flashed across his mind and made him shudder with repulsion.

~~~

"I love your steady heart."

Gabe glanced down at the top of Peggy's head as he continued to run his fingers through her hair and spread it around his chest. He loved the silky feel of her hair on his bare skin, so he always took advantage of the opportunity when she would rest her head on him after they made love.

"My steady heart?" he asked. "Does that mean that you can't hear the flutters that you cause?"

"I'm not talking about the beat of your heart; I'm talking about the strength of your soul. You are so steady, so confident, and so assured all the time."

Gabe sighed and said, "I don't think I am, but if you see that, it is only because you have given my heart the home that I never thought it would have. You have given my life purpose, you have given me focus, and you have given me hope."

Peggy brushed her lips against one of Gabe's nipples and said, "I treasure the tranquility that your love has brought to my life. I was so close to going nuclear on my dad today when he said what he did about our relationship but you calmed me with your touch and then your words. Thinking about it made me realize all the other times in the last few weeks when I have been calmed by you and didn't realize it. I still experience anger, fear, uncertainty, and frustrations, but having you in my life has somehow changed how I respond to all of those feelings. Faith in our love, in your love, has made my life so much better."

"You make me sound pretty boring," Gabe teased. "You could probably become just as calm as you described by taking a warm bubble bath."

Peggy reached down and fondled his semi-erection and said, "Maybe, if the warm bubble bath held the promise of one of these."

"That's my brain, not my heart."

Peggy giggled as she continued exploring and asked, "What is your 'brain' thinking about right now?"

Trying to sound like Willie Nelson, Gabe sang, "You are always on my mind. You are always on my mind."

The rumbling sound from Gabe's stomach caused Peggy to raise her head and pause her caresses. "You may have a one-track mind, but your stomach says that your body needs something to eat. Come on, I'll fix us something for dinner."

Without waiting for a response, she jumped off the bed and put on the dark green satin robe that was hanging on a hook near the bathroom door. Gabe swung his feet over the edge of the bed and reached for his boxers that had been discarded beside it earlier. Peggy snatched them out of his hands and gleefully said, "You don't need those. I want to practice my 'mind reading' while I'm cooking dinner. Leaving it uncovered will allow me to see what your thoughts are."

Gabe adored Peggy's playful nature around him. It was always such a contrast to the conservative, professional woman that she became when working. Others might view her as dull, stuffy, and maybe even frigid, but Gabe got to see her in a different light. With her hair down, figuratively and literally, Margaret Donahue became the Peggy Arthur sashaying out of the bedroom right now, pulling up the hem of her robe to flash her naked butt at the man that she loved.

On the drive from the airport to the condo, Peggy had directed Gabe to a grocery store along their route so that she could pick up enough staples to meet their needs for the few days that they would be in Georgia. Her selections were based on strict criteria; first, she knew that she would want to relax with Gabe in the evenings, so cooking anything elaborate was not going to happen. Second, she didn't want to waste a lot of time in preparation, so she sought short-cuts by buying more prepared, or semi-prepared items. Finally, the fewer dishes, pots, pans involved the better, so that cleaning up afterward would be quicker.

Tonight, she would make them a kielbasa and potato casserole using packaged kielbasa and a boxed au gratin potato product. With the sausage sliced, a little milk, a dab of butter, and some boiling water were all that she needed to add before the meal went into the oven for twenty minutes. If she used the Pyrex bowl to boil the water in the microwave, she would only have the one dish, along with their plates and utensils to clean up afterward.

"What can I do to help?" Gabe asked as he watched Peggy slicing the kielbasa.

Peggy turned her head to accept a kiss from Gabe and said, "Basically, just stay out of my way. This is an OBK."

Stepping back, Gabe asked, "What's an 'OBK?"

Peggy giggled and said, "One Butt Kitchen. If more than one person is in here, we'd just be in each other's way."

Gabe looked around and had to admit that the kitchen area was cramped. The kitchens in his and Peggy's apartments were bigger than this one, and he had always thought that they were too small. Looking at the dishwasher and oven, Gabe saw that there would barely be enough room for someone to scoot around the doors when they were opened.

Peggy opened a drawer, pulled out a large dish towel, and handed it to Gabe. "Here, go plant your beautiful butt out in the living room and see if you can find the Braves game on the TV. The Padres are in town, so you will know some of the players. I'll bring our dinner out as soon as it's ready and we can watch while we eat."

He was tempted to smack Peggy on her butt cheek but since she was using a knife at the moment, he decided to caress it through her robe instead. Gently kneading her buttocks through the satiny material of the robe elicited a moan from Peggy.

"That feels wonderful," she said. "You're going to have to eat quickly tonight."

"Slice things small enough and I won't even bother to chew," Gabe teased before stepping back and walking into the living room.

The remote control for the television was sitting on one of the end tables beside the large leather couch, so Gabe spread the dish towel out on that side and sat on it. He studied the remote for a few seconds to become familiar with it before turning the television on and began surfing through the channels. When he came across the local news broadcast on WSB-TV, he paused to listen to the report currently being delivered.

"Autopsy results were released for the three victims from the wedding of Senator August Bennet's daughter last Saturday. The autopsies confirmed that the three victims, Evan Foster, Kelly Proctor, and Brent Mize all succumbed to the toxin, Amatoxin, present in a poisonous mushroom known as the Destroying Angel, which grows wild in the mountains of northern Georgia. While several other guests at the wedding became ill from eating salads containing pieces of the Destroying Angel, these three, all executives with Armore Corporation, were the only victims that consumed a lethal amount of the mushroom. A statement from a representative of Armore, Janelle Sanders, offers sympathy and condolences to the families of the three executives and states that the company is prepared to offer assistance and counseling for any employees grieving the loss of their coworkers. When asked about the status of the investigation into these deaths, Director Gowdy with the GBI reaffirmed that there is no evidence that these deaths were anything other than a tragic accident and no criminal charges are expected to be brought against the catering company or any of their employees. The Georgia Department of Health is examining its guidelines on wild mushroom harvesting in the wake of this tragedy..."

Gabe changed the channel as Peggy took a seat beside him on the couch. "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes," she told him.

Nodding, Gabe asked, "Did you hear all that?"

Peggy snuggled up against him and said, "Yep. Do you ever wonder how they did it?"

Gabe knew what Peggy was referring to. She wanted to know if he wondered how the three Armore executives were the only people served salads with the lethal dose of mushrooms. How had they been successfully targeted out from the more than two hundred people being served that day?

"I could find out if it is important to you," Gabe told her. "But, I imagine it will turn out that one or more of the people who harvested mushrooms that morning and then worked as servers at the wedding reception are either in the Navy reserves or married to someone on active duty in the Navy."

"What about the overdose? How was that accomplished?"

Gabe shrugged and said, "I haven't heard a lot of details on that, but I wouldn't be surprised if a Navy corpsman was involved in some way. Have you heard anything more from Agent Blanton?"

"No. I think he is still busy investigating the connection between Hector Munoz and the deaths of Jordan, Vince, and Constance. I know we've talked about it, and while I don't feel guilty, I can't help feeling responsible. They were targeted because of the association to me after all."

Gabe pulled her closer and said, "Maybe so, but the real responsibility lies with the federal prosecutors who drug their feet on the indictments that would have allowed the FBI to take the conspirators into custody. They played around amongst themselves for months arguing over who would get credit for what instead of doing their jobs. They're pissed that the slam-dunk convictions that you practically handed them with your information are now moot."

Peggy took the remote out of Gabe's hand and quickly found the baseball game. She muted the sound before handing it back to Gabe. He set it onto the side table and turned his attention to the action on the TV. "Would you like to see a Padres game in person?" he asked.

Peggy shook her head and said, "No, I don't like going to live sporting events. I don't mind watching them on TV, but trying to watch them in person is too frustrating."

"How so?"

"There are too many people at live games who don't care about the actual game. These are the people who make it a point to head to the snack bar when the bases are loaded disrupting everyone interested in the game and trying to watch it. I once missed a kickoff return for a touchdown during the national championship game that Georgia played in because the idiots sitting in front of me were standing to get the beers that someone in their group had just brought to them. I don't begrudge anyone having a beer at a game, but not at the expense of watching the game or preventing someone else from watching it."

Sitting up straight, Peggy said, "Which reminds me of why I came out here before the news story distracted me. Would you like a beer?"

"I'll have one if you are," Gabe answered. "Do you want me to get them?"

Peggy licked her lips and said, "Sure, go ahead."

Gabe rose and headed for the kitchen where he quickly grabbed two bottles of beer and walked back towards the couch. He couldn't remember ever seeing a hungrier look in Peggy's eyes as she watched him intently. He smiled and said, "Now you know the effect that you have always had on me."

He handed her one of the beers and took his seat beside her. Her gaze shifted down to his crotch as he settled once more onto the dishtowel. She made a motion as if she was going to reach for him, but then quickly pulled her hand back. "I really can't explain it, Gabe, I love your dick. I love making you feel like you obviously do when I play with it. It feels like nothing else. On one hand, it's like I'm being submissive, giving you something special and doing it just for your pleasure. On the other hand, at the same time, I feel so dominant, like I have all this power and control to please the man that I love. It's so intimate for me."

"It certainly is intimate for me," Gabe said while watching Peggy fan her face with her hand. "But you know that my greatest pleasure comes from pleasing you, right?"

Peggy didn't answer him. Instead, she jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen. Gabe sat still, listening to the sound of her taking the casserole out of the oven. He hadn't heard the oven timer, and he thought that taking the casserole out of the oven after such a short time was strange. Listening closer, he heard Peggy rustling around for a few seconds before watching her run back to stand in front of him with something in one hand while trying to pull him up off the couch with the other.

"Here," she said. "Eat this. Quickly."

Gabe set his beer down as he was tugged off of the couch and took the proffered piece of sliced bread. The confusion on his face elicited an explanation from Peggy, "That will have to hold you for at least half an hour."

"Wha... why?" Gabe asked as Peggy continued to pull him towards the bedroom.

In a frustrated tone, Peggy replied. "Because I don't want to listen to your stomach protesting while I suck your dick."

Chapter Sixteen

Peggy laughed as Gabe yawned for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. He glanced over at her in the passenger seat of the rental car and said, "I'm tempted to go back to the condo and take a nap while you're meeting with the lawyers."

"Gee, I feel surprisingly refreshed this morning," Peggy teased.

With that answer, Gabe knew that Peggy misunderstood his being tired. "It's the three-hour time difference you little nymph, although you did contribute to it by being so insatiable last night, not to mention this morning. But I'm glad that you are feeling 'refreshed'."

Peggy winked and said, "Well, on a positive note, we'll have a delicious kielbasa and potato casserole for lunch today. I know that you were looking forward to it last night. We have dinner with the shareholders and board members tonight so I won't have to waste time feeding you."

"Feeding me is a waste of time?" Gabe teased back.

"It is when there are better ways for us to spend our time together. Personally, I think that canoodling is the best use of our times alone together, and I haven't heard any complaints from you yet, Lover."

"And you never will," Gabe assured her as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the lobby doors of Armore's headquarters. "I'll join you after I take the laptop to the mailroom."

Peggy unfastened her seatbelt before leaning over to kiss Gabe. "Are you sure that you don't want me to order you a new laptop through the IT department?"

Since tomorrow, Friday, was Gabe's last day as an employee of Sagikkun, he needed to overnight the laptop the company had assigned to him back so that it was received by the end of the day tomorrow. He planned to go out after the meeting with the lawyers to buy himself a new laptop.

"No, I already have a new one being configured for me at the Micro Center store in Norcross. I can hold out with my cell phone until then."

He had purposely chosen that store location over closer alternatives because the store where he was planning to buy Peggy's birthday present was just across the street. Jared Jewelers.

Peggy grabbed her own computer bag and jumped spritely out of the car, eliciting another chuckle from Gabe. Her entire demeanor had benefited from their evening of intimacy, and he looked forward to a lifetime of evenings identical to it.

Gabe decided to use one of the visitor parking spaces since the rental car was in his name, he wasn't an employee of Armore, and he would be leaving again in a little over an hour. This allowed him to enter the lobby in time to see Peggy going through the inner doors towards the stairway that would take her to the fourth floor.

He nodded to the guard and used the contractor badge that had been provided yesterday to enter the inner hallway and then headed towards the mailroom. He had to argue for a few minutes with the mailroom staff over his insistence that he be charged for the overnight shipping of the laptop back to Sagikkun. When they explained that they had no way to charge an individual for shipping and could only apply the charges to an internal department account, he texted Peggy to ask which department he should have the charge applied to. He would settle up with Armore at a later date.

When he entered the fourth-floor conference room, he was surprised to see that the two lawyers from New York had already arrived. Peggy stood and welcomed Gabe with a kiss before indicating that he should sit in the chair next to hers.

The older of the two lawyers said, "Sir, this is a private meeting between Miss Donahue and her legal counsel. We will be discussing confidential attorney-client matters and cannot allow anyone else to participate in the meeting."

Peggy had never dealt with these two lawyers before. They claimed to be senior partners in the firm administering her trust and had come to finalize the remaining aspects related to the transfer of control to Margaret Donahue. She knew with Jordan Covault's untimely death, that it was unlikely that anyone else at the law firm knew anything about her beyond her financial status.

"Mr. Truesdale, is it?" Peggy asked.

The older lawyer replied, "Yes. James Truesdale."

"Mr. Truesdale, I would like to introduce my fiancé, Gabriel Lewis. He will be joining us in this meeting to provide me with advice and his opinion when I request them. He has significant experience with administering his own trusts and I will rely upon his knowledge when making decisions about my own."

"Congratulations on your engagement," Truesdale said. "Unfortunately, even if you and Mr. Lewis were already married, Bar Association rules on ethics would still prevent us from discussing confidential matters with anyone other than our client present."

"Either Gabe stays or you go," Peggy stated bluntly.

Gabe squeezed her hand and addressed the attorneys, "What you said is not true."

Truesdale began collecting the folders he had removed from his briefcase earlier and replied, "I'm afraid it is. Bar Association rules on attorney-client confidentiality are quite clear, and violating them can result in disbarment."

"Jesus, Dude. Where did you go to law school?" Gabe asked incredulously. "Did the concept of 'joint representation' not get mentioned in any of your courses? All you need is a joint representation agreement signed by me and Peggy to make us both your clients and thus entitled to be present together whenever either of our matters were discussed."

Peggy was grinning broadly when she said, "Now maybe you see why I want Gabe beside me."

Truesdale glanced at his colleague, who simply nodded. Truesdale then said, "What Mr. Lewis said is correct, but since no joint representation agreement currently exists..."

"Get one," Peggy said as she stood. "Contact me again when you are prepared to discuss matters with Gabe present."

The younger lawyer pulled out his cell phone and said, "If you can give us half an hour and provide me with a fax number, we can have a joint representation agreement here for you both to sign."

"There is a multifunction copier over there in the corner that should have the incoming fax number printed on a label," Peggy told him. "We'll be in the office next door. Let us know when you're ready to resume our meeting."

When Truesdale slid the freshly faxed agreement across the table to Peggy twenty minutes later, she just stared at him. His younger partner whispered something into Truesdale's ear and he moved the agreement so that it was now placed in front of Gabe instead.

Gabe picked up the agreement and quickly read it to ensure that it addressed all aspects of the firm's representation of Peggy's affairs before nodding and handing it to her along with a pen. She signed it, handed the pen back to Gabe, and watched as he too signed the agreement. She then slid it back across the table to Truesdale.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, where were we?"

~~~

"Sorry that it took so long," Gabe said when he joined Peggy in the fourth-floor breakroom for lunch. "Are your dad and Janelle joining us?"

Picking up the new laptop had only taken Gabe a few minutes. He had to spend significantly more time selecting what he hoped would be a gift that Peggy would love. She had been expecting him to be back more than forty-five minutes ago, but fortunately, she had waited until she knew he had arrived before heating their lunch.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Peggy assured him. "Sit and enjoy. Janelle and my dad are taking the afternoon off to handle a few personal matters before dinner. While they may be working on my birthday party, I think that it is more likely that they are planning to get married on Saturday, so be prepared."

"What should I prepare for?" Gabe asked as he took a seat at the table across from Peggy. "Do you want me to have a wedding present ready for them or something?"

Shaking her head, Peggy finished chewing the bite of casserole that she had just taken and said, "No, I just didn't want it to be a surprise to you if it happens."

Gabe began eating his own serving of the casserole. Between bites, he asked, "We sure know how to piss off attorneys, don't we?"

Peggy nodded and said, "Yeah, we make quite the team in that regard. Actually, I think we make a pretty good team in all regards, but thanks again for your help with everything. Without your input, I probably would have just followed their advice and simply taken over as the trustee, leaving everything pretty much as it was when my mom set it up. I never even considered the fact that the trust has been getting taxed by two different states because the administrating law firm was based in New York while the trust was established in Georgia."

Gabe had suggested that Peggy not follow the advice of the attorneys when they had recommended retaining their firm as the administrator for the trust. Truesdale had turned red at Gabe's suggestion and continued to grow a deeper shade of crimson as Gabe explained his reasoning to Peggy. He had explained that the trust that her mother had established was governed by Georgia law, but New York was where the administrator was located, so that state was also taxing the trust. He had gone on the mention that if she changed her residency to California, that would also make the trust susceptible to taxation by a third state.

He had further recommended that Peggy establish a new trust when she was ready, funding it from the old trust. Then once the assets of the original trust were depleted, she should close it. There might be some up-front tax penalties depending on the structure of the trust and the governing laws in Georgia, and the lawyers were even more embarrassed when they couldn't answer Peggy's questions about that possibility.

The nail in the coffin for the entire law firm where Margaret Donahue's future business was concerned occurred when Truesdale boldly recommended that Peggy allow his team to draft a prenuptial agreement for her and Gabe to sign before their wedding. Peggy had moved so fast to open the conference room door that Gabe was surprised that her clothes were able to keep up with her.

"Get out!" Peggy had yelled at the two lawyers. "You can pack up all of your crap down in the lobby. Just pick it up now and get the hell out of my sight."

The venomous tone of her voice and fire in her normally placid eyes were foreign to Gabe, but they had the desired effect as the two lawyers quickly gathered together all of their files and papers and practically ran from the conference room.

"I doubt that they left with any question as to where they stand with you," Gabe said.

Peggy's cell phone chimed. She picked it up from the table and read the message that had just come in. As she quickly typed a reply to the message, she said, "Addison needs to see me. Would you mind packing everything back up when you finish?"

Gabe nodded and asked, "Are you meeting in her office, or is she coming to you?"

Standing, Peggy said, "We'll meet in my office. Why don't you stop by when you're done here?"

"Okay. See you in a few."

Peggy wanted to plant a kiss on Gabe's lips before walking away, but there were other employees in the breakroom so she resisted. As she exited the breakroom, she saw Addison Miller approaching the door to the office that Peggy had been using. They met at the door, which Peggy opened for them and then closed after both were inside.

Gabe finished the last few bites of his lunch and made quick work of packing their dishes and utensils into the plastic bag that Peggy had used to carry everything. He took the bag to the office that he was using, checked the status of the application install that he had initiated on his new laptop before lunch, and then walked to the office next to his and tapped on the door before opening it.

Peggy glanced up at him but didn't smile. That was the first sign for Gabe that she was concerned about something. Addison turned to see who had entered the office and her expression was as stoic as Peggy's. Gabe closed the door and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Someone bought 57,000 shares of Armore stock this morning," Peggy informed him. "The only way that could have happened is if the shares held by the conspirators were released for sale and someone grabbed them. Addison checked with the brokerage house and learned that this is exactly what happened, but they wouldn't divulge who obtained the shares. I need to try and get ahold of my father to let him know and to try to figure out the potential ramifications."

"Addison, would you excuse us for a few minutes?" Gabe asked.

Peggy countermanded Gabe's request when she said, "No, wait Addison. I want you here when I speak to my father in case he has any questions..."

Gabe locked his eyes on Peggy's and more forcefully said, "Addison, leave."

Addison and Peggy were both shocked by Gabe's tone of voice. Addison looked to Peggy who merely nodded. Rising quickly and leaving the office, Addison said, "I'll be in my office if you need anything."

Gabe closed the door and took the chair that Addison had vacated. Peggy just stared at him and waited for an explanation.

"Things happened faster than I expected," Gabe finally said. "I didn't think that I would be able to pull off the deal until tomorrow at the earliest."

"What deal?" Peggy asked.

It took several minutes, punctuated by a dozen or more questions from Peggy before Gabe was able to fully explain his purchase of the Armore shares.

"Why didn't you discuss this with me?" Peggy asked once he had finished.

"If you are asked under oath if you had prior knowledge of my plans, what would your answer be?"

Peggy nodded in understanding and said, "I would tell the truth. I knew nothing about your plans. That's why you didn't tell me? To protect me?"

"Exactly," Gabe confirmed. "It is unlikely that the SEC will investigate the transaction because it was negotiated through SIPA and came at the current market price. The fact that the shares were bought by a blind trust rather than an individual will also help. As long as they don't suspect manipulation of the market or something illegal, I shouldn't have any problem. However, the fact remains that I did derive my knowledge of the shares through my relationship with you and your father, so I had to protect you both."

"But, Gabe, that had to have cost you over seven million dollars. Why would you do that?"

"Are you serious?" he asked her. Receiving no answer, he said, "Well, to start with, it is a great investment. Between the historical performance of the shares and my confidence in the leadership of Armore, I expect for these shares to be a major contributor to my portfolio..."

"Why else?"

"Because I wanted to share this with you. I wanted to show you how much faith and confidence I have in you. I wanted for us to be partners in business and in life. I wanted you to know that control of your family's company was assured. You now have eighty-nine percent of Armore shares loyal to you. I named you as the trustee for the trust holding the shares. You don't own them, but you have control over them."

Gabe rose and walked around the desk to stand beside the chair that Peggy sat in, pulling something from his pocket along the way. He gently swiveled the chair until she was facing him directly and then dropped to one knee before her. "I wanted to give you an engagement present that would mean something. That's why"

Opening the ring box and presenting it for Peggy's inspection only resulted in him being forced to the floor as Peggy launched herself out of the chair to embrace him. The box skittered under the desk as she rained kisses all over his face.

"Is that a yes?" he teasingly asked.

~~~

Whispering into the ear that he had been gently kissing, Gabe said "You do know that now I have to get you something else for your birthday."

Peggy shifted on the bed and rested her head on Gabe's shoulder. She said, "If you get me one more present, I'll cut you off from sex for a year."

Gabe laughed and said, "No you won't."

Peggy laughed as well and said, "You're right. I would just be punishing myself. Let's take a shower and then come back here for more treats."

"I like that under your professional, ladylike, and chaste demeanor, you are a very naughty and nasty girl."

Peggy countered with a smile, "I'm not a libertine, but I do enjoy the sense of satisfaction I get when I know that I have pleasured the man who desires only me."

Early in their relationship, each had shared their limited sexual history with the other. They had had several conversations after making love to each other about how natural their shared intimacy felt for them both. Peggy had once commented, "How were we ever strangers? I feel like we've known each other forever. You know my body too well, and I know yours without exploration or guessing. I can't remember what it felt like without you in my life."

Gabe couldn't explain the way that Peggy described the comfort, confidence, and knowledge that they seemed to have with one another, but he knew that it had existed from the first time that he had seen her poke her head around the edge of her front door.

He instinctively knew that their shower would be quick and utilitarian, with the sole intent being to rinse off the sweat and bodily excretions from their recent lustful coupling and prepare them for the lovemaking that would follow. There might or might not be more sex after their shower, but there would definitely be passion, intimacy, and lots and lots of love.

~~~

"Do you think those board members will be as solicitous today as they were last night?" Gabe asked.

Peggy picked up her coffee cup from the table beside the bed and took a sip before answering, "Probably, especially the three whose terms expire at the end of the year. I'm glad that my dad decided to hold the quarterly board meeting immediately after the shareholder meeting. It will save me having to come out again in just a few weeks."

"That, plus it allows the board members to meet the new General Manager," Gabe said.

Peggy snorted and said, "The board doesn't care about that. Hell, they wouldn't care if I was the janitor. All they care about is the fact that I control fifty percent of the votes."

"You control eighty-eight percent of the votes," Gabe corrected. "My votes will always be your votes."

Peggy clinked her ring finger against her cup when she returned it to the table. Gabe heard it and chuckled. She had purposely been tapping her ring finger on anything that would make a sound as a reminder that she now had the engagement ring on. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, "I know that, but they don't. At least not yet."

They were drinking their coffee while lazily lounging in bed. Their agendas were free for the morning, with only the brief shareholder and board meetings to attend later in the afternoon, so Peggy had easily convinced Gabe to stay in the condo rather than driving into the office.

"Do you want to tell your dad or do you want me to?" Gabe asked.

"You should tell him. That way, you can answer any questions that he has about the transaction. I still can't believe that you were able to pull it off, and so quickly."

"Has Angela mentioned anything to him?"

"I asked her not to," Peggy said. "I explained that I knew who had obtained the shares and that I wanted to tell him about it, so I'm sure that she will respect that."

Gabe nodded and focused on drinking more of his coffee for a few seconds. Peggy could see that he was thinking about something and didn't interrupt him.

Finally, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Can you be a little bit more specific?" Peggy asked.

Gabe thought about his words before answering, "I told your dad that my priority, at least in the short term, was to be available to support your career objectives. We hadn't discussed that beforehand, so now I'm asking you for your opinion on what it is that you want me to do."

"I told you when we discussed your resigning from Sagikkun that I just wanted you to be happy," Peggy replied. "I treasure your desire to be whatever I need you to be, but that pales in my desire for you to be happy and content. There's no place that I love you more than by my side, but I am a big girl. I don't need you with me twenty-four seven to know that you are there for me if needed. I won't push you away if that's where you are happiest, but I won't bind you there either. Understand?"

"That's not really an answer," Gabe lamented. "Let's look at this logically. You had a discussion with Bruce about where he thought he would be most effectively placed for his position. You need to do the same thing, and I don't believe that you are there yet. I know that we discussed how you believe that being based in Fallbrook makes the most sense for your role, but that was determined before you and your father have agreed entirely upon what each of your roles will be going forward. The point is, you are in a state of flux right now, and I'm fine with that. Nothing has to be carved in stone today, tomorrow, or in the next few months. However, the uncertainty over things like where you will spend the majority of your time will affect where I spend the majority of my time, which affects any decisions I can make about what I might want to eventually do to keep myself busy while you are running Armore. Hell, even if I took a job with Armore, that position might still impact my ability to be in the same places with you a great deal of the time."

"I don't want you putting your life on hold for me," Peggy insisted.

"I'm not putting it on hold for you. At best, I am putting it on hold for us. It's not a sacrifice for me, trust me on that. All I need you to do is tell me what you want me to do when I am with you while you are working, like at these meetings later today. I'll be your personal assistant, your consultant, your 'whatever-you-want-me-to-be'. Or I can simply stand silently beside you and let you use me as circumstances dictate. It's your choice, but please give it some thought. You need to set the boundaries."

"NO!" Peggy exclaimed. "You just need to be you. Never hold back. People will respect your words and actions because they respect you, not because they respect me or my title... "

"I have no right to say or do anything where Armore is concerned. People will know that and disregard me as irrelevant. That could put you in a challenging position. I don't want to do that."

"Hello?" Peggy said in frustration. "You own thirty-eight percent of Armore's stock, even if nobody knows it. In my mind, that gives you more of an interest in Armore and how it is run than the current CEO has. On top of that, this ring that you placed upon my finger will show everyone what you mean to me, and what we mean to each other. People will come to respect OUR hustle. They will recognize that we each support OUR ambition. They will appreciate OUR loyalty to one another. You want me to tell you what I want you to do? It's simple; I want you to be my partner, but only if you allow me to be YOUR partner as well. I need you to trust that I will never let anyone view you as irrelevant. I told Tank Chambers yesterday that when you speak, you speak for me as well, and I meant it."

Peggy took the coffee from Gabe's hand, leaned across his body, and placed the cup onto the side table. Snuggling against his chest, she continued, "When we're confident that my role at Armore is stable, then we will figure out what you want to do, and I swear that I will be just as supportive of your career as you are of mine. How does that sound?"

When Gabe hesitated to answer, Peggy giggled and said, "I know. How about if we assign you the role of being my personal security detail? You know, my 'body guard'."

Gabe pulled her body fully upon his and said, "If you put me in charge of guarding this body, I might never desire any other position with any other company."

Peggy began placing little nibbling kisses as she sank lower on his body. "Don't you worry. I think this body has enough positions to provide you with a long and very successful career."

Chapter Seventeen

"Christ!" Liam said. "The jackals aren't even waiting for the ink to dry."

He was expressing his frustration over the urging of two of the shareholders' representatives making a formal request to the Board of Directors for them to consider the offers to purchase Armore that had recently been received. Of course, Peggy, with an easy majority of voting shares was able to quash the request out of hand.

Gabe said, "Come on, Liam, you would have been surprised if no offers were made and you know it. To a lot of investors, Armore is even more attractive now that you and Peggy have such firm control over the shares and decision-making power that can't be challenged. You'll likely see a few more offers within a week and then one or two a month until word gets out to the market that you are firm in your intentions not to sell at any price."

"You mean that Peggy is firm in her intentions," Liam said.

"You mean that Peggy and Gabe are firm in their intentions," Peggy reminded them all.

The two couples were enjoying the pleasant summer evening in the screened patio off the back of the Donahue's house in Dunwoody. The calming sounds of the Chattahoochee River filled any silence in their conversation. Janelle was snuggled up alongside Liam on a large love seat, while Peggy sat between Gabe's legs as he reclined on a chaise lounge.

"It was ingenious of you to place the shares in a blind trust," Liam told Gabe. "But it sure frustrated the Board and several of the other shareholder representatives by not allowing them to know who owns the shares."

"It was suggested to me by my contact at SIPA," Gabe explained. "He believed that hiding the ownership of the shares in a blind trust would help mitigate any concerns from the SEC on the ruling by his organization to allow my purchase of the shares. I had intended to name my financial advisor, Admiral Jenkins to act as the trustee, but she suggested that I name Peggy so that she would not be relying upon having the proxies for the shares provided by the trust. As the trustee, she is authorized to make all the decisions anyway. Her not actually owning the shares mitigates any concerns about insider trading having been a factor in the transaction, or at least we hope it does."

"Your financial advisor is an Admiral?" asked Liam.

Gabe nodded and said, "Retired Admiral. She retired to serve as the undersecretary of defense (comptroller)/chief financial officer since it is a civilian position within the Department of Defense and she wanted to be closer to her family. She wasn't reappointed when the new administration took over, so now me and a few other former military friends get to reap the benefit of her expertise in managing our investments."

Gabe was gently running his fingers through Peggy's hair. He said, "You did an amazing job on the presentation of the organization chart. It impressed everyone the way that you broke out the different departments yet linked them back to the core leadership so neatly."

Peggy leaned her head back so that she could smile up at Gabe, and said, "It's not difficult to do if you have the right applications."

Janelle snickered and said, "I was impressed with the sleight of hand that you pulled with inserting that new position into the organization chart. I guess we'll have to meet next week and figure out the budget for this mysterious new 'President' position."

"I was interested in that as well," Liam said. "Although I have my suspicions about the 'TBD' in the name under the title

"First of all," Peggy said, "it's a non-paying position. Secondly, while I thought that the title of 'President' sounded more professional than 'GM's Hunky Fiancé' or even 'Former United States Marine Corps Aviator', I'm now leaning towards the title that Gabe and I discussed this morning."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what that title is," said Janelle with a giggle.

Peggy pulled Gabe's arms tightly around her and held his hands just below her breasts as she said, "He's my personal bodyguard. He gets to use and protect this body to his heart's content."

"Speaking of protecting this body," Gabe said, coaxing Peggy to get up, "we should probably head back to the condo before it gets much later."

"Are the fish going to be hungry?" Janelle teased Peggy.

Peggy put her arm around Gabe's waist as he stood beside her, then stuck her tongue out at her best friend and said, "You just worry about keeping your own fishies fed. What time do you want us here tomorrow to help with the setup?"

"I'm not letting you help to setup for your own birthday party!" Janelle exclaimed. "But if Gabe wants to show up around eleven, I'm sure that I can find something for a former United States Marine Corps aviator to do."

Liam and Janelle followed Peggy and Gabe to the front door of the house. They had just stepped out onto the front porch and Gabe was preparing to ask about the inside joke between Janelle and Peggy related to feeding fish when he caught a motion out of the corner of his eye and instinctively moved Peggy away from it. As the person came under the range of light from the porch, Gabe could see that it was a lone man with what appeared to be a handgun pointing in the direction of Liam.

Before either Gabe or Liam could react, the man had pulled the trigger twice, discharging two point-blank rounds into Liam's chest. As Liam began to fall backward, a stunned Janelle grabbed his body in an attempt to prevent him from crashing to the floor. Just as her body came around to try and hold Liam's larger frame, the gunman pulled the trigger two more times. Peggy watched in horror as Janelle's body jerked from the impact of the bullets entering her back.

Gabe grabbed the gunman's right arm and slammed it across his raised knee with as much force as he could muster. He heard the satisfying sound of breaking bone, followed by the sound of the pistol hitting the concrete porch. As the assassin screamed in pain, Gabe grabbed his head and pounded it against one of the pillars supporting the porch gable. He kept pounding until he felt the man's body go slack and then let it sink to the ground. Peggy was already kneeling beside the bodies of her father and best friend, imploring them to respond to her.

~~~

Although the Donahue house on Jett Ferry Road had a Dunwoody mailing address, it was actually located within the city of Sandy Springs. While adjacent to each other, the two cities were located in different counties. The confusion that this frequently caused for the 911 dispatchers was once again evident when the reports of the shooting started being received.

The first two calls handled by the dispatchers came in from residents who were reporting hearing gunshots, but they were unable to provide much information on where they might have come from. They had explained to the dispatchers that sounds carried strangely along the river bank, but the shots had definitely been close by.

The third call received came in from a cell phone with an area code unfamiliar to the dispatcher taking the call. She knew that it had to be a cell phone because the area code was not from the local area. This caller was able to calmly provide not only an address for the dispatcher, but also details on the seriousness of the situation. The dispatcher was frustrated that the man wouldn't remain on the line until units arrived on the scene, but their system had captured the cell phone number if she needed to call him back.

Even though the Sandy Springs police were the department with primary jurisdiction, the original dispatch sent to the Dunwoody police resulted in their closest unit responding, since the two cities have a mutual aid agreement in place. This officer informed the 911 dispatchers of the error while en route, which prevented them from also dispatching the wrong county paramedics to the scene.

Gabe wanted to assist Peggy in her efforts to tend to the wounds of Janelle and Liam, and even though he had retrieved the handgun that the assailant had dropped, he still didn't feel comfortable ignoring the man until help arrived. He watched as Peggy rolled Janelle's still body off from Liam's and heard the gasp from Peggy as the severity of Janelle's injuries became obvious.

While Gabe couldn't look into the lifeless eyes that Peggy gazed down upon, he could see that there was a bloody and gaping hole where Janelle's right breast had been just moments ago. That injury alone would have been fatal, but when coupled with the other wound, where torn and bloody remains of her internal organs were visible through a huge hole in her abdomen, they left no doubt to the futility of the situation.

Watching Peggy turn her attention to Liam, Gabe saw four bloody entry holes on his chest, which was surprisingly rising and falling as he attempted to breathe through lungs that had been severely damaged. Blood was leaking from the side of Liam's mouth as he tried desperately to avoid suffocating on his own blood. Peggy was speaking softly to him as she tried to reassure him that help was on the way and looking for ways to stanch the blood flow, at least on the outside of his body.

There was a groan from the assailant that drew Gabe's attention. He put his cell phone in his pocket and brought the recovered handgun around to point at the man. Gabe was relieved that he hadn't killed the man by pounding his head against the pillar. He wanted to know who he was and why he had targeted Liam. The conspirators who had attempted to eliminate the Donahues were all dead, so if there was a continuing threat against them, Gabe wanted it identified as quickly as possible so that he could begin taking steps to deal with it.

Hearing the first police units screaming up the street, Gabe placed the handgun inside the waistband at the small of his back but kept his attention on the still unconscious man. It was tearing his heart apart to not be able to kneel beside Peggy and attempt to comfort her as she continued to mourn her best friend and pray for her father. That would have to wait until whoever the man was that shot them was securely in police custody. "Only a few more seconds now," Gabe hoped.

Like many others, the Dunwoody Police Department maximized the number of patrol units available by using solo officers in each vehicle. It was at the discretion of a responding officer, based upon the nature of the incident that he or she was responding to, whether they would do so alone or wait for backup officers to arrive. As she parked her patrol car in front of the mansion, Corporal Eloise Timmons reviewed the details of the dispatch and decided not to wait for backup. According to the caller, there were reportedly injured people and the shooter was supposed to be out of commission. She would have her service weapon out as a precaution, but she hoped that it wouldn't be needed.

Before she had closed the door on her patrol unit, she saw two additional police units racing up the street towards the house, followed by paramedics. Knowing that reinforcements had arrived, she turned and ran towards where a concrete walk indicated that the front door of the mansion would be. As soon as she rounded the garages, the front porch of the house came into view. Knowing that her initial assessment of the situation would influence the actions of other arriving units as well as the paramedics, Corporal Timmons began speaking into her shoulder microphone as she continued briskly up the path. She relayed what she was seeing, reporting a secure situation, and urging an immediate response from paramedics.

Timmons assumed that the man standing on the porch was the person who had reported the shooting, so this is who she spoke to first, even as she stepped past him to examine the two victims laying across the doorway into the house, "Sir, can you tell me what happened?"

Gabe provided a quick yet concise account of the events. He knew from his years in the military that any post-action report was usually done in phases. Authorities needed the basic and most relevant information to assess the current situation. Details on the why, how, and who could be provided in subsequent interviews. He also wanted to get to Peggy as soon as the paramedics pulled her away from Liam.

"Where's the weapon? Timmons asked once Gabe had finished.

Without answering, he raised his hands and turned around so that the officer could see the handgun in the waistband of his pants. He felt her pull the gun from his pants and then turned back around to face her once more. He saw two paramedics rushing past her, so he stepped over to help Peggy rise and move out of their way. She threw her blood-covered arms around his neck and buried her sobbing eyes into his chest.

Two additional officers stepped onto the porch. They wore slightly different uniforms than Corporal Timmons and Gabe saw that they were both from the Sandy Springs Police Department. One wore sergeant stripes and a nametag that said, "Hays", while the other had no stripes and a nametag that said, "Walker". Sergeant Hays addressed Timmons, "Is this the shooter?"

Timmons pointed to the man slumped on the ground and said, "That's the shooter." She handed Hays the gun that she had taken from Gabe, and added, "He probably has a broken arm that occurred when he was being disarmed so you might want to have the paramedics check it out before cuffing him. He likely has a concussion as well."

"That would explain him being unconscious," Hays remarked. "Fill me in."

The porch was getting crowded with the arrival of additional police officers and paramedics, so Timmons pulled Gabe, Peggy, and Sargent Hays off to stand on the grass front yard, leaving office Walker to watch the suspect. Other officers began stringing crime scene tape around the entire property.

As Timmons filled Hays in on what she had learned from Gabe, he focused his attention on the actions of the paramedics. They had quickly established that Janelle was deceased and turned their attention to Liam. Even from this distance, Gabe could still see Liam's chest movements as he tried to continue breathing, but the rise of his chest had diminished and it was becoming obvious that his struggle would not last much longer. This was confirmed when one of the paramedics began CPR as another prepared the defibrillator to attempt to restart Liam's heart.

When the heart monitor leads reported back to the defibrillator unit, the distinctive sound associated with a flatlined heartbeat permeated the front of the Donahue mansion. Conversations paused as everyone silently prayed for the sound of a "BEEP" that would indicate the resurrection of Liam Donahue. Peggy kept her face buried against Gabe's chest as she listened to the sound of her father's heart being repeatedly shocked in an attempt to get it started once more.

Typically, having her head against Gabe's chest, listening to his heartbeat, was comforting for Peggy. Now it only served to convince her that she would never again hear the same sound from her father's heart. She shook that association from her thoughts. There was no way that she wanted to spend the rest of her life not cherishing the sound of Gabe's heartbeat. She would not allow her grief over her father's death to alter her intimacies with Gabe.

~~~

Although the activities of the investigators and patrol officers appeared hectic to Gabe and Peggy, the night progressed at a glacial pace as they waited to be interviewed further before being allowed to leave the house.

The inside of the house was not considered part of the crime scene, so they had been instructed to wait for the detectives in the house while the investigation continued on the front porch and yard. Gabe had stood behind a still shaking Peggy with his hands on her waist as she used the kitchen sink to wash the blood off her hands and arms. She had kept muttering, "I can't believe they're gone," as she watched the streams of bloody water flowing into the sink drain. The amount of the water from the faucet barely exceeded the volume of tears still running down Peggy's cheeks.

After drying her hands with paper towels, Peggy turned around to face Gabe. She wanted nothing more than to crawl inside of him; to get lost inside his strength and his love, but she knew that she had to tolerate the pain and grief until the police had finished questioning them. Peggy started unbuttoning Gabe's shirt as she said in her still shaky voice, "Let's take this off and try to rinse some of the blood off the collar. I'm sorry that I got it all over your shirt, but I wasn't really focused on it at the time."

"I'm sorry that I didn't react faster," Gabe said as he started helping with the buttons on his shirt. "My reflexive response was to move you away first and that put me out of position to stop what happened."

Peggy brushed her hand across Gabe's cheek and said, "It all happened so fast. I'm just grateful that you stopped him before he could turn on you or me. Who do you think he is? We thought the threats related to the attempt to take over Armore were over with."

"I have no idea," Gabe said. "I do know that with the crew cut blonde hair, it's not very likely that he is a member of any El Salvadoran gang."

Peggy nodded and pulled the shirt off Gabe as she asked, "Do you think that my father was his target, or were all of us?"

Gabe thought for a few seconds, recalling the events from his memory before saying, "I get the impression now that I review what happened, that Liam was his only objective. Janelle wasn't targeted, she just got in the way of his last two shots. Then, when he began turning towards you, he had started lowering the gun. He wasn't preparing to fire at you or me. Is there some reason why someone would want Liam dead other than to take over Armore? Which if that was the case, you would have been a more likely target."

"Excuse us."

Gabe turned to see Sergeant Hays standing in the kitchen entry. A female officer was standing at his side. She wore a uniform different from either the Dunwoody or Sandy Spring police officers, but there were sergeant stripes similar to those on Hays' uniform on hers as well. Peggy stepped around Gabe so that she could also see the officers.

When neither Gabe nor Peggy responded verbally, Sergeant Hays said, "This is Sergeant Debbi Proctor with the Roswell PD. She asked to have a few words with you, if you don't mind."

At the mention of the sergeant's last name, Peggy raised her eyebrows, but it was Gabe that asked the question on both of their minds, "Proctor?"

Sergeant Hays retreated back toward the front door as Sergeant Proctor remained in place. Nodding at Gabe and Peggy, she asked, "Is there someplace where we can sit and talk for a few minutes?"

Gabe glanced down at Peggy to see her glancing back up at him. They held their gazes for a few seconds before Gabe turned to Sergeant Proctor and said, "Please take a seat in the living room and we'll be out to join you shortly. We just want to put some cold water onto the blood that got on this shirt first."

They watched the sergeant turn and leave the kitchen entry. "Do you think it's just a coincidence?" Peggy whispered to Gabe as she returned to the sink and turned on the water.

"Why would some relative of Kelly Proctor be here?" Gabe asked. "And she said that she wants to talk with us, not ask us questions. Maybe it has nothing to do with what happened here tonight. But if not that, what?"

Peggy finished running cold water over the blood that had gotten smeared onto the back of Gabe's shirt collar. The starch in the shirt had helped to keep the blood from penetrating the fabric too much, and Peggy was satisfied that the faint stains would likely come out when the shirt was laundered the next time. If not, it could be easily replaced.

Memories of her years of grief counseling following the death of her mother came to mind. How many times had she heard the phrase, "You either curl up, or you cope"? She had her father back then to help her cope. She felt so blessed that she had Gabe to be her strength now. She could be strong and brave in the presence of others, knowing that she would be free to grieve in Gabe's arms when they were alone.

She handed the shirt to Gabe and then used her cupped hands to splash cold water onto her face. Gabe used a dish towel to blot off as much of the remaining water as possible before slipping back into it. Quickly drying her face, Peggy didn't wait for Gabe to finish buttoning his shirt before taking his hand and saying, "I guess we shouldn't keep our guest waiting."

They walked together into the living room to find Sergeant Proctor standing in front of the cold, still fireplace, studying the pictures on the mantle. She turned when she heard them enter. She pressed a button on the small box affixed to her chest and said, "I promised the detectives that I would record our conversation with my body camera, so I hope you don't mind. I want to start by offering my deepest sympathy to you."

"Thank you," Peggy mournfully said. "Please have a seat."

Gabe waited for Peggy to take a seat on the sofa before sitting beside her. She immediately snuggled her body as close to his as possible when he placed a protective arm around her shoulders. Sergeant Proctor adjusted her utility belt as she sat in an armchair across from them. They both could now clearly see the tears that had moistened the sergeant's cheeks.

"I guess I should explain the reason that I wanted to talk with you," Sergeant Proctor said, with her eyes focused on Peggy's. "I have no excuse for what Seth did, but you deserve to know where his mind was at when he did it."

Gabe realized that Peggy was just as confused by the sergeant's words as he was, so he asked, "Who's Seth?"

Sergeant Proctor tilted her head slightly while she contemplated the question. She then straightened and said, "I'm sorry. I thought that you had already been informed."

"Informed of what?" Gabe asked.

The sergeant leaned forward and lowered her voice when she said, "The man who committed the shooting here tonight is named Seth Proctor. Immediately after his identity was established, colleagues with the Sandy Springs PD who knew of his family relationship with me notified me of what had happened. I got here as soon as I could..."

Peggy and Gabe exchanged looks. Gabe then asked, "What did your, I assume brother, have against Liam Donahue?"

"He stole Seth's wife," Proctor said. "Seth was devastated when he was served divorce papers last week."

"What does that have to do with Liam?" Gabe exclaimed. "He wasn't involved with a married woman. He was going to marry Janelle Sanders, the other victim, tomorrow."

"Seth knew that his wife had been seeing someone for months," Proctor insisted. "He followed her on several occasions to a complex on Peachtree where Liam Donahue owns a condo."

"Was his wife, Kelly Proctor?" Gabe asked, just to make certain that the pieces of this puzzle were aligning. When Proctor slowly nodded her head in reply, Gabe said, "Peggy here also owns a condo in that same building. There is also the condo unit there that Armore owns. That is the condo that Kelly Proctor and her lovers were visiting."

"Lovers?"

Gabe sighed and said, "Sergeant Proctor, your brother made a monumental mistake. You need to speak to the local FBI office to get the details, but trust me, Liam Donahue was not romantically involved with Kelly Proctor. He had just returned to Georgia this week after having been gone for months."

Proctor had a stunned expression on her face when she said, "But Seth had a recording of Kelly boasting that she was 'going to fuck Liam Donahue'. I heard it myself when he played it for me after Kelly's death. He blamed Liam Donahue for her leaving him, and for her death. He believed that she had gone to that wedding with him as her date."

"Liam Donahue was on my boat in the Pacific Ocean when we learned of the deaths from the poison mushrooms. Talk with the FBI," Gabe insisted. "Kelly was part of a conspiracy to fuck Liam Donahue financially. That must have been what your brother heard her referring to."

Sergeant Proctor brought her hands to her face as the tears began flowing in earnest once more. "Oh, my God," she moaned. "Oh, my God."

"Oh, my God," echoed Peggy as she sank against Gabe's shoulder, tears also flowing anew.

Chapter Eighteen

"Last night while I was trying to sleep, my father's voice I did hear.

I opened my eyes and looked around, but he did not appear.

He said, Dear, you've got to listen, you've got to understand,

God didn't take me from you, He only took my hand.

When I called out in pain that night, the instant that I died,

He reached down and took my hand, and pulled me to His side.

He pulled me up and saved me from the misery and pain.

My body was hurt so badly inside, I could never be the same.

My search is really over now, I've found happiness within.

All the answers to my empty dreams and all that might have been.

I love you so and miss you so, but I'll always be nearby.

My body's gone forever, but my spirit will never die.

And so you must go on now, live one day at a time.

Just understand

God did not take me from you,

He only took my hand."

Peggy didn't know where Gabe had found those words, but his sharing them with her in the days following Liam and Janelle's deaths had been only one of the ways that he had seemed to always know what she needed at the time.

The only time that he had left her alone for longer than it took for one of them to use the bathroom was when the police detectives separated them for their questioning the night of the shooting. Fortunately, the detectives had split up, interviewing each of them at the same time, but they were still apart for almost two hours as they were asked the same questions over and over again.

While Peggy had slept, or simply remained in bed mourning the loss of her father and best friend for two days, Gabe had unburdened her by taking charge of as many arrangements as a non-family member could legally or morally handle. He always discussed his actions with Peggy beforehand, but nothing less than her verbal objection would alter his decisions.

In the following days, there were of course decisions related to Liam that only Peggy could make. He hadn't updated his will with the pending marriage to Janelle, so his estate converted instantly to a previously established trust where Peggy had been named as the trustee upon her father's death, thus avoiding any delays due to probate. Gabe remained Peggy's trusted confidant and advisor as she made decisions on everything from the distribution of assets to pay off creditors, to deciding the final resting place for Liam's ashes.

Janelle's parents were as devastated as Peggy. They had now lost both of their children, while Peggy had lost both of her parents. Gabe played a Solomon-like role in helping the two grieving families agree on the final resting places for Liam and Janelle.

Peggy felt that she knew both Janelle and her father well enough to be convinced that they would want their ashes buried together. Of course, that was strictly a symbolic placement of their remains since their spirits were already together and the placement of their Earthly remains wouldn't alter that. Janelle's parents wanted her remains to be buried next to those of her brother.

Gabe had reasoned with Janelle's parents that had Liam and Janelle died one day later than they did, as Liam's wife, they would expect Janelle to be buried alongside her new husband. With Peggy, Gabe had reminded her that her mother's remains were next to the spot earmarked for Liam. Out of respect for her mother, he suggested that Janelle get the spot on the opposite side of Liam rather than being buried with him in the same spot.

The funerals for both Liam and Janelle were held concurrently, which was another negotiation on Gabe's part in his efforts to make things as easy as possible for Peggy. The joint memorial service and graveside ceremonies also allowed colleagues from Armore to honor both people that they had known and respected in one event.

Things were more complicated with Armore. Regardless of Peggy's declarations about Gabe always speaking for her, he didn't truly have the authority to act on her behalf. Much of this obstacle could be overcome by Gabe using Peggy's e-mail account to communicate directions and instructions to Corbin Baker, Angela White, and Bruce Goddard as if they came from Peggy. However, when Peggy's physical presence was required, either in person or on the telephone, all Gabe could do was stand beside her and provide support.

Over two weeks, Gabe had waded through the myriad of issues that Peggy had to deal with related to Liam's estate, the future of Armore, and facing the grief that the deaths had brought her. He had sheltered her from the media attention and did his best to minimize the impact that details on the investigation would cause her. Detectives with the Sandy Springs Police Department had been sympathetic to her losses and never made an issue of communicating either their questions or updates on Seth Proctor through Gabe.

When details about the FBI investigation involving Kelly Proctor were shared with the Sandy Springs investigators, they quickly agreed that Liam Donahue had been mistakenly targeted by Seth Proctor as the person responsible for his wife's betrayal. To a person, the investigators all suspected that his legal defense would be based upon diminished mental capacity caused by his wife's infidelity, and had placed him on a suicide watch even before transferring him to the Fulton County jail.

Gabe sat at the dining room table in Peggy's condo, drinking coffee, researching estate auction brokers in the Atlanta area, and keeping an ear open for the sound of Peggy coming awake on the bed. It had been almost three weeks since the shooting, and Gabe had noticed the light returning to her face a little more with each day that passed. He trusted that, with time and his support, she would recover as much as anyone could after witnessing such a brutal loss of people that they had loved.

They hadn't had sex since that fateful day, but Gabe was unconcerned. If he was the only remaining person on the planet that loved Margaret Donahue, he would show her so much love that she would never feel wanting. Every opportunity since the shooting, Gabe had made love to Peggy by sharing his love for her with his words, actions, and physical presence. He had completely encased her in the cocoon that was his love for her. Now he just needed to wait for the eclosion; the metamorphosis that would bring his butterfly back to him.

His thoughts were prophetic as he glanced up and saw Peggy standing in the doorway to the bedroom. She had the top sheet from the bed wrapped around her as she smiled at Gabe. Spreading her arms to pull the sheet open, revealing her nakedness to him, she resembled a butterfly spreading its wings. Gabe stood and walked toward her.

"Good morning," he said. "How did you sleep?"

Keeping her arms extended as she stepped forward to meet him, Peggy whispered, "Really good. Peaceful. No nightmares."

Gabe placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. Placing a light kiss onto her lips, he felt her bring her arms around to wrap them both inside the sheet at the same time that she intensified the kiss, conveying a passion and desire that neither had felt in weeks. Gabe knew that his beautiful butterfly had returned.

~~~

"I love you more than you will ever know," Peggy said softly. "More than I should, more than I would ever have believed I could love a man."

Gabe was surprised. Her proclamation of love wasn't surprising; Peggy did that almost as regularly as breathing when she and Gabe were alone together. For her to express it while taking the seat at the head of the conference table that he held out for her while there were a half dozen other people in the room was the surprise. Displays of affection or emotion in a professional setting were a rarity for her.

Gabe remained standing beside her. There wasn't enough space at the end of the table for a second chair, and he knew that she would want him beside her rather than in a chair at the side of the table.

Peggy addressed the assembled members of Armore's board of directors, "I want to thank each of you for agreeing to meet with me and for all of your kind words over the last few weeks. I know what my father meant to each of you and understand the loss that you suffered as individuals."

She studied her hands for a few seconds before raising her eyes to scan the faces around the table and continuing, "This isn't an official board meeting, so no minutes are being taken and the typical formalities won't apply. I respect each of your opinions and ask that you be as open and honest with me as you always were with my father."

Taking Gabe's hand, bringing it to her lips, and kissing it, she said, "You all have met him and know that Gabriel Lewis is the man that I love and intend to spend the rest of my life with. Right now, that is the only certainty in my world."

There were a few muted mumbles around the table but everyone kept their focus on Peggy and the handsome man standing beside her. Gabe glanced around the room at the board members, recalling what he had gleaned about each when he had spoken to them at the dinner before the shareholder meeting.

Jennifer Willard was a public relations expert with one of the area's most prestigious firms. She had been a board member the shortest amount of time, being asked to replace a board member after his untimely death a little more than a year ago. In her late forties with a cute cherubic face and bubbly personality, Gabe could almost picture her in a cheerleader outfit during her high school days.

Deborah Bascomb headed the Georgia Realtors Association and had served on Armore's board since the beginning. She was a stylishly dressed middle-aged woman who wore too much make-up in an attempt to ward off the years, and failing miserably. Gabe had considered her a vamp by the way that she had blatantly flirted with every man at the dinner, including him.

Phil Howser was an executive with Turner Communications, yet reminded Gabe of what Fred Flintstone would look like as a real person instead of a cartoon character. Appearances aside, he seemed like an intelligent and thoughtful professional who would always try to do what he felt was the right thing to do.

Jon James was a hugely successful personal injury attorney. You couldn't drive more than two hundred yards down any road in the five surrounding states without seeing one of his billboards. He was a quiet, contemplative listener, only offering his opinion after what he felt was adequate consideration of an issue.

Carol Rayne, at 77 was the oldest member of the board and one of the four original members. She was spry and joyful, acting decades younger than her years. A former Olympic figure skating champion, she remained physically active and heavily involved with several environmental charity organizations.

Barry Mahon was a partner in one of the largest accounting firms in the southeast United States. He had been family friends with Sarah Arthur before she had married Liam Donahue and a loyal advisor to the couple when they founded Armore. In his mid-fifties, Barry took pride in the opportunity that came later in his life to openly express his homosexuality in public.

Theresa Balaouras was also one of the original board members. She was a renowned female entrepreneur with numerous auto dealerships and real estate developments in Georgia and the surrounding states. Her professional success had made her a very wealthy woman who now focused on civic and philanthropic projects throughout the southeast region of the country.

Dr. Meagan Whitcomb was a beautiful woman who had been close friends with Sarah Donahue since Meagan had arrived in the United States from Scotland almost thirty years ago. She worked as a chief administrator at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. She was married to a professor at Emory University and had served on the Armore board since its founding.

Gabe believed all of the board members had been loyal to Liam Donahue, but had doubts about whether this would transfer over to Peggy. Not that it mattered. With her control of enough of the shares to constitute a "quorum of one" if the need arose, Peggy really didn't need the board's approval for anything that she wanted to do. She could easily replace any one of them that challenged her in any way. A board of directors was a legal requirement under the incorporation laws of the state, but Peggy had more than enough votes between her shares and Gabe's to act without one.

He returned his attention back to what Peggy was saying, "... the projects in the pipeline before July 14^th. I'm also certain that many of you were also approached by shareholders trying to persuade you to vote for consideration of offers to buy Armore. I believe that the business continuity project, implementing the new world of work environment here in corporate, and similar projects are still needed, but I welcome your opinions."

"I thought that closing the New Jersey operations was a mistake," Deborah Bascomb said. "I'm certain that if Liam had been here rather than traipsing around the world at the time..."

"Please show a little respect," Gabe interrupted. "Liam Donahue knew exactly what he was doing, both in allowing the New Jersey operations to be closed and in taking the extended business trip during that time. If you want to play Monday morning quarterback, have the decency to do it with someone who can defend their decisions in person."

Peggy glanced up at Gabe and mouthed, "Thank you."

Dr. Whitcomb raised her hand and said, "Miss Donahue, Peggy, I want to say what I truly believe your mother would say to you at this time, and that is to simply follow your heart. I am getting the impression that you feel an overwhelming obligation to take over the helm of Armore, and I know that nothing would make both your mother and father prouder. I hope that you noticed that I didn't say that it would make them happier, because if you do so only because you feel it is your duty, without regard for what you want for your own life's happiness, they would be disappointed beyond words."

"I have to agree with Meagan," Barry Mahon said. "Armore was your parent's dream. It doesn't have to be yours. You have your whole life ahead of you. Take some time to figure out what you and Mr. Lewis want for your future. The company will survive while you two consider what is best for you."

"I disagree," Deborah Bascomb said. "Armore is in a very tenable position right now. It has lost its chairman and CEO in a brutal event precipitated by rumors surrounding three senior executives and their conspiracy to overthrow the entire leadership of the company. Executives who recently died, I might add. With the death of Janelle Sanders, that brings the total executives of this company who have died in the past month to five. Let's ignore the effect that this will have on the share prices since Miss Donahue stands to bear the brunt of that, and instead look at things such as employee morale and customer confidence. I believe that steps need to be taken immediately to demonstrate that there is strong leadership at the helm of Armore and within this board. I suggest that we elect a new chairman today and then appoint a new Chief Operating Officer."

"Mr. James," Gabe said, "I realize that it isn't your area of legal expertise, but my interpretation of Armore's articles of incorporation and corporate bylaws tell me that this board cannot take any permanent actions such as Mrs. Bascomb is suggesting while in this executive session. Is that your understanding as well?"

Jon James nodded and said, "Technically, we are not in executive session. No motion to go into executive session was ever made. As Miss Donahue stated at the beginning, this is not an official board meeting so no official business can be conducted."

Not to be dissuaded, Deborah Bascomb said, "Then I would like to make a motion for us to go into executive session. Do I have a second?"

"Are you assuming the role of the board chair?" Theresa Balaouras asked. "Because I believe that as vice-chairman, I should have a say in that. As a point of order, the bylaws make me acting chair until such time as a replacement is duly elected. However, since this isn't an official meeting there is no need for anyone to chair it. We're all here simply to listen to Peggy and offer her our advice and opinions."

Gabe stepped in once more, "Enough. I don't know what kind of illusions this board functioned under with Liam Donahue, but let's make one thing perfectly clear; Peggy is in charge of Armore. She may not have the title of Chairwoman and CEO yet, but with her absolute control of all but eleven percent of the shares in this company, there is nothing or nobody who could challenge her. Is there anyone here who believes otherwise?"

When no one answered, Gabe, said, "Good. Now, to Mrs. Bascomb's concerns related to a perceived lack of leadership in the wake of the deaths of Liam, Janelle, and the other three vice presidents, why don't you all start offering your advice on how to deal with that."

"Would Miss Donahue consider traveling to our clients' locations for face-to-face meetings where she could introduce herself and provide assurances that Armore would be continuing to operate as before?" asked Jennifer Willard?

Peggy glanced up at Gabe and he knew what her question would be. He remembered their conversation before leaving California. "I'll be right by your side," he told her.

~~~

"That looks like a long drive," Peggy said. "But my former United States Marine Corps aviator will keep it from being boring."

She was looking at the map that Gabe had pulled up on his cell phone as they discussed their route back to California. They were sitting in the parking lot of Saturn Systems, the last Armore customers that they were to visit as part of Peggy's cross-country tour of accounts. They had been welcomed warmly at every customer location that they had visited, and been assured that the customers still had confidence in Armore's capabilities to provide the contract services.

"Texas is a large state," Gabe reminded her. "The alternative is to fly into San Antonio, but if you want to bring your Mazda back to California with us, we need to either drive it or have it shipped. I'm fine with whichever you choose."

Pointing to the map details, Peggy said, "It says that the drive will take around fourteen hours. If we leave at the crack of dawn next Sunday and drive straight through, we would get there early enough to get a good night's sleep before our meeting Monday morning."

"That works for me," Gabe said. "The crew from the foundation will be at the house early enough on Saturday to allow them to get everything moved out in the morning..."

Peggy added, "And the realtor will handle anything that comes up related to the closing, so we won't have to attend that."

Peggy and Gabe had discussed whether they should keep the house in Dunwoody and they had decided to sell it. They had received multiple cash offers within days and went with the highest one. All the furniture within the house was being donated to the Michelle Anderson Foundation for Human Rescue, a shelter for human trafficking victims across the river a few miles from the house. The furniture in both condos, hers and her father's, would convey to the buyers when those units were sold. They would go on the market next week after Peggy and Gabe headed back to California.

Gabe checked the time and said, "Saturn Systems is the only customer that refused to let us buy them lunch. Did they explain why?"

"Bruce said that they didn't want to meet anywhere public in case there were sensitive matters to discuss. They are in very competitive markets with some of their products so they are guarded with information and how they share it. But hey, if they want to serve us lunch for a change, who are we to argue. The customer is always right. Right?"

Gabe turned the car off and the humid mid-day heat of Greenville, South Carolina quickly began to replace the cooler air that they had been enjoying from the car's air conditioner while reviewing their travel plans. He got out and walked around to open Peggy's door for her. He then grabbed both of their computer bags from the back seat and handed Peggy hers.

As they approached the lobby doors, Gabe asked, "Who did Bruce arrange for us to meet with?"

"Anna English in their legal department. That's why I suggested that we both review our contract with them last night. It will likely be high on their agenda if they are asking us to meet with their legal department."

Gabe held the lobby door open for Peggy and said, "It all seemed rather boilerplate to me. What about you?"

"It looked pretty standard," Peggy agreed.

They introduced themselves to the receptionist, received their visitor badges, and waited where instructed for their escort. Their wait was a short one as an inner door opened and a woman almost as beautiful as Peggy Donahue glided over to them. She had long reddish-orange hair, sparkling green eyes, and a figure that did justice to the clingy silk blouse and pencil skirt that came just below her knees.

"Margaret Donahue?" the woman asked as she extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Anna English."

Peggy shook the offered hand and said, "Thank you for taking time to meet with us, Ms. English. I would like to introduce Gabriel Lewis."

Extending her hand to Gabe, Anna said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lewis. May I ask what your role is with Armore?"

Before Gabe could answer, Peggy said, "Gabe's role with Armore is quite fluid right now. I'm sure that you are aware of the recent personnel losses that we experienced. Gabe is filling in where needed. Think of him as a minister without portfolio."

"A jack of all trades," Anna said with a laugh. "An ideal role for a fiancé, or a husband to have if you ask me. On a more solemn note, I want to offer my sympathies to you for the loss of your father and best friend. My husband and I know how it feels to lose someone that you love to violence. Now, please follow me. Lunch is waiting to be served and we can chat while we eat."

Peggy smiled and took Gabe's hand. Since Anna English seemed to already be aware of the relationship between her and Gabe, there was no reason to disguise it from her. They followed her through the door she had entered from and down a wide hallway lined with closed office doors. They reached the last door on the left and watched Anna open it without knocking. Reading the name on the door as they entered helped explain the informality that Anna had demonstrated. This office belonged to Avery English, CEO of Saturn Systems.

They watched as Avery English rose from behind his desk and greeted Anna with a kiss. He appeared to stand about six-foot-one, with an athletic physique, light-brown wavy hair that he wore surprisingly short, sparkling sky-blue eyes, and a captivating smile. Gabe sensed from his posture that he had some military training in his background. Glancing around the office confirmed this when Gabe saw the framed diploma from The Citadel on the wall, along with various professional accreditation certificates and awards to an Army Captain Avery English.

"It's not as exciting as piloting a V-22," Avery said as he came around the desk to greet them, "but we all serve our country the best we can. Welcome to Saturn Systems."

Gabe glanced at Peggy and saw from her raised eyebrow that she recognized the same thing as him. The Englishs were making it clear that they both had details about their guests that typical customers would not normally have.

Anna had moved over to another door along a side of her husband's office and opened it, saying, "Lunch is setup in Avery's private conference room. Please join us."

Crossing the threshold into the conference room, Peggy imagined that she had just entered a fine dining restaurant. There was an expensive-looking tablecloth covering the conference table, with flickering candles in crystal holders in the center. The four elegantly adorned place settings already had an impressive smelling soup dish at each. Two formally dressed servers stood in front of a credenza that was now being utilized as a meal serving station where chafing dishes kept whatever was intended as the next course warm.

Anna stepped around Peggy and led them to seats on one side of the table. "I hope that you enjoy Carolina barbeque," she told them. "The soup is a corn chowder from a recipe that my mother shared with me. Our main course will be a choice of pork or chicken, both prepared by an award-winning local chef. For dessert, we have a peach cobbler. Please have a seat and dig in."

Gabe pulled a chair out for Peggy and then waited for Anna to take her seat across from her before taking his seat across from Avery. Peggy said, "Everything smells delicious but you really have gone to too much trouble..."

"Believe me," Avery told them, "I had to put my foot down to keep Anna from doing everything herself. I conceded the soup and cobbler preparation to her because I know how much she loves to cook and our schedules limit her opportunities. I'm proud of her culinary skills and we both hope that you enjoy what little effort I allowed her to put into this lunch."

Conversations paused as everyone tasted the corn chowder.

~~~

"Saturn Systems is extremely happy with the services that we receive from Armore," Avery assured them.

As soon as the dessert of warm peach cobbler had been served, the two waiters who had been dutifully tending to the Englishs and their guests disappeared from the conference room. This allowed the conversation to move onto topics other than sports, weather, or politics. Peggy had encouraged Avery and Anna to share their feelings about the business relationship between the two companies.

"Which is why we want to buy Armore," Anna added.

"Excuse me?" Peggy said as she turned to Gabe to see if he was as surprised by that last comment as she was. She knew that Armore had become an attractive acquisition target for several companies and investors since the status of the shares had become so stable. She also remembered voting down every request from other shareholders to consider any of the offers that had been received. Of course, that had been when she envisioned running Armore alongside her father, with Gabe and her best friend backing them up.

"We have received a lot of interest in Armore," Gabe responded. "Can I ask what your interest is?"

"That's right," Avery said. "You're now the second-largest shareholder of Armore stock, or at least the trust that you set up to acquire the shares is."

Peggy turned red and Gabe realized that her normally placid and professional demeanor was being stressed. She said, "Let's stop things right there. You both have been dropping not too subtle hints that you have gathered intelligence on Gabe and me. Private and personal information that holds no relevance to the business relationship between our companies. Unless you can explain your actions, I'm afraid that this meeting is over. We will honor the remaining months of the contract between our companies, but it will not be renewed after that."

Anna spoke in a tone that she hoped would soothe Peggy when she said, "You are correct. Avery and I have complete profiles on both of you, but we are the only ones at Saturn Systems with access to the details within them."

"Why?" Gabe asked.

Anna continued, "It is part of the vetting process for vendors and sub-contractors required under our government contracts. Even though Armore does not support any of our secure government projects or products, any organization that we do business with must meet the same standards, such as being American owned, and not involved in anything that violates local or international laws."

Avery said, "We monitored the investigation into the conspiracy involving your key executives very closely and were within in days of terminating our contract with Armore when the matter seemed to resolve itself."

Gabe saw the wink from Avery English and wondered what it meant. He couldn't know the truth. He just couldn't.

Chapter Nineteen

Peggy was still shaking her head in frustration as she said, "How can two people be so polite and professional yet so disrespectful at the same time?"

Gabe was driving. They had just crossed the border between South Carolina and Georgia on Interstate 85. Peggy had been lamenting about their meeting with Avery and Anna English for over forty-five minutes, which began when they had re-entered the rental car in the parking lot of Saturn Systems.

"Are you still talking about the form they insisted you complete?" Gabe asked.

Nodding, Peggy said, "That's most of it. Why even mention an interest in acquiring Armore if they knew that they couldn't discuss with us why they would be interested in doing so?"

"Their explanation could make sense. If it is related to their government contracts and deemed by the government to involve sensitive information that they would need to share with us, then the requirement that you complete the Standard Form 86 isn't unreasonable."

Gabe was referring to the "Questionnaire for National Security Positions" forms that the Englishs had asked Peggy to complete on the tablet Avery had passed to her after lunch.

"But why not you? I think that I made it perfectly clear to them that you and I made decisions together. They just ignored me."

"I don't think that they were ignoring you so much as they were recognizing that while you and I may discuss matters related to Armore, you are the one with the legal authority to make all the decisions. Yes, thirty-eight percent of the shares are owned by me, but by virtue of you being the trustee that controls those shares, yours is the only decision that matters."

He was more concerned about the intelligence the owners of Saturn Systems appeared to have on him and Peggy as individuals, as well as on the status of Armore. If knowledge was power, why were Avery and Anna English so cavalier in disclosing that they had so much knowledge to him and Peggy?

"No," Peggy insisted. "If they expect me to decide without being able to discuss all the facts with you, then they won't get a decision from me. I don't care what sort of security clearance I have or what secrets that they want to discuss with me, it isn't happening without you."

"Well, it's unlikely that the background checks required for even the lowest level of security clearance would be completed before we get back to California. Plus, it's not like you're interested in selling Armore anyway, so just ignore them or refuse to take the next meeting that they mentioned wanting."

Peggy was silent for several minutes before asking, "Am I though?"

"Are you what?"

"Am I not interested in selling Armore? When we had the shareholder meeting I was certainly against it, but things aren't the same now. Maybe we should discuss it rather than discount it out of hand."

"Okay, what are the pros and cons of entertaining offers?" Gabe asked.

"Without my father being around to contribute, running Armore will be a yoke around our necks, especially as we try to start our own family. The challenge doesn't intimidate me, especially with you beside me, but it isn't what I dreamt it would be anymore. Do you understand?"

"I do, and I remember our conversation about your father's continued involvement in running Armore until his retirement giving you time to have our kids and raise them through their most formative years before having to assume the helm completely. What else?"

"It would be too limiting for you. I know that you would willingly sacrifice your own ambitions to help me run Armore, but I have seen you in action. I have gained significantly more insight into your knowledge, intelligence, and skills over the past few weeks and I know that you are destined to be and do so much more. I have caught only glimpses of your capabilities but I know that they exceed those of even the very best former United States Marine Corps aviator. There's a lot more to you below the surface. I know it. I've seen it, and I love it. I don't want to hold you back."

Gabe ignored Peggy's observations about him and asked, "Don't you have any sentimental attachment to the company that your mom and dad founded? Wouldn't it be hard to lose that? We could find competent people to run the company without you having to sell it."

"No," Peggy said. "I mean, yeah, there are sentimental aspects of the company that I would be losing, but I know that as long as I held a controlling interest in the company, I would feel responsible for it and need to stay too involved in its operations. That wouldn't be fair to you or our children."

"Okay, how about if we spend the next couple of days reviewing those offers that were brought up during the shareholder meeting? If nothing else, they will give us some idea of what value others are placing on Armore. I'll also ask Admiral Jenkins to provide an updated valuation analysis for me on Armore. She has most of the latest information from when I had her evaluate the share prices for me. Let's compare those numbers and then see where the folks from Saturn Systems come in with their offer. I think it's likely that the unsolicited offers will tell us more about what others perceive the value of Armore to be than anything else, and allow us to examine all of them with our eyes open."

"That all sounds fine, but please ask your Admiral Jenkins to keep things quiet. I'm not committed to any one direction right now and I wouldn't want any rumors to get started at Armore about us even thinking about selling."

~~~

Gabe answered the knock on their hotel door to find an attractive woman in her late forties wearing the uniform of a Colonel in the United States Air Force. "Yes, may I help you?" he asked.

"Good morning, Mr. Lewis. I'm Wendy Wallace with the Air Force Judge Advocate General's office. I am here to see Margaret Donahue if she is available."

"I am available," Peggy said as she descended the stairway in the Maritzen Suite of the Emma Hotel. She was still in the process of threading one of her earrings into her ear, but had completed the task by the time that she reached the bottom of the stairs. "What can I do for you, Colonel?"

Their drive from Atlanta to San Antonio had been uneventful and slightly faster than anticipated with the higher speed limits once they had crossed over into Texas. When they had checked into the hotel the previous afternoon, they had been informed to expect a visitor to their suite at eight the next morning, so while the person turned out to be an officer in the Air Force, her arrival wasn't unexpected.

Colonel Wallace extended her hand to Peggy and the two women politely shook before the Colonel asked, "Is there a place where we might sit and go over a few documents together?"

"Of course," Peggy said. "Right over here."

She took Gabe's hand in hers and led Colonel Wallace to the formal seating area of the suite where there were two large overstuffed leather chairs separated from a matching sofa by a heavy wooden coffee table. Peggy led Gabe to the sofa and they sat together while Colonel Wallace took a seat in one of the chairs across from them. She opened her satchel and withdrew a file folder, which she set onto the top of the coffee table.

Addressing Peggy, she said, "I have been asked to review with you the scope and parameters of the security clearance that has been approved for you."

"It's been approved already?" Peggy asked. "It's only been five days, and two of those were weekend days."

"It was approved last Friday," the Colonel informed her. "I happened to be in the area on personal business over the weekend, so I was asked to spend a few minutes explaining things to you today since you would also be in town. May I continue?"

Peggy glanced at Gabe and then looked back at the Colonel and said, "As long as Gabe can hear whatever you have to say, I'm fine with you continuing. If he can't listen in, then your time here is wasted and I'll ask you to leave."

Colonel Wallace smiled and said, "There is nothing that I am going to discuss with you that Mr. Lewis isn't allowed to hear."

Bruce Goddard had told them, "Since you're going to be driving back to California anyway, why don't you stop in San Antonio and at least listen to what Brandt Consulting has to say?" Gabe had always believed that it never hurt to hear what someone else had to say, and a brief visit to San Antonio would be a nice break to their cross-country trip, for the food if nothing else, so he had agreed to take the meeting. He was still struggling with the similarities between, what he had always believed to be a fictional company, and the apparent existence of a real one with the same name.

"How did you, and I assume the Englishs know that we were going to be stopping in San Antonio on our trip to California?" Gabe asked. He was beginning to wonder if a tracker had been placed on one or both of them, or if they were otherwise being watched for some reason.

"I'm just told where to be and when. Where the information comes from is above my pay grade. May I continue?"

Peggy and Gabe merely nodded and listened as Colonel Wallace detailed the TS/SCI clearance that had been approved for Margaret Donahue by the Director of National Intelligence. Peggy didn't understand many of the terms and acronyms used but when Gabe silently mouthed, "I'll explain," to her, she let the Colonel continue without interruption. Peggy did understand the penalties that Colonel Wallace listed for betraying her country's trust by revealing any secrets learned through the security clearance granted her.

When she had completed her tutorial, Colonel Wallace had Peggy sign several documents acknowledging the things that she had been told, and then she quickly placed everything back into her satchel and stood. "I can show myself out," she told them as they prepared to rise from the sofa. Gabe and Peggy sat and watched as the Colonel walked briskly to the door and left the suite.

Peggy turned to Gabe and said, "I don't understand two things. First, why would I need that level of clearance for the details about what Saturn Systems does for the government to be shared with me? I mean, understanding that they do secret work without knowing exactly what that secret work is should be adequate, don't you think?"

Gabe was contemplating something in his own mind, so he simply nodded at Peggy's question. She continued, "Secondly, I don't understand why they went to the trouble of getting the clearance for me when I made it crystal clear that I would not hold any discussions with them without you in attendance. They are still ignoring the fact that you would need the same level of clearance as me."

"I don't think that this is just about Saturn Systems anymore," Gabe said.

Before Peggy could ask for Gabe to clarify his statement, the house phone for the suite rang. It was on the side table beside where she sat, so she answered it. After thanking the caller, she said, "A car is downstairs for us. I guess that answers the question about where we are meeting the folks from Brandt Consulting. We're being chauffeured to wherever it is."

~~~

Gabe had been to San Antonio a few times so he knew the general layout of the city. The downtown area where their hotel was located was bisected in some fashion by Interstate 10, as well as US Highway 281, Interstate 35, and Interstate 37. There were two major "loops" around the city; Interstate 410 being the "inner loop" and Highway 1604 being the "outer loop". There were no onramps to any of the freeways within several blocks of the hotel, which left their driver with the option of surface streets as he navigated them toward the eastern part of the city. Gabe couldn't keep track of the street names as the driver sped past numerous side streets before finally settling onto the northbound frontage road for Interstate 35.

Surprising to Gabe, the driver bypassed several opportunities to transition from the frontage road onto the freeway until just before the interstate converged with Interstate 410 near the San Antonio Military Medical Center. The driver navigated right, across several lanes in order to take the first exit, which put them once more onto the northbound frontage road. Just before the intersection with Eisenhauer Road, they crossed under the overpass, making a U-turn onto the southbound access road. The driver once more navigated multiple lanes of traffic to cross into the far-right lane in time to pull into a parking lot.

"Restorations by Bobby" was the name of the business. Studying the large building that they were pulling up to, Peggy and Gabe saw ground to roof plate glass windows for a showroom with several restored classic cars and trucks. Standing in front of the entrance doors were Avery and Anna English.

Peggy whispered, "You said that you didn't think that this was just about Saturn Systems. Care to change your opinion?"

Gabe simply shook his head as Avery English stepped over and opened the rear passenger door. "Welcome to Brandt Consulting," Avery said in greeting.

Gabe slid out of the backseat and stood to help Peggy exit behind him. She took his hand and stared at the Englishs. "My position hasn't changed," Peggy informed them. "I will not have any discussion that Gabe is excluded from due to his not having the required security clearance..."

Anna interrupted Peggy and said, "Please, let's go inside where our conversation can be held someplace a bit more private."

Reluctantly, Peggy allowed Gabe to lead her as he followed Avery and Anna through the double glass doors and through the showroom toward the back of the building. They led them into a conference room and closed the door behind them. Everyone remained standing.

"Can we offer you some coffee or anything else to drink?" Anna asked.

"We're fine, thank you," Peggy replied as she surveyed the room. The walls were covered with dozens of pictures depicting what looked like before-and-after images of classic cars that had been restored. She didn't recognize all of the makes and models, but she did recognize that the transformations had been impressive.

Still standing, Gabe asked, "What is the relationship between Saturn Systems and Brandt Consulting? There must be one for you two to be here."

Avery English nodded and said, "A symbiotic relationship does exist..."

Peggy interrupted him and asked, "What type of symbiotic relationship; mutualist, communalist, predation, parasitic, or competitive?"

"It's entirely mutualistic," Anna assured them. "Please have a seat and we can begin..."

Peggy's voice rose as she asked, "Are you two deaf or just stupid. I have no intention of discussing anything with you that Gabe can't be involved in. I told you when you asked me to fill out those security forms that..."

Avery chuckled slightly and said, "Miss Donahue, you were not required to obtain a security clearance so that we could discuss things with you. You need it to listen to what is going to be discussed with Captain Lewis. Please take a seat and let us explain."

Peggy glanced at Gabe, "Captain Lewis?"

Gabe silently pulled one of the chairs out at the conference table for Peggy and then slowly sat in the one beside her. Things were taking a turn that he hadn't anticipated and he was mentally chastising himself for not considering all of the possibilities for this meeting. He had been so convinced that Brandt Consulting existed only as a fictional organization in some twisted author's imagination that he had never imagined any part of it being real.

As soon as Avery and Anna had taken seats on the opposite side of the table, the monitor on the wall came alive with the face of Trent Ehrlinger, Secretary of Homeland Security.

"Good morning, Anna and Avery," Ehrlinger said. Watching his eyes move to Peggy's face, he said, "Miss Donahue, it's a pleasure to meet you and I hope to get the opportunity to do so in person very soon." Turning to Gabe, he said, "It's good to see you again, Captain."

Gabe nodded and said, "Likewise, Mr. Secretary. Is this meeting at your request?"

"Yes, it is, and I'll explain the purpose to you shortly. First, let me begin by assuring you that a great deal of research and effort has been expended in order for the President to agree with what we will be discussing today, so I don't want you to think that this is some half-cocked idea."

Gabe simply nodded and said, "Understood." He felt Peggy take his left hand into hers as she waited for Ehrlinger to continue.

"Miss Donahue," Ehrlinger began, "do you mind if I call you 'Peggy'?"

"That would be fine."

Ehrlinger nodded and said, "I want to convey the President's most sincere condolences for the recent loss of your father and Janelle Sanders. We understand that their deaths were the result of a mistaken belief by a mentally unstable man, but that doesn't lessen the pain for you or the injustice of what occurred. I also want to offer my own personal condolences and offer any assistance that you might need going forward with your life."

"Thank you, sir."

Glancing around at each of the faces, Ehrlinger said, "I guess I should start with explaining why Saturn Systems is interested in acquiring Armore Corporation. Peggy, you know that Armore provides certain helpdesk, training, and field marketing support for Saturn Systems' commercial products, such as the Orbit enterprise system, and many of their middleware and database products. Armore does not currently support any of the more sensitive products that Saturn Systems provides for our nation's intelligence operations and cybersecurity programs. These products are supported entirely within the sensitive compartmental facilities at Saturn Systems and select government installations. As the government's reliance on Saturn Systems' products has increased, the requirements for support have also increased. They could expand their workforce, but it makes more sense for them to look at acquiring another organization with staff already skilled in the required support that only needs to learn the new products and obtain the required security clearances. This is the second reason that Armore was considered the primary organization for Saturn Systems to acquire."

"Why would they need to acquire Armore?" Peggy asked. "We could determine how many people they needed at their facilities, get the required security clearances, and then outsource the staffing for them under our current contract."

Ehrlinger was nodding as Peggy spoke. When she finished, he said, "True, but that would not address the number one reason for them to acquire Armore."

"And what is that?" Peggy asked.

She expected to hear the answer come from the monitor. Instead, it came from beside her when Gabe said, "Me."

Peggy turned her shocked face toward Gabe and just stared at him. "Why you?" she finally asked.

"Because as long as you are in charge at Armore," Ehrlinger explained, "Captain Lewis would not be available for another task that requires his special skills. We need him to take over Brandt Consulting."

~~~

"Wait a second," Peggy said after Secretary Ehrlinger had finished explaining the role that the President and him wanted Gabe to play. "You're telling me that there is some super-secret, shadow organization existing within the Brandt Consulting operations that does things which the government is unable or unwilling to do, and that you want Gabe Lewis to run this organization for you?"

Gabe realized that Peggy was going to need a lot more information before she could even begin to have a hope of comprehending what was being asked of them both. He tried to explain, "I actually did more when I was in the Marine Corps than just fly aircraft. My actual military occupation specialty code was 0284, or an Advanced Foreign Counterintelligence Officer. I worked primarily with Naval Intelligence, but spent a great deal of time working with the various joint special operations forces around the country training them on counterintelligence, as well as planning several major operations. However, I had completely resigned my commission, and my required time in the reserves has expired. So, my question for you, Secretary Ehrlinger, is what's in it for me to even consider this role with Brandt Consulting?"

Ehrlinger had a smile on his face when he replied, "You are correct that you are no longer associated with the military establishment, and that makes you the ideal candidate to run a privately owned company, which Brandt Consulting is, and will remain. The leadership of the company wants to retire after years of dedicated service to our country. They have no interest in selling the company, yet none of their later generations are willing to step in and continue running it. Either we find someone suitable to take over the leadership or we will have to rebuild the entire operation from scratch. As to your question of 'what's in it for you', there are a couple of incentives that come to mind."

"We are aware that your financial situation makes anything monetary that we could offer you inconsequential to your decision. The role would bring you back into the employ of the United States government from a hierarchical perspective since you would become a Deputy Director of Homeland Security with a GS rank of 15, equivalent to a Colonel, which avoids any Senate confirmation requirements. You would have authority through my office and the ear of the President, but few others within the government would know of your existence or the role that you would be playing to protect our country."

"I still don't see any benefit for me, or for Peggy and me together."

"How much of a benefit would it be if we made the pending SEC investigation into your recent shenanigans related to the Armore shares go away?"

"What investigation? I legally acquired those shares through SIPA, and I can prove it."

"There are several labor unions that feel that the shares of Armore stock that they had transferred to the officers of Armore rightfully should have been returned to them and they are pressing the SEC to investigate the entire transactional process through which you were able to buy the shares. Even if the SEC rules in your favor on that transaction, you know as well as I do that they will be all over every other share of stock in your portfolio, which will include all of those controlled by your investment group and each of those individual investors as well."

"I have nothing to hide and the members of the investment group are just as clean as me..."

"Maybe so," Ehrlinger conceded with a grin, "but are you so clean that you wouldn't benefit from a full Presidential pardon that provided you with blanket immunity for any other capital crimes that might eventually come to light?"

Peggy felt Gabe physically respond to the last statement with a noticeable tensing of his body. He turned to look at Avery English and saw him smiling back at him. "The bastard did know," Gabe thought, or at least he had strong suspicions.

"What?" Peggy asked.

Gabe relaxed and patted Peggy's hand, "I'll explain later." To Ehrlinger, he said, "I am pretty confident that nothing could be proven, so your offer of a Presidential pardon doesn't carry much weight with me right now. That being said, I am willing to meet with the principles of Brandt Consulting, accompanied by Peggy Donahue, after which we will get back to you all with our decision. Is that acceptable?"

~~~

All afternoon, as Peggy listened to people expressing their admiration of Gabe, frequently making comments that inferred that they had knowledge of some action or event that involved him, she kept reminiscing and wondering if this is how Gabe had felt when trying to understand her dual personas when they had first met.

They had been escorted from the conference room and through a door that looked like a storage closet. Inside it was a stairway that led to a tunnel approximately one-hundred yards long, ending at another door. Through this door, they entered an area that to Peggy, resembled a military command center, and she wasn't far off in that comparison.

The operations center for Brandt Consulting was a hive of activity, with people monitoring data feeds from every American port of entry, air traffic across the country, power grids statuses, and several other activities that Peggy didn't immediately recognize. Large monitors were displaying feeds from CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and some other foreign news programs that could have been anywhere in Europe or Asia.

The principles with Brandt Consulting, James Brandt and Jason Reid, seemed to instinctively know what activities in the Operations Center would be of greatest interest to Gabe. Peggy smiled at the interest or excitement that she would recognize in Gabe each time that they showed something that they hoped would influence him to take the role they were recruiting him for.

She was among warriors. Peggy had realized it as soon as she witnessed the interactions between the principles of Brandt Consulting and Gabe. They each exuded the strength, confidence, honor, and bravery that she somehow had taken for granted within Gabe. He was a Gallowglass; he was her own 'G.G.'. Although she was hearing only brief snippets about Gabe's military exploits in the conversations that these men were having, when his qualities were placed beside those of these men who had selflessly devoted their adult lives to protecting their country, Peggy understood the dichotomy that Gabe must have experienced with her.

Just as he had with her, Peggy was seeing Gabe in a totally different light for the first time, and she was prouder than any woman had the right to be. She knew that at the slightest hint from Gabe that the role of leading Brandt Consulting would be something that he was interested in, she would do everything in her power to support him in doing so. Stepping away from Gabe to stand beside Anna English, Peggy said, "Let's talk terms."

Anna reached into her shoulder bag and extracted a file folder. "Here's a written proposal for you and Gabe to review at your leisure. We really hope that you and Gabe decide to run Brandt Consulting so that Avery and I have the opportunity to work more closely with both of you in the future."

Peggy accepted the file folder but didn't open it. "What do you mean about Gabe and me running Brandt Consulting? I don't know anything about all this counterintelligence stuff."

"Brandt Consulting is much more diverse than just the clandestine operations for the government that has been discussed so far today," Anna explained. "They provide many of the same consulting and IT services that Armore provides, just to more sensitive customers, such as the government and select government contractors. You and Gabe running Brandt Consulting together wouldn't be that much different than you running Armore together, except for those activities that called upon Gabe's skills and experience to direct."

Anna saw Peggy frown at her assessment and thought that she knew the reason why. She added, "There is an extremely qualified team of department heads currently at Brandt Consulting, and you could count on all of them staying with the company. That's one reason why the owners don't want to sell, just turn over the day-to-day operational decision-making roles to someone else. Your time would be much more your own with leading Brandt Consulting than it would ever be with Armore. Plus, with the exception of the operation center here and a semblance of a corporate office near the San Antonio Airport, all of Brandt Consulting's employees and operations are virtual. You could live wherever you wanted and still function as the leaders of the company."

Nodding toward the entourage that was giving Gabe the tour, Anna said, "I believe that they will explain more about that after lunch."

~~~

"There are often constitutional limitations placed on government agencies that don't exist for private companies. I'm not talking about legal versus illegal, but operational limitations that render various agencies ineffective in handling specific requirements, especially in matters of national security, or in national emergencies," Gabe explained. "Brandt Consulting has been a prime contractor for the Department of Homeland Security since its inception more than four decades ago. It has hundreds of private industry clients as well, but Brandt Consulting has always been the go-to organization when the executive branch has felt the need to work outside of the Washington bureaucracy."

"I understand all of that," Peggy sighed. "What I don't understand is what makes everyone so convinced that you should be placed in charge of the company? I mean, I have complete confidence in you, but what gives all these other people, including the President of the United States almost as much confidence as me?"

By mutual agreement, Peggy and Gabe had deferred discussing both the offer to acquire Armore by Saturn Systems and the offer for Gabe to lead Brandt Consulting until they were on the road, continuing their return to Southern California. They were currently westbound on Interstate 10, just passing exit 523. Gabe would have to remember that exit since it is the one that would take them someday to Fredericksburg, Texas, the birthplace of Admiral Nimitz and home to the vast National Museum of the Pacific War, someplace that he had always wanted to visit.

They had discussed the proposal from Saturn Systems for less than forty-five minutes. While they would need to have a lot more in-depth discussions on how to reinvest the money that they both would receive from their shares in Armore, they had agreed that the proposal was not only generous, but also the best for the future or Armore. Existing operations would see little impact from the sale to Saturn Systems, and through a strategic realignment of both companies' facilities, they would be able to provide redundant business continuity for all operations.

"Brandt Consulting has always been the go-to organization," Gabe explained, "because James Brandt has always been the go-to guy. The reason that they have confidence in me replacing him in running the company is that they have access to portions of my military service record that few others do."

"And what do those records tell them?"

"That I was also a go-to guy. Look, I don't know exactly what my records tell them about specific actions that I was involved with, but they have learned that I have a history of stepping up to analyze an existing strategy to gauge whether or not prescribed tactics were still appropriate based upon changing dynamics. Sometimes the strategy was still sound and slight changes to the tactics were all that was required. Other times, the strategy had to be revisited in the field and decisions made without always having the luxury of more senior leadership to do so. I demonstrated that I could make effective strategic changes and implement tactical solutions that still achieved the desired objective. One of my senior officers once wrote in a post-engagement report that I don't simply think outside of the box; I stand on top of the box and look over the horizon."

Peggy considered what Gabe had said and then tried to relate it to what her experience with him told her. She recognized that he had always been a leader, even without any formal declaration of him as such. His confidence was inspiring to others, his intelligence unrivaled as far as she had seen, his ability to immediately adapt to situations yet not lose sight of the end objective; all of these traits had been there, but muted somehow by the sum of the whole man. He didn't make excuses, he found solutions. Solutions like finding those mercenaries that her father had contracted with to eliminate the threats against them. "Holy fuck!"

"What?" Gabe asked.

"That's what they were attempting to blackmail you with," Peggy exclaimed.

"You're going to need to be a little clearer. I can't read your mind."

"Those guys that you and my dad met with on the boat. You did more than merely arrange the meeting, didn't you?"

Gabe was silent for several seconds before replying, "Nothing that anyone can prove. Trust me. Some people who read my service record and learn of the events involving the deaths and their causes might suspect things, but they could never prove anything."

"How did you manage it from the boat, because I know you never left it."

Gabe grinned and said, "I simply developed the tactical plans and selected the team to execute them. The boat, which I own on paper but it really still belongs to Naval Intelligence, has far more communication capabilities than I shared with all of you. I directed and monitored the progress of the operations in real-time. It wasn't that difficult."

"You said that you were no longer in the military. How did you come to own, on paper, a boat that really belongs to the Navy?"

"My owning it provides a cover for the conversions to the boat that Naval Intelligence wanted on it and also allows it to go places where a naval vessel would be out of place. While I do get to use it for recreational purposes, its primary purpose is counterintelligence. Everybody knows that China and other countries place intelligence operatives onto cargo ships bound for America to collect data on our coastlines, port facilities, and everything else that they can. When I mentioned my boat being used for whale watching and stuff, that is just the appearance that foreign ships have of it as the highly sensitive equipment on it monitors their communications."

"Does that mean that we can't take it island hopping?" Peggy asked with a pout.

"Probably not, but we'll see," Gabe told her. "I was informed that if I take the position with Brandt Consulting that it came with quite a bit of influence within the government."

"What do you mean, 'if'? I got the sense that you wanted the position."

"I guess I do, but it comes with some costs that we would need to accept and deal with."

"Such as?"

"The biggest is the threat of reprisal against me or someone in my family if any of the actions that I might take in the future upset a person or organization enough for them to attempt to strike back. On a positive note, with the name of the company remaining the same, the Brandts will still bear the highest risks associated with the actions credited to the company. Although, if all actions are conducted properly, the name of the company will never factor into the equation. Company resources will be utilized, but the actual involvement of the company will not be apparent to anyone."

"That being said, we would need to take precautions to minimize our footprint in the world at large. No social media presence, the absolute minimum of publicity, and all public records related to us would need to be sealed. How do you feel about all of that?"

Peggy shrugged her shoulders and said, "That's been pretty much the way I have lived my life so far, so I'm fine with it. Anna English said that we could pretty much live wherever we wanted. Is that true?"

"To a large degree, yes. We will need someplace that can be secured completely, and where any equipment required for us to remain in constant communication with the operations center and the White House would not be obvious or apparent to the casual observer."

"So, a house would be the best choice," Peggy said. "What about locations? I mean, should we consider things like access to an airport or anything like that?"

"It sounds like you're pretty on board with me taking the position," Gabe chuckled.

"I think I am. I see it as a way for us to work together in running the company, with you handling all the James Bond-type stuff and me overseeing other operations. As you once told me, I want to share this with you. I want to show you how much faith and confidence I have in you. I want us to be partners in business and in life. I will want to review their past marketing strategy to understand whether there is an opportunity to expand into different commercial markets beyond the government contractor segment, but all-in-all, I see potential."

Gabe heard the excitement in Peggy's voice and that cinched the decision for him. He pulled over into the next rest area and searched for a number on his cell phone. Dialing it through the car's audio system, he waited for the call to be answered before pulling back onto the freeway.

"Mr. Lewis, how can I help you?"

Gabe glanced over at Peggy before saying only two words, "We're in."

"Excellent," Secretary Ehrlinger replied. "I'll notify the President."

Peggy spoke up, "Just make certain that our starting date is at least sixty days from now. Las Vegas, here we come!"

Ehrlinger laughed and said, "I'm sure that will be acceptable."