Part 36 (2/2)
Quickly, she made a recon of what she could only think of as tonight's battlefield.
She didn't much care for what she saw.
The security setup on the west portico guided her through wide doors into a huge rotunda. The place of honor in the center of that was an immense bronze sculpture that portrayed the first settlers setting foot on Eden.
Maybe it was accurate for the American Express team.
Two expansive halls went north and south off the rotunda. Both were expensively done in marble and lined with sculptures. Off of each hall, doors led into specific rooms with exhibits. Rooms two or three deep on both sides.
So people could be ambushed in small rooms or machine gunned in the two halls. Not a pretty picture either way.
”What's the nano situation?” Kris asked Penny.
”Top of the line,” was the answer from Penny and Nelly.
”About half of them are scouts,” Nelly added. ”The other half are hunter-killers.”
”Doesn't sound like a good idea to launch our own,” Kris said. Both woman and computer agreed.
Kris finished her review of the south wing just as police in formal uniforms began to close it off to prepare for the arrival of government officials.
”I need to find a little girls room,” Kris said to one of them. The one she was pointed to had a long line in front.
”There's two more on the ground floor. Hook a left at the bottom of the stairs.”
Kris shed most of her escort and it was just Jack and a Marine couple that took the stairs down.
And Kris hooked a right.
”You should have gone left,” Jack said.
”No, it's right,” Kris said.
And they ran into a guard.
”May I help you?” It didn't sound like he wanted to.
”I'm looking for the ladies' room,” Kris said.
”It's that away. You should have turned left off the stairs.”
”That's what I told her,” Jack said.
”I hear that a lot,” the guard said.
Kris retreated with ill grace.
”What did you see?” Jack asked when they were out of the guard's earshot.
”That the offices are not locked off or all that well guarded,” Kris said. ”Also, did you see that guard?”
”No body armor and I doubt if he's carrying more than a revolver or automatic.”
”Exactly. If he's what Inspector Johnson is counting on to handle a serious a.s.sault with the weapons we found in the warehouse, there's going to be lots of blood and guts on the floor but not an ounce of brain.”
Kris actually did make use of the ladies' room.
She was just coming out when Nelly said, ”Kris, you have a call coming in from Abby.”
”What's happening?” Kris said.
”Cara's gone.”
”Where'd she go?”
”That's the problem, we don't know. She got a call, which she took outside the Tac Center. When she came back in she said it was not from Bronc, but that she needed to go to the bathroom. That was fifteen minutes ago. She's not in the bathroom and she's nowhere in the emba.s.sy.”
”Have you tried to trace her phone?” Kris asked.
”Yep. She's got it throttled. Twelve and already breaking the law. I suspect it's the company she keeps.”
”She's got good teachers,” Kris said. ”Where do you think she headed?”
”I bet either her mom or grandmom told her to go home,” Abby said.
”Where she'll be safe?” Kris asked.
That brought a long pause. ”I wouldn't bet an Earth penny on that,” Abby said.
”You think Cara's included in the 'kill them all,' coverage,” Kris said, not really believing her own words.
”I'm thinking that tonight is supposed to be bigger than any of us can get our minds around.”
Kris let that hang in the air for a long moment. Apparently long enough for Abby to make up her mind.
”Kris, I'm headed down to Five Corners to pick up Cara.”
”Abby, I figured you to keep an eye on the place there, maybe lead some last desperate reaction team.”
”Gramma Ruth is doing a fine job of eyeballing this place. She's enjoying using her commander's commission.”
”What's your reserve commission?” Kris asked. The last thing she expected was an answer. But now that things were getting interesting and deadly, any sort of answer from Abby would be enlightening.
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