His nostrils flared. "Ah..." An eyebrow twitched. "No, no they didn't."

Dar almost felt sorry for him. "How does it feel to be used?" She reached down and offered Kerry her hand. "Tell you what, Quest. We'll enter your bid. Send me the papers first thing tomorrow morning."

"You will?" He took a step back, watching her warily.

"Yeah." Dar pulled her partner up out of the pool. "And you can tell your source they're lame ass losers."

Quest stood and watched them walk away, his jaw hanging slightly.

"WHAT THE HELL was that?" Kerry threw her towel around her shoulders, lengthening her strides to keep up with Dar's rapid walk. "Hello? Dar?" She snagged her partner by the back of the suit. "Dar!"

Dar slowed, but didn't stop. "Yeah?"

"If I have to put up with you making me look like an idiot, I'd at least like to know why."

Now Dar stopped. She sidestepped into a smaller alcove off the path, which had a sturdy bench in it. "Sit." She took a seat herself, and waited for Kerry to follow suit. "I wasn't trying to make you look like an idiot."

Kerry leaned on her knees. "I know that. I didn't think you did it on purpose, you just reacted to something and I can't figure out what it was or what the hell's going on here."

Dar looked at her. "Didn't you hear him? Didn't you hear him say he'd been told you were looking to stab me in the back?"

"Dar, we've heard that before. Don't you remember?" Kerry put a hand on Dar's knee, seeing the upset in her posture. "I didn't pay any attention... I'm used to people thinking all sorts of things about our relationship."

"I know" Dar sighed, leaning back and stretching her arms out over the back of the bench. "But didn't you find it really coincidental that this guy comes here...to this show... and gets that kind of stuff? You think it came from our people?"

"No."

"Neither do I." Dar bit the words off precisely. "But I'd be willing to bet I know where he got it from."

Kerry slowly let out a breath. "Okay." She also leaned back, feeling first the chill of the water droplets, then the warmth of Dar's skin touch her shoulders. "So...you're thinking it was deliberate? Or...what are you thinking, Dar?"

Dar remained silent, gazing morosely at the green hedge separating them from the path.

Kerry waited patiently, wiping her arms off with her towel. The crickets sounded loud around her, and she jerked her foot as an ant tried to use her as a highway.

"It's something Shari would have said to him."

"Ah."

"That's exactly how she thinks." Dar went on. "That everyone has an angle. Wants something."

"I don't get it." Kerry shook her head slightly. "Yeah, she seems like the kind of person who would say that, but damn it, Dar...what's the point? What's she trying to do?"

"Break us up."

Kerry sneezed.

"My mother always said you sneeze on the truth," Dar remarked wryly.

Kerry turned and faced her, leaning her elbow over Dar's arm. "Are you really serious? You think that's what she was trying to do? Or...I mean, if they're bidding, it makes no sense at all to provoke you...us...into participating."

"No."

Kerry sneezed again. "Pooters." She wiped her face with the towel. "All that chlorine got up my nose." She sighed. "Dar, what the heck's going on then? Let's say you're right. Let's say her motive was trying to break us up. What does that get her?"

Dar studied Kerry's face, watching the sunlight pick up amber glints in the depths of her eyes. "The satisfaction of hurting me?"

Kerry's blond brows lifted. "You really think that's what she's after?"

"I really think so," Dar replied. "That's why I told him we'd do the bid. It's not that I want it...hell, it's not really even big enough for us to bother with. I just don't want her to get it, and I'm personally willing to make sure that's not going to happen."

Kerry nibbled the inside of her lip. "Hm."

"So. I'm sorry I overrode you." Dar went on. "It was a snap decision. Probably not a good one. Definitely based on something other than business."

"So, what you're saying is that Shari did something to get at you, that goes against her business interests, right? Or...Dar, what if they were trying to force us into the bid--like a showdown."

Dar thought about that for a minute. "Shit, I don't know." She exhaled. "I think she'll do anything to make us look bad, that's true, but I also think she's out to get me. To get us."

"Well." Kerry leaned against her. "Then she's lost already because I'm sure not going to let anything like that happen." She put her arm around Dar's back. "Don't stress it, Dar."

"Sorry I got us into this." Dar rested her elbows on her knees.

"Heh." Kerry chuckled softly. "Well, poop, Dar...I was saying no because I didn't think you wanted anything to do with going up against them. I thought we were going to leave them alone. But if you want to go up in their faces, I'm there with you." She rubbed Dar's shoulder. "My ego will live."

Dar's eyes dropped.

"Of course, we could actually send a bid analysis team, like we would for any other prospective client." Kerry reminded her. "I have people that do that sort of thing, you know."

"I know."

Kerry reached up with a corner of her towel and wiped away the sweat forming on Dar's temple. "That's probably what they're going to do. I don't think Michelle's a qualified engineer, and you said yourself Shari was in marketing."

"True," Dar admitted. "But it's not that way for us." She tilted her head, one brow arching. "We can do this."

"Sure."

"I want to do it." A shrug. "It's new, it's different...I've never been inside that industry before." Dar considered thoughtfully. "I like ships." She pushed a bit of sodden blond hair back off Kerry's forehead. "Maybe you were right. I'm restless. But you don't have to get involved--you've got a lot on your plate back here."

Kerry caught her hand and kissed her fingers. "Where you go, I go," she replied simply.

"Poetic, but you know what I mean." Dar smiled anyway.

"It's development of new business, and implementation of new technologies," Kerry answered blithely. "Both are my job. In fact, it's actually my prerogative to assign an engineer to the project, you know."

"That's true, it is." Dar hauled herself to her feet. "How about we negotiate my services over a corn muffin? I'm hungry."

Kerry got up and followed as Dar started out back onto the path. She caught up and bumped her taller partner's shoulder as they strolled along together. "Hm...can I afford you?" She wondered facetiously. "Maybe I should assign a junior engineer."

"And why would you want anything but the best?" Dar inquired. "I work for Oreos and milk. Can't get much cheaper than that."

"Heh. True." Kerry studied the smooth rock surface they were walking on. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Dar headed for the small café. "Sure."

"Sometimes I'm a little restless too." Kerry nudged Dar to a plastic covered seat, heading herself toward the counter. "My treat, cookie monster. You stay here."

Dar settled into the chair and looped her damp towel around her neck, content to merely watch Kerry as she stepped up to the counter and placed their order. After a moment, she smiled, propping her head up on one fist. "Where I go you go, huh?" she uttered softly. "Y'know, I like the sound of that."

Kerry turned, leaning on the counter as she waited. Her eyes met Dar's, and she grinned.

Dar grinned back.

Today, she decided, she wouldn't wait to see what fate had in store for them. They wanted a show?

She'd give 'em one.



Chapter Six



KERRY HOPPED UP onto the platform of their booth, waving a greeting to the techs working busily at the consoles. "Morning, guys."

"Hey, Kerry." Mark looked up, then got up and walked over. "Listen, I think the marketing geeks screwed up again. I saw her name listed on another one of those presentations."

"I know." Kerry nodded. "It's okay. I put her on it. Matter of fact, I'm on one too. Anything going on?"

Mark shook his head. "Nope...well, you guys were starring big time on Tech TV, that's all. That's who the cameras were on yesterday. I think they're back." He pointed over her shoulder. "They kept looping that whole thing with Big D holding off the masses at the booth entrance."

"Ah." Kerry put her hands on her hips and regarded the oncoming news crew. "Well, let's see how much good press we can get today." A wry look crossed her face. "Jesus, I never in my life thought I'd hear myself say that."

Kerry started forward, making eye contact with the reporter in the lead. The man grinned, appreciating the attention, and made a beeline for her. "Here we go," she muttered under her breath. "You are the Midwestern Republican WASP face of ILS, Kerrison...now let's let them get a look at the radical gay biker chick considering a tattoo under all of it."

"Hey!" the reporter hailed her. "Can we get a quick interview with you, Ms. Stuart?"

"Absolutely." Green eyes twinkled. "Long as you don't ask me for my hacker card. I left it in my gym bag."

The reporter laughed. So did the crew. Out of the corner of her eye, Kerry spotted Michelle strolling in her direction, and she perched on the edge of the booth, the ILS logo right behind her shoulder giving a great shot to the cameramen.

"Got anything new for us?" the reporter asked first. "ILS doesn't usually come across as razor's edge, but I thought we got a different view yesterday. Want to follow up on that?"

Kerry smiled, crossing her arms. "Yes, I do," she replied. "Let me tell you what we've got planned, but you better duct tape your socks."

A crowd had gathered to listen in, and she saw Michelle on the edge of it, pretending to study a brochure from a nearby booth. "We've gotten a lot of press lately for what everyone thinks is a negative reason," Kerry said. "Let me tell you what the real story is."

Michelle turned and stared, looking her right in the eye.

Kerry's smile broadened, and her gaze turned sea ice cold. You want a fight? You got one.

DAR PROWLED THROUGH the exhibits, aware of and enjoying the attention being directed at her. After the aborted session the previous day, and her grandstanding at their booth, there weren't many in the room who didn't know who she was.

She intended to make sure that number was zero before she left. As she peered critically at a new firewall product, however, her cell phone went off. She pulled it out and glanced at it, recognizing the number immediately. "Sheesh. About time."

Walking over to a small alcove, she answered it. "Morning, Alastair."

"Holy crap, Dar!"

Dar smiled. "I love starting the day out having made you say that," she announced cheerfully. "Better than a cup of café con leche."

Her boss sighed audibly. "I didn't expect to start my morning by seeing you on MSNBC, as the technology headline."

"Was I?" Dar mused. "Didn't even see them there. I thought AP and UPI were giving us a skip this year because technology is 'out'." She glanced casually around, spotting one of their biggest competitors cornering two ILS clients.

"Well, Dar, when you go and announce we hire hackers, and dare anyone to try and hack our network to prove we only hire the best ones..." Alastair replied, in a dry tone. "It's a sound bite no one could resist."

"Got us attention."

The ILS CEO sighed again. "The only thing that offset the 'attention' was the way you handled it. The camera is fascinated by you." He cleared his throat. "With good reason. Nice suit, too."

"Uh huh." Dar leaned against the woven weave wall, feeling it's faint prickliness through the cloth of her jacket. "So let me guess. The board is freaking."

"Surprisingly, no," Alastair answered. "Actually, they asked me to give you a call and say how pleased they were."

Dar pulled the phone away from her ear and studied it with a deeply quizzical expression. Then she knocked it against the wall, making a sharp rapping sound.

"Dar?" Her boss's voice came to her tinnily. "Dar? What's going on?"

"Sorry. I think we've got a crossed line," she replied. "I know I didn't just hear that."

Alastair chuckled. "Well, you know, it surprised me too," he admitted. "But John said he'd gotten a lot of flak lately about how stodgy we are...well, most of us, anyway. He thought this was a damn good boot in the short pants for all those pundits who thought we were mummies in three piece suits."