by Melissa Good
"Not from him." Michelle moved a step closer. "From the rest of the industry. We both know who's watching."
Ah. Kerry backed up a few paces and took hold of the door handle pulling it open as the first of the caterers carts clattered up the cement incline. She half turned to look back at Michelle. "You're serious?"
Encouraged, Michelle moved closer to her, giving the carts a brief look. "Serious as a heart attack. You've proven yourselves. You're a tough adversary, everyone knows it, hell they have it on film. And for the record, I did check that shipment and it did get delivered here by a clueless trucker. So thank you."
"Careful." Kerry cautioned a rushing caterer. "Back there, that's right. Out that door." She indicated the back of the terminal.
"What do you say, Kerry?" Michelle asked.
"Whoops." Kerry put a hand out and steadied one of the women, who gave her a brief nod of thanks. "Let me talk to Dar." She finally responded to Michelle. "I'll tell her what you said, and see what she thinks."
"Can't make up your own mind?" Michelle almost laughed. "Funny, I didn't have you pegged as a bottom."
Kerry's brow creased momentarily. "Dar's my boss," she said. "It's her decision, Michelle. You do realize a Chief Information Officer does outrank a VP, right?"
Michelle just shook her head.
"Anyway, I've got things to do, so I'll have to bid you a good night." Kerry prepared to follow the cavalcade of catering. "Enjoy your night off."
Michelle reached for the door. "What's with all the food?" She asked, since Kerry seemed to be genially ignoring her jibes.
"Dar's hungry." Kerry shrugged and smiled. "Gotta go." She pulled the door shut and locked it, then waggled her fingers at Michelle before she turned and headed for the back door.
Well, she would talk to Dar, and she would tell her what Michelle said. And then, probably, they both would get a good laugh out of it and maybe share a beer.
Okay, maybe not share one. Kerry liked her beer, and if she wasn't mistaken, the last big cart they'd taken through had a distinctive tinkle of bottles in it. She quickly checked their office and found it empty. She locked the door and went to the back where she could now see dock workers preparing to let the ship loose from its moorings. "Uh oh, not without me you don't."
She shoved the back door open and headed for the gangway. At the top of it she saw the last of the catering carts vanishing, and behind them, she spotted Andrew directing traffic.
Just as she was scooting across the pier, she heard a rattle of the fence behind her. Turning, she spotted Ceci on the other side of the locked gate. "Hey!"
"Let me in there!" her mother in law yelled.
Kerry veered, and got to the gate as she spotted two big security men heading their way. She quickly threw the latch and opened it, letting Ceci in as the men started to yell. "Oh oh."
"Oh, please. I've seen more dangerous things than those guards swimming by the boat in the morning." Ceci replied with a touch of testiness. "What is this crazy nonsense about all of you going out on that thing?"'
Kerry took her arm and headed toward the ship. "Can we argue about this onboard? I don't want to tangle with those guys no matter how not dangerous they look."
"Hey! You there! Stop!" The guards broke into a run. "Hold it!"
Kerry broke into a run too, with Ceci right behind her. It was a fairly long stretch of pavement, but they had a shorter distance than the guards and a better angle to the ship.
"Just how I wanted my evening to start." Ceci yelled.
Kerry sucked in a lungful of humid air and just ran faster. She could hear the pounding steps of the guards closing in on them, and she pulled Ceci up by the arm and pushed her ahead toward the ship. "Go go!"
They reached the gangway and bolted up it as Andrew stepped to the edge of the opening and peered out. "What's all that there noise?"
"Us." Kerry scrambled past him, hauling Ceci with her. "The damn punky fake police are after us."
"Hey!" The guard nearest the ship yelled. "Stop!" He pointed at them. "That's an illegal intruder! Stop!" He skidded to a halt as Andrew unclipped the gangway and it swayed. "Hey! Put that back! Hold it! I'm warning you!"
"S'all right, relax!" Andrew uncoiled a rope tied off to the gangway and hooked it securely to a crane hoist dangling nearby. He put his fingers between his teeth and let out a sharp whistle, and after that no one could hear anything because the crane started up and began to hoist the gangway off and away from the ship's side.
"Hey!" The guard mimed, waving his arms. "Stop! Stop! I'll call the police!!"
Andrew waved amiably back at him, then stepped back and cleared the opening. "All right, young fellers. G'wan and close this here." He indicated the hatch.
Ceci backed up against the wall, and Kerry joined her, to stay out of the way. "You know something?"
"What?" Kerry asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Her heart was racing, and she felt a little shaky from the unexpected chase, even though she didn't really think the guards were any physical danger to them.
"I've never seen this from this side."
The crewmen unsurprisingly obeyed Andrew, working the various wheels and levers as a counterbalanced steel door slowly moved down and slammed into place with a grinding shudder.
Kerry felt her ears pop, just a little. Now that the outside was closed off, she could smell the scent of diesel and oil much more strongly, and as she watched the crewman mutter something into an aged phone set, she felt the rumble of the engines as they engaged. "So, what do you think?"
"Hate it." Ceci went over to Andrew and put a hand on his arm. "Hey sailor boy."
Kerry's nose wrinkled and she wiped off her forehead again. "Yeah, me too." She sighed. "I'm going to go find Dar." She viewed the milling caterers. "I think...wait." She turned and found one of the crewmen edging past. "Excuse me."
The man looked at her warily. "Yes?"
"This stuff's all for the crew. Where can they put it? Is there a kitchen near the main dining room so, uh..." Kerry watched bemusedly as they were instantly surrounded by crew. "So they can keep it warm for you?"
"For us?" The man asked. "You're kidding, right?"
The crewmembers started peeking into the trays on the cart, whispering to each other in muted excitement.
"Uh, no." Kerry shook her head. "So, is there a place?"
"Sure," the man said. "C'mon, we'll take them to the elevator." He motioned for the caterers to follow him. "Taki, taki, let's go."
"Elevator?" Kerry queried. "They told us it wasn't working."
"Not for anyone but crew." The man cheerfully explained. "Sorry!" He started off leading the carts with many willing assistants. "Hey, is that alcohol?" He rattled the biggest cabinet. "All right!"
Kerry put her hands on her hips, then looked over at Andrew. The big ex-seal shrugged and half grinned at her. "You know something, that's not very goddamned funny," she said. "I had people lifting hundred pound switches up those stairs."
Andrew blinked at her in some mild surprise. The crewman also turned and looked at her.
"I," Kerry pointed at her chest, "paid for all that. So you can take your crew only rules and stuff it up your butt, buddy." She pointed at the crewman, whose eyes widened. "You better rethink that attitude right now!"
"Hey! Hey, relax, okay? It's not my rule!" The crewman stammered, backing off. "You can come on the elevator, okay? Take it easy."
Kerry glared at him, then caught motion in her side vision and turned to see Dar rambling down the last few steps in the stairwell. "Hey."
Dar walked right through the crowd, expecting it to part. It did. "What's going on?" She asked, giving everyone a dirty look. "Did all the food get here?"
One of the caterers came up to her. "Yes, ma'am," the man said, handing her a list. "It wasn't easy, Ms. Roberts."
"Or cheap." Dar reviewed the bill, then handed it to Kerry. "Why were you yelling?"
"Did you know there was an elevator?" Kerry asked. "A work
ing one?"
"No." Dar looked at the nearest crewman. "Is there?"
The man nodded.
"Then get this stuff upstairs." Dar directed. "And let our people all know where it is so they can get the rest of your new computer gear in place."
The man nodded again.
"Scoot." Kerry nudged him. They watched the crowd start to sort out, and the now chastened crewman directed the carts toward a double set of doors at the end of the cargo hold. "Jesus."
Andrew cleared his throat. "Ah do not think they meant to be bad fellers."
"Oh, bull hockey, Andy. They certainly did. I know you seamen. If you don't have twenty voyages under you you're not worth a navy bean." Ceci snorted. "Please!"
Andrew managed a relatively sheepish look.
"You okay?" Dar took the opportunity to attend to more important matters. "Got our space squared away. Want to go see it?" She gave her parents a look. "They've got a room for you guys too."
"Bigger than a twenty four inch rack?" Ceci asked drolly. "Oh, be still my beating heart. I thought we'd camp out on the fantail." She indicated the stairwell. "Let's go watch this thing try to get out of the channel. That could be as entertaining as seeing Jerry Springer in Judge Judy's court."
Kerry squared her shoulders and let the tension flow out of her as she followed Dar toward the door. There would be time later, she hoped, when she could sit down and talk to her partner about what Michelle had said. For now, just the thought of changing her clothes, and relaxing for a little while was very appealing.
"You okay?" Dar asked again, lowering her voice.
Kerry exhaled. "Yeah." She put a hand on Dar's back. "I think I just need a protein bar."
"How about a roast beef sandwich?"
"That'll do." Kerry felt Dar's arm settle over her shoulders, bringing a very welcome comfort despite the humid air. "Matter of fact, yeah, let's go up on the deck. I want to wave."
"At the port?" Dar asked, puzzled.
Kerry merely chuckled, and kept on climbing.
The central atrium was a bit of a mess. Dar and Kerry stopped as they got through the stairway door, watching as their entire group was scrambling around trying to get the computer equipment in some kind of distribution order.
Everyone was sweating. The air inside had started to move around sluggishly, and by the strong scent of musky, musty mildew, Kerry deduced that the long absent air conditioning had been turned on. It wasn't helping much, however.
Mark spotted them and came over, his polo shirt grimy with sweat and dust. "Wow. Just made it, huh? I saw you run on with the chow." He grinned wearily at Kerry.
"You know me and chow." Kerry acknowledged with a droll grin of her own. "Everyone okay?"
"Wiped, but okay," Mark said. "We're gonna get this stuff sorted out, then everyone's gonna take a break and die for a half hour or something. John dragged his dad's cooler on with the gear." He pointed. "It's got ice and drinks in it."
"Good idea." Dar complimented him. "I ordered food for either five hundred normal people or two hundred fifty sailors and us," she said. "They're taking it to one of the big dining rooms. Let's get set up, let everyone relax and maybe go take a shower, then get dinner."
Mark nodded.
"Everyone should get a room." Kerry chimed in.
"Except you and me. We're sharing." Dar reminded her.
"Shucks." Kerry gave her a kindly 'duh' look, then returned her attention to Mark. "Let everyone chill out and get food. We can plan to start up again after that."
"Right." Mark plucked his filthy shirt. "So much for that light blue collar reputation IT has." He remarked.
"Wasn't what they advertised in my school either." Kerry took Dar's hand and they circled the atrium, exiting out the doors onto the deck outside. A breeze caught them, welcome even with its humidity, as they walked over to the railing and stood there, side by side, watching the pier recede.
The sun was setting. This far from the highway, there was no sense of the hectic scramble to get home that would be going on in the city, and over the engines they could hear the call of sea birds coaxing them out, away from the land, out to the sea.
Kerry looked down the pier to where Michelle and Shari's ship was also moving out preparing to follow them down the channel. There was a large cluster of people on the pier, and she wondered if the guards that chased them were part of it.
Would they get in trouble for letting Ceci on? Kerry figured they wouldn't get in any more trouble than they would for staying aboard with the rest of their staff anyway. "It's going to be a nice sunset."
"Yeah." Dar leaned on the railing after cautiously shaking it to test its strength. "Ah. There are our little friends." She mused. "Shari and Michelle. Left at the dock as usual."
Kerry peered down at the pavement. "Wave at them, honey." She lifted a hand and waggled it.
Dar gave her a look, but complied. "Why?"
Kerry watched intently, and smiled as she saw Michelle point at them, grabbing hold of Shari's arm and turning her toward the ship. "Hi there, you two little piles of horse manure." She crooned. "Hasta la vista, cucarachas."
Dar snickered. "Don't hold back Ker. It'll give you a hemorrhoid."
Shari pulled free and ran toward the ship, pointing and turning around to yell at the group behind her. This far away, all they could see was the motion, and the frustration in the woman's gestures.
Dar stood up to make sure she was recognizable. She lifted her arm and waved cheerily at them again, then let her elbow rest on Kerry's shoulder. "I think they're a little perturbed, Ker."
Shari turned and found Quest in the crowd. She pointed at him, yelled something, then turned and pointed at Dar's ship.
Quest made a hand gesture then he turned his back to Shari and started toward the gates of the pier, where a group of people had gathered.
"I think they're pooping stalactites, honey," Kerry responded. "Michelle just tried to get us to give up the bid and help them win it instead."
"What?"
The film crew pushed out of the crowd and rushed up to Michelle and Shari with Cruickshank in the lead. Shari turned around and shoved her away then she picked up a piece of pier iron and threw it at the retreating ship.
"Mm hm." Kerry leaned on the railing, almost smiling when she felt Dar's hand immediately settle on her back, her thumb snagging the back belt loop of her jeans to keep her steady. "She figures we can't win, so why not help them, and they'd toss us a few bones afterward."
Dar made a snorting noise.
"I told her I'd talk to you and see what you said." Kerry continued. "She accused me of being a bottom."
Dar started laughing, ending up sliding down the railing to sit on the deck holding her hands over her stomach as she continued to crackup. "Bwahahaha!"
"Dar, get up." Kerry tugged at her sleeve, muffling a laugh herself. "Oh, hurry. I think--look!"
Dar grabbed the railing and pulled herself up, turning around to peer at the port. She could see Shari now facing off against Michelle pointing at her with vicious, sharp motions, the redness of her face visible even from where she was standing.
"Wonder what that's about?" Kerry leaned on the rail next to her, shoulders touching.
Dar merely watched. "Think her head's going to explode?" She asked.
"Oh, I hope so." Kerry replied. "Did you know they're not sure when they're going to let the ships back into the port?"
"Really?" Dar said. "No, I hadn't heard that. Thought they were just coming in. Oh, wait. They couldn't." She changed thoughts. "EPA wouldn't work at night. They need time in the morning."
"Yeah."
"So, we scooped all of them." Dar laughed. "Son of a bitch. All I wanted was to catch up. We could end up ahead of the game."
"Yep." Kerry leaned her head against Dar's shoulder. "Oh, look!" She pointed.
Dar craned her neck, where the crowd of people around Shari suddenly convulsed, and chaos ensued. "Think her head exploded." She observed. "Eithe
r that, or she started hauling off on those guards. Or Michelle."
"Mm. Good. That'll make them forget about us." Kerry said. "Guess I owe her a thank you."
"Don't stretch it." Dar warned. "She's probably telling them we're terrorists."
Kerry snorted softly. "Wouldn't it be something if she went off on Michelle? Sometimes I think...you know, I think she projects onto you all the crappy stuff inside herself, Dar."
Dar fell silent, her eyes turning from the pier to her partner's profile.
"People do that, you know." Kerry added quietly.
There was another long moment of silence, and then Dar shifted, leaning over and giving Kerry a kiss on the cheek. "Yes they do, don't they."
"Yep." Kerry agreed. "C'mon. Show me our barracks for the night." She linked her arm with Dar's, but they both stood there watching the dock recede and the chaos with it. "We don't get to do this on our boat." She observed, steering the conversation downstream a little.
"No. I have to steer and that requires looking forward." Dar agreed. "I'd love to watch the sunset with you while we go out, but crashing into a billion bucks worth of motor yachts would just ruin my day."
"Mmm, true. But it's kind of nice." Kerry smiled. "The view, I mean."
Dar drank in the reddening sunlight, watching the glow outline the buildings on the horizon. "Kinda."
Kerry looked down at the churning water, now a somewhat frightening pea soup color from the engines wash. "Ew." She looked at the pier, spotting a group of men in identical dark windbreakers heading for the breakfront, along with some people in regular clothes carrying what looked like equipment. "That the government people?"
"I think so."
"Did mom really call them?" Kerry asked.
"Uh huh." Dar turned and gestured to the door. "We can probably watch the rest of the sunset from our cabin."
"We have a window?" Kerry was surprised. "I mean a porthole?"
Dar grinned. "C'mon."
"Cool." Kerry obediently followed her inside, and across the atrium to the stairwell. "I'm still pissed off about those elevators."
"I know. C'mon." Dar started up the steps. "Look at it this way; at least we get a workout from it."
