Aguila took a quick measure of the room. Said, “Once, I would have done just that. Ordered this place evacuated. Shot Gabarron for mutiny and stuck the rest of you in the most menial jobs I could find for the rest of your contracts.” She paused to let the import of her words sink in. “I’m not the same person I was back in those early days. Since then, Donovan has provided me with a macabre sense of humor. I’ll give you my final decision in the morning.”

So saying, she turned on her heel, boots rapping on the sialon as she strode from the room.

Michaela felt her guts turn to sand, sank into the chair, and closed her eyes. What the hell had just happened? How had this day gone so wrong?

When she finally looked up, it was to see her people talking, looking nervous as they stood in clusters, many laying reassuring hands on Bill Martin and Dik Dharman. Sharing their sympathy.

Gabarron had a self-satisfied smile on her face—as if she’d just achieved some remarkable victory.

Where they were scattered around the room, the children were still watching with that unnerving and blank-eyed stare.

Aguila can close us down. What the hell am I going to do?

34

Kalico awakened to a stiff pounding on her door. Dragging herself from a troubled sleep, she threw back the covers, calling, “I’m coming.”

Memory of last night returned, and with it the fact that she’d just been present at a mutiny. The Maritime Unit had tossed her out. They hadn’t quite gone as far as the Donovanians at Port Authority after they’d killed Clemenceau, but this was just a step short of that.

Or is it? Kalico wondered as she pulled on her coveralls and secured the utility belt at her waist. She pulled her hair back, pinned it, and loosened her pistol in its holster. Stepping to the door, she flicked on the camera, and to her relief, found only Michaela Hailwood on the other side. Not an armed mob with assassination on their minds.

Kalico opened the door, greeting, “Director. I’m hoping that cooler heads have reassessed the situation and retracted that bit of theater we witnessed.”

Michaela’s face reflected anything but relief. “Dik couldn’t sleep. Checked the radio. Corporate Mine is calling. Desch Ituri is desperate to talk to you. There’s been a cave-in the Number Three. People are missing, and they’ve evacuated the mine shaft. Ituri says it’s bad.”

Kalico’s stomach sank. “People missing? Who?”

“I don’t know. Ituri just told Dik that he needed to—”

“Get the seatruck ready. I mean now! Tell your good friend Dik to tell Desch I’m on the way. And he needs to tell Makarov to have my A-7 at the beach pad, waiting, when I get there.”