They had stuck most of MHI on the sixteenth floor. I was the last one off the elevator. The room I was sharing with Julie wasn’t too far down the hall. I said good night to the others and ran my key card through the machine. I was surprised that despite the very late hour, my room was packed with Hunters, most of whom laughed at me when I entered. A few of them took up a chant. “Rocky! Rocky!”

Julie was there with the others. Julie was dressed for business, not the armored, hair tucked under a helmet so it wouldn’t blow in front of her scope, prescription goggles, sniper-rifle-wielding outfit; but the other, conservative, yet attractive business look, hair down, normal glasses, hot-librarian look that she used for schmoozing with officials and bureaucrats. Both of her modes made MHI lots of money, but tonight only one of them had helped get me out of jail. My lovely wife folded her arms and clucked disapprovingly. “See? You always overdo it at the buffet and then regret it later.”

“Why’s everyone having a party in our room?”

She came over to inspect my face. “Not too bad. By your regular standards, you got off easy. I can barely tell you were in a fight at all. Usually you look like hamburger,” Julie said with a smirk, then gave me a kiss. “Earl rip you a new one yet?”

“Started to, but this one wasn’t my fault. Long story.” I raised my voice. “Aw, come on, guys. It isn’t funny.” My fellow combatants heard the commotion and followed me in from the hall. Now the suite was really packed. “Seriously, I’ve had a crappy night. Everybody beat it.”

“And miss the fight?” Julie took me by the hand and led me over to the TV. Someone’s laptop had been hooked to it. It was showing what was obviously a security-camera video from dinner. The video was right at the point where Lacoco and I hit the window; it shattered dramatically around us, and we plunged out of sight. The assembled Hunters had a great chuckle at my expense.

Holly was sitting on the couch and running the computer. “Hey, Z.”

“How’d you get out?”

“Escaped through the kitchen…Here, watch. We’ve seen this five times now. It never gets old.” She backed it up and started over. The file began at the point where Lacoco and I bumped into each other at the crab legs. “The look on your face when the big PT guy hits you with a tray is priceless.”

“What? He’s not—shit. How did you get—”