the young Focus’s troubles, but I can’t catch everything. I do thank you for letting me know about this one. I’ll follow up and get you the full information immediately.” Tonya had hoped to protect Claudia, but that was a lost cause now, and Tonya needed to cut her losses. Everything she found out about Claudia would go straight to Suzie after this.
“You should have known this,” Suzie said.
“Yes. That’s my mistake.”
Suzie looked Tonya up and down. “You’re capable of doing better. Do you think my orders are no longer a priority?”
Damn, Tonya didn’t let herself say. There were far too many ways that Suzie could make Tonya and her household pay for screwing up. Sweat began to pool on Tonya’s lower back.
“No, no, not at all. Let me get the information on Claudia for you, and I’ll certainly put more effort into making sure I don’t miss anything.” She would need to feed Suzie something juicy soon, perhaps the Focus up in Maine and her smuggling tricks.
“I would hate to think you’re not giving me your best effort.”
“So would I. I always try to do my best for you and for all the first Focuses.”
Suzie patted the tall stack of manila folders. “Then why do I have an entire stack of folders like Claudia’s?”
Tonya paled. The stack loomed, over a dozen high. By numbers, the stack covered more than a third of the young Focuses Tonya withheld information on. A dozen young Focuses who would now find themselves under the thumb of the first Focuses. Someone had betrayed the Focuses. More immediately, someone had betrayed Tonya.
She was dead.
Suzie smiled. “This information came from a group of someones who say ‘they watch’. Them. I think you’ve made some unfortunate enemies, Tonya.”
The Crows. Again! “Fortunately for you,” Suzie continued, “I despise their scheming guts and I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of taking you down.” Suzie smiled, and Tonya’s skin crawled. “Your Cause is looking an awful lot like a lost cause, though, when you can’t even keep your allies from pointing out your mistakes.”
Tonya nodded and answered with real anger. “I see your point about those watchers.” Damn Haggerty and the thrice-damned Eskimo Spear! Things had worked so much better when the Cause had been able to work in secret.
“In any case,” Suzie said, “I’m going to levy a fine of a thousand dollars per folder. Fourteen thousand dollars, and I expect to see the cash within a week. I’ve made you a copy of each folder, and I expect you to follow up on each one and report exactly what’s going on.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate your forbearance. I’ll get started on this immediately.” Fourteen thousand dollars was a lot of money, but Tonya’s household was in good financial shape these days.
“ I’m not done yet ,” Suzie said, in a voice like ice, and Tonya froze. “When you work for me, I expect you to give me your best effort. You seem to have forgotten what working for me means.”
Tonya opened her mouth to give some false and reassuring response. After looking at Suzie’s cold face, she decided not to.
“Come with me,” Suzie said. She led Tonya and Delia down the narrow trailer hallway, while Tonya’s stomach did flip-flops. She couldn’t help remembering the time when the Commander told the entire Focus Council what she thought of the Focuses’ betrayal during the Clearing of Chicago. Suzie had held Tonya responsible for the Commander’s words. That was the time Suzie tossed Tonya into the pit. She still had nightmares about those few hours.
Suzie opened the door to a small bedroom and led Tonya and Delia in. The smell of the room was foul and odd dark spots spattered the walls. A man lay tied to the bed. He was an ordinary-looking man, in his forties, and he gave his Focus a passionless gaze.
“Hello, John,” Suzie