Free The Peace Proxy: Part 1 by Cyril Adams Page B

to go
see how he’s doing. Will you go with me?”
    A low tone from Garrett’s earpiece indicated
he had an incoming call. Garrett checked the image on his comband.
It was Charlie.
    “It’s Charlie. Katherine, let me get
this.”
    Katherine did not attempt to mask her
irritation at the interruption.
    “It’ll just take a second,” Garrett
explained.
    “Fine,” she turned to her bisque, spooning
the liquid defiantly.
    Content with the image on the comband,
Garrett did not bother to expand the video. “What is it, Charlie,”
he inquired, not pleased with the conflict.
    “Can you come back to the office after
lunch? I have something for you.” Charlie’s reply was chipper,
excited. Garrett knew it meant the skeptic had been
silenced . Charlie must have found the connection between
Talbot and the information Mike was pedaling.
    “I’ll have to get back to you. I’m in the
middle of something.”
    “Don’t dally. It’s important.”
    “Okay,” Garrett replied. He looked up to
find Katherine staring at him. He had never realized how cold those
alluring eyes could seem with the proper motivation. Despite her
apparent anger, she looked quite pretty actually, with her face generating a rosy flush that was increasing
by the moment. He could tell from her calculating expression that
the conversation was going to take a turn. Katherine did not do
scared well, but angry, she could set a dragon into a whimper. He
wondered briefly if the tablecloth was fireproof.
    “Charlie, huh?”
    “Yes,” Garrett replied flatly. The edge in
her voice confirmed the time for comfort was over.
    “You went into the office this morning,
didn’t you?” She had taken on a vicious tone. Displacing fear with anger was always an agreeable exchange. Anger put the wielder
in control, which was generally preferred , but anger demands an object on which to focus, or it cools. Garrett was fairly certain
he was about to become that object.
    “On Sunday?” Katherine’s wrath was about to be unleashed . “You went to work on a
Sunday?”
    “Yes, I have a job as well,” Garrett
answered, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. He knew
any hint of confrontation would just encourage conflict.
    “You only go in on Sunday if you’re working
on a story. Were you investigating the security breach at my
office?”
    “No, stop being irrational,” Garrett chided.
He winced knowing his criticism would only hone her attack.
    “We agreed when we started dating neither of
us would use the other’s professional position as an advantage.
Didn’t we, Garrett?” The barrage was almost a physical affront.
“You can’t stop being a reporter for a second, can you?”
    “Come on Katherine, you know me better than
that,” Garrett pleaded.
    “I thought I did.” She stood to leave.
Garrett considered trying to reason with her, but logic intervened,
recognizing futility when it presented itself in a fashion so
inherently obvious to the casual observer.
    “Well, that’s it then?” She asked rhetorically as she walked away. Garrett sat
silently for a few moments, considering what “ Well, that’s it
then? ” was supposed to mean. Although he had previously
considered their relationship was coming to a crossroads where some
serious decisions about their future would have to be
made , he did not think this was that time. Katherine had
been too emotional to stubbornly stand behind
a breakup at this point. He would talk to her when she was more
willing to listen. He looked at his bisque. On
any other day, he could not resist the delectable concoction, but
his appetite had left him. He called Charlie and told him he would
be back in an hour.
     
    When Garrett returned, Charlie was in his
office, still surrounded by holographs. “What have you got?”
Garrett inquired as he entered. Charlie registered Garrett’s lack
of enthusiasm.
    “Tough lunch?”
    Garrett told him about Katherine’s morning.
Charlie was as surprised by the ordeal as