Free Countdown by Fern Michaels Page A

front of Maggie’s house. Maybe this time the relationship would take. At least he hoped so. Ted and Maggie were meant for each other, in his opinion. He looked around to see Cyrus lifting his leg on the lamppost. He whistled as he clicked the remote in his hand. It chirped, and his car door unlocked. Cyrus beat him to the car and hopped in the minute the door was open.
    Jack shivered in the early morning air as he scraped at the ice on the front and back windshields. He was so sick of snow and cold weather, he vowed once again to move to a warmer climate. Inside the car, he waited until the heater kicked in before he inched the car away from the curb.
    Jack stopped for a bagel and coffee and Cyrus’s early morning treat along with a bag of bagels for the guys, then made his way to the BOLO Building, where he tapped in the code to the new security gate. He was surprised to see that Harry, Abner, and Dennis were already inside. He was surprised because usually he was the first one there in the morning. Noticeably absent were Espinosa and Ted.
    “Okay, meeting, five minutes. Someone get Bert and Sparrow on the Web and let’s get this show on the road,” Jack barked.
    “What about Espinosa and Ted?” Dennis asked.
    Jack shrugged. He wasn’t about to gossip about Ted, and he knew Espinosa would show up sooner or later. “We can always fill them in later. Someone make coffee. I bought a bag of bagels for whoever wants one.” He tossed the bag to Dennis, who caught it in midair.
    The guys scattered, and Jack headed for the conference room.
    “Jack, did you forget the time difference? It’s four in the morning in Vegas. Are you sure you want me to roust the guys out of bed?” Abner asked.
    “No, no. I did forget. Guess we’ll fill them in later, too. Ah, I just heard the door, so that has to mean Espinosa is here.”
    Abner frowned. “What about Ted? You look kind of funny, Jack, do you know something you aren’t saying?”
    “You mean like my seeing the Post van at Maggie’s house when I got up this morning? Nah, I’m not saying anything about that.”
    Abner grinned, then burst out laughing as he booted up his laptop, flexed his fingers, and went to work as Jack started pulling out stacks of files and folders from his overstuffed briefcase and making neat piles on the big conference table. When he finished, he looked up to see Espinosa, coffee cup in one hand, bagel in the other, saunter into the room.
    “Where’s Ted, anyone seen him?” Espinosa asked as he chomped down on the bagel in his hand.
    Abner ignored him, and Jack shrugged. “I haven’t seen him.” Which was true—seeing the van wasn’t the same as seeing Ted in the flesh.
    “I’ve been calling him for the past hour and either he has his phone turned off, which he never does, or he lost it. I called him nine times and nine times it went to voice mail. I sent him four different texts. This is not like Ted. I’m starting to worry.”
    “Then why don’t you try Maggie’s house if you’re so worried?” Abner mumbled.
    Espinosa almost choked on the bagel he was chewing. “Why would I want to do a dumb thing like that?”
    “Maybe because that’s where he is,” Abner said slyly.
    Espinosa’s fingers flew over the keys like lightning. He sat back and waited. “I’m not getting a response,” he groaned.
    “And this surprises you?” Abner cackled. “Try this: They are together. If he doesn’t respond, and she doesn’t respond, what do you think that means?” Abner didn’t bother to wait for Espinosa’s response and answered the question himself. “It means they are together and probably doing something that’s none of our business.”
    Dennis took that moment to walk into the conference room, carrying a tray with coffee cups and a cup of tea for Harry and a plate of bagels. “What did I miss?”
    “Ted and Maggie are shacked up,” Harry said through clenched teeth. “How long did you let the tea steep?”
    “Four minutes