Free The Alberta Connection by R. Clint Peters

some notes on the names that John,
Marge, and Doug have suggested we take a good look at. These
folders are on Marge’s recommended list. I want you to look at them
and give me your impression. I am looking at five recommendations
from John. I will be in my office.”
    Ryce turned and walked back to his office. As
he picked up a folder, he did a quick tabulation. At this rate,
just checking the applications would take four hours.
    Tanya returned to Ryce’s office at 9:15 AM
with her pile of folders. “I put a yellow sticky note on the two I
like.”
    Ryce smiled and handed her the next set of
five folders.
    The last interview was finished late
Wednesday. Eighteen applicants had passed. One of those who was
asked to join the JBTF-US was Lynette, one of Mark’s assistants.
She had made it clear to Ryce it was time to move on. She had
learned everything she could from Mark.
    During the family dinner, Marge asked if
Lynette had passed the interview. Everyone at the table turned to
look at Ryce. Ryce chuckled.
    “Yes, she did.”
    John laughed. “That is going to put a kink in
Mark’s production. I think his two assistants are doing three times
as much work as he.”
    The first project on Thursday morning was to
assign the new team members to work groups. Tanya was given six
members for her group. Because Marge, John, Doug, and Mark had
recommended Lynette, she was given a team to lead with five agents.
Ryce took the remaining six agents. Each group was given an office
suite and one of the three occupants of the cabin as a research
assignment.
    As soon as Ryce handed out the assignments,
he started toward his office, followed by Tanya.
    “OK, how are we going to do the research with
eighteen people but only four spare laptops? And I thought we
couldn’t find anything on the three at the cabin.
    Ryce smiled. “Doug told me to give him a call
with the number we have hired. We did not find anything, but maybe
they can. It took me all day to get through three state driver’s
license databases. We have eighteen people. That is less than three
states per agent. I have already gone through Alabama, Alaska, and
Arizona. Print out a list of the states and wander through the work
centers.”
    Doug was waiting for Ryce’s telephone call.
Within thirty minutes, two technicians wheeled two service carts
into Suite 425. An hour later, all of Ryce’s agents were busy with
their new laptops.
    Mark returned to the JBTF offices twice on
Friday. The first time was to see if Ryce needed anything, and the
second, to say goodbye to Lynette.
    Ryce overheard part of the conversation Mark
had with Lynette. When he asked if she would be interested in
coming back, she had smiled.
    “I don’t think you can match what Ryce
offered me.”
    Ryce sat at his desk for several minutes
wondering what Lynette had been offered. He had her personnel file
in hand when she was hired and had offered nothing more than what
was in the file. He stood and walked into Tanya’s office.
    After he recounted the conversation, Tanya
started giggling.
    “She was just jerking his chain. There is a
lot more in the relationship than meets the eye.”
    AP was waiting in Ryce’s office when Ryce
walked through the door. AP looked up and smiled.
    “I have two additional mobile whiteboards for
each office suite on the way over. If you can take another fifty
whiteboards, I will be able to see the back wall of my storage
room.”
    Ryce was happy someone was reading his mind.
The whiteboards provided an easy way to keep track of the
information they had discovered. However, when the teams departed
at 5:00 PM, all of the whiteboards were empty.

Chapter 11
    The alarm clock on
the table started buzzing at 5:00 AM. Ryce looked over at Tanya,
smiled, and then headed for the bathroom. He adjusted the water in
the shower and smiled again when he heard the shower door open.Ryce
and Tanya arrived at Suite 425 at 6:30 AM. Ryce walked through the
offices and found almost half of his