power didn’t need to be genuinely attractive in any other way. “To keep me updated, of course, on all of Red-Blooded’s vital activities in the national interest.”
“Of course.”
“Fine,” he said, and started making the calls.
On her way out of the office he pinched her ass hard enough to leave a mark.
She didn’t realize it was something men still did in this day and age, but it was fine with her. It would give her something to focus on next time she needed to summon her inner vengeance demon, to beat the life from a bloodsucker.
And it would make her yet more indispensable to Operation Red-Blooded, and to Zachary Kleefeld, or whoever ended up becoming the organization’s new director once it chewed up and spat out the “Acting Director.”
She had taken one for the team, and she would no doubt take more. If it would allow her to keep killing bloodsuckers, she was glad to do it.
15
M ARINA LEFT S ENATOR H ARLOWE’S office and headed down the broad Capitol corridor with a half-smile on her face. Despite her initial reservations, she had just been getting worked up when the senator finished, so she was far from satisfied. But she knew that sometimes retreat was the most diplomatic option. It wasn’t like she had gone there looking for sex, after all, and now she didn’t have to worry about testifying. The sex had only been okay but the bargain was more payoff than she had hoped for, and all in all she thought it was an hour well spent.
She was less than halfway to the exit when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. The building was a busy one, so the footsteps could have belonged to any of thousands of people. Just in case, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw one of Harlowe’s aides rushing toward her. He was young and earnest, with short spiked dark hair and splotchy red cheeks. He wore a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up over nice forearms, a striped tie, and dress pants. She stopped and let him catch up.
“Ms. Dunn!” he said as he neared her.
“Tanaka-Dunn,” she corrected.
“I’m sorry. Ms. Tanaka-Dunn. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“It seems as if you already are.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled, catching his breath from his short dash. “Right, sorry. Maybe outside, though?”
She had no reason to deny him that. She had expected to be in the building for hours yet, suffering through a grilling from Harlowe’s committee. Since the senator had spared her that, she could spare a few minutes for his aide. Anyway, the day was warm, with the humidity that would set in later in the summer nowhere in evidence yet, so spending the time outside would be no hardship. “Sure, no problem.”
“Great, that’s great.”
He didn’t say anything more until they had passed through security and started down the big flight of stairs outside. She didn’t prod. This was his game, whatever it was; she would let him reveal the rules.
Halfway down the stairs, he touched her arm. “I know what you do,” he said.
“What do you mean by that?”
“My name is Barry Wolnitz, since we didn’t actually meet. I know all about Operation Red-Blooded. I’m a policy aide for Senator Harlowe. To tell you the truth, if it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t know if he was a Republican or a Democrat.”
“I thought he was an Independent.”
“See how bad it is?”
Marina laughed, and they went the rest of the way down.
On the street outside the building, they walked close together. “So what are you talking about?” she asked.
“I advise the senator on all kinds of policy matters. That means I have to know what’s going on. That means I have security clearances out my ass.”
“Nice image,” she said.
“I didn’t figure you for a dainty flower.”
She guessed if he knew that much about Harlowe’s business he probably also knew what it meant when the senator locked his door with an attractive woman inside. “You were right. Dainty I’m not.”
“Point is, I know
“Of course.”
“Fine,” he said, and started making the calls.
On her way out of the office he pinched her ass hard enough to leave a mark.
She didn’t realize it was something men still did in this day and age, but it was fine with her. It would give her something to focus on next time she needed to summon her inner vengeance demon, to beat the life from a bloodsucker.
And it would make her yet more indispensable to Operation Red-Blooded, and to Zachary Kleefeld, or whoever ended up becoming the organization’s new director once it chewed up and spat out the “Acting Director.”
She had taken one for the team, and she would no doubt take more. If it would allow her to keep killing bloodsuckers, she was glad to do it.
15
M ARINA LEFT S ENATOR H ARLOWE’S office and headed down the broad Capitol corridor with a half-smile on her face. Despite her initial reservations, she had just been getting worked up when the senator finished, so she was far from satisfied. But she knew that sometimes retreat was the most diplomatic option. It wasn’t like she had gone there looking for sex, after all, and now she didn’t have to worry about testifying. The sex had only been okay but the bargain was more payoff than she had hoped for, and all in all she thought it was an hour well spent.
She was less than halfway to the exit when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. The building was a busy one, so the footsteps could have belonged to any of thousands of people. Just in case, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw one of Harlowe’s aides rushing toward her. He was young and earnest, with short spiked dark hair and splotchy red cheeks. He wore a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up over nice forearms, a striped tie, and dress pants. She stopped and let him catch up.
“Ms. Dunn!” he said as he neared her.
“Tanaka-Dunn,” she corrected.
“I’m sorry. Ms. Tanaka-Dunn. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“It seems as if you already are.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled, catching his breath from his short dash. “Right, sorry. Maybe outside, though?”
She had no reason to deny him that. She had expected to be in the building for hours yet, suffering through a grilling from Harlowe’s committee. Since the senator had spared her that, she could spare a few minutes for his aide. Anyway, the day was warm, with the humidity that would set in later in the summer nowhere in evidence yet, so spending the time outside would be no hardship. “Sure, no problem.”
“Great, that’s great.”
He didn’t say anything more until they had passed through security and started down the big flight of stairs outside. She didn’t prod. This was his game, whatever it was; she would let him reveal the rules.
Halfway down the stairs, he touched her arm. “I know what you do,” he said.
“What do you mean by that?”
“My name is Barry Wolnitz, since we didn’t actually meet. I know all about Operation Red-Blooded. I’m a policy aide for Senator Harlowe. To tell you the truth, if it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t know if he was a Republican or a Democrat.”
“I thought he was an Independent.”
“See how bad it is?”
Marina laughed, and they went the rest of the way down.
On the street outside the building, they walked close together. “So what are you talking about?” she asked.
“I advise the senator on all kinds of policy matters. That means I have to know what’s going on. That means I have security clearances out my ass.”
“Nice image,” she said.
“I didn’t figure you for a dainty flower.”
She guessed if he knew that much about Harlowe’s business he probably also knew what it meant when the senator locked his door with an attractive woman inside. “You were right. Dainty I’m not.”
“Point is, I know
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