Arctic Fire by Paul Byers Page B

supports
when I get back.
    He tapped for the third message and was
surprised to hear it was K.D. She asked how Mr. Hot Shot was doing
and if his head was getting too big to fit through the door? She
chatted about things around the office and warned him that she
wasn’t going to pick up the slack and do her work and his while he
was gone. K.D. told him about the dirty look Marilyn had given her
when she asked her for his hotel number, then she laughed, saying
that that look alone was worth the price of admission. He smiled
too; he wished he could have seen that. She wished him well and
told him to take care and that she’d see him when he got back.
    Pike just sat on his bed holding the receiver in
his hand trying to figure out what that was all about. He liked
K.D. and they worked well together but he had never thought of her
on anything more than a professional level. K.D.? Hmm, his mind
started to wander. She was kind of cute and she was as smart as she
was good looking…interesting. Suddenly the alarm on his watch
beeped, bringing him back to the moment. Nine-forty. He had five
minutes to get downstairs.
    He hung up the phone, bounced up from the bed
and headed toward the door. As he passed by the mirror, he gave
himself one more Bond look, adjusted his bow tie and smiled, “Mr.
Hot Shot!”
     
     
     
     
    Chapter
Eleven
     
     
     
    “Thank you for seeing me at such a late hour
Senator.”
    “Nonsense, Nigel, nonsense. Please, come in.”
Senator Harlen “Pug” Williams smiled and waited for Cain to come to
him, rising from behind a desk so large it must have taken an
entire forest to build. Williams was a short man with a round face
that matched his barrel-shaped body. He was in his early sixties
but had the enthusiasm and step of a man in his forties. After
shaking hands, Williams pointed to a chair for Cain.
    “You remember Bobby Thornton, my aid?” Williams
waved toward a young man in his late twenties, sitting behind a
desk that was miniscule compared to Williams’. Thornton looked up
and smiled at Cain but was cringing on the inside; he hated it when
the Senator belittled him by calling him Bobby. “Bobby, would you
fetch us some coffee, or perhaps Mr. Cain would like something a
little stronger?” Williams said with a wink.
    “Robert,” Cain said, nodding to the aid. “And no
thank you, nothing for me. I have the children’s charity banquet to
attend tonight.”
    “Yes, that’s right, I forgot about that. Wasn’t
I supposed to attend that?” Williams said looking to his aid.
    “Yes sir.”
    “Well, why didn’t you remind me?” Irritation and
impatience filled the Senator’s voice.
    “I tried to sir, but…”
    “Nonsense!” Williams blurted out. He leaned over
the desk as if to whisper to Cain but spoke loud enough for
Thornton to hear. “Like they say, good help is so hard to find.
He’s a good kid, got some political sense but just doesn’t get it
sometimes.” Williams leaned back then spoke in a louder, commanding
tone. “Go upstairs and lay out my tux and call Abigail and tell her
I’ll be spending the night here. I’ll be too tired for the drive
home after the banquet.”
    “Yes sir.” Thornton replied. “A pleasure to see
you again, Mr. Cain,” he said as he stood and left the room. Cain
could see the young man trying to disguise the fury building in his
eyes. He wondered if he ever treated his employees that way. He
looked back to the Senator who either didn’t see his assistant’s
anger or didn’t care.
    “I see your boy arrived in town today,” Williams
said, pointing to Pike’s picture on the front page of the paper.
“You really lucked out when you signed him on board.”
    Cain nodded. “I like to think that I make my own
luck, but in this case I couldn’t agree with you more.”
    “Is he going to be there tonight?”
    “Yes, Elizabeth and I are picking him up.” Cain
could see a flash of wanderlust cross Williams’ face at the mention
of Mallory’s