Phantom Strike by Lovejoy William H

Author:Lovejoy, William H. [Lovejoy, William H.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2015-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

Interment

Eleven

“Goddamn cat!”

The man’s arms flailed wildly, and Ace dodged them, danced off his shoulder, and landed on the desk top. He spun around, sliding on a stack of loose paper, arched his back, and bared his tiny sharp teeth.

He hissed.

Ace left his mark. Half-a-dozen deep gouges began oozing blood from the man’s temples and cheeks.

“Son of a bitchin’ cat,” Arnie Gering yelped as he bolted out of the chair.

“What in the hell are you doing in my office?” Kramer demanded.

“Goddamn cat!” Gering said again, backing away from the desk.

“You’re screwing around with Ace’s computer, Arnie. Tell me why, and tell me now.”

Gering dug a handkerchief out of the back pocket of his jeans and began dabbing at his face. He spluttered some more when he saw the blood.

“Let’s have it, Arnie.”

Kramer stayed close to the door, ready to scream and run if he turned on her. She didn’t know what he was up to, but she was damned proud of Ace the Wonder Cat.

Ace stopped hissing now that Gering had moved away, but he remained alert, his hind legs tensed for another launch.

She glanced quickly at the computer screen:

SPECIAL PROJECTS

CONFIDENTIAL FILES — ACCESS CODE REQUIRED

ENTER PASSWORD: BLUE DA-

Gering had been attempting to hack his way into the special projects files.

“What’s going on?” she demanded again.

Gering was regaining some degree of composure. “I’m working late.”

“Working on what?”

“Damn it! Can’t you see I’m scratched up. Why don’t you declaw that damned cat?”

The blood continued to seep from the cuts, obliterating the freckles on his sunburned face.

“I don’t give a shit about your face, Arnie. How did you get in here?”

She checked the door and jamb, but couldn’t see any scratches. Gering had a key to the building, but not to this door. Maybe he had used a credit card on the lock.

“It was open,” he said.

“This door is never unlocked at night.”

“It was open.”

“What are you after?”

Gering cleared his throat. “I was just checking on that job we did in Nebraska.”

“Why?”

“Well, shit. Lefty and I only got a lousy two grand apiece. We ought to get as much as the others are getting.”

Kramer moved sideways across the room, facing him, and closing in on the desk. She reached out and gently stroked Ace’s neck.

She could feel the bunched up muscles under his skin. Ace wasn’t going to relax just yet.

“You’re fortunate to have received a bonus at all.”

“I’m entitled to more.”

“How much more, do you think?”

“Well, I want to know what the others are getting.”

“Forget the others,” she said. “How much do you think you’re worth?”

Gering grinned at her. “I ought to get another five thousand.”

“Maybe you’ll find a job somewhere that will pay you that much more.”

His grin faded. “What? You can’t fire me.”

“I can’t? Seems to me I’m the one who hired you. I’ve changed my mind.”

“You fire me, and I go right to the newspapers,” Gering said.

“With what?”

“There’s something screwy about that deal. You just watch, Kramer. Some reporter will dig into it.”

“And visit you in jail, too?”

“Jail?”

“Breaking and entering.

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