State of War by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, War & Military
ISBN: 9781439519585
Publisher: Paw Prints
Published: 2008-08-10T22:00:00+00:00

Alex Michaels looked up and saw Tommy Bender standing in his doorway. "You're like the bad penny, aren't you? You just keep turning up."

Tommy didn't smile, though. "I thought I'd better warn you, Alex. You'll be getting a copy of the records request later today, pursuant to the lawsuit."

Michaels frowned and shook his head. "Oh, good," he said. "That's just what we need, putting an operative on duty, spending part of our budget pulling files so they can be used against us."

Tommy nodded. "That's how the game is played, Commander. And a word of caution, even though I know it's totally unnecessary: There will be judicial review, with input from assorted federal agencies as to whether or not any material requested is vital to national security. If something should be kept secret for such reasons, it will be tended

with appropriate deletions. Don't decide that the list needs to be trimmed here. If they ask for it, give it up."

"Of course," Michaels said. "We wouldn't want to do anything illegal, would we?"

"Exactly what you are supposed to say. I'll drop by later and see how it is going."

"It might take days," Michaels said. "Weeks, even."

Now Tommy did smile. "Of course. The initial order won't set a deadline, it will merely specify that said documents be delivered in a 'timely manner." They don't expect you to shut down operations for this. But if it looks as if you are deliberately dragging your feet, the judge will not be amused."

Alex nodded. "I understand, Tommy. We'll be sure to smile, nod, and tell everybody we are going just as fast as we can. And thanks for the heads up."

Tommy left, and Michaels leaned back in his chair. Just another day in paradise. He glanced at his small top drawer, the one he reserved for personal items. Inside it was an envelope that came the other day, and inside that was a job offer to head up a computer security service for a big corporation headquartered in Colorado. He got two or three similar offers pretty much every week. He read them all, but most of them he just threw away. This one he'd kept, though he wasn't sure he could really say why. And now, in the wake of Tommy Bender's latest announcement, it was starting to look awfully appealing.

Colorado was certainly beautiful, and the job would be a lot less work. It pretty much had it all, a lot more money, a lot less stress, and more time for his family. On top of that, Colorado was a great place to raise a child, and it was closer to his ex-wife and his daughter, which would make it easier for her to visit. They could learn to ski. Hike in the summer. Enjoy the fresh air, if they could get far enough away from Denver.

Maybe he should talk to Toni about it. This job was never easy, and it seemed like it had gotten worse lately. There was something to be said for working in the private sector.

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