by Paul Byers
Pike just stood there speechless, not sure what was going on.
“Sorry Gabe,” Mallory continued, “but I heard what happened in your room and I just couldn’t resist.”
Pike blinked his eyes. “You already heard what happened down in my room, less than an hour ago?”
Mallory smiled. “It’s a small iceberg full of busybodies; besides, it’s my job to know everything that happens on this tub.”
“I know, but still.”
“Are you all right? Is all this Love Boat drama going to affect you or your inspection schedule?”
“Pike shook his head. “No, it is a little distracting I’ll admit, but I can handle it, It’s K.D. I’m worried about.”
Mallory smiled. “I heard what she said to Marilyn. I think she can handle things by herself, but if it will make you feel any better, I can talk to her if you’d like.”
“That would be great, thanks.”
“No problem. I have it on good authority that your room is clear now so I suggest you go back and get some sleep. Nigel is expecting a full report in the morning.”
“Okay. Thanks again.” Pike smiled, and returned to his room.
Chapter Thirty Six
K.D. jumped when she heard the knock on the door. She’d been lying on her bed, half-thinking, half-dozing. Part of her wanted it to be Gabe so they could talk, but another part was hoping it wasn’t him because she was afraid to talk to him. With some hesitation, she got up and answered the door. When she opened the door, neither part was happy.
“Hello K.D.,” Tabatha Amies said, “may I come in?” pushing her way in without waiting for her to answer.
“What do you want?” K.D. asked, her voice barely civil.
“We need to have little talk, you and I.”
“Really, about what?”
“About Gabriel.”
“What about him?”
“Oh come on now K.D., don’t play dumb with me, you know we both want Gabe.” Tabatha walked over to the table and flipped open the box that had the brownies in it. “How sweet.” She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I suppose you make a pretty mean meatloaf too? Trying the old ploy of the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach ?” she leered.
“And your version to his heart is through his pants?” K.D. shot back.
“Ohhhh.” Tabatha replied, as she pretended to pull an imaginary arrow out of her heart. “Nice one, but you’re still no match for me. I lead an exciting life, I’ve traveled all over the world, covered important stories and met dozens of world leaders; can you say the same? What can you offer him, hmm? Exciting nights of Scrabble, Saturday afternoons at the local market watching them throw fish, or visiting the local strawberry festival?”
Tabatha walked over to the closet and began thumbing through the clothes. “These flannel shirts and sweats are attractive; did you pick them up on sale at Wal-Mart?” She spun around and faced her. “Come on K.D., face it, there was a time when you might have had a chance with Gabe but you didn’t take it. The Gabe you once knew is gone. He’s no longer the hometown boy; he’s an international celebrity now. He’s outgrown that old life style and he’s outgrown you.”
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, is the biggest lie we tell our children, K.D. thought as she heard Tabatha’s words. They cut deeper into her heart than any surgeon’s blade ever could, especially if she was right. Had Gabe outgrown his old life, out grown her?
Tabatha could tell she struck a nerve by the expression on K.D.’s face. “If you really care about him, then step aside and let him go.”
“Do you love him?” K.D. asked quietly.
“Do you love him or are you like so many women who are just in love with the idea of being in love?” Tabatha walked over and sat down at the table and grabbed one of the brownies.
“Although all this drama makes great press, I prefer to keep things a little more quiet. Bow out gracefully now and there will be no harm, no foul. If you continue with your silly pipe dream that you actually think you have a chance with Gabe, I’ll be forced to take other measures.”
“Take other measures? Are you threatening me?” K.D. glared at her.
Tabatha smiled. “Let’s just say that as a reporter I have certain skills and ways of bringing things to light that most people want to stay buried.”
“Like what?” K.D. scowled.
“If you want to play hardball, like when you were caught stealing as a teenager.”
“I was thirteen and I didn’t steal anything. The friend I was with put a pair of shorts in my bag when I wasn’t looking. Besides, there was never any police report or charges filed.”
“True, but that doesn’t matter. Headlines will read ‘Girlfriend of the Blast from the Past was involved in a teenage shoplifting ring.’ Because of his association with Mr. Cain, Gabe will be forced to distance himself from you, causing all the more pain, and publicity, I might add.”
Up until that point, K.D. was seriously considering Tabatha’s words, how she might be right and how it might be best for Gabe if she quietly went away. But not now she thought, I won’t be challenged, I won’t be threatened and I won’t be told what to do. K.D.’s anger had just gone from simmer to the boiling point. Her adrenaline had kicked in and the fight or flight mode had taken over, and she wasn’t going anywhere. She was about to explode when it suddenly came to her.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Tabatha. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why?” Tabatha shook her head in disbelief. “You’re kidding right? Are you that dense?”
“No, I mean why are you going through all this trouble to try and intimidate me, to get me to quietly step aside as you put it? If you think you are so much better than me then why bother? If you’re so confident then why not just go full speed ahead and blow me out of the water?”
“What are you talking about?” Tabatha asked a hint of hesitation in her voice.
“That’s it,” K.D. smiled. “You’re not doing this just to be nice, to save me the embarrassment of losing and you’re not thinking of Gabe and it’s not even because you’re unsure of yourself; it because you’re unsure of Gabe. You’ve never met anyone like him before and when he didn’t immediately fall under your spell you had your doubts so you’re trying to get me out of the picture to hedge your bet. You are not used to losing and it scares you.”
“What? That’s crazy.”
“Is it?”
“Listen little Ms. Betty Crocker and her brownies...”
“No, you listen to me you…” K.D. interrupted Tabatha but was interrupted herself by a knock on the door. She glared at Tabatha then angrily reached for the door. If it was Marilyn trying to throw her two cents worth in then she was dead where she stood. K.D. threw open the door and was surprised to see Mallory standing there. For the time being she held her fire, not knowing if she was friend or foe.
“Hi, K.D.” She said then looked passed her to Amies. “Hi Tabatha, I’m glad you’re here. Mr. Cain is holding a press conference tomorrow afternoon. I slipped an advanced copy of the press release under your door and I thought you might want to look at it.”
Tabatha was caught off guard by Mallory’s statement. She wasn’t finished with K.D. yet but her reporter instincts took over and she was excited to have a scoop before anyone else did.
“Ah, thanks Beth,” Tabatha replied, “I’ll get right on it.” She smiled at Mallory as she walked by but shot K.D. a dirty look as she closed the door.
K.D. took in a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Thanks, it seems like you’re making a habit of rescuing me.”
Mallory chuckled, “From the look on your face when you opened the door, it didn’t look like you were the one who was going to need the rescuing.”
“Yeah, well thanks nonetheless.”
“Let me guess,” Mallory continued, “Tabatha was here to warn you off Gabe, that she had staked her claim and that you weren’t good enough for him?”
<
br /> K.D. plopped down in the chair. “You guessed it. She basically said that I had my chance and that Gabe was now out of my league and for me to quietly step aside if I really cared for him. She even threatened me if I didn’t back off.”
“Well do you?
“Do I what?” K.D. replied.
“Do you really care for him?”
K.D. sighed. “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought lately. Gabe has become a whole new person and it’s kind of exciting to be with someone like that, to get to know him all over again and be a part of a whole new world, but you know what? I knew him before he was this famous super hero and I liked him even then.” She paused and thought for a moment, “So I guess to answer your question, yes, I really do care for him.”
“Then what are you going to do about it?” Mallory asked, picking up a brownie.
K.D. shot up from her chair and began pacing like an expectant father. “That’s just it; I don’t know what to do. I’m no Pollyanna, but I don’t know how to compete against women like Tabatha or even Marilyn for that matter.”
“Don’t worry about Marilyn; she’s not a real threat. She doesn’t want Gabe, she just wants to have him then move on. If not, Gabe would have slept with her a long time ago.”
“Okay, what about Tabatha then?”
“She is definitely the one you have to contend with.”
“Yeah, but how? She’s younger than me, makes more money, and has a better, more exciting job that has taken her all over the world. It’s a little tough for a local girl born in Lake Stevens, Washington, to compete with that.”
Mallory smiled. “Most men are dumb and don’t know what they want or have even when it’s standing right in front of them.” She paused and licked the brownie off her finger. “These are really good. If I were Gabe, I’d marry you. I’d be fat and happy. Anyway, I don’t know Gabe as well as you do, but from what I’ve seen he’s not going to be thrown by a little cleavage and a tight, short dress. Again, if that were the case he could have had much better looking women than you already with all the exposure he’s gotten, sorry no offense.”
“She smiled, “None taken.”
“Still though, he is a man, and men don’t always think with the right organ.” Mallory got up and walked over to the closet and looked through her clothes. She turned when she heard K.D. sigh. “What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, it just seems like everyone is interested in what I wear.”
“Tabatha went through your clothes?”
K.D. nodded.
“Well, the old saying is true; clothes do make the man, or the woman. You have to throw the man a bone here you know. Everything you have here is very functional but not very stylish.”
“I know, but what am I supposed to do? In my work, a lot of the time I’m crawling under houses or swinging from rafters looking for structural defects—not exactly the place for high heels.”
“You may be doing a man’s job but it doesn’t mean you have to look like one. Sometimes, yes, you do have to put on coveralls and go spelunking around, but not always. You need to think outside the box a little, stop being an engineer and start being a woman; you can do both. You don’t have to have everything hanging out to get noticed.”
“How?”
“Think about what you’re going to be doing and dress accordingly.”
“I have been.”
Mallory smiled and shook her head. “No, again, think like both, a woman and an engineer. For example, what are you doing here, what is the environment you’re in? It’s cold but not very messy. Instead of bundling up like Quinn the Eskimo in a bulky fur liked parka, how about a nice ski jumpsuit? It’s warm, comfortable, and functional and most import in this case, it’s stylish. It can show that you’re still a woman doing a man’s job.”
She nodded her head slowly as a smile began to brighten her face. “I like it.”
“And so will he. I trust Gabe will make the right choice here. He may just need a little push, that’s all.”
“Thank you, Beth.” K.D. said as she gave her a hug. “All great advice, but as big as this place is, there’s still no mall here.”
Mallory gave K.D. a knowing smile. “You just leave that to me.”
After Mallory left, K.D. felt as giddy as a schoolgirl, excited and terrified at the same time, her mind going ten different directions at once. She sat down and grabbed a brownie and had it halfway to her mouth then stopped and put it back. She couldn’t fit into that snow bunny outfit if she kept eating these things.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Pike was seated at the table in the conference room with his laptop open, a cup of coffee and snacking on an apple fritter. Marilyn was the first to arrive and like the day before, she was all business. She greeted him politely and began to set up for the meeting. The same routine was followed as Tony arrived and K.D. walked in shortly thereafter.
As soon as he saw her, he knew something was different but he couldn’t put his finger on it. She had the same laptop, hair looked the same, same flannel… that was it! She wasn’t wearing her usual cargo pants and flannel shirt and work boots.
She was wearing a light blue button down blouse covered with a dark blue blazer with dark slacks and black leather shoes. It was K.D., only different, and he liked the difference.
As soon as everyone was settled in, Pike began. “Marilyn, we’ll start with you. Do you have anything for us?”
“Nothing new here, it’s just like work back home; we have a deadline to meet. I’ve been going over the events and arrival schedules with Beth and things are pretty tight with not a lot of leeway for delays. Until I get a report from you guys, that’s all I’ve got. Oh, I almost forgot. Arthur’s oldest son Luke and his wife Ashley just had their first baby, a little girl and they named her Lucy Ann.
“Everybody doing okay?” K.D. asked.
Marilyn nodded her head. “Baby and mother are doing fine but we’re not sure about Arthur, he says he’s too young to be a grandpa.”
Pike was happy for Art but he had real mixed emotions about kids. He’d seen families before, the shared smiles that he knew love and being together brought, but he also knew children were huge time consumers and honestly he didn’t know if he was too selfish to be a good parent.
He stole a quick glance at K.D. and she had that maternal look all over her that women get whenever someone mentions newborns. She looked at him and smiled and he quickly looked away. Her look scared the bejeebers out of him and yet…
“Thanks Marilyn.” Pike quickly said, letting his mind run from places it didn’t need to go…right now. “K.D., what do you and Tony have?”
“Nothing good I’m afraid.” She tapped a key on her computer and sent a file to Marilyn and Gabe. “From a structural standpoint, the starboard towing tower is in good shape. A little stress and fatigue is visible at the base and at the connection point to the tow cable itself but otherwise it passes just fine. The port tower however is a completely different story.”
She sent another attachment to everyone and waited for them to open it. “As you can see in the first six pictures, there is significant buckling not only on the deck plating but also to the sub supports below deck. In pics 6 and 7 you can see that the housing around the tower where it joins the ceiling is no longer flush but has routed out a two-inch wide ring between itself and the ice, adding to its instability. The main support arm attached to the towing bridle is actually bent. In my opinion, under ideal conditions in calm, enclosed waters, this would be very marginal at best, but in the open ocean, this is a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Thanks K.D.” Pike said with a solemn face. “I’m afraid my report is not that much better.”
“Sorry we’re late.” Cain said as he and Mallory entered the room.
Pike looked up in surprise. “Mr. Cain, Beth, what are you doing here?”
Cain grabbed a cup of coffee for himself and Mallory while she sat down next to Marilyn and set up her laptop. “We wanted to hear
what your findings were from your inspection.”
“This is just the preliminary, raw data sir.” Pike explained. “We haven’t had time to come to any conclusions or make any recommendations yet.”
Cain sipped his coffee and waved his hand, dismissing Pike’s concerns. “Time is growing short so why waste it reading a report when I can get it firsthand. There’s no time to form a committee to discuss options. The clock is ticking so we need to be able to take action now if we have to.”
“Yes sir, you’re the boss.” Pike continued. “To bring you up to speed, in a nutshell, K.D. reports that the port towing tower assembly is shot and unstable. In her words, a disaster waiting to happen.” Pike noticed that neither Cain nor Mallory showed much reaction to the potentially bad news.
“As I was about to say, my findings aren’t much better. As everyone is aware by now, there was an explosion in one of the access tunnels near the port anchor room. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt and damage was negligible. Just before the explosion I found several large areas of the corridors covered with leaking juice.”
“Juice?” Tony asked.
“Sorry, juice is the nickname for the heating/coolant fluid circulated throughout the iceberg. Juice is not supposed to be flammable so the burning cigarette that Senator Williams threw should not have ignited it. I’ve talked with Dean Miles and I’ve asked him for samples of the juice at both the main circulation point and at a random location to make sure nothing has been added to the mixture to make it flammable.”
Cain’s calm demeanor suddenly shattered. “What do you mean, added to the mixture? Are you saying the explosion was deliberate, that it was an act of sabotage?”
“I’m not saying anything yet, Mr. Cain, like I said, this is all raw data.”
“Still,” Cain continued, “that seems like a pretty big leap for just raw data.”
“I’m just kicking ideas around sir. It could also be an accidental mixing, something caused by the stress from the storm. Or, it could have nothing to do with the juice at all, but maybe something site specific to the construction in that corridor. Until we know for sure, I think caution is advisable.”