Get Geri

by Woods, Karen

  “Some of us are good at keeping secrets. That’s why we have high level security clearances,” Geri replied.

  “I guess.”

  “I have to be in a meeting. Thanks again, Nancy.”

  Her secretary buzzed her just after she hung up on Nancy. “Yes, Frieda?”

  “Just reminding you. Senior staff meeting in fifteen minutes. Main conference room.”

  “Thank you. I was just on my way.”

  It was the normal Monday morning meeting, setting the agenda for the week. Only this week it was on Tuesday.

  Seven minutes later, Geri stood at the door to the conference room in which the regular beginning of the week senior staff meeting was always held. She looked at her watch it was eight minutes until ten. Josh was supposed to be chairing this. But, he wasn’t here yet. That was unlike him. He was normally at these things at least ten minutes before they were scheduled to begin.

  This meeting was always scheduled for ten a.m. And he wasn’t here yet. That told her that something was wrong. She turned around to go look for him. But there he was coming down the hall. She breathed a small sigh of relief. She stood there waiting for him.

  Josh was listening to Clay Knight, the head of production.

  “Okay, Clay. I’ll deal with it,” Josh said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Morning, Clayton,” Geri said.

  “Miss Geri,” the older man acknowledged with a smile.

  “Everyone else is waiting, Josh,” Geri stated.

  He glanced at his watch and nodded. “Then, let’s get this started.”

  Clay went into the meeting room ahead of them.

  Josh gently touched his wife’s face. “Let’s move your office next to mine, shall we?” he asked.

  “Do you really think we’d get any work done?”

  “It might be interesting to find out,” he offered, keeping his voice low.

  “We’ve got a meeting, Josh. People are waiting for us.”

  “Then we had better get it done.”

  Josh followed Geri into the meeting room. Geri took her usual place near the foot of the table and Josh sat at the head of the table. All of the senior department heads took their places.

  “Okay, people, as everyone has heard, Geri and I got married this weekend,” Josh said, opening the meeting.

  There was a general round of well-wishing.

  “And you’ve all heard about the car bomb and the other happenings on Friday night,” Josh added. “This is in the hands of the police, who have a suspect. And that’s all that either Geri or I will say on the subject, other than to advise you all that this is a personal, not a company, matter. As such, none of you are to comment to the press. Is that understood?”

  “I was stopped by a TV crew when I came in this morning,” Alice Greene, the head of human resources said. “I told them I thought it was a tragedy that someone as nice as Geri was under attack.”

  “I’ve seen the footage,” Josh replied. “While you didn’t say anything wrong, I’d be more comfortable with ‘no comments’ from everyone. A general memo is circulating to that effect.”

  “I believe we should get down to business,” Geri offered.

  Back in her office after the conclusion of the senior staff meeting, and another meeting without Josh, Geri glanced at her watch. The time was ten minutes until twelve. She and Josh hadn’t made arrangements for lunch. She didn’t want to appear to be desperate for his company—even though she was—by picking up the phone and calling him. The last thing she needed would be for him to come to regret this marriage. She resolved that she would not be a clinging vine of a wife, even though the only place she felt truly safe was in his arms.

  The telephone rang. Geri checked the caller-id pad. It was an in-house call from Josh’s extension.

  She picked up the phone. Before she could acknowledge the call, Josh said, “I need you in my office, Geri. Right now!” Then he hung up the telephone before she could reply.

  Two minutes later, Geri stood at Josh’s outer office door.

  A pair of her husband’s bodyguards stood beside the inner office door.

  Josh’s personal secretary, Elaine Fuller, greeted her. “Hello, Geri. Congratulations!”

  “Thanks, Elaine.”

  “Everyone’s all agog about you and Josh having gotten married. We didn’t even know you were dating.”

  Geri smiled. “Some of us are just very private people who don’t enjoy having our private lives be the topic of gossip.”

  “I guess,” Elaine replied with a smile.

  “Josh wanted to see me. Is he in his office?”

  “Yes. You are to go right in.”

  “Thanks again, Elaine.”

  Geri knocked lightly on the door. The last of the trio of bodyguards opened the door and let her in. Then he exited the room.

  Geri went into the office and closed the door behind her. Josh was seated behind his desk.

  “Lock the door, Geri.”

  She smiled at him then complied with his instruction. “And just what do you have in mind, husband?”

  “How does a little indoor picnic sound to you?” he asked. “We both have meetings most of the afternoon. But, I thought we needed a little time to ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I need an island of sanity in the middle of this insane day.”

  “Has your morning been as trying as mine?” she asked with a smile as she walked over towards him.

  “You mean with people trying not to show great surprise at our marriage? And with having to work hard to keep people on topic?”

  Geri grinned. “That’s what I mean.”

  “There’s been some of that. The press has been pounding down the doors wanting a statement about the bombings.”

  “I hadn’t heard any of that.”

  “The press hasn’t been allowed through to you. I’ve got PR running interference with them.”

  “You mentioned a picnic?” Geri asked.

  Josh brought out a wicker basket. He walked around the desk and removed the plaid blanket from the top of the basket. Geri took one end of the blanket and helped Josh spread it out. “I called out for lunch.”

  “What’s in the basket, Josh?” she asked as she sat down on the blanket.

  But, his only answer was to sit down beside her on the blanket covered carpet and pull her onto his lap. His kiss was demanding. She freely gave him everything his caress requested then made fresh demands of her own.

  “Woman!”

  “Husband,” she countered.

  “You make me lose my head when I’m alone with you.”

  She smiled at him. “Good. I’d hate to think I was the only one experiencing that condition.”

  He squeezed her tightly. “I suppose I need to feed you.”

  She smiled at him. “I am hungry.”

  “I wish you’d wear your hair down.”

  “It makes me look too young.”

  “No, sweetheart, it makes you look even more beautiful.”

  “I’ll wear it down at home. Not at work. I need every edge I can get to maintain authority.”

  He smiled. “You have to do what you think is correct. There’s no one here but us. Take down your hair.”

  She pulled the pins from her hair and put them in her blazer pocket. Josh kissed her again as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  “What’s for lunch, Josh?”

  Josh smiled. “You’re hungry?”

  Geri removed herself from Josh’s lap then proceeded to open up the picnic basket. An insulated and zippered container held a bowl of a cold chunky fruited chicken salad. Another insulated container held crusty, still warm, whole-wheat rolls that were sliced lengthwise and wrapped in napkins. Tart Granny Smith apples and a small wedge of sharp white cheddar cheese completed the meal. China plates, silver forks and a serving spoon, crystal wineglasses, cloth napkins and a cold cloth napkin-wrapped bottle were at the bottom of the small hamper.

  Geri removed the bottle fro
m the bottom of the hamper and handed it to Josh. “I won’t be able to function this afternoon if I drink that.”

  Josh unwrapped the bottle. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll have any problem with this. It’s not wine. It’s sparkling cider. Completely non-alcoholic.” He opened the bottle and poured them each a glass.

  Geri served the salad and the rolls. She handed Josh a plate and a fork. Then she watched him as he stuffed the salad into the roll and made a sandwich.

  She sipped the cider and ate a bite of the sandwich she had made from the roll and the chicken salad.

  “I’m worried about Hilda and Jim,” Geri announced.

  “I know. I’ve sent a couple of men over to check on them.”

  “Nancy is going over to Hilda’s place.”

  Josh smiled. “Well, we’re either the nosiest bunch on record, or the people here actually care about each other.”

  “I’d vote for the latter.”

  “I always wanted the company to be like a family,” Josh replied.

  “You’ve succeeded.”

  “Of course, I don’t want to be a father figure to everyone,” Josh replied.

  “Believe me, ‘fatherly’ is not an adjective I’ve ever applied to you, husband.”

  Josh smiled. Then he ate another bite of his sandwich. After he sipped the cider, he said, “I should hope not.”

  “You know what people are going to think if they find out we had an hour together behind a locked door during the middle of the day,” Geri said.

  “Eat your lunch. Then, we’ll see about making their erotic speculations true.”

  “Joshua Samuel Sutherland, the shocking things you say!”

  “Just eat your lunch, woman! So we can move on to more interesting things.”

  Geri laughed. “You are insatiable, husband!”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “Do you think I’m stupid?”

  Josh lightly touched her face. “Sweetheart, you are brilliant, beautiful, and bold. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

  Geri’s cell phone rang. She answered it. It was the engineering secretary, Nancy.

  “Geri, I’m at Hilda’s. There’s a pool of something that looks like blood just inside the door,” Nancy said, her voice definitely strained. “I didn’t go further in the apartment, but it looks like the apartment has been thoroughly trashed.”

  “Call the police, Nancy. Right now.”

  “Already have. I’m outside of the apartment building right now, waiting for them. The police should be here soon.”

  “Thanks. Take whatever time you need to take on this. Thanks for checking on her.”

  Geri looked at her husband. “Hilda’s place has been trashed. She may be hurt or worse. Nancy called the police.”

  Josh sighed. “We don’t know this is related.”

  “Want to lay odds?” she answered on a sigh.

  “Not really,” he admitted.

  Geri put down her plate and rose to her feet. She walked over to the window and looked out on the complex of buildings.

  Josh was just behind her. “Whatever happens, we’ll handle it, together.”

  “I’ve brought so much trouble to so many people.”

  “You didn’t do anything. This is not your doing.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  He placed a hand on her shoulder. “What do you think you could have done differently?”

  She sighed. “It doesn’t matter now. I can’t undo any-thing.”

  “What would you undo if you could?” he asked lowly.

  She shook her head. “I would have made sure I killed Albert, back when I could have justifiably done that,” she said. “I shouldn’t have let my friends stop me after he killed Jan. None of this would be happening now if I had just finished him off, then. He had swung the bloody baseball bat at me. He’d broken Clare’s arm with the bat. Roberta was down with a broken leg because of Albert hitting her. It was just Thom and me to stop him. And Thom was frozen with fear, unable to get past his revulsion and terror. I could have put Albert out of all of our miseries. But I didn’t. Roberta begged me not to kill him, to let the law deal with him. Clare joined in that begging.”

  “You fully intend to kill him this time, don’t you?”

  “If I get the chance to do so and have it be justifiable, yes. I probably will kill him,” she said as she turned to face him. “Does that bother you?”

  He looked at her for a long moment. She wished she knew what he was thinking.

  “Does that bother you?” she asked again.

  “No. But, if you do use lethal force against him, make sure it is clearly justifiable and not excessive force. Even then, there may be trouble with the law. I don’t want to see you risk jail time or worse.”

  “That would be rather inconvenient,” she answered as Josh’s desk phone rang.

  He rose and answered the call on the third ring. “Sutherland,” he said. Then he listened. “Geri and I will be there as soon as possible.” Placing the phone in the cradle, he said, “Jim has been taken to the hospital. His condition is serious, but not critical. He’s asking for us.”

  “What are we waiting for?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Tell me about Jim,” Geri demanded of her husband as they were on their way to the hospital.

  “He was found in his apartment, tied up, apparently beaten.”

  “This doesn’t make sense.”

  “Both of the senior engineers on a project either disap-pearing or put out of commission at the same time. No, it doesn’t sit right with me either. It’s an attack. The only question is whether it’s orchestrated internally or externally.”

  “I know. Part of me hopes this isn’t related to Albert. And another part knows it has to be.”

  “I wouldn’t rule it out. But I’m not ready to say this is part of that. It would be pretty amazing if it were connected to this other trouble. I have more enemies than that.”

  * * *

  Josh held her hand as they walked down the corridor of leading to the emergency room.

  “You can’t go back there,” a harried woman dressed in scrubs told them.

  “Jim Riggs was brought in a while ago. He was asking for us. I’m Josh Sutherland, his employer. And this is my wife, Geri,” Josh said quietly, but with authority. “Where is he?”

  The woman stood there for a moment, seemingly confused. Then she looked at the white board hanging behind the counter. “If you’ll wait ten minutes, we’ll be taking him up to an observation room. He’s being admitted so that we can keep an eye out on his head injury.”

  “Do you have a room number for him?”

  “I don’t know. Check with the information desk in the lobby, they’ll know.”

  * * *

  Jim’s hospital room was like any other hospital room, cold, sterile, and efficient. Jim lay on the bed, wearing only one of those ultimately ugly hospital gowns. He’d obviously been at the receiving end of a beating. His face was swollen and showing every indication that it would within a day or so be a mass of shades of blue and purple. His eyes were swollen shut. It had been quite a beating, from what she could see. She just wondered what his other injuries were.

  Geri breathed a sigh of relief. It could have been much worse. At least, he was alive.

  “Jim?” Geri asked.

  The engineer asked, “Geri?”

  “Josh and I are here, Jim. We were told you wanted to talk to us.”

  “P100 has been compromised. The plans were on my laptop,” Jim confessed. “I broke security and took it home to work on. Now, the project is gone. I guess I’m fired, huh?”

  The company had about a quarter of a million dollars invested in that project to date. The potential income was anticipated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. That the project was now compromised maybe was a blessing in disguise as it was seriously flawed.

  “Without a doubt,” Josh said firmly. “You lied and worked around security to take the proj
ect off site. That’s intolerable.”

  Josh didn’t say a word until they got out to the car. Then he flipped open his cell phone and dialed a number from memory. Now, he’d owe twice over. There was no help for it. “Sutherland here. Let me talk to him…I’ve got a situation.”

  “That was short. Who did you call?” Geri asked as Josh hung up the phone a minute later.

  “John Spiderelli,” Josh said. “Jim and Hilda may or may not be involved in this. I suspect Jim’s dirty up to his elbows. It’s time to call in help from outside.”

  Geri sighed. “It’s awfully convenient the one time he breaks security and takes the project home to work on, he is beaten and robbed. But this may not be a total disaster, Josh. There were several serious flaws in the P100 which made Jim and Hilda’s design unstable. I’d made notes about the flaws. They’d been working on trying to remediate those. But they hadn’t succeeded. This may be an opportunity to do a fast redesign. And if someone ends up with the flawed version, it will be obvious where they got it from.”

  Josh smiled. “Wife, you are the eternal optimist.”

  Geri laughed. “I’m just a problem solver.”

  “You are that.”

  “You didn’t want to call your friend. Why?”

  He shook his head. “There are quid pro quo issues with dealing with Spider. He’s about as deep into black ops as a person can be. I’m sure officially he doesn’t exist. And this stays just between us. This is a need-to-know situation.”

  Geri sighed. “You don’t want to be indebted to him.”

  “No. I don’t. And I don’t want you indebted to him. Right now, he still owes me, big time. I’d prefer to keep things that way. But, this is going to settle a load of debt and possibly reverse the balance sheet.”

  Geri took her husband’s hand. “We’ll handle this, Josh.”

  “That’s my girl.” Then he picked up his cell phone and called Elaine, his secretary, with the news that neither he nor Geri would be back in for the rest of the day.

  Geri’s phone rang. She answered it without saying anything, as the calling number was blocked.

  It was Hilda’s voice on the other end. “Geri?” she said desperately. “You have to do what he says. Or he will kill me.”

  “Hilda, are you all right?”