Die for You

Chapter 56

"When did all this happen, LT?" I asked as we made our way through the dimly lit corridors up to the conference room.

"About lunchtime today, Sarge," JJ said hurriedly as we dashed along. "That's when Mr Armstrong called me anyway. It's been a bit frantic since then."

"I bet," Becky said with a laugh. "Daddy's very much a now, now, now person, isn't he?"

"He is, Miss Armstrong, but then he's not that much different from Mr Porter in that way, so I'm quite used to it."

"Are we going to be ok doing this so soon, JJ?" she asked, sounding quite worried for the first time today.

"It'll be a lot of work but I think we'll be ok, Miss Armstrong, we have an excellent team backing us up, and as you know, Freen here is a fine CPO."

"Told you, Miss Armstrong," I said opening the door to the Conference room. "We'll have your security sorted ready for the day, trust me."

"You better believe it, Blondie," James' voice rang out. I grinned as we walked in. 

"Becky, nice to see you again."

"Hi, James,"  Becky said rolling her eyes at his overacted Southern charm.

"Nice to have you all here," Rob said, clearly attempting to seize back control. "Sorry to drag you all here on a Sunday evening, but time is of the essence..."

Rob droned on for the next hour, giving us the totally unnecessary background to events and a potted history of how he'd realized the opportunity and got the opportunity to move the tendering process moved forward, despite the dangers that dealing in the Green Zone would cause. As far as I was concerned, it was nonsense, and I suspected Becky found it the same way, judging by her responses to Rob's questions. At half past six I, and everyone else, were left in nodoubt that she'd had enough.

"Daddy," she'd interrupted him as he discussed the key people that he wanted to have meetings with. "Is there anything you're going to tell us today that we don't already know?"

"I'm sorry?" Rob said, momentarily thrown off his stride.

"Daddy, it's half six on a Sunday night and you've told us nothing we hadn't already planned for as part of the work we had already done. All we really need to consider is the decreased timescales and one new person that we have to account for. Frankly, Dad, I've wasted an hour and a bit here, I could be trying to put the bid together, and I'm sure James and JJ want to start their preparation work as well."

"Well, there's a bit more to it than that," Rob said his white teeth shining as he smiled his best fake smile.

"Not for today, there isn't," Becky continued, subtly taking charge of the meeting, "In fact, I need to speak to JJ here about where we'll be putting up the team during our stay and how we're all going to get there safely, and that's about all we can do here today. I'll get some emails sent now before I go home, but until I can get on the phone tomorrow that's that."

She stood up confidently, her hands spread. "So I think that's everything. JJ, if I could have a second before you go? Thank you everyone for coming, I know it's going to be a tough week for us all, but I'm sure we'll get there together... Freen?"

With that, she swept from the room imperiously and I rushed after her, waving goodbye at the rest of the assembled team. Rob didn't look at all pleased, but with the rug pulled unceremoniously from underneath him, he had no option but to acquiesce or risk looking more of a muppet.

"Fuck's sake," Becky said as I closed her office door behind her and watched her rub her temples as she sat down and turned on her computer. "What a waste of fucking time, as if I haven't got better things to do than listen to that prick blow smoke up his own ass. I'm sorry, babe, we should be at home relaxing now."