Executive Orders

CH 21 Episode 06: Red, Red Wine...

The last traces of a smile lingered on Olivia's lips as she walked into OPA's conference room, right into the middle of a lively debate.

"It's the youngest son." Abby's voice overrode Harrison and Quinn's. "All is not well in paradise."

Quinn and Harrison were both disagreeing. Loudly and for their own separate reasons. One look at Harrison and seeing the delighted gleam in his eyes told Olivia that he was disagreeing with Abby mainly for the sake of disagreeing with Abby. There were days when he lived for sparking his red-headed friend's temper.

Huck was there as well, but as was usual for him, he kept his head down and his eyes on his laptop.

Abby was ignoring them both. "We all know the circumstances of Will Caldwell's marriage." They all did, since they'd been the ones who had been called in to set up the arranged marriage to begin with.

"From everything we've heard, it's turned into a real happily ever after." Harrison said.

"Do you believe everything you see in the media? What if big brother Peter's first concerns were true? What if Will butters his bread on both sides? What if he's just following in the family tradition and one woman isn't enough?" Abby flipped her words at him. "Fifty dollars says the youngest son is the eye of this particular storm!"

Harrison smirked. "I'm tempted to see that fifty and raise you fifty that it's the sister - she loves a party and she's about due for a relapse." Anna Caldwell was the Attorney General from Texas who had had more than one issue with her overindulgences in alcohol and other extracurricular stimulants.

"That's a terrible thing to say!" Quinn send a dirty look in Harrison's direction.

He shrugged. "I'm not wishing anything bad on her - I'm just saying she's due. We're about to go into the holiday season - tis the season to be jolly and all that. Maybe she got started on her Christmas cheer a little bit early?"

"From what I understand, it's been the male members of the Caldwell clan that have been the biggest troublemakers." Quinn shot back. "From daddy dearest on down. Maybe we should be looking at him."

Her words turned the entire conversation into something slightly more than a friendly debate and a little less than an opinionated argument, with opinions being countered with facts and facts countered with suppositions and then they were forming a betting pool and pestering Huck to calculate their odds.

Olivia found herself trying not to laugh out loud and refused to take sides. "We'll know more when we know more - which means it's time to dig a little deeper on what all of the Caldwells have been up to lately - and expand the search to extended family, just in case."

"In the meanwhile, we'll just kick back and enjoy the cash flow." Harrison said with a grin.

"There's nothing like a solid retainer with a very positive cash flow." Olivia agreed, not bothering to hide her smile. Retainers were a good thing. A very good thing.

She turned to Huck and asked him if he had anything to add to the conversation.

"Is that what that was?" Huck said in a rare flash of sarcasm. "Not yet - but since Quinn brought him up, there is the fact that Nathaniel Caldwell did switch his political affiliation from Republican to Independent, but that was months ago - it's old news on the Hill."

"Almost ancient history - but it goes against family tradition." Abby commented sarcastically. "I'm surprised the rest of the family hasn't disowned him."

"Maybe that's what their call to arms to us is exactly that - they need a game plan to protect the rest of the House Caldwell from whatever daddy dearest has in mind." Quinn wondered aloud.

"If we don't hear from - House Caldwell -" Olivia smiled at the term. " - before the evening's over, we'll start a little proactive digging of our own."

She stopped as Huck's eyes flickered down to his screen.

"Incoming." He announced. "It's Ballard."

A few moments later they heard the elevator arrive; moments later Jake was coming through the door, arms filled with several bags of take-out.

"Hail the conquering hero - who comes bearing a bounty of sustenance." He offered a grin to the room. "It's getting a little late and I know how you all tend to forget to eat -"

"I think we're capable of ordering food for delivery." Quinn said.

"Thanks Jake, but you didn't have to." Olivia shot a quick look in Quinn's direction, surprised at her unexpectedly sharp tone. Where did that come from? she wondered.

Jake quietly ignored Quinn as he sat his many bags down on the table. He glanced up at the rogue's gallery. "I bring not only late night sustenance, but maybe something even more useful -"

Quinn made a derisive sound. This time Olivia didn't look in her direction, but promised herself that she'd have words with the younger woman later.

She wasn't the only one who noticed Quinn's reaction. Abby's eyes flashed at her at well before she turned her attention to Jake. "Let's see what you got before we see what else you got."

Jake smiled at her. "What I 'got' is Thai for you, Ms. Abby - and for Harrison, some Pad Kee Mao, Pho and Com Chien."

He turned to Huck. "Vietnamese fried rice and fried wontons for you and Quinn - and spring rolls and a side of beef and broccoli for the boss." That was said with a nod and a wink to Olivia.

She smiled back at him, sure that this was all in apology for the harsh words they'd exchanged earlier. But while everyone else made a move towards the unexpected feast, Quinn still hung back, her eyes dark and unreadable.

"I appreciate the effort, Jake - but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline this evening." She said. The smile that followed her words was a secret one, just for herself, knowing that her appetite was most definitely satiated.

It didn't matter if Jake misinterpreted it. "What? Are spring rolls no longer your favorite?" he asked.

"They are - I'm just not that hungry right now." At least not for food. Food was the last thing on her mind... A brief smile graced her face as Olivia turned to the others who had been busy sharing out their food.

"Forty-five minutes, people - and then we'll get back to it. Feel free to brainstorm amongst yourselves in the meanwhile."

While everyone else started helping themselves to the food, Quinn turned away and headed towards the door.

"Quinn?" Olivia called after her.

She paused in the doorway and looked back with a shrug. "I'm not that hungry either. I'm going for a walk."

Before anyone could react, she was gone; seconds later, the main door closing ungently behind her.

Jake frowned. "What's with her?"

"I have no idea." Olivia said as she stared after her. She turned her attention back to Jake. "You said something about having something useful?"

He stepped a little closer and lowered his voice. "How about we discuss it in your office? After all, if we're talking about the Caldwells, this might involve sensitive intel. Then you can decide if you want to share it with the everyone else."

Olivia considered his words; did he know something that the team didn't? Before she could answer, Huck was suddenly raising his voice over the others.

"Incoming." He announced. "It's the younger Caldwell son. And his wife-to-be."