Josh smiled. “They’re cute. They like me.”
“Hmm.” They took the elevator to the eighteenth floor. Kip slid his keycard through the reader and turned the door lever down. As he and Josh walked into the chilly, blue-lit room, the fifteen workers inside simultaneously stopped what they were doing and stared at them.
“Good morning. I’m Kip Brennan, and this is Josh Stone, and I see you met Rich Parry.” Julian was right: some looked playful, others shy; some looked feral, and others looked curious.
Fabiana, a former FBI cybersecurity expert with satin olive skin and caramel brown eyes, wearing a white business suit, extended her hand in a grand gesture encompassing the room. “Welcome to your technical analysis unit. Ladies and gentlemen, acknowledge your bosses, please.” She shrugged at the grunts from the room. “Everyone has a unique personality, but they all are brilliant. Come, let’s go to my office.”
Kip smiled, vowing to put names with faces.Cats.
Fabiana led the way to her office at the end of the hallway. Eight computers filled one wall with abstract art paintings above them. A large oak desk sat across the room, fronted by two large bucket chairs upholstered in white and orange cotton. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the east side of the office backed a brightly colored loveseat and two coordinating chairs. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
“I want to thank you in advance. I was hoping to have time to develop relationships with all my staff before I asked for a rush order, but…” Kip sat on the loveseat and rested his wrists on his knees. “I know Rich spoke with you.”
“Hurricane Greta?”
Kip nodded. “I understand the storm is due around the twenty-ninth. I’ve been over the plans for our building and the levee system around us, but I also need to know the situation around the Sommerstone Hospital and Sommerstone Manor.”
“Mr. Parry and I have been having an ongoing discussion about this. New Orleans has a weak infrastructure, especially their power grid. The levees have been improved since Katrina, but this is the first large storm to test their system. Our unit has tried to square root potential problems, but we won’t have enough time for a dry run of systems. I can tell you, Mr. Parry had us run your address as well. It appears your part of the Garden District is above sea level. Unfortunately, if the levees fail, all bets are off everywhere.”
“If the storm hits us head on, we may deal with the first twenty-four hours well, but we need to consider the days following. Do we have access to fuel for the generators for at least ten days? Also supplies, cash, gasoline for the fleet. Hopefully by the ten-day mark, the airport will be open so our branches can fly in supplies. Also, if this storm moves up the coast, DC or New York may be in the crosshairs,” Rich outlined.
“Ten days?” Kip asked.
“For us and our staff’s homes, the hospitals and the Manor. If the storm is as bad as predicted, it could be months for the rest of New Orleans,” Fabiana said.
“Looking from a human point of view, we should evacuate non-essential personnel from all assets in the path, not just New Orleans. We are securing rooms.” Rich walked over to a computer and brought up a map. “These are the evacuations zones. We need to move people above this area.” He pointed to a yellow area on the map.
“I bought a warehouse near the airport for storm logistics. We have two buses, six various four-wheel-drive vehicles, two ambulances, sand bags, carpentry tools and board-up supplies, and a generator is being installed today. I had O’Mara assign a level-two security team to the building.
“We are looking at seven hundred non-essential employees plus their families here and another thousand in our US catchment. Five hundred OCONUS. My to-do list is find rooms and transportation, arrange help for them to board up their homes, and get them out of here. I’ll call Denver and have them put a shipment of lumber on a plane. I want an Eagle’s Talon team for the transport from the airport,” Rich continued.
“For the employees who need to stay, we need to protect their homes and families plus give them shelter here. We are looking at two thousand just in New Orleans. We also cover Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, North and South Carolina, plus the Caribbean, Central and South America. I need to know any impact there. Do we have assets anywhere else in the path?”
“We will have answers and a plan by 1600 hours,” Rich said.
Fabiana closed her tablet and nodded in agreement.
Rich stayed in tech while Kip and Josh returned to his office.
* * *
Kip walkedinto his office with Elin following on his heels, “Mr. Brennan, Mr. Kieran Chase called. He said to report here as soon as you finished your meeting in tech.” Elin handed him an address.
“He’s there?” Kip paled.
“He didn’t say, but by the sound of the jazz in the background, I’d say so.”
“Thank you, Elin. Where is it from here?” Kip pulled a mint from his pocket.
Elin gave him directions. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Pray. The brown stuff is about to hit the circular oscillator. Have O’Mara, Thorn, Stone and Crescent 1 Alpha Squad report.” Kip headed into his bathroom and washed up.
The large group walked into La Vue du Roi. Kip pressed a fold of bills into the hostess’ hand, and they were brought into a back room. Kieran Chase, Brock Carpenter, head of legal, and two women Kip knew as attorneys out of the legal office sat on one side of a long table. On the other side of the table were four obese men in shiny suits, all sporting sweaty foreheads.
Kip approached Kieran, extending his hand. “Boss.”
Kieran, as always, appeared cool and relaxed. “Gentlemen, this is Kip Brennan. This purchase is his show. You will negotiate with him.” Kieran kicked out a chair for him to sit.
