“Hey, Crockett, I had a feeling you’d be calling me right back,” Charliesaid.
“Absolutely,” Crockett replied. “I’ve got you on speaker. Decker’s with me. What’s goingon?”
“I’m hoping you can tell me,” Charlie began. “CBP—Customs and Border Protection—called me. Two new Falcons failed. One never got off the ground. The other crashed. This is a first, Crockett. Batteries checked out fine. The units are on their way back to you. Have you come across other failures likethis?”
“Of the twenty-five hundred birds we’ve shipped so far, we’ve had one other recent report. My team is troubleshooting it. Getting yours back will accelerate our efforts. I’m sorry for the impact this is having on your operations. We’ll get it squared awayASAP.”
“Secret Service had a problem with three Spy Flies,” Charlie said. “I don’t have details yet but thought you’d want to know. We rely on your devices, so let’s get thisresolved.”
“Thanks for the call, Charlie. I’ll be in touch.” Crockett ended the call. “What a fuckingnightmare.”
“This can’t be a coincidence,” Deckersaid.
“We’ll have to delay certain product shipments until we isolate the problem. This could cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenues.” He slammed his fist on the table. “Goddammit this pisses meoff.”
Decker rose. “This time I’ll oversee QA’sanalysis.”
“Keep me updated,” Crockett said. “Switching topics, I want to show Alexandra our SpyFlies.”
From the doorway, Decker spun on his heels. “Seriously? That project is EyesOnly.”
“I trust her.” Crockett pushed out of thechair.
Decker’s frown was a clear sign he did not approve. “You sure aboutthis?”
Hitching an eyebrow, Crockett saidnothing.
“Fine,” said Decker. “Give me ten to ready the lab for an intruder—I meant,outsider.”
Decker’s pushback didn’t surprise Crockett. He trusted the media less than Crockett did. But he believed she wouldn’t exploit him for professional gain. He was sharing this information with Alex, not Alexandra Reed the journalist, and he’d make that clear before he showed her the tinydrones.
As Crockett strode down the hallway, he forced Charlie’s disturbing news to the back of his mind. Alexandra deserved his fullattention.
On and off throughout the day, he’d wondered whether she’d be returning home with him that evening. He assumed she’d move in with Kimberly or Colton. Though he wanted to insist she stay with him, seeing her float around his penthouse in his old gym shorts would give him a perpetual hardon.
He found Alexandra staring out his window with her phone jammed against her ear. Her brown corduroys hugged her ass, the stark white camisole shone through her sheer blackblouse.
“I can help you tomorrow afternoon, Stacy.” While listening, she twisted a chunk of dark hair. “The President’s recent trip to Russia is more topical than what the First Lady read to the elementary school class.” After listening, she added, “No, I didn’t say tropical. I saidtopical.”
“I’m sorry—who?”
“Yes, your new friendTexis right. I did win an Emmy. No, I won’t give you his number. Gottarun.”
After hanging up, she sighed. “Something has got to give. I’m babysitting a bubblehead. I need a story I can sink my teethinto.”
“Hey,” hesaid.
As she pivoted, he eyed her long legs and lean torso. He couldn’t resist a leggy woman, but no one did it for him like Alex. No one. Her rosy cheeks gave her a girl-next-door look. “Hi.”
Her phone call had revealed plenty. Not only had she held her ground with that twit, but she desperately needed a meaty story. Though he detested publicity, he’d help her out. She deserved a break. Plus, her skills weren’t being utilized.DC’s Brightest Tech Starwould provide her with the right stage to showcase her talent. But he’d wait until the right moment to tell her. Maybe even earn himself some extra points. “How was ArlingtonHill?”
As she recounted her interviews, her left eyebrow arched when she emphasized certain words and her smile favored one side. He’d forgotten how much he loved those endearingimperfections.
“And we finished our day with a story about two brothers,” she said. “The younger has special needs and the older designed a sled so he can play in the snow.” Her eyes softened. “It wastouching.”
Her sweet smile made him want to kiss her breathless. Instead, he focused on the reason for her visit. Help her track down some Incognito employee named Sage, then flush out her rejuvenation hunch. “Let’s continue where we left off this morning,” he said. “Ready to see mylab?”
Her face lit up. “That would be great.” Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen. “Finally. It’s Colton. Do you mind if I takethis?”
