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It's Dolly's Birthday
Chapt 7.
Cally makes the call...
The real furnace repair crew showed up just then -- two men in a van whose livery paint job looked much more professional. Drummond delegated the task of showing them where the furnace was to Callisto, who tromped down the basement steps with them and guided them to the corner where the boiler crouched beneath its hydra-armed tangle of asbestos-sheathed pipes. She showed them the outside door and how they could pull their van around to the side of the house and thus gain easier access to the area where they'd be working. Then she went back upstairs.
Meantime, Drummond went back inside himself and bound the Mequillar thugs with heavy cable ties and red duct tape, somewhat amazed that they had not attempted to escape or cause mischief while he and Callisto had been occupied outside. But they were placid and uncomplaining, and Drummond didn't have the time to worry at the conundrum their behavior presented.
Leaving them strewn about the floor of the foyer, their ankles bound together and their hands behind their backs, he headed for the nearest phone, which happened to be in the kitchen.
When she turned the corner at the top of the stairs in the kitchen, Callisto stopped dead, confronted by the sight of a distraught Drummond, head on his forearm against the wall of the kitchen's entry arch, the telephone receiver held loosely in one hand, its cord draped in a funereal swag from the instrument on the kitchen wall. He was breathing hard in huge helpless sobs. Tears dripped from his cheeks and landed with nasty splats on the vinyl flooring.
Callisto ducked back around the corner and retreated halfway down the stairs. Then she retraced her steps, this time walking loudly, stomping on the steps and noisily throwing the door open before her then slamming it closed behind her. When she came around the corner again, Drummond was standing still, dry-eyed, but with a stricken expression on his face.
"Cally," he said pleading, "Could you...?" He held out the phone to her. She nodded and strode across the kitchen, her hand outstretched to accept the phone. As they met in the archway, he brushed by her, a gentle hand placed momentarily on her shoulder in thanks and a grateful meeting of her eyes with his as they passed.
Then she was focused on the terrible burden of information she bore into the heart of the Center. It was by no means unique. By a quick count, she knew of a half-dozen or more occasions over the previous year when news of Dolly's jeopardy was cast into the quiet of the Center's contemplation like a rock into a small pond. But it was not lessened thereby. The little redhead was much beloved of the Centerites and the word the telephone wires bore hence would strike at many hearts on the campus.
With quick, stabbing motions of her strong, slender fingers, she dialed from memory the number for the OOD switchboard. Dolly's experience on her last adventure had taught them that. All Center operatives were required to commit the number to memory and a game was made of requiring that it be regurgitated on demand. "How do you phone home?" was the challenge, and the response was the number. Never again would an operative lose the ability to contact the Center in extremis.
Her call was answered by an operator somewhere in the bowels of the Administration Building. "Oh-Oh-Dee!" came the chirpy greeting, the initials standing for Office Of the Director.
"Hello, Center," Callisto replied, following the prescribed formula. "This is Enforcer, (J.G.), Callisto Dolly, four-seven-two, five-eight, ten ninety-eight. Access code Rho seven niner. I need to speak to the Director, code Crash Blue."
A mechanical voice broke in and acknowledged her identification:
"ID confirmed by voiceprint. Subject is Enforcer Dolly. Voice stress analysis states with 98.97% surety that Enforcer Dolly is not speaking under duress or threat."
"I will pass you to the Director, ma'am."
"Thank you," Callisto said warmly and waited while the connection was taken over by the hold music. Then Terry came on the line.
"Good morning, Cally. What's up?" Terry sounded indolent, almost satiated. Her good mood was indicated by a slight drawl that impinged on her speech when she was in that state of mind. Callisto had not noticed it before coming romantically involved with the Center's Director, but now she heard it frequently. She allowed herself a catlike grin of satisfaction. She was please that Terry was in a good mood, even though she was about to shatter it. Her grin faded as she unburdened herself of the terrible news.
"We have a situation, Terr. Gabrielle's been kidnapped by the Meqs," she blurted out. "We have five captive that we need to get out of Drummond's front hallway."
"What the fuck?" Terry shouted. Callisto jerked the phone away from her ear. "How the fuck did that happen?"
"Does it matter?" Callisto asked quietly.
"No," Terry replied with palpable reluctance. "No, it doesn't matter right now." Callisto could hear a long exhalation of breath as through pursed lips. "I'll get a Troll team down there as quick as I can. I think there's one on standby at the Rick. It'll take about forty-five minutes."
"Uh, longer, Terr. We can't have them rappelling down bungee cords in Drummond's front yard. The neighbors would look at us funny. We'll meet the chopper at Lunken --" the municipal airport, ten minutes from Drummond's house, "-- we only have Drummond's Cherokee for transport, so it might take a couple of trips if there are more than three or four of them."
"A couple of trips," Terry repeated. "OK. I'll pass the word. Cally..."
"Yeah?"
"You OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. A little pissed off at Drummond right now, but we're not hurt or anything. For that matter, neither is Gabrielle."
"Pissed off..."
Callisto realized what she'd said and had second thoughts. "Minor deal but a long story. I have stuff to take care of. I'll tell you later."
"OK," Terry said, sounding dubious, but letting it slide. She was coming to trust the young, hotheaded enforcer more and more as she got to know her better. "Call me when you can."
"Yes, ma'am! Callisto out!"
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