ne called to John from the doorway and John excused himself, patting
Mandi's shoulder on the way past her and saying, "Thanks again for your help."
Mandi shortly disengaged from her SWAT fan club and joined Cade by the bed.
"Is everything all right?" she asked.
"No," said Cade. "John can't tell me who's running this op."
"Neither can I," said Mandi. "Alan's getting his orders from John and won't
admit to knowing anything else. Does it really matter who's at the top?"
"It does to me, but as long as John's in my command chain, I'll go along
with things. Do you have dinner plans?"
"Yes. Some of the people from my group are going to DelMonico's around seven
if nothing else happens. Want to come with us?"
"No, thanks," he pulled the DragonCon schedule halfway out of his pocket,
"I'm gonna disappear before they let the news people out and go find some food.
There are a couple of things I want to check out between seven and nine."
Reaching to touch his arm, Mandi said quietly, "You gave me the opening I
needed in there. Thanks."
Regarding her silently for a moment, Cade said, "You didn't need me at all,
Mandi. After I saw the playback, I asked John why you didn't handle the whole
mess yourself."
Letting her hand fall to her side, Mandi said, "That wasn't the plan, Ed.
That's all I can say."
A woman called Mandi from the doorway.
Mandi nodded to let the woman know she'd heard and turned back to Cade to
ask, "What's your issue-cell number?"
"Forty-two-eighteen. Yours?"
"Zero-two-two-one."
Although he knew that the cells were recharged and reissued in no particular
order, Cade grinningly said, "Wow, that's a low number. You must be somebody
special, ma'am."
Laughing, Mandi said, "No, not me. They just handed me one from a box."
An awkward moment of parting was developing. Cade curtailed it by extending
a hand and saying, "I'm off in search of dinner. See you later, milady."
Catching her lower lip between her teeth for a moment as she shook hands,
Mandi said, "Yeah. See you later, Ed."
As Cade left her to head for the door, a guy asked, "Have you been
debriefed?"
Thumbing at the console that was being packed into metal suitcases, Cade
said, "It's all on tape. John has my number."
'Debriefed', thought Cade as he entered the hallway. What kind of a putz
came up with that word? Probably a politician.

Chapter Seven

Mandi w