Casualties Read Online Free PDF Page A

there.” The sound of her own voice steadied her.
    â€œGood, Andrea was all set to start the meeting. I’ll tell her you’re on your way.”
    â€œThanks.”
And while you’re at it, tell Andrea to shut up and wait her turn.
There was a fine line between taking initiative and trying to usurp your boss. Don’s newest protégée didn’t seem to be walking it too carefully.
    Ruth wiped a few beads of sweat from her upper lip and picked a stray hair, mostly red with white near the root, from the nubbed silk of her jacket. Then she ran up the rest of the stairs.
    â€”
    Her staff meeting was nearly over when Gordon Olson appeared at the door to the conference room. His persistence didn’t surprise Ruth, but his presence did. It wasn’t like him to stand in front of a room full of people; he left that to Don and to her. Don was the idea man, at least as far as clients were concerned. Ruth executed the ideas. Gordon took care of the money and all the boring necessaries that fell into a big drum called operations. She smiled for the benefit of her staff, directors all, who had just closed their laptops and grabbed their empty coffee cups, expecting to be dismissed.
    â€œWe were just wrapping up. We’ve been putting the final touches on the KBR proposal.”
    â€œGood. I’ll wait,” Gordon said. When he stepped into the room, most of the men and women around the table got up and headed for the door, without waiting for Ruth to call the end of the meeting. Andrea, of course, lingered, but not, Ruth knew, out of any deference to her.
    â€œHow can I help you, Gordon?” The conference phone buzzed, but Ruth ignored it.
    â€œHR’s been hearing from the families of some of our contractors. Apparently, they’ve got complaints.”
    Ruth saw Andrea lift her eyes from her phone and shake her mane of chocolate hair out of her face.
    â€œWhat kinds of complaints?”
    â€œThe usual, insurance claims taking too long, that sort of thing.”
    â€œIsn’t that HR’s problem to solve?” Ruth said.
    Gordon’s face cinched into a frown. “That’s one way to look at it.” He paused, probably expecting her to bite. Ruth decided to wait him out.
    â€œWhat was a trickle of claims is suddenly a stream. Legal’s gotten letters from a lawyer. Something’s up.”
    This was ridiculous. Ruth’s BlackBerry vibrated against her hip. She started to gather her own laptop and notes.
    â€œSorry, Gordon, isn’t HR your area?”
    â€œIsn’t the contractor business yours?”
    The edge in his voice sounded like a warning of some kind. Ruth glanced at Andrea. “Thanks, Andrea, you can go. Let’s touch base this afternoon to go over the final proposal.”
    â€œSure,” said Andrea, but Ruth thought she saw her glance at Gordon as if checking with him first. Ruth felt her jaw tighten, but she had no more time to think about it because Gordon was already talking again.
    â€œDo I need to remind you that we all want to make Transglobal happy? They’re sending in their team to do due diligence and I don’twant any surprises. That’s as much your concern as it is mine, don’t you think?”
    â€œOf course, but—”
    â€œRuth?” Terri poked her head around the corner of the conference room door. There was only one reason she would come down personally to extract her from a meeting. “Robbie?” Without waiting for an answer, Ruth shoved her laptop into her bag.
    â€œHe’s on the phone right now; you want me to patch him through?”
    â€œNo,” Ruth said. She wanted privacy for this call. “I’m coming.”
    As she brushed past Gordon, he said, “I want you to take a look, make sure everything’s as it should be, that’s all.”
    Ruth was already thinking about what to say to her son. What not to say. She glanced at Gordon and the