Susan skimmed through reports her quants had prepared, making a mental note to order new printer cartridges. She preferred the random access of paper copies rather than painfully scrollingthrough shitty Word documents. Judith''s birthday partyhad mostly concluded, her daughter packed off with her friends on the yatch and Susan finally had some time to herself to get work done. There had been a time when her work was all she needed to unwind, the mathematicalchaos of the markets infusingher with a buzz more potent than any cocktail. The lureof that abstraction had driven her without rest until she had been madefull partner. But now the thrill was all but gone like a fading stupor and she could no longer see her vocationas anything more than making rich old men even richer. Not that she had any regrets, she wouldn''t havemet Richard otherwise. He''d been one of her rich clients.


    A knock on the door. Susan spotted Priscilla through the glass and pressed a remote unlock button on the desk.


    "Working late, dear?" Susan''s hexagonal office with windows on five wallswas Priscilla''s favorite room the house. The panorama of Long Island Sound was a splash ofindigoin the dusk.


    "As you can see, mom," Susan sighed, feeling a twinge of irritation mixed with guiltat the interruption.


    "That was a wonderful party, wasn''t it," Priscilla rambled on, "I quite enjoyed meeting all of Judith''s friends... such bright kids."


    "Hmm," Susan gruntedaresponse.


    "And that boy... Sean,"Priscilla was warming up, "I think he quite likedmy stories. AndI thought he was a rather intriguingyoung man."


    Susan sighed again, giving up trying to focus on work, "The question is, what was he doing here?"


    "What do you mean?" Priscilla raised an eyebrow.


    "Each of Judith''s friends had an obvious reason to be here," explainedSusan, "most of them justwant to be at a rich girl''s party. A couple of the boys have an obvious crush on Judith. And a couple other boyswant to impress Richard with an eye on future career prospects. But Sean doesn''t fit into any of those categories. "


    "Perhaps he just wants to be friends,"Priscilla suggested, "I noticed he wasn''t exactly affluent. Maybe he needs her help..."


    "He didn''t even look at Judith much,"Susan shook her head, "let alone talk to her. And he wasn''t trying to impress me or Richard... not intentionallyanyway. He''s aftersomething though..."


    "He seemed to like the house," Priscilla shrugged, "Some kids like to explore large mansions. Anyway... I came to ask if you want to join me for a movie on cable... sort of mom and daughter evening... like old times."


    "Sorry, mom," Susan grimaced gesturing at the reports scattered on her desk, "I can''t...next weekend perhaps."


    "You know," Priscilla looked wistful, "you don''t have to work every Saturday... it''s not like you need the money..."


    "Mom," snappedSusan, "it''s not about the money... it''s about what defines me. Richard works too. A woman''scareer isn''t any less important that it can just be discarded to serve..."


    "Oh, my dear," sighed her mom, "you know I didn''t mean that... I know you don''t enjoy your work that much anymore... yes I noticed... are you so afraid of turning into a trophy wife that you must keep driving yourself..."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Not now, mom," groanedSusan, "I really need to..."


    The sound of a turbine revving up made Susan standupand peer out the windows to see theirhelicopter take off, "I wonder why Richard has summonedthe chopper."


    Another knock at the door. Susan frowned to see it was Elliot. The household staff would not normally dream ofdisturbingher when she was working. The staffmanager strode in once sheunlocked the door.


    "Dreadfully sorry to disturb you, ma''am," Elliot''s words were as measured as ever except for a subtle differencein his stance,a coiled tension that belied his impassive demeanor, "but there''s been an incident at the plant.I must ask you and Mrs. Crawford to relocate to the bunker as a precaution."


    "Incident?" demanded Susan, an icy dread forming in the pit of her stomach.


    "An apparent GORGON attack within the premises," Elliot began and continued hastily, "thoughMr. Fuller assures me that he and Miss Judith are quite safe and unscathed. Details are scare but I can brief you on our way. But we must leave now."


    "I... I need to clean up," Susan felt her heart - that had seemed to stop at Elliot''s words - starting to race, "I can''t leave these just lying around..."


    "No time, ma''am. The staff are already gathered there," Elliot gently but firmly ushered Susan and her mom out of the office and down to the basement level.


    "What about Jason..." Susan faltered, "he''s staying out with friends tonight..."


    "I''ve already dispatched Jorgensen and Kramer for security," Elliot said soothingly, "Master Jason is safer if he stays put, and the men will stay with him. Although I must stress this is all merely a precaution. AmericanIntelligence does not expect GORGON to go afterthe Fuller family. I''ve also asked forstate police presence at the gates and the Coast Guard are sending a patrol boat this way."


    "Anyone else hurt?" Susan asked dreading the answer.


    "Too soon to say, ma''am," Elliot replied evasively, "I''m told most of the students are safe though."


    "Most?" Susan''s voice rose, feeling a stab of guilt for not asking that sooner.


    "It appears one of the students, Master Sean I believe, was injured," Elliot nodded reluctantly, as Priscilla gasped, "along with three soldiers."


    "How bad is it?" Susan''s face turned as white as a sheet, the icy dread squeezing tighter. One of Judith''s friends gettinginjured at her own party was bad enough, but such an incidentontheir factory tour was a disaster on so many levels... she could already see the headlines... Susan pushed away thoughts of PR spinfor later and turned toimmediate priorities.


    "His injuries aren''t expected to be life threatening," Elliot clarified, "and the onsite combatMedic has administered first aid after stabilizing the downed soldiers who are in more grave condition. They have been Casevaced to base. ButMr. Fuller feltit prudent forMaster Sean to beair lifted back here to Pelican''s Nest. Dr. Sinclair and one of his vettednurses arealready on their way."


    Susan nodded. Pelican''s Nest was installed with its own million-dollar emergency room and Richard had a concierge doctor on retainer. Unless his injuries were extreme Sean would receieve prompter and better medical care here than most hospitals in the state. And it might help mitigate the worst of the PR and legal disaster, though Susan hated herself for thinking that way. The elevator doors opened to disgorge them underground. A short concrete corridor lit with fluorecent strips in the ceiling ended at a massivehalf-open steel door, beyond whichan armored vault a.k.a The Bunker stoodready for sucheventualities. Mutedchatter soundedfrom within. The bunker was hardened to withstand anything less than a direct nuclear strike and was stocked with a two-week supply of filtered air, water and food. They stepped into the cramped vault to greet the household staff, some of them looking a bit nervous. Susan stepped forward to reassure them. A glass window was set into one wall through which lay the darkened ER.


    "Please secure the bunker, ma''am," Elliot gestured politely, "and do not openunlessI give the passcode. I will take your leave now toreceive Master Sean at the helipad. I''ll escort him down here along with Dr. Sinclair once they arrive. Mr. Fuller and Miss Judith''sentourage will be returning afterI''ve sounded the all clear."


    END OF CHAPTER