on and waited for it to boot up.
“It’s not like you to ask questions like this, Oz. You let me know if there’s a problem, you hear me? I’ve got your back. Just like always.”
“I know, Rudy. Now let me go and look at this stuff. See you in the morning.”
“Later, Ladyfish.”
She hung up, logged into her mail program and deleted half a dozen spam mails before opening the message from Rudy. The files were attached. Medical questionnaire. General background. Application for the instructor internship. Interest in accommodation. Swim test results: 26.21 for the fifty meter swim. Oz grunted, surprised. The world record was only just under twenty-four seconds. She clicked open her Internet browser and started a search of Sterling Enterprises. Something felt slightly wrong about it, as though she were snooping. But Finn had offered the information, and if she was going to be able to help at all, she needed plenty of background.
She dialed a number she knew by heart and waited.
“Yeah.”
“Billy, it’s Oz.”
“That’s Dad, Daddy, Pops, or Father to you, Ladyfish. You hear me?”
“Yes, sir.” Oz grinned as she pictured her dad sprawled across the sofa, phone in one hand, beer in the other, her mom curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest, reading a book.
“That one wasn’t on the list either.” His strong southern accent got stronger as she teased him.
“Yeah, yeah, Pops.”
“So, to what do I owe the honor? This is an unexpected pleasure, little Ladyfish. It’s been a long time with nothing but silence. How ya been?”
“Good. I need some information and I know you still have contacts.”
“He’s your uncle for God’s sake, Olivia. You could call him yourself you know.”
“He might be my uncle, but he’s a busy man. Commanding the base and stuff. It just seems like you should be the one to call him.”
“He’s still your uncle and he’d still take your call. And you damn well know that.”
“Yeah, I know, but I’ve already called you now, so will you ask him for me or what?” She heard him huffing and puffing down the line.
“Tell me what you need.”
“Thanks, Dad. Sterling Enterprises. I need everything you can find out about the CEO. William—”
“William Sterling. Rich bastard and twice as nasty. Not to be crossed. The main company owns several subsidiaries working on weapons development and military software here in the States. Do you need the full breakdown?”
“Yeah. Like you were putting together an op for Junior.”
“Why?”
“A friend of mine might have some problems with him.”
“Him personally or with him in business?”
“Personally.”
“Shit, Olivia, what are you getting into? This guy is a major player. How the fuck are you involved in this?”
“I told you, a friend of mine—”
“Are you screwing his wife or something?”
“Thank you very much, Dad. No, I’m not screwing his wife. I’m friends, just friends , with his daughter.”
“So you’ve bedded his daughter and now he’s after you, is that it?”
“Dad, I haven’t slept with her. She’s a student at the dive school. I met her yesterday; we had a meeting and dinner tonight. End of story. I didn’t sleep with her. She dropped me off ten minutes before I called you.”
“So why are you expecting trouble if you didn’t sleep with her?”
“I’m not. She is. Look, Dad, I like her, she’s a really nice girl, and she’s trying to get out from under this asshole. I want to be friends with her and I just want to get some kind of idea what to expect and see if there’s anything I can do to help her.”
“Is she ugly or something?”
Oz felt herself bristling. She knew her reputation. Hell, she’d reveled in it before now, but the possibility her own dad thought she would only help someone in return for sex hurt. “Dad, am I so horrible that you really don’t believe I would do anything for someone else unless sex was involved?”
Her dad paused,
“It’s not like you to ask questions like this, Oz. You let me know if there’s a problem, you hear me? I’ve got your back. Just like always.”
“I know, Rudy. Now let me go and look at this stuff. See you in the morning.”
“Later, Ladyfish.”
She hung up, logged into her mail program and deleted half a dozen spam mails before opening the message from Rudy. The files were attached. Medical questionnaire. General background. Application for the instructor internship. Interest in accommodation. Swim test results: 26.21 for the fifty meter swim. Oz grunted, surprised. The world record was only just under twenty-four seconds. She clicked open her Internet browser and started a search of Sterling Enterprises. Something felt slightly wrong about it, as though she were snooping. But Finn had offered the information, and if she was going to be able to help at all, she needed plenty of background.
She dialed a number she knew by heart and waited.
“Yeah.”
“Billy, it’s Oz.”
“That’s Dad, Daddy, Pops, or Father to you, Ladyfish. You hear me?”
“Yes, sir.” Oz grinned as she pictured her dad sprawled across the sofa, phone in one hand, beer in the other, her mom curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest, reading a book.
“That one wasn’t on the list either.” His strong southern accent got stronger as she teased him.
“Yeah, yeah, Pops.”
“So, to what do I owe the honor? This is an unexpected pleasure, little Ladyfish. It’s been a long time with nothing but silence. How ya been?”
“Good. I need some information and I know you still have contacts.”
“He’s your uncle for God’s sake, Olivia. You could call him yourself you know.”
“He might be my uncle, but he’s a busy man. Commanding the base and stuff. It just seems like you should be the one to call him.”
“He’s still your uncle and he’d still take your call. And you damn well know that.”
“Yeah, I know, but I’ve already called you now, so will you ask him for me or what?” She heard him huffing and puffing down the line.
“Tell me what you need.”
“Thanks, Dad. Sterling Enterprises. I need everything you can find out about the CEO. William—”
“William Sterling. Rich bastard and twice as nasty. Not to be crossed. The main company owns several subsidiaries working on weapons development and military software here in the States. Do you need the full breakdown?”
“Yeah. Like you were putting together an op for Junior.”
“Why?”
“A friend of mine might have some problems with him.”
“Him personally or with him in business?”
“Personally.”
“Shit, Olivia, what are you getting into? This guy is a major player. How the fuck are you involved in this?”
“I told you, a friend of mine—”
“Are you screwing his wife or something?”
“Thank you very much, Dad. No, I’m not screwing his wife. I’m friends, just friends , with his daughter.”
“So you’ve bedded his daughter and now he’s after you, is that it?”
“Dad, I haven’t slept with her. She’s a student at the dive school. I met her yesterday; we had a meeting and dinner tonight. End of story. I didn’t sleep with her. She dropped me off ten minutes before I called you.”
“So why are you expecting trouble if you didn’t sleep with her?”
“I’m not. She is. Look, Dad, I like her, she’s a really nice girl, and she’s trying to get out from under this asshole. I want to be friends with her and I just want to get some kind of idea what to expect and see if there’s anything I can do to help her.”
“Is she ugly or something?”
Oz felt herself bristling. She knew her reputation. Hell, she’d reveled in it before now, but the possibility her own dad thought she would only help someone in return for sex hurt. “Dad, am I so horrible that you really don’t believe I would do anything for someone else unless sex was involved?”
Her dad paused,
Similar Books
