Disclaimer: Don't own them; don't profit from them, just like to play with them.
Donald Lydecker was fit to be tied. They had come so close. Ten seconds away from locking in on Max's location and the signal had been lost. The Red techs had tried frantically to regain it finally giving up and admitting defeat after six fruitless hours. Lydecker had stared at them with such cold fury in his eyes on their declaration of defeat that they had hastily left the room, not even staying to pack up their equipment.
Deck cared less; he had already given orders that would assure they would never return to South Africa. Their helicopter would suffer a fatal crash on their way to the airport. Pity to waste their talents but he was taking no chances on their having seen or heard something they shouldn't have while they were here. After all it wouldn't do to let any of Manticore's secrets get back to their superiors.
Deck had been cloistered in his office pacing restlessly for hours. His assistants had taken one look at his face when he ordered the operation to stand down and had known to leave him well alone. Now though there was news that had to get to him and the luckless clerk chosen to deliver it knocked nervously on Deck's office door.
"Come in." he barked and looked up coldly at the trembling man. "What is it? I gave orders not to be disturbed."
"Sir, I was ordered to bring this to you." The man held out a sealed envelope. Deck snatched it from his hand and ripped it open, quickly scanning the contents and letting out a string of obscenities.
"How long ago did this information arrive?" The clerk shivered at his icy glare and menacing tone.
"I don't know sir. I was only told to give this to you." Lydecker turned from the clerk waving him out of the room with a gesture of his hand. Relieved the clerk exited closing the door quietly behind him. Lydecker was already on the phone as he left.
"What the hell was Brin doing out on recon for this one? I don't recall ordering that." He listened for a moment and then said. "Who ordered it? I see. Connect this call through to her. Now." He sat impatiently for several minutes waiting for the call to go through.
"Why the hell did you send Brin out on this? She's only just been reconditioned and now I'm told we've lost her?" He listened intensely for a moment them replied.
"Well put it in your record that I was not consulted and would have recommended against it. It now appears that instead of picking up an X5 we've lost another one." He waited a moment then replied. "Hell yes I'm being insubordinate. I'm not the one who lost another X5 today." Not waiting for an answer he hung up the phone. He sat for several moments lost in thought then turned to his computer. Bringing up a file he scanned it for information nodding to himself. Something was wrong with the picture he was seeing. She had been too cool about losing Brin and not picking up Max, almost as if she didn't really care. He needed to figure out what was going on and he needed to do it fast. In the meantime perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to halt operation Eyes Only. He could start it up again anytime but for now he preferred to keep that one up his sleeve, a hidden ace if he needed to use it.
Decision made he sent the email temporarily halting the Eyes Only project. That done he opened up the surveillance program and began to review the information that had come in over the last day. He knew there was something there that would tell him what she was up to, it was only a matter of finding it.