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Myra placed her arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “Yes. Sister shock. I guess we should have prepared you better, but there really isn’t any other way. ‘You’re either on the bus, or under the bus.’ ” Myra looked around. “I know, it’s supposed to be ‘off the bus,’ but let’s be honest. That is what we do.”
Maggie was the first one to throw her arm up in the air. “Woo-hoo!”
“Easy, girl,” Annie said. “There’s plenty of time for the rootin’ tootin’ stuff.”
Maggie pouted. “Geez, you guys have been brutal to me since I got here.”
Annie approached Maggie and held her arms out. “Need a hug?” Maggie got up and wrapped her arms around her dear friend and mentor, who also happened to be her boss. Annie winked at the other women, who threw their arms into an air fist-bump, and “Woo-hoo!” bounced off the walls.
“Okay then. What’s next on the list?” Yoko asked.
Izzie looked up. “What about Yoko and I?”
“For now, get your project on track. I’ve got it covered. One of my associates, Danny Lodge, is going to get in touch with you to arrange for the construction of your foundation while we take care of the other construction items. We’ll probably deploy everyone in about a week or so. When Charles and Fergus can put a few construction sites on the map, we’ll decide which ones to target first.”
“Avery is good to go,” Fergus called over his shoulder.
Annie continued to add to her list. “Maggie, I want you to research all major structural failures over the past ten years. But start backwards, beginning with last year. If there’s a pattern, we’ll see it sooner than waiting for history to catch up.
“Zoe, we need you to go back to work so you can keep an eye on the office. Act like you are getting used to the new job. I know it’ll be hard, but I am sure you can fake it. You can’t quit now. Otherwise, it would look very suspicious.”
Myra added, “Fergus, ask Avery to have Zoe shadowed. Sasha would be the best choice. She knows the city inside and out.” Myra looked at Zoe again and placed her hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “Sasha is one of the best people when it comes to tracking, following, shadowing . . . basically stalking.” She chuckled. “She will be on your tail whenever you leave your apartment. Not only will she be a good source of protection, but she will also find out who is following you. I promise, you will be in excellent hands.”
She turned to Alexis. “Can you work with Maggie to find out if any lawsuits were filed after the disasters?”
“Absolutely.”
“Everybody good with this?” Annie asked.
In unison they shouted, “Whatever it takes!” This time fist bumps were happily shared.
Myra nodded at Izzie. It was time to bring Zoe back into the kitchen and soothe her nerves with some of her homemade ice cream. “We’ll be up shortly.”
Izzie linked her arm through Zoe’s, and they saluted Lady Justice as they exited the room. When they entered the kitchen, a line of dogs sat waiting for their people friends, their tails slapping against the floor. Izzie and Zoe made sure each of the pooches got a pat, scratch, and tickle on the head.
“Take a seat,” Izzie suggested to Zoe. “You must have a zillion questions.”
“No. Just one.” Zoe let out a big whoosh of air. “Where the heck am I?”
Izzie couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “You are at Pinewood, and yes, the technology is off the charts. You’ve heard of the ‘dark web’? Well, we can navigate black holes on the web!”
Zoe shook her head back and forth. “I feel like I got dropped into the middle of a movie set. But which one?” She was clearly disoriented. “Alice in Wonderland or North by Northwest?”
“I can say with great confidence it is not Mission: Impossible,” Izzie joked. “I can totally relate to your confusion right now. When I was in jail a woman came to visit me. I didn’t know where she came from or who sent her, but in a relatively short matter of time, I was exonerated and ultimately started to get my life back.”
“Did you ever find out who it was?” Zoe asked.
“You met them. At least some of them. I owe them everything.”
“Kind of a secret society?” Zoe asked nervously.
“Yes. Of sorts.” Izzie heard footsteps coming from below and began to dish out the ice cream. “I’ll fill you in when we get back to my place. For now, relax and know the Sisterhood is on the case.”
Maggie was the first one in the kitchen. She immediately went into the pantry and pulled out several packages of cookies and set them on a plate. In typical Maggie fashion, she had one in her mouth as she walked toward the table, stepping carefully over the mass of canine pals. “Oh, shut it,” she said between bites, anticipating a wisecrack from Izzie.
“I didn’t say a word.” Izzie was scooping out the ice cream and handing the bowls over to Zoe to place in front of each chair.
Myra was next to arrive in the kitchen. “Lady, why don’t you bring your party into the atrium so we don’t all end up on top of you?” As if Lady understood every word out of Myra’s mouth, she stood up but waited. She knew Fergus would have an incentive in his pocket.
