The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,46
The Specialist wagged a manicured finger towards the door.
‘Okay, thanks.’ Bianca crossed the chamber, Holly Jo watching her with curiosity.
She stopped outside the Cube’s entrance, considered what she was about to say, then knocked. After a few seconds she got a reply, and entered.
This time Adam was on the couch. He sat upright. ‘Bianca, hi. What can I do for you?’
His greeting was so similar in tone and cadence to that of a few hours earlier that it could have been a recording. ‘Oh, nothing – just a social call,’ she said. ‘I thought that since we’ll be working together, it might be helpful if we got to know each other better.’
He didn’t recoil in horror at the prospect, but neither did he display any enthusiasm. ‘What do you want to know?’
‘Just a bit more about you, really. I mean you you, not agent you.’
That finally brought a glimmer of emotion to his face, though it wasn’t one she had expected. He seemed mildly bewildered by the very idea. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, sure. What are you like when you’re not being someone else? I’d like to know.’
‘Well, I’m . . .’ He hesitated. ‘I can’t—’
The door flew open, Kiddrick rushing in. He had the manic aggression of someone who expected to discover their spouse in flagrante. ‘What’s going on?’
‘What do you mean, what’s going on?’ said Bianca, surprised.
‘I mean, what are you doing in here with Adam?’
‘I’m . . . talking to him? Like I have been for the past three hours.’
‘He comes in here for privacy and quiet,’ Kiddrick snapped. ‘Not for chit-chat! When he’s in here, it’s because he wants to get away from the stresses of his work. You should respect that, and stay out of here.’
‘Are you his dad or something?’ said Bianca, riled by his attitude.
His eyes bulged even wider than usual. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said, are you his dad? Are we in your house? Because you seem to be setting ground rules for everyone.’
He drew himself to his full height. ‘Now look here! I created the Persona Project, and when I tell you to do something—’
‘Is there a problem?’ said Tony, entering.
Kiddrick spun to face him. ‘She’s talking to Adam!’
He nodded calmly. ‘Okay. And you’re angry about that because . . . ?’
‘Because she shouldn’t be! The Cube is supposed to be a refuge, a sanctum – you of all people should—’
Another person appeared. ‘This room doesn’t sound much like a sanctum to me,’ said Morgan. ‘What’s going on?’
Kiddrick spoke first, jabbing a finger at Bianca. ‘She—’
‘Dr Childs,’ Morgan interjected. ‘What’s all this about?’
‘I just wanted to ask Adam something,’ she replied, taking brief pleasure in Kiddrick’s fury at being cut off. ‘The next thing that happened was that Dr Kiddrick burst in here like the Tasmanian Devil.’
Kiddrick glared at her, then turned to Morgan. ‘You know why I—’
He was interrupted again. ‘All right,’ said Morgan. ‘Dr Kiddrick, calm down – we can discuss this in my office. Dr Childs, I know that you’re new both to STS and the entire working ethos of an intelligence agency, but you have to realise that this is not a social club.’
‘It wasn’t as if I was asking him out on a date,’ she protested.
‘I’m sure you weren’t. But please, in future, if Adam is in here, then respect his privacy. Okay, Dr Kiddrick?’
Still seething, Kiddrick stomped past him back out into the Bullpen. Morgan gestured for Bianca and Tony to follow. They did, Bianca looking back at Adam. His gaze met hers, still seeming perturbed by her interest.
Outside, the commotion had drawn an audience. ‘All right, show’s over,’ said Morgan as he closed the door. Heads reluctantly turned back to monitors. ‘And where are you going?’
Tony was guiding Bianca to an exit. ‘Getting back to what we were doing, Martin. Adam and I were taking a break from briefing Dr Childs. She’s British, she can’t function for long without tea.’
Morgan made an amused sound. ‘All right. But don’t take too long about it.’
They headed for the break room. Bianca shook her head. ‘Talk about overreacting.’
‘I’m sorry, I should have warned you,’ said Tony. ‘Kiddrick doesn’t like Adam . . . well, he calls it “fraternising” with anyone.’
‘Roger mentioned it,’ she said, remembering her earlier conversation. ‘So where exactly do I stand with Kiddrick? Is he my boss?’
A small laugh. ‘He likes to think he’s everyone’s boss. But no, he’s not. He and Roger both report directly to Martin, but they’re equal in . . . not rank,