have been moved up a pay grade, but without the onus of moving to another state. You will have your choice of two IT people to work with, and reasonable funds to set up the computer systems.”
On the screen, JoJo’s mouth was pursed in shock. Carefully, as if he was holding out chocolate and might jerk it back, she said, “I can take Tandy? And train my IT people myself?”
“Yes. I had assumed that you would take Dyson with you upstairs.”
I was pretty sure that everyone was as surprised as I was. Maybe more. They all looked . . . stricken was a good word.
FireWind was dour and distant as he looked around at us, including the screen with Tandy’s and JoJo’s faces. That totally disarming smile flashed before disappearing back into that solemn expression. “Regarding our relationship discussions this previous week, I wish to consider the emotional and practical needs of this unit. In fully human units, fraternization results in transfers and can be means for reprimand. Because Unit Eighteen is composed primarily of paranormals, I am granting leeway where personal relationships are concerned, so long as no personnel problems arise, as long as you are discreet and you continue working well as a team. Should problems develop, offenders will be sent to other units and possibly demoted as required.”
It was a gift and a threat.
FireWind went on. “I’m thankful to all of you for the excellent work and hard hours you put in today. Especially Kent, who has done an outstanding job taking lead on this investigation, and who has been the principal individual bringing this region of PsyLED into the twenty-first century. Despite a hasty tongue and hot temper, over the last year, she has developed what I hope will be ongoing relationships with other paranormals, including the unit’s weres and Knoxville’s Mithran vampires, and has found ways to utilize and work with multiple witch covens over the course of every case.
“Kent.” He addressed her. “The paperwork went in yesterday, and at your next evaluation, you also will move up a pay grade, and you will be offered the responsibility I outlined earlier, to travel to each of the other units to train their humans and to negotiate with the local covens for contract work on a consultation basis.” He sent her a quick look of chagrin, which was totally unexpected. “That is, if you can keep your mouth shut and not annoy your up-line SAC for his cultural oversights and accessional gaffes.
“That is all for tonight.”
We were dismissed.
* * *
* * *
“Did T. Laine know FireWind had put her in for a pay raise?” I asked.
“No way,” Occam said as he maneuvered his fancy car through the streets of Cookeville, driving us back toward Stella’s Melody Horse Farm. “He probably wasn’t supposed to announce that for weeks.”
“So why did he? Announce tonight, I mean. And what’s going on between Lainie and him? She was practically beating him with words. And what’s up with the threat he made about separating us?”
“Two days ago, FireWind made the mistake of suggesting that Lainie might want to steer clear of Captain Gonzales.”
“Ohhh.” T. Laine was currently dating the leader of Knoxville SWAT, Captain Joaquin H. Gonzales, a cop she had met at our last big case. Gonzales once had the rep of a para hater, but since he and his entire team had been almost wiped out by a blood-magic user and the Blood Tarot, and since T. Laine and a bunch of paras had saved his butt, things had changed and romance had blossomed. “Why would he do that? In the church, the surest way to drive a girl into a suitor’s arms is to say no to a courtship.”
“Don’t know, except Gonzales and FireWind are having issues. Don’t know what sparked it either. JoJo tried to find a record of what happened, but nada.”
“What did—How did—” I stopped.
“He walked in on Lainie talking on the phone at her cubicle and told her Gonzales was bad news and that she could do better.”
“Oh. My.”
“Yeah. She used some pretty colorful language telling him off. Said he had no right to dictate who she slept with.”
“Oh my,” I repeated. I had been off two days ago. I had missed the fireworks.
“And in case you might be wondering, he then dropped by my cubicle and warned me that our dating was against regs. I told him he could—well, he could do something anatomically impossible.”