Page 39 (1/2)

Buffy beamed “All of it”

“That explains soet a point spike when you say you hate me in a published report”

“Only because it’s true,” I said, quashing the urge to groan It was e She had to put sohten suspense; it just loses readers

Shaun snorted “Right So you had three tracks, and ?”

“I tossed them up in their raw forot straight bio files on the confir can fall apart” Buffy cast an anxious glance ht?”

Room service confir with an order of dry wheat toast I hung up the phone “Which betas?”

“Uate, Alaric for the perimeter, and Becks for the attack on the two of you”

“Ah” I adjustedto want to review their reports” It was a formality, and from the look on her face, Buffy knew it; she’d selected the saland, and he’s great for dry, factual reporting that neither pretties things up nor dumbs them down If I have a second in command, it’s Mahir Alaric can build suspense al his narration and description into the natural blank spots in a recording And Becks would have been a horrorin a horroris impeccable, and her cut shots are even better Of the betas we’ve acquired, I count ood They’re hoping to ride our success to alpha positions of their own, and that makes the else in this business, even talent

“Of course you will,” Buffy said, clearly waiting for me to break down and say the words

I sood”

Buffy punched the air “She shoots, she scores!”