Page 11 (1/2)

1

VERONICA “FLASH” REDDING slammed her locker door shut for the last time She pulled on her leather bomber jacket and popped her collar to hide the red welt on the side of her neck Trading her steel-toed work boots for bright red Pu her backpack over her shoulder and took a quick steadying breath She could do this More importantly, she had to do this She would have told herself to “ lately,up would be a step down She’d have to woman up instead

She found her boss, Ian Asher, standing behind his desk, poring over a set of blueprints for their next construction project—a small and desperately needed medical clinic in the rural Mount Hood area A handso black man stood next to hier She listened as he listed off changes they’d have to ht pass the Oregon legislature next year Flash stood in the doorhile she waited for theotten at ignoring her, this ht take a while

“What if these regs don’t pass?” Drew asked Ian “You really want to redo the whole plan to co codes that aren’t even on the books yet?”

“They’ll be on the books,” Ian replied

“You sure?”

“He’s sure,” Flash said from the doorway

Ian glanced up frolared at her

“Flash, how can we help you?” Ian asked He did not look happy to see her

“Our boss’s dad is a state senator,” Flash said, ignoring Ian to speak to Drew “That’s how he knows the codes will probably pass”

“If we don’t build it to the new codes and they go through, then we’ll have to retrofit it next year,” Ian said “We’re going to do it right the first ti to do with it”

“What’s the deal with all the new regs, anyway?” Drew asked “Four bolts per step? And that’s a lot of steel reinforcements for a one-story medical clinic”

“You ht?” Flash asked

“DC,” Drew said “Why?”

“You know you’re standing on a volcano, right?” Flash asked “And not a dormant volcano, either”