Russell and her people are going to build to provide some protection from mortars and artillery that get lobbed over the rim of the valley," he said, ...and we've already discussed how situating our SAMs to cover the northern approach should give us enough air cover, since they'll have to come from that direction if they expect to hit anything in the valley and not just expend their munitions on its walls..." Yes, General, and I appreciate that you understand how busy I am, but it's not necessary. ”Will slid his flat hand in a slicing motion across his neck. “Unacceptable. Let's order something from the diner downstairs before you head home.”“You mean that IHOP knockoff?” Abbey was skeptical.“It serves real food, cooked without nuclear fusion. It's open twenty-four hours, and you require sustenance. And your assistant orders your lunch from there once a week because he likes to flirt with the delivery guy.”“Doug, you devious snickerdoodle.”...“My five-year plan? Am I interviewing for yet. But she wasn’t hiding it from me. She was putting it right out in the open. Connie knew I was smart enough to not fall for a scheme like that. She also knew that I might be opportunistic enough to agree to it, especially with the ‘sweetener’ that she’d thrown in about having someone on the side. But I wasn’t going to fall for a scheme. I was going to go into it with my eyes wide open. Well, assuming that I did it, which wasn’t likely.“You really think that I’d be that stupid?” I asked in. I think it would be weird if we didn't show up together. That would look like we were trying to hide something.'Sammi considered his reasoning. 'I guess.''I'm right,' he said, sounding more like the owner of a multi-national corporation, and less like the sensitive, attentive lover she'd been with the previous night. She liked both versions of him.'You sound like you've done this before.'He shrugged, his eyes twinkling. 'We do these retreats every year.'Sammi's head snapped around and she.