> > > "Oh my God!", she loses it, lowering her head into her hands and > > > sobbing. > > > Woof comes around the table kneels beside her and puts his arms > > around her pulling her head into his shoulder. "Lessa, Lessa..." he > > rocks her until she regains control, saying her name softly. "Lessa, > > I'm not going to abandon you. > >Lesssa clings to Woof and sobs on his shoulders for a minute or more >before she draws a deep breath and stops sobbing. > > > "We'll get them...and Rachel." He pulls her head back a little, > > looking into her eyes. "We'll get your daughter, Lessa. Tell me, do > > you know who they were? What do they want you to do?" > >She nods and her chin firms, "Yes, I'll get Rachel back. I WILL!" Woof nods, admiring the steel of conviction in her voice. >She pushes Woof back as she tries to compose herself "No, I don't know >who they are, but I've got a very good idea who they are working for...." "Who?" he asks simply. >She pushes a brown cardboard folder that is lying on the table toward >Woof and says, "...and what they want me to do is to destroy *this* and >then die. I'm sure that bomb at MNN was meant to kill me and destroy my >notes, or at least to destroy the notes on the system in my office, but >*I* got out and I had copies." "You were in your office when they blew it up?" he asks amazed at her. >The cardboard folder has a flap to hold its contents inside and is held >shut with a dark red cloth string tied into a bow. On it's cover Woof >sees printed in Lessa's neat hand, "Notes on Hayes and Burke". "Hayes and Burke?" he asks. Do these names mean anything to him? >Lessa says, "I have enough here to clear myself and, I think, put a >really big crimp into the Guild's plans, but if I use it then Rachel is >dead, so I can't use it." "Not yet," he murmurs. >She adds with a hard glint in her eyes, "Not until I get Rachel back." > >Lessa reaches under the table and picks up her large bag. She pulls a >notebook computer from it and lays it on the table. > >She opens the lid and then stops and says with emotion in her voice, >"Woof, I'll understand if you don't want to watch *this*, but I think >maybe you should before committing to help me." > >She waits for Woof to answer... Woof places his hand on hers. "Let me see. I want to help you. This will probably help. And I want to know what it is all about. And what you've been thinking of doing. Let me see..." Woof
