THE MEETING HAD gone on way too long. Maddy took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “Do we have anybody who’s conversant in long range disaster preparation?”
There was the expected hemming and hawing, the shuffling of the papers, and the refusal to look her in the eye. She bit back a sigh. “Anybody? Do we have anybody?”
Jim Thorton, VP of Overseas Production, cleared his throat. “Jared. Downstairs.”
Maddie perked up. “The new kid? He knows long range disaster preparation?”
Jim nodded. “He’s been on several planning councils. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him.”
“Alright. Get him up here.” Maddie snapped her fingers at one the administrative assistants, who hopped to her feet and scurried out of the room. “Now. Moving on. Reports say that our newly constructed bridge over the Ohio has serious structural issues. Can somebody tell me if it’s more cost effective to rebuild it, or to let people die and pay off the families afterward?”
Liz Charnes 