Bursting fireworks began to light the deep orange-red sky. This wasn't just your local neighborhood gathering with firecrackers and bottle rockets celebrating the evening—the sky over Ray Catlin's backyard glowed in amazing colors of red, white, and blue. Being in the military had benefits—like the ass-kicking fireworks the Catlins got their hands on to shoot off every Fourth of July. No one within a three-block radius ever missed the display in the sky above the Catlins' home.
After shooting off the fireworks, Ray turned to the large gathering of friends and neighbors in his white-fenced, perfectly landscaped backyard and held up his arms as the cheers around him grew.
"Okay, that's just the first wave. More to come after we have some of the ribs Mike has been cooking in my yard all afternoon. Let's eat!"
The guests of the Catlins' Fourth of July party started to file toward the barbecue pit set deep in the corner of the yard. At the other end of the yard, John Adams, wearing khaki shorts and a black T-shirt that was unable to hide the man's huge shoulders and arms, quickly walked up behind Ray and tugged on his shirt.
"Hey, need to talk to you alone for a second."
"Cool, I need to talk to you alone for a second."
The two started to walk away from the rest. Ray placed an arm of affection over John's shoulders, gazing at him with his beer-induced happy eyes.
"Hey, what do you think of Ashley, John?"
"Huh?"
"My next-door neighbor. I think you met her when you got here, she was just standing over there with Kate."
"She's nice, I guess."
"Nice enough to take out on a date? She hasn't stop looking at you, and she won't stop talking to Kate about you. She's recently divorced. No children, husband went to jail for insider trading. Guy was ass-wrong from the first time I met him, just weird. And he always smelled like cat food every time I talked to him. Ashley, right now, is just waiting for the right guy to come along."
"Are you trying to set me up?"
"Yep."
"Come with me, Ray—please."
John walked Ray out to the front yard and gestured toward a large willow tree on the front lawn. The tree leaned to one side, its branches reaching the ground. At the other side was an opening like something out of a J. R. R. Tolkien book—the limbs parted at the center, revealing the tree's gnarled trunk. John pointed toward the opening between the branches, and the two made their way under the tree to talk privately.
"Rydel discovered something from Martinez's Shutdown chip, Ray. Something we have been developing at Genesis. When the time is right, I'll be able to tell you more—"
Confused, Ray held up his hands for John to stop. "Whoa, whoa. Developing? From the chip? What do you mean?"
"My brother hitting on you again, Ray?"
John and Ray spun around to see Kate standing outside the branches; both men were surprised they hadn’t heard her approach.
"Get over it, John. He's mine."
Kate walked through the opening and wrapped her arms around Ray's waist from behind, kissing him on the cheek and then dragging him away.
"Both of you, back to the party, right now. You two are off the clock. Whatever is so important can wait, unless we are going to war."
Ray glanced back at John with a look—Not much I can do here—letting Kate drag him back to the party. John raised a finger and pressed it to his lips. Ray nodded, understanding completely.