Danny stared at the clock. Not much time. Sweat glistened on his face. His fingers searched the keys.

In action movies, there were scenes like this. The hero had seconds to defuse a bomb, doubting wire-cutters suspended over a tangle of colored wires. He’d have an eye on the clock while guessing which wire would stop the timer, which would cause detonation.

Better to be the hero than a lesser character, maybe a partner about to retire. Being expendable in films meant a higher chance of being blown off the screen.

And this was real life, not a movie. Like it or not, Danny accepted his expendability. In his line of work, the line between hero and empty desk was chalked on the sidewalk, and it could rain any time. Everyone was replaceable.

Danny’s supervisor whispered, “CEO’s got to run for the airport right now. Do you have the laptop ready or not?” Danny nodded.

Fast service: good reason to not outsource Information Technology. He’d saved IT - for today.

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