anyway_

knew. He would take the story from her, no matter how hard she fought him off.
Curiously though, he did not care too much whether he won or lost. He realized that could spell the end of his true-blooded reporter credentials. That didn't bother him either. He felt he was winning anyway.
Mercedes lay at the end of the plush turquoise sofa overlooking L.A. No escape was possible for her.
Once again he nibbled lightly on her ear. He could feel her shiver at his touch; he reveled in it. "Tell me," he demanded in a hushed voice. "Tell me who won the prizes, or I'll torture you."
She shivered again and tried to get away. Her effort was neither convincing nor successful. "You'd torture me anyway."
"Surrender," he commanded. "Or I will withdraw my torture."
"Uh," she said, surrendering.
A soft beep interrupted the proceedings. Reggie saw Mercedes open one eye, then the other. "Okay, I'll tell you who won." She smiled wickedly.
"No fair," Reggie protested as they both sat up. "They just published it, didn't they? Now I can just read for myself."
Mercedes giggled. "True enough. There they are." She pointed at the screen.
A list of brands and their contributions appeared on the screen. Reggie read them carefully.
The Grand Prize, five million Masterbucks for "Most Valuable Contribution to the Assault," had gone to the person who figured out how to modify the Destroyer gun for human operation. Reggie had no idea who had figured that out; clearly, this was a person he would have to track down for his next series on "Unsung Heroes," five years hence.
Second place, and four million Masterbucks, went to the person who'd found the cracks in the walls. Selpha, of course. He didn't need to see her brand to know she was the winner.
Third place had gone to the person who had forecast the presence of the anomaly, which had turned out to be the Gate. Reggie would have bet a lot of money he knew who stood behind that identity, but Mercedes would never take the bet, because she