by Darin Gibby
“Nothing more on the photo?”
“Maybe. We think we’ve deciphered the Arabic characters.”
“And?”
“This guy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. We think he intended it to say Bad Ass, but the way it translates into English, it really means Asshole.”
“So this guy doesn’t speak Arabic.”
“I doubt he’s even Muslim. Shariah Law prohibits tattoos.”
“So he’s not from the Middle East?”
“Doesn’t appear to be, but I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, I think we can go ahead and release the car.”
Long held up his hand. “Not so fast. Let’s keep it a bit longer. I may need it as leverage.”
“For?”
“To find out what Quinn’s been telling Addy. They’re together in Vietnam.”
“Fine, but you can’t store it here.”
“Put it in the impound lot.”
“Isn’t she going to ask for it? We have no reason to keep it. When’s the hearing?”
“I’ll find an excuse.”
“Blame it on Homeland Security.”
“Good idea.”
12
ADDY HAD JUST slipped into her evening gown and was struggling with her zipper when an email notification popped up on her computer screen that Janice had sent her a batch of daily reminders. Janice’s third email indicated she had some information about Addy’s “diligence project.” That was one reason Addy knew she couldn’t work without Janice. She was discreet and professional. She knew better than to put any name in an email, and certainly not WTG.
She latched the clasp on her dress, pulled her hair back and dialed her mobile phone. As usual, Janice’s voice conveyed the bright, energetic attitude of a true morning person.
“How’s Vietnam?” Janice said.
“I think the food is getting to me. My stomach feels like it has an angry kitten inside.”
“You’re not getting any sympathy from me. I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat.”
Even with flaming intestines and the stress imposed by Quinn’s demands, Addy had to admit that, aside from having her life threatened, there was something exciting about international travel. It might be fun to have more of that in her future.
“Tell me what you’ve got,” Addy said.
“Not a whole lot. WTG has one pending trademark application, two patent applications on some kind of fuel cell, and an article in a Korean journal on WTG’s focus on alternative energy.”
Addy wondered if those were the patents Quinn had mentioned. Probably decoys or test cases filed with the US patent system.
“The only really interesting piece of information I found was a blog about a giant industrial park being built about an hour outside of Seoul. The blogger was whining about some big tax break a company called WTG had gotten when nobody has any idea what they’re doing there. Looks like some real money is behind them.”
“Anything else?”
“Just the obligatory social media sites, but I’m assuming you’ve already looked at those.”
“Roger that,” Addy said.
Addy had found Quinn on LinkedIn and confirmed his educational background, including his PhD from Caltech, but his current position mentioned only that he was a research scientist without listing an organization.
“That’s about it,” Janet concluded. “Like I said, I couldn’t find much. If you’re wondering whether they would pay their bills if we took over their work, I think we’d be fine. Besides, they only have two patent applications, not enough to worry about.”
Addy couldn’t tell Janice that she had no intention of making WTG one of Wyckoff’s clients. The more interesting discussion would be whether Janice would join her if she went with Quinn. Janice had a six-year-old daughter with a history of severe asthma, and health care would be a deciding factor. Just mulling over the question meant it was time for Addy to face the fact that she was seriously considering a divorce from Wyckoff.
“Okay. Look, I’ve got to run to dinner. I’ll read your emails later tonight. Thanks for looking into it for me.”
Addy set down her phone and stared out the window, musing over the sea of tin-roofed shacks spread out on the horizon. Hundreds of hand-built fires were being stoked to warm these peasants’ evening meals, sending up a skyline full of gray plumes. They were modern hunter-gatherers. In some parts of the world, life hadn’t evolved much over the past ten thousand years.
Addy stood and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. The closing reception would be starting in ten minutes, and there was no more time to vacillate. Quinn would want an answer right after the banquet.
If she stayed with Wyckoff, she’d always regret not taking a chance. But if she left and Quinn turned out to be a fraud, it could take another decade or more to rebuild her career, if it was even possible.
She struggled to find a definitive answer. What really matters? What’s my passion? What gets me up in the morning?
Addy knew her drive to be someone different, someone who stood out, was the real reason behind Hindy. She wanted to make a name for herself, to show her adoptive mother that she could not only make it on her own, but change the world in the process. In that sense, she was just like Quinn.
If Addy and Quinn could get their names up in lights, they both believed, somehow their pain would go away. She’d always secretly dreamed of being famous, of traveling the talk show circuit, explaining how she’d solved the world’s energy problems, how she’d found a way to curb climate change, maybe even be on a reality television show. With these thoughts, the fear created by the threats of the previous days seemed to melt away.
This seemed worth the risk, and the inevitable battles.
But should I make a decision based on such a selfish motive?
Addy returned her gaze to the smoke plumes wafting up to the heavens like burning incense.
Could she honestly say her decision was based on creating a world that would be so much better off if it had this technology? Yes, she thought. If ordinary water could be used as an energy source, would there be any more poverty? The vast scene of suffering spread out before her—could it change in her lifetime? Could all these people someday be able to drive cars of their own? Wasn’t this what her decision was all about?
Yes, but only if it was true, only if Quinn really had invented what he claimed.
Addy hurried to finish applying her makeup, threw a few extra business cards into her purse, clipped on her name badge and slipped out into the darkness of the evening.
* * *
During dinner Addy sat at a table hosted by a group of Indian attorneys with accents so thick she could only understand every third word. It didn’t matter, though. She wasn’t listening anyway. She followed the conversation with her eyes without actually seeing them, nodding her head every few sentences to make them think she was engaged. Between bites of rubber chicken, she mentally tossed around her options.
Can I trust Quinn? The question rolled over and over in her head. What if this is nothing more than a harebrained scheme?
Her waitress reached over her shoulder with a bottle of red wine. Addy looked up into her face. The girl smiled, and Addy noticed an array of crooked teeth, one of which was half yellow, half brown. Her bony shoulders made Addy wonder what she was going to eat when she went home. How many people live like this? she wondered.
While they finished dessert, she saw a tuxedo-clad Quinn get up and excuse himself. She looked at the time on her phone. The moment had arrived. She had an appointment with Quinn back at her hotel. The time for waffling was over.
She watched while he worked his way to the back of the room, weaving through the tables and guests adorned in gaudy cocktail dresses and ill-fitting tuxedos. His figure was striking. He was so purposeful, so alluring. If his claims were true, he might well be the world’s most brilliant scientist, one who had discovered a technology that would rank him with Alexander Gr
aham Bell or the Wright Brothers.
A chill shot down her spine. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
Too many lives were at stake for her to worry about getting hurt one more time; too many people had no idea where they would find their next meal. Had she ever experienced such misery? Not even close. Yes, she never felt the arms of a loving father or mother around her and she’d lived off the charity of others, but she’d always had food, there were always clothes in her closet, and she’d received about the best education America could offer. To imagine she understood what peasants endured was almost laughable. If anything could drive her past her own fears, it was the thought of giving this waitress, this skeleton of a figure, a chance for a better life.
Addy excused herself, and the Indian men stood in their white suits and wished her safe travels back to the States. She shook their hands and hurried after Quinn.
* * *
They had decided to meet at the pool deck on the top floor of the Marriott, a secluded venue where they could view the city lights while they discussed their future plans. Quinn was already there, standing with his arms folded. The city lights were glittering behind him, and his face reflected the constantly changing color of the pool lights. It reminded Addy of a scene from The Bachelor reality show, where the only remaining contestant came to accept the final rose. They were only missing the flaming tiki lights.
“So,” he said as Addy approached. “I’ve given you a lot to think about. Have you decided?”
“What kind of package are you offering? We haven’t even discussed the terms of my employment.”
“Twenty percent more than you’re making now, plus stock options. And, like I said, there will be bonuses for every patent you get us. A year from now, you’ll have more money than you could ever spend.”
“That’s quite generous.”
“We want you on board.”
She stood facing him, gazing into his sparkling eyes. He couldn’t possibly be deceiving her, not with that kind of reflection.
“Just one question,” she said.
His lips parted and his large white teeth sparkled. “Why did I suspect this was coming?”
“Because with me nothing is easy.”
“As I said, I don’t want a pushover. I don’t need an attorney who tells me what I want to hear. I need someone I can confide in, a partner who can help me make this happen. With what is at stake here, you know this isn’t going to be easy.”
Addy nodded, wondering if he was testing her resolve. “Of course.”
“Well then, ask away.”
She stood erect and reached out for his arm, feeling his steady influence. “If I join, and I’m not saying yet whether I will—” Addy paused.
“Yes?”
“If I tell you that I’ll give up everything I’ve worked for, give up my partnership, risk my career for you—” Addy studied his eyes, but Quinn’s countenance remained stoic, unmoved. “If I take a position with WTG, will I really be the one to stand next to Hindy and tell the press about what you’ve invented?”
Quinn threw his arms around her. “Is that it? Of course! I never go back on my word. You and me both, for the world to see. Then you’re in?”
Addy felt the security of his solid figure surrounding her. “I’d love to join you.”
Her tension evaporated miraculously, and she savored the moment while Quinn hugged her tighter.
“You are going to be a major part of my company, not just my patent lawyer,” he said holding her apart from him and staring deeply into her eyes.
She sighed. “There’s so much to do.” Already she was creating a mental list of what lay ahead: resigning her partnership, telling her clients, cleaning out her office, saying her goodbyes, trying to convince Quinn to let Janice join her. Then there was learning a new technology, planning her legal strategy. And finding the skeletons. Lawyers knew skeletons always came with every deal.
“Don’t worry about logistics,” Quinn said. “We’re taking care of all that so you can get right to work. We already have office space in Mountain View, and you’ll be up and running in less than a week.”
“I’ll need to give at least a month’s notice.”
“See if you can negotiate it down. Since you aren’t taking any of the firm’s clients, I can’t see that your partners will mind.”
It seemed like the honeymoon was over even before it got started. She hated facing reality.
“I’m coming to the Bay Area next week,” he continued, “and we can go over the technology together. I want the patent applications drafted as soon as possible.”
“I’ll need Janice.”
Quinn raised his eyebrows.
“My paralegal. I can’t function without her. She’s like my right arm.”
A frown crept on his face. “There are only a handful of people who know about the catalyst. The board has only approved one other, and that is you.”
“Janice is an English major. She wouldn’t know a catalyst from a Cadillac.”
His scowl changed to a grin. “Quick-witted as well. Is there any way we could wall her off so she could never have access to any of the science?”
“Maybe, but she’d need to teach me all of the details of electronic filing if she can’t see the paperwork.”
“All right, I’ll consider it, but the board is going to have to approve. No exceptions.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“One more thing,” he said. “I told you that we take security seriously. We’ll take you to the airport. You should be much safer in the States, but we’re still going to watch out for you.”
“Are you sure?”
“They’ll stay back. You won’t notice them.”
“Okay, thank you. And I’ll be careful. I promise.”
13
ADDY PRODDED THE squishy rubber tire with her finger. It had been more than three months since she’d ridden her bicycle. With Hindy impounded, she needed either a cab, a rental car, or the bike, and she’d had enough of strange drivers. Besides, after a week of constant eating, the exercise was welcome.
Her level of physical fitness had slipped in recent years as her caseload at Wyckoff increased. In high school, she ran cross country, and when she went to college a classmate introduced her to a grungy MMA gym a few blocks from their dormitory. The kickboxing regimen was a welcome relief from her studies. By her junior year she was invited to enter a tournament, but after her first opponent landed a stiff roundhouse to her ribs, she decided to keep to recreational training.
She found the pump leaning against the wall, hooked it up to the inner tube, and began pressing and lifting. With every cycle, she rehearsed how she would begin her resignation speech. As she twisted the valve cap back on, she noticed her hand was shaking. Nothing she rehearsed sounded credible. She’d never seen the technology that would supposedly revolutionize the energy industry, done almost no diligence on WTG, and was trusting the word of an unseasoned inventor who dressed like he should be on the cover of GQ.
The morning was cool, and the breeze flowing over her tightly-clipped hair seemed to clear her mind. By the time Addy reached the office, she was emboldened to make her announcement. She found Perry with his phone tucked between his neck and shoulder while he frantically typed out an email. He was the king of multitasking. As soon as he saw Addy, he motioned her inside and pointed to one of the two leather chairs facing his desk. Perry ended the call and sat erect.
“So tell me about Vietnam.”
“It was nice,” was all she could muster.
“Nice, that’s it? I’ve heard the food is excellent. What did you think?”
Addy shrugged. “Some of it was good, but I got sick. That part wasn’t so much fun.”
“Tell me about your meetings.”
Addy could feel her heart racing. She put her hand over her chest and breathed deeply. “That’s what I need to talk to you about,” she managed.
“Did something h
appen?”
“Do you remember that new lead I talked to you about?”
Perry pinched his chin, his eyes reflective. “The first evening?”
“Yes, that’s the one. Oh, I don’t want to drag this out. I’ve decided to resign from the firm. I’ve been given an offer to start my own firm to support this truly remarkable company.”
Perry fell back against his chair, frowning. “Truly remarkable? Are you out of your mind? What kind of fraud has you under his spell?” He slapped his hand down on the table. Addy jumped. “Tell me about this so-called remarkable company.”
“I’m sorry,” Addy fought back, “but I can’t give you any details. I’m under an NDA.”
Perry rolled his eyes. “That’s what I figured. Then tell me what I need to know.”
Addy danced around the edges of what Quinn had revealed to her, mentioning only that it was an energy company that could allow a car to run on water.
“Hydrogen production—from water! Don’t tell me you fell for some sweet-talking dreamer. We all know it takes more energy to get hydrogen out of water than you’ll ever get out of the hydrogen.”
Addy wished her mentor hadn’t been so quick to drill down to the real issue.
“That’s the discovery,” she said.
Perry stared at the ceiling, then slowly lowered his head. He began tapping his finger on the desk, softly at first, then coming to a crescendo. He abruptly pounded his fist.
“What discovery! Sounds like a perpetual motion machine. Addy, you can’t defy the laws of thermodynamics. Trust me on this one. I’m looking out for your best interests. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Why would you do this? You’ve worked so hard to be Wyckoff’s youngest partner. The sky’s the limit. If you want energy clients, I have three I’m ready to turn over right now. Not to mention you’re already doing work for one of the country’s most promising fuel cell companies.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you any more than that. This is just something I need to do. It is an opportunity I simply can’t pass up.”