by Paul Byers
Cain nodded his head in agreement. “I agree, but what form does caution take shape for you?”
That was the $64,000 dollar question, Pike thought. He knew he had better choose his next words wisely. “As Chief Inspector, it is my responsibility to determine whether or not this project poses a threat to public safety. As we have seen, there are clearly issues of concern here; however, I am not ready to delay the project at this time. I also want it clearly understood that I will delay entry of the iceberg into New York harbor for as long as necessary if I deem the danger great enough.”
“All right then,” Cain said as he nodded to Mallory and she began shutting down her computer. “Thank you all for your hard work and I look forward to reading your report in-depth and for your recommendations. Gabriel, please give your final draft to Marilyn and Elizabeth and I will go over it with her being she’s the liaison here.”
Cain stood with Mallory by his side. “Any questions?” With none asked, they both disappeared.
As they left, Pike was having a hard time reading Cain’s expression. He couldn’t tell if he was upset or if he accepted his judgment. But being unreadable, Pike figured, was how Cain got to be where he was. Still it made him feel a little uncomfortable not knowing where he stood with his boss.
As soon as Cain and Mallory left, Pike ordered another pot of coffee; it was going to be a long meeting.
“What’s your gut reaction? Do you think Gabriel will postpone entry?” Cain asked Mallory as the two of them walked toward his office.
“Gabe is a good man and dedicated to his job. Whatever decision he makes, I’m sure he thinks it will be in the best interests of the public, but not necessarily in ours. Gabe has come a long way in understanding things outside his slide-rule world but he still doesn’t grasp the real big picture and what you are trying to accomplish here.”
Cain reluctantly nodded and sighed. “I’m afraid you’re right. I’m going to go talk to Miles and see what the status is on the repairs to the towing tower. What are you going to do?”
“Oh, I’m going to have much more fun than you are. I’m going to pay a visit to our favorite senator and try and talk a little sense into him. If I can find out what’s bothering him then maybe I can reassure him. Then maybe he could talk some sense into Gabe.”
“Keep me posted, and be careful. Pug’s been acting a little strange lately, but with this whole explosion thing, it might just have pushed him over the edge.”
“If I’m not back in an hour, send in the Marines. He’ll need them.”
Chapter Thirty Eight
“Come in.” Thornton said, hearing a knock on the door.
“Hi Robert.” Mallory said, stepping through the door.
“Hey Beth, good to see you.” Thornton said as he stepped out from behind his desk to shake her hand. “What brings you here?”
“After our conversation yesterday, I wanted to talk to Pug myself to see if we can straighten this whole thing out and put his mind at ease.”
“Bobby!” Williams yelled as he stepped out of his office. As soon as he saw Mallory, his entire demeanor changed. “Well, well, to what do I owe the distinct pleasure of your company Ms. Mallory?”
“I came by to see how you were doing after the explosion and thought we could discuss a few things.”
“By all means, please come in.” Williams said, stepping aside and motioning her to come into his office. As she walked by, he turned to his aid. “Bobby, make sure we are not disturbed.” As Williams disappeared into the office, Thornton could have sworn he saw a leer flash across his boss’s face.
“Please sit down,” Williams said, pointing to a large plush chair. As she sat down he went over to the bar and poured each of them a brandy.
“Your concern for my wellbeing overwhelms me,” Williams said, “I didn’t know you care so much.”
Mallory felt her stomach churning as Williams flattered himself by thinking that she actually cared about him. “Senators often get roasted on Capitol Hill, though not quite so literally. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t too well done.”
“Well you can poke me with a fork but this old bird ain’t done yet,” he laughed. “Now as much as I would like to think that you really did come here to check up on my health, we both know that’s only partly true. Now tell me Beth, what really brings you to my lair?”
Mallory took a sip of her drink. “That’s what I like about you Senator, you always have good liquor and you’re always straight and to the point.”
Williams smiled and raised his glass.
“What’s bothering you Pug?” Mallory continued. “Why did you send Robert on that fishing expedition? If you have any concerns, why not just talk to Nigel or myself in person?”
“Bobby’s an idiot.”
Mallory shook her head. “You should give him a little more credit than you do; he’s not as incompetent as you think.”
“Thank you, Dr. Phil.”
Mallory frowned. “Okay Pug, what gives?”
Williams put his drink down and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. “I don’t think this is working for me anymore.”
Mallory tilted her head, “What isn’t working?”
“This!” He said waving his arms around, “This monstrosity Cain has created. I’m not buying his ‘help for humanity’ crap any longer.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You and Cain are up to something here and I don’t want to be a part of it. In fact, if you or your boy Pike try to sign-off on this thing and cover up all the things wrong with this giant ice cube, I’ll launch an immediate investigation and have this thing sitting outside the harbor so long that by the time the dust settles, you’ll be able to bring it into port in a wine glass.”
“Why are you doing this, Pug? What has gotten into you?”
Williams rose out of his chair, his face burning red with anger. “What’s gotten into me? That’s a good one! The question is, what’s gotten into you? Why did you and Cain try to kill me?”
“Try to kill you?” Mallory stared at the Senator in disbelief.
“Don’t play coy with you. You tried to kill me in the tunnel and make it look like an accident with that ‘unexplained’ explosion.”
“No one tried to kill you, Pug,” Mallory said shaking her head, “if you remember, Nigel was standing right next to you and Gabe saved you both.”
“Your boy just missed when he dove, accidentally taking me with him when he tackled Cain.”
“Just listen to yourself, you’re as bad as Gabe is with all his conspiracy theories. We have no reason to kill you, you’re our partner. We’re all working together for a common goal.”
“Are we?” Williams said cynically.
“Yes we are. Could Cain accomplish his goals without you? Yes he could, but it would be much more difficult and time consuming without your help. But more than that, you both share a political view, a view of the future and how this country should be run. How it should be back at the forefront as a world leader. You are both great men and together you can accomplish great things.”
“And a chicken in every pot.” He said sarcastically. “But you see, I too can achieve my goals without Cain’s help, though as you said, it will take more time, effort, and yes, money. But the glory I obtain will be mine and mine alone. I won’t have to answer to anyone else or fear anyone trying to pull my strings.”
“No one is trying to kill you or to undermine your political objectives, Pug. We are all on the same side here..”
“I know that you believe in Nigel and in his work, and it would be a great shame for him to be humiliated like this. I want to believe you Beth, I really do.” Williams said as he moved closer and sat down on the corner of the desk, his voice taking on a more conciliatory tone. “I need assurances, Beth, that this isn’t just a game that your boss is playing.”
“I can assure you Senator, that this is no game, that Nigel is sincere in his beliefs and goals.”
&
nbsp; “Can you assure me?” Williams said, as he put his hand on her shoulder. “Can you show me your sincerity?”
Mallory slowly stood and placed her hands on Williams’ shoulders and looked into his eyes. “I guess there is only one way,” she whispered softly.
The lustful smile beginning to form on Williams’ face never matured but was replaced in an instant with a look of horrible pain as Mallory’s right knee smashed into the Senator’s groin. Before he could collapse in pain to the floor, Mallory shoved him back so hard he hit the chair and both he and it went flying over backwards. She walked around to the other side of the desk and placed her knee against his throat.
“Now you listen to me you arrogant and pompous little ass,” she said in a calm but assertive voice. “How dare you think you can stand in the way of Nigel’s greatness or question the worthiness or sincerity of his dreams? And how dare you think that I would lower myself to sleep with you if you promised to protect Nigel when we both know you had no intention of following through on that promise.”
Williams struggled to speak but Mallory just drove her knee harder into his throat. “No one was trying to kill you in the tunnel you idiot, it was an accident. Now listen and listen to me good. You will continue on just as you have been in supporting Nigel and his projects and he will continue to support you. And don’t you even think for one moment that you can double-cross me. I have so much dirt on you that I can grow enough food in it to feed your home state of New York. And after the media wolves have torn you apart and your wife has left you and your life lies in ruins, I’ll start all over again.”
She stood and immediately Williams rolled over and started coughing. “Life can continue happily along or you can follow your own delusions of grandeur and face the very unpleasant consequences.” On her way out she grabbed her brandy, “thanks for the drink, Pug, I enjoyed our little talk. We’ll have to do it again some time.” She finished the rest of it then set the glass down, and calmly walked out of the room.
Chapter Thirty Nine
“This is either a really late lunch or a really early dinner,” Pike said as he sat down.
“I don’t care what you call it, I’m starved.” K.D. replied.
The pair was seated in the Crystal Palace overlooking the ocean. They watched the Alyssa B. as she gently rose and fell, riding the slow moving swells, followed by a squadron of seagulls.
“You look, ah, different today.” Pike said, sipping his water.
“Different how? Different good or different bad?” Slight misgiving floated in her voice.
“Oh, different good, definitely good.”
She smiled shyly.
“Hello Mr. Pike, Miss.” The waiter said as he came up.
“Hi Brad, I think I’ll have the fish-n-chips and a root beer please. K.D?”
“I’ll just have a small chicken salad please.”
Brad nodded and left.
“What do you think Marilyn will do?”
“What do you mean?” Pike asked.
“I mean with our recommendations. Do you think she’ll take them for what they are and recommend we hold off on entering the harbor until the safety issues can be addressed or will she whitewash our findings?”
“We’re engineers, that’s our world. Marilyn isn’t, but she knows enough to see that we’re right. However there are political ramifications here that I don’t think we understand but she does; that’s more her world. To us it’s black and white, to her; she can see some gray.”
The food arrived and the conversation waned as they both began eating. After several bites, K.D. continued. “Let me ask you this Gabe: while we discovered major safety issues, do you really think them significant enough and a great enough threat to public safety to keep the iceberg out of the harbor? Couldn’t you let Cain have his day then fix the issues later?”
Pike put down his piece of cod and sighed. “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought lately. We’ve all heard the expression, ‘if this law or this feature can save just one life, then it’s worth it.’ My question is, is it? It sounds good but in reality it is seldom the rule and more often than not the exception. You’ve seen the statue of Lady Justice, a scale in one hand and a sword in the other?”
K.D. nodded.
“Our jobs are like that statue, a balancing act. We weigh the value of the dollar against the value of public safety. Sometimes the scales are heavily weighted one way or the other, making our jobs easier. Other times the scales are nearly balanced, making our decisions very difficult. At that point we have to become Vegas bookies, trying to determine the odds as best we can to justify our decision.”
“Wow, I was just looking for a basic yes or no answer.” She smiled.
Pike laughed. “I know I tend to over think things at times, my only flaw in an otherwise perfect personality,” he added smiling, and looking at K.D. who just rolled her eyes. “But seriously, you and I both know that if the iceberg is allowed in the harbor, it’s not moving, they won’t tow it back out for repairs. The biggest danger is not letting it into the harbor, it’s allowing it to stay.
“When the meltdown process starts, that’s when the danger magnifies. Without proper bracing, once the ice starts to melt I can almost guarantee you that the towing towers will collapse. What if a commuter ferry or a service barge is too close when a tower falls? What would happen to a work crew inside the berg if the anchor pops out, dragging tons of steel chain behind it? But the biggest unknown to me is what caused the explosion? Everyone from Miles to Mallory to Cain himself has assured me that the juice being pumped through this thing like blood is not the cause. Then what is?
“But at the end of the day, if something does go wrong, it’s my name on the report. I will be blamed if something happens, if someone dies. Saying I protested it being brought in will only go so far in court… and with my conscience, I’ll have to fight tooth and nail to absolve either one if I feel that strongly about it.”
“Do you?”
“Despite what Mallory and Cain think, I really do see the big picture here, and surprisingly, I’m leaning toward letting it in IF they can provide me with a reasonable explanation for what caused the explosion and their assurances that it won’t happen again. That is the deal breaker for me.”
Pike laid his napkin down and moved his plate away, having lost his appetite. “I’m sorry K.D., this was supposed to be a light, old-friends-catching-up lunch and here I am burdening you with my woes.”
“It’s okay,” K.D. said, as she placed her hand on his.
“Thanks.” They held hands, and for a moment everything seemed to disappear around them, until Brad came back with their dessert. Embarrassed, they both pulled back their hands. As she did, K.D.’s bracelet snagged on her napkin, tipping over her water glass. In her rush to get out of the way of the flowing water, she tugged on the tablecloth, knocking over the candle.
“I’m sorry, I’m such a klutz.” She apologized.
“Nonsense.” Pike replied as he reached over to the next table and grabbed another napkin to help clean up the spill. When he turned back to the table, the candle had fallen over and the flame was resting on one of the ice cubes that had spilled out of K.D.’s drink, but instead of putting out the flame, the ice cube itself was actually burning. He studied it for a second then quickly put it out, then grabbed it and wrapped it in the napkin then shoved it into his pocket. Neither K.D. nor Brad had seen it.
“Where did you get these ice cubes?” Pike questioned the waiter.
“Sir?”
“I said, where did you get the ice cubes?” Pike’s tone was so harsh it caught K.D.’s attention.”
“Gabe? What’s wrong?” She questioned.
“Brad, the ice cubes?”
Concern filled the young waiter’s eyes, not sure if he was in trouble but he answered anyway. “We used up all the regular ice filling the hole during the storm and the icemaker broke. The guests were complaining about not having any ice so I’ve been chipping it
out of one of the service tunnels near the food locker. No one’s complained,” he quickly threw in, hoping it would keep him out of trouble.
Pike dashed out of the restaurant, leaving a confused waiter and an even more confused friend behind.
Cain was standing on his observation level watching a lone seagull soaring around the tower, surfing the air currents.
“Becoming Jonathon Livingston Seagull are we?”
Cain turned around and smiled. “I would, but I’ve seen what they eat,” he said to Mallory. She went over and poured herself a drink as Cain came down the stairs. “I see you’re still in one piece, I’ll tell the Marines to stand down.”
Mallory poured a second glass and handed it to Cain. “How did your talk with the Senator go?” he asked, “did you set his mind at ease?”
“We are all on the same page now and he has a clear view of what our expectations are.”
“Excellent. You are my best negotiator, Elizabeth, always choosing the right words at the right time.”
“Thank you, I do try to look out for your best interests.”
Just then they heard the door slam against the wall as Pike came rushing through like a linebacker going after the quarterback.
“I think we have a major problem on our hands,” Pike shouted, trying to catch his breath.
“Calm down, Gabriel. What are you talking about?” Cain said as he went over and guided Pike to a chair.
“It wasn’t the juice; it’s something in the ice itself.”
“You’re not making any sense Gabe,” Mallory said, leaning down beside him. “Start from the beginning.”
Pike took two more deep breaths then recounted the events at dinner, the spill, the candle, the burning ice and where it came from. He ended by taking the napkin out of his pocket and unwrapping it, revealing what turned out to be a wet spot and a piece of ice about the size of a tooth.