“I enjoyed meeting him as well. He seems to be a very caring man. It’s no wonder the two of you are so close. Perhaps when the weather warms up we could all go fishing together?”
The words were said gently and while Carson referred to a story Erin had told her, the silent message was something else altogether. The sexual tension was palpable and the look in Carson’s eyes suggestive. Erin suddenly wondered if Carson was going to kiss her and realized that she had unknowingly leaned into the anticipated contact. Then Carson took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly to break the spell.
“I have to go before I do something that you’ll regret.”
Carson’s voice was lower than Erin had heard from her before, a testament to how deeply she was affected by Erin’s proximity.
Erin swallowed. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Carson left quickly and it wasn’t until after the door closed that Erin realized what she had said. Carson said she had to leave before she did something that Erin would regret. Obviously, it wouldn’t have bothered Carson in the slightest to kiss her while they were both at work. For the first time Erin wished she didn’t have such strict ideas concerning proper office behavior. Sighing deeply, she turned away from the door to get some work done before the meeting.
Thirty minutes later, familiar with the details of Delphi Technologies’ newest contract, Erin walked into the conference room a few minutes before the meeting with Colonel Anderson was to begin. Per her instructions, pitchers of ice water and glassware had already been placed on the table. Carson and Joyce walked in a moment later and for an instant the room seemed to narrow down to the blue of Carson’s eyes. Then Joyce broke the spell by thrusting her hand forward in greeting.
“Hi, it’s good to see you again.”
As usual, Erin grinned in automatic response to Joyce’s enthusiasm. She took Joyce’s hand. “Ms. Collins, I’m glad you could join us.”
Erin was thrilled that Carson had someone she could bring along if only for moral support, but it was the silver glint from her wrist that caught Erin’s attention.
“Nice watch.”
“Thanks. Carson gave it to me for Christmas.” Joyce flashed her friend a smile and then held the watch up so that Erin could see it properly. Erin was astonished to see that it was a Rolex and was startled by the unpleasant sensation that started in the pit of her stomach. It was an awfully expensive gift between friends and made Erin wonder.
“It’s beautiful,” she said with difficulty. “Carson has good taste.”
“Yeah, I was really surprised when she gave it to me.”
I bet!
Movement near the doorway interrupted the conversation and Erin looked and saw two men in black three-piece suits walk in. The man in front was near Carson’s height with dark hair that had just started to gray at the temples. His swarthy complexion said that he spent a great deal of time outdoors, and the lines on his slightly bored features belied his age. The man behind him was equally well dressed, but much younger. Erin judged him to be in his early thirties. He followed two steps behind the other man that Erin guessed to be Colonel Anderson and carried a clipboard. Apparently, the aide had an aide.
Anderson walked up to the table and stood at what Erin assumed was supposed to be an intimidating stance and glared briefly around the room. His eyes passed over Carson and Joyce negligently before they rested briefly on Erin.
“Colonel Anderson, this is my attorney, Erin Donovan,” Carson said politely.
Although her tones were courteous, Erin could detect that Carson was a little uncomfortable with the man, and she could see why. As an attorney, she had learned to read people quickly. This man hadn’t even opened his mouth yet, and she didn’t like him.
“Ladies, I suggest we begin. I have another meeting in an hour and I’d like to get this over with quickly.”
Erin felt her hackles rise. So, pompous, and arrogant, she thought.
“Have a seat, Colonel,” Erin said in her best diplomatic tone.
Anderson looked as if he would resist and Erin wondered if he had expected to walk in and have the signed documents handed to him. Reluctantly, the man sat and sent his companion a harsh look. The other man flinched and reached for the pitcher of water. He poured the liquid and sat the glass in front of his superior. Erin noticed that Anderson hadn’t even bothered to introduce the other man.
“I’m sorry. What did you say your name was?”
The aide opened his mouth to answer and was interrupted by Anderson. “He didn’t. I’ll get right down to it. This contract, as it is currently written, is unacceptable.”
From the corner of her eye, Erin noticed Carson’s expression tighten. Now she understood what was so intimidating about the man, and why Carson had initially been reluctant to bring the details of the contract to her attention. No doubt, Anderson had somehow convinced Carson that the top-secret details couldn’t be seen by anyone else. The fact that he had taken one look around the room and then made such a pronouncement led her to believe that he expected to run right over Erin as well as Carson. Was he just a sexist pig who didn’t expect a woman to stand up to him, or did he conduct all of his business in the same crude fashion?
Joyce was the first one to respond before Carson could silence her with a touch on the forearm. “What? It took us a month to hash out the details...”
She looked at Carson when the blonde touched her arm, and quieted when she saw the slight shake of Carson’s head. Joyce gritted her teeth and cast a ferocious look at Erin. Carson must have told her beforehand that since Erin was their attorney she was the one expected to speak for them. She had needed the brief contact on her arm to remind her of that, and Erin smoothly moved to fill in the silence.
“Colonel Anderson, I have gone over the details of the contract extensively. As Ms. Tierney’s attorney, I’m sure you understand that any information in those documents has complete client-attorney confidentiality. The details seem very straightforward so could you tell us exactly what you find unacceptable?”
“The whole thing,” he said as though it should be apparent. “As the contract is currently outlined, military scientists would be precluded from any alterations to the programs. Given the state of international affairs, the military must be given complete autonomy to upgrade the algorithms where needed to meet defensive conditions should we encounter foreign threats.”
It took Erin a second to work through that one, and again she thought the Colonel spoke as he did to convince everyone he was smarter than he really was.
“What you’re saying is that you want Carson to turn over the patent of the software to the government.”
“That is what I just said.”
Erin didn’t like being talked to as though she was stupid and started to get angry. She hid it well as she looked at Carson to gauge her reaction. Carson looked horrified and Erin understood why. The software was supposed to help encrypt government communications to keep more sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.
That also took into account the need for secrecy should the United States be drawn into an international conflict. If that software were simply given to the military to alter at will, it could be used for aggressive purposes as well. From what Erin understood, the software was advanced enough that the U. S. military could fool foreign missiles into attacking their own countries.
She didn’t want to think that her own government would become involved in such a thing, but she would be naïve to think it wasn’t a possibility. That was something she considered unacceptable.
“Colonel, I’m sorry, but Delphi Technologies has the patent on this software. They will freely lease it to the government, but absolutely will not simply hand it to you. I have been involved with defense contracts many times and am fully aware of proper procedures. Perhaps you should have familiarized yourself with those procedures as well before this meeting because I would never ask a client to sign away her rights in the manner you’ve just suggest
ed.”
Anderson smiled and Erin got the impression of a snake ready to strike. “That’s fine. You don’t have to give up anything. I’m sure our scientists will be able to break down the code without your input.”
Erin couldn’t believe her ears. Had Anderson done any research on cryptanalysis before this meeting?
“Colonel Anderson, do you understand how cryptanalysis works?”
“Sure. It’s just a string of numbers that translate into words.”
Erin stared aghast at the man and for a moment had trouble even trying to formulate a reply to his ignorance. Carson wasn’t quite so speechless and immediately jumped into the discussion.
“We are not talking about Morse code, which by the way, was developed using the original method of steganography called the Bacon cipher, where a message was concealed in the presentation of text. To encode a message then, a group of five letters using ‘a’ and ‘b’ replaced each letter of text. Because any message of the right length could be used to carry the encoding, it was easy to hide the secret message in plain sight.
“Things have become much more complex since then. Cryptanalysis has changed drastically throughout history with machines such as Enigma in World War II to computer-based schemes of the present. It is no longer possible to have unlimited success in code breaking and it involves solving the developer’s digital signature. Our contract gives the government authorization to utilize the process, but you will not be able to provide authentication to change any of the data without that digital signature.”
Anderson was flabbergasted that they wouldn’t be able to take the code apart on their own. He sputtered angrily for a moment and then declared, “But we won’t be able to make any adjustments if a conflict should break out. What if an enemy is able to hack into the system? The military must have the capacity to alter the parameters of the software should it become necessary.”
Erin spoke again at that point. “Delphi Technologies will make any adjustments that become necessary.”
“And if those adjustments need to be made in the middle of the night, what then? Will one of the programmers be on call twenty four hours a day for the next ten years,” Anderson asked sarcastically.
“If necessary,” Erin assured him in a steely voice.
“Well, it would appear that we have wasted our time.” Colonel Anderson stood up slowly and seemed to be waiting for something. With a flash of insight, Erin realized he was trying to intimidate them into giving him what he wanted.
Erin also stood and spoke calmly. “Good luck. I assume you people came to Delphi Technologies because they are the best at what they do. If you want to settle for second best that’s your decision, but no one worth their salt is simply going to hand over a patent. Now if you’ll excuse us, I’m sure we’ll have better luck negotiating with the British for Ms. Tierney’s software.”
Anderson pinned Carson with a scathing look. “The British? Does she always speak for you, or don’t you have any say in this?”
Carson and Joyce stood up. “Why else would I employ an attorney if not to listen to her counsel,” Carson asked.
Erin started toward the door with Joyce and Carson close behind her. When she passed Colonel Anderson, she stopped briefly. “When you want to make a reasonable offer, feel free to contact us.”
They started to leave, but Joyce had to have one final shot at the man. “Better hurry or you’ll be late for your next meeting.”
Silently the three walked back toward Erin’s office, but she could feel the fumes coming off Joyce. When they neared the elevator, Joyce said she was going to go get some coffee and blow off a little steam before she met Carson back upstairs. Before she left, Joyce turned to see that Colonel Anderson and his aide were still in the conference room. No doubt, the other man was getting an earful, and she felt sorry for the aide.
“I didn’t know the British were interested in the software,” Joyce said quietly.
“Neither did I,” Erin returned mischievously. She cast a look down the hall over Joyce’s shoulder and spoke in a low voice. “I just sense that this man is trying to further his career, and I don’t get paid for that.”
They chuckled quietly together then Joyce turned to Carson. “You didn’t tell me she was this clever.”
The elevator doors opened and Joyce stepped onto the lift. She looked at Erin appreciatively and waved before the doors closed and Erin thought she had given Carson a completely new insight to her character.
Carson and Erin walked through the outer office and into her private sanctuary without comment. There were a few things they wanted to talk about concerning the contract, but neither cared to be overheard.
“That went well,” Carson said softly, after Erin closed her door. “I didn’t expect this. I knew there was something Colonel Anderson was thinking during our last meeting, but I never thought he would expect me to hand them the patent,” Carson added.
Erin settled behind her desk while Carson sat in the visitor’s chair. “Carson, I know this contract is important to you, but it’s not worth handing the digital signature over. You know better than anyone how this software could be used in the wrong hands.”
“The contract is worth a lot of money,” Carson admitted slowly. “But it’s not a money issue. It’s the credibility and reputation issue for producing encryption software for the government that is more important to my company.”
Before Erin could respond, Amy buzzed her from the outer office.
“Colonel Anderson is out here to see you, Ms. Donovan. He insists that it’s quite important.”
Erin simply raised an eyebrow at Carson before she replied. “Send him in.”
A few seconds later Colonel Anderson entered the room and quietly closed the door. A small frown creased his brows and Erin thought he looked worried. Maybe his superiors had ordered him not to return without that contract and he was worried he had blown it. His next words seemed to confirm Erin’s suspicions.
“Ladies, I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
Carson had her back to the colonel so he couldn’t see her expression, but Erin could clearly see the brief look of amusement on her face.
“Can we come to an agreement?”
Erin knew when she was soon to win a major victory for a client and the familiar surge of exhilaration flooded through her, but she carefully kept her expression neutral. She found it interesting that although he was trying to smooth things out, he was still a swaggering ass.
“You could have had an agreement fifteen minutes ago. I’m sorry, Colonel, but you know our conditions. You can either agree with them or take your business elsewhere.” Erin stood to her own meager height and unflinchingly met his gaze. She was gratified to watch him shift uncomfortably.
“We are talking about millions of dollars. Shouldn’t we have the right to be able to make changes if we want?”
“To expect anyone to hand over their patent is rather naïve, Colonel. Don’t you think?”
For a moment it looked as though he was about to argue again. Finally, he huffed. “You know we need the contract.”
“Yes, and it’s here, but we’re not changing the terms.”
“Fine. I’ll sign it.”
Erin pressed the button on her intercom and called Amy into the office. “Amy, we need a witness for the contract.”
She opened the folder and pushed the documents toward the colonel. Wordlessly he signed everywhere that she indicated and then laid the pen on the desk.
The secretary waited quietly for the colonel to sign where Erin indicated he should on the contract. As a legal secretary, Amy was used to this, and often acted as a witness for her employer.
Erin glanced up at Anderson’s smarmy features while he signed and thought if he could have bulldozed them into doing things his way, he would have. The colonel didn’t fool her for a second. She believed that no matter what happened, his orders were to procure the agreement. Still, it was the end result that counte
d, and Carson really wanted this contract to help strengthen her company’s reputation. After Anderson signed the contract, they wouldn’t have to deal with the pompous man again.
He waited while Carson signed where necessary. Then Amy signed as a witness and Colonel Anderson received a copy of the documents.
“The contract will go into effect on the first of January,” Erin told him needlessly, but she just couldn’t resist the urge to needle him a little.
Amy walked to the door with the colonel and opened the door. She paused to wait for the man when Anderson turned to the women and spoke again. “Ms. Donovan, Ms. Tierney. Captain Davis, my aide, will
be in touch with you next week to arrange the installation.” “Thank you, Colonel. Oh, and Colonel? Any other dealings with Ms. Tierney will go through me.” The colonel merely looked at Erin before he dipped his head and walked out with Amy right behind him. For a moment, there was stunned silence and then both women burst into relieved laughter. “I can’t believe it,” Carson exclaimed. “He actually signed it.” Deeply impressed by how Erin had handled the insufferable man,
Carson gained a new appreciation for her replacement attorney. It was no wonder Erin’s clients insisted that she was the only one to handle their business affairs. Erin was even more protective of her client’s interests than Carson had realized.
“I knew he’d be back,” Erin assured her. “How about I buy you a coffee to celebrate?”
Carson nodded and followed Erin through the back entrance into the break room. Carson could smell a fresh pot of coffee when they walked through the door, but was a little surprised to see Erin’s secretary staring dumbfounded at the small television mounted on the wall. Erin was similarly curious about Amy’s presence and they both went to see what had her so captivated.
A breaking news story filled the television screen, and Carson saw what looked like a major structural fire in the background. Then the reporter spoke and Carson suddenly forgot contracts, coffee or celebrations.
Now You See Me Page 26