by Odeda Yaari
23
“Keep it up, boy. I’m sure there will be some interesting developments over the next few days, which I promise we will use to our advantage. In the meantime, you have Santo’s permission to do nothing. Take care, and call me again on Saturday, same time… I’m sure there will be some interesting developments over the next few days… You have Santo’s permission to do nothing. Take care… Saturday, same time…”
Yoni kept replaying the recording of Edo and Santo’s conversation over and over. Something there struck him as odd. “There will be some interesting developments over the next few days, which I promise we will use to our advantage.”
Yoni had no doubt Santo was holding some new card in his hands, which they would have to deal with over the next few days. Sophie also told him that Edo had been surprised by Santo’s friendly, patient behavior, but she also could not provide an explanation to what was behind this strange change of attitude.Yoni took a deep breath. The last thing he wanted was to have to call the Americans right now. It was too early, but the man calling himself Santo knew something they did not know. Something was about to happen, something that would influence the decisions Ron and David would be forced to make very shortly. He had been expecting something of the sort to happen once the Colombians entered the game, but he still believed that their existing connection to Ron gave them an edge over the Colombians. All his efforts to figure out the “surprise” the Colombians were cooking up had led to nothing. He lit another cigarette, having already had God-knows-how-many that day and promising himself he was going to quit the very next morning, and called the vice president of APC.
Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Yoni filled him in on what had happened over the last few days. The vice president was surprised by the turn of events.
“How can these Colombians get their hands into anything that smells like a whiff of drugs, anywhere in the world?”
“I know. I think it’s pretty astounding too, sir.”
“With all due respect to the strength of the US in general, and of APC in particular, when it comes to drugs and crime syndicates, it seems we still have a lot to learn from them.”“I suppose so, sir. Could I make a suggestion?”
“I’ve been waiting for that.”
“I think the right thing for you to do would be to send a representative with authority ASAP to meet with the shareholders of the development company. The information I have just given you proves it is extremely urgent.”
“I agree. I’ll make all the necessary arrangements to send the person I think will be able to interpret the situation better than anyone else. Let’s just hope it’s not too late.”
“I think it’s just the right time. Also, don’t forget you have one big advantage over the Colombians.”
“I would love to know what that is.”
“They’re the bad guys. You’re the good guys.”
***
On Wednesday, a special delivery was made to David and Ron’s office. It was an envelope marked with the official stamp of the head scientist at the Ministry of Agriculture. Ron and David were extremely busy and found no reason to address the envelope right there and then. It was only that evening, when all the employees had already left to their homes, that they opened it.
The envelope contained a short message, stating that due to the delay in the research’s progress, and considering that the company held a “ticking time bomb” with the potential to increase the production of drugs, the ministry has decided to withdraw its support and immediately stop any more funds intended for the research.
“Should it turn out,” the letter went on in a somewhat more reconciliatory tone, “that you are able to complete the development of the anti-drug, as expected, we will be willing to make available for your disposal the remainder of the promised funds.”
David and Ron were thunderstruck. The company’s entire activity had been funded by monthly installments from the Ministry of Agriculture’s research fund. The rest of the money, which had been raised at the very beginning, had all gone into purchasing equipment and other necessary expenses to start the company.
First to pull himself together was David. He realized they had to hold an immediate meeting with the board of directors for an urgent consultation, since they themselves could not figure out how to handle all that the letter implied.“I suggest,” he said to Ron, “that you call your father right away and tell him everything. He’s a friend of Abraham. Maybe Abraham doesn’t even know about any of this.” Ron kept quiet and felt as if all the blood had been drained from his body.
What if someone at the Ministry of Agriculture has caught on to my embezzlement? he thought. And even if they haven’t, the first thing that will come up once we gather the board will be the irregular withdrawal I made from the company account. Ron realized he had no other choice but to tell David the truth, but he couldn’t muster the courage to do that.After several long minutes of silence, he told David, “I don’t think there’s anything we can do today. We’re both shocked, so we shouldn’t make any rash decisions. Let’s think about it tonight and talk again tomorrow morning, when hopefully we’ll be less upset.”
Ron waited for David to leave the office and called Dana. She picked right up and he was thrilled.“Dana, I need to see you tonight. I have to talk to you. I don’t know what to do. Something’s happened today at work. If you can’t get out, I’ll come by your place,” said Ron.Sophie had been waiting for that call. Yoni had informed her that some unexpected things were about to take place. She could hear the urgency in Ron’s voice.
“Give me half an hour and I’m all yours. Meet me at that café where we sat that day,” she said, finding a way out of having him come to her home. “You sound bad. I think it’ll do you good to get out.”
Sophie rushed to finish all the chores she had to do. She knew Garry wasn’t going to like the idea of her going out at night again and leaving him home alone, but things between them had been so tense as it was lately that being around each other had become unpleasant. Garry was into his newspaper as usual, with the look of a sulking little boy on his face.
“Where are you going?”
“You know where. There’s something urgent at work.”
“There’s always something urgent at work.”
“Garry, don’t start this now, I don’t have time for this.” Sophie raised her voice, but the argument had already started.
Sophie put on her makeup and a clinging outfit, which she knew would make Garry even madder.She started throwing all sorts of accusations at him.
“What do you want from me?” Garry did not respond. He always found the easy way out and turned his back on her. If she didn’t have to go and leave Matan, she knew he would have gone to his own home. Sophie didn’t care. Tomorrow Garry would try to make peace, promise things to try, and set the record straight—until the next time.
Sophie knew Garry hadn’t been able to make himself decide what he really wanted. He kept making excuses about not wanting to hurt his kids or having to give up a large portion of what he owned in a messy divorce. But there had been deeper reasons. Deep inside, he was worried about settling down with her. The age difference bothered him, but most of all he was troubled by the knowledge that he was never going to really be able to hold on to her. Even when she didn’t tell him that she’d slipped up, he knew, he felt her. In those times, she broke his heart, but there was no going back for him. He was already halfway, torn between two worlds, neither of which really belonged to him anymore, sharing Sophie’s identity turmoil.
Sophie looked in the mirror. Dana stared back at her, elegant, cat-like, carefree, and powerful. She drew strength from the image she saw in the mirror. She went over to Garry quietly and kissed him goodbye on the forehead. She took a deep breath and left the house.
Ron was already there waiting for her in the café, which was crowded at that time of night. He had found a small corner table, securing some quiet and privacy. When she arrived, he stood up to
greet her and gave her a warm hug. She reciprocated, finding his touch encouraging. Even before she had a chance to say anything, Ron started speaking, the tension clearly visible on his face. This was the first time Ron had taken the liberty of talking about the research and about how they were responsible to someone outside the system.“And now…” He paused for a brief moment, out of breath. “I don’t understand what’s hit the Ministry of Agriculture, or why they lost their temper with us. As if they didn’t know all along the steps we had to go through to get to the final product.”
Dana listened, connecting the bits of the puzzle in her head. Ron went on.
“If I go to my father, the rest of the investors will want to put a stop to the whole thing. They’ll look into our books to see exactly what resources we have left and how long they will last. That can only change if we suddenly find another investor by tomorrow, out of the blue, which doesn’t seem very likely. And on top of all that, if they find out about my withdrawal, I’m sure there will be a crisis of confidence, which I don’t think I’ll be able to repair later on.”
Dana let him pour his heart out. Some of this she already knew. Now was the time to make her move. Ron needed her and would agree to sell the company. The American representative would probably arrive tomorrow, which could solve the problem. She was just hoping the Colombians hadn’t figured out this information before they had, and might beat them to the punch with another proposal.
Quietly, she turned to Ron and said, “I promised I was going to help you. And I believe help is already on its way. I’m currently working with an American company. They manufacture food supplements and advanced agricultural developments, and it just so happens that I heard they were looking for ‘young geniuses’ to join them, or for new ideas to invest in. Like you, they aren’t exactly forthcoming regarding information about their research, but I think they’re working on something very similar to what you’re working on. I don’t know much about this stuff, but it has something to do with plant genomes. I imagine you’ve heard about them. They’re called APC.”
“I know someone who works there!” Ron jumped in. “There’s a friend of mine from university who works for their research and development division. He’s been talking to me quite a lot recently, but he hasn’t said anything about them being interested in the same field of research. He’s even considered leaving them and coming to work for us.”
Dana pretended to ignore his supposedly unimportant comment and went on. “I spoke to one of the senior executives at APC and found out that their head of research and development is going to be in Israel in a few days, maybe even tomorrow. I contacted him a few days ago and told him about you. You know, I’m usually busy with other sides of the work—marketing and publicity. But this time, I have a friend whose intelligence I can brag about.” She smiled at him. “And because of the little problem we left back in Barcelona, I took the liberty of talking business with him, like I promised you I would.”
Ron was quiet. None of this felt real.
“And you think he’ll have time to meet with me?”
“I asked him for a personal favor, should my friend be interested. He’s actually a really nice person, for a scientist who’s busy with formulas all day long,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
“But Dana, I just told you a minute ago, we’re stuck. I have nothing to sell to him.”
“The Ron I know believes in his products. What, have you already forgotten about all that Nobel Prize talk? You’re a bit stressed right now, it’s no wonder you’re stuck. But that will go away, especially if someone decides to pamper you with a business incubator environment, and lets you develop whatever you want. You know, this wouldn’t be the first time an Israeli company is sold to an American company even before research is complete. If you market yourself well, they’ll want you on the basis of their confidence in your abilities and the data you can present them with and promise them in the future.”
Ron was quiet. Something about this whole thing seemed a bit odd. Could it be that the head of research himself would find the time to solve his own very personal problem? However, his current situation left him no options. He could not be picky in finding a solution and knew he would grab onto whatever lifeline was thrown at him.
***
On Thursday morning, bright and early, before the other employees arrived at the office, David and Ron sat down for a talk. Ron told David the gist of his conversation with Dana, without getting into the details of their acquaintance. He simply said there was the possibility of a solution, in the form of an American company whose representative, the head of research and development, was due to arrive in Israel as early as that day.“I say we hold off on informing the board until we meet with the guy and see what he has to offer. If we believe in our product and we know how to market it correctly, there’s no reason we can’t find an investor. After all, we’re not talking about that much money, relatively speaking. I also think we need to keep this quiet, at this stage, from the other employees. It’ll just create unnecessary panic. We need to send out a ‘business as usual’ vibe and keep working as hard as we can. Clearly, the further we are in the research, the bigger the leverage we’ll have.”
David allowed Ron to finish what he had to say. Ever since they had started the company, he always felt Ron had an advantage over him thanks to his family’s finances that had been put into the company. He never said anything about it, and was grateful for the initial investment that had enabled their start. It was actually the money from the Ministry of Agriculture that made him feel a bit more like an equal, but that was now shut down.
“I would love to meet him,” said David. “There’s no doubt that a large American company can be a trailblazer for us once development is complete. The trouble is…” Ron, who felt reassured by David’s consent, was now once again on edge. “I’m sure that, in exchange for their funds, they’ll want to own the formula. So, in order for us not to end up with a fat bank account but with no credit for our work, we need to think ahead and come up with a joint strategy to present them with.”
Ron, who only a few moments ago had thought all his troubles were coming to an end, suddenly realized the heavy cost they would have to pay. The international recognition he so desired had vanished at once.
“I suggest that we take it one step at a time. We should listen to their proposal, and only then present our demands. Who knows…” he went on, in a voice that could not hide the skepticism he felt. “Maybe all they’re after is the prospect of making a lot of money and perhaps they’ll be willing to give up the prestige? Money is the motivating factor for lots of American companies.”David agreed, and Ron rushed to call Dana.
Edo was sitting in one of the labs, attempting to make himself as invisible as possible until the other staff member got there. He had had a sleepless night and had gotten to work much earlier than usual, trying to keep busy with scientific questions. He realized the information he had just heard was never meant for his ears, and understood what it meant—that all the work he had been doing for Santo, all the risks he had taken, would all be in vain should an American offer be accepted. He was not confident that Santo would pay him the remainder of the money and did not want to fall back into his hands with nothing to show for it. He also knew the Colombians would stand no chance against a legitimate offer from a well-established company.
He tried to pin his last hopes on the final bit of stolen information he had just heard. Could the desire to achieve worldwide recognition be enough to prompt Ron and David to sell the first part of the formula, to enable them to continue the work, finish the second part, and win international fame?
24
On Thursday morning, one day before the special edition holiday weekend paper was to go into print, the editor in chief’s secretary walked gingerly into the conference room, handed him a note, and left. The editor in chief whispered something into the managing editor’s ear, gave his apologies, and also left the room. He went to his of
fice and dialed the number of the cabinet secretary.
The two men were on friendly terms. After the election of the prime minister, when the secretary had been appointed, he had asked the editor to a conversation to clarify a mutually beneficial working relationship, knowing that to cooperate would promote both their interests. And indeed, more than once, the editor had had important exposés handed to him first, before anyone else, while he in exchange made an effort to oblige the secretary’s requests and omit certain pieces of information or cut some corners when needed.“I imagine I must be disturbing you during your morning meeting, so I’ll make this brief,” the secretary said in an amicable tone. “I understand there’s a story about our minister of agriculture that’s about to come out in the holiday issue. I’ve been given a signal from the prime minister about an extremely important deal with Colombia that’s at stake. The prime minister would like the story not to come out at this stage. Between you and me, I have no idea what you have on him, and I’m not suggesting you need to keep it quiet forever, but we would prefer the exposé about Abraham to come up at a later stage, for instance, after our airplane deal is complete. At the moment, the Colombian government is uncomfortable with the story coming out and we would like you to put a hold on it.”
The editor was not pleased with the request. This was not just cutting corners, this was a blatant intervention into what should be the newspaper’s own sovereign decision. On the other hand, he knew that refusing such a request could jeopardize one of the best sources of information he had within the government.
“I don’t like this one bit,” said the editor, “but if you’re asking… I hope there are serious reasons behind this request. I expect you to let me know when the deal is done.” He thought for a moment and then added, “And in light of the crass interference with the freedom of the press, I’m sure you’ll also keep me posted on this deal later on.”