by Lauren Canan
The door opened and the smile of greeting was back on her face. Was he imagining she was working to keep it there?
“Good morning,” he said as she put her small briefcase on top of the desk and began taking out her laptop and assorted notes.
“Good morning to you.” She smiled her response. “Sorry I’m running a bit late. I seem to have caught a bug. You know, the kind that hits your stomach.”
Ah. “If you need to take the day off...”
“No. Thank you, but I’ll be fine. If it doesn’t let up I might take you up on your offer later on.”
Before Clay could walk over to her, the phones began to ring and Sophie, always efficient, began to answer the calls while still unpacking her laptop.
“John Dunn for you on line two,” she said then quickly answered another line.
Clay nodded and walked to his office, located directly beyond Sophie’s smaller one. For this call he closed the connecting door. Word had reached him a month ago that someone was spreading gossip about his Everest cloud-computing company, even going to the extent of running stories and commenting in online forums about how the mainline computers had been hacked and the information stored there was no longer safe. That Everest had been compromised. He’d had administrative IDs checked out thoroughly to confirm security and systemically reset to new passwords. Sweeps of each area of the system had been painstakingly tested for any virus or malware susceptibility. Absolutely nothing was found.
All security measures were in place and an in-depth security audit had been performed, researching each account on the infrastructure. When nothing came to light, all employees and administrators hired within the past year were scrutinized, their references rechecked, and finally a new interview had been conducted with each, this time by both the cleared administration and the security division. Everything checked out. He couldn’t have asked for a better overall picture of Everest and its working components. If the buyers’ information that was stored on Everest had been compromised, damned if he knew how they’d done it.
He had instructed John Dunn, head of Everest security, to run individual reports for each company and have a specialized team review each one. It was thousands and thousands of clients and it would take many man-hours to accomplish. But it was all he knew left to try. Unfortunately, none of it had stopped some clients from pulling their accounts and taking their info elsewhere, which was slowly mounting to millions of dollars lost.
“Yeah, John,” he answered the phone, dropping down into his dark brown leather chair.
“Just thought I should touch base with you. We’ve cleared the larger accounts and are half through the rest. So far we’ve found nothing to indicate our cloud was breached. The bad news—we had eight more companies pull out last night. One was Stratfire Inc., which, as you know, was a multimillion-dollar account.”
“Any luck on finding out who is behind this?”
“We tracked the online articles back to the screen name Maverick.”
Clay immediately sat forward in his chair. He knew that name. He’d heard it before. It was some hateful, malicious character who had been blackmailing and exposing the secrets of Royal Texas Cattleman’s Club members for months now.
“John, check out that name in relation to the TCC. I’m not the first business he’s attacked. We need to find this bastard and shut him down once and for all. And place a call to Sheriff Nathan Battle. He’s the sheriff here in Royal. If anyone else has experienced similar, he would know. He should be able to fill you in on what has transpired with the other victims of this Maverick.”
“I’ll get right on it. Do you have any leads I could start with?”
“Check with Chelsea Hunt. Someone mentioned she was experiencing similar harassment regarding her chain of steak houses. I think she may be able to head you in the right direction.”
“I’m on it. I’ll report back as soon as I know anything.”
Clay ended the conversation. Damn. This was crazy. He didn’t know where to go next. Probably contacting most of the larger accounts would be a good idea. Offense was always the best defense. Explain to them what was going on and give his personal assurances that everything was fine. It was thousands of accounts. It was time to call Sophie in to help. She was so efficient she could keep the office running in her spare time but in this situation it was probably a better idea to bring in a couple of secretaries to cover the phones and the administrative part of her job while the two of them got busy.
Clay walked to the connecting door and opened it only to find Sophie’s desk area empty. A hastily scribbled note on top of her desk said she’d gone home. Clay frowned. He’d call her later to make sure she was okay. Or better, stop by her house and check on her in person. Sophie was not one to miss work. Knowing she’d left concerned him. Once he’d returned to his office, he picked up the phone and called Fran Dodson in his human-resources office. She would have two secretaries there to help him within the hour.
* * *
“Ms. Prescott? The doctor will see you now. If you will please come this way.” The nurse smiled as Sophie entered the examining room. Dressed in old-school aqua scrubs, the nurse looked efficient right down to the smile no doubt intended to put the patients at ease. “If you will step on the scale, we can get your weight.” Sophie followed the instructions.
Dr. Hutchinson didn’t keep her waiting very long at all, which was a surprise. He rushed in through the door, closing it behind him, and held his hand out to Sophie. After asking Sophie a multitude of questions, it came down to the one and only query: Could she be pregnant?
“Yes.”
“What symptoms have you noticed?”
“Nausea in the mornings, headache and cravings for strawberries and tuna fish.”
The doctor laughed. “That would pretty well convince me. I’m gonna step out for a minute. If you would please change into the gown on the table? We will run a couple of tests while I examine you and we should be able to confirm yea or nay by this afternoon.”
An hour later Sophie exited the new multistory medical building in a state of shock mixed with absolute bliss. She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. She was going to have Clay’s baby.
The carefully manicured lawn around the building was bright green, thick and rich. It was a beautiful background for the multitude of flowers growing in the beds nearby. The trees were in full leaf and the birds that made their home there were singing for all they were worth. But Sophie didn’t hear them. She didn’t notice the flowers or the pleasing scent of the recently mowed lawn. She was two months along, which meant she’d gotten pregnant in May, the night of the masked ball. Their baby would be born in February of the following year.
What would Clay do when he found out? What was she going to do? The best for all concerned would be for her to return to her home in Indiana. She knew her mom and dad would support her through this and she needed that support. They would love her no matter what. They had already proven that.
She didn’t want to go back to Indiana. This was her home now. But she knew she couldn’t stay here. At least not for very much longer. She had two, maybe three months until she began to show. By then she had to tell Clay. It would be so easy to quit her job and disappear. But she couldn’t do that.
Clay had a right to know.
Six
The headline on the front page of the business section of today’s Dallas Times was Everest Compromised—Millions at Stake. The article went on to say that despite attempts by the founder and CEO, Clayton Everett, business tycoon and former cowboy Hall of Famer, to refute rumors that the company had been hacked, new evidence had surfaced that would strengthen the original reports that Everest had, in fact, been compromised.
Clay wadded the paper and threw it across the room, unable to read any more. The first wave of internet stories that he’d
managed to survive would be nothing compared to this. The phones would be ringing off the wall and clients would challenge the security of Everest, resulting in a tsunami crashing to the shore, spreading unparalleled destruction to his life. Without another thought he walked to the inner door.
“Sophie,” Clay said as she hung up the phone.
“That was Judge Mathers.” She smiled. “He would like a return call ASAP.”
“I’ll call him. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure.”
Clay moved aside, indicating she should enter his office. “Please, take a seat. I need to talk with you about something.”
She frowned and immediately sat down in one of the two chairs facing his massive desk.
“Have you heard about the rumors that Everest security was breached?”
“No. Clay...? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying someone is trying to bring down Everest.”
“Why?”
“That is the question. Along with who is doing it.” He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Actually, it hasn’t been breached. The company is solid. Someone is spreading rumors trying to sabotage Everest.” He was short and to the point. “This person—or people—is contacting business news sources claiming major security breaches have been found at Everest. As a result, the rumors have spread and our clients have begun pulling their data, leaving multimillion-dollar deals in tatters. Whoever it is has started a firestorm. We’ve traced it back to several websites and comment forums online. From there it was picked up by the newspaper and it’s only a matter of time before it’s picked up by TV news.”
“Why is someone doing this?”
“That’s what we need to find out. The security division has rescreened every employee hired in the last two years. I want to know everything that might sound the least bit suspicious. I want to know who they shared a box of crayons with in first grade. Everything.” He looked at her, his expression tired. “You are the only one I trust, Sophie.”
She’d gone absolutely ashen.
“Are you all right?” he asked, tilting his head in concern. “You look as though you’re about to pass out. Sophie, if you need to go home...”
“No. Ah... I’ll be fine.”
Clay rose from his chair and shoved his hands inside his trouser pockets. “At this point I’m leaving nothing and no one out. Our clients are starting to withdraw and close their accounts. In the last ten days we’re down over thirty percent. The security division is trying to trace back where the rumors started so we have a clear indicator of how far they’ve come and where they’re going with this. Beginning in the morning, you and I are going to hit the phones and contact each and every CEO, president, vice president, owner or founder doing business with Everest and assure them not only are the rumors not true, we are doing everything possible to stay on top of this. We’re going to ask for their trust, Sophie. Expect anything and everything.
“Some will tell you right up front they can’t afford to take the risk. Others will tell you they’ll always stand behind us, then close their account when they get off the phone. Others will say they believe you and that they trust us and prove they mean what they say by picking up the phone and calling as many businesses and individuals as they can to spread the word that Everest is sound. Whoever is behind this is attempting to take Everest down. I’ve got to reinforce the wall before everything is destroyed.”
For several more minutes Clay went over the details to bring Sophie up to speed.
“We will solve this, Clay. I promise,” she assured him. “I don’t know the whos or the whys of it, but we will find out and save your company.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Clay walked across the room and stared out the large picture window even though he didn’t really see a damn thing. His patience had all but run out with the situation. He was livid but he knew he had to hold it together until a solution was found. He walked to the chair opposite, where she sat in front of the desk. Sitting down, he leaned toward her, his forearms resting on his knees.
“I need to ask a large favor. I need to know if you will stay over, here at the ranch, and help me through this. I have meetings scheduled, calls to return, letters to address—the list is long. It would help me a lot if, for a few weeks, you were here and wouldn’t mind being called on outside normal business hours.”
He could see her hesitation. Staying in his house night and day put a greater temptation between them. At least it did on his side.
“I promise this is all about business,” he said as if reading her mind. He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“Were you really a Boy Scout?”
He let out a sigh. “No. But I always wanted to be. Does that count?” He leaned down toward her and cupped her face in his hands. “It will be damn hard, Sophie. But I promise I will do my absolute best to keep this strictly on a business level.”
With that he covered her lips with his and bestowed a light kiss. Standing, he took in a deep breath.
“Good way to start.” She cracked a nervous grin.
He gave her a crooked smile.
“But I’ll do it,” she said. “This is a priority. How does one stop a rumor? I don’t mean to sound negative but it seems like an uphill battle.” She was quiet for a moment in deep contemplation. “Why would anyone spread vicious gossip like this?”
“If I knew the answer to that...” He shrugged. “But what I do know is we’ve got to get a handle on this and fast. Two secretaries will be here this afternoon. I would like you to move into my office temporarily and help me man the phones. We need to contact as many of the accounts as possible and give assurances that these reports are not valid. I have staff standing by in New York to contact the smaller accounts. You and I will tackle the ones for a million dollars and up.”
“You might also call a meeting and invite all the other local business owners or CEOs. They all know you. This was your hometown. I’ve got to think that they will help you if you ask.”
Clay nodded. “Great idea. I’ll put together a list and ask you to send out invitations.”
“I’ll email then follow up with a phone call.”
“Good. Probably would be best not to have it here. Reserve a large meeting room at the TCC clubhouse. Arrange for refreshments. Let’s make it on July eighteenth, ten o’clock in the morning.”
“That’s in just over a week. I’ll get right on it.” She stood.
“Thanks, Sophie.”
“No problem. At lunch I’ll run to my house and pack a few things.”
“Let me know when you leave and I’ll pick you up. Someone will spot your car if you stay here. We don’t need any more rumors.” He winked and it got the desired response.
“Thanks.”
“No. Thank you.”
* * *
Within the next hour the phones began ringing fast and furious with calls from all around the globe. By one o’clock the two secretaries Clay had requested appeared at her desk. One was set up at Sophie’s desk, the other at a temporary table next to it complete with a computer and phone. Instructions were given and by noon Sophie was headed to her house to pack a bag and make sure her cottage was closed up nice and tight.
Had she really agreed to stay in Clay’s house? He had promised this would be strictly business. She had to believe him. At least she believed he would try to keep it that way. Truth be told, she had no room to talk. However strong his attraction was to her, she could double that if not triple it. Theirs had been a close relationship out of necessity since the day she’d accepted the position as his administrative assistant and ever since his accident.
She thought back on how that time had brought them even closer together. Other than his fiancée, who’d rarely shown up at the hospital,
Sophie was his only companion. And he’d needed someone to hold his hand and assure him everything was going to be all right. No way could she have left her boss and friend lying in a hospital bed wondering how to deal with the fact he might never walk again. Those months had changed her and her feelings for this man. And more recently what had started out as her admiration for his strength had turned into unwanted and unexpected feelings of love.
Clearly he was attracted to her, too. But she only hoped his romantic interest in her would soon pass and he would go on to other conquests. Her heart would break, of that she had no doubt. Theirs was an affair that had nowhere to go. And once he found out about the baby, she had no idea how he would react. She had to steel herself to be strong. Clay had made it clear he didn’t want a family and if he asked her to marry him when he found out about the baby, it would be for the wrong reason and she knew she would have to say no.
While she was at her cottage gathering the necessary clothing and miscellaneous items, her mind twirled around Clay’s statement about rechecking every employee who’d been hired in the past couple of years. She’d been with Everett far longer than that, but what if the incidents of her past came to the surface? What would Clay say? What would he do? It had been written off as a childish teenage prank and no official charges had been filed. But the fact was a man had died and she had been partly to blame for that. The community was small and the rumors had abounded: among the neighbors, in the churches, in the schools. There had even been talk about it in the neighboring counties. The name Sophie Prescott had been linked to the man who died.
Finally she had changed schools and as soon as she received her diploma, she’d thrown a dart at the map and packed her bags. And she had never returned. She didn’t know if she could ever go back. But with the baby coming, her options were few.