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“Well, that’s good to hear. Do you want…”
“Gabe, please be quiet.” I said, interrupting him. “I have something very important to tell you.”
His frown deepened across his forehead. “Okay, what’s going on?”
I spent the next five minutes or so explaining to Gabe that I received word from the lab that the last of the clinical trial data had come back with some troubling results. In essence, what was discovered meant that the presentation as it stood now would be inaccurate and incomplete.
In my judgment, there was only one way to fix it.
It meant I had to go back to the lab and deal with it myself. Gabe asked me a series of questions, clarifying every detail. I knew full well he had no intention of allowing me to leave the island ahead of the presentation.
“This is ridiculous, Fiona,” he said, dismissing my pleas with a curt tone. “Just talk to Andrew and the team can get the work done. I need you here with me to deal with the investors. You know that.”
I shook my head. “No, Gabe, I can’t do the presentation, not knowing what I know now. And besides, it would take far too long to involve the team. If I could go back to the lab, I can have the situation fixed in less time than it would take to try and coordinate it with the team. Left to work through this without me there, it could take them weeks… or more.”
“No, Fiona,” he said, as he pushed himself forward from the railing. “That is absolutely not going to happen.”
“Why not, Gabe? I know you know I’m right about this. There’s no way in good conscience you can have me get up there and do the presentation with the problems from the trial unresolved. Am I right?”
Gabe grimaced and stared at me in silence for several seconds. Reaching for an empty beer bottle along the railing, he snatched it, and holding it by its neck he hurled it into the nearby trees and shrubs.
“God damn it,” he grumbled.
I watched him as he continued to look out into the darkness. He reached up and slid both of his hands into his long curly hair, grasping it into fistfuls as he rounded the back of his head.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered. “Un-fucking-believable.”
I swallowed, and while still clutching my cell phone in my hand, I walked towards him. I reached for the middle of his back. Placing my palm flat on it, I began to massage and rub it with small circles. We stood there together without speaking for perhaps a minute or so.
“I have to do this, Gabe. We both know it.”
Just then, Gabe let out a prolonged, sputtering exhale as he turned to face me. Dropping his hands to his sides, he replied, “Yeah, I know you’re right, Fiona. But that doesn’t make this any easier.”
I looked up into his eyes, now darkened with concern.
“I know it doesn’t, but what choice do we have?”
My statement caused him to look away. It was as if he was considering all of his options, perhaps some that I was unaware of.
I shook my head as he stood there in silence. “Can’t we just postpone this for a while? The presentation I mean?”
Gabe thinned his lips. “I-I don’t want to think about that right now. Fuck.”
“Well…” I began, as the moment for a decision had arrived. “What do you want me to do?”
He shook his head in disgust. “Let’s just get this fucking thing handled as soon as possible. You got me?”
“Yes, I do,” I replied. “You have my word that if the problem is solvable, I’ll do everything I can to fix it.”
“No, that’s not good enough, Fiona. You have to fix this. If you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to find someone who can.”
GABE
It was a hell of a long night.
As poorly as things had gone with Fiona in recent days, the way in which the Link Protocol ground to halt made them seem almost insignificant. Unfortunately, whether I liked it or not, I’d have to rely on her to straighten things out.
I hadn’t enjoyed giving her the quasi-ultimatum about her position, but I really had no choice. If the whole thing imploded, the board would demand accountability. And like it or not, this happened on Fiona’s watch. I hoped by making her aware of the consequences, she’d get things handled. This was the first time I had my doubts about her getting the job done in the lab, and I didn’t like the feeling of it—not one bit.
Fiona left just after sunrise the next morning, taking my private jet back to the States.
As for me, well, I was left in the unenviable position of having to stall for time. The investors had arrived and were expecting big things from us. I had the trust and respect of at least half of those I’d lined up for the meeting. The other half, I had no personal rapport with just yet. And now with the latest developments, it made the challenge of establishing a trustworthy bond all the more difficult.
