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“And now?” I asked.
“Now,” he said, “times have changed. The direction I want to take the company in is more profitable. And the direction you want to take the company in,” he chuckled, “is, well, no direction at all. You don’t have a direction, Jake. In fact, you won’t even have a future left in business by the end of today. Unless.”
I braced myself for the impact of what I was about to say next. “Unless I reveal to the investors what it is you’ve been doing.”
Tom looked at me. “What would that be?” he asked in a monotone, looking back at his screen.
He’s trying to ice me out, I thought.But I know he’ll break if I don’t back down.
“First off,” I said, “this is blackmail. Threatening to reveal my private affairs in order to get me to sell my stock is a criminal offense. People have gone to jail for it before, Tom.”
“I’m not threatening anything,” Tom said. “I’m revealing the information because it’s in the best interests of the shareholders.”
“Secondly,” said Jake. “You hired a known cybercriminal to hack my phone and the airport.”
Tom looked at me. The emotion had drained out of his face. His eyes were completely dead.
“There’s no way you could prove that,” he said.
“There is,” I retorted. “With a little time.”
I heard a message tone on Tom’s phone. He looked at it.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, happily. “Because, fortunately, my final piece of leverage has just come in.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked. “What’s that?”
“Show him, Patricia!” said, Tom.
The door behind him swung open.
Patricia was there. She was holding Alicia, who looked scared, frightened, and tearful. Patricia was holding a gun to her head.
“Alicia,” I said quietly.
“I’m sorry, Jake,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t—“
“Oh, SHUT UP!” said Patricia, and thumped Alicia with the hand holding the gun.
“What are you doing?” I roared. “Have you people lost your minds?! You’re holding her hostage to get to me?”
“We thought about it for a while,” said Tom, standing up. “I needed someone who was willing to go above and beyond to do what needed to be done. Fortunately, I found that person in Patricia.”
“After what you did to me, Jake,” said Patricia, “And to Alicia, I knew I had to help Tom take you down.”
“So, Jake, what’s it gonna be?” Tom buttoned his suit up. “We have a meeting with the investors in fifteen minutes. I don’t want to be late.”
I sighed. There was nothing I could do. Patricia had Alicia. And it would all be over anyway.
Then, there was a scuffle. Alicia was free! She hit the floor as Patricia aimed the gun and let off a deafening shot.
Alicia scrambled to her feet and ran toward me. “Jake!” She cried. But I could see Patricia aiming the gun across the conference table.
“NO!” I shouted and pushed Alicia out through the door. I followed behind her, and the shot ricocheted off the double doors at the moment we made it through.
We ran for our lives, hearing their voices behind us.
“We need them back. Get them!”
