then realized what he was saying.
"All of it?"
Harris nodded.
"But that means . . ."
"Wildfire would have to be delayed." Harris nodded.
Ember looked stricken.
"For how long?" she whispered.
"Long enough for our fund-raising to replenish the accounts. At the rate we've been going, a few weeks at the most," he said softly. "We can live with that." He immediately regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but she didn't seem to notice.
"But once we have control, the money issue would be completely irrelevant. We could even pay him a bonus."
"Eric is well positioned for what we need him to do, but fiscal control is something else entirely," Harris said. "You have to remember that federal investigators and auditors will be sifting through every file cabinet, every spreadsheet, every computer file, searching for clues and motives. And the media jackals will be doing their own sniffing and scratching— you can count on that too."
He paused and then said: "In the very best of circumstances, it will take months before all the legal questions are resolved . . . and we don't have that much time."
Ember was silent for another long moment. And then:
"There may be another way to avoid paying Riser," she whispered.
"You mean sacrifice Eric?"
She nodded, stone-faced, but he saw the flicker in her eyes.
"Riser would find us eventually," he said. "It might take him a little longer, but he would find us."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, without question. He'd have to. That's how he maintains his reputation and his price. Besides," he reminded, "we still need Eric, both now and in the future if Wildlife is to continue. It would be nice if it . . . hadn't turned out that way, but it did, and we have to go forward from that point."
She nodded, her eyes filled with a fermenting mixture of anger and frustration and sadness.
"Have you talked with him recently?" he inquired, knowing that this too was a sensitive issue.
She nodded.
"How was he?"
"Not very happy," she said quietly.
"Do you think he's aware of our . . . relationship?"
"I think so," she whispered, staring down at the rumpled sheets.
Harris sighed. Jealousy was one more complication that they didn't need right now.
"He's immature," the baldish executive said. "He needs to understand that the two of you have—what?—grown apart."
"I think he's just feeling lost, and probably lonely too," she said quietly.
"I thought he had started seeing someone."
"He certainly tries to give that impression, but I don't think there's anything to it," she said. "Sometimes I think I should try to find someone for him."
"How do you think he'd respond to something like that?"
"Not very well," she admitted.
"If nothing else, we know one thing for sure," Harris said with a slight smile. "He won't be lonely much longer."
"No, I don't suppose he will. Not with all that money."
"And speaking of money," Harris said, "I just spent some more on another present for you."
"Oh, really? What did you get me?"
"Nothing much. Just a couple hundred rounds of 30-06 armor-piercing."
"You found it?" Her eyes lit up with anticipatory pleasure. "Where?"
"A friend." He shrugged.
"Is it here? Can I see it?"
"It's out in the car."
"I promised Eric that I'd take him out to the range today, let him fire the rifle," she whispered. "Do you think I could try some of it out, see how it kicks?"
"I think that would be a wonderful idea." Harris smiled. "Just make sure you have a decent backstop." And then: "I'm glad you're doing things with Eric. I think it helps to keep him busy."
Ember nodded in agreement. "He really seems proud of the fact that all the signs are finally up."
"Pride in ownership. And you have to admit, the sign idea was brilliant, even though having to do all the installations at night, with the heavier sound-deadening drills, has made the whole operation a lot more expensive than we figured, both in time and money."
"That's okay, it's going to be worth it," she said, her eyes
"All of it?"
Harris nodded.
"But that means . . ."
"Wildfire would have to be delayed." Harris nodded.
Ember looked stricken.
"For how long?" she whispered.
"Long enough for our fund-raising to replenish the accounts. At the rate we've been going, a few weeks at the most," he said softly. "We can live with that." He immediately regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but she didn't seem to notice.
"But once we have control, the money issue would be completely irrelevant. We could even pay him a bonus."
"Eric is well positioned for what we need him to do, but fiscal control is something else entirely," Harris said. "You have to remember that federal investigators and auditors will be sifting through every file cabinet, every spreadsheet, every computer file, searching for clues and motives. And the media jackals will be doing their own sniffing and scratching— you can count on that too."
He paused and then said: "In the very best of circumstances, it will take months before all the legal questions are resolved . . . and we don't have that much time."
Ember was silent for another long moment. And then:
"There may be another way to avoid paying Riser," she whispered.
"You mean sacrifice Eric?"
She nodded, stone-faced, but he saw the flicker in her eyes.
"Riser would find us eventually," he said. "It might take him a little longer, but he would find us."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, without question. He'd have to. That's how he maintains his reputation and his price. Besides," he reminded, "we still need Eric, both now and in the future if Wildlife is to continue. It would be nice if it . . . hadn't turned out that way, but it did, and we have to go forward from that point."
She nodded, her eyes filled with a fermenting mixture of anger and frustration and sadness.
"Have you talked with him recently?" he inquired, knowing that this too was a sensitive issue.
She nodded.
"How was he?"
"Not very happy," she said quietly.
"Do you think he's aware of our . . . relationship?"
"I think so," she whispered, staring down at the rumpled sheets.
Harris sighed. Jealousy was one more complication that they didn't need right now.
"He's immature," the baldish executive said. "He needs to understand that the two of you have—what?—grown apart."
"I think he's just feeling lost, and probably lonely too," she said quietly.
"I thought he had started seeing someone."
"He certainly tries to give that impression, but I don't think there's anything to it," she said. "Sometimes I think I should try to find someone for him."
"How do you think he'd respond to something like that?"
"Not very well," she admitted.
"If nothing else, we know one thing for sure," Harris said with a slight smile. "He won't be lonely much longer."
"No, I don't suppose he will. Not with all that money."
"And speaking of money," Harris said, "I just spent some more on another present for you."
"Oh, really? What did you get me?"
"Nothing much. Just a couple hundred rounds of 30-06 armor-piercing."
"You found it?" Her eyes lit up with anticipatory pleasure. "Where?"
"A friend." He shrugged.
"Is it here? Can I see it?"
"It's out in the car."
"I promised Eric that I'd take him out to the range today, let him fire the rifle," she whispered. "Do you think I could try some of it out, see how it kicks?"
"I think that would be a wonderful idea." Harris smiled. "Just make sure you have a decent backstop." And then: "I'm glad you're doing things with Eric. I think it helps to keep him busy."
Ember nodded in agreement. "He really seems proud of the fact that all the signs are finally up."
"Pride in ownership. And you have to admit, the sign idea was brilliant, even though having to do all the installations at night, with the heavier sound-deadening drills, has made the whole operation a lot more expensive than we figured, both in time and money."
"That's okay, it's going to be worth it," she said, her eyes
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