Thirty-eight
Austin
For the last three months, I’ve flown once a week to Detroit to deal with the automakers and our legal team. Now that October is underway, I’m officially over it. Supposedly the NHTSA is close to releasing their final report, but we still have no idea what it’s going to say. Brian Kelly has been no help.
We also continue to have no real insight on Justin. Jim’s team has evidently gotten some hits on his computer, so they remain optimistic that he’s out there, but I think the police have given up. They tell us that without a body, they don’t have anything to go on. They just figure he’s run away. Crystal is… Well, it’s not entirely clear how Crystal is. We took her to dinner last week, and she brought Turner along. Evidently, he’s “keeping her company.” I’m not sure what to think about that, but I guess it’s one more thing Justin will have to deal with when he returns.
I still very much want to believe he’s going to return.
We’re wrapping up the work day, but Jim is coming by to update us on Clear’s latest theories this evening, both about the NHTSA report and Justin, so everyone is sticking around. Clear Security has been an invaluable asset.
While we’re waiting, my mind drifts, as it often does, to Danica. It’s been three months since I last saw her, yet not a day has passed without her crossing my mind. The softness of her hair, the blue of her eyes… It’s all still with me.
“Saturday night is the Unmanned IPO party,” Theo says, making conversation as we wait in the conference room.
“Should be quite the event,” Mason says as he enters, snapping me back to the present. “It’s a big day for Unmanned and for EnergiFusion.”
“Danica.” Her name slips from my lips before I can stop it.
“Looking forward to seeing her?” Theo asks, a knowing look in his eyes.
“Something like that,” I reply, trying to sound nonchalant while my insides churn with a cocktail of longing and dread. When I saw Danica’s reminder for Unmanned’s IPO party, I’d hoped she might be asking me to be her date. But it was just a generic message. Didn’t seem the right format to ask her what happened, though I was thrilled to have some means of contacting her again. So instead, I’m focused on being able to see her again to talk in person.
Jim arrives before anyone can ask me more about Danica. Thankfully. He clears his throat, and as we gather at the conference table, he passes out a page covered from top to bottom in a tiny font, —a list of dates, numbers, and cities from all over the world. “This is a list of all the locations that have registered Justin’s computer since it started being used again, approximately the last three months,” he explains.
I look through the list. “How can he be in Mexico City and Lisbon within a few hours?”
“Or Athens and Miami,” Rhys adds.
Jim nods. “We’re not sure where he’s actually located. He’s using a VPN that jumps every eight minutes. And he doesn’t stay online that long.”
Theo rubs his hands over his face. “What does that mean?”
“It’s been difficult to trace him. We’ve been waiting for him to make a mistake, but he hasn’t. Bash Pontius in my office has suggested we go old school.”
We all look at him and wait.
“Offer a reward for information that leads to finding him,” Jim explains.
“When they announced I was the interim CEO, we only said he was away. That means this announcement will reveal that Justin is missing. Are we ready for that publicity?” I ask.
“It’s been nearly a year,” Rhys says. “We’re a private company, so we don’t have to say anything about the missing money. Just that we’re offering a reward to find Justin.”
Mason steeples his fingers. “I think that’s the smart idea. The police are involved and have been since the beginning. But now, we need the public’s help to find him.”
“How much?” I ask. “Do you want money from us or from the company? Because I think we’re fine with whatever you think will help. We just don’t want to hear from a bazillion money-hungry nuts with no real information, you know?
Jim nods. “The crazies will come out for a small reward, so we should go bigger. I think it needs to be a million dollars.”
“I can cover that,” I assure everyone. “If it leads to finding him, it’s worth it so I can give this job back.”
That gets a chuckle from the room.
“Whatever you need,” Rhys says.
I need to keep this meeting moving. “Okay, thanks, Jim. Good to have a path forward on that front. Now, let’s focus on what we’re going to do if the NHTSA lays blame for the vehicle fires at our feet,” I continue briskly.
“You’re going to deal with it,” Mason says simply. “But you have a crisis public relations team on board.”
On Saturday night, Steve glides to a stop in front of the Fairmont Hotel, where the Unmanned party is being held. “Thanks,” I mumble, stepping out onto the curb.
“I’ll be here when you’re ready to leave,” he tells me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to join you inside?”
“Thanks, Steve. I’ve got this.” Since I’ve been in the news so much because of everything going on with the lawsuits, I have received some threats. But I’m not worried about that tonight with this crowd.
I head for the door, already feeling anticipation in the air, even outside the Unmanned party. Or maybe that’s just what’s happening inside me. I can’t believe I finally have a chance to speak with Danica. I’ve sent her messages—texts, emails, even slid her a note under her door—but silence is all I ever received in return. It’s like she vanished into thin air. Danica’s silence has stung more than Mom’s sharp words ever could.
The San Francisco breeze carries music and laughter out to meet me as the escalators whisk me up to the ballroom, but it’s not enough to distract me from the evening’s mission. I straighten my jacket and take a deep breath, grounding myself before walking toward the check-in table. And there she is. Danica.
Her smile is as welcoming as it is disarming. Well, it’s welcoming to someone. I don’t think she’s seen me yet. She takes someone’s name and provides them their badge, her laugh light and genuine.
“Hello there. Welcome to Unmanned!” she says to the next person.
Her voice is the soundtrack to every missed opportunity, every what-if that haunts my quieter moments. My feet carry me forward, but it’s my heart leading the charge, desperate for a moment of reconnection. Just as I approach, she’s pulled away by Zhu Tau, the founder of Unmanned. I watch them, and he’s leaning a little too close, his smile a little too bright. He reaches out, his hand brushing against hers under the guise of exchanging pleasantries, and a surge of jealousy zips through my veins.
I slip my phone from my pocket, thumb hovering over Danica’s name. With a tap, the call connects, and I watch her across the room, waiting for that flicker of recognition, that slight shift in posture when she hears her ringtone.
“Hello, darling!” The voice that greets me is not Danica’s, but my mother’s. Confusion tightens around me like a vise. I glance at the screen—Danica’s name stares back at me.
“Mom?” My voice is a whisper.
“Did you forget? I’m at dinner with Buffy. Oh, and her daughter has been asking about you. When will you give that nice girl a call?”
I close my eyes for a moment. “Mom, how are you on Danica’s line?” I check again, hoping it’s some mistake. But no, there’s her name, right where it’s always been. Suddenly, I really wish I could sit down.
The line goes silent, and I imagine Mom on the other end, weighing her words, calculating the fallout. “Austin,” she finally says, her voice softer now, “I was just trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?” Anger heats my face, and I turn away from the crowd, from Danica. This is too much, even for her. I had no idea she’d go to such lengths… “We’ll talk about this later.” I hang up before she can respond.
With the phone still clutched in my hand, I navigate through groups of people, their laughter and chatter becoming a distant drone as I focus on the strawberry blonde at the check-in table.
“Danica,” I call, trying to keep the edge from my voice.
Her head turns, and those piercing blue eyes lock onto mine. For a second, everything else fades away, It’s just us, like it always should have been. And then reality rushes back as I read the questions in her gaze.
“I need to speak with you,” I tell her, knowing full well Zhu’s eyes are boring into me. But it doesn’t matter. Only she does. Only this.
Zhu turns to me. “Austin Sands!” He looks at Danica. “He was one of our angel investors. He introduced us to SHN.”
Danica’s eyes pop wide for merely a second, but the corners of her mouth turn up.
“You wanted to speak to me?” Zhu asks.
Danica starts to turn away.
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak to Danica,” I clarify.
His gaze flickers between us. “Of course, Austin. But you’re not here to poach my star employee, are you?”
I shake my head, offering him a smile that feels more like a grimace. “No, nothing like that. Just need to clear up a little misunderstanding.”
“Good.” Zhu nods. “We’ll miss her greatly if she leaves. Promise me you won’t tempt her away from our family here.”
“Promise,” I say. There’s no ulterior motive here where work is concerned. I just need to unravel the mess my mother has made.
“Thank you.” Zhu pats my shoulder before he moves off, leaving me alone with Danica.
“Hey,” I greet her again. Then every thought in my head comes out at once. “I know we can’t get into this now, but I’ve sent you so many text messages and left you voicemails, and when I didn’t hear back from you, I thought you’d left me. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t even talk.” I reach for her.
Danica steps back. “Don’t.”
I close my eyes. “Please, can we make time to have a conversation?”
Danica looks around, and I can see at least a few people glancing our way. She walks off, and I’m left with no choice but to follow her.