CHAPTER 66 #2
“Living as long as possible. And pursuing my garden and my artwork. I have spent most of my life doing neither. And frankly, I am tired. And having been nearly killed twice does give one pause, as I have expressed to you before. But as to the extra value given to you, I would also add that just as I seek to compensate my partners to the south with a generous payout to avoid. . .unpleasantness, I also seek to do the same with you.”
“Forestalling blowback from all quarters, as it were?” said Lord. “Including, perhaps, from me for you taking your mother from my possession?”
“We can agree on that, yes. And a severed head does make an impression.”
Lord smiled but then his expression grew serious. “I must admit that you make a very compelling case, Ms. Steers.”
“The truth is often the source of fuel for enduring fires.”
Lord shot her a patronizing look and said, “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but that sounds like something off a fucking Chinese fortune cookie.”
“That is exactly where I acquired it,” she replied without missing a beat.
Nash couldn’t help but laugh, as did Lord. However, Steers’s expression did not change.
“But fortune cookie or not,” said Steers, “the wisdom of the thing remains because in the end, no matter the hyperbole, or lies, or disinformation, the truth will win out because the truth is reflected in the lives of the individuals and how they each perceive the world. So at the end of the day you cannot convince a starving man that he is rich, or a dying woman that she will live. Thus, those who begin and end with the truth are far more likely to succeed.”
“What will you do if the sale is consummated?” said Lord. “Besides your garden and artwork?” he added, with a bit of a sneer, noted Nash.
“I also have my mother to take care of.”
“Of course, of course.”
“Unless you will have need of her?”
With those seven words, Nash sensed that all the oxygen around them had not only been removed, but something harmful had replaced it.
He looked at Steers, who was focused on Lord. When he glanced at Lord, his eyes had narrowed and he sat up straighter in his seat. Nash also sensed the security team, perhaps playing off their employer’s visceral reaction, move in closer from their hidden nooks and crannies.
Why the hell are you revealing that you know the two were working together to betray you? thought Nash.
Nash inched his hand toward his holster and then realized it was empty.
This is it and we don’t have a chance. For the love of God, Victoria-san.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand your query, Ms. Steers,” said Lord in a tone that was about as ominous as any Nash had ever heard.
Steers, in a calm, almost placid voice, said, “You see, that was the other reason why I decided to sell you the business at such an interesting price point. My mother built the empire that I now oversee. And I wanted something for my mother to do because she is an indomitable person to whom a life of leisure is anathema. And it was clear from her words to me that she did not like the way I was running things. Not enough Americans are dying from the drugs I sell. Your partners in Beijing are not pleased, either. My mother, I can assure you, will have no compunction whatsoever about getting those deaths back up to the requisite levels. Although I will warn you that from experiences with my partners to the south, they will not be pleased to see their paying customers once again dying by the hundreds of thousands each year. That was what prompted me to pull back. But you, of course, may see it differently. I explained this to my mother, and she agreed that it was a unique challenge. Thus it may be a challenge you may choose to confront together.”
All the tension seemed to release from Lord, and Nash could feel his pulse return to normal, the sweat under his armpits chilled, his fight-or-flight impulses faded, and he could breathe normally.
She just put him in check. But can she finish it?
Lord, for his part, eased back in his chair and assumed, at least to Nash, the manner of a snake that had just been about to strike but no longer needed to.
“Your wisdom, candidness, and competent advice reflect well on you, Ms. Steers. And having done my due diligence since last we spoke, I know that everything you just said is true. And in answer to your query, yes, I believe that I can use your mother in my operations. This may seem strange to you after where she was for all those years, and the role I played therewith.”
Steers replied, “I have experienced enough in my life to find absolutely nothing strange anymore, Mr. Lord. I accept that anything can happen, and I find that my outlook is often proven correct. I will convey your wishes to my mother. She will be most pleased.”
Lord nodded. “I am sure that her desire to return to the business will overshadow any difficult feelings accumulated during her, um, retention at my facility.”
“I’m glad you said that, because in addition to the payment to my partners, it would, I think, be very advantageous for you to reward my mother as she assists in running the business.”
“I think you are quite right about that.”
“Does this mean that we have a deal?” asked Steers.
“If your partners will accept seventy percent as opposed to seventy-six percent, then, yes, we have a deal. And just so you know, the additional six percent will be going as compensation to your dear mother, partly to make up for her years of imprisonment.”
“She will be doubly happy with your respect for her as a person, and for her abilities.”
Checkmate, thought Nash as he marveled at the skillful maneuvering of the woman.
Lord said, “I told you before that you would be staying overnight with me. Dinner will be served at seven. Does that work for you?”
“We look forward to your hospitality and company,” replied Steers. “And I very much look forward to closing this chapter of my life.”