Chapter 1 #3
“We’ll talk about how I arrived at my intel another time.
Your malware is brilliant, Cassandra. Glow-worm, in particular, is incredibly powerful and innovative.
I need it urgently, and I need you along with it.
Glow-worm will require its own creator to get it up and running.
You’re the only one in the world who can do it.
That, more than anything, shows that you’re my daughter.
You make yourself irreplaceable. Which gives you power.
Just like me. As if I’d coached you myself. It makes me very proud.”
“Don’t be,” I snapped. “And don’t try to butter me up. I legally can’t do what you’re asking, even if I wanted to, which I don’t. I already have a client that I’ve promised first crack at Glow-worm, so as soon as I—”
“That is a lie,” he said calmly. “It’s still completely secret. And I know the players who will be jockeying to license Glow-worm when it’s finished. You haven’t offered it to them yet. But even if you had, I can outbid them all. By a huge margin.”
“It’s not about money,” I said.
He waved that away impatiently. “I’ve followed your career.
You’re known all over the world in certain circles, young as you are.
You’re on the radar of defense contractors, arms dealers, government intelligence agencies, and probably terrorist organizations as well, through no fault of your own, of course.
You demand astronomical fees. You get that sense of your professional worth from me.
I need that get-it-done energy. It’s so hard to recruit that quality. I’ll pay top dollar for it.”
“No,” I said flatly.
“My payment, of course, includes access to my resources to treat Regina.”
The implications hit me all at once. “Wait. But… I can pay for Regina’s care myself,” I said stiffly. “Whatever it costs. I’ll cover every penny. I don’t bargain with that coin.”
“I do,” he said coolly. “And I will accept nothing less than your exclusive professional services as payment for Regina’s treatment.
That’s my offer.” He started to laugh at the dread in my eyes.
“Oh, don’t you worry. You’ll still get the money you’re due for the licensing deal, the whole massive sum.
But I get Glow-worm, and I get you. For as long as I need you.
That’s the deal Cassandra. Take it or leave it. ”
I felt the walls closing in around me. I thought of my mother, her empty eyes, her broken will.
Her horror stories about this man’s twisted mind, his grotesquely swollen ego that was never satisfied.
How being in his sphere of influence was like a terminal illness. It truly had been for her, in the end.
“I… I can’t do it,” I whispered.
“Ah.” He pulled a sad face. “Well, then. I’ll leave you to make those end-of-life arrangements. Will you scatter Regina’s ashes in the redwoods with Laurel’s? I’m sure she would want to be with her mother in death.”
How…? Reggie and I had told no one where Mom’s ashes were scattered. “How the fuck did you know that?” My voice was getting shrill. “Are you having us followed? You’re blackmailing me with Reggie’s illness, you asshole!”
“You won’t be permitted to use that kind of language when you are working for me,” he lectured. “I find it distasteful.”
“I don’t give a shit what you find distasteful!”
“You will finish Glow-worm under my watchful eye, and license it to me, for an obscene amount of money,” Halliwell went on.
“You will work for me for an obscenely large salary while your sister is treated in one of my private facilities. My clinic will treat her with drug compounds no one on earth has ever heard of, and she will get stronger by the day. A fact you will be able to verify with daily video calls. It’s a win/win/win, for everyone concerned.
See? It’s a very lucky day for you and Regina. ”
I hated the tears that were filling my eyes. I didn’t dare to be vulnerable and needy in front of this bastard who had ruined my mother’s life and left a smoking hole in my own. But he was dangling hope in front of me. I was helpless not to lunge for it.
“Think about it, Cassandra.” His voice was oily and satisfied again, as he felt his absolute power over me, and liked the hell out of it. “Accept my advantageous bargain. Or prepare to scatter your sister’s ashes in the redwood grove. The choice is yours.”
“You evil, manipulative son of a bitch,” I whispered. “I hate your guts.”
“I don’t mind that,” he said. “As long as you work well and give satisfaction.”
I could feel the jaws of the trap closing around me, but I was helpless not to take the bait. “So, ah… how long would you need me to work for you?”
His teeth flashed, unnaturally white, as he came in for the kill.
“How could I possibly know? Until we’re done.
My lawyers will get to work this very night on a contract for you, but the job is a good one.
Stratospheric pay. Perks of every kind. Luxury accommodations in my headquarters on the Washington coast. A private ocean-view apartment, two minutes from your workplace.
Room service at your fingertips when you don’t feel like cooking.
Every comfort and amenity, day and night. ”
“I don’t give a shit about that,” I said. “I need to stay with Reggie. Right at her side. I’ll work for you, but only after she’s well and strong. That’s non-negotiable.”
“I’m afraid I can’t wait,” he said. “You must start tomorrow. Regina will be taken by helicopter to the clinic tonight. You can accompany her there, but you can’t stay with her, unfortunately.
My own schedule won’t allow it. You say your goodbyes, and the helicopter will bring you directly to my Washington coast headquarters.
I need you to hit the ground running. Tomorrow morning early. ”
“Deal’s off, then,” I said. “I have to stay with Reggie. I can’t budge on that point.”
His eyes sparkled. “Aww. Look at you, so tough, driving your hard bargain. Like watching a kitten hiss at a German Shepherd. You’re just like me, you know?
You dictate terms and walk away if they aren’t met.
But not this time, my dear. The only power you have right now is your willingness to walk away. Are you willing?”
I gulped, willing my burning eyes not to overflow. That bastard.
He saw the answer in my face and nodded. “Good choice, Cassandra.”
“I go by Cass,” I said. I’d never liked the name Cassandra, not since I read the story in the Greek epic about Cassandra’s curse. Doomed to predict the future, but to never be believed. Crazy-making frustration at its worst. “No one calls me Cassandra.”
“I do,” Halliwell said softly. “And as you will soon realize… I am not no one.”