Forty-three
Austin
I sit back in my chair at the office on Monday morning, the lingering scent of Danica’s strawberry shampoo all that’s left of the weekend just gone. I didn’t touch a single work email, absorbing every moment with her instead.
My computer screen springs to life with an alert. An email from Brian Kelly, administrator at the NHTSA, promises the report on the electric-vehicle fires will be in our inbox by eleven. I’m contemplating the ramifications when my phone vibrates against the desk.
“Hey, it’s Mason,” he says when I answer. “Sara, Jim, and I—we’re all gonna be there with you when the report lands. I’ve already called Whalley PR, and they’ll set up a press conference at two.”
“Any idea what we’re walking into?” I ask.
“Nothing. Radio silence,” he says. “But we’ll hit the ground running. I’ll check with Grantham, and if he’s not in court, he can join us.”
“Great,” I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Theo and Rhys appear soon after, their faces mirroring the knot in my stomach. We’re like a trio of statues, frozen in anticipation, unable to focus on anything but the ticking clock and what this report may mean for EnergiFusion.
“Have you spoken to Matthew at Whalley?” Theo asks.
“Mason already did, but maybe we should call him,” I say, punching in the number.
Rhys hovers close.
“Good morning. This is Austin Sands with EnergiFusion,” I begin as soon as the call connects and Matthew answers. “As I think you’re aware, the NHTSA has announced that we’ll have their report at eleven, so Mason Sullivan said you were planning for a press conference at two? I’m just confirming and seeing if there’s anything further you need.”
“Understood,” the crisp reply comes. “Your details are correct, and everything is under control. We’re preparing three statements as we speak—one for each possible outcome.”
“Let’s hope it’s the one where we win,” Rhys interjects.
“Indeed,” I say. “Keep us posted.”
“Will do,” Matthew assures me before the line goes dead.
I lean back as Mackenzie appears in the doorway. Her face says she has something on her mind.
I wave her in as the other two exit. “What is it?” I ask.
“Each time your mother has called this morning, I told her you weren’t available.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry you’re dealing with my personal shit.”
She waves that away. “I also wanted to let you know that I went into Justin’s email, and it seems someone has been in his inbox.”
I nod. “It might be Crystal. Oh, make sure she knows about the eleven o’clock report and two o’clock press conference.”
Mackenzie still has an odd look on her face.
“Something else?”
“I don’t think it’s Crystal,” she says. “In the email, I mean. I think it’s Justin.”
“Why?”
“We can only access our email from our company laptop, and it has biometric security. Crystal said Justin took his laptop with him, and this just started. Access to his email requires his thumbprint.”
Full-throttle mic drop. Today of all days.
I manage a nod. “Okay, I’ll let Jim know.”
She leaves, and I catch Rhys and Theo’s attention again as I dial Jim.
They return to my office just as Jim answers his phone. “Hey,” he says. “We’ll be there before eleven.”
“That sounds good,” I tell him, switching to speaker. “But Jim, Rhys and Theo are here. Um… Mackenzie just told me someone has been in Justin’s email. Was it you?”
Rhys and Theo’s eyes go wide.
All the subtle noise behind Jim is gone. “I’ll check to be certain, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t us. Could it be Crystal?” he asks.
“It requires possession of his laptop and his thumbprint, so that doesn’t seem likely.”
“I’ll get someone here to look into it, and I’ll see you shortly.”
“Thanks,” I tell him.
Jim disconnects.
“Do you think it’s Justin?” Theo asks.
Mackenzie knocks on the glass door, and I wave her in. “Crystal will be here at eleven, and she said she doesn’t have any way to get into Justin’s email.”
I nod. “Thank you, Mackenzie.”
I look back at my two remaining partners. “Where the hell is Justin?” I ask.
“Holy fuck,” Rhys says. “I don’t know if I’m pissed or excited.”
“Same,” I agree.
“He has a lot of explaining to do,” Theo mutters.
But ultimately, until Justin walks through the door, nothing is going to change. We’ve got to keep moving forward in the meantime.
About an hour later, I slide into the conference room, which is scented with freshly brewed coffee. Already there’s low, nervous chatter, and Mackenzie is fussing over the spread of pastries and bagels.
“Everything looks great, Mackenzie,” I tell her. “You outdid yourself.”
“Thanks, Austin. Hope it helps keep spirits up.”
I nod, grab a cup, and let the Nespresso machine fill it with rich, dark liquid. As I take my first sip, the warm bitterness grounds me, a needed anchor before diving into the unknown sea of our collective future.
As eleven draws near, the room fills quickly, everyone taking their seats, laptops open and ready. The digital clock on the wall ticks down the minutes, each second stretching out longer than the last. If this goes south, EnergiFusion might not survive the fallout. I find myself making silent promises—if the worst comes to pass, I’ll do everything in my power to help the team land on their feet. They’re more than colleagues, they’re family.
At ten fifty-five, Crystal arrives in a flurry. She’s dressed in a designer suit and thanks Mackenzie for making sure she was invited.
“It was Austin who wanted to be sure you were here,” Mackenzie replies.
“What a nice surprise,” Crystal says. She casts me a look. She removes her fur stole and laces her fingers together on the table as she takes her seat. IT has projected my email account on the big screen.
Eleven o’clock strikes. A symphony of notification tones sings out, and we all freeze. IT opens the email on the big screen, and for a moment we all frantically scan, reading as fast as we can.
Then Mason’s fist punches the air, his voice loud and triumphant. “Yes! It’s not us!”
I go back to the top to read the details, my heart hammering against my ribcage. The NHTSA’s words blur before snapping into sharp focus. Inferior technology from secondary sources—that’s the culprit, not our batteries. But then, there it is, the sting in the tail. They’re blaming us for letting our tech slip through the cracks and onto the dark web.
“How were we supposed to stop that?” Mason’s bewildered voice cuts through my thoughts.
“Exactly,” I agree, the frustration searing. “It became impossible to control once it left our hands. And someone stole it. It’s not like we let anyone have it for their own use.”
Matthew from Whalley hands us each a piece of paper with the appropriate statement. We all begin to read.
But I still can’t focus. “Let’s make sure the plans on the dark web are still just those from our senior project,” I suggest. “That version was in the hands of multiple instructors, on a demo running at the Senior Showcase, and we presented it to a dozen investors. Anyone could have copied it and leaked it from anywhere.”
“Will do,” Jim says. He nods, and a member of his team has fingers flying over their keyboard.
“And don’t forget,” I add, “the automakers themselves are responsible. They sourced from secondary suppliers instead of directly from us.”
Nods all around. We’re in damage-control mode, but at least we’re not at fault for the fires. That sliver of vindication feels thin, but I cling to it. It’s something to build on, and our reputation remains intact.
Whalley has our statement for the press conference, but we need to communicate with employees right away. I hammer at my keyboard, preparing a message for the company intranet. “The NHTSA has confirmed that our batteries are not to blame for any of the recent vehicle fires,” I say as I type with fervent speed. “We’re facing a case of counterfeiting. Rest assured, we’re cooperating with legal authorities and the FBI to track down the origins of these fraudulent products.” I pause to consider my next words carefully. “Your dedication and hard work have been exemplary. We appreciate everything you do. This afternoon, at five thirty, we’ll have drinks and appetizers in the company lobby. I hope you can join us to celebrate. This vindication starts the road back to reclaiming our reputation and continuing to lead in our field.” I hit send, feeling a surge of solidarity.
“Nice speech.” Theo grins, clapping me on the back. Rhys repeats the sentiment, his eyes alight with relief.
“Thanks,” I reply, allowing myself a moment to breathe. “But let’s see how the rest of the world takes the news.”
We gather around the large screen in the conference room where Brian Kelly’s face looms, stern and accusatory. Matthew and the crisis PR team are stationed like generals at their posts. They’ve already dispatched our counternarrative into the wilds of public opinion. It’s out there now, mingling with speculation and retorts and, hopefully, steering the conversation toward truth.
Kelly drones on, each word seeming a deliberate attempt to paint EnergiFusion as the villain. His tone is confident, too confident, and I feel a pang of indignation at his audacity. It’s a show, a performance for the masses, until—
“Mr. Kelly,” a reporter interjects, seizing her moment amidst the sea of voices, “if the plans on the dark web are from a senior project that went through at least two dozen hands, how was EnergiFusion supposed to stop that?”
Silence descends on the room as Kelly fumbles for a response. His mouth opens and closes, and the sensation is almost palpable, his credibility deflating like a punctured balloon.
Without another word, he signals the end of the press conference, escaping from the podium. As the screen fades to the network logo, a collective laugh breaks out among us.
“Looks like he wasn’t prepared for that one.” Rhys chuckles, shaking his head.
“Good question,” Theo adds. “It really highlights the absurdity of their position.”
“No matter how much they try to shift the blame, the truth is clear,” I say with a smile. “And now, everyone else can see it too.”
We linger for a moment longer, watching the post-conference analysis trickle in and the tide of public opinion shift ever so slightly in our favor. There’s work to be done, battles ahead, but for now, we’ve won the day.
My phone pings. I snatch it up and swipe the screen.
Danica: Congrats! Heard the news. Let’s celebrate!
Me: We’re having a gathering this afternoon here in our lobby – 5:30. Please come, and after that we’ll celebrate, just the two of us.
Danica: I’ll be there, but you’re keeping your clothes on until we get home.
Me: Only if you insist, though that’s not nearly as fun as what I had in mind.
Before I can indulge in further banter, my phone interrupts again. This time, it’s a call from Emerson. I send her to voicemail as I turn my attention to Theo and Rhys, who are still reveling in the aftermath of the press conference.
Crystal stands and puts her fur stole back on.
Mason reaches out to her. “Can you wait a moment?”
She nods.
I take the cue to dismiss the rest of the staff, leaving just those of us who own the company. We all sit and turn toward Mason at the head of the table, yet it’s Crystal who speaks first.
“I think as the largest individual owner, I should take over the CEO position,” she announces.
Mason looks down at her. “Crystal, you may control the largest single interest of the company. Sara is looking into whether or not you control Justin’s shares, but he hasn’t given you power of attorney, and we have no firm conclusions on his status or whereabouts. And regardless, the board of directors makes leadership decisions. I’ve spoken to them, and right now they want to keep the status quo.”
Crystal’s mouth forms a straight line as she reaches into her purse and pulls out a piece of paper. “I do have his POA. According to our attorney, I have the right to control his shares.”
Mason reaches for the paper and looks at it. “Okay, but the board decides about CEO.”
“I see…” Her neck flushes red. She’s pissed.
Jim interrupts. “Crystal, we think we may have a location on Justin.”
Her head whips up. “Are you sure?” Her entire demeanor changes. “Oh my God!”
“Mackenzie noticed that someone has been reading his email. Since you said you don’t have access, we’ve begun tracking where the computer was when it logged on.”
Crystal’s eyes fill with tears.
“I understand you’re upset,” Jim says. “I hope to have more answers soon, but that’s all we know right now.”
Crystal’s shoulders quake as tears fall. Theo puts his arm around her. “Crystal, we know you’re dealing with so much. Would you consider coming back to work here? We could use a Chief Marketing Officer, and we’d appreciate having your expertise.”
I hold my breath. We do actually need her, and I think she needs this as well.
“Are you sure?” she asks.
“We’re sure,” I say.
“Absolutely,” Rhys chimes in.
“I’d like that,” Crystal says with the first genuine smile I’ve seen from her in a long time.
It takes forever for me to return to my desk and get back to work, but I finally do. There’s a stack of messages waiting, and the first one is from Emerson. I call her immediately, and she answers on the first ring. “Big win today,” she says. “You guys did great.”
“Thanks. Couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support,” I tell her.
“Listen, I’ve got something to make the celebration even sweeter,” she says. “I’ve talked to my friends and arranged their place for you and Danica to get away next week. It’s all yours, and the staff there will be expecting you.”
“Wow, that’s… Thank you,” I manage. “Danica doesn’t know, does she?”
“Not a clue,” Emerson confirms, a laugh in her voice. “It’ll be a surprise.”
“Perfect,” I say, already picturing Danica’s reaction, the wide-eyed wonder, the dimpled smile. “She’s going to love it.”
“Good,” Emerson concludes. “I’ll send you the details. Now, go, enjoy your victory. You’ve earned it.”
“Will do,” I promise, the line clicking as she disconnects.
A dumbstruck smile forms across my face. The astonishment of today’s win mingles with the thrill of Emerson’s news, and it feels like the universe is finally aligning in my favor.
“Guys,” I wave Theo and Rhys into my office. “You’re not going to believe this.”
They pop up from their desks and amble over.
“Emerson just hooked me up with a place to get away with Danica next week,” I tell them.
“Seriously?” Theo’s grin widens. “That’s fantastic, man!”
“Talk about perfect timing,” Rhys adds. “Will she be returning with big news?”
I roll my eyes. “We’re not there yet. But maybe soon...”
“We’re very happy for you,” Theo says.
“Best part? Danica has no idea she’s got next week off. It’s going to be a total surprise.”
“Bro, you’ve got to record her face when she finds out,” Theo says with a laugh.
“Maybe…” A part of me wants to keep that moment private, a treasured memory just for Danica and me, but another part—the one that’s shared countless highs and lows with these guys—knows it’ll be too good not to share.
“Looks like this week’s shaping up to be one for the books,” Rhys remarks. “You deserve this, Austin. Both of you do.”
“Thanks, guys,” I say. “This means a lot. But do you think it’ll be okay with everything going on here?”
“Go,” Rhys says. “We’ve got you covered. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is always going to be something going on.”
Theo nods. “We’ll hold down the fort.”
“Excellent plan. I appreciate it.” I stand, pushing my chair in and straightening my jacket. Somehow, it’s nearly five thirty, time to celebrate with our employees downstairs.