Executive

…75

Tom's hand was squeezing the TV remote, holding his breath, waiting for the massacre to be over.

"You are watching News of the Hour with Stephanie Wainwright."

Finally, her irritating face disappeared from the TV screen. Nothing else was left to say to further harm NanoLance. For the first time since he had taken this case, Tom was having doubts that he and his team were going to be able to bring the case to a successful conclusion and restore this company's reputation.

The phone's loud ringing brought him back to reality. The LCD display read "Barnaby cell." He picked it up without delay.

"Dr. Barnaby," he said, sounding surer of himself than he felt.

"Have you seen it?" Dr. Barnaby's voice was trembling, breaking up.

"Yes, I have. It is a worrisome—"

"Isn't it enough? How much more time do you need to find out who's doing this to me?"

"We have some information, but not all we need. We're only asking for twenty-four hours more, that's it," Tom pleaded, holding his head down. He wished he could have something more encouraging to say to his client, something to help him regain the confidence he had lost. There was nothing more to say. Results were needed badly, plus a miracle.

"Twenty-four hours could be all that this company has left. What do you think the markets are going to do today? We need to issue a statement today, not tomorrow. A statement naming names, not just dancing around the facts, like we have done lately."

"Dr. Barnaby, I promise you'll have significant findings by this time tomorrow. Please come by my office in the morning, so we can discuss the next steps and containment actions."

"You are my last hope on this Earth; you know that, don't you?" Barnaby said, in a quiet, defeated voice. "Please don't let me down."

"I won't. We won't, I promise," Tom said, grasping at straws of hope that he would be able to keep his word.