Jackpot

10

The driver stopped at the gate and wouldn’t take Millie any closer to the site because he said he didn’t have the right clearances. Millie suspected he was just being a jerk. Millie got out of the SUV, crawled under the gate, and took a few steps toward the construction site before turning back to see the SUV backing out of the drive and heading back toward the hotel. She sighed, then swore under her breath before walking the rest of the way to the heart of the site.

The stadium and field area were still under construction, but the attached building where the restaurants and suites would be housed was close to completion. Millie wandered the site, looking for a way into the finished part of the building. Eventually she found her way to an elevator that not only worked but went right to the top of the building and opened up on the owner’s suite where Arrow Donaldson was staring out at his city under construction.

“I guess you are more than a secretary,” Arrow said, bemused, when he turned to see Millie standing in his suite. “Did you walk all the way up here through the construction?”

“A flimsy gate and some scaffolding aren’t going to stop the CIA, Mr. Donaldson.”

“The CIA should have that carved into their headquarters, like the line about rain and snow for the post office.”

“Did you know that line isn’t even about the U.S. Postal Service?” Millie said.

“Oh really?”

“There is no official USPS motto. That line was paraphrased from a book about the Persian Wars that one of the architects of the post office in New York City read. It was about the Persian postal workers.”

“I bet you’ve had that in your back pocket for a while just waiting to use it on someone, haven’t you?”

“I’m in the intelligence service, Mr. Donaldson — I pick up a lot of information I find useful and interesting. Some of it has a natural place in conversation and the rest I keep to myself for my own purposes. But I never save anything just to use it to impress anyone.”

“I never said I was impressed,” Arrow said.

“Where’s Li Feng?”

“She’s safe.”

Millie walked closer to Arrow. She was stunned by how beautiful the area looked from where they were standing. Even more impressive than the actual view was the power that the view reflected. She felt like she was looking across the city as a god watching her subjects. That likely wasn’t a coincidence. As she turned to look at Arrow, she could see him basking in the power of the view as well. She cleared her head and turned her focus to the task at hand. She didn’t want to be seduced by the view or by Arrow’s facade.

“Li Feng isn’t your charge to protect,” Millie said.

“People have this idea of billionaires as disconnected from reality, hiring people to do everything for them while they hide out in their billionaire bubbles unaware of how the real world works. But that’s not me.”

Millie noticed he managed to mention two separate times that he was a billionaire in one sentence.

“Good for you. But Li Feng is a government witness to corruption and espionage, and I’ve been charged with her protection.”

Arrow gestured at the building they were standing in, at the window and its majestic view. “All of this is because of me. I made this happen and, despite what you may believe, I’m not taking a dime of government subsidies to do it. I have faith that this will be a success and I don’t like to hedge my bets when I’m confident in something.”

“Confidence is not a valid substitute for protection, Mr. Donaldson.”

“Call me Arrow. Please.”

“Last names are fine. And I do respect your ability to make things happen. But I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I let someone else swoop in and take it from me just because he has a lot of money.”

“I made this happen. Aren’t you listening to me? Without me, you wouldn’t have a job to do.”

“I don’t see what a basketball stadium has to do with protecting a government witness.”

“I am the only American to ever build a stadium on Chinese soil. Do you realize the kind of power that takes? The kind of respect I am afforded? Meanwhile, the U.S. government can’t even stop China from spying on them. Li Feng is safer with me.”

Millie took a few more steps toward Arrow. She could see his posture change and she knew the closer she got, the more uncomfortable he was.

“That really is very impressive, all of it. But I know how it was really built, and I know who else was involved.”

“Pardon?”

“I told you I was Lance’s point person for the initiative at your casino with the CIA.”

“Where are you going with this Ms. Martindale?”

“Intelligence gathering is information gathering, and I’m very good at my intelligence job, which means I have a lot of information.”

She took two more steps. Arrow backed away.

“Okay.”

“I know everything.”

Arrow turned away from Millie and took three large steps toward the bar cart in the center of the suite. He poured a generous amount of amber liquor from a crystal decanter into a crystal tumbler that glistened as he moved it in his hand. He took a long drink, then turned back to face Millie.

“Let Li Feng get settled with me tonight with some creature comforts. Then if you give me a call tomorrow, I can arrange for her to be transferred to your care.”

Millie nodded. She liked Arrow feeling as if he was doing her a favor.

“Thank you. I can show myself out.”