Big Data: A Startup Thriller Novel

Chapter 76

         

"No," I said.

"Yes," he said.

"But—"

"Listen, we have no other choice at this point."

"I won't do it. I've been in enough police stations in the last week to last a lifetime. I am not just walking myself into this one. You're going to have to drag me in kicking and screaming."

"That's why you two are going to wait for me over there."

He pointed at the library across the street, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you going to do?"

"You let me worry about that. If I'm not with you in thirty minutes, get out of there and don't stop walking."

"Where to?"

"Mexico."

"You better be joking."

He didn't respond. Just turned and strode into the police station.

I held Phillip's hand as we crossed the street.

"Phillip, what's wrong with you?"

There was a long pause.

"Do you think I—"

Phillip sat on the concrete steps at the entrance to the library. I joined him.

"What?"

"I've fucked up."

"No, that's not true. What are you talking about?"

"I've fucked up everything good in my life."

His eyes were glassy.

"Phillip, what are you saying? You're one of the best people I know."

"That's nice of you to say, but I'm a loser. I lost my job. I let a megalomaniac take over your company. I let two megalomaniacs take over."

"That's not your fault. You can't blame—"

"And then today I couldn't even protect you. I don't know what kind of person I am."

"Phillip, you were just doing what you thought was right."

"Do you think I k—"

He couldn't say it.

"No, Phillip. No. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"And Susan. Oh God, Susan."

The tears flowed freely down his face.

"It's okay, Phillip. It's okay. Come on. Stand up. There will be a time for this, but not just now. We have work to do. Important work. People are depending on us. So many people. People we don't even know are in mortal danger and will continue to be until you and I figure out how to stop Ancien. So, come on. Let's go inside. We'll find a quiet corner, and we'll figure this out. Then we can think about everything—"

I couldn't hold it back anymore. Watching Phillip cry reminded me of everything I'd been feeling but couldn't acknowledge. Taye. Heath. Deeper wounds. Older injuries. Wounds I thought had healed ripped right open. I wept with Phillip.

No. Not now. Now was not the time. I couldn't do this now. It had to wait.

"Phillip, come on. I need you right now."

We pulled ourselves together and found a quiet corner in the library with a small table and a couple of chairs.

"So, how do we stop this thing?" I asked.

"I'd go in and just delete everything if I still could."

"Maybe we can call in some favors. We could call Michael or Samantha. Explain everything."

"Alex broke our phones. I don't know about you, but I don't have their phone numbers memorized."

"Shit."

We thought about it some more.

"We could call the press," I said. "You and I have a lot of credibility, after all. They would listen."

"Maybe. But think about it. What's the first thing they're going to ask for?"

"Proof."

Phillip sighed. "We don't have one shred of evidence. It's an entirely circumstantial situation. Alex is probably facing the same problem over there. Maybe we should just wait. Maybe Alex will be able to convince the cops somehow, and they'll take care of it."

"I'm not okay with just sitting on my hands, though. Are you?"

Phillip shook his head.

"Come on," I said. "There's got to be something we can do. Between the two of us, we have twenty years of experience at Ancien. There's got to be something we haven't thought of yet."

"We could stake out the parking lot tomorrow morning and wait for Michael or Samantha to show up."

"Then we're risking being shot at again."

"Fourth time this week," he said. "That's okay, though, because by my count, I've got five more lives left."

I laughed, then, "Wait, what did you just say?"

"Fourth time this week?" he repeated.

"No, you've got five more lives."

"Yeah, nine lives. You know, like a cat."

"That's it. Phillip, you're a genius."

I leaned over and gave him a big kiss on the forehead.