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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
hold of his jacket.
'It all adds up,' said Beverley. 'Schnee's pathetic attempt to take over my
firm. He failed so you went to work on me. The way you came out of that
lay-by. Jesus Christ! I should've realized that you'd been waiting for me. So
what is it about
Nano Systems, Matt? Compared with your operation, we're nothing. Or is it that
you saw it'll be a winner in the future and you wanted a piece of the action?
No, not a piece, that's not your style. You wanted all of it!'
Marshall brushed Beverley aside and entered the lift. Already his fertile mind
was looking for new options. This mess was the past. Beverley Laine was the
past.
'Well I'll tell you something!' Beverley yelled. 'If you want to fight, Matt,
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I'll give you a fight! And I promise you this -you'll never have Nano Systems.
Never!'
He touched the control pad, and turned to face the enraged Beverley. 'I don't
know about winners," he said icily before the doors closed. 'But I know a
loser when I see one. I'm not interested in your grotty little company and I
never have been.' The lift doors closed softly like a gate wipe on a movie
scene. Once back in his flat, Marshall called Schnee on his earphone and told
him what had happened in the car park. 'She recognized you and that's that.
The whole thing is screwed up. Get back here now. Forget the tape. We've got
to do a major rethink.'
Schnee replaced his handset in its carrier and reflected that Marshall Tate
telling him to forget the tape was as near to an apology as he was ever likely
to receive. He did a U-turn and headed back to the penthouse. He had an idea
in mind that he felt sure his boss would go along with.
Marshall read carefully through all the information that Schnee had compiled
on Nano Systems' principal shareholders. 'Okay, Schnee, so who's the weak
link?'
'Theodore Draggon of Draggon Industries, Mr Tate. His companies are
experiencing cashflow problems. Also I sensed at the board meeting at Nano
Systems that he was in favour of our bid. The big plus, of course, is that
Draggon Industries are long-standing customers for the Kronos chip and
therefore have an established procedure for acquiring them.'
'And he's definitely looking for a buyer for Draggon Industries?'
'Yes, Mr Tate.'
Marshall considered carefully. Schnee's plan was going to be expensive but he
could not see that he had any choice unless he resorted to using the telephone
number that Harrison Calinco had given him. Having Beverley removed would be
costly and would not ensure his supply of Kronos; buying out Theo Drag-gon was
a more cost-effective option.
'Okay, he's found one,' he said abruptly. 'Get him up here.'
58
The legal formalities for the takeover of Draggon Industries were completed in
Marshall Tate's Woolwich office three weeks later. Once the documents were
signed, Marshall ordered everyone out except Theodore Draggon.
He came from behind his desk and stared down at Theo Draggon, his eyes hard
and dispassionate. He ignored the York-shireman's outstretched hand.
'You know exactly what you have to do,' Marshall stated. 'You first put an
order through for four thousand Kronos chips.'
'I understand perfectly, Mr Tate,' Theo agreed. He hated having to swallow his
pride like this but Marshall Tate had saved him from going under.
'Once that's done, you use the additional funding for a takeover bid of
Quantum Leap Video Systems.'
Til do my best, Mr Tate.'
Marshall grabbed Theo's shirt front and pulled him close. 'You'll do more than
your best if you work for me, Draggon. You foul up, or breathe a word about
this to anyone and you're dead. You understand?'
Theo looked into Marshall Tate's face and saw not the blunt determination of a
businessman, something he knew and understood, but a hint of homicidal
madness.
'I understand, Mr Tate.'
59 Japan
The Japanese marine architect responsible for the conversion of the
hundred-thousand-tonne Orient Conveyor from a bulk carrier to the Bacchus
earth station was proud of his effort and with good reason. The huge amount of
work that the conversion entailed was still ahead of schedule. Marshall was
particularly pleased to see that the uplink dish antennae to control the
Bacchus satellite were in position and the control facilities were installed
and undergoing tests. Tasks such as the fitting out of the guests' and crew
quarters, the helicopter platform, were not so important and yet everything
was proceeding smoothly.
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'We can bring handover forward to next September,' the marine architect
informed Marshall through an interpreter. 'Everything will be finished by
then, even your suite, Mr Tate. Please, I will show you.'
Until then Marshall had not given much thought to living on the Eldorado, but
when he completed his tour of inspection, he realized, to his surprise, that
he was looking forward to the experience. The Eldorado would be an impregnable
fortress. As he stood on the ship's vast deck, surrounded by beavering gangs
and explosive showers of blue sparks from arc welders, he could feel the
absolute power of the mighty ship seeping into his very soul. Once he was on
the Eldorado and the ship was fully operational, he would be invincible. Never
again would he be dependent on people and governments. Never again would he be
the victim of authority. If the Indonesian government decided to kick him out,
he had three other anchorages for the Eldorado lined up.
Everything was going well. The Bacchus satellite now had its Kronos chips and
was undergoing final tests and modifications in TLK's laboratories. The first
three casinos being built were nearing completion. The revenue they generated
would finance several more and there would be enough to pay off Harrison
Calinco's hoodlums. To hell with the annual compensation fee
that Calinco's mob were after. If they wanted it, they would have to come
after him. And if they came after him . . . Well ... the Eldorado was going to
be armed.
Marshall's dreams forged effortlessly into the future: Bacchus I would be
joined by Bacchus II covering Europe, followed by Bacchus III covering the
United States.
Absolute power and authority - real Authority - would be his.
PART FIVE: Today
Beverley
A monster fearful and hideous. Aeneid, Virgil
1
SOUTHERN ENGLAND 1998
It was after 4 a.m. when Beverley emerged from the TVR chamber. The aftershock
of the vivid reliving her affair with Marshall Tate suddenly struck her as she
closed the chamber's hatch. Her limbs trembled so violently in the aftermath
of the ordeal that she had to sit naked on the steps for some minutes before
her nerves steadied sufficiently for her to get dressed.
On the drive home the intensity of those agonizing moments in the chamber
struck her again, forcing her to pull to the side of the road. It was the
reawakening of the memory of the way she had given herself so unashamedly to
Marshall Tate that she found so difficult to come to terms with. Her forehead
flushed hot with anger and embarrassment as she pressed it against the
Albatross's heavily-padded steering wheel, fighting to bring her trembling
body under control.
'Use telephone.'
Silence.
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