Matt Scribner, the chief financial officer at Drakos Capital, thought about it.  And then he thought about it some more.  He was in Alex’s office, seated in front of Alex’s desk.  His elbows rested on both arms of the chair and his fingers were tented in front of him.  “I would define it more as good progress,” he said, “but not great progress.  We break ground in a month, that’s still on track as of today.  But we still have a ton of cost overrun inclusions that are receiving push back after push back.  Every one of the companies are demanding more incentives as a part of the package.  They all feel our agreements are too punishment-heavy against them.”

“Damn right they’re punishment heavy against them,” Alex responded.  He sat behind his desk.  “What do they expect?  For it to be punishment-heavy against me?  They fought tooth-and-nail to be a part of this project, because they all know what it’ll mean for their bottom lines.  The cards are in my hands. Not theirs.  What did they think I was going to do?  They thought I would deal myself a bad hand, and deal them a better one?”

“According to them, not that I agree with it, but according to them they want the deck stacked with a little more balance in mind.”

Alex shook his head.  “They want me to balance the deck against myself when every one of those greedy bastards know I can turn down their demands and hire brand new contractors as easily as I hired them.  No.  No deal.  You tell them the contracts remain as written.  If they want to bow out, they have until close-of-business Friday of this week.  They can bow out up until then without penalty.  But no more negotiations.  That’s over.”

“We’re playing hardball then?” the CFO asked.

“As hard as we can throw it,” Alex said.  “I committed to the citizens of Apple Valley that I would have this project on time and under budget, and that’s exactly what is going to happen.”

Alex’s desk intercom buzzed.

“Then that’s what will happen,” the CFO said.  “I’ll put the word out.”

Alex pressed the intercom button.  “Yes?”

“Mr. Hines is here, sir.”  Jimmy Hines was Alex’s chief investigator.

“Send him through,” Alex said and released the button.  Then he looked at Scribner.  “Get to it then,” he said to him.

The CFO smiled as he rose to his feet.  “Get lost, in other words?” he asked.

Alex smiled too.  “Those would be the exact words, yes!”

The CFO laughed as he headed out of the door that Jimmy Hines was entering through.  They spoke, but the chief only had eyes for Alex.  He hurried and stood in front of Alex’s desk.  He was just back from Greece, and Alex could tell the intel wasn’t good.

“What did you learn?” he asked.

“Couldn’t get shit from anybody, Boss.  Not even your brother’s enemies.  It’s a closed society in the Grecian mob.  You know how they are.  They wouldn’t even talk to me.  They know I work for you, and they still wouldn’t talk to me.”

Alex was staring at his chief.  He knew him like he knew the back of his hand.  “But?” he asked.

“But something’s up.  Something so big it’s got everybody spooked.  I could feel it in the fucking air over there.  I even tried to get an audience with your father, to tell him what happened and what you heard about it, but he wouldn’t see me either.”

That was news for sure, Alex thought.  If his old man wouldn’t so much as talk to a man he knew represented Alex, something was definitely up.

“I hate to say it, Boss,” Jim Hines said, “but you’ve got to go to Greece and see what’s going on for yourself.  They won’t talk to me, but they damn sure will talk to you.”

The intercom button buzzed again.  Alex, accustomed to constant interruptions, pressed it.  “Yes?”

“The deputy chief is here to see the chief, sir.”

Hines frowned.  “Tell him to wait,” he yelled at the intercom.  “His ass knows I’m in a meeting with the boss!”

“He said,” the voice over the intercom responded, “that it’s about the boss, and the boss’s woman.”

Hines frowned.  “The boss’s woman? What the fuck is he talking about?”

But Alex kept his voice measured as he spoke into the intercom, although he was suddenly worried.  “Send him through,” he said.

That surprised the chief, and he looked back as his deputy quickly came into the office and made his way up to the desk.

“What’s this about?” the chief asked.  He knew how Alex felt about that black girl in Florida.  Every one of his security chiefs knew it, and had been given their orders concerning her and her kid.  If anything came up regarding either one of them, Alex had ordered, they were to get in touch with him personally.  No back channels.  No third-and-forth hand.  He wanted to hear directly from them.  That was why the deputy felt he was on solid ground by the interruption.  But was it worth interrupting them, was the chief’s question.

“I just received a phone call from our guys in the field in Apple Valley,” he said.

“Go on,” Alex said.

“There’s rumors going around, sir.  Very nasty rumors.”

The chief frowned.  “Rumors?  You barged in on our meeting because of rumors?”

But Alex was far less dismissive.  “What are the rumors about?” he asked.

“Natalie Corman is all over the internet, and as of right now on some television programs too, saying that you and she are engaged.  She’s displaying the engagement ring you allegedly gave to her as well.”

The chief looked at Alex.  “Engaged?” he asked him.  That was news to him.  But Alex didn’t look at the chief.  He was too busy staring at the deputy.  More, he knew, was to come.

“We have every reason to believe that,” the deputy said, “given how hot the story is in that town, and I mean it’s hot, sir: we have every reason to believe that Miss Grant heard those rumors too.  From what her office manager told us, and that woman is very concerned about Miss Grant, she probably saw Natalie Corman’s announcement too.”

Alex suspected that would be the other part.  Natalie Corman went public.  Her ass did it anyway.  And now Kari knew.

Alex leaned back in his chair and clasped his fingers together.  He didn’t say anything, but his chief and deputy both could see that tightening of his jaw.