I RECOGNIZED THE VOICE IMMEDIATELY. After we sat down on a park bench, I turned to meet the man who had led my kidnappers in the Louisiana swamps.
I said, “Put the gun down. You’re not about to shoot me when we’re only a few yards from the White House.”
“You’re probably right. But it did get you to sit down, so I think I’ll just keep it handy for a while longer. Wondering what happened to Big Mike? Maybe you should ask who else we might target to get you to cooperate. If we can subdue Clovis and make Mike disappear, who might be next—Stella, Maggie, or your precious Beth? No one’s been harmed yet, Jack, not even you. What happens next is entirely up to you.”
“What do you want from me? And who exactly is ‘we?’” I demanded.
“It’s simple. David Ruple’s software must never see the light of day,” he replied. “As for your second question, you’d better hope you never find out.”
“And how do I manage that?”
“You complicated matters by surviving the swamp and taking on David’s defense. Now that Thibodeaux can’t possibly believe you simply flew the coop, the job has become a little more complicated. Listen carefully: this is how you’ll manage it. You will lose the civil litigation, and his software will belong to the business entities suing him.
“You have a reputation for pulling rabbits out of an empty hat. Not this time. Your chances were already minimal, and my clients have gone to some length to make sure you won’t win. But this case is too important to give you even a tinker’s chance. You will lose, or you will all pay with your life. Don’t doubt our resolve even for a minute.
“In addition, David must never dabble with computer software that affects these clients again. He and his girlfriend can fix broken computers and write code until kingdom come, but anything related to this software is off-limits for the rest of his life.”
“Why can’t I just stop representing him? Tom has many friends; he can find another lawyer. That was your plan when you took me to the swamp. Why isn’t it good enough now? And here’s another thing—do you have a name? Or can I call you whatever makes me happy?”
“Oh, Jack, please don’t lose your cool now. Please remember who’s in charge, and who is not. And yes—my name is Hans, and you are welcome to use it if it makes you feel better. Just think—you and I on a first name basis. As far as you quitting, what’s to keep you from blowing the whistle once you think your daughter and Maggie are safe? Your bowing out would raise too many red flags. The quickest and simplest way to accomplish our goal is for you to lose the civil case and convince David to plead guilty.”
“How in the world could I let David rot in jail for the rest of his life?” I asked.
“Why should he? Once you lose the civil case, I think you’ll find the government to be receptive to a plea deal. David might have to spend a few years in prison, but he doesn’t have to die there. At least not if he keeps his mouth shut. You’re a creative lawyer. I’m sure you can come up with a solution.”
“How do you know the government would accept a plea deal?” I asked.
“I told you. Nothing, and I mean nothing, has been left to chance.”
“And if I don’t agree to go along with your new scheme?” I asked.
“Don’t even think about it, Jack. We have ways to get past any security Clovis could put in our way. Stella Rice is good, but we’re better. Your computers, your phones, and your conversations are constantly monitored. Either David and his software disappear for good, or else—well, I think I’ve made the consequences clear.”
As quickly as he had slipped up on me, he was gone. I had watched FBI agents arrest Hans and his cohorts at Cary’s Landing. How could he be here now? And why had he switched to “we” rather than “they?” Who was “we” and was Hans more than just a hired gun? No security my team had in place had prevented them from doing exactly what they wanted. I felt like the proverbial sitting duck. Could I really put Beth or Maggie, or any of us for that matter, in such a dangerous position? Yet was I willing to purposely lose a case to save my own skin? I had no answers.
I also had no time. Big Mike, face in a panic and breathing heavily, was running across the park toward me.
“Take a seat, Mike. Catch your breath. To be honest, I totally forgot to wait for you after breakfast and started walking to the office as usual. Guess this case has made my brain fuzzy.” My attempt at sounding sheepish sounded suspicious, even to me. “When I realized I’d left you behind, I decided to wait for you to catch up. I was about to call to let you know I was here in the park. I don’t think Lisa needs to know we got separated.”
Mike’s face relaxed. I don’t know what relieved Mike more—my apparent safety or that I had no intention of telling Lisa.
He had regained his breath, and said, “I was watching you and Duke when three hotel security people surrounded me and started asking questions about what I was doing and why had I brought a gun into the hotel. I had cleared my carrying with their boss earlier, but they claimed there was no record of any such approval. By the time I convinced them that I had indeed followed the hotel’s protocol, you were gone.”
“No harm,” I answered. “I was enjoying the fresh air, trying to clear my head after breakfast with Duke.”
I wasn’t about to tell him or anyone else about my conversation in the park, at least not yet. My mind raced as we walked back to the office. With the odds stacked so heavily against me, I was bound to lose the civil case no matter what I did. But could I live with myself when the jury returned a verdict for the computer companies? And how does a lawyer guarantee a loss?
And while I was busy losing the case, who would protect my team? Who was safe—David, his girlfriend, his mother? I couldn’t very well send them to Mars. Yet not only did I have to figure out how to lose on purpose, but I also had to figure out how to get us all through this alive.
I glanced at Mike, who hadn’t said a word. Maybe he was still embarrassed about losing me. Maybe he thought I’d lost my mind. Either way, an idea began to formulate in my sluggish brain.
“Mike, do you mind if we keep walking?”
“Not at all. Good for both of us,” he smiled.
“Good. Please call the office. Ask whoever answers to have everyone meet us there in an hour.”
The more we walked, the more my mind raced. My fledgling strategy had almost no chance of success and would require a great deal of trust from a diverse set of people. But since Hans had said I could never win, what did I have to lose?
I would have to scramble. I would have to convince Tom, David, and even Gloria that I knew what I was doing. But the toughest nut to crack would be Maggie. If I could sell her on my strategy, maybe it could work. It was a long shot, but all I could come up with during an hour’s walk.