“I thought you didn’t trust them?”
“Right now they’re my best option.” Lincoln snagged another resort staffer, who was pushing a cart loaded with bottled water down the path. “Where can I find a regular old telephone?”
She pointed toward the central building, which was tucked under a grove of palm trees and featured a wraparound lanai and an airy open-plan restaurant. “They have one in the reception office, and I think there’s one at the bar.”
“The bar works for me,” Lincoln muttered, turning in the direction she’d waved.
Rory didn’t budge. Something was telling him not to leave Mathilda right now. She’d seemed so confused. Were the aftereffects of that damn crystal still messing her up? If he left now, how would he find her again? The entire family might leave as soon as the power was back on.
It doesn’t matter, because she’ll be married.
But she’s not married yet.
She’s engaged. She said yes. That’s what she wants. Stay out of it.
Lincoln interrupted his silent argument with himself. “Let’s go, Rory. What’s the hold up?”
Rory shook himself back to attention. “What’s the plan here?”
“The plan is to get my team here and make them search this entire resort until they find my sample. You’ve seen what it can do. We can’t take a chance on it getting into the wrong hands.”
“So your hands are the right ones?” The arrogant assumption behind that statement rubbed Rory the wrong way. “I never asked, but what exactly do you plan to do with it?”
Lincoln’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“It’s a simple question. Assuming you can get this technology to work in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone, what do you plan to do with it? Are you going to offer it up for free as an answer to the world’s energy problems?”
Lincoln laughed. Then sobered. “That’s a joke, right?”
“Sort of. I didn’t think you’d say yes. So what are you going to do? Sell it commercially so it’s publicly available for a cost?”
Lincoln didn’t answer. Rory took that as a no.
“Okay, then. Will you sell it to the military?”
“Maybe. If they offer enough.”
“And if they don’t? If some other government offers more?”
“Look, I’m a businessman. I don’t know what point you’re trying to make here, but that crystal is my property. We have various options on the table about how to maximize our investment.”
Rory’s jaw dropped. He realized that he really never would understand Lincoln’s mentality, or that of others like him. “Are you saying you would sell it to China or Russia or Iran or Israel or any nation who stepped up with the highest bid? Do you have any red lines?”
“I’m saying it’s none of your business and nothing is decided.” But after a sidelong glance at Rory’s appalled expression, he added, “But no, we’re not going that direction. Dealing with foreign governments brings too many hassles.”
“Then what? I know you have a plan.”
Lincoln gazed at him stonily as workers scurried past them in all directions. None of your business, said his expression. Rory could fill in the blanks. You don’t have the right to question me. This is above your pay grade. Out of your league. This is billionaire business.
And then it clicked.
“The billionaire bunker. Are you going to sell it to the consortium to power the bunker, and the other ones they want to build?”
Lincoln didn’t answer, but from his expression Rory knew he was on the right track.
“It’s the perfect way to power those bunkers. I always wondered what the plan was if society really does break down and the power grid fails. I figured it would be solar. But this is even better. You want to make this technology available only to the upper one percent. Or the zero point zero point zero point one percent, whatever it is.”
“Look, I’m not the bad guy here. I’m going to lease it to the consortium in exchange for a place for my lab. I need to keep this tech safe. In the bunker, it’ll be protected from Tanaka and everyone else. After that, maybe I’ll find other uses for it.”
