Page 64 of Time Stops With You

“We don’t have another choice. Solving it first is the only way we beat them.”

“There are hundreds of technicians working around the clock in that company,” Dr. Young says in a sad voice.

Asad braces himself. “Do we need to work even harder than them? Because I don’t know how much harder I can push myself. We’re all putting in over one hundred hours a week.”

“No. We can’t possibly work harder than that company. They’d crush us.” I shudder.

Dr. Young nods soberly.

Sara frowns.

“Rather than harder, we’ll work smarter.” I tap out a message on my phone. “Sara, send an SOS message. I want every technician on our A-team to be here at three thirty sharp.” I think of Jenna’s hurt expression and amend, “Allow the B-Team to come in too.”

“It might be a little too last minute for everyone to assemble at HQ this soon,” Sara informs me hesitantly.

“Stress that this is an emergency.”

Sara nods and jots something down.

I point at her. “Set up a live video feed for the overseas team members. I want perfect attendance. No excuses.”

“What’s another meeting going to do?” Dr. Young challenges. “We’ve had tons of meetings before and it never got us anywhere.”

“We’ve never had a meeting where three quarters of the team will be in the same room,” I answer firmly. “Maybe something new will shake loose if we’re together in person.”

Sara, Dr. Young, and Asad process my words, saying nothing.

I frown at them. “What else can we do? Throw our hands up and lie down to let the wolves eat us alive? I’m not an idiot. This problem is beyond me. We solve this together or we don’t solve it at all.”

Asad smiles a little.

Dr. Young nods in agreement.

Sara picks up her phone. “I’ll call everyone personally and let them know how important this is.”

I check my watch. “I should head out now.”

“Already? You still have time,” Sara says.

“If I leave now, I can buy a shirt for the ground breaking ceremony.”

Her lips curl up. “I thought you said you weren’t dressing up?”

I nod at her. “As the CEO, I shouldn’t look too shabby for my photoshoot.”

Sara laughs. “I’ll make a call to a friend of mine. He’ll have a suit in your size ready by the time you arrive.”

True to her word, Sara’s acquaintance hands me a pressed white shirt and trousers the moment I step into the tailor shop.

“You look fabulous,” he says, his eyes assessing my form in the outfit. “But the beanie has to go.”

“It stays,” I answer stubbornly.

He peers at it with distaste. “At least push it up a bit.” He makes the adjustment himself. “There. That’ll work. Thankfully, it’s black or it would have been much worse.”

I pay him a little extra for his fashion advice and take a cab to the school.

Two news vans are parked outside and the journalists are already seated when my escort guides me to the empty area where the computer lab will be built.

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