Page 15 of Ignite: Tony's Story
“Bennet went through what you gave me. You’re definitely onto something about BioCere, Inc. There’s a ton of money being pumped into that company. There’s a BioCere, Inc in Atlanta, but these records only show activity in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, so they may or may not be related.”
I nod. “That’s where the logs for his private plane said he went when he stormed out the other day.”
“All Bennet’s been able to find so far is an address to what looks like an old warehouse. He sent a PI there to check it out. But that’s all he has so far.”
“Okay, so I’ll work on the CCTV footage. And you two can work on getting more out of that server data.” Quinn claps his hands like we just had a productive team meeting.
Which, I suppose, we did.
“If you’re both sure, I’d appreciate the help. And I know Bennet will be appreciative too−“
“No,” I say, cutting him off. “I think it’s best if you keep our involvement quiet for now.”
“I don’t want to take credit for your work, Mara.”
“I don’t need credit, Tony. I need anonymity.” I can tell that he doesn’t understand. “Look, I think we can really help each other here. This is my only condition.”
He doesn’t need to understand, he just needs to agree. Which, thankfully, he does. “Alright, if that’s what you want.”
It’s not what I want, it’s what I need. Because no matter how much Bennet Adley might dislike his father, it’s one thing to want to take his business from him. It’s another to want to burn it down.
“How would you both feel if we set up at my house? I have a dining room with a ridiculously large table that’s never been used, and a lot of extra monitors and stuff.”
“I’m down,” Quinn says. I nod my approval as well.
“Cool. I’d like to send Bennet whatever we have now, and then once we’re set up, we can start working on getting more.”
My mouth full of potatoes, I point at my small backpack that’s lying on the floor next to the couch. Tony reaches over to grab it and hands it to me. I rummage around in one of the pockets and pull out a thumb drive.
He seems a little surprised that I have it ready to go.
“I was waiting for the right time, when I was sure I could trust you. What I gave you last night was just a little taste.”
The way both of their eyes darken tells me I’m not the only one that caught the unintentional double meaning.
Quinn
I whistle. “Nice place.”
“Thanks,” Tony says awkwardly, opening the door in just a towel and gesturing me inside. There’s water dripping off his chest, which is terribly distracting, but I don’t want to make him more uncomfortable than he already is.
“Did I interrupt your shower?”
“Sort of, but it's okay. I was almost… um, done.” He flushes and I really want to be nosey and figure out what that’s about, but I’ll play nice until he’s a little more comfortable with me.
He leads me through the house. It’s open and airy, with neutral tones and lots of natural wood elements. And plants. He really likes plants.
Finally, we come to a dining room with a massive table. He’s already set out six monitors, five different keyboards, and a bunch of other computer equipment.
I’m impressed. “This is going to be a great set up.”
“I wasn’t sure what all we might want, so I brought everything down. I have an office upstairs, but it wouldn’t be as roomy. Or as close to the kitchen.”
“It’s perfect. And Mara will appreciate the kitchen part.”
For once, I lethimfill the silence.
“So, what exactly did Mara have in mind for you on this project?” He cringes, looking worried that he might have offended me. “I didn’t mean− thank you for getting that CCTV footage for us, by the way. I didn’t have time to look through it myself, but it’s in Bennet’s hands now.”
