Unfortunately, the laptop computer left whenever Big Mohammed left. Benoit had opened the double escrow with Credit Suisse. Pursuant to contracts between Gaudet's company in Quatram and the French government, Gaudet ac knowledged in the documents that his company had no claim to the ownership of the Chaperone technology. Raval attested that he was the primary inventor of the technology and that the official Grace Technologies record of Chaperone would be deposited into escrow. For political and legal reasons Raval's attestation was critical because France's claim to the invention came through the bankruptcy of Grace Tech nologies, which owed massive sums in back taxes. Grace's ownership in turn came through Raval's employment by Grace, since for patent purposes he was the inventor. The entire transaction would be handled over the Internet, except for the phys ical signing of escrow instructions. In Gaudet's case it was agreed that an electronic signature would be acceptable. Benoit, on behalf of Gaudet, deposited electronically into escrow all of the manuals and information that he had obtained from the original laboratories in Malaysia, and even more critical, the Grace document provided by Raval, explaining Chaperone. Much of this material was new to the French laboratory, which had received only information from Grace labs in France.
France deposited the $200,000,000. The moment it was in the account, Benoit advised Gaudet. Returning to her room, she discovered the following message from Baptiste.
You need to return to France immediately. We need to work on your pardon. And we need a week for our scientists to verify the technology. Seven days from today should suffice. We will then need seven additional days in order to close.
Benoit printed the message and took it to Gaudet.
"This was not part of the deal. They are reneging. You know that the Chaperone document is correct… Hell… you have staked your chance for a pardon on it. That has to be good enough for them. Write that. Tell them no way. It must close now."
"It is like the government. They are used to making demands," Benoit said. She went back in her room and composed a message consistent with Gaudet's directive.
Big Mohammed was asleep with his chin cupped in his hand. Working fast she put the message into an e-mail by making it an attachment and sent it off to Baptiste. Next she went to the sent items, then re-sent the message to Sam's e-mail address. Then she double-deleted the forward to Sam.
"The government will not close without a chance to verify," came the almost instant response from Baptiste.
At that moment Gaudet stuck his head in the room and saw Big Mohammed asleep. "Wake him up and tell him to get out. Leave the computer." Gaudet stepped out of the room. She woke Big Mohammed and explained that he had been sleeping in front of the boss. The man sprang instantly awake and tried to explain.
"Forget it. He'll cool off, but just leave for now. We'll call you." She was hoping for a break like this.
"You should see this," Benoit said when Gaudet returned.
Gaudet came and read over her shoulder.
"Bastards. They never said anything about this. Tell the bank the deal is off and they are to permanently delete all documents immediately. I can live without the two hundred million."
"Let's give them one more chance."
"How?"
"I propose the following response."
We'll send the following message immediately to Credit Suisse if you do not retract: To Credit Suisse es crow holder — Permanently delete all documents as per escrow agreement clause 17.
They waited. Benoit could imagine Baptiste on the phone with the admiral. Baptiste would be taut as a bow string, his retirement on the line; Admiral Larive would be cursing, imagining his career, his honor, sliding into a garbage pit.
"I will kill that bastard if he backs out on me. I have done harder things than kill an admiral," Gaudet said.
"He is not just an admiral, he is the head of an intelligence agency. Don't worry. They will not back out. They want this too badly."
"Even so, they won't get their five before Cordyceps. I'll give them three days maximum."
"Wait. You can't do that. Baptiste must believe I am play ing ball with him and that he will be rich and we will be lovers. The admiral must believe the same. I need my pardon. I can't change the play."
"Damn the pardon. You will be with me."
"Of course I will be with you, but I will not forsake the pardon. That was our agreement."
"You'll stay with me. I will protect you."
By force of will she did not argue with him. In fact, with the power resting in his hands, it was the perfect moment to ask: "How will you bring down the United States?"
Gaudet's eyes were shining. Her heart beat in her ears as she stood on the threshold. She was looking at a man energized by intrigue, a man who got high on risk.
"Cordyceps is a perfect analogy. We will first eat away at their innards and then take the brain."
"The U.S. is such a large place, though…"
"I have men already in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Washington. They have enough of the vector to transform a million people in each city. Imagine a total of maybe four million people, all driven to kill, all for no reason. At the same time, imagine fifty million computers dying during the crisis. Police, fire, transportation, FBI, CIA-all crip pled, sodomized with a baseball bat."
"But how will so few men spread the vector?"
"Helicopters that have been made to look like police helicopters." Then Gaudet's eyes seemed to regain their focus. "Now you'll have to sleep handcuffed to my wrist."
She studied Gaudet. Even through his disguise she could see the energy in his body.
With no preliminaries he stepped back behind her chair and lifted her hips so that she was bent over the computer. He put his hand under her dress. She put her mind in the faraway place of her meditation and then straightened herself up. Deliberately she turned in his hands until she faced him and looked in his eyes.
"You have changed," he said. "Not nearly as much fun as you used to be."
"Maybe I've changed my ideas about fun."
"I haven't changed mine."
He ran his hands up under her shirt. When she grabbed them, anger flashed in his eyes and she struggled to put her mind at rest and to draw strength from her we pac maw. Any moment he would pull out his knife and that would be the end of resistance. For a second he looked like he might really hurt her. Gradually she loosened her grip on his hands so that he was free to continue while she held his gaze. He said nothing while he pondered what must have seemed like a new Benoit Moreau.
The computer made an audible tone and broke the ten sion. She turned away from his hands, sitting back down to the computer.
"Baptiste is responding," she said.
We will do the deal with only a 24-hour review win dow, but only if you first send us Benoit so that we can receive appropriate reassurances.
It was an unexpected shock.
"I've got to think." Gaudet stepped away and paced across the room. "I wonder what I can offer them?"
"I have to go back," she said.
"Now that you know about Cordyceps? Out of the question. So now what?"
Benoit wrote a message.
You may have 24 hours for your review of the vec tor and Chaperone documents, but you must view them in escrow. No documents may be removed from the offices of the escrow holder until closing, no copies made while you are determining their authenticity. I cannot come immediately. Gaudet wants the same assurance that France wants. For him, proof of straight dealing means holding his knife to my throat. Close the deal and release the funds in 24 hours. Or I cannot consummate a transaction at this end.