Michael Ridpath: Final Venture

My own death, now just over a minute away, suddenly seemed very real. Of course I was frightened. But somehow, the knowledge that Lisa and the baby would survive gave me some strength. Strength enough to die.

Daniel, realizing that his self-imposed deadline was fast approaching, seemed to be steeling himself. He was tense, sweating. He didn't like doing this.

The clock struck eleven.

Daniel stood up. He licked his lips. The gun was held out in front of him, shaking.

'I guess she didn't come back,' he said.

'It doesn't look like it.'

I watched him calmly.

'Stand up!'

I stood up.

'Turn around.'

I didn't move. If I was going to die, it would be standing up, facing my assassin. I wasn't going to beg for mercy. Lisa had escaped. And our baby. And now I was going to die with simple honour. In these final moments of my life, that mattered to me.

'I said, turn around!'

Daniel almost screamed. I held his eyes. He wasn't enjoying this one bit, and I was glad.

Just then a car engine burst into life. I recognized the low growl of the Morgan's V8 engine. Lisa was going to get away! He couldn't stop her now.

'What's that? Lisa?'

I nodded and smiled.

Daniel licked his lips. 'Did she come back? Did she see me?' His voice rose in something close to panic. Outside, the car was put into gear.

'You bastard!' he said and raised his gun.

Outside the car engine revved and then slowed. Through the wooden walls of the house we could hear it growl and then explode, rushing towards us.

'What the fuck!' Daniel turned towards the wall of the living room. There was an almighty crash, and the house rocked. The wall erupted, and the dark green nose of the Morgan burst into the room. Wood flew everywhere, a chunk dealing Daniel a glancing blow.

I leaped.

He regained his balance and fired. I felt a sharp burn on my stomach, and was on him. He was thin and wiry, and fighting for his life. I was strong, and bigger than him, and fighting for mine. I grabbed the hand holding the revolver. Two more shots rang out, each smashing harmlessly into a wall. I beat his hand against the floor until he let go of the gun. I grabbed it, and belted him over the head with the butt. He slumped on to the floor.

I rushed over to the Morgan, which was half-in and half-out of the house. Steam was hissing out of the engine. The whole front of the car was concertinaed upwards. The windscreen was cracked but still intact. And behind the wheel was Lisa, motionless.

I was seized with panic. She was leaning back in the seat, a cut on her head bleeding heavily. She was still, her eyes shut. On her lap was an inflated life jacket, which she must have grabbed from the boathouse to cushion the impact.

'Lisa! Are you all right?'

Nothing.

I touched her gently on the shoulder, afraid of making an unseen injury worse. She didn't respond. I wanted to grab her, shake her back to consciousness, but I knew I shouldn't. So I stroked her face. 'Lisa! Lisa! Speak to me!'

She moved slightly and groaned. Her eyelids flickered. Relief flooded through me.

'Oh, Lisa, are you hurt? Please tell me you're not hurt!'

She shook her head. 'I don't think so,' she whispered.

I helped her out of the car and pulled her close to me.

'What about the baby?'

'I… I don't know.' She buried her face in my shoulder.

'Thank you,' I said, holding her tight. She had risked her life and our child's life for mine. I couldn't ask for more than that.

She pulled back, and tried to smile. 'I didn't want our baby to grow up without a father.'

I was ten minutes late for the Monday morning meeting. I had had very little sleep over the weekend, and I was exhausted. I was looking forward to a day at the office to recuperate.

Everyone was there: Diane, Ravi, Jim the new partner, and the two associates Kathleen and Bruce. No Gil. No Art. No Frank. No John. And no Daniel, who was into the second month of his life sentence.

Ravi was talking about Boston Peptides. Henry Chan and the rest of the management team, including Lisa, had bought the company out from the debris of BioOne, with Revere's backing. 'The prospects for BP 56 look excellent. We're planning to start Phase Two trials in September.'

Any sign of side-effects?' asked Diane from her position in Gil's old chair at the middle of the table.

'It causes mild depression in some patients, but that's no problem if it's taken in conjunction with an anti-depressant. Apart from that, it looks fine.'

Are you sure?'

Ravi winced. 'So far. But don't quote me on that.'

'Don't worry, I won't. Simon?' Diane said, turning to me. 'How's Net Cop doing?'

'Craig has customers slavering over his prototype. Now all he needs to do is gear up for production.'

'And the finance for that will come entirely from the Initial Public Offering?'

'That's the idea.'

'Any price talk yet?'

'Forty-five dollars.'

Diane did some quick mental calculations. 'That puts a value on the company of two hundred forty million, doesn't it?'

I nodded.

'That's incredible!' Jim said.

'It's a big market and Net Cop has the best product.'

'So what's our share?' Diane asked.

'We'll have ten per cent of that.'

'Not bad, Simon.'

And it wasn't bad. We would turn an initial two million investment into twenty-four million. Jeff Lieberman and the Bloomfield Weiss investors would do even better. When we had backed down, they had had the courage to step in and they deserved their returns. Craig had done best of all, of course. But he definitely deserved that.

'Lynette Mauer will be pleased,' Diane said. 'I think she might bite at a new fund next year. With Net Cop, Boston Peptides, Tetracom, and some of the others, we're beginning to convince them that we know what we're doing without Gil.'

Gil was sailing five days a week, and had yet to go anywhere near a dialysis machine. But we were all determined that the firm he had started would thrive without him.

I was exhausted as I made my way back home across the Common. I needed a full night's sleep badly. But I walked fast, eager to see Lisa and the baby. It was eight o'clock and still light when I arrived at the apartment. I opened the door and called out. There was no reply.

I dumped my briefcase, and went through to the bedroom. Lisa was lying asleep, a breast exposed, the baby breathing gently next to her. I took off my clothes and crawled in beside them.

I kissed Lisa on the forehead. She didn't stir. Then I kissed the baby.

'Goodnight, Frank,' I said, and fell instantly asleep.