"Because K Therapy is our only reliance, we're saving our own lives."
"What if they don't yield?" someone asked.
Walker looked out at the heavy night: "Then we'll escalate the contest until they understand that the cost of losing us is far higher than the cost of accepting a new theory. Colbert is right, I'll do anything for life, if someone wants my life, I'll take theirs."
The meeting ended at two in the morning. No paper records were kept, all electronic devices were left outside the door before entering the study. Twelve people left one by one, disappearing into the rainy night of New York, each returning to their own kingdom of power.
...
Monday, New York.
At 8:55 AM, Colbert's hedge fund office. Traders held their breath watching the screen, fingers hovering above the keyboard. Colbert himself stood behind the glass curtain wall, overlooking the slowly waking Manhattan.
"The report is released," the chief analyst said softly.
