photos of the lurid encounter.
The pictures graphically presented Ryan with this woman astride him, wearing a mask, a dominatrix costume, black stiletto heals, and wielding a whip. There were a variety of pictures showing her taking him into every orifice of her body. The video recorded the plentiful guttural sounds that resulted from their sexual relations. From the tape, it appeared the encounter lasted no less than two hours before he finally passed out.
When he awoke alone at eleven the following morning in a strange Manhattan motel room, his shock and humiliation was too much to bear. A maid had finally rousted him and mentioned that the manager was holding a message for him at the front desk. She knew nothing of anyone else in the hotel room.
This was the beginning of an unimaginable horror to follow. Thoroughly confused, his head throbbing from a vicious hangover, Ryan feverishly searched for his clothes. What he found instead were a couple of stray pictures by the bed stand that depicted him and the woman having sex; she was on top, facing the camera, leaving nothing to the imagination. There was also no mistaking Ryan as her partner. His heart sank; never had he felt so ashamed.
Ryan showered to get Virginia’s stink off his body, threw on his dirty clothes, and headed to the manager’s desk to retrieve the message that awaited him. He collected a note that only said: Hey, Cuz, hope you had a good time with Virginia. She’s payback for Ginner. You’re such a schmuck. J.C.
Reading the message from his cousin made Ryan feel faint. Even though confused by how Jarrod had pulled off the con, he was more concerned about the ramifications of this egregious act. His immediate thought was not about revenge, but rather what Jarrod would do with the pictures. He wondered what form of blackmail would result. Then a lump caught in his throat at the thought of Sarah finding out. He was devastated by the realization that he would have to prepare her for the likelihood that the pictures would surface. He knew that if she found out by surprise, the ramifications of the fiasco would be far more difficult to explain.
Unfortunately, his attempt to alert Sarah came too late. She had already received an overnight FedEx package full of lewd pictures and the DVD. She was inconsolable after watching the tape of the lascivious encounter between her husband and the woman. Sarah considered the bond of fidelity the strongest of their vows, and when she learned Ryan had committed adultery, she could not forgive him. In the days that followed, she filed for a divorce, and even though they ultimately agreed to continue operating the business as fifty-fifty partners, the affair’s resulting damage to their marriage was irreconcilable.
Ryan was heartbroken. Ever since the affair, his one wish in life was to take back this indiscretion, returning to a state of chastity in his relationship. This wish could never be granted.
It also took considerable time for Ryan to recover credibility with his crew. Ryan was the embodiment of honor and integrity among the men. The encounter immediately changed his reputation. Even though no one really knew the extent of what happened, the fact he hadn’t gone home with the men-and, worse, failed to show up at work the following morning-led to rampant speculation. The gossip following his indiscretion was pervasive, remaining an overriding topic throughout the remainder of the New York City project.
In the aftermath, Ryan received the pictures and the same DVD that was shipped to Sarah. The contents of these reproductions were indisputable and irretrievably damaging. Jarrod also included a handwritten note: Ryan-My God, man, your stamina was incredible. I’m envious. By the looks of it, you satisfied all of Virginia. She’s a cheap little whore; I have her phone number for the next time you’re in NY. All my best…J.C.
Ryan was positive that the woman posing as a jilted girlfriend had administered a drug that slowly lowered his inhibitions and caused him to lose consciousness. From the pictures, he also guessed that he was given a large dose of an erectile dysfunction medication.
Ryan gave Sarah the note but she remained unmoved; her mind was made up. Regardless of how his infidelity had come to pass, the fact that it happened couldn’t be absolved. The dissolution of their marriage became final within a year of completing the project in New York.
Ryan made the trip to Pueblo without incident. He parked in the Enterprise parking lot, placing Corky’s keys under the driver’s side floor mat as they had agreed. He rented an SUV using his New Mexico driver’s license, and paid the extra cost for a one-way rental to Denver. He was not in the rental lot longer than twenty minutes before he was once again on Highway 25, heading north toward Denver.
He tried without success to calm his anxiety, but it was impossible for him to relax. Thinking about Jarrod and all they’d been through had re-ignited the anger he thought was carefully stuffed away. He imagined there was a perfectly rational explanation for all that had transpired, searching for a silver lining, but ultimately coming up empty.
Then he remembered Amerigo’s sage advice: The hardest steel passes through the hottest fire. He would need this simple truth to fortify his spirit, girding him for the battles that he knew lay ahead.
SIXTEEN
Galveston, Texas
13:30 HOURS
Travis Marlon could barely make out the ship’s heliport in the fading light of the overcast sky. As far as he could see, the clouds of Hurricane Hannah dominated Galveston Bay. The winds hadn’t yet picked up beyond a freshening breeze, the pending arrival of the hurricane still hours away. Travis presumed Hannah was the reason Alastair Holloway was so insistent that they immediately depart; he wanted no time wasted sailing his $100-million yacht out of Hannah’s destructive path.
Travis was thankful that his only responsibility on this flight was to deliver Holloway to the ship. Following this unexpected assignment, he would disembark and rejoin Kilmer’s team as they prepared for the Livermore mission. Travis enjoyed piloting the expensive aircraft Holloway kept at his disposal, but like everyone else, he had a strong aversion to the man. Holloway was not a man difficult to dislike; not only was he one of the world’s wealthiest people, he was also insufferable and cruel. He ground up staff like ice in a blender. Only those that could tolerate his caustic and obdurate behavior remained in his service. Most newcomers didn’t last even a month, and it was not uncommon to see them completely flustered following their first encounter with the quick- tempered egomaniac.
Holloway’s imperious style was even worse for business competitors who dared to challenge his authority. He was never content with merely beating an opponent; rather, it became his single-minded purpose to systematically destroy him. If by some chance a rival did prevail, Holloway would stop at nothing until they were financially ruined. Never was there a more vengeful person, even if it meant sending a “business associate” to arrange for their permanent disappearance.
Alastair Holloway was one of the most ruthless individuals Marlon had ever encountered, which was a startling sentiment on its own, having been a longtime associate of Richard Kilmer. He disliked being around the man any longer than necessary. The sooner I secure Holloway and depart, the safer I’ll feel.
Marlon flew toward the stately white yacht in the fading daylight. The magnificent ship was well lit and reflected a mirror image off the dead-calm water of the bay. The yellow thirty-eight-foot circular heliport was clearly identified as he approached the ship from the starboard side. The blaze-orange wind sock hung limp near the ship’s stern.
“Mr. Holloway, we’ll be landing in three minutes,” Marlon shouted over his shoulder, disturbing Holloway’s slumber as he was napping in the back of the spacious executive helicopter. “The bay’s calm…should be a smooth landing.”
“I know that, Travis,” Alastair Holloway replied. He didn’t open his eyes, but stirred uncomfortably from the interruption. “If I wanted an update, I’d ask,” he sneered, his biting response typical of what Marlon was used to.
“Yes, sir…sorry, sir,” Travis replied, realizing that apologizing was only inviting a tirade. He decided to circumvent his indiscretion by contacting the ship.
“ Jurassic…Dragonfly is on approach from your starboard at four knots. Do you have a visual?”
“Affirmative, Dragonfly, we have you on radar,” replied the ship’s first officer from the bridge of the yacht. Every crewmember understood that when Holloway arrived, it was analogous to sounding a battle station’s alarm. Captain Suarez assumed command on the bridge and everyone reported to duty, regardless of who was scheduled
