world on your best day. So if you think your bullshit tough-guy act is
gonna make me pee in my pants, then you’re wasting everybody’s time,
including your own.
Now get back in there and sit the fuck down.”
Two hours later Sawyer had finished interviewing Gamble and company and
spent thirty minutes looking through Jason Archer’s office, ordering it
off limits and calling for a investigative team to methodically analyze
every molecule of the place. Sawyer checked out Jason’s computer
system, but he had no way of knowing that something was missing. The
only remnant of the microphone was a small, silver-plated plug.
Sawyer walked to the elevator bank with Hardy.
“See, Frank, I told you there was nothing to worry about. Gamble and I
got along just fine.”
Hardy laughed out loud. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen his face quite
that shade of white before. What the hell did you say to the man?”
“Just told him what a great guy I thought he was. He was probably just
embarrassed by my frank admiration.”
At the elevators, Sawyer said, “You know, I didn’t get much usable info
in there. Sure, Archer pulling off the crime of the century might make
for fascinating reading, but I’d prefer to have him in a jail cell.”
“Well, these guys just got taken to the cleaners and they’re certainly
not used to that experience. They know what happened and pretty much
how it happened, but all after the fact.”
Sawyer leaned up against the wall and rubbed his forehead. “You realize
there’s no evidence tying Archer to the plane bombing.”
Hardy nodded in agreement. “I said before that Archer could’ve used
Lieberman to cover his tracks, but there’s no proof of that either.
If there is no connection, Archer’s one helluva lucky guy for not
getting on that plane.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then somebody else out there took down that
airliner.”
Sawyer was about to hit the elevator button when Hardy touched his
sleeve. “Hey, Lee, if you want my humble opinion, I don’t think your
biggest problem will be proving Archer was involved in the plane
sabotage.”
“So what’s my biggest problem, Frank?”
“Finding him.”
Hardy walked off. As Sawyer waited for the elevator, a voice called to
him.
“Mr. Sawyer? Do you have a minute?”
Sawyer turned to find Quentin Rowe walking toward him.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Rowe?”
“Please call me Quentin.” Rowe paused and looked around the hallways.
“Would you like to take a short tour of one of our production
facilities?”
Sawyer quickly caught his meaning. “Okay. Sure.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The fifteen-story Triton office building was hooked to a sprawling
three-story structure that covered about five acres of ground. Sawyer
pinned on a visitor’s badge at the main entrance to the facility and
followed Rowe through a number of security checkpoints. Rowe was
obviously well-known and well-liked here, as he received a number of
cordial greetings from Triton personnel. At one point, through a wall
of glass, Sawyer and Rowe watched lab technicians in white coats, gloves
and surgical masks working away in a large space.
Sawyer looked at Rowe. “Geez, looks more like an operating room than a
factory.”
Rowe smiled. “Actually, that room is far cleaner than any hospital
operating room.”
He watched Sawyer’s surprised reaction with amusement. “Those
technicians are testing a new generation of computer chips. The
environment has to be completely sterile, absolutely dust-free. Once
they’re fully functional, these prototypes will be able to carry out two
TIPS.”
“Damn,” Sawyer said absently, having no earthly idea what the acronym
stood for.
“That means two trillion instructions per second.”
Sawyer gaped at the small man. “What in the hell needs to move that
fast?”
“You’d be surprised. A litany of engineering applications.
Computer-aided designs of cars, aircraft, ships, space shuttles,
buildings, manufacturing processes of all types. Financial markets,
corporate operations. Take a company like General Motors: millions of
pieces of inventory, hundreds of thousands of employees, thousands of
locations. It all adds up. We help all of them do their jobs more
efficiently.” He pointed to another production area. “A new line of
hard drives is being tested in there. They’ll be by far the most