Read Online Middle Man by David Rich - Free Book Online

initial capital. My area of expertise was energy. The release also mentioned my MBA from Columbia. Two articles from energy industry blogs came up that mentioned the degree. One hinted that my biggest backers were Russian. The other mentioned my recent visit to China. Three years later, I closed the fund, having returned an annual average of 18 percent to the investors, and began another fund, a limited partnership specializing in energy investments. One blogger mentioned my undergraduate degree, also from Columbia, in geology. He interviewed me last year and one of the things I told him was “My philosophy is to look for energy efficiency at the source, and at the production stages, to give us leeway as market prices fluctuate.” I thought the quote could have used some opaque terms like “aggregation covenants” or “asymmetric volatility,” “diffusion process,” and “autocorrelation.” Major Hensel said he avoided that kind of stuff because someone might ask me to explain what I meant. The important quote was “It is time for new horizons, new approaches, new partners.” And I declined to name the partners so everyone would assume it was the Russians or the Chinese.
    I had a company credit card and I could write a check for two million dollars on the spot and it would clear.
    The plane to Houston was delayed, which suited me fine. I could have read up on the financial details of oil exploration deals or on the latest geological detection methods or the extraction technology, but time was better spent understanding my alter ego, Robert Hewitt. Did he work through college? Was he always thinking about getting rich or did it come as a result of his interest in science? Did he have manners? Did he rise when a woman got up from the table or was he like the slobs at the bar the Major took me to? Where did his family vacation? He needed a hobby, someplace he was wasting his riches, a subject on which he could hold forth when someone became too inquisitive. Posing as a Muslim was easy compared with this. I sat in the bar to map out a plan. Nothing felt comfortable.
    Somehow Dan made it through security.
“These things can take a while. Meeting the King, getting in on the bidding game, transferring money, pinpointing his weaknesses. You’ll have to make him betray his benefactor.”
    â€œUnless he is already doing that.”
    â€œThat’s worse. You’d have to get in on it. You want to stand out. As it is, you’re going to be perceived as a minor player, someone bidding the prices up against the big boys. If you were in this for the money, that would be fine. Someone could be convinced to buy you off. There is another way, though.”
    â€œI’m listening.”
It was as if he were relaxing by my side, reeling me in slowly because he owned time now, and always knew how to stretch it and knead it.
    â€œYou’re on the wrong side of the transaction. Too much competition. The other buyers can crowd you out. Remember, you don’t have to own what you’re selling.”
    I almost spit my drink out. There was the motto on the gates at the entrance to Danland.
    â€œCompete with the King. That’ll grab his attention and the attention of the guy you’re really after. If he actually exists.”
    â€œI’m set up to be a buyer. The background, the Web stories.”
    â€œBetter. You already bought. Now you’re looking for partners. You’ll be offered some delicious bribes.”
    â€œCan’t take bribes.”
    â€œYou don’t want to. You want the word to be that you’re the most serious guy in the great state of Texas.”
    Dan had given me a good idea. But I was not done with him.
“I’m not doing this for you,”
I said.
    â€œDon’t see why you should.”
    â€œI killed the people who killed you.”
    â€œThat you did. You did that for yourself, right? I was