Read Online Total Control by David Baldacci - Free Book Online

crap: You're king of the hill in the morning and cow shit by the afternoon. I never should have gotten into the damn business in the first place."
    "Well, if money is all you care about, keep in mind that Triton is the world's dominant technology company and generates more than two billion dollars in profits per quarter," Quentin Rowe shot back.
    "And cow shit by tomorrow afternoon." Gamble gave Rowe a sidelong glance filled with disgust and puffed away.
    Sidney Archer cleared her throat. "Not if you acquire CyberCom, Nathan." Gamble turned to look at her. "You'll be on top for at least the next decade and your profits could well triple within five years."
    "Really?" Gamble did not look convinced.
    "She's right," Rowe added. "You have to understand that no one, until now, has been able to design software and related communication peripherals that will allow users to take full advantage of the Internet.
    Everyone's been floundering, trying to figure out how to make it all work. CyberCom has accomplished that. It's why there's been such a furious bidding war for the company. We are now in a position to close that war out. We have to unless we want to be an also-ran."
    "I don't like them looking at our records. Period. We're a privately held company of which I'm, by far, the largest stockholder.
    And cash is cash." Gamble stared hard between Sidney and Rowe.
    "They're going to be your partners, Nathan," Sidney said.
    "They're not taking your money and walking like the other acquisitions you've done. They want to know what they're getting into.
    Triton isn't publicly traded, so they can't go to the SEC and get the information they want. This is reasonable due diligence. They requested the same things from the other bidders."
    "You presented my last cash offer?"
    Sidney nodded. "We did."
    "And?"
    "And they were duly impressed and reiterated their request for financial and operational records on the company. If we give it to them, sweeten the purchase price some and load the back-end with better incentives, I think we've got a deal."
    Gamble's face reddened and he lurched to his feet. "There's not a company out there that can touch us and this chickenshit CyberCom wants to check up on me?"
    Rowe sighed deeply. "Nathan, it's merely perfunctory. They're not going to have any problems with Triton, we both know that.
    Let's just get it done. It's not like the records are unavailable.
    They're in the best shape they've ever been in," he said, visibly frustrated.
    "In fact, Jason Archer recently completed that reorganization and did a superb job. A warehouse full of paper with no rhyme or reason to it. I still can't believe that." He looked at Gamble with contempt.
    "In case you forgot, I was too busy making money to piss around with a bunch of paper, Rowe. The only paper I happen to care about is the green kind."
    Rowe ignored Gamble's response. "Because of Jason's work the due diligence can be completed very soon." He waved cigar smoke away from his face.
    Gamble glared at Rowe. "Really?" Then he scowled at Sidney.
    "Well, would someone care to tell me why Archer isn't at this meeting, then?"
    Sidney paled and for the first time all day she mentally shut down. "Um--"
    Rowe stepped in. "Jason took a few days off."
    Gamble rubbed his temples. "Well, let's get him on the phone and see where we stand. Maybe we have to give CyberCom some of it, maybe we don't, but what I don't want is us giving them stuff we don't have to. What if the deal doesn't go through? What then?"
    His fierce eyes swept the table.
    Sidney's tone was calm. "Nathan, we'll have a team of attorneys check every document before they are turned over to CyberCom."
    "Fine, but is there anybody who knows the records better than her husband?" Gamble looked at Rowe for an answer.
    The young man shrugged. "No, not right now."
    "Then let's get him on the line."
    "Nathan--"
    Gamble cut Rowe off. "Jesus Christ, you'd think that the chairman of the company would be able to get a