White Space Season 2

space?” Sarah scooted another few involuntary inches from Blake. “I’d rather live a short life with people I love than stay here forever with you and your crew or cult, or whatever this is, Mr. Conway. Did you ever think about asking people if they want to be part of your experiments? Nobody asked me, or Emma.”
    “No, we didn’t ask,” Blake said, his smile now missing along with his warmth. “We saved you , Sarah. Without our intervention, you would be dead. Would you prefer death, and never seeing your daughter again?”
    Sarah didn’t know if Blake was threatening her or not, but didn’t want to chance ticking him off.
    “What about Emma? You didn’t save her , did you? I deserve to know why you’ve been bringing us here, why you’ve been bringing Emma — she’s a child, for Christ’s sake, what can she possibly do for you?”
    “Come,” Blake said. He stood, offered Sarah his hand, then said, “I’ll show you.”
    Sarah stood, refused Blake’s hand, then followed him out of the garden.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 3 — Warren Conway

    Warren was starting to dread his meetings with Kaiser, though the same rendezvous used to excite him. Forbidden. Illicit. Taboo. Wrong used to feel right, thickening his cock and making Warren feel like a man. Now he felt like a child, forced to explain himself, as if he wasn’t Kaiser’s superior. He had a hard enough time with one father, he sure as hell didn’t need two.
    Warren climbed inside the black Paladin van, and fell harshly back against the vinyl seat as Kaiser pulled from the curb, before Warren had even finished closing the door.
    He turned to Kaiser. “What gives? We going somewhere?”
    “I just think it’s best to keep moving,” Kaiser said.
    Warren was nervous. He wanted to call off the plot to get rid of Blake, but didn’t know how to broach the subject without Kaiser giving him shit, questioning his masculinity and such.
    The rage Warren had nursed for a week was starting to flee his body. Only the weak stayed slaves to their anger, and though Warren might occasionally lose a battle with himself in a moment’s heat, he would never lose the war. Releasing his anger didn’t make Warren careless, it was the simple acceptance that the only thing a person could truly master was himself.
    Father was an appropriate target for Warren’s anger, but he had to focus his rage in the proper degree and with appropriate purpose. Warren had to intimately know his most desired result if he expected to get it. Blake Conway could be a heartless bastard, but he was also a helluva leader and a better head for Conway Industries than Warren.
    “I can’t do it,” Warren spit out, as Kaiser stopped the van at a red.
    Kaiser turned to Warren, raising his eyebrows. The synthetic brow above his bright, blue eye arched slightly higher. “What?”
    “I can’t do it. It’s a mistake.” Warren’s right palm bounced against his knee. “I’m sure of it.”
    Kaiser laughed, then accelerated through the green light. “You’ve gotta be kidding me? Christ, you’re worse than a waffling politician. Pick a fucking platform, Warren, and stand on it like a man.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “And just so you know, you’re on the wrong one.”
    “This isn’t right,” Warren said, “and not because I don’t want to. I don’t think it’s what’s best for Conway Industries. And if it isn’t best for Conway, it isn’t best for me. Or you.”
    “Bullshit,” Kaiser said. “That’s just you being a pussy, again. The old man is exactly that — an old man. What’s best for Conway Industries, and for you, is to clear the way for a man who can clearly see the company’s future. Someone who prides himself on strong vision and the health of Conway’s broader business, instead of governing growth according to some grandiose manifesto. Now is the time, Warren, time to stop being a pussy and go for the only play that makes any sense. This is your life, and your future. It’s what you’ve given your heart to. You deserve to run Conway, and once you do, you can pick any damn project you want to fund. You know what that means.”
    Kaiser was right, at least about one thing: With Warren at the head of Conway Industries, he could green light whatever project he wanted.
    Kaiser being right, made Warren at least a little wrong.
    Blake might make a better leader for Conway Industries than Warren, but Warren was best at running Project Raven, and