White Space Season 2

about Blake’s Project Phoenix, despite being the company’s CEO and working hand in hand with many elements of the project. He had still never met the enlisted scientists, or even knew where their offices were. He assumed they were on the island’s north end, where Blake probably disappeared so often when away on “business trips.”
    Blake had explained that it was best for everyone if Warren and the upper echelons of the company maintain plausible deniability in case anyone ever found out how they managed their results. Warren knew bits, of course, how they monitored citizens, used experimental drugs and technology without informing the patients. There was no way to do his job without knowing that much. But there were many things Blake kept from him, such as the origins of much of the technology, which Warren suspected involved international corporate espionage.
    You don’t become a great man like Blake Conway without breaking a few laws.
    As Warren considered this, he realized it was impossible to ever truly appreciate the pressures Blake was under or why he was so concerned about public scrutiny. Warren wondered again, would he, in Father’s position, also shut down Project Raven.
    And the answer was yes.
    Just like that, Warren felt sick to his stomach, hating himself for even being able to consider killing his father. Blake was acting on logic, based on a set of criteria Warren could never fully appreciate. It didn’t mean Blake was being an asshole, or had it in for him, as Warren had been weak enough to let himself believe.
    How could it have come to this?
    Kaiser had been on him for some time to “grow a pair” and make a move, though not necessarily killing Blake — Warren’s idea even if Kaiser owned it as his own. Kaiser was always harping on about Blake’s constant disrespect toward Warren. Now, it seemed that perhaps the one-eyed man had practically shoved Warren into the decision.
    But I can’t do it.
    He dialed Kaiser’s number.
    Kaiser answered, but not until the sixth ring. “Yes?”
    “I want to call it off.”
    “What?” Kaiser asked.
    “You know what I’m talking about. I don’t want to do it.”
    “What the hell, man?” Kaiser said, clearly wanting to discuss it in depth, but definitely not wanting to do so over the phone. Even when speaking on encrypted connections, neither ever took a foolish chance by articulating plans which might be overheard.
    “We’ll talk later,” Warren said.
    “When?” Kaiser asked, impatient and angry.
    Warren’s office door exploded open, Blake knocking only after he was inside. “Got a moment?” he asked.
    Warren held up his finger, and said, “One sec.”
    Blake retreated back into the hall, staying in earshot. Warren said, in as casual a voice as possible, “OK, then I’ll talk to you later. Thanks again.”
    “You better believe … ” Kaiser said before Warren hung up.
    “Yes?” Warren said from behind his desk.
    Blake stepped in and closed the door behind him.
    “I just wanted to let you know we have a press announcement next week. We’ll both be in attendance, the two of us in front of the hospital.”
    “What?”
    “Next week, we’re announcing a new, state-of-the-art Sarah Hughes Psychiatric Hospital, in dedication to the memories of everyone who lost their lives in the recent, senseless tragedies.”
    “What?” Warren said. “Why are we doing that?”
    “Because we have reporters looking too closely at us, kicking boot tips into all this shit you stirred up, Warren. You know this, reporters traffic in heartache because misery clicks. Of course they’re going to start asking all the wrong questions, wondering out loud why there’s a sudden excess of violence on the island, especially when Conway Industries foots the medical bills for the citizenry, paying for Hamilton’s psychological welfare? It’s a natural question — how shoddy are our services? That’s a question we don’t want asked, and that means we need to get in front of this and control the story, not react to it.”
    “But we just built a new psychiatric wing on the hospital.”
    “Yes, well, this one is bigger, and has all the right names attached. You will announce donations to families of the shooting victims, and that we’re establishing full scholarships for any child affected by the tragedy.”
    “Jesus!” Warren said. “You’ll have people lining to the ferry for free scoops from that gravy train!”
    “Bad publicity and