Free Coming of Age: Volume 2: Endless Conflict by Thomas T. Thomas Page A

installed wasn’t the normal version. It had extra features designed to spy on our company.”
    “Ridiculous! Have you seen this software in action?”
    “Well, no. But our IT manager has watched the process in real time.”
    “Then she must have a diagnostic—showing faulty instruction sets, erroneous command calls, port locations, data samples—to support her allegations. Do you have them?”
    “I suppose she does. I can ask for—”
    “You suppose? Then all you have, really, is Callie’s ravings—isn’t that right? And Dad sent you down here to get my side of the story?”
    “He sent me to get you to reinstall the SD&D software. I’ve seen the end user licensing agreement—relevant parts of it, anyway—and it says you can do a diagnostic remotely. So do it, and prove that your software is operating correctly. Then Grandpa wants it reinstalled anyway.”
    “That’s all?” His uncle seemed relieved. Brandon had sat in on too many disciplinary hearings to miss the signs. He had watched too many soldiers who had been charged with serious infractions like weapons trafficking or drug dealing, suddenly get offered a lesser misconduct like misappropriation or possession in exchange for their cooperation, and seen their eyes go wide and their mouths relax. Brandon knew when a guilty man thought he was about to slip through the cracks. And, like all of them, Uncle Richard now asked for clarification. “All he wants is a fresh reload?”
    “That and your solemn promise.”
    “To do what?” his uncle asked.
    Brandon put on his commanding officer’s face. “ ‘Cease and desist’—those are Grandpa John’s exact words. He wants you to leave Praxis Engineering and Aunt Callie alone, now and in the future.”
    “How am I supposed to do that and still run a diagnostic and install—?”
    Brandon put on the grim smile he could always feel on his face before pulling a trigger. “You know what I mean. Grandpa remembers that you once saved his life, on the golf course. That was before you dishonored your sister and helped steal the family company. He cannot forgive those actions, but he would like to save your life in return. You fix your software problem. And then you cease all contact with the family.”
    “I should call Dad to confirm—”
    “That’s not a good idea.”
    “But he has to—”
    “He won’t talk to you. That’s why I’m here. That’s all I have to say.”
    Brandon stood up slowly, consciously broadening his shoulders and flexing his elbows, like a grizzly bear projecting maximum intimidation. He held his breathing under tight control, so as not to appear either breathless or gasping. He kept looking his target straight in the eye, boring into Richard’s brain, mentally beaming images of the dire consequences, of unleashing fierce Aunt Callie upon this hapless man.
    He hoped it would work with his uncle.
    Some men did not react at all.
    “All right. I—promise.”
    “Good enough.”
    Brandon turned slowly and stalked out of the room.
    * * *
    At six-fifteen on a Thursday evening, two days after meeting with his nephew, Richard Praxis left his office and took the executive elevator down to the building’s underground garage. His car was in a reserved stall twenty feet from the elevator door. He thumbed his key fob, heard the cheerful bee-rup! echo against the concrete walls and ceiling, and saw his parking lights flash. He was at the driver’s side door with his hand on the latch when he saw movement in his peripheral vision.
    “Mr. Praxis?” A man in a short tan raincoat and a snap-brim hat came toward him along the row of sleek cars. Richard wasn’t sure where the man had started from, because no one had been standing anywhere near him a moment ago.
    “Yes?” he said, turning toward the stranger.
    “ Phut! ” The sound was barely audible, just a suggestion of a sound, compared to the chirping of his door lock. It was accompanied by a barely visible flash—or maybe just a