Author's Note - Please read from Chapter 1 to make sense of this. This is not a quick stroke story. There will be sexy-times, but they will only happen as the story's pace dictates.
Edited 12 November, 2019
All characters participating in sexual activities are 18 or older.
*****
Chapter 18
After all the dickering and signing, Ray authorized the transfer of the first 10% of the offer from the Zurich bank to Jessica's account, and they were aboard for the duration.
Hina walked over. "Ray, we'd like to suggest you consider employing three other firms. The government will expect to see you doing something like this if you have sufficient funds to force them to go to court, plus they bring other benefits.
"The first is Tongxin, a Taiwanese conglomerate with exceptional information security resources. They'd be your gateway to all internet resources, be it by cell, landline, wifi, whatever. They do not share information with the US government, to the best of our knowledge, nor do they share with the Chinese government. They probably share with the Taiwanese government, however, and there is ambiguous evidence that they may share some information occasionally with Taiwanese big business. They're the least entangled while most competent cyber company we know. We use them extensively.
"The second is Skepsi, a Greek-flagged, but effectively international,l moderate-sized private military contractor. They specialize in physical security and personal security. I know your capabilities, but they'd be a great asset to cut off many of the potential dirty tricks the NSA and Intelligence Community might try. It's good to have extra hands and eyes as a visible deterrent, even if their orders are to scatter at the first sign of dangerous conflict or on the client's command. There may be a problem with that, they are very proud of their aggressive reputation, and those tactics are not anything they usually would utilize. Then again, they don't yet know the capabilities of those they'd be supporting.
"Finally, Boch and Children. They're another effectively international organization founded and home-based out of South Africa, but their specialty is financial and transportation. In short, they're in effect highly skilled white-collar smugglers, getting funds and goods wherever their clients need regardless of local requirements. Please don't tell them we called them that, however! Hiring them will trigger an aggressive tax audit from the IRS, but in time you'll be facing that anyway if this doesn't settle down. It just so happens they are experts at handling audits.
"None are cheap, but all are the most trustworthy of their types we're aware of."
"Where is the nearest business place used by each of these?"
"Skepsi has their North American offices in Toronto, Boch and Tongxin both have branch offices in New York City. Why?"
"I'd prefer to work face-to-face on anything relating to this as much as practical. Do you think each company would send decision-capable personnel here, and if so, at what cost?"
"We work with Tongxin quite a bit. If you're serious about hiring them, our recommendation will almost certainly get someone capable of signing a deal here within a day or so, possibly hours. We have mixed history with both Skepsi and Boch, but they know we're not lightweights. Boch will want payment, probably in the range of a million. We're not sure what Skepsi's reaction or price will be."
Mac whispered, "Ray, Tauriz, I can get Skepsi ta show if you can get Jessica to ask 'em. Ya might even recognize some a' their people."
After coordinating with Tauriz on how best to barter, Ray said, "See if this makes sense to you folks. I'll offer a half million to each of the three, certified check, no strings other than a meeting of an hour or less, and an NDA with teeth covering the meeting, including background information and terms discussed. Whoever they send must include someone who can commit their company to a contract on the spot, potentially a non-standard contract. Agreeing on the contract is not a prerequisite for disbursal of the half-million, but acting in good faith is. Each company can send up to four to the meeting, and the area we'll meet at will be open to inspection to whomever they wish for up to a half-hour before the meeting. They'll be allowed to set up a close, less than thirty-foot distant perimeter if they desire. We'll submit to a proper, professional search before the meeting if their reps will. Recording will not be allowed other than pen and paper, and that will be discouraged outside of contractual documents. If they want to dicker, they can have one call with Tauriz in the next 24 hours to set a price or other terms, or we won't invite them. We'll see if there are other names in your hat in that case. That call will be less than half an hour in length. Each company will have its own meeting, scheduled as they agree to the terms."
Jessica's team didn't have a problem with it. Ray checked with the Dean to see if they could get one of the larger lecture halls used for freshman survey courses for the day, and he agreed he could make it happen.
Ray ordered three half-million certified checks sent via an urgent courier from the New York offices of his new Zurich-based bank. He would have them within two hours, for a hundred thousand dollar fee, which Ray authorized.
Jessica asked, "Ray, how did you know to add those terms to the offer to the three companies?"
"I've played Dungeons and Dragons for decades. These shenanigans are nothing -- you'll have to see the tap-dancing players use to get a wish that won't screw them over from a malicious spirit!"
"Is that the only reason?"
"Of course not. Tauriz is giving me advice from lots of examples."
"Do you need us here, Ray?"
"If I wish to immediately follow US law without having to learn the whole of it? Yes. If I wanted to dicker? Possibly not, but even there you folks have a breadth of knowledge and experience that neither of us has, which will make the job a LOT easier. If we have to take the gloves completely off? Still be useful to have your input, can't fight everything all the time.
"On the flip side of that coin, if you see us doing something weird, like providing lots of terms we shouldn't seem to be thinking about from our apparent backgrounds, I'd appreciate your input as appropriate."
"You'll have that, of course. Now, can you introduce me to your landlord? I'd like to see if there's a condo available we can use to set up an office."
"The condo directly under here is open, I know. The last tenant was a professor who passed without anyone to accept the asset, so it's tied up between the condo board, the University, and the courts. The condos are individual investments, with right of sale under veto by a board of investors. The property manager is under contract to that board of investors for the building as a whole."
"The University will back your acquisition, of course," mentioned the Dean in an aside.
"When's the next board meeting?"
Checking his phone, Ray said, "Three and a half weeks, but the board president has temporary authorization power between meetings. I think I recall hearing he's in Europe, and his second in charge is a prick I'd prefer to avoid."
"Think the president will accept a meeting invite in Europe? If so, I'll have colleagues meet with him and get the temporary approval."
"Doublecheck to see if he'd be back in time for the meeting. If not, the second in charge will be running it, and like I said, he's a prick who'd be upset he got cut out of the initial decision."
"Amber -- run with it, please. Once you know where the president is, let me know, and we'll pick an appropriate firm to partner with."
"On it, Jessica."
"Amber -- add an item to the agenda with the president -- if downstairs is the location purchased, get approval to build a private stairwell connecting the two floors. Suggest adding a clause that if one or both units are sold or abandoned, funds I'll put up in bond will be used to return the units to original condition."
"I can do that, Ray -- you OK with that, boss lady?"
"We can certainly work with that -- thanks for the offer, Ray, it would save a lot of minor hassles."
"No reason not to. And if the board doesn't approve, there are still things Tauriz and I could do to handle related issues. I just don't want to show off anything we don't have to."
"You two seem to be working the strategic issues solo. Is that deliberate? What can we do to assist, if anything?"
"Handling legal tactics and bureaucratic bumf will be a huge assist. We're holding close on details of techniques at this point. Not because we don't trust you -- if we didn't trust you, Tauriz would have told you a different but equally unlikely story. And much of the long-term strategy depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the techniques we have available."
