Hack, page 22
Chapter 56
March 1, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Nik and Sam rented a two-story, four-bedroom faded-peach-colored clapboard house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, half a block from the Atlantic Ocean, in the off-season and spent almost every free moment they could taking quiet walks on the nearly deserted beach in nice weather or along the boardwalk when it was stormy. They often invited friends for clambakes, steamed crabs, and cold beer on the weekends, but just as many nights, it was just the two of them and Gyp.
Nik’s injuries took longer to heal than doctors had anticipated, and Rehoboth, only a three-hour drive from Washington, was the perfect place to convalesce, with its sea air and unhurried pace. While his medical team did an expert job repairing his broken bones, fractured skull, and chipped and missing teeth, Nik’s kidney was badly bruised and slow to recover. His parents; brother, Alec; and sister, Hanna, rotated in and out of DC, to keep his spirits up.
Gyp, on the other hand, bounced back almost overnight from the Taser shock. The only noticeable aftereffect appeared to be that the dog’s memory bank was wiped clean, and he reverted to his old habits of chewing through seat belts, bolting out the front door, and digging in the yard as if he had never attended several very expensive weeks of obedience training. Nik was resigned to the fact that Maggie, his ex, was right. The dog was incorrigible.
Nik was packing up the Land Cruiser for the 120-mile trip back to DC after a weekend at the beach when his cell phone buzzed. It was Rusty Mitchell, Newshound’s founder. Other than a get-well card and a bottle of bourbon, Nik had not heard from Mitchell when he was hospitalized, and he thought it odd he’d be calling on a Sunday evening.
“How you getting along?” Mitchell asked.
“Mending. Not as quickly as I’d like, but the doctors are optimistic I’ll be good as new. You calling to tell me you fired Whetstone?” Nik said.
“Sorry, can’t do that, Nik,” Mitchell said, “but I am calling with some news.”
“Good news, I hope.”
“I think so, and think you’ll agree when you hear it.”
“The suspense is killing me,” Nik said.
“Are you in DC now?” Mitchell asked.
“Nope, but I’m heading back there shortly. I’m at the beach, Rehoboth. It’s in Delaware,” Nik said, and decided it might be a longer call than normal with Mitchell and sat down on the tailgate.
“Then you’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Yeah, well, later tonight, actually. Why, something big happening tomorrow that I should know about?”
“We plan to file the S-1 paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the morning for Newshound’s initial public offering. It’s what I’ve been working on nonstop for the past several months. Finally got all the details ironed out this weekend. Newshound’s going public.”
“That’s great news,” Nik said. “Congratulations.”
“You remember those stock options the company granted you a while back?”
“Yeah, kinda. Haven’t thought a lot about them.”
“Still have them, don’t you?”
“I do. Somewhere,” Nik said, and wondered where he had put the paperwork when he moved in with Sam.
“Our underwriters are pricing the offering between twenty-two and twenty-seven dollars a share.”
Nik did the quick math in his head. Not believing the results, he opened the calculator app on his cell phone to double-check his figures. “Holy shit, I’m rich.”
Mitchell, whose net worth was north of half a billion dollars, chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far, but, yeah, you’re going to make out all right.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say,” Nik said.
“‘Thank you’ always works.”
“Yes, of course, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You need to promise me you won’t breathe a word about the filing to anyone until tomorrow. Understood?”
“Perfectly.”
“Have a good evening, Nik,” Mitchell said and hung up.
Nik sat on the tailgate, looking up at the sky and listening to the sounds of the ocean’s waves as they crashed onto the nearby shore, and decided the first thing he’d do with his newfound wealth was purchase a stainless-steel sculpture from an artist he knew in Michigan.
He figured it was the least he could do for the man who was responsible for saving his life.
Acknowledgments
I could not have completed one novel, let alone a series, without the encouragement, prodding, and support from a number of individuals along the way: Huntley Paton, a truly gifted writer who one day the world will discover; Philipp Harper, a sounding board for all things; Mark Caputo, an unwavering ally; the dedicated staff at Girl Friday Books; and last, but certainly not least, my life partner, Jennifer, who spent countless hours patiently listening and offering improvements to my day’s efforts.
About the Author
Mark Pawlosky is an award-winning reporter, editor, and media executive, as well as the author of four novels featuring Newshound reporter Nik Byron. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, editorial director for American City Business Journals (ACBJ), and editor in chief of CNBC.com/msn, Pawlosky oversaw financial news channels in the US, London, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. He successfully helped launch several news operations nationwide, including MSNBC, ACBJ, and Biz Magazine. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, Pawlosky now lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his family.
Mark Pawlosky, Hack
