Stephen Frey - The Power Broker

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Cynthia Manson, my agent; and Mark Tavani, my editor.

Thanks also to Jim and Anmarie Galowski, Gina Centrello, Kevin Big Sky Erdman, Dr. Teo Forcht Dagi, Stephen Watson, Matt Malone, Chris Tesoriero, Andy Brusman, Gerry Barton, Baron Stewart, Jack Wallace, Gordon Eadon, Marvin Bush, Bart Begley, Barbara Fertig, Bob Wieczorek, Scott Andrews, Jeff Faville, Jamie Faville, John Piazza, Bob Carpenter, Pat and Terry Lynch, and Mike Pocalyko.

ALSO BY STEPHEN FREY

The Takeover

The Vulture Fund

The Inner Sanctum

The Legacy

The Insider

Trust Fund

The Day Trader

Silent Partner

Shadow Account

The Chairman

The Protg

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S TEPHEN F REY is a managing director at a private equity firm. He previously worked in mergers and acquisitions at JP Morgan and as a vice president of corporate finance at an international bank in Manhattan. Frey is the bestselling author of The Protg, The Chairman, Shadow Account, Silent Partner, The Day Trader, Trust Fund, The Insider, The Legacy, The Inner Sanctum, The Vulture Fund, and The Takeover. He lives in Florida.

EPILOGUE

CHRISTIAN PICKED UPThe National Enquirer that Debbie had dropped on his desk a few minutes earlier and glanced at the headline: Shootout at the Champagne Corral. Then his eyes flickered down and he began to read.

Early on the morning of July 19th, state law enforcement officers descended on Champagne Islanda tiny island located a few miles off Southport, Maineand discovered a stunning scene. Nine men killed in a shootout one of the first officers on the island likened to the famous gun battle at the OK Corral which took place more than a century ago in Tombstone, Arizona. Among the dead were: Samuel Hewitt, CEO of U.S. Oil, the largest industrial company in the world; Elijah Forte, one of the nations wealthiest African Americans; and Gordon Meade, a prominent member of Chicagos Wallace Family, rumored to be worth around thirty billion.

As Christian finished the article, his office door opened and Allison appeared. He motioned for her to come in. Hed been expecting her.

The National Enquirer? she asked when she saw what he was reading. I never thought Id see the day youd pick up that.

He held it up so she could see the headline, then slid it across the desk at her as she sat down. Todd Harrison wrote a little piece in there you might be interested in. He chuckled, watching her eyes bug out as she started the first paragraph.

My God, what are we going to do? Are you mentioned in here?

Christian shook his head. No. How would Harrison prove I was ever there?

After crashing through the window and tumbling to the ground, theyd picked themselves up and sprinted back to where theyd swam ashore. Thankfully, the kid had waited.

I guess thats why Trenton Fleming isnt mentioned, either, Christian continued. He must have gotten out, too. Besides, it wouldnt matter if I was mentioned. Harrison admits near the end of the article that he basically doesnt have any hard evidence. And none of the other big newspapers have reported anything about this. The only thing that corroborates Harrisons story at all right now is that no one can find Hewitt, Forte, or Meade. But so what? Im sure U.S. Oil and Ebony Enterprises will put out statements saying the guys off his rocker. Im sure your family will, too.

She shrugged. I dont know. I havent talked to anyone in the family. I dont know who to trust anymore.

Christian could see she was scared. Shed always known wealth, tremendous wealth. Now she didnt know if she could count on that anymore. Maybe the family would disown her after what had happened on Champagne. Look, Ally, youll always have a place here at

What about this police officer? Allison interrupted. The one Harrison claims he interviewed.

She was scared but proud. She didnt want to talk about it right now. Well, he could understand that. A lie, Im sure. We called the feds as soon as we got back to the mainland, not the local guys. Im sure the local guys werent even allowed on the island for a few days.

Allison dropped the paper on the desk. There was that one tape of Hewitt with the boy. We didnt get that.

Christian shrugged. All that proves is that Hewitt was a pervert. It doesnt do anything to back up Harrisons claim that Hewitt was the leader of some secret society that influenced events around the world. He put his fingers up and made quotation signs.

Is that what Harrison says in here?

Christian nodded.

You think he got Hewitts tape?

Probably, but I dont think hell release it. Candidly, I dont think anyone would care that much if he did. Im sure U.S. Oil will come out with a statement sometime today explaining how Hewitt has stepped down. Theyll say all the right things. Theyll basically end their association with him somehow. Theyll claim he had a stroke or something and in a couple of weeks hell be a distant memory.

I guess youre right, Allison agreed. What did you do with all the tapes we got off the island?

Burned them.

But you could have used them against Trenton Fleming. I mean, the SECs still going to come after

Its all taken care of, Ally, Christian interrupted. Fleming doesnt know I burned them. Black Brothers agreed to pay all damages associated with the class action suit the CST investors have filed. And I gave Bob Galloways wife a nice check for her adoption agency.

There was a knock on the door.

Yes? Christian called. Quentin appeared at the door and Christian motioned for him to come in and sit down beside Allison. I was just bringing Ally up to speed on everything. Hed talked to Quentin at length by phone an hour ago.

You tell her about our great friend Nigel Faraday? Quentin asked.

Christian shook his head slowly. Nigel went back to London to one of the big buyout shops over there, he explained.

Arent you going after him? she asked.

Christian shook his head again. Its done, he said quietly.

Sorry about Jesse, Quentin spoke up.

Jeez, Allison said loudly. Guess Im in the dark about everything. What happened with Jesse?

Christian smiled sadly. Hes going with someone else as his VP. Turns out Forte was the one pushing me, not Jesse.

Im sorry. Thats too bad.

Christian nodded slowly. Yeah. It was too bad. Hed wanted thata lot. Almost as much for his dad as himself.

Ive got an idea, Allison spoke up, her expression brightening. Lets all three go to Vegas.

Christian laughed. Im one step ahead of you, Ally. The planes already waiting for us at LaGuardia. Sundays opening day for the Dice. He glanced at Quentin. First step on the road to the Super Bowl. Were all going to watch from the box.

Awesome.

As they headed for the door, Christian caught Allison by the wrist and pulled her toward him. Ill take you on one condition, Ms. Wallace, he said, grinning.

And whats that, Mr. Gillette?

Ill take you as long as you agree that whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Okay?

She gazed into his eyes for a few moments, then nodded. Oh, yeah. Im fine with that.

CHRISTIAN GILLETTE sat on the balcony of his suite at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, watching first light scale the craggy peaks in the distance. In a few hours tourists would be mobbing the casino on the ground floor. He hoped soon it would be his casino theyd be mobbing.

Christian ran Everest Capital, a Manhattan-based investment firm that owned thirty companies in a wide range of industriessmokestack to high-tech. The companies were all large, at least a billion in sales, and Christian chaired eighteen of them. He also chaired Central States Telecom and Satellite, a communications company in Chicago that Everest had taken public six months agoafter owning for three years. Everest had made four hundred million on the CST initial public offeringChristian had gotten twenty of that. Forty years old, hed already made fifty times more than most people did in a lifetime, but it hadnt gone to his head. Money was just money, and success could be fleeting.