Chapter 2

2: 2

He froze, then his voice climbed higher, more frantic. “Don't report it, it's just a small problem, no need to drag it up the chain.”

“Engineer Fox, I'm begging you. Eighteen years I've worked here, never one accident. If this gets reported, my fifty-thousand-dollar safety bonus for the year is gone.”

“Here's the deal. I'll give you two thousand dollars, you keep quiet, and you go fix it for me. A little problem like this, an engineer like you handles it in his sleep.”

As he said it, he pulled out his phone and wired me two thousand right then.

A text came through:

【He's got it all figured out. Two thousand to save fifty thousand, and in the end he'll get a hundred-thousand reward for containing you in time. Money and reputation both.】

【Whatever you do, don't take it. He'll flip it around and say you demanded a service fee before you'd help, then botch the operation, and that's the ironclad proof that nails you.】

I stared at the transfer notice on my screen and hit return.

“Foreman Whitney, I won't take the money, and I can't help you. You'd better get your supervisors on the phone fast, before you miss the best window to fix this.”

“If nothing else, I'll call 911 for you……”

“What kind of cold-blooded person are you?”

His voice shot up all at once, drawing a knot of workers coming off the night shift to stop and stare.

He turned to them, wearing the face of a man wronged.

“Come listen to this. The valve on the chlorine tank is jammed. I asked Engineer Fox to come take a look, and he keeps making excuses, won't come.”

“Says he's just the safety supervisor, not responsible for the technical side. Isn't that just putting on airs?”

“There are eleven workers in the plant building next door. If that chlorine leaks, they're all……”

The workers heard that and crowded up to my door.

“You mean that Engineer Fox? Don't they say his skills are top of the country? He can't fix one valve?”

“He's doing it on purpose, right? Playing hard to get with us?”

“Engineer Fox, this is too much. You've been here a while now and the guys at the plant have always treated you well. You won't help with one little thing? That's pretty cold.”

“Yeah, Foreman Whitney's a decent guy. He's just looking out for the other workers' safety. Just lend a hand.”

“Lives are on the line, Engineer Fox. You're a top technical engineer, you can't just sit there and do nothing.”

Seeing so many people talking for him, Russell started pounding on the door again, hard.

“Orson Fox, quit playing dead. Asking you to fix the valve is a compliment. Don't turn down the easy way and force the hard one. This is our plant. You think we won't ram the door open and drag you out?”

I kept my voice as level as I could.

“I've already made it clear to you. My job is safety oversight, not technical repair. I'm not an expert in that area. I really can't help you.”

“No way. You couldn't be a supervisor if you didn't understand the tech.”

“Look him up. A senior engineer like him, you can find his record online. See whether he actually knows how.”

At that, Russell pulled out his phone and searched my record.

“Orson Fox. Senior chemical engineer, member of the emergency management agency's expert panel, on-site technical lead for three national-level chemical accident responses. And you're telling me you don't know the tech? Who do you think you're fooling?”

When he finished, the corner of his mouth curled up in triumph, as if I'd already put my hand on that valve.

“Orson Fox, if you don't go, you're dodging responsibility. If anything happens, it's all on you!”

The workers beside him laid into the door in a fury.

“Orson Fox, you're too arrogant. Our plant pays you to inspect, so you're responsible for safety. Get out here now!”

“Right, quit stalling. Lives are on the line and an expert like you is still standing on ceremony? If something really happens, can you carry that?”

Russell looked at me through the glass, sneering.

“Orson Fox, if you'll admit you're incompetent, that everything in that record is made up, and put out a statement admitting you faked it, we won't force you today.”

“That's right. Either you come out and deal with the problem, or you publicly admit you fabricated your resume. Otherwise, there's no getting through today easy!”

A dozen of them took turns kicking my door as hard as they could. The steel warped out of shape, on the verge of breaking open.

Then a sharp shout rang out from beyond the door.

“It's the middle of the night. Why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing?”