“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” I stammered awkwardly. What do you say to a woman who’d daughter you just gave a public beat down to?

“Likewise.”

To save us from further awkwardness, Jake told Mark to get me on the dance floor, as I’d requested.

“So...how many geology books did you read?”, Mark asked once he got me on the dancefloor.

“I’ve been really busy lately. I’ve only managed to get through the first two years of a Galt degree, along with all the lectures.”

“I’d have been impressed if you read a single geology textbook. You have half a degree already. How are you doing all this Abby?”

“I figured out how to get a photographic memory and how to read at incredible speeds. So it’s doesn’t take much time at all. Taking in information isn’t a problem anymore. Acquiring skills is. Most of what I’m doing these days is learning new procedures and practicing them.”

“I see. Did you happen to peruse any chemistry books as well?”

“I had that from my medical courses already. I did try to consider the mine remediation aspects of that field, but I haven’t really put any effort into it yet.”

Mark brought me in closer and held onto me as we danced.

“Mark? This is really nice, but the song is up-tempo, not a slow dance.”

“I know.”

We spend a few songs like that before a tap on Mark shoulder broke us up.

“May I cut in?”

Mark deferred to his grandfather and Jake took his place in the dance, albeit not nearly as close and with a more formal posture. I’d never danced like this and Jake had to guide me around. I scanned his feet and those of the other people and soon picked up the form of it. Soon we were dancing effortlessly, and Jake said, “I got a call from Thomas this morning.”

“How’s he doing?”

“Oh, he’s fine. Had a lot of nice things to say about you and how you got Ana back. He laughed himself silly when I told him that you hadn’t mentioned it to me at all.”

“Oops. Sorry. I forgot. It’s been kind of hectic lately.”

“Abby, he told me you saved her a month ago. I’ve seen you twice in that time and spoken to you at least half a dozen times on the phone.”

“That’s where the ‘I forgot’ part comes in.”

“Uh huh. Well, thank you. That’s three of my friends you’ve helped out now. I keep falling farther and farther behind in what I owe you.”

“Three?” Who was the third?

“First Harry, then Thomas, and Felicia tonight. You spoke some harsh words to Rebeccah tonight and she needed them. I’ve known Rebeccah all her life. She wouldn’t have listened to those words from her mother or anyone else in the family. She’s as stubborn as her mother. Only someone from the outside could have opened her eyes to how she was treating Ethan. I know you didn’t do it for me but thank you anyways. I will find a way to repay you. It’s my new goal in life.”

“If you’re that serious about it, I did think of two things you could help me out with.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Can you keep those ears, and maybe your eyes as well, open and see whom among your wealthy friends and acquaintances or their families has medical issues that can’t be helped by modern medicine?”

“Sure. What’s your plan? Are you going to use that healing potion you used on Harry for his heart disease or maybe your cancer concoction that you mentioned?”

“That’s exactly the plan. I’m going to open up a holistic healing center. If I don’t claim to be a doctor, I won’t run afoul of the medical authorities. I figure that I’ll get wealthy people to pay me a large consult fee and donate obscene amounts of money to the foundation in exchange for healing.” It felt good to finally reveal one of my plans to someone.

“How much were you thinking of charging for your services?”

“I haven’t worked out the entire price list yet. For non-operable, late-stage cancer though, I was thinking twenty million dollars.”

Jake’s steps faltered for a second.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Seriously?”

“Yup. One million dollars per cure and they have to buy them in packs of twenty. They’ll be donating the other nineteen cures to cancer patients who can’t afford it.”

“I guess that makes sense. You’ll tell them the price, they’ll have a heart-attack from the sticker-shock and then you’ll cure them.”

“I’m a last resort Jake. Also, they only have to pay if it works. They’ll have nothing to lose. You would have paid that for Nancy.”

“If it worked? Yes. That and more.” Jake grew quiet for a few moments, perhaps thinking about how I could have helped Nancy if she’s managed to hold on a few more years. “Assuming we can find the patients and they’re willing to give your therapy a try, what will you do with all that money, Abby.”

“The large consulting fees I’ll use for my VR companies. I’ve added a few more teams into the mix and started some new projects and the expenses are starting to pile up. I’ve already started dipping into my dinosaur money. As to the donations to the foundation, you’re going to have to wait a little longer to find out. I don’t want to say anything about it until I’ve managed to lock in the main elements.”

“I’ll see what I can come up with. Felicia would be a big help there. She already has access to wealthy patients at to her hospital. I’ll start sounding her out about using an alternative treatment for those that have no other options.”

“I’d be willing to share the donation with her hospital. Maybe a twenty percent referral fee?”

“I’d start with ten percent and see how she reacts. She’ll scream bloody murder and try to drive that percentage up. Fifteen should be our upper limit. She’ll need you more than you’ll need her. After all, they’re her donors that you’ll be saving.”

“I’ll need another few months to get set up, so sometime in the new year is my target date. If there are customer that can’t wait, I’ll find a way to fit them in beforehand. Oh. I almost forgot. I’ll need them all to sign non-disclosure agreements. There’s only so much cure that I can produce. If word spreads too quickly, I’ll have to turn people away and that would really suck.”

“I can see that. What’s the other thing I can help you out with?”

“Next time we spin, get a good look at the man standing at the end of room, carefully inspecting the portrait of Benny F.”

“Benny F? Your generation has no respect for history. Ok. I see him. Yellow hanky?”

“I think they refer to them as pocket squares these days, but yes, that’s him.”

“What about him?”

“I’d like you to find Ethan and ask him to take you to speak with the head of security. Yellow hanky guy has a knife strapped to his leg. Six-inch blade. It’s made entirely of plastic or he wouldn’t have gotten through the metal detectors at the front door.” Ever since my last award ceremony, I’d made it my habit to scan the area for guns and weapons. This was the first time I’d found anything troubling. I wondered what the guy intended to do with the knife. Did he plan to stab someone in the bathroom? How did he think that he could get away afterwards? We were on the seventh floor of a secured government building that had cameras and guards everywhere.

“When they ask me, how do I tell them that I know this?”

“Mention that you saw the outline of it when he bent down to tie his shoe. Tell them you used to have a buddy that wore one just like it. Maybe it’s innocent, but you felt it was your civic duty to let them know.”

“Why aren’t you telling them all this?”

“Who’d believe an eighteen-year-old girl? Also, I don’t want any more attention than I already get.”

“Yeah, good luck with that. Not getting attention is the one thing I’ve noticed that you really suck at.”

He had a little chuckle at my discomfort over his accurate assessment.

The dance ended and I returned to the table while Jake went in search of Ethan and the head of security. By the time he got back to the table, dinner was being served and it was speech time. He gave me a quick nod, indicating that he’d delivered the message about Yellow Pocket Square Guy to the right people. Ethan and Rebeccah still hadn’t returned and they ended up missing the dinner entirely. Lucky them. The food was too fancy for my tastes and I could have done without all the speeches.

When the speeches finally died down, the Secretary of State stood up to start the award ceremony. As this was a state department ceremony, almost all the awards were for state department staff members, with only a few going to civilians or organizations. The foundation’s award wasn’t a state department award and wasn’t normally given by the Secretary of State. For some reason, it had been fit into this ceremony. I wasn’t going to complain. It was an honor to get the award and the recognition would help the foundation work with other governmental agencies, both here in the United States and abroad.

Exactly halfway through the awards ceremony, the Secretary of State paused the event and asked for everyone’s full attention. “We have one more Superior Honor Award recipient to call up. However, before I get to that, I have an unusual award to present. This award is normally presented by the President of the United States and it is the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Tonight’s award is being presented to the Hannah Foundation for its incredible contributions to the fight against human trafficking. Not only has the foundation provided substantial aid to hundreds of survivors of human trafficking, but they’ve also assisted this government on numerous occasions to help combat the slave trade. Now the reason that I’m giving out this award tonight, and at this point in the ceremony, is because the person who founded the Hannah Foundation is also being awarded the Superior Honor Award for her personal contributions to achieving this agency’s mission. Her exception performance has allowed our agency to maintain and strengthen out relationship with one of our strongest allies. In fact, representative of those allies have made a special request to hand out the award tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Ambassador Wagner of Germany and her son, Stefan, who will be handing out these awards tonight.”

What. The. Hell? I was getting another award? I turned to Jake, wondering if he was as stunned as I was, only to see him smirking face. He knew about this?!!

“You knew about this ambush? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oops! Sorry. I forgot. It’s been kind of hectic lately.” Jake’s recitation of my own words from earlier back at me was infuriating. Worse yet, he gave his voice a falsetto to match mine. I was about to let him have it, when I heard Ambassador Wagner calling out my name and Jake’s. I looked away to see her and Stefan’s beaming faces and knew that my wrath would have to wait.

I glared daggers at Jake as I got up and he walked over to me to escort me up to the podium.

“So Abby, how’s that ‘not drawing attention to yourself’ thing working out for you?”