Celebrity Investment System

Chapter 6

Jay left the storage unit and began to walk. He didn't have a destination, but his mind was scanning the environment, looking for "Distressed Assets." He walked for miles, through the downtown district and toward the river.

The night was cold and foggy. As Jay reached the old Iron Bridge, he saw a figure.

A woman was standing on the outer ledge of the bridge, her hands gripping the rusted railing behind her. She was staring down at the black, swirling water of the river. She wore a thin trench coat, and her hair was a mess. At her feet lay a leather bag and a crumpled piece of plastic—a press badge.

Jay stopped. He didn't run to her. He didn't scream for help. He stood ten feet away and opened his Ledger in his mind.

Scan: Subject Female. Age: 28. Physical state: Extreme stress, sleep deprivation.

Asset: The press badge. It’s from 'The Daily Chronicle.' They fired their best investigative team last month after a lawsuit.

Identity: Sarah Jenkins. The woman who almost took down the Mayor last year before her source 'disappeared.'

Value: 98% Research Accuracy. 100% Burning Resentment.

"The water is roughly forty-two degrees tonight," Jay said quietly. "The impact from this height won't kill you instantly. The hypothermia will take about six minutes. It’s a very long time to regret a decision."

The woman, Sarah, flinched. She didn't look back. "Go away. I don't have any money to give you."

"I don't want money," Jay said, walking slowly toward the railing. He didn't look at her; he looked at the water too. "I’m just wondering why a woman who spent three years hunting the truth is letting a lie win."

Sarah turned her head slightly, her eyes red and swollen. "What are you talking about?"

"Sarah Jenkins," Jay said. "You were the one who found the offshore accounts for the Zenith Talent Group’s 'charity' wing. You were three days away from publishing the story that would have put Finn Turner in prison. But then your editor killed the story, your files were wiped, and you were blacklisted for 'libel.' Now, you can't even get a job writing horoscopes."

Sarah finally stepped off the ledge, back onto the safety of the walkway, though she still looked broken. "How do you know that? Who are you?"

"I’m the man who was the source," Jay said, finally looking her in the eyes.

Sarah gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "You... you were the anonymous whistleblower? The 'Architect'?"

"I was," Jay said. "And because I tried to help you, Finn Turner took my life, too. He didn't just kill the story, Sarah. He froze my world. He’s the reason you’re standing on this bridge, and he’s the reason I’m living in a storage unit."

Sarah’s despair began to shift. The sadness was still there, but a spark of anger—something Jay could use—started to flicker in her eyes. "He’s too powerful. He owns the papers. He owns the search engines. You saw what he did to me. He erased my career in twenty-four hours."

"He erased your old career," Jay corrected. "But he gave you something much more powerful. He gave you a reason to destroy him. And he gave me the perfect person to invest in."

Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out his Ledger. He didn't show her the names; he showed her the page he had written for Leo.

"I have a star who is currently being 'deleted' by Finn," Jay said. "Finn thinks he can control the truth. He thinks he can decide who the world gets to see. I need someone who knows how to bypass the gates. I need a journalist who doesn't work for a paper, but for a cause."

"I don't have a camera, a desk, or a laptop," Sarah said bitterly. "They took everything."

"I have a system," Jay replied. "I don't need a paper. I need your brain. I need you to find the cracks in Finn’s digital wall. I need you to help me turn this 'Mystery Man' into a ghost that haunts Finn Turner’s dreams."

The wind howled across the bridge. Jay felt his legs buckle for a second from weakness, but he held his ground. He held out his hand to her.

"I’m not going to tell you that life is beautiful, Sarah. Right now, it’s not. It’s cold, it’s hungry, and it’s unfair," Jay said. "I’m not here to save your life with kind words."

Sarah looked at his hand, then at his face. "Then why are you here?"

Jay’s voice turned like ice. "I don't want you to die. I want you to invest. Give me your talent, your anger, and your research. In return, I will give you the one thing Finn Turner thinks you'll never have again."

"What's that?" Sarah asked.

"The front page," Jay said. "The day Zenith Group falls, your name will be the only one on the headline. Do we have a contract?"

Sarah looked at the dark water one last time, then back at the man who looked as desperate as she did. She reached out and took Jay’s hand. Her grip was firm.

"What’s the first move?" she asked.

Jay looked toward the lights of the city, toward the Zenith building that glowed like a fake sun in the distance.

"Market Volatility," Jay whispered. "We’ve made the asset disappear. Now, we make the world believe that Finn Turner is the one who stole him. We don't just want them to look for Leo. We want them to hate Finn for hiding him."

Just then, Jay’s phone buzzed in his pocket. It wasn't Leo. It was a restricted number.

He answered it.

"Jay," Finn Turner’s voice came through, sounding amused. "I see you’ve been busy on the Iron Bridge. You really should be more careful. People might think you’re trying to jump, too. It would be such a shame if two 'zeros' fell on the same night."

Jay’s heart hammered against his ribs. Finn was watching him. Right now.

"I'm not jumping, Finn," Jay said, his eyes scanning the nearby buildings for cameras or cars. "I’m just diversifying my portfolio."

"Enjoy your 'investments' while you can, Jay," Finn said. "Because tomorrow morning, I’m releasing the 'truth' about your mystery boy. By noon, he’ll be the most hated man on the internet. And you? You'll be back on the pavement where you belong."

The call ended. Jay looked at Sarah.

"We have to move," Jay said. "The market is about to crash."