Andretti stood, strolled to the window, and gazed out toward the Lower Manhattan skyline. The buildings were stacked on the far side of the river like some kid’s Erector Set project. The sun was setting behind him, painting the structures where the World Trade Center complex had once stood a deep golden color.

The fat CTO smiled. He couldn’t imagine how or why Goldman had gotten herself fired off OptiMarx. It didn’t matter. Sometimes it was better to be lucky than good.

Now the system was progressing through the SEC testing procedures at a record pace. This new guy, Barry Sanderson, seemed more interested in checking the boxes on his list than in looking at anything in depth. Better still, the guy was clueless when it came to technology. They would be able to hide anything they wanted to from him.

Andretti offered a toast to the Big Apple across the river. At this rate, the Exchange would be trading using OptiMarx technology by the end of the week.

He stepped to the sideboard and refilled the goblet from the nearly empty Dewar’s bottle. They seemed to be making these bottles smaller anymore. One barely lasted through the day. No matter. A few more weeks and he could say good-bye to this rattrap.

That villa in Sicily was getting closer and closer. Plenty of sun and vino. He eased back down into his chair, tipped his glass this time in the general direction of the sunset, and imagined how it would be to watch the sun go down from a warm Mediterranean beach.

The jangling phone broke into his reverie. He snatched the handset up and jammed it to his ear. “Andretti. What the hell do you want?”

“Not very hospitable,” Alan Smythe answered. “In keeping with your spirit of camaraderie, let me phrase my request this way: Get your ass into my office! Right now!”

Andretti stared at the now silent receiver, his ears still ringing from his boss’s screeching command. He couldn’t imagine what the hell was bothering the old fag now.

He pulled himself out of the chair and slipped the bottle back into the refrigerator. Might as well ensure that what little was left would be nice and cold when he got back. Maybe it would help extinguish the sudden fire that had flared up in his gut the last half minute.

He stumbled as he stepped out the door and made his way shakily down the hall to Smythe’s office.