“Catherine! Get hold of yourself! Where are you? What do you need?” The members of his staff who were sitting within earshot looked up at the CTO. He shook his head and covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “Now, slowly and calmly, tell me what the problem is.”

He heard her take a deep breath. When she started to speak, the control had been restored to her voice. The fear and hysteria were still out there somewhere, though, just beyond the edge.

“Chuck, OptiMarx is dirty. I knew it and now I can prove it. They may not have activated the code yet. It may not be too late. I told Stan Miller. He sent some goons to kidnap me. Ustinov over at OptiMarx warned me they were on the way and sent some men he said would help me.”

Gruver broke in. “Wait. Wait. So, where are these guys?”

Goldman’s tears were back. He heard them. She fought to stay in control as she spoke.

“They kidnapped me. Ustinov’s men did. They took me to some farmhouse in New Jersey. They said they were going to kill me.” By the last words, she was blubbering. She sniffed and seemed to pull herself together once again. “I slipped through a hole in the floor and got out and tried to run. One of them came after me, Chuck. I shot him. I think I killed him.”

“Catherine, stay with me. You got to be strong now. Where are you? Are you safe?”

“I…I think so. I hid all night in the restroom of a truck stop. A TravelCenter of America. Exit 7 off Route 173. Just west of Princeton.”

Gruver already had his car keys out of his desk drawer. “Catherine, stay there. Right where you are. Stay out of sight. I’m on my way.”

He slammed down the receiver and ran out of the computer center, his mind racing. It would take him at least two hours to get to Catherine, assuming traffic wasn’t a problem. Maybe he should call the police. Report what she had said about OptiMarx to the SEC. No, she said Stan Miller was in on this. No telling who else might be, too. He had to do this himself. Had to at least make sure first that she was safe.

So something was wrong with the trading system! Even as he trotted for the exit, his business sense seemed to scream that he stay here until that problem was rooted out.

He could still hear the panic, the urgency, the sheer terror in Catherine Goldman’s voice. He left the Exchange behind and picked up his pace as he dashed for the parking garage.

*   *   *