With privileged knowledge comes heightened responsibility. Words their father had said to him days before he died. Words that had failed to save his life. “She told you? You know his name.” “Yes. I know his name.” Charlie waited. “Okay.” Jon took a breath. His eyes widened and moved quickly around the room, from the doorway to the television to the drapes. Then he said, “His name is Vladimir Volkov.” “Okay.” The name meant nothing to Charlie. “Who is he?” “I have only a sketchy background. He’s a second-generation Russian oligarch, supposedly. A mysterious billionaire who made his fortune in oil and banking during the 1990s. Operating largely through intermediaries and shell companies. For years, he’s been investing in climate and weather research.” Jon paused. “He learns that someone is developing computer simulation models that might result in better weather tracking, or that a patent has been issued for an artificial rain process, then he learns all he can about it.
