"Everyone, let's calm down for a moment." The old director's voice carried a sense of composure. "Are we getting something wrong here? What kind of power does this Wallace have? He's just a local mayor."
"The ones who are really attacking us are Sterling and the energy giants behind him. Wallace is just a target they've pushed to the forefront."
The old director's gaze swept over the room.
"The energy giants want to win Wallace over, to make him one of them. We, on the other hand, want him dead."
"That is the core of the conflict."
"We should be going to Houston, to Dallas, to find the energy tycoons who can actually call the shots."
"We need to tell them that Wallace is too dangerous, too uncontrollable as a pawn. We can offer them a better deal, if only they're willing to side with us."
"So, we're still not going to communicate with Wallace?"
"He's a terrorist."
Kane made his assessment.
"With politicians, we can negotiate, we can make deals, we can compromise."
