: David Dixon Lentz
: Rao's Solution
: BookBaby
: 9781483561509
: 1
: CHF 5.50
:
: Krimis, Thriller, Spionage
: English
: 196
: kein Kopierschutz
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
Rao's Solution is a fast-paced contemporary story about the struggle to end wage inequality-all told in the context of a tale of political intrigue, espionage, love triangles and the struggles of a father, mother and son to resolve their many differences. Paul Earl, a T.V producer, who has establishment roots, struggles to salvage his career. When he creates a new feel-good game show, based on a fair game of chance that is designed to help the poor during the Holiday Season, his world turns upside down. He finds comfort in the arms of one of his contestants, Maria, who unbeknownst to Paul, is already involved in a love triangle with a rogue fugitive CIA agent, Pete Sanchez. Sanchez, while on assignment in South America, was thought to be involved in a plot to assassinate, Karamchand Rao, the President of his country who had instituted new laws designed to eliminate income disparity amongst his country's citizens. Sanchez is thought to be New York where he is being pursued by both the FBI and Nadi Rood, the head of a Rao's intelligence service. Meanwhile Paul's T.V show takes an unexpected turn for the worst. The poor contestants, who the show is designed to help, do not fare well, and it is only the rich contestants who appear to benefit from the show's game even though the game provides a mathematically equal opportunity for rich and poor guests to win. Attempts to improve the show and help the poor take unexpected turns as behind the scenes efforts by network executives unexpectedly result in giving rich contestants even greater returns. To add to Paul's challenges, he finds himself at odds with both his estranged wife, Alexa, and with his son, Chris, a college student who is a member of a fraternity, whose activities appear to go beyond traditional fraternity partying and appear to further a decidedly aggressive leftist political agenda. Paul and Alexa are thrown together when their son's life is threatened. Paul's fundamental beliefs are challenged.
CHAPTER 2: THE GAME
Friday, October 31st.
It was a Friday afternoon. Paul Earl sat nervously outside the board room of WXBS waiting to be called in to explain his idea for a new television game show. The fact that it was Halloween was not lost upon him. He just hoped that his luck would turn and that the goblins wouldn’t put a hex on the ideas he had for his new show like they had with some of his more recent television production efforts. Quite frankly, Paul was growing a little concerned about his job security as an executive producer at the network. Thank God, his father-in-law was friends with a couple members of WXBS’s Board. Any optimism he felt in that regard, however, was quickly dampened by the fact that he and his wife, Alexa, had separated several months ago.
Just three months ago, the Board of Directors of WXBS had decided that it would require that all programming decisions of the network be approved by the full Board. This was because it was dissatisfied with the performance of series of network officers who were given the responsibility of overseeing the network’s evening news and entertainment lineup. As part of its programming shakeup, the Board had, only three weeks ago, assigned Paul the task of coming up with a five to seven minute game show to compete with a new lottery show on another network. The show, if approved, would commence during the first week of December and run, Monday through Friday, until New Year’s Eve. The Board wanted the show to air between the national and local news. They hoped that it would boost the ratings of the local news show which had been lagging for many months. The Board also desired that the show’s theme be in keeping with the benevolent spirit of the holiday season. In other words, the Board wanted a “feel good show” that helped the poor and disadvantaged.
Suddenly, the door to the waiting room opened. “You can come in now, Mr. Earl,” beckoned the secretary.
“Thanks,” responded Paul as he rose and walked into the mahogany-paneled Board Room that sat thirty-eight floors above the New York City skyline. He sat down at the long table nodding at his boss, Bill Fieber, who was also Chairman of the Board and President of the network. Respectfully smiling, he also briefly acknowledged the others at the table. He really didn’t focus on any particular board members except Jack Thompson and Sandy Mars because they were also the ones who were the personal friends of his father-in-law, Luther Buckworth. The other two directors were Jack Finley and Tom Groat. The faces of the directors were expressionless, which was of no comfort to Paul.
“So what do you have for us, Paul? We’re quite anxious to boost our ratings for the holiday season,” began Mr. Fieber.
Paul coughed and cleared his throat. “Yes sir. Thank you. I vaguely remember a show from my childhood where female contestants, who were often elderly and who came from poor or otherwise challenged backgrounds, would be put in a position to win substantial gifts a