Once upon a time, she would have just pitched a suspicious ad like that; the chances were good that it was a scam. But, a couple of times there had be...n complaints, and Webb hated to turn down money, so they had worked out a compromise. The classified ad file in the ad department's computer contained another ad, one the paper ran for free following every questionable ad: "Sound too good to be true? It probably is. We urge you to read 'amazing' offers carefully. Never give your credit card. The gold we bought was safely stored and would come in handy if a time of hyperinflation overwhelmed the world economies.Our compound in Branson was tricked out as a safe house, should the wheels come off and we enter a time of anarchy. The food supply would last between forty and fifty years, as would our underground fresh water supplies that were fed by the deep aquifers. There was little doubt that the world would enter a new great depression, but no one could accurately predict when, so. ”A couple of people gasped because they hadn’t known that. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just carried on eating.“The brain can be a very plastic organ,” continued Dr Silverman. “If one part is damaged, it can sometimes rewire itself so the patient can relearn something approaching normalcy. But the damaged part never recovers. Except in your case, it did! After a week, my colleagues and I thought you were stable. We removed the shunt, took you off life support and stopped the coma. He hoped he could avoid Bonnie long enough for his mother to get an unfettered glimpse at the future of Waterford & Waterford.He couldn’t be that lucky.“Hello, Phil,” Bonita Nejara said when he exited the elevator. “Your Mom is tied up and she has a meeting in just a few minutes. Hailey is free if you’re here to see her.”“I’m afraid we’re the two o’clock meeting,” Phil said with clear chagrin. He gestured to his side where Nikki stood. She glanced at the nameplate beside the door and then at.