by Melody Anne
“You got it,” Green replied. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to the two lackies who’d been repeatedly dinging him; Friday between five and eight will work. He smiled. Senator Miller would be ticked that he was dictating the time as if he was busier than she was.
Brackish looked up, his face now serious as well. “They’ll pat you down and wand you before you’re allowed to meet the senator. I have the perfect undetectable devices they can’t possibly find with their shitty equipment.” His total disdain of anybody else’s technology was amusing.
“Perfect,” Green replied as his phone dinged. He looked up with a satisfied smirk. “They are hot to meet. I already have a reply from both of them. We’re confirmed for Friday at 1900 hours at The Pink Door downtown.”
“Mmm, isn’t that next to a nice cozy hotel?” Smoke asked.
“Yep, he’s definitely taking one for the team,” Sleep replied, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back.
“Bite me,” Green said.
“Nope, I think that’s the senator’s job,” Smoke said. “I have much more sophisticated tastes than your leathery skin.”
Before Green could reply, Brackish piped in. “What if your boss makes you work late?” His mock serious tone made the men chuckle and Green growl. He hated that kid. “Has there been a weekend yet that he hasn’t tried to get you to work? I think he might also have a crush on you. Maybe he, the senator, and you can all go out together.”
“I’ll hook you up with that if you want,” Green said, turning it right back on his teammate. “I’m pretty sure I’m getting a promotion. Now that the word’s out that I’m being courted by a US senator, it seems my talents are being requested in other areas of the company. I think this goes even deeper than we imagined.”
“Yeah, this is going to be fun to bring down. I like leaving nothing more than a pile of ashes,” Eyes said, the glint of combat in his eyes. They’d all served a lot of missions but doing this one without their hands tied was their favorite.
“My lovely boss, Andrew, told me the other day that he didn’t think I was ready for a move as there was so much more for me to learn,” Green scoffed. “As if there’s an art to stacking boxes.”
“Hey, don’t knock a good job,” Sleep said. “I stacked many boxes in my younger days and a paycheck is a paycheck.” He was still smiling but there was truth to his words. They’d all done their share of less than desirable jobs. They were all grateful to have had employment.
Chad chimed in next. “You do have a lot to learn about this business,” he said, smiling.
“What?” Green asked, confused. Chad knew this was a fake job. Chad knew what Green’s bank account was — and it was large.
“Yep, if you work hard and put your nose to the grindstone, you might just make it from assistant management into senior assistant management. There are rungs on the ladder you can’t skip so take your time and don’t do everything at once.”
The room went utterly silent for a moment as Chad’s words processed. He normally didn’t joke with the team. He let them blow off steam but when he spoke it was almost always with a purpose, so they were stunned into silence before they erupted.
“Good one, Chug,” Smoke said. “I didn’t think you had a sense of humor.”
“I could school all of you,” Chad told them.
“That’s because you’re ancient,” Sleep said. “Unlike us young, strapping studs.”
“I’ll take you on any day of the week,” Chad said with a laugh.
After they got their laughter out of the way, the meeting continued with a review of the different operations they’d been working, the breakdown of players they were following, and the boring stuff Brackish could go on and on and on about for hours if they didn’t rein him in.
When they were finished it was just Eyes and Chad left in the room to go over the next missions. Luckily the rest of them didn’t have to stay for the even more boring items on the agenda.
What scared all of them — and they didn’t often get scared — was Damien Whitfield was still at the top of their list of suspects. Damning information continued piling up on his movements, and his financial gains, tucked away in hidden accounts the last few months, had been staggering. None of them wanted to find him guilty — none of them wanted to take that evidence back to Joseph. They had no doubt it would break the man’s heart.
Joseph was known as a powerhouse around the world, but he was a family man through and through. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family, nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice for them. If he found out one of his nephews was a big player in a bad game, it would crush him. But no matter how much they tried finding a way to prove Damien innocent, they couldn’t clear him.
Sometimes their job really sucked.
And sometimes the bad guys weren’t who you thought they’d be. They might be masking themselves as a doctor, a lawyer, a paramedic, a schoolteacher, or even a businessman in the light of day. But what they did in the veil of darkness was sick and twisted and ruined lives. They prayed that wouldn’t be Damien. They prayed they wouldn’t have to break their benefactor’s heart.
They’d soon find out . . .
Chapter Two
Green walked into the shipping yard on Friday morning, knowing he wouldn’t be returning to his current position after this day. Human Resources had called him the night before to schedule a meeting, telling him to report to them at 0700 hours sharp. He could imagine his little bossman was seething at losing some of the power he’d been trying to lord over the big man since Green had taken this assignment. The kid truly loved to hold his position over others.
As Green moved forward, stopping to talk to a few of the men he’d worked with over the last few months, he was surprised to learn he liked several of them. He laughed to himself at having any sentimental thoughts at all about the warehouse and his fake job there. It was also amusing that he was going to become a so-called corporate paper pusher.
He stopped when he came up to his young boss, Andrew. He wasn’t disappointed this would be his last time seeing the young punk. Some people were born to be leaders while others were pretenders who thought if they puffed out their chests enough and talked down to others it would make them into what they wanted to be — but it never worked.
Pasting on his famous smile, he held out a hand to shake “Thanks for all you’ve done for me, Andrew. It’s truly been an . . . interesting experience,” Green told him.
The kid acted as if he hadn’t seen Green’s hand. “Yep. No problem. Just give me a ring when you get lost up in the big offices. You know I can bail you out.” He paused, probably giving Green time to jump in and tell the kid how wonderful he was. It didn’t happen. Green waited him out.
“Well, get out of here before I call HR and take back my recommendation for your promotion,” he finished. Green was very aware that was a bald-faced lie; no way he’d recommended him to management. If the kid had anything to do with it, it would be him sitting in that office upstairs. That was the epitome of success for the punk while it was a serious demotion for Green who’d already developed and sold a multimillion-dollar corporation.
“You got it, Bud,” Green said. He didn’t add more before he walked away from the kid, letting out a sigh of relief that it was over. He didn’t have to pretend the jackass was his boss any longer. He’d love to tell him who he truly was. The kid would probably crap his pants. But then again, he was so forgettable he wouldn’t cross Green’s mind ever again after this day.
Green made his way to the HR suite and was immediately directed to a woman’s office who was on the phone as he appeared in her doorway. She sent him an apologetic look, waved him inside, then pointed to a chair at a large round table overlooking the shipyard and the beautiful Puget Sound. It was an incredibly impressive view, especially for an industrial work site.
He sat quietly while the woman finished her conversation. When she was done, she hung up, st
ood, and moved over to Green. He rose as well and took her hand when she offered it.
“Good morning, Mr. Meeks. Thank you for arriving on time. I’m Sue Bailey, the director of the Human Resources department.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bailey,” Green easily replied. He could certainly hold his own in a board room, so an HR department was like walking on a soft bed of grass.
“Please call me Sue. I insist,” she replied, her smile genuine, reaching her eyes. He wondered how she worked for this company. He wondered how many people were crooked in it. She certainly wasn’t — he’d make a wager on that.
“That’s a difficult one for me, but if you insist,” Green said with manners instilled in him. “And please call me Hendrick. Mr. Meeks was my gramps, and I always look around when I hear it,” he added with a chuckle.
“I was my gramps’s favorite from the start so I understand those little pangs at hearing something familiar,” she told him. Then she shook her head. “Sorry about that. It’s so easy to get off track and there’s a lot to do today.”
“Never apologize for sharing a memory,” Green told her. “I love a good gramps tale.”
“Me too,” she said. Then she sat, and he joined her. “Let’s get started.”
They easily chatted as she laid out Green’s new transition with the company. He was shocked at how pleased she seemed for him. He was once again convinced she was a truly good person. She walked him through the new pay structure and gave him papers on his added benefits. The conversation and signatures took about half an hour by the time it was all said and done.
“Are you ready to see your office?” she asked when his last paper was signed.
He had to fake enthusiasm as he replied. “I can’t wait.”
Her smile turned up. “I know I was beyond excited the first time I stepped inside this room. I started on the floor years and years ago, then pushed my way through college while working full-time and taking care of two kids. But the long days and sleepless nights paid off in the end,” she said.
“I love hearing a success story,” Green said, meaning it.
“Me too. I knew I wanted to do more in life but wasn’t sure how I’d get there. I finally decided with hard work and iron-willed determination I could get it done. And now here I am.”
They moved down the hallway, stopping a few times so she could introduce him to people he categorized for later. Brackish already had all of their names, but it was good for Green to see them in person and look into their eyes. You could read a lot about a person in their eyes.
“Here you go,” she said as she walked through an open door.
He followed her inside the small office that was outfitted with a desk, chair, file cabinet, and empty walls. “It doesn’t look like much now, but you’ll be able to make it your own. Bring in some photos, certificates, posters, anything to make you feel comfortable. Sometimes clients come up here though, so make sure you follow the company guidelines of what is and isn’t appropriate.”
“Of course,” Green said.
They chatted another couple of minutes then she was gone, and he was left in the nearly empty room, wondering how long he’d survive in his fake position. He couldn’t stand being locked inside. He hadn’t minded the shipping yard so much because he’d gotten to move and get outside as much as possible. But this room was a nightmare come to life.
His new position was basically a split of working for the COO as well as following the orders of the company’s political action committee and essentially being their gofer. He didn’t like being anyone’s gofer.
Who in their right mind woke up one day and said I want to be a US senator? In Green’s jaded mind, it was someone who wanted something. Some of the team members disagreed with him, saying there truly were those out there who felt a need to serve the people and the country they loved. When Green met one of them he’d admit to being wrong — not a second before then, though.
One thing Green knew for sure was the high players in this company were definitely crooked, because what company in their right mind would allow an employee to come and go at the whim of a political action committee? Green wouldn’t have made the tens of millions he’d made if he’d allowed his staff to come and go as they pleased — or worse yet, influenced by political figures.
Green’s new boss was Andrew Senior, the punk’s father. Unlike the kid, the father knew his stuff and had a very old-school work ethic. There weren’t a lot of rough edges in the way Andrew Sr. spoke.
The man was above average intellectually and worked hard and long hours. It was easy to see why people were willing to follow him. That was something worth paying attention to. Green couldn’t see how the man had such a lazy, power-hungry son. Maybe Andrew Sr. had just worked so many hours he hadn’t taken the time to instill the same values in his child. Or maybe his morals and ethics hadn’t passed down to his son.
It didn’t take long for his new boss to appear at his door.
“I hope you’re settling into your new position,” Andrew Sr. said.
“I think it’ll take a while to get comfortable, but I’ve never failed to conquer something I’ve put my mind to,” Green replied.
“Very good,” Andrew said. “That’s the kind of attitude that builds up a company.”
“I agree with you there,” Green said.
Then Andrew got to the real point of his visit. “I hear you’re meeting with Senator Miller this evening.”
“Yes, it appears so,” Green said, watching for a reaction, trying to figure out how much Andrew had to do with the politician.
“Make sure you’re a positive ambassador for yourself as well as this company. I don’t know a whole lot about you, but the people I’ve talked to have all said the same things — you’re a straight shooter, hard worker, and do what you say you’ll do. You might be a bit of a late bloomer in the business world, but if you want to make a go at this with a real career, working here will give you the resources you need to make that happen.” The man seemed to mean exactly what he was saying. No wonder Sue loved her job so much.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity to prove myself,” Green said. “As far as tonight goes, I don’t exactly know what they want to meet me about, but I’m excited to find out.” He gave a genuine smile as he forced himself not to laugh. It was a joke how many people wanted to rub elbows with those they deemed important.
It was also a good thing the company he’d sold had kept his name and face out of it. If this man before him knew of that sale, he’d know it was a joke for Green to be working for him. He was nearly a billionaire, and men like him didn’t work for another corporation.
The reality of humanity was that everyone came into the world the same way, and they all exited the same way too. Just because a person rose to celebrity status of some kind didn’t make them any better or any worse than the next person. Reputation was also a way to lift a person onto a pedestal. It was odd how politicians, outside of the President, had become so coveted — and it had begun when the internet had made its appearance in the world.
Before the internet the average American didn’t have a clue who the congressmen or senators were for the US. They might know who they were in their own state, but even that was doubtable. The internet had changed all of that. Now politicians flashed across screens on a daily basis, and recognition of those faces raised their status.
In Green’s opinion that was the biggest fail of society as a whole. The politicians and people alike had all seemed to have forgotten that the whole point of serving in the government was the word serving. They didn’t own the people, they represented them — and somewhere along the way everyone had forgotten that one very important fact.
Those thoughts all flashed through his mind in a matter of seconds. Andrew smiled as he patted Green on the back.
“Enjoy this ride while you’re on it,” Andrew told him. “If the senator sees something in you, you must
be special. I want to hear all about your meeting on Monday morning. Why don’t you take the rest of today off so you can get ready for your big night?”
Green cringed as he almost expected the man to tell him to take one for the team. Luckily that didn’t happen. He internally rolled his eyes.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. It’s also great to meet you. I hope you don’t regret it,” Green said.
They shook hands and the COO took off. Green was quickly behind him. He might not be excited to meet with the senator, but he was ecstatic to move forward with his true mission. The senator was crooked. He had no doubt about it — now he just had to find the evidence to put a nail in her coffin.
Chapter Three
Brackish leaned back, bored as he hacked into the server of the restaurant where the senator was meeting Green later that night. He loved a challenge and hacking a ridiculously unsecure server didn’t ring any of his bells. He took control of the program used for seating diners. He found that Senator Miller and Green were at a table for two in a quiet corner — she wasn’t playing around in her quest for romance. That made him smile. He enjoyed the torture Green was going to be put through acting humbled by her attention while also giving off an air of indifference.
Once he mapped the tables at the restaurant, he sent Smoke to discretely place a few of his top-of-the-line undetectable listening devices in the lobby, bathrooms, and dining area. He watched as Smoke did his job smoothly without a single eye seeing what he was doing — and the man still had time to flirt with the pretty young hostess, making her blush and swoon. The man truly was good.
Brackish laughed when Smoke placed devices beneath the lip of the table Green and Senator Miller were sitting at all with the breathless hostess at his side, not seeing his sleight of hand. Brackish and the rest of the team would hear everything from their conversation right down to the sound of pants rubbing together.
