“Will you help me?” I asked her. She took a long time to reply.
“What choice do I have?” Jenna said finally. Her words seemed to cost her a great deal. She was clearly scared, not that I blamed her. I’d just asked a lot from her. “Now that I know about this, I have to do something. I mean, what sort of person would I be if I just told you to fuck off right after you told me all this?”
I exhaled heavily in relief.
“So,” Jenna asked next, “what do we do now?”
21
Jenna
“Good morning Richard,” I said the next morning, knocking on his door politely and sticking my head tentatively inside. “You asked to see me?”
My heart was pounding in my chest like a timpani drum. Richard had always unsettled me. Now that I knew he made chemical weapons, he terrified me. Theresa had appeared in my doorway and ordered me into Richard’s office with a satisfied expression on her narrow features. That alone had been enough to tip me off that I wasn’t going to be receiving any good news from Richard this morning. I prayed I wasn’t about to get fired.
“Good morning Jenna. Yes,” Richard replied, smiling thinly, “come on in. Close the door, please.”
I did as he asked and took a seat across the desk from my new boss, the murderer. My face was pleasant and calm—at least I hoped it was—but I was screaming bloody murder on the inside. I’d Googled chemical weapons the night before on my phone before going to sleep. That had been an incredibly bad idea. I had nightmares all night long from the pictures.
“Jenna,” Richard said seriously, “I have some extremely bad news about your assistant Fiona.”
My breath caught in my chest and I felt my hand grasp at my cross necklace for comfort.
“Oh my god,” I gasped, “is she alright? Has something happened to her?”
Richard blinked. For a second, I thought I saw an expression on his face that looked like regret, but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. His features quickly rearranged themselves into a totally neutral expression.
“No, no,” he said, “nothing like that. She’s physically fine as far as I know. I’m very sorry if I gave you that impression. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I exhaled in relief that she was safe and nodded. Fiona wasn’t here yet this morning and I’d begun to worry. She was rarely late. I thought maybe she was sick and hadn’t had a chance to call in yet. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
“What is it then?” I asked in confusion.
Richard turned his laptop around to show me what looked like a paused recording of closed circuit footage.
“This was recorded yesterday around midday,” Richard told me, “take a look.”
In the video, Fiona badged into the downstairs record archive and stepped inside. That was it. Richard turned the laptop back around.
“As you can see, Fiona must have used someone else’s badge to access the archive. Her access doesn’t allow her to be down there unsupervised. Since security is so important here at Durant Industries, she was called by HR and fired yesterday afternoon. Obviously, she won’t be coming in this morning.”
I felt my lips part in shock. I was dumbfounded. Although I knew it was technically against company policy to use someone else’s ID, I’d never heard of anyone being fired for it. People did it all the time. I’d used Oliver’s badge to do exactly what Fiona did with mine probably a hundred times. I’d seen Theresa use Richard’s badge just as often. She also habitually used his corporate credit card to order lunch. No matter what Richard was saying, Fiona was fired because I’d disobeyed him.
“I’m sure this comes as a huge shock to you,” Richard was continuing. His eyes were totally unsympathetic, and his voice was perfectly bland. “I understand that you and Fiona were very close and I’m sure her protocol breach is a surprise. But I know you understand that here in the executive suite we are held to an even higher standard. If Fiona wasn’t willing to respect the rules, she didn’t belong here.”
I was literally unable to speak. Actually, there were a huge number of profane things I wanted to say, but I knew they were highly inappropriate. Richard had used Fiona to get back at me over pulling the entirely useless records about Nicholas. He was just making a point in the cruelest way possible. Fiona was just doing what I asked her to. And now she was unemployed.
“Anyway,” Richard said, “I wanted to tell you in person. Both so you wouldn’t wonder what happened to Fiona, and so that you would make sure that your next assistant understands the importance of security. Also, if you ever hear of any executives or other staff misusing their security credentials, please be sure to report it.”
“Thank you for telling me,” I managed to spit out. My voice sounded hoarse and weak.
“You’re welcome Jenna,” he said, smiling another cold smile, “I know that things are a bit different than you’re used to in the executive suite. It’s a more demanding environment. There’s less room for error. I’m sure you’ll adjust.”
I nodded and swallowed nervously, retreating back toward my office with my proverbial tail between my legs. Richard had just delivered a message to me that he wasn’t messing around. He really didn’t want me looking into Nicholas, which I now knew meant he didn’t want me looking into project ‘Winterspring’ and the chemical weapons he was secretly making. Too bad I was going to do it anyway.
Before I even got back to my office, I was interrupted again by Theresa.
“Hello again Jenna,” she said, looking at me with ill-concealed dislike. “Since Fiona’s not in today, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Quin is here to meet with Mr. Durant again today and would like to see you. I took the liberty of showing him into your office.”
Great. That creep was just what I needed. I’d been really looking forward to a quick cry in my office. If this day kept going like this I wouldn’t have a chance to do any of the research that Nicholas and I had agreed on. At least Theresa had given me warning that Ryan was in my office. I put on my game face and stepped inside.
“Good morning Jenna,” Ryan said from behind my desk. He’d made himself right at home. I bristled at the intrusion and prayed I’d remembered to lock my screen.
“Hello Ryan,” I said, smiling falsely and traipsing over to my chair with a bit of swagger in my step. I was done being pushed around this morning. This asshole didn’t even work here. “Are you considering a career change? I can attest that being the VP of Research and Development at Durant Industries is an interesting and fulfilling position. I can put in a good word with the boss, too.”
The fact that I hadn’t sat on the other side of my desk and yielded totally to his physical imposition to my office wasn’t lost on either of us. Ryan laughed at my little, lame joke, rose and crossed to sit on the other side of my desk. That counted as one point for me and zero points for Ryan.
“Oh, no thanks,” he said pleasantly, “I was just admiring the view. I’m very curious about you Jenna. You’re a complete mystery to me. But I love puzzles, don’t you? I was trying to get in your head by sitting in your chair.”
I laughed lightly. That was a weird thing to say.
“Oh no!” I said dramatically, “I hope you didn’t find all the pictures of puppies and rabbits I have hoarded on my computer or the massive stash of mints hiding in my desk. That would pretty much tell you all you need to know about me.”
Telling the irrelevant truth was always easier than lying.
Ryan shook his head.
“I doubt that very much, Jenna,” he replied. His nearly colorless blue eyes had very little warmth or expression behind them. When coupled with his frozen face, the effect was disconcerting. It was a bit like looking at a human-sized Ken doll. “I think you’re much more complicated than that. You must be to have accomplished so much at such a young age. I try to keep a relationship with all of the VP’s and just wanted to stop by for a chat.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said, still smiling sweetly, “If you’re curious about
me, I’m more than happy to answer your questions. What would you like to know?”
Thankfully, the door to my office opened before Ryan’s mouth could. Richard strode in purposefully. He looked irritated.
“Ryan!” He exclaimed pleasantly, but with slightly narrowed eyes. “There you are! Theresa said you were in here menacing my new VP.”
We all laughed uncomfortably. Richard said that Ryan was ‘menacing’ me as if it was a joke, but I definitely didn’t find the situation very amusing. Richard and Ryan exchanged a significant look.
“I was merely saying hello,” Ryan replied lightly, standing to leave with Richard. “Did you know that Jenna has lots of candy in her desk?”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out one of my mints. He’d been going through my desk. My smiling face froze. He popped it in his mouth and raised an eyebrow at me. What a fucking creep!
Richard frowned deeply at Ryan, then looked at me with could probably best be described as pity.
“Ryan,” he said in a voice that was direct in a way that it hadn’t been all day, “Please leave Jenna alone. She’s just settling into her new role as VP and needs to concentrate. I’ve got her working on several important projects.”
For all his faults, it felt like Richard was truly trying to protect me from Ryan. The fact that Richard was protecting me from Ryan made me think that Ryan was very bad news. Now that I knew that Skylark and Durant Industries had a messed-up symbiotic relationship predicated on chemical weapon production, I wondered which of them really had the upper hand.
It didn’t seem to be Richard, if his defense of me was any indication. Ryan merely rolled his eyes and offered Richard another one of my mints. How many did he steal? He continued out the door without another word, and Richard followed with a significant parting glance back at me.
Once they were gone I put my forehead down on my desk and willed my pulse to slow and my blood pressure to return to normal. It was going to be another very long day. I needed to call Fiona, have my cry, and then get to work. And to top it all off, I now had no assistant to help me pull the hard copy accounting records I needed. I’d be spending the rest of my day down in the basement.
22
Nicholas
“Hey Oliver,” I said, emerging from my hiding spot in the shadows of the parking garage with Harley. I’d been waiting next to his car for about forty-five minutes and had been wondering when he would head into work. He was running late, at least for him. It was almost nine o’clock.
“Oh god. Holy fuck!” Oliver swore, raising his hands up in shock and looking at Harley like he was about to shit his pants, “J-Just take my wallet! I don’t want any trouble!”
“Oh,” I replied guiltily, reimagining this scenario from his perspective. Of course, he thought I was trying to mug him. I’d just sprung out at him from the dark like I was going to punch him and steal his lunch money. I put my own hands up to mirror him. “Oliver no. It’s ok. It’s me, Nicholas. Nicholas Durant.”
Oliver froze. Guilt coursed through me in waves as Oliver looked me up and down and then focused on my face for a long, tense moment. He lowered his hands slowly and squinted at me from behind his bifocals. He took a deep breath and then reached out to punch me weakly in the shoulder.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he swore again, but in a much less frightened tone, “you almost gave me a heart attack. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Sorry,” I replied weakly, “My social skills have deteriorated significantly over the past five years.”
“Has it really been five years?” Oliver asked rhetorically, shaking his head and then reaching out to hug me. I accepted his embrace gratefully. Oliver’s shoulders felt older and frailer under my arms than they had five years ago. He was getting old. I nodded and smiled sadly in response.
“Where have you been?” Oliver then snapped irritably. “You could have at least called and told me where you were! I wouldn’t have told Richard.”
I sighed. This was going to be a hard conversation. More than anyone else in my life before Alaska, I was certain that Oliver loved me. Although he had two daughters of his own, Oliver had been a surrogate parent after my mom bailed on the whole parenthood thing. It had been Oliver and not Richard who made sure I always had the right supplies for school, made it to my dentist appointments, did my homework, and got the right kind of Band-Aids put on my scratches and cuts (Batman, obviously).
“I know Ollie,” I replied, “but I couldn’t. It was too dangerous. I would still be hiding if it wasn’t for Jenna-”
“Jenna Masters?” Oliver interrupted, “Yes, she found you, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” I said, “she found me. I was in Alaska. I didn’t want to be found but she found me. But there’s something going on I need to tell you about. Jenna and I are both in danger now.”
Oliver slumped back against his ancient Volvo station wagon in disbelief. He claimed he couldn’t afford a new car because his ex-wife had taken him for all he was worth in the divorce, but I knew better. He kept the Volvo because it reminded him of driving his daughters around when they were little. They were both mothers in their own right now, but I would put money on the fact that Oliver still had some of their toys in his trunk.
“Danger from who?” he asked, looking around anxiously, as if someone else with a massive dog might be lurking in the shadows. “Also, what the fuck is that thing?” he asked, pointing at Harley who padded forward and licked his outstretched index finger curiously.
“Danger from Skylark,” I answered, “and this is Harley. She’s a malamute.”
Oliver, whose scowl had disappeared the moment that Harley licked him, had been distracted. He was now petting Harley’s head affectionately. She nuzzled into his hand and sniffed his lunch bag. They were obviously instantly in love with one another. Typical.
“Does she want half of my sandwich?” Oliver asked hopefully, and I rolled my eyes. Oliver was such a soft touch for all children and animals. Harley had him wrapped around her paw already,
“I’m sure she wants your whole sandwich, but Oliver, did you hear me?” I pushed.
“Yes,” Oliver replied, “I heard you.” He straightened up and looked at me seriously. “You don’t want to piss off Ryan Quin. He’s a snake. What happened?”
“Maybe we should sit down before I tell you,” I answered, “It’s kind of a shock.”
“Doubtful,” Oliver said sarcastically, “after your dramatic entrance, I’m fresh out of shock for the foreseeable future.”
I sighed. Well, he asked for it.
“Durant Industries is creating chemical weapons and selling them through Skylark to the US government. My father is helping to cover it up. When Skylark found out I was sniffing around they tried to murder me, and I had to go underground.”
Oliver abruptly dropped his lunch bag in surprise, and Harley went for it instantly. I barely managed to get it out of her jaws before she ate the entire bag.
“You really are trying to give me heart attack,” Oliver said, leaning against his car with his thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure about all of that?”
I nodded unhappily, and Oliver sighed deeply.
“I’ve always wondered what it was that kept Richard obedient to Ryan,” he said to my surprise, “but I honestly never would have guessed that it would be this bad.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It wasn’t as bad until you left, but haven’t you always wondered why Ryan has so much power over Richard? Or, I guess I should say why Skylark has so much power over Durant Industries?” Oliver asked.
To be honest I’d never really given it a moment’s thought before I’d fled to Alaska. The idea of my father being obedient to anyone was anathema to the person I believed my father to be. He was independent to a serious fault. I shook my head.
“After you disappeared, Ryan started showing up a lot more frequently. He didn’t even make appointments, he just strode into
Richard’s office like he owned it. They kept up the same semi-friendly relationship they’ve always had, but it’s been wearing increasingly thin. Your father knew you were alive, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” I answered, “he helped me get away. We haven’t had any contact since then. We disagreed about the weapons program, obviously.”
Oliver looked unsurprised.
“That all actually makes sense,” he replied, “especially now that I’ve seen how Richard and Ryan reacted to Jenna’s success.”
Just mentioning Jenna’s name made me tense up with desire and fear for her. I’d slept on her couch the previous night, at her suggestion. She looked like she was waiting for me to touch her, kiss her, and insist on more, but I chickened out. I knew I was putting her in danger just by trusting her with my secret and was afraid of making things more confusing for her. I spent a sleepless night thinking about her.
“How does Jenna fit into all this?” Oliver asked, picking up on my tension.
I sighed. I was only going to give Oliver the abridged version.
“I don’t know what you know,” I replied. “But basically, she found me hiding out in Alaska and delivered my grandfather’s will just like she was supposed to. Then she left.”
Oliver didn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded. I was relieved he didn’t ask any follow up questions.
“Well now she’s stuck between Ryan and Richard. They both want to know where you are. She’s a principled person and very smart. She won’t tell, and you couldn’t have picked a better ally, but I think she’s under a lot of pressure. Richard promoted her yesterday. I know he had no intension of doing so until she was successful in finding you. I think he only did it to try and get her to reveal where you were. I also think he’s trying to protect her, in his weird way, from Ryan. But you know how your dad is. Being the center of his attention is never comfortable.”
I could only imagine. Poor Jenna. She’d mentioned her promotion to me, but now that I knew she was on Skylark’s radar, I was concerned she was under too much scrutiny to help get the evidence we needed.
Down and Dirty Page 11
