The Order of the Redeemed

by Warren Cain

  Better think your way out of this. They were depending on this job. You told them you would get it. They can’t afford to pay what they’re paying you if you can’t prove that you’re not worth it.

  Okay, forget about losing your job. Let’s think about this with a more structured approach. I have the copy on the backup that I did; I have the copy in the current folder. I know someone else in the company did the revising. Now how am I going to find out who it was and prove it? There’s only three other people in this office that could access those files. Now which one would be the main suspect?

  A sick feeling grew in his stomach as he tried to picture which person he worked with every day who could do something to him that would, he was sure, cost him his job and possibly finish his chance at another job in this line of work.

  Can’t accuse anyone without proof, Mike. Let’s have a look at that again. I think there’s something I’m missing. Start menu. Recent documents. Bid info.

  The document started to open.

  Holy cow. Why didn’t I think of that? They wouldn’t have had to come into my office and change it on my computer; they would have changed it on theirs, printed it off, and would only have been in my office long enough to pull the old bid out and slip the new one in. If they didn’t empty the recent documents, it will show up at their computer.

  Excitement at the possibility of finding out who had done this filled him with a new energy.

  Got to get the passwords, he thought to himself heading back to the room with the main frame.

  The company had them put passwords on each computer, but given the fact Steve would often out of habit save folders to his hard drive, they decided to leave the passwords where the employees could find them if they needed to access one of the other computers.

  Mike sat at Steve’s computer first. He hated to think Steve, who seemed like a good dad to his three kids and a good husband to his wife, would be capable of something like this.

  He would probably need the money the most if it was a bribe.

  “Fatherofthree.”

  Clever password, Steve.

  The computer opened to a background of a family photo with an attractive woman with brown eyes and black hair. The boy and one of the two girls in the picture shared the mother’s black hair while the second girl had her father’s blond hair.

  Please don’t let it be you, Steve. I’m sure I can’t turn you in, he thought, looking at the little kids. I’ve never had kids, but I’m sure I would do anything I could for them.

  Mike moved the cursor over to the start menu, recent documents.

  Thank God, Mike thought to himself, relieved it did not show up on Steve’s computer.

  Mike logged off the computer and went to Roger’s desk.

  I know if you did it, Roger, it was just greed. Between you and your wife you probably take in over $200,000 a year. Should be more than enough to get by.

  A feeling that Roger was the one who had done it suddenly came over him.

  He does have a lot of monthly payments. The big house, two nice cars, a boat. Did you overextend yourself on payments? What did they offer you to screw up my life? Half a million or was it less?

  The thought hadn’t yet occurred to Mike about how much of a bribe would be offered to throw the bid on a project like this.

  If I was dishonest and didn’t enjoy this line of work, I could have made a one-time deal and been set up for a good while. Got to stop thinking like that. I’m not gonna do it so there’s no reason to think about it. At least it got me off Roger’s case for a little bit.

  The computer opened up to a background that showed Roger’s boat at the lake as he was pulling away from the dock.

  Fitting. It is a nice boat, though.

  Start, recent documents . . .

  It’s not there. Someone was smart enough to clear it out after they were done. Damn. Guess I should check Gloria’s computer.

  Mike tried to put the thought out of his mind, but he felt certain Roger was the one who did it.

  He could be bought. Especially for the kind of money that would have been offered.

  Mike walked to the front of the office near the entrance to Gloria’s desk. Sorry, Gloria, but I have to check.

  Mike opened the computer to the standard background that was probably the same one that came with the computer. Start, recent documents . . .

  Gloria . . . why?

  A sick feeling crept into his stomach.

  I thought I would be glad to find out who did it. I think I’m going to throw up. Now what am I going to do?

  Chapter 13

  Gloria sat her two loaves of bread and carton of milk on the conveyor belt of the checkout line. The three open aisles were backed up with people who all were in a hurry and seemed irritated at the fifteen checkout lines that remained closed.

  “Eighteen checkout lanes they advertised,” commented the elderly gentleman in line behind her.

  A smile was the only acknowledgment she gave him.

  The young lady behind the register shot a glance to Gloria that seemed to convey something to the effect of “don’t look at me, I just work here.”

  “Paper or plastic?”

  After making the decision to go with plastic and paying her $5.52, Gloria made her way to her midsized red SUV. The vehicle’s lights flashed and a quick beep of the horn gave her the indication she had successfully unlocked it. She reached for the rear door to put the groceries in.

  “You’re coming with me, Gloria. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  The sharp jab in her back was enough to convince her the perpetrator meant business.

  “The money’s in my purse . . . take it.”

  “I don’t want your damn money. I want answers.”

  She was spun around to see a face she had been afraid of seeing for the last two months. His hair, which now had a greasy unwashed look, was nearly two inches longer than the last time she saw him. The hair on his face indicated that might have been the last time he shaved. It took her an instant to even realize it was him. He had changed.

  A chill ran down her spine as she realized this ungroomed man with a disturbing look in his eyes had a score to settle with her.

  “I can tell by the look on your face you’re happy to see me too.”

  “What do you want, Mike?”

  “I want you to get in my vehicle now before I have to shoot you.”

  He rammed what Gloria was sure was a gun harder into her side.

  “ALL RIGHT. All right. I’ll get in.”

  Fear and uncertainty gripped her at the helplessness of the situation. She knew he would be mad at her and doubted she could talk her way out of making him believe she wasn’t the one who changed the bid.

  Gloria jumped in the passenger side of the vehicle. As Mike went to the driver’s side, a voice in her head told her to jump out and run screaming for help. The panic and shortness of breath she felt gave her strong doubts it was a good idea.

  “Who was it, Gloria? Who got to you?”

  He’s not even asking if I did it. He must know it’s me.

  “What are you talking about, Mike?”

  “Don’t play games with me. I spent the past two months trying to figure out where I was going to work and you know what?”

  She sat and stared at Mike as his increasingly louder tone gave her the indication his temper was rising with it.

  “DO YOU KNOW WHAT? ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION! I’M TALKING TO YOU!” he said in an enraged voice, putting the gun to her temple.

  “No. I don’t know, I don’t know!” she replied, nearly hysterical.

  “I can’t get a damn job anywhere. You set me up. You got paid big money, and you changed my bid.”

  Mike glanced out of the window to see someone coming out of the store toward him with a shopping cart. In th
e rage of the moment he had forgotten they were still at the store parking lot.

  “We’re gonna go somewhere a little more private and finish this. Don’t do anything stupid,” he said, holding the gun up off the seat for her to see.

  “Who was it, Gloria? Who got you to turn on me?”

  “I don’t know, Mike. He never said his name.”

  “I thought you might say that. Look at this.”

  Mike handed her the current issue of Engineering Monthly.

  “Check out page forty-three and see if anyone looks familiar.”

  She turned to the page and saw an article titled, “Plymouth Dam Project Awarded.” Beneath was a picture of several people from McCarry Construction along with the engineer and a couple of government officials.

  Gloria flinched. It’s him, she thought as her eyes picked out Jeff McCarry.

  “I’ve never seen any of these people.”

  It was too late. Mike caught her reaction. He pulled over into a quiet alley.

  “Get the hell out of the truck.”

  Oh, my God. He’s gonna kill me. Gloria almost stood up in the seat looking for a way to get out of the truck and run.

  The door opened, and he abruptly pulled her out of the truck and let her fall hard onto the sparsely graveled alley. He put his knee onto her neck holding her down and forcing her to fight for each breath.

  “Please, Mike,” she choked.

  She felt the end of the gun pressing against the side of her head. Mike shoved the magazine into her face.

  “Which one is it? Point at him.”

  From the position she was in, she had to force her eyes sideways until they almost hurt to see the picture. She pointed at Jeff. The pressure let up immediately from her neck.

  “Uhhhhhhh,” she took a deep breath while grabbing her neck.

  “This one?” he asked, pointing at Jeff.

  A nod of her head answered the question.

  “Jeff McCarry. You’re gonna pay for ruining my life.”

  A sick feeling ran through Gloria as the realization sunk in that this man who was so obsessed with his work had no other outlet in his life and had turned his obsession towards vengeance. If he was as passionate about the vengeance as he was about the work, she was certain he would see this through.

  Chapter 14

  Jeff McCarry sat in his lavish home just outside the town of Rollings, Virginia. The one-story brick home nestled into the steep forest-covered hills overlooked the large Malkin River Valley. He sat in his recliner, surrounded overhead by many different mounts from the yearly hunting trips he enjoyed.

  Jeff, you’ve pulled the company out of the fire again, he thought as he rattled the ice left in his shot glass. Too bad you can’t hold your relationships together as well as you can the company. Maybe if you weren’t so obsessed with your work, you could.

  He finished his drink and walked over to the bar in the corner and filled his glass. A scratching sound from the back door told Jeff his dog was ready to come in.

  “Hold on, Jim ol’ boy. I’ll open the door for you in a minute. Hmm, old rascal.”

  He finished pouring his drink and walked over to the back door. He reached for the door handle and paused.

  “You should lock your doors, Jeff.”

  Jeff felt hard metal on the back of his neck. A chill ran down his spine at the thought of a loaded gun being pointed at him. He started to turn.

  “Don’t even think about it. Just walk outside and don’t turn around.”

  Jeff and his assailant walked outside, across the driveway, and down the dusty road to where his van was parked.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “Why don’t you turn around and see if you recognize me?”

  Jeff turned.

  “I don’t know you.”

  “You know me, you arrogant piece of crap. You at least know me from some file you read on me. I’m Mike Hollister.”

  Jeff looked hard. He had seen Mike’s picture, but this man standing in front of him didn’t fit the picture he had seen.

  “What do you want from me?”

  “You ruined my life. You took everything I worked for and threw it away. I had the bid. I had you, Jeff, and you took it away.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, trying to sound as innocent as the fear of the situation would allow.

  “Does this refresh your memory?” Mike said, opening the side door of the van, revealing Gloria with her arms and legs bound in duct tape. Her eyes revealed a desire to scream in terror that the duct tape across her mouth would not allow.

  “What have you do—”

  A quick blow with the butt of the gun to the back of his neck cut off Jeff’s words. Jeff dropped to the ground instantly.

  “YES. THAT FELT GOOD. Did that feel good for YOU, Jeff?” he said, spitting uncontrollably into Jeff’s unconscious face.

  The fanatical look in his eyes was fueled by two months of obsession, contemplating what he would do to the person who was responsible. He felt alive, like this was the most right thing he ever did. Most of all, he felt vindicated.

  Chapter 15

  Jeff slowly opened his eyes. A sharp pain ran through his head. He tried to recall where he was or what had happened. His first thought was he went out and had partied too much. He looked around and saw trees.

  I’m in a forest. Mike Hollister. The name brought back the memories of what had happened. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Oh, wow.”

  He had never felt a pain that sharp before. He looked around to see the van from the night before about twenty feet away on a path he was surprised the van had been able to maneuver.

  “MMmm . . . uhhhh.”

  Jeff turned to see Gloria still tied up only a few feet behind him. He made a quick survey of the area and decided no one else was around. He crawled on all fours over to Gloria and pulled the tape off her mouth.

  “We’ve got to get out of here. He’ll kill us.”

  Her words were no longer hysterical but came out matter-of-factly. She had been with Mike enough in the last twenty-four hours to have her emotions range from fear of dying, to certainty of dying, to survival at all costs.

  Look for any opportunity to escape.

  Despite the overwhelming odds, she felt a determination she never had before. Jeff heard the certainty in her words and quickly untied her.

  “Let’s go.”

  Jeff pulled her up, and they ran to the van. Gloria jumped in the passenger side, and Jeff hopped into the driver’s seat.

  “I can’t believe he left the keys in it,” he exclaimed, turning over the engine.

  Jeff pulled the gearshift into drive and released the parking brake. The engine revved up as the vehicle rolled backwards.

  “What the hell?” Jeff pushed on the accelerator only to have the engine rev louder as the vehicle gained momentum.

  Jeff turned to Gloria who gave him an uncertain look at the predicament they had now found themselves in. The brakes didn’t stop even though he had them pushed firmly against the floor.

  “The brakes are out.”

  “The damn thing won’t stop.”

  The thought of using the emergency brake entered his mind a split second too late as the van slammed into a large maple tree, stopping the van quicker than they would have liked. Gloria looked at Jeff as if to ask what else could go wrong.

  “Doesn’t work too good without this,” said Mike suddenly appearing in Jeff’s window.

  In his left hand he held a drive shaft. In his right was the gun. A wave of despair ran through the captive pair as they realized their attempted escape had been a setup. Mike saw the look he had been waiting for.

  “It doesn’t feel good to have hope, only to have it taken away from you at the last m
inute, does it? That’s how I felt when you two took the project from me.” His tone was more reasoned than the two had seen the day before. He no longer had the ramblings of an insane man.

  “I was gonna show them. My twenty-year reunion is next year. They used to tell me I was nobody, wouldn’t amount to anything. I had it. I was gonna show them I was more successful than any of them. You took that away.”

  This is about more than just a bid, thought Jeff.

  His voice was beginning to sound infuriated again.

  We’ve got to calm him down, Gloria thought to herself.

  “I’m sorry, Mike. I never thought it would come to this.”

  “You can come to work for me.”

  The offer was made to pacify Mike for the time being.

  “Do you think I’m that stupid? I know I can’t go to work for you now. The only place I would go after kidnapping you is to jail. I’m not stupid. I was smart enough to figure out that you paid Gloria to change my bid.”

  Jeff and Gloria exchanged a strange look.

  “What was that look for?”

  No answer.

  Mike pulled Jeff out of the van and shoved him against a tree.

  “I asked you a question, you piece of crap. What was that look for?”

  A look of fear came over Jeff as Mike shoved his face into the tree with the pistol pushed sharply into his back.

  “I didn’t pay her anything. Didn’t she tell you?”

  “Tell me what?” He pushed the pistol harder into Jeff’s back.

  “Gloria and your boss were having an affair. I threatened to expose them if she didn’t fix the bid.”

  A second of silence followed, as he recalled the memory of his confrontation with Tim when he tried to explain that Gloria had fixed the bid. Tim didn’t listen to a word. He knew. The S.O.B. knew. He probably helped switch it to keep his dirty secret safe from his wife.

  “Get the hell out of the van.”

  Gloria stepped out, uncertain if she should run or do what he asked.

  “I’m sorry, Mike. I couldn’t let my husband know. It would have killed him and the kids. PLEASE, MIKE. I HAVE KIDS,” she pleaded.