by Kayt Miller
“How so?” Pretending to be calm.
More chuckles around the room, which aren’t at all jovial.
“You advised Lester, all of your clients, and all of his clients to invest heavily in Beranger Aeronautics.”
“That’s not true.”
Pete scoffs, “We have the paper trail to prove it, David. Funny. You didn’t invest any of your own money.”
“Funny,” I deadpan.
“Son. This is deadly serious. I don’t appreciate your smart ass attitude,” growls Lester.
“And I don’t appreciate getting set up to take the fall, sir.” I say ‘sir’ with venom.”
“Well, I never…” sputters Lester.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” I say mocking the man.
“Enough!” shouts Peter. “You’re making a serious accusation, David. We’ve got proof here with this memo that you advised Lester to…”
“That memo was forged. I can spell. Gretchen, Lester’s niece, cannot.”
“She’s your assistant, boy. You told her to write it up.”
“Boy? Do you realize how demeaning that is?” Old man. That’s what I’d like to say, but I hold my tongue. Lester tries to speak again, but I interrupt, “I’ve got proof.”
Lester lets out a cracking laugh, “Proof? What kind of proof?”
“Video.” I watch as Lester’s face pales to a deathly shade of light yellow.
“What do you mean you have video? Of what?” he sputters.
I turn to Peter. “I have one video of Lester going through my desk when I was gone. There’s another one of Gretchen and Lester breaking into my locked drawer that holds my passwords and client files, and I have a third video of Lester asking me if I had invested in Beranger.”
Lester interrupts, “Well, that means nothing. Peter just told us you hadn’t invested yourself.”
“I also have emails.”
“Emails!” Lester squeaks. “How in the fuck did you get emails?”
“My secretary isn’t very careful.” Ah ha! That was pretty ingenious on my part. They won’t suspect hacking if I go this route. “I took Gretchen’s laptop for safe keeping when she left it open one evening after she left for the day. There are things on that we wouldn’t want falling into the wrong hands, after all. Am I right?”
A few board members nod in agreement.
Lester’s face changes from light yellow to bright red in a matter of seconds. “You, how did you get into her email?”
“She must have set up an auto-log in because it opened up for me right away.”
“What are you saying, David? Are you accusing Lester of something here?” asks Ben Thomason, one of the oldest board members.
“I’m not accusing anyone of anything, well, other than attempting to set me up for the fall on this. How much did you lose, Lester?” I look over at him. I can see the hatred in his eyes.
“Do you have copies of these emails?” asks Pete.
“No, I gave them to my attorney. But, you could access Lester’s email account.” God, I’m so good at this shit. Who knew?
“The fuck they can,” he sputters.
“I believe we all signed something as new employees that states the company can access our emails at any time if deemed necessary. I think it’s necessary.”
“I agree,” says a voice at the back of the room.
“I second,” adds another.
When the table starts to talk freely, I take a deep breath. I watch Lester pick up his phone and press keys. Sending a text? I bet that’s for Gretchen.
“We should access your emails,” growls Lester.
“Be my guest. Username: davidflynn. Password: showmethemoney.”
A few in the group laugh at my password, but the rest all just look distressed. I know how those people feel. When the noise dies down, Peter Valley speaks. “David, you’re excused. We may need to speak with you again. I’d advise you to take a few days off until we have this under control. May I call you if I have questions?”
“Sure. No problem.” I smile at the group and turn to Lester. I smile the widest at him. You thought you had me, you old bastard. But, you don’t.
I walk out the door of the conference room and into my office. I look around, and it hits me. I’m done here. I can’t work for a place that treats people like shit. Cassie certainly deserved better. Fleming deserved better.
I step toward my desk and stare down. I’ve got a few personal things on my desk. I start taking those items off my desk and setting them in that fucking ergonomic chair. I open my drawers looking for other personal items. I unlock the drawer with client files and set them on top of the pile.
I walk to the shelf above the bar and pull down the picture of my family, and the one IIM took of me for promotional purposes. “Pretty vain to have my own picture on the shelf.” Yeah, I’ve been vain for way too long.
When I’m sure I’ve got everything I need, I roll the chair out my office door to the elevator. I press the button for the basement. “Mailroom will have a box.” I find a small box right away and toss my things inside. I leave the chair and step back onto the elevator.
Hitting the sidewalk, I take a deep breath. It’s getting cooler outside, and it feels great. “Football weather.” The regular season will be starting soon. “Go Bears.” I walk a few blocks when I remember my car is parked in the IIM parking garage.
I turn back making my way back. Lost in thought, I cross the street without paying much attention. I hear cars all around me, and even one motor revving up loudly. Absently, I cross through the intersection next to our parking facility. I hear someone shout, but I don't realize they’re shouting at me until I hear the revving motor getting louder. I turn in time to see headlights coming straight for me.
As fast as I can move, I jump backward onto the curb and sidewalk behind me. My box of personal belongings flies out of my hands. I land on my ass and back and hit my head on the concrete. I feel pain running through me, but that is forgotten when I hear the crash. The screeching of tires and the crunching and scratching of metal as it hits concrete is a terrible sound.
I sit up from my spot on the sidewalk and see the cause. A small black sports car is now wrapped around a concrete support column at the entrance of the IIM parking garage. Smoke is pouring from the hood. I blink a few times wondering what the hell just happened.
“Sir? Are you okay?” asks a young woman. “Do you need an ambulance?”
I shake my head, “No.”
“Move!” I hear someone shout. “Move, move, move!” he yells again.
I’m still trying to get my bearings when hands slide up under my arms and pull me backward. I’m getting dragged by the ass so fast I want to puke.
When I hear the explosion, I know why I was getting dragged backward. “Fuck!” I mutter. I’m lying on my back in the doorway of a little store about forty feet from the accident. I look up and see a guy in fatigues. A serviceman just saved my life. “Am I in the war?”
I hear a deep chuckle, “No, sir.”
“Was that… did that car explode?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You saved my life. I owe you my life,” I say quickly. I start to shake and shiver. I can’t breathe.
“Sir, calm down. You’re hyperventilating. The ambulance is on its way. Take deep breaths. Watch me. Breath with me,” he says taking in slow, deep breaths.
I mimic his breathing, and it works. I get it under control, but I’m still shivering. And freaked the fuck out. “Who was driving?” If they didn’t get out of that car, they’re dead.
“Not sure, sir. Saw it was a female but the car blew before I could get to her. She was gunning for you, dude.”
“She was gunning for me?” My mind is foggy. Why is this all so confusing?
“Tried to run you down.”
“Run me down?”
“Yes, sir. She sure did.”
I hear sirens––lots and lots of sirens. My head hurts, so I cover
my ears. I close my eyes at the bright flashing lights. Time passes, not sure how long, but before I know it, I’m being hoisted into an ambulance. “Wait!”
“What? What do you need, sir?” asks the young paramedic. “Who was that soldier? He saved my life. I want to repay him.”
“Not sure. He’s giving his statement to the police. You can get his information from them.”
“Hank. I’ll get it from Hank.”
I fall asleep in the ambulance and don’t wake up until some asshole decides to shine a bright light into my eyes. “Jesus, stop that. It hurts,” I growl.
“Poor baby,” says my little sister.
“Emily?” My sister Emily’s a med student doing an ER rotation at Northwestern Medical Center. I guess I know where I am now.
“Yeah. What the hell happened to you, dude? You look like shit.”
“Someone tried to run me down. A woman. She’s dead,” my voice sounds funny. I can’t catch my breath again.
“Shh, calm down, Dave. Take deep breaths, big brother. Like this. Do what I do.” I watch as she takes in slow, deep breaths.
I follow her lead, and once I get my breathing under control, Emily has me wearing an oxygen mask.
“Mom and dad are on their way. Hank is right outside. He wants to talk to you.”
“Cassie?”
“She’s on her way as well. Mom called her.”
I draw in more air and feel a sense of calm wash over me. Cassie will be here soon.
“Hank wants to talk to you. You up to that?”
I nod.
“I’ll stay here. Just in case.”
I nod again.
Hank walks in looking all serious and shit––like the cop he is. “Davie. You okay, man?”
“Yeah,” I say through the mask.
“Close call.”
I nod. “Who was it? Is she dead?” I know the answer to that, but I’ve got to ask.
“Gretchen Ingot. And, yeah, she’s dead. Initial reports show she died from the crash, not in the explosion or fire. She didn’t suffer.”
I suck in more air. I feel myself starting to hyperventilate again, but I slow down my breaths again until I have them under control.
“You okay?” Hank asks softly.
“Yeah.”
“Why’d she try to kill you? The videos?”
I pull the mask away from my face to answer. “Could be that. Could be because I nailed Lester to the wall over the Beranger deal twenty minutes before she tried to kill me. I think he was texting her during the meeting. Could be worth checking out.”
“I will do that. Anything else you can think of about this incident?”
“Who was the soldier that saved my life?”
“Not sure. I’ll get his name for you, though. Officer on the scene should have that info.”
I nod again closing my eyes tightly. “Okay.”
“Mom and dad are here,” interrupts Emily, “Cassie’s here too.”
My eyes pop open to twice their size. “Cassie?”
“I’ll get her.”
Hank waves to me as he leaves and I watch the doorway for my girl. It seems to take hours, but she finally appears at the door. My eyes are leaking. Moisture is running down my face. Shit! Am I bleeding?
“Oh, baby,” coos Cassie. She rushes to me and places one hand on my cheek and her other in my hand, “My poor man.”
I feel light kisses on my cheek, and I feel relief. “Cassie?”
“Yeah, honey?” she whispers.
“Gretchen tried to kill me.”
“I know. I heard. She was cray-cray.”
I start to chuckle at that description, but it hurts.
“Shh, you’ve got a concussion. You need to relax. I’ll be here. I’m not leaving. Then, you’re coming to my place. I get to nurse you back to health,” she says moving her eyebrows up and down like she’s talking about sexy times.
I start to laugh again but decide against it. “My head hurts, Cassie.”
Her warm hand slides up from my forehead through the top of my head. “I know, babe. Emily’s got this under control. As soon as your mom and dad see you, she’s gonna give you the good stuff. It’ll make the pain go right away.”
“Okay,” I murmur. I trust her. I trust them both. “Okay,” I say as I drift off to sleep.
Chapter 34: Cassandra
I sit by David’s side as each member of his family visits. The Flynn’s’ are so tight, and they all love each other so much; it’s a joy to see. I’m close to my dad and brother but not like the Flynn’s. The Darrow’s’ talk once a month. My dad tells me all about the farm and the dairy cattle while my brother tells me about the town gossip and about his current girlfriend. I wouldn’t be surprised if he settled down soon. He’d make someone a good husband as long as the woman he marries understands that their life will be on the farm. He’s not going to move, ever. He loves his work.
The Flynn’s are always around each other. Not always all at once but they do get together quite a bit. I know David talks on the phone with his siblings and parents often, but he talks to Sandy the most. David and Sandy have a special bond. Actually, each of the siblings has paired off like that. For Hank it’s Keith. For Mick it’s Emily. I’m not sure how that happened, but it’s kind of cool.
Speaking of Sandy, she’s the last to arrive. She was out in Naperville at a client meeting when she got the call. She cut the meeting short and grabbed an express commuter train back to the city. When she walks in her face is ashen. I’ve never seen her like that, and I’ve seen her a lot over the years. She used to visit work a lot. Her best friend, Jodi, is the Human Resource director at IIM and then there’s David. It makes sense she’d stop by a lot.
“Davie?” she’s breathless. “Dude, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Concussion. I’ll be fine.” He smiles at Sandy.
“It was that Gretchen chick? She tried to kill you?”
“News travels fast.”
Sandy snorts, “Of course it does. The Flynn’s may tell no lies, but they will tell all your secrets.”
Wincing, David tries not to laugh. I giggle at Sandy's joke. It’s true. The Flynn’s cannot keep a secret. “Good one, Sandy,” says David in obvious pain. “It hurts when I laugh so just say sad things.”
I giggle again at that one. These two are hilarious.
Before Sandy as a chance to reply there’s a knock on the wall outside his room in the ER. He doesn’t have a regular room. Emily says he’s going to get to go home later today, but she wants to keep an eye on him for a while longer. Good call.
“Come in,” says David.
We watch the curtain part, and a very tall, very muscular man in Army fatigues walks in. I blink at the sight of him. He’s fricking gorgeous. His face looks like it was carved from stone and his expression mirrors that notion. He’s pulled off his cap, clutching it into his ginormous hands. Dark hair is cut short in a traditional buzz cut. From my spot near David’s bed, I can tell his eyes a strange shade of brown; almost amber.
The room’s gone silent. David is smiling at the guy while Sandy stands completely stiff and silent. Okay, something you should know about Sandy Flynn. She’s never quiet. Ever. She must be struck dumb by the appearance of this God in military gear.
“Hey, it’s you,” David says happily. “Cassie? Sandy? This is the man who saved my life.” David holds his hand up like he wants to shake the man’s hand.
“Spencer Metcalf,” he says grasping David’s hand. I see him shake it so hard David winces in pain but says nothing. “Spencer, this is my girlfriend, Cassandra Darrow.”
Girlfriend? I may never get used to hearing him say that. Spencer turns to me and shakes my hand then to Sandy.
“That’s my sister Sandy.”
They both pause looking at one another. Spencer holds his hand out to her. She slowly raises hers and places it into his palm. “Spencer?”
“Spence. Call me Spence, Sandy.” They’re still holding hands and sta
ring at one another. It goes on for so long it feels a little awkward. I look over at David who’s smiling from ear to ear. He turns and winks at me.
We both look back at Sandy and Spence thinking their handshake might be over, but it’s not. Should I clear my throat? I decide to stay out of it. I watch as Spencer slides his thumb over Sandy’s wrist and hear her gasp ever so softly. Okay, that’s it. I clear my throat because they’ve crossed over from meet cute to meet creepy.
Spencer turns to David, but he’s still got hold of Sandy’s hand. Sandy doesn’t seem to mind. “How’re you feeling?” he asks David.
“Good. Fine. Much better. Concussion, but that’s about it. Thanks to you, man. Thanks to you.”
“Anyone would have done the same thing.”
“I doubt that,” Sandy whispers. “You’re a real hero.” They look into each other eyes then.
I start to giggle from my side of the room and those giggles bubble over into a full-blown laugh-fest. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s seeing two people fall in love at first sight. Maybe it’s weird that they are still holding hands like they’re super-glued together. It could be both things.
Sandy finally pulls her hand out of his. Spence looks down at their hands and I feel the sense of loss in the room. It’s tangible. I decide to put an end to all of this.
“Sandy? Would you mind going down to get David some pudding? Spence? Can you walk her down to the cafeteria? This place is nuts right now.”
Spence smiles for the first time and I nearly melt down. His smile is something to behold. It lights up his entire face with his full lips and perfect, white teeth. I can only imagine how Sandy’s feeling since it’s directed at her. I can tell she’s taken by it. Her breathing has just increased, and she’s blushing like crazy.
“Yeah, man. That’d be great. I don’t like the idea of my sister navigating this place alone.”
“Of course. It’d be my pleasure.” He holds his arm out to her, and she brings her hand up to wrap around it. They slowly walk out the door never taking their eyes off one another.
