Bad Guys Don't Win (Janet Maple Series Book 4)

by Marie Astor

  “Are you comfortable, Brad?” Langman asked.

  “I’m fine. Thank you, sir,” Brad replied deferentially. He owed his success to Peter Langman, the owner of Orion Inc. In addition to being Brad’s boss Peter Langman was also his mentor.

  Brad sank into the supple leather chair. The flight to Hong Kong from Oregon was over fifteen hours long, so it was comforting to know that the seats were expandable into perfectly horizontal beds. This was going to be a very important business trip for Brad—a trip that could make or break his career, and he wanted to look his best upon arrival.

  A pretty stewardess greeted them. “Gentlemen, may I get you anything to drink?” She was wearing a uniform with Orion’s logo insignia. Brad noticed that her pencil skirt and form-fitting jacket hugged her body rather suggestively. He wondered if the girl had a tailor alter the uniform. Although most CEOs would gladly use a sexy stewardess as a ploy to achieve an edge in business negotiations, Peter Langman was a straight shooter and he would’ve never approved sexy uniforms for his corporate jet flight attendants.

  “Just some water for me, please,” Langman asked.

  “The same please,” Brad followed his boss’s lead. There’d be plenty of opportunities for drinks later, but right now he needed to have a fresh head for the negotiations they had ahead of them.

  “I will be right back with your orders, gentlemen.” The girl smiled and walked away, her hips swaying.

  Peter Langman’s eyes trailed after the girl’s figure. “Don’t you think her uniform is a little snug?” he whispered disapprovingly.

  Brad looked up from his papers distractedly. “Oh, apologies, sir, I wasn’t looking.” He pointed at the papers.

  Langman chuckled. “Never mind.”

  Brad could barely keep a straight face. Under a different set of circumstances he would’ve asked for the girl’s number. Hell, he probably wouldn’t even need to go that far. He could see himself getting down and dirty with her right there on the plane, and judging by the way she was acting he wouldn’t be met with much resistance. Too bad that his boss was right there. Focus, Brad thought, focus.

  The girl returned with two bottles of Perrier and poured them into glasses with slices of lemon in each. Brad took his glass, keeping his eyes fixed on his papers the entire time. He wanted Langman to see how dedicated he was.

  Langman took a long drink of his water. “Brad, you’ve been poring over this pitch nonstop since last week. You must have it memorized by now.”

  “You’re right, sir. I do, but practice only makes perfect. Tomorrow is a big day for us and I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”

  “Oh, I don’t think you could do that even if you tried.”

  “You’re very kind, sir.”

  “I must admit I’m a little nervous.”

  “Nervous, sir?”

  Langman nodded. “Yes. Not nervous about the deal, but nervous about what it will do to the company if the deal goes through, which I’m pretty sure it will.”

  Brad stared at him momentarily. “It will undisputedly establish Orion’s position as a liquefied gas provider of international importance.”

  Langman nodded. “Precisely.”

  “But isn’t that what we’ve been working toward, sir?” Orion had recently completed building three gas pipelines in China where it had contracts with three leading manufacturing companies. Impressed by the deal Orion had struck with China, Hong Kong too wanted a piece of the action. At first, Langman had been hesitant. He wanted to make sure that Orion had the capacity to deliver on these obligations and wanted to wait on the Hong Kong expansion, but Brad had done a detailed assessment of Orion’s facilities proving that Orion was more than capable of meeting these obligations. Now months of planning were going to come full circle. Brad and his boss had two meetings planned during their trip. The first meeting was going to be with a major Hong Kong bank to secure a loan Orion needed to build a gas pipeline to transport gas to its newest client, a major utilities company in Hong Kong. Once the loan terms were signed, they would then meet with the client to cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s.

  “It is. But heavy is the head that wears the crown.”

  “You’re absolutely right there, sir,” Brad replied solemnly. “High rewards bring high levels of responsibility.”

  Langman nodded approvingly. “That’s right, Brad. I’m glad you understand that.”

  Brad pretended to busy himself with the presentation. Beneath his cool, studious exterior he was filled with excitement. Peter Langman, President and CEO of Orion, Inc. had been talking about cutting down on his work for some time. The old man looked tired. There were dark circles under his eyes and his skin seemed more lined than usual. Langman had made it clear that he wasn’t ready to retire yet, but he’d been talking about stepping down from his role as the CEO and only staying on as the president. There had been speculations about Langman’s replacement for months. The CEO role was the role that Brad coveted. If he got it, he would be one of the youngest among his peers in the industry. When they had been going over the presentation earlier, Langman had confused some of the figures and Brad had discretely corrected his boss. “Take the lead on this, Brad,” Langman had said, “you have my full authority.” That was exactly what Brad intended to do. If he played his cards right, a few months from now he might be sitting in Langman’s chair.

  ***

  It was ten o’clock at night local time and Brad was starting to feel the hard day’s work take its toll on him. Today had felt like the longest, yet the most thrilling day of his life. Despite the fatigue creeping in, he was still bursting with excitement. Both meetings had gone off without a hitch. The bank had approved a massive loan for Orion with very favorable terms. Additionally, the bank officials would personally assist Orion in securing all the necessary permits from the local authorities to build the pipeline. Orion’s newest Hong Kong client had been immensely pleased with the news and signed all the paperwork, finalizing the details of their contract.

  Now Brad was seated in Peter Langman’s suite, both of them ready to unwind after a very long day.

  “How about a drink?” Langman asked. He had briefly gone into the bedroom to change and had replaced his suit jacket with a silk robe. He still had his shirt and tie on.

  “Yes, please.” Brad was about to get up, but Langman motioned for him to stay seated.

  Langman poured himself a double scotch and examined the bottle. “Twenty-five-year-old Glenlivet,” he observed, “not too shabby if you ask me.” He poured Brad a drink and handed it to him.

  “Thank you.” Brad took a long swallow, savoring the smooth liquid trickling down his throat. “I thought it went well today,” he prompted, impatient for Langman’s accolades.

  Langman nodded. “You did a terrific job today in both meetings. These contracts are going to be revolutionary. Simply revolutionary. It’s about time Tian Wang stopped controlling the gas supply. The amount of pollution that his plants are generating is deathly. No one would put up the capital necessary for production, but I knew it had to be done. Once the initial investment pays off we’ll make a hefty profit, but most importantly we’ll keep the planet safe for our children and grandchildren. I, for one, don’t want my grandchildren to worry about a hurricane every week. And even if I never live to become a grandfather,” he chuckled. “I’m glad to know that I’ve done something to make a difference for the rest of the humanity.”

  Brad stayed wisely silent at Langman’s allusion to his free-spirited daughter whom Brad had dated at one point in his life. “Yes, sir. That is a wonderful example of corporate citizenship, sir.”

  “I didn’t do it alone. You’re largely responsible for the plant expansion and ensuring the capacity for the increased output. All those nights you were in the office, burning the midnight oil, didn’t go unnoticed.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Brad took a sip of his scotch to conceal his excitement. Was the old man finally going to say it? Today had been his test
and Brad had passed it with flying colors. Now it was time for his reward.

  Langman stretched his legs out on the ottoman. “Ah, this feels nice. I’ve got to admit today kicked my butt. I keep forgetting that I’m not twenty-five anymore.” He raised his glass. “To your success, Brad.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “I suppose I should get right to it. I know there’s been a lot of speculation about the CEO role,” Langman paused.

  Brad felt his heart thump. Finally, he was going to get what he wanted.

  “I’ve decided that Orion will benefit from new blood,” Langman continued. “After a careful consideration I’ve hired Steven Wright as the new CEO.”

  Brad merely stared back at his boss, mute. At first he thought that he’d misheard things, but then it dawned on him. He wasn’t getting the job.

  “Steven Wright?” Brad asked in a hollow voice. “I thought the whole reason behind the management change was to infuse Orion with fresh blood.” Perhaps it wasn’t the best comment to make under the circumstances, but he was boiling inside. Brad studied Langman’s face for signs of irritation, but years spent in corporate boardrooms had given Langman the perfect poker face.

  “I’m sorry my decision took you by surprise, Brad. That wasn’t my intention.” Langman rubbed his forehead. Suddenly he looked tired. All those years of hard work were beginning to show. He was now in his mid-sixties and he looked his age. His closely cut hair was almost entirely white and thinning on top. His mustache was white too, but he insisted on keeping it although a much shorter version that the one he wore in his younger years. And even though he still spent an hour at the gym religiously every morning, his body was starting to acquire a pear shape. “Steven Wright brings a lot of experience, and I think you could learn a great deal from him.”

  Brad wanted to choke the old man. Learn from Wright? Brad had been with Orion since he was twenty two, not counting the three summers he’d interned there while in college. He knew Orion from the inside out, and now he was supposed to learn from Steven Wright, who knew nothing about the company and would most likely look to Brad to give him all the essential facts and figures.

  “This news may be frustrating to you initially, but this is truly for the best. Once you think it over, you’ll see what I mean,” Langman said.

  “Frankly, sir, I don’t see how that would happen.” To hell with it, Brad thought. For over ten years he’d danced to the old man’s tune. He was going to speak his mind now, and if that meant the end of his career at Orion then so be it. “I’m very grateful for all the opportunities you’ve given me. I’ve worked hard to meet and exceed your expectations. Orion is my life. I started as a college intern and was very fortune to work my way up through the ranks. I know all the facets of the business from corporate to production, and I don’t see how an outsider, granted a very experienced executive, but an outsider nonetheless, can bring more to the CEO role than what I have to offer.”

  “My point precisely, Brad. And please don’t take it the wrong way. I’m very fortunate to have you work for me. I’ve told you many times that I think of you as my son, and I mean it. But the CEO role requires a much broader perspective. To be a great CEO, one must see the big picture. That includes competitor landscape, as well as political and international factors that may impact Orion.”

  “And you don’t think I have enough experience to do that?”

  “I think you’d get much better at it after working with Steven Wright.”

  “Why don’t you teach me yourself then?” Brad asked. He eyed his boss’s face with expectation. For over ten years Brad had been looking into that face with hope and admiration, and now for the first time in his life he was looking at it with resentment.

  “I’ve taught you everything I could, Brad. But I too suffer from the same limitation that I just mentioned. My whole life I ran my own companies and before that I worked for my father’s company. Granted, those were all sizeable businesses, but they were nowhere near the company size that Orion has grown into. With the gas contracts we’ve secured with China and Hong Kong, Orion’s importance as a company has skyrocketed overnight. We’re now a major player and there are lots of competitors, both domestic and foreign, who are wishing us harm. We need a captain who has experience navigating through these kinds of rough waters to steer our ship. Steven Wright is an experienced executive who’s worked for companies like Boeing and Halliburton, to name a few. He’ll bring us the expertise we need.”

  From the tone of Langman’s voice, Brad knew their conversation was over. That was what you got for placing all your eggs in one basket. He’d bet on Peter Langman, giving Orion his all and lost. Of course Langman wanted Brad to believe that eventually the CEO role would be his, but what was to stop Wright from kicking Brad out? With Wright as the new CEO, there was no certainty to Brad’s future. Needless to say, Brad couldn’t voice his suspicions to Langman, or he might just as well turn in his resignation now. “I understand, sir. I’m sure you made the best decision for the company. It goes without saying that I will continue to serve Orion to the best of my ability.”

  Langman chuckled. “You don’t need to assure me of that, Brad. You’ve done a great job. If you just exercise a little patience, there’ll be great things for you at Orion in the future.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “All things in due time,” Langman assured him.

  “Yes, sir. I understand your vision now, sir, and I’m going to do everything in my power to work toward its seamless implementation,” Brad replied like the good corporate soldier that he was.

  “That’s my boy. That’s my Brad.” Langman got up to refill their drinks. He handed Brad another scotch, which he accepted numbly. “You’ve been doing an outstanding job, but I fear that you’re all work and no play.”

  Brad arched an eyebrow. At a time like this Langman was talking about play? For years he’d been diligently maintaining a veneer of a reclusive workaholic to earn Langman’s confidence. And now the old man was accusing him of not being any fun?

  “I’m going back to Oregon tomorrow morning, but I thought you could use a night or two out on the town. I hear Macau is a fun place.” Langman handed him an envelope.

  Brad opened the envelope. Inside was a reservation with Citron Hotel & Casino—the most prestigious casino in Macau. There was also a first class plane ticket back to Oregon. He was relieved to see that the return date was in two days. At least Langman wasn’t trying to get rid of him permanently.

  “All expenses are on me,” Langman said.

  Brad opened his mouth to politely reject Langman’s offer, but then swiftly changed his mind. What was the harm in taking a few days off? He’d busting his tail and it was obvious that his hard work wasn’t about to get rewarded any time soon. He might as well take what he could get. A quick vacation might do him some good. “Thank you, sir. This is very generous of you.”

  “Enjoy yourself, Brad. You have to let loose once in a while. Of course, I trust that you won’t engage in any reckless gambling,” Langman added judiciously.

  Brad was the picture of pure innocence. “I wouldn’t think of it, sir. Gambling is opium for the feeble-minded,” he spewed out the most righteous-sounding bromide that came to mind. He certainly didn’t consider himself to be feeble-minded, and he enjoyed taking a few turns at poker and craps now and then.

  Langman chuckled. “I trust you don’t need any further warning from me. So enjoy yourself and relax. I hear they’ve got marvelous accommodations at Citron.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Don’t mention it. Now if you’ll excuse me, with the jetlag and the time change, it’s way past my bedtime. Oh, I almost forgot, Wright is starting two weeks from now. I’ll ask my secretary to put a meeting with him on your calendar.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  As soon as Brad was back in his suite his hands clenched into fists. He sank onto a couch and sat there in silent rage, gritting his teeth. He wanted to scre
am, to smash the entire room with the anger that was burning inside him, but he knew better than that so he forced himself into immobility. Wright was starting in two weeks, which meant that negotiations to hire him had been going on for several months at least. No executive of Wright’s level accepted a job on a whim—Wright had to have given his employer ample notice to take the job with Orion. All that time Langman plotted under Brad’s nose, and Brad had been stupid enough not to see it. The most important thing to do now was to remain calm. He needed to think rationally about what to do next. He had invested a lot of time and effort into his career at Orion and he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

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