It was a game. And, in the end, it was all too easy to destroy his happiness.
HOURS LATER, I WAS still reminiscing about my great accomplishment of the break up—and plotting my next move since Paul had walked them both right in to a pleasantly convenient trap.
I knew the textile division of the company was mainly a front for making meth and other addictive substances, an aspect Maxwell had introduced some years ago. My dad let me in on those secrets in hopes we could blackmail Maxwell one day with the information. He died before we could execute that plan.
During the day the company produced fabrics and clothing in several of the buildings in the textile division.
But Building C...
Building C was where the good stuff was made, right under the noses of inspectors, managers, and otherwise ignorant employees who had no idea about what really went on.
Paul would have to be eliminated before he discovered the truth. I couldn’t risk him exposing those misdeeds to the public. It would have led to further investigations and ultimately destroy everything. I simply would not let that happen. I had to permanently take care of Mr. Luca.
I assumed Paul would visit the Williams Northern Division Plant because it was the closest one. The plant was about a three-hour drive from the main office, and the operator of the facility, Nick, happened to be a friend of mine. He would do anything I asked, and he had experience in silencing potential threats. I picked up the phone. He was all too eager to help.
With Paul out of the way, Alec would fall right into my arms, and he would do whatever I wanted him to do.
I’d wrecked him back then when our short attempt at a relationship crashed and burned, but he’d come back.
He always did.
Chapter Fourteen
Paul Luca
Williams Northern Division
Industrial Corridor – Outside Williams Point, New York
I PULLED INTO THE PARKING lot of Williams Northern Division textile plant about ten in the morning, and I was greeted by the plant manager, Nick Gates. I’d heard how Nick ran a tight ship, and the facility had passed every audit with flying colors since he took over.
“Mr. Luca, how are you doing today, sir?”
I flashed a smile and a quick nod. “I’m good. Please call me Paul. How are you?”
“I’m doing well, Paul. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
I motioned to his door. “How about we continue this conversation in your office?”
“Absolutely. After you.” He followed me inside. “Have a seat.”
I pulled out my notebook. “I’m here today to do a thorough inspection of your facility. I need access to all the buildings on the grounds, as well as access to all of your files.”
My request didn’t seem to faze him. “You got it. Anything you need just let me know, and I will get it for you.”
He answered the request with ease, but he was definitely hiding something. He did a good job of not reacting under pressure.
Then he said the magic words.
“But there is one caveat to your request, and that is you can’t go into building C at this time.”
“Why not?” I wanted to keep the pressure on him. Innocent men had nothing to hide.
“Well sir, the building is unsafe to enter.”
“What happened? I haven’t heard of any accidents at this facility as of late.”
He leaned forward and tried to look as concerned as possible. I didn’t buy it.
“That’s because it happened this morning,” he said. “One of our employees knocked over a full drum of acetic acid, and until we can fully neutralize the spill and scrub the ventilation system, it is not safe to be in there. The building has been tagged out, and a hazmat team is on the way now to clean up the spill. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the acid didn’t spill on any of the equipment.”
“Well, that is good news. How long do you think it will take to get the spill cleaned up, and reopen the building?”
He shook his head. “That all depends on the hazmat team, but I have a full write-up on the incident right here on my desk if you would like to look it over.” He held up a file which I took and started to review.
“Tell you what,” Nick said. “I will have my assistant make you a copy of that because that’s the original I need to file, but in the meantime, how about I give you a tour of the facility? Once we’re done you can set up in any available office you’d like for as long as you need.” He stood, which indicated he was ready to show me around the grounds whether or not I was ready to go.
I stood. “That sounds like a great idea. Please, lead the way.”
Nick took me around to all the buildings on the compound, and everything seemed in order. All of the employees wore the proper safety attire, and were all attuned to their work. I carefully looked around without being too conspicuous about the true intentions of my visit. When we passed Building C, it teemed with individuals covered in hazmat suits from head to toe going in and out of the building. They wheeled out large crates marked Hazardous Materials and loaded them up in large trucks.
Nick’s face lit up. “Oh great. The hazmat team is here and working the scene. We should have the building back up and running soon.”
“Do you know what they are taking out of the building, Nick?”
“Must be the materials that the acid contaminated and so forth.”
“I thought you said it didn’t spill on any of the equipment?”
Nick stopped and faced me head on. “That’s correct. It didn’t spill on any equipment, but it ruined a number of materials ranging from various threads, yarns, and synthetic fabrics—which I assume are being carted out in those containers over there. We can’t risk those materials going out and harming anyone.”
“I understand, but how much did we lose?”
“I’m not sure. We won’t know until we are cleared to enter the building and audit the place against the report we will get back of everything they took from there.”
“They seem to be taking an awful lot of large containers. I hate to see the hit we’re going to take from this. At least we have insurance.”
“Yes, well, insurance is a good thing for situations like this, and I assume the reason for the large quantity of containers is the ventilation system. It has to be scrubbed, cleaned, and all the filters have to be replaced in order to ensure employee health. That is why they are wearing those breathing masks, and full body suits. The spill was extensive. It was a full, fifty-five-gallon drum of acid.”
“It sounds like you have this situation completely under control, Nick, but tell me, what about the employee who caused the spill? Do you know how it happened?”
“From what I can tell it was due to their own incompetence. I terminated them and had them escorted from the premises.”
“Sounds like you handled it, but how do you know it was from neglect? I didn’t immediately see a statement from the employee in the file. Then again, I only arrived at ten this morning. It’s barely eleven o’clock.” I paused for effect. “I would like to review the security footage from the incident.”
Nick took a deep breath and brushed his hair back. “There’s no security footage from the incident.”
“How do you know it happened the way it did, and why isn’t there security footage of the accident.”
“It happened in a blind spot where I plan to have a camera installed the moment the building is safe to enter. The employee who caused it confessed to what happened and there were others that corroborated the account.”
A man in a hazmat suit came up and removed his mask. “Mr. Gates, I hate to interrupt, but we’re almost done in there, and I need you to sign some paperwork before we can leave.”
Nick smiled. “Of course. Paul, I’m going to take care of this, but you can go back to the main building and set up in any open office you’d like. My assistant will supply you with anything you need. Do you remember the way back?”
“I do, and I
would like a copy of the paperwork you’re about to sign when you’re done.”
“Yes, sir.”
I started back to the main building, uneasy with how calm Nick was the entire time. He was so calm that his responses sounded rehearsed. The whole thing was a set-up. The timing was beyond absurd. The incident was that morning and he already had a file on his desk about it, but there was no statement from the employee who was involved? And the speed at which it was all being swept away...
There was also something wrong with the hazmat worker. He didn’t smell of acetic acid in the slightest. The powerful odor would have been all over that guy, and the whole place would have reeked. Mine and Nick’s eyes and noses would have immediately started burning when he walked up, and I smelled nothing. Just the fact that Nick took us there unprotected was wrong, and that professional never would have approached us.
I know the guy had been in the building. They both had to be hiding something, and I wasn’t leaving until I got into Building C.
What kind of an idiot did they think I was?
I REVIEWED THE LAST two years’ worth of financial and safety audit logs with the remainder of my afternoon, and I made sure to walk out with Nick Gates. I stole a quick glance at the front doors of Building C, and saw they weren’t secured with chains or a dead bolt. That would make things a little easier later. I told him to have a good night, and I left the visitor parking lot to get something to eat. I tried to think of a way to sneak into Building C. I could try one of the windows, or maybe there was a secret entrance, but that sounded ridiculous on the face of it. Besides, I didn’t have the time to search or run around looking for something that may or may not exist.
I decided to go in through the front door.
I was there on Alec’s orders to find out what was going on, and if Nick wanted to make issue out of it, Alec would settle it for me from the top. I paid my check and drove back to the facility.
I parked my car and surveyed the area to make sure no one was around. As I got out, I felt an eerie presence all around me, as if I was being watched. The majority of the office and building lights were off, and only the outside lights were on. I shrugged off the uneasiness and proceeded to Building C. The place was completely different at night, without the myriad of workers going about their business.
I reached Building C, and at first glance, everything appeared to be in order. There was a sign informing people the building was unsafe, and no unauthorized personal should enter. I hesitated for a moment, but I couldn’t shake the feeling everything I’d been told that morning was a lie. The card reader light was on, so I swiped my company ID and heard the lock disengage. I would have to thank Alec later for giving me access to every site his company held. I proceeded with caution but was ready to run out at the slightest hint of toxic air.
There wasn’t any.
I decided against turning on lights and pulled out my phone to switch on the flashlight. I knew Nick was going to see me on the security cameras, but that was the least of my worries. I was there on official business.
I saw large machines still loaded with threads and fabrics. They must have been stopped when the spill happened, but why didn’t the hazmat team take the material earlier that day? I moved on to the next area of machines, but the scene was the same. Every machine was still filled with fabrics and threads, and large spools of material were everywhere.
I’d seen the hazmat workers wheel out dozens of large containers. What had they taken? And still, there was not the smallest hint of acid in the air. There was no evidence a spill had occurred.
I checked the offices and found nothing until I came across the room marked Hazardous Chemicals. That had to be the place where the spill happened, so I swiped my card and slowly entered into a completely empty room. There were no drums of chemicals, machines, or materials of any kind. Why was the room even marked Hazardous Chemicals?
As I stepped forward, something cracked under my feet. I lifted my foot and found a small plastic bag that appeared to contain shards of broken glass.
It made no sense until it hit me like lightning from Heaven. That wasn’t glass in the small bag, it was something worse. I opened it to smell it, and my suspicions were confirmed.
I was holding a small bag of meth. That was what was being removed from there in those containers, and by the looks of it, everything that was used to make that garbage. I pocketed the drugs and carefully made my way out of Building C. I had to tell Alec right away. He had to know his textile plant was being used to make illegal narcotics.
I carefully made my way out of the darkened building, and I tried to call Alec, but the call failed. All the metal in the building must have kept the call from going out. I stopped outside and tried again. Call failed.
I got to my car, jumped in, and immediately locked the doors. On the next attempt, I got Alec’s voicemail.
“Alec, call me back as soon as you get this. This is an emergency. I was—”
Call failed.
I had no choice. I had to be sure Alec got the news that night.
Chapter Fifteen
Reviler
The Spirit Realm
Industrial Corridor – Outside Williams Point, New York
I FOLLOWED PAUL THE moment he left the building earlier in the day. I sensed he was up to something, and my suspicions were confirmed when he drove back late in the evening after everyone was gone. I followed him as he entered Building C, and I ensured the cameras didn’t record him the entire time he was on the grounds. There wouldn’t be any trace Paul had ever come back to investigate, not that it mattered of course. The bomb that was placed on his gas tank would do its job as soon as he left.
I would see to that personally.
I followed closely behind him as he looked around to see if anyone watched. I could tell he picked up on the fear I released by the way he kept looking around to see if anyone was there. Finally, he made it to Building C, and I had to admit I was impressed by his sheer boldness when he swiped his ID badge at the door—as if he didn’t care who knew he had been there. I used my demonic power to block the card reader, and then opened the door for Mr. Luca to enter. As much as it pained me to admit the most impressive accomplishment Lucifer had ever achieved was making these idiotic humans believe we didn’t exist. My job had become easier and easier throughout the years, because so many people wanted to reason the existence of The One, Heaven, Hell, angels, and demons to nothing more than a story to make the masses behave and feel good about themselves. I would enjoy killing Paul, and I would see to it that he suffered greatly for his actions that night. Maybe Lucifer would reward me for my efforts.
The only other thing I loved more than deceiving humans was deceiving Lucifer himself.
I didn’t have to be quiet as I walked because Paul had no idea I was there. I could clearly see he lacked the eyes and ears to engage in the spirit realm. I laughed hysterically every time I caused a broom to fall over or made another noise, and Paul whipped around to see who was there. I just couldn’t help myself. I had to have some fun with my prey before I ended its life.
Then he had to go and find the room where we made the medicine to dull the masses.
I never understood why those pathetic creatures enjoyed using that poison, but it did make stealing, killing, and destroying their lives much easier to do.
I was amused when Paul found the room to be completely emptied of all its previous contents, but then I heard the sound of cracking glass as he stepped forward. I hoped it was a shard from a broken beaker or graduated cylinder, but my hopes were dashed to bits when he picked up the small bag of methamphetamines. I would have to punish Nick and his crew of flunkies for their moronic oversight. I quickly released a demonic cloud over the building to block any communications coming in or out of the complex. I was amused as I watched Paul try to work his phone. I performed a quick visual sweep to verify nothing else was left behind by the cleanup crew, and as I performed my inspection, I didn’t notice Mr. Luc
a make his way toward the building’s exit.
I blocked his call at the last minute, and prevented him from leaving, who I assumed it to be Alec, a message of his findings. Oh, he looked so determined as he drove off down the road like a white knight on his steed to save the day. Like a child running to tattle and get rewarded for uncovering someone else’s deeds. Paul wanted to be rewarded with Alec’s approval. The fool had no idea he was living his last moments on the earth, as I quickly took to the sky and soared above his vehicle.
Paul tried in vain to reach Alec several more times, and each time I prevented the call from going out. I wondered for a moment if Paul could be turned to working for me, but his death would cause Alec tremendous sorrow, and would make him more susceptible to Rachel’s feminine wiles. After all, Alec’s obedience was the desired goal of Lucifer, while mine was ridding myself of tedious human assignments. The putrid stench of human failure and frailty was the least of my desired activities, though I did like a good death when I caused one. Maybe someday Lucifer would give me another pleasurable kill. Maybe even someday he’d let me be closer to Rachel. She would be more than useful as I continued my plan to surpass Lucifer in power and prestige.
I would make the most of my task that night, and hopefully ruin all the lives and well-laid plans that were currently underway in the spirit realm.
I looked ahead, and about a mile down the road I saw the perfect spot to end Paul’s existence. There were several bends in the road, and a large oak tree on the side of the road just past the last turn. I smiled as I watched Paul, so determined to make it back to his friend with his earth-shattering revelation. A part of me wanted him to make it back and see what would happen. I couldn’t allow that, so just before the first upcoming curve, I triggered the bomb to blow, a sight that was rather anti-climactic.
The Man Wrapped in Darkness Page 9
