After they got their laughter out of the way, the meeting continued with a review of the different operations they’d been working, the breakdown of players they were following, and the boring stuff Brackish could go on and on and on about for hours if they didn’t rein him in.
When they were finished it was just Eyes and Chad left in the room to go over the next missions. Luckily the rest of them didn’t have to stay for the even more boring items on the agenda.
What scared all of them — and they didn’t often get scared — was Damien Whitfield was still at the top of their list of suspects. Damning information continued piling up on his movements, and his financial gains, tucked away in hidden accounts the last few months, had been staggering. None of them wanted to find him guilty — none of them wanted to take that evidence back to Joseph. They had no doubt it would break the man’s heart.
Joseph was known as a powerhouse around the world, but he was a family man through and through. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family, nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice for them. If he found out one of his nephews was a big player in a bad game, it would crush him. But no matter how much they tried finding a way to prove Damien innocent, they couldn’t clear him.
Sometimes their job really sucked.
And sometimes the bad guys weren’t who you thought they’d be. They might be masking themselves as a doctor, a lawyer, a paramedic, a schoolteacher, or even a businessman in the light of day. But what they did in the veil of darkness was sick and twisted and ruined lives. They prayed that wouldn’t be Damien. They prayed they wouldn’t have to break their benefactor’s heart.
They’d soon find out . . .
Chapter Two
Green walked into the shipping yard on Friday morning, knowing he wouldn’t be returning to his current position after this day. Human Resources had called him the night before to schedule a meeting, telling him to report to them at 0700 hours sharp. He could imagine his little bossman was seething at losing some of the power he’d been trying to lord over the big man since Green had taken this assignment. The kid truly loved to hold his position over others.
As Green moved forward, stopping to talk to a few of the men he’d worked with over the last few months, he was surprised to learn he liked several of them. He laughed to himself at having any sentimental thoughts at all about the warehouse and his fake job there. It was also amusing that he was going to become a so-called corporate paper pusher.
He stopped when he came up to his young boss, Andrew. He wasn’t disappointed this would be his last time seeing the young punk. Some people were born to be leaders while others were pretenders who thought if they puffed out their chests enough and talked down to others it would make them into what they wanted to be — but it never worked.
Pasting on his famous smile, he held out a hand to shake “Thanks for all you’ve done for me, Andrew. It’s truly been an . . . interesting experience,” Green told him.
The kid acted as if he hadn’t seen Green’s hand. “Yep. No problem. Just give me a ring when you get lost up in the big offices. You know I can bail you out.” He paused, probably giving Green time to jump in and tell the kid how wonderful he was. It didn’t happen. Green waited him out.
“Well, get out of here before I call HR and take back my recommendation for your promotion,” he finished. Green was very aware that was a bald-faced lie; no way he’d recommended him to management. If the kid had anything to do with it, it would be him sitting in that office upstairs. That was the epitome of success for the punk while it was a serious demotion for Green who’d already developed and sold a multimillion-dollar corporation.
“You got it, Bud,” Green said. He didn’t add more before he walked away from the kid, letting out a sigh of relief that it was over. He didn’t have to pretend the jackass was his boss any longer. He’d love to tell him who he truly was. The kid would probably crap his pants. But then again, he was so forgettable he wouldn’t cross Green’s mind ever again after this day.
Green made his way to the HR suite and was immediately directed to a woman’s office who was on the phone as he appeared in her doorway. She sent him an apologetic look, waved him inside, then pointed to a chair at a large round table overlooking the shipyard and the beautiful Puget Sound. It was an incredibly impressive view, especially for an industrial work site.
He sat quietly while the woman finished her conversation. When she was done, she hung up, stood, and moved over to Green. He rose as well and took her hand when she offered it.
“Good morning, Mr. Meeks. Thank you for arriving on time. I’m Sue Bailey, the director of the Human Resources department.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bailey,” Green easily replied. He could certainly hold his own in a board room, so an HR department was like walking on a soft bed of grass.
“Please call me Sue. I insist,” she replied, her smile genuine, reaching her eyes. He wondered how she worked for this company. He wondered how many people were crooked in it. She certainly wasn’t — he’d make a wager on that.
“That’s a difficult one for me, but if you insist,” Green said with manners instilled in him. “And please call me Hendrick. Mr. Meeks was my gramps, and I always look around when I hear it,” he added with a chuckle.
“I was my gramps’s favorite from the start so I understand those little pangs at hearing something familiar,” she told him. Then she shook her head. “Sorry about that. It’s so easy to get off track and there’s a lot to do today.”
“Never apologize for sharing a memory,” Green told her. “I love a good gramps tale.”
“Me too,” she said. Then she sat, and he joined her. “Let’s get started.”
They easily chatted as she laid out Green’s new transition with the company. He was shocked at how pleased she seemed for him. He was once again convinced she was a truly good person. She walked him through the new pay structure and gave him papers on his added benefits. The conversation and signatures took about half an hour by the time it was all said and done.
“Are you ready to see your office?” she asked when his last paper was signed.
He had to fake enthusiasm as he replied. “I can’t wait.”
Her smile turned up. “I know I was beyond excited the first time I stepped inside this room. I started on the floor years and years ago, then pushed my way through college while working full-time and taking care of two kids. But the long days and sleepless nights paid off in the end,” she said.
“I love hearing a success story,” Green said, meaning it.
“Me too. I knew I wanted to do more in life but wasn’t sure how I’d get there. I finally decided with hard work and iron-willed determination I could get it done. And now here I am.”
They moved down the hallway, stopping a few times so she could introduce him to people he categorized for later. Brackish already had all of their names, but it was good for Green to see them in person and look into their eyes. You could read a lot about a person in their eyes.