TheCorporation

by Jesus Gonzalez

  Everything today had turned out just as Alan predicted it would. When she met up with Alan, Donald, Jay, and Rachel early this morning in the parking lot of the Comfort Inn near Chicago O’Hare’s airport she was happy to see Donald; she’d hugged him fiercely. Donald had held her and whispered that whatever happened he was going to be there for her. She’d nodded, then turned to Alan to get down to business.

  They’d quickly filled her in. Sam Greenberg and Gary Lawrence were going to whisk her away to Calistoga, California tomorrow for immersion training, Alan said. But first they were going to meet with Red Rose Medical Insurance. “That’s just a ruse to get you out of your hotel,” Alan had explained. “What’s going to happen is about thirty minutes into the meeting, Gary will ask to see you and you’ll walk out of the conference room. He’ll tell you that he wants you to fly to California immediately, that he has a flight booked for you. Sam has most likely already left and you won’t see him at the meeting, but Gary isn’t going to tell you that. He’ll escort you to your room where you’ll get your things and he’ll take you to the airport. He’ll probably board the same flight as you. Sam will meet you at the airport with a car and take you to Corporate Financial Headquarters.”

  “And then?” Michelle had asked. She’d shivered in the cold. They were hunkered between two parked cars, sitting in the front and back seats with the doors open facing each other.

  Jay had shown her what was next, passing surveillance equipment to her and explaining how they worked. The microphone was to be pinned to the outside of her blouse and was hidden inside an attractive pin. The earpiece was to be worn in her right ear and her hair was to be down, covering both ears. Another device, which Jay explained was a GPS tracking system, was to be worn on the inside of her blouse. “Both the audio and GPS are bouncing off a satellite,” Jay explained. “The audio has a great range, and I should be able to hear you even if you whisper.”

  She was to wear the surveillance and audio equipment with her business attire tomorrow, with the exception of when it was time to go through airport security during travel (“Go into the ladies room at the airport and stash them in your carry-on bag,” Jay had instructed. “Keep them in this packaging.”). She was also instructed to carry her laptop into the Corporate Financial Headquarters building when she arrived and, at the first available moment, connect to their network. “They’ll probably be on DHCP so you should be able to connect right away. If they give you a network ID or password, it probably won’t give you much access—don’t worry about that. First thing you should do is try to connect to their intranet and look for a map or diagram of the facility or anything that gives us an idea on their physical structure. Download that into a word file and email it to me.” Jay gave her a yahoo email account, which she committed to memory. “Anything else you find out like passwords, security, that kind of thing, send on to me as well.”

  Alan told her that she should familiarize herself with the building when she arrived, and that they’d most likely start her on immersion training the following morning. They’ll have a hotel room reserved for her and they’d probably want to take her out to dinner on the night of her arrival. They’ll want to be in her presence as much as possible that day. “That’s all part of the immersion training,” Alan said. “It will begin tomorrow when you board that plane with Gary Lawrence.”

  While the thought was scary in its own right, Michelle felt better knowing she wasn’t going into this alone. Alan was planning on flying out tomorrow as well—he’d already booked a flight. “Sam hasn’t asked me to fly back with you and he probably won’t,” Alan said. “But he’ll believe me when I tell him I’m flying to San Francisco to meet with a client.”

  In the meantime, Michelle was to play her role to the best of her ability while maintaining her new role as a double agent for the Coalition. Alan would make an attempt to contact her tomorrow late afternoon for a status update. Jay and Donald would be driving to California—they left shortly after their meeting early this morning at the Comfort Inn parking lot—and hoped to arrive in two days. “Jay’s wanted by the police in Texas,” Alan told them last night. “The further away we can stay from the authorities at this point, the better.”

  “Plus if we drive straight through without stopping, we should get there quicker,” Jay added. “We’ll take turns driving.”

  Alan planned to meet up with Michelle late tomorrow evening in her hotel room and give her what she needed. “We have Coalition members right now assembling explosive devices,” he said. “I plan to pick them up when I arrive in San Francisco and I’ll turn them over to you. I hope to have as many as four, and they’ll be small radio controlled devices with enough C4 in them to cause significant damage.”

  At the mention of the explosive devices Michelle grew alarmed. They wanted her to plant bombs in a building and help kill hundreds of innocent people? She said nothing about her concerns as Alan continued. “They’ll take you deep within the bowels of the building the next morning and at some point will leave you alone. They’ll most likely take you to areas I’ve never even been in. You’ll carry the devices with you in your briefcase. You won’t carry anything else in the briefcase, just the devices. You’ll be instructed to lie down on a cot and you’ll be told that all management associates, which they’ll tell you you’re being promoted to, undergo a specialized training in which they relax you before it begins. They’ll make it sound very New Age, very hip, very relaxing. In reality it’s a form of mind control. Anyway, when you’re alone, you’ll lie down because most likely somebody from Corporate Financial will be there to ensure you go under. You’ll have the earpiece in and Rachel will be listening to everything that happens. Anything weird happens, she’ll let you know. She’ll also jam their signals an hour or so into you being alone or sooner; it’ll be at her judgment if she thinks things are going too far. Try to fight whatever subliminal messages are being fed into you if you can. If you can’t, Rachel is your backup.”

  “How do you know all this?” Michelle had asked.

  Rachel had answered that question for her. “You haven’t met him yet, but one of our members got as far as you did. This happened before he became a member of the Coalition. It’s what caused him to seek us out. What Alan is describing to you almost happened to him.”

  “He ran,” Alan said. “He knew things weren’t right, and he ran. They chased after him and he was lucky enough—smart enough, I should say—to have rented his own vehicle. He drove away before he could be subdued, and he quit his job that day and went underground. Corporate Financial’s been looking for him for over five years now.”

  That was a suitable explanation, but the thought of allowing herself to be hypnotized scared her even more. Donald assured her that wasn’t going to happen. “You have to allow whoever is attempting to put you under to actually do it,” he said, rubbing her shoulders. “Or at least fool them into thinking you’re going under. Most people will do everything they’re told when a therapist is putting them under a light trance. All you have to do is pretend, fake them out.”

  “You’ve done a great job at that so far,” Alan had said.

  Hearing that made her feel better, but it still bothered her that they wanted her to plant explosive devices at the building. She voiced her concern. Donald frowned. “It bothers me too, honey, but it’s the only way. I know it sounds heartless but—”

  “I find it hard to believe that everybody at this building is going to be like Dennis Harrington and Alma Smith!” Michelle had said.

  “I don’t know if they are,” Alan said. “And I won’t lie to you. Innocent people probably will get hurt or killed. But tomorrow Project Reign will start and the number of people who will be enslaved, the number of people whose lives will be destroyed, the number of children who will become orphans, will outnumber that.”

  This had been the first time Michelle heard about Project Reign, and Rachel Drummond brought her up to speed. “They plan on forcing people to work as slaves,�
� she said. “And they’ll be able to do it thanks to the laws that are currently being pushed through Congress that eliminate safety nets for employees working for large corporations. Law enforcement agencies will be powerless to stop it. There’s going to be chaos for much of next week.”

  “And blowing up the building will stop it?” Michelle asked.

  “If the data center and executive offices are destroyed, yes,” Alan said, fixing Michelle with a hopeful gaze. “Then we have a chance.”

  Michelle thought about this now as Sam Greenberg piloted the Lexus toward the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. So far everything had gone exactly as Alan said it would. She’d gone to the meeting this morning at the hotel and was only there for thirty-five minutes when Gary Lawrence came in and asked her to step outside. He’d told her that the board of directors had decided to promote Michelle to the position of Senior Account Executive. Michelle had responded enthusiastically. Gary smiled at her response and said that a replacement for her spot as a consultant was already in town and would take her place for the Red Rose project. In the meantime, Corporate Financial wanted to fly her out to California immediately to meet with the top brass and executives. Could she fly out today? Of course, she’d said. And with that Gary had called Sam on his cell phone, spoke a few words, than hung up. “We have a flight that should have us there by noon.”

  She’d followed Alan’s instructions to the letter. She’d made sure the devices Jay gave her were stowed carefully away in her baggage and, as she waited with Gary Lawrence at her departure gate, she paid attention to the news reports; on the surface things seemed normal. There was a report of a disturbance downtown at one of the large buildings that housed several brokerage firms, but otherwise everything seemed fine. Michelle kept a stoical face and boarded the plane with Gary when her flight was called.

  And now she was in the back of the Lexus, Sam Greenberg driving, Gary sitting in the backseat next to her, as they headed to Corporate Financial Headquarters.

  They had made small talk on the drive out of Berkley, and now as they passed the outskirts of the city a cell phone rang. Sam answered it, listened, smiled. When he hung up he looked at Michelle in the rearview mirror. “That was Bill Rutherford, our CFO. Bill reports that today’s productivity report is the largest he’s ever seen. We’re up sixty percent.”

  “That’s good news,” Gary said.

  “That’s amazing,” Michelle said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the week goes now that Project Reign is in place.”

  “Did Mr. Lawrence tell you a little about that or did you read it in today’s Journal?”

  “Both.” Gary had summarized it for her on the flight and Michelle had responded favorably, saying she was interested in being a part of the project. Another score for her.

  “How do you feel about being part of Phase Two?” Sam asked.

  “Very good,” Michelle said, slipping into the role of business so naturally. “It’s been my goal since coming on board to help Corporate Financial achieve its financial and business goals. Playing a part in this, helping lead the effort, is something I very much want to be a part of. I want to help move the company forward, and when Gary told me more about Project Reign I realized I wanted to be a part of this initiative.”

  “You demonstrated your skills and dedication last week during the Building Products Project,” Sam said, pausing every once in a while to glance at her. “You led that effort well, and that initiative is an important part of Project Reign. You did that much to my satisfaction. Being able to fly out to Chicago was another demonstration of your willingness to serve the company. I was confident that once you learned about Project Reign, you would be interested in being a part of it. I saw that when I first interviewed you.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Michelle said, looking ahead of her at the highway.

  “I think you’ll enjoy headquarters,” Sam said. “It’s very beautiful out here. The building is very modern, very state-of-the-art. We can get you a nice condo, set you up real nice.”

  “I would like that.”

  “Relocation would be okay with you?”

  “I’m willing to live wherever the company needs me,” Michelle said.

  “We can talk about that tonight over dinner,” Sam said. He met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “How does that sound? Gary? Dinner at Brannigan’s tonight?”

  “Sounds fine to me,” Gary said.

  “I’ve let a couple of the executives know that we’re probably going out to dinner tonight,” Sam said. They were in open country now, traveling up a winding road into the mountains. “Bruce Wellhorn and Robert Sack, Gladys Sterling, a few others.” His eyes met Michelle’s again. “They all want to meet you.”

  “I want to meet them,” Michelle said, meeting Sam’s eyes. “I’m looking forward to talking business with them and learning as much as I can about my new role.”

  “Wonderful!”

  When they reached a T Intersection, Sam turned left. Michelle watched the landscape go by; it was flatter in this area, with the hills continuing to her right. There was a glimmer of metal and concrete off in the distance and Sam said, “We’re almost there.”

  Michelle watched as they grew closer to the building. There was nothing spectacular about it; there were dozens of similar-looking structures on the outskirts of large cities across the country. This building was large, sprawling, appeared to be four stories in height and commanded approximately forty acres of land including the parking lot, which was filled to capacity. Sam pulled into the lot and headed toward the back of the building. Michelle’s heartbeat quickened. Despite her knowledge of what Corporate Financial was, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitement at the thought of getting inside the building and scoping out its layout.

  Sam pulled into a private parking slot and stopped the engine. Michelle grabbed her laptop and briefcase and joined Gary and Sam in the parking lot. She smoothed her skirt down briefly, regarding the building before her. Sam grinned. “Come. Let me take you inside.”

  Michelle followed Sam and Gary down the walkway and into the building. They entered a well-furnished lobby. She followed Sam and Gary to the security booth, which was staffed by a young African-American woman. “We need a temporary ID with full security clearance for Miss Michelle Dowling,” Sam told the guard. “I called this in yesterday.”

  The guard scanned a list and made a mark with a ball-point pen. She looked at Michelle, who tried not to look surprised when she looked back at the young woman.

  My God she’s just like them!

  The guard was young, maybe twenty-five, with high cheekbones, full lips, and large brown eyes. Her makeup was applied sparingly, yet it brought out her best features, which was her eyes and lips. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She was dressed in a blue security uniform and dark slacks. In short, she could have passed for a security guard at any large corporation or corporate building.

  Yet her features were completely lacking in emotion. She had a flat, blank look.

  This all came to Michelle the instant she saw the guard for the first time, and she ignored it and continued playing her part. She nodded at the guard. The guard said, “I can take her photo now or we can do it tomorrow morning.”

  “Now would be fine,” Michelle said.

  The guard nodded. “This way please.”

  Gary gestured to a door near the security booth window and Michelle entered. “We’ll wait out here,” Sam said.

  Michelle entered the security area, still carrying her briefcase and laptop. The guard led her into a small room with a chair and a large camera on a tripod. A large fluorescent light burned directly behind the camera. The guard stepped behind the camera. “Have a seat.”

  Michelle sat down and once the picture was taken, the guard escorted her out. “I’ll have your permanent badge ready for you when you leave this afternoon,” she said. “In the meantime, I’ve already created a temporary badge for you.”

 
Michelle stepped back into the lobby and waited at the security booth for the guard to rummage through a file. A moment later, temporary badge pinned to her lapel, Michelle accompanied Sam and Gary through the thick double glass doors and into the central atrium of the building.

  A large brick fountain was the centerpiece of the atrium. Extending four stories to a large skylight and decorated with lush vegetation, the atrium was attractive. Several people were either threading their way to and from various destinations or were talking in small groups. Michelle made a quick note of the atrium and then followed Sam and Gary to a bank of elevators.

  Sam and Gary were talking and Michelle listened as they entered the elevator with two men dressed in suits. She noticed the men bore the same flat expression as the security guard. The people she’d seen in the lobby and the atrium had borne similar looks but it was hard to tell. Overall, the place was giving her the creeps, but she had to keep a stony face about it.

  “I think once the final report for the day comes in we’ll have a better understanding of where our leverage will be tomorrow,” Sam said to Gary as the elevator went to the top floor. “Connie should have a final report from New York by now. And when the West Coast Stock Exchange closes this afternoon, Connie should have the final numbers within an hour of closing.”

  “She can get those numbers to us via Blackberry, right?” Gary asked.

  “Certainly,” Sam said. “That’s what the technology’s for.”

  Michelle grinned as they chuckled and then she followed them down the fourth floor hallway to the executive suite, which was clearly evident by the large, polished walnut doors at the end of the hallway.

  Michelle marveled at the sight of the executive suite lobby. Plush carpeting, oak paneled walls, ebony and marbled workspaces, large desks for the executive secretaries. Michelle took as much of it in as she could, noting several closed doors that could only lead to washrooms, executive dining rooms, or meeting rooms. Other doors clearly indicated that they led to offices—a few were open, and Michelle caught brief glimpses of men and women seated behind desks, some talking on the phone. Sam and Gary led her to an office at the southwest corner of the executive suite and Sam peeked in. “Bruce? We’re here.” He turned to Michelle. “Come on inside.” He gestured for Michelle to go in.