All the Company Men: Marcus Grimshaw #2 (The Secret State)

by C. J. Steinberg

  Marcus watched the young man squirm in front of him, scared out of his mind. His throat dried up; he no longer had the game in him, he could no longer do what he was doing to so many people before Jose.

  “What did you do, Jose,” Jack asked.

  Jose hesitated, fear and anger becoming ever stronger inside of him and he went into another fit, an attempt to break his bonds. He was reluctant to talk, yet he had to talk if he wanted to live; Jack and Marcus have done a thorough job on preparing the scene.

  “I called a reporter. I told them about the next meeting with the director of CIA. Now I’m here.” Jose trailed off into begging, pleading, and praying in Spanish. Jack and Marcus looked at each other, realizing where Arthur was getting his information from. They knew in that moment that Arthur was and always will be on their side. Without saying a word, Marcus and Jack had come up with a plan on how to proceed.

  “Where do these meetings usually take place,” Jack asked.

  “In some country club,” Jose said.

  “And also in the car?”

  Jose nodded, his mind stuck on praying.

  “Jose, do you want to live?”

  Jose looked up at the blinding light. Then he whimpered before falling into a breakdown of sorts, his face covered in tears and slime.

  Marcus clapped his hands together. “Focus!”

  “Tell us about this country club.”

  “It’s elite. It’s a Ritz Bar and Lounge on 46th. He meets a lot of people there.”

  “Jose,” Marcus said. “Do you want to live?”

  “Si, si, claro, por Dios!”

  “Then you need to do something for us,” Jack said.

  “Do what? Anything! I will do anything.”

  At that moment, Jack and Marcus nodded to each other to leave the room. They could hear Jose calling after them, begging.

  “Do you think having him wear a wire is smart?” Jack asked.

  Marcus thought on it. “Who knows what we will discover.”

  “But if he breaks, then we are done.”

  “I don’t think we are, brother,” Marcus said. “They know we’re gunning for them.”

  Jack nodded. “A’ight, let’s do it.”

  “What do you think about this country club?”

  Jack frowned. “What are you thinking?”

  Marcus shot a look at him.

  “No,” Jack said. “He-ell no!”

  “We have no choice. You and I can’t go inside, and we sure can’t bug a bar. We need her.”

  Jack didn’t want to hear any of it.

  “I don’t like it either, but we need her to do this for us. The way she talks and behaves, as well as the fact that Daniel trusts her, is not something we have. We need to hit him on both ends. We need to know who the real players are. We know the important people on his side, but we need to know who is truly important and how much. It’s the only way we will bring him down; by eliminating his lieutenants.”

  “Let’s get back inside,” Jack said.

  “Jose, you will do anything,” Marcus asked.

  It was as if he was awoken from a dream. He snapped his head upright and looked around. “Yes, yes, anything!”

  Marcus leaned down and turned off the light. Jack walked across the room and pulled the window curtain down. They both came to Jose and faced him.

  “Jose, we need to stop them. You can feel it too,” Marcus said. “I know you can,” he added. “So stop them we must, no matter the personal cost. No matter what we have to do, right?”

  Jack gently placed the curtain over Jose’s naked body to protect him. Jose seemed to appreciate that a lot. “Si—yes. Of course.”

  “Good man. Let’s go now, I’ll show you to the bathroom.”

  Marcus stood in front of the door, listening to the sobbing and the shower behind the door.

  “So, we dress him up, then,” Marcus said.

  “Yup,” Jack added. “You were right; it has to be done from several fronts if we aim to stop the son-of-a-bitch.”

  “Once he’s finished, we let him sleep and rest, clean him up, teach him a few tricks, and then listen in on the conversations.”

  Jack nodded. “Unless he falls to pressure or Evelyn betrays us. Again.”

  “We don’t have a choice now, man. This is it.”

  Jack raised his fist, and Marcus bumped it. They had a plan. They had a way. Now it was time to stop the most powerful man in the whole world.

  THIRTEEN

  C hristian had already spent over twenty minutes raving on and on about projections for the next quarter, the spending in the previous quarter, using the corporate terms no one needed or wanted to hear, but words which everyone used all the time. It was the way of life in the corporate world; people rarely said what they really wanted to say. It was about being specific and general at the same time. Evelyn never really minded the corporate way life. In all honesty, she thrived on the games, the maneuvers, and the power plays. But what she loved about it was the fact that she was better at it than anyone else she had encountered. In less than a decade, she had climbed to the CEO position of the Company without anyone boosting her or anyone making her do something she wasn’t comfortable with.

  When she started, her goal was climb the ladder so she could put herself in a position from which she could execute her real goal—take everything away from the people who have taken everything from her. Their dreams, their hopes, their futures will all be mine, was all that she could think about as Christian droned on and on, his perfect hair sitting unnaturally sturdy on his head, his tailor-made suit fitting him perfectly. She saw in him a representation of all that she hated. Even sis strong, commanding voice that she always respected and admired bothered her; it was interrupting her thought-process. She was so close to completing her real mission that all the ladder-climbing now made no sense; it was a risky position to be in as she was one bad decision away from destroying everything she had worked so hard to build, but humans in their nature are irrational beings who work on emotion.

  Even in the Covid-era, as the news like to call it now, projections for Dark Forrest Investment Fund were looking up. There was no way the Company could ever suffer. No matter what happens, the Company profits. Always. No wonder their reach extended so far as East Germany all those years back.

  Evelyn snapped from her thoughts when she realized that the whole room was staring at her. She looked at their glazed eyes, at Christian and his piercing blue eyes. It was her turn to talk, but she wasn’t going to admit power to anyone else in that room; that was a one-way ticket to a CEO’s downfall.

  “Evelyn, what do you think?” Christian repeated again a very polite, but passive-aggressive, corporate way.

  “As always, Christian, great job,” she accepted his hand in the empty-talk dance. “Projections are strong, the basis concrete. It will be, despite all else, yet another great quarter for us.”

  “But what do you think about—“ Evelyn raised her hand.

  “You do what you deem necessary and fit for the situation. I trust you, Christian, and I believe that you are capable enough to take care of it.”

  To that, he nodded and picked up all his papers before taking a seat.

  “With that, we can conclude this meeting. Thank you all for coming,” she stood up, “and keep up the great work. Without you, this company would not be nearly as strong.”

  After a brief confusion and exchanging glances among themselves, the executives stood up and left the room in a single file. Some of the men threw their awful jokes at each other and extended invitations to a golf course. This was what they all do—they act like they are friends and companions, when in reality they are sharpening the knives behind each other’s backs, waiting for the opportune moment to strike and claim victory and glory.

  Evelyn couldn’t help but empathize, though. She had done exactly the same to Marcus. It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t orchestrated; she went to him with honest intentions. Seeing him wounded and confused as
he was, she understood couldn’t trust or rely upon him. Was she a bad person? Or was it perhaps just the animalistic human nature inside of her that had driven her actions? Was it the thought that by keeping Marcus safe and comfortable she would endanger herself? Or was she just now rationalizing, looking for an excuse?

  Her greatest fear, the biggest reason for her worrisome thoughts, for her melancholy, was that Marcus and Jack could now betray her. She went to them with open arms and an open heart. She gave them all the leverage she had. She gave them all the tools they needed to bring Daniel down. It could bring me down along with him, she thought.

  Evelyn unglued her eyes from the New York City panorama of skyscrapers, power, and money, and went down to her car. The time for her luncheon had come. Many important dignitaries, politicians, investors, and businessmen would attend, people she has to maintain good relationships with. Today, though, she would observe those same people and try to discern where the allegiances lie.

  What if Daniel knows, she wondered. What if he knows exactly what I’ve been up to? Indeed, what if? Daniel was a smart man and next to impossible to read and understand. His plans were obvious, but his motivation unclear. The man was like a Sphinx with a computer instead of a brain. He was processing millions of thoughts at the same time, making moves, crafting plans, thinking ten moves ahead. What if he was testing her with her tasks to find the rat? What if he wanted her to go to Jack and Marcus? What if he planned my whole day for me? Daniel truly was a special sort of man. He was always playing the game in such an intricate way that Evelyn could not tell if she was his pawn or his queen.

  A man like that, she concluded, cannot be trusted. A man like that will always be a danger to her. Besides, Daniel was the man whom she held responsible for the death of her father. Her decision to go to Marcus and Jack was questionable and scary, but it was the only way forward. Staying close to Daniel will not get her the revenge she desires so much. What scared her with Marcus and Jack more than anything was the fact that she had, for the first time in her life, made a conscious decision to let her fate rest in the hands of someone else. If Marcus and Jack betray her, then that is her destiny. She forfeited control and let life take its course. If it kills me, then it kills me.

  Suddenly, the vail of fear and paranoia lifted. She was free. Liberated. She took a deep breath, held it, and then released. She opened her eyes and stared her reflection dead in the eye. “It’s showtime,” she said, and her mind shifted into the right gear needed for the luncheon ahead of her.

  This was her job, meeting people, drinking champagne, and learning from them. There was no bad or useless information she could get on a luncheon where ego and power reside. Luncheons for the rich were the place where all the decisions that impact the world were made, more so than the golf course of country clubs. If one billionaire invests in a certain company or industry, it could change the landscape of a market, even create a ripple effect that will affect other markets, too. If one politician says something wrong to another politician, and that politician tells that to a billionaire, suddenly, a different president is elected and a different philosophy applied. What will be and what could have been become infinite in number of possibilities. This was the part of the corporate world Evelyn loved more than anything. The bus boy offered her a glass of champagne. Didier popped into her mind for a cameo appearance.

  “Evelyn,” she heard. A small woman of about fifty was approaching her with a smile on her face and her arms open. Evelyn went deep into her mind to search for all the information she had stored in there.

  “Mrs. Robinson,” she said. “It is so good to see you.” The small and slender woman with the warm smile and caring voice was one of the most dangerous people Evelyn had ever heard of.

  “Oh, darling, it has been so long since I last saw you. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way,” Mrs. Robinson said. She then leaned into Evelyn and whispered in a conspiratorial mood. “It is so good to see a woman, especially as young as you, become powerful.” She then pulled back holding both of Evelyn’s hands, and smiled at her.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Robinson, you are, as always, my inspiration. I appreciate your words.”

  “One always needs friends,” Mrs Robinson said and Evelyn made a mental note of that. “The higher you climb, easier to fall it gets. You need someone to hold you up when you slip.” Her eyes moved over Evelyn’s shoulder and she nodded to the person behind Evelyn. “I am sorry, darling, but you have to excuse me. It has been a pleasure to see you.”

  “You as well, Mrs Robinson. Thank you again.”

  Evelyn watched the small woman walk away into the embrace of the CEO of J.P. Morgan, Chase. That woman had all the players in her pockets, playing her own game. And she liked Evelyn. If only Evelyn wanted to be a part of their circle. A little devil inside of her gave a cheer at the notion that she will play a part in the unmasking of all their evil-doings.

  Evelyn spotted a Lord of the House of Commons talking to the CEO of Qatar Airways across the room. An alarm went off inside of her, telling her that the luncheon today might more than just a luncheon, perhaps even more than her mission. Something might be happening. Cristobal Cortez laughed loudly in a group of people she did not know. Cristobal met her gaze and smiled.

  “Senor, como esta,” Evelyn said in her limited Spanish.

  “Ah, very good, my dear Evelyn. How is the new position working for you?”

  “It has its challenges, but that’s why I enjoy the work.”

  “Well,” Cristobal smiled, “you got in just at the right time.” He, too, leaned in. “Soon it will all begin.”

  Cristobal Cortez was not just another billionaire. He was a dangerous individual. As ruthless as they come. He came from the streets, worked his way up, and found a way to befriend the rich and powerful, quickly becoming a billionaire. He was the gatekeeper to all the secrets of the one percent. Not even the Company had a file on him. Realizing that he was very much with Daniel, she got scared. Beating these people will be impossible, she thought.

  “Let me introduce you,” Cristobal said. “This is James Hodgson.”

  The man who holds shares in all the Petroleum companies of the world, Evelyn translated.

  “This here is Magdalene George,” Cristobal pointed to the tall and skinny woman who had the ruling class of France in her pocket.

  “And this young gentlemen here you surely know.” The young man with unkempt hair owned social media platforms which almost the entire world used. He is involved in business with the Chinese. Of course he is here, Evelyn concluded.

  After the basic introductions and light discussions about the stock market and the pandemic, Evelyn excused herself to the bathroom. Her heart was pounding and her head was throbbing. She sat on the toilet and put her face in her hands, processing the events, losing herself in the pace of her thoughts, at the fear they produced, at the anxiety they created. There was not much she could do. There was not much anyone could do to stop these people, or even obstruct them in their endeavors. Like the Russian aristocracy centuries ago, they have found a way to organize and work together with the same ambition—total domination. It was an international organization, spreading through the most powerful countries of the world—both China and Germany, then France and the Arab countries, and ultimately, though flailing, still powerful America. Gas, media, technology, social media, information, governments—they had everything now. They truly had everything. They could move the world in any direction they so desire. They can change the way the world turns if they so desired.

  What have you done, Evelyn, she wondered. What have you done? Then she remembered that she was in the bathroom for a while now. Though a woman, she was on stage, and anything that was slightly off could be interpreted as questionable. She stood up and composed herself before re-joining the party. As she spoke to the Ambassador of Germany to China, Daniel appeared behind her. She felt his presence even before he spoke to her. She felt the energy around him, the atmosphere he cre
ated. Evelyn greeted him and observed his posture as he shook hands with the group gathered there. Seeing him as he was, feeling his power, Evelyn observed the entire room. She understood in that moment that the luncheon she attended wasn’t about making introductions or checking their loyalty. It was an unofficial gathering of the Dark Forrest Order. The legend is true, she realized. It wasn’t all a random conspiracy.

  “Would you be so kind as to permit me to borrow Evelyn for a few minutes,” Daniel asked. His air of superiority and his commanding voice chilled everyone in the circle, her more than most.

  “Naturally, my good sir,” the Ambassador said jokingly.

  Daniel smiled in response and nodded Evelyn to follow him. He took her to a back room. As they passed through gathered crowd, Evelyn could see that everyone felt Daniel’s presence but didn’t dare to look. She had no idea where she was being taken or what was waiting for her. Her mind was all over the place.

  In the middle of the room she entered was a long, round table. The chairs were occupied by Patrick Don, Ellen Morris, Jim Morris, Jonathan Burr, and several other influential figures. They were all staring at her, their hands clasped in front of them in the same fashion. The candles on the table were flickering, the shadows of the curtains forbidding the light to come in. Evelyn was uncertain; she didn’t know whether to walk inside or levitate at the door.

  “Have a seat, please,” Daniel said. He pulled out a chair for her and Evelyn had no choice but to sit down. She felt the exact same thing as in the bar months before, when she and Marcus made a deal, fearing that they knew exactly what she was up to, thinking that perhaps these were her last moments. She was consoled by the hope that in the corporate world people are fired without anyone knowing when or why, and that in the spy world they were killed without any signs or warnings. One day you wake up and realize that someone you knew well had been missing for a long time without you even noticing.