The first thing Rita got thirty minutes past four AM Monday morning was a call from Marlene telling her to come down to the office saying it was urgent. She got ready as quickly as her arm could let her. Marlene had called her in early before and even when it was urgent she had never sounded like this. Whatever it was most be really really urgent.
On the bus, she wondered what could possibly be wrong. She had made sure she had sent her work on time. Maybe it was something else. Marlene would not have sounded like that otherwise. The building outside looked calm exactly how it should be for fifteen minutes past five in the morning but when she got inside everything was chaotic. Everyone was rushing this way and that like the worst was about to happen. A sick feeling started to stir in her stomach.
When she got on the floor, she was completely dumbstruck. Anthony and even Marlene were up to their chests in paperwork. They were looking and working through everything like it was their last lifeline. There were others there too and they were working through everything as fast as they possibly could. What in the world was going on? What happened? The new CEO was coming in today and everything seemed to be a collosal jumble.
Marlene spotted her and practically ran to her. “Good, you’re here. Come, you’ll look through this with Anthony. Hurry.”
Rita did not even have much of a choice as Marlene took her good arm and dragged her to where Anthony was currently looking through files, both on paper and computer. Cross checking everything with disturbing speed and a desperate look on his face.
“Ma’am what is going on?” She asked still dazed. She and Anthony looked like they were working to keep their heads off a chopping block. If they were this worried and desperate over something then the rest of them did not have a prayer.
Marlene went to look over what Anthony was doing, satisfied she dragged her towards another computer.
“The new CEO told the president to give the staff explicit orders to look over everything from ten years ago till now and by everything he meant everything.”
That only served to complete half the puzzle. The problem was not totally solved.
“Any faculty or faculty head found lacking will be fired. Immediately.” She said gritting her teeth.
‘Wait what?! Fired?!’
Now she knew what the sick feeling in her stomach was. Fear.
The new CEO was being harsh, he could have issued this order on Thursday when he was given the position and given them all at least a little bit of time to go through everything carefully. And the firing part was just unethical. The company did not even know his name yet.
She could see why everyone was running around like their life depended on it. Because their lives did.
She was not sure why Marlene had called her. Her arm had not healed well enough to do this much work. She would just hold them all back.
Rita tried to keep up with her but for someone that was in a pair of stilts for heels she was quick. Maybe that was the adrenaline rush.
“Ma’am with all due respect why am I here? I get this is an all hands on deck sort of situation but my arm hasn’t healed enough to tackle all this.”
Marlene stopped in front of a computer, pulled out the chair and plopped her down on it. “Wrong this is an all best hands on deck situation.”
Without missing a beat she took her injured arm and held her expensively manicured hand over it. She said a few words which Rita realized as an incantation.
Wait did she mean she was one of the best hands? More importantly was that a compliment coming directly from her?
Before she could say anything else Marlene was done with what she was doing and rushing in the direction they had come from. “There taken care off, now hurry.”
She did not know what Marlene did until she realized her arm was not hurting anymore. She looked at it and the purple bruise was gone and her arm felt brand new. She could do that all this time?!
She would have been just happy if the stack of papers in front her did bring what she had just heard kicking back into her mind.
Work. Look through. Cross check. CEO. Fired.
She looked at the clock on the wall, fifty five minutes past five. The CEO would be here by nine on the dot. She got to work. It seemed her workdays almost always started with an overpowering tower of paperwork. At least this time everyone was doing it too and they all had one goal in mind.
Not getting a pink slip.
She hated the CEO already. What did he think they were? Heavy duty, top of the line machines?
¶¶¶¶¶
Samuel sat in the driver’s seat of his black Mercedes-benz S-class. He might be a billionaire but he preferred driving his vehicles himself when he could. Of course that came with the condition bodyguards had to drive ahead and behind him.
You win some, you lose some. He guessed.
As early as three in the morning, the cat was out of the bag. People were waking up to know that news of his rise in status. Even Forbes was rearranging its world’s billionaires list.
He was headed to the company, no doubt paparazzi and their flashing cameras would be there.
And he was right. As the convoy rolled in the cameras started going off.
There were security personnel lining the entrance keeping them at a proper distance.
He stopped his car and get out. The classy elegent dark blue Hugo Boss suit he wore specially tailored for his broad and tall frame accented the grace he walked with and dark chocolate shade of his skin.
The steel rolex watch on wore on his left wrist studded with diamonds added that little flash the ensumble needed.
The valet that had been four feet away from him was at his side in an instant. Samuel dropped the keys in the valet’s waiting hand.
The valet bowed before moving to the car. Two bodyguards took their places, one behind him and one infront.
He could not decided what was more useless at the moment, bananas wrapped in plastic or these bodyguards.
The security personnel opened the door for him.
He could feel the tense atmosphere, it was good. They all knew the wolf, so to speak, was in building. And they had better get used to it.