Saints of the Syndicate by Natalie Nicole
Chapter 19
Arthur
That Same Night
Blackwell Industries Corporate Office
“Did you find out the results?”
“Yes, sir, I did. Got them back before I came here.”
“Well, what do the damn things say?”
“They are 99.99%. She is the heir they have been looking for, for almost 17 years.”
“Excellent. Do you have the target acquired?”
I notice his tell. He is either about to lie, or he knows I will not be thrilled with his answer.
“N-not exactly sir.”
“What do you mean by ‘not exactly’? You knew where she was staying ever since we came in contact with her and verified the potential of who she was!”
Trifling idiot. If I knew it was a possibility, I would have done the job myself. But a man of my position does not get his hands dirty anymore.
“Y-yes. I went to her dorm to pick her up before coming here. When I got there, the door was cracked. As I got down to the open area, it was completely trashed.”
“Trashed? How can you trash a shit hole?” Robert inquires.
“I mean every piece of furniture was busted into tons of pieces. The TV was shattered. And when I finally got through the wreckage to her room, the door was open and all of her belongings were gone.”
I give my colleagues and fellow brothers each a questioning look. They look as perplexed as I am. “Do you have any idea as to her whereabouts?”
“I have a theory, sir.”
“Well. Out with it boy. We don’t have all day for this shit.”
“I think she is staying with your sons now. From what I can gather, they have been flying fairly under the radar. Not partying since the night of her assault. Actually going to classes.”
Peculiar.
“Can you verify this...theory of yours?”
“N-not yet, sir.”
“You are utterly worthless. Just send him in.”
The boy retreats as I sit back, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.
“If she is with them, this really affects our plans.”
“Mhmm.” Robert nods in agreement when Lorenzo stays silent.
“Any thoughts yet, ol’ chap?”
Our thoughts are disturbed when he walks through the door. His training has been going well, and my colleagues and myself sit up. Pride is dripping from us at this true version of how a gentleman should carry himself, unlike the stubborn insolents we call children.
“You threw a wrench in the plans, you realize that?
He casually sits in the chair in front of us and takes his tumbler, swirling the liquid around before sipping it. A proper way to do so, unlike our gluttonous heirs who just chug it. Disgusting.
His eyes finally reach ours when he speaks, “Maybe,” he shrugs. “But maybe not.”
“Did errand boy fill you in on her potential whereabouts?”
“He did.”
“How do you think this won’t screw anything up? Everything rides on her.” My dear old friend Lorenzo finally speaks.
“Simple. If she is with them, then we simply change the plan. And thankfully I have one. It may take a little longer, but this will kill two birds with one stone.”
“How so?” I ask.
I’m intrigued. His sights are aligned with ours, so I’m curious as to how a longer wait will make this work.
“It destroys her and them. If she actually is staying with those irrelevant fools, then we let them all get attached. When the time is right, we take her, effectively destroying them in the process. They won’t care about anything other than some pitiful attempts to find her, and by the time they do, we will have everything in order. Then nothing can be done except our steadfast rise to the top.” He maliciously grins, beaming with pride.
I ponder it momentarily. The chances of what he is saying fits the bills with our ‘sons’. We have mostly paid their way through school their whole life. Their silly attachments to things is true, and if all works the way he says it will, then it will be easier to dispose of them. Or feed them a different narrative, thus making them willing servants to our cause for greatness. Maybe then they will actually be worthy of their born rights.
I look to Robert and Lorenzo, seeking their opinions in this. They simply nod in agreement. It seems that all of our visionary works are in perfect alignment again.
I nod in his direction. “Very well. Do what you must. Just keep us updated on the process. Do you have a time frame by chance?”
“Not currently. But we all know how the invalids operate. No longer than the first of the year, tops, if it goes to plan. Plenty of time to cause irreparable damage. I also plan to start my fun tonight, so all will fall into place.”
Hmm…
“While it’s a little longer than we had planned, I guess we can go along with it. As long as what you said holds true, then I see no reason a few extra months are worth a worry.”
“Oh it will. And once it does?” He stands bringing his tumbler in the air and we follow suit. “Well let’s just say this is our pre-emptive cheers to a very lucrative and powerful business venture.”
We all toast, take sips of our whiskeys and then fall back into our chairs in a glorious laughter at how well our plan is coming together.