Chapter 8: Questions & Answers
1237 Words
The security guard that was being beaten was very unhappy. Damn it! – he thought –This is what I get for following the rules… I cannot bear it. The other guard was weary. The palm of his hand was swollen and red, and it hurt like a son of a b***h. With each slap, he became angrier, and without meaning to, he started to hit his co-worker harder and harder.
Before long, the scene became very chaotic. The two security guards looked at each other and neither knew what to do. It was not long before they lost their minds, and when Todd saw this, he burst into gales of laughter. Their noses and mouths had started to bleed and their eyes were red.
Todd turned to Jarod. “Why did you hire these goofs?” he asked. “They are like a couple of stupid animals!”
“I am so sorry.” Jarod’s cheeks turned red, and he said, “I will fire them later. For now, it seems we have more pressing matters to attend to. Please tell me; to what do we owe the honor of your presence.”
"I was hoping to have a meal with you," Todd replied. “There are things that I would like to discuss with you.”
“I wish that I could!” Jarod exclaimed. "There are too many things that I need to deal with today. I am terribly sorry. That sounds really nice, though. Could I take a Rain Check?”
"It doesn’t look like you are busy.” Todd sneered. “Are you busy trying to steal my family’s company?"
The muscles on Jarod’s face tightened immediately and his eyes became very sharp. It only took him a second to regain his composure, though. He smiled and said, "Todd, please don’t make such jokes. They are not funny.”
"I'm serious." As Todd looked at Jarod, he took out Zachery's phone and said, "So how about we go and talk about this over lunch, alright.”
When Jarod saw the phone, he nodded silently.
Todd turned and walked towards his car and Jarod followed him, and as Jarod watched his cocky swagger, murderous thoughts passed through his mind. He let his fingers touch the pistol that was holstered to his side, and it made him feel strong.
Once they were on the road, Todd turned to Jarod. "Where is my dad? Is he under your control now?" He asked the questions casually as if the answers were of little concern to him, and Jarod was shocked by his apparent apathy.
It was obvious to Jarod that Todd knew his plan, so he no longer had to force himself to smile. He glared at Todd and said, "Since you already know everything, there is no point in denying it. Know this, though: “I am just a pawn in this, and the hand that pushes the pieces is bigger than either of us could ever imagine. I cannot stop it. You and your father cannot stop it. No one can stop it... Even your father is a pawn, even if he doesn’t know it, as are you!"
Todd turned around in surprise and said, "You mean to say that you have an accomplice?"
Suddenly, Jarod began to chuckle.
Todd’s face turned red from anger. “What the f**k are you laughing at?” he shouted.
“You!” Jarod replied. “You seemed to have seen through my plan, but now I can see how little you actually know!”
Todd sighed and said, "To be honest, there are a lot of things that I do not understand. That is why I wanted to talk with you. Perhaps it is not too late for you to redeem yourself…”
“Who knows?” Jarod shrugged and said, “Nothing that I say will change anything, though. So, here goes nothing…
"D.S.G. is involved in a wide range of industries from high-tech electronics to real estate development, and from retail stores to entertainment record companies. It could be said that wherever there is a profit to be made, you are likely to find that D.S.G. is involved. On the surface, the company appears to be run entirely by your father, but there is so much going on in the background that you and he are not privy to, and your father is but one of a multitude of pieces."
Todd was silent. In truth, he knew very little about the company, so he had no way of knowing how much of what he was being told was true and how much was bullshit.
“In the past, D.S.G. has been more profitable than you can imagine, but it has come to a crossroads,” Jarod continued. “Stocks are plummeting, and if the company doesn’t change, it will go under. Do you understand?”
"I do, and what you say sounds reasonable," Todd replied. “But you haven’t explained the reason why you plan to betray my father? Nor have you told me where he is… I can't reach him..." Todd waited for Jarod to reply, and when he didn’t, he continued. He said, "My driver, Elmo Varges, and your son, Zachery, are all in my hands. If I do not see my dad pronto, then I promise that you will never see them again..."
Jarod’s heart began to beat violently and he started to sweat profusely. When he had seen his son’s phone, he had worried about the boy’s safety. Now that his fears had been confirmed, his anxiety hit the roof. "Wh-What d-did you d-do to Z-Zachery?" he stuttered.
“Not much.” Todd shrugged and said, “I beat them and they are being held prisoner at a location that you will never find.”
Jarod ground his teeth and said, “I should kill you right now!”
“Go ahead.” Todd sneered. “But you will never see your son again!”
Jarod’s mouth dropped open. He had never felt so helpless before, and he did not know what to do.
As they were talking, Jarod noticed that the car had left the city and was driving towards the open countryside. At first, he thought that they were just driving aimlessly, but then Todd turned off onto a dirt road. The road went for about twenty kilometers, and then it came to an old bridge that was out of order.
As Todd parked, Jarod eyed him nervously and asked, “Why are we here.”
“To talk,” Todd replied. “Out here we have the peace and quiet that we need to really figure things out. Now get out of the car. ‘Sooner begun, sooner done.’ That’s what my Gran always said.”
Jarod looked at Todd, and although he had some doubts, he knew that he had no choice but to comply. As he got out of the car, though, he drew his pistol.
When Todd saw the gun, he just smiled. “You may as well put that away,” he said. “We both know that you’re not going to use it.”
- Writer
