CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“What do you mean they’re gone?” she asked in a sleepy voice, not even turning on the bedroom light.
“I mean, they’re all gone. The house is empty, the computers are gone, everything. It’s all boarded up and there’s police tape over the doors.”
“Did you break it?” she asked suddenly sitting up.
“I’m not a fucking idiot. No. I didn’t break it. I was able to get in through a window. All the lights were still on and there was food everywhere. Fucking bugs will take over soon.”
“Burn it down,” she said callously.
“What? I’m no fucking arsonist. I’m not burning it down.”
“Burn the fucking house down or I’ll burn you down. Just set it on fire. No one will give a shit.”
“Everyone will give a shit. It’s next to other townhomes. They could catch fire as well.”
“I don’t care. Do it or you won’t get paid.
” She could hear him thinking other end of the line.
Money spoke. To everyone. Not just her. It spoke to all mankind.
It could get you anything you wanted. She didn’t just want money.
She wanted power and control. She wanted the ultimate power and control and more than anyone else in this shit-hole, she knew how to get it.
“Fine. Fine, I’ll fucking burn it down but it will cost you extra,” he said quietly.
She only smiled, tapping on her phone as she sent him an additional ten-thousand dollars.
“Done. Go buy yourself something pretty when you’re done.”
“You’re a fucking bitch, you know that right?” he growled. He had no intentions of burning the house down. It wasn’t his style and ten grand wasn’t enough to entice him.
“Yes. I know. It’s what makes me very good at this.” She hung up and lay back in the bed. With any luck she’d get another four hours of sleep before having to get up and head to the office.
Her day would be filled with mindless, useless meetings with leaders asking, ‘what’s the plan’, ‘where do we stand’, ‘anything new on x, y, z’. She was sick of it. Always the same bullshit and never enough money to actually do what needed to be done.
Years ago when she’d started the job as a young intern, she was full of bright ideas and excitement. She just knew that she could make a difference and change the way the world was going to be seen.
She was na?ve. Na?ve and stupid! She’d been shut down so many times by men and women inferior to her, she finally just learned to play the game better than anyone. She laughed to herself.
“Ironic,” she whispered. “I play games better than anyone.”