*When you decide to hunt a boar, you bring a spear if you want to live*
Stephanie sat across from her former co-worker, Peter Bartowski. He had taken her old job back at her old corporation. He was an Account Manager. She had risen to one step away from Account Manager at her new firm in only two years so she was still a decade faster in her advancement over him. Peter had scrupulously played by the rules, until it came to breaking her.
"What do you want Peter?" she asked pleasantly as she tasted her pasta appetizer.
"I've been watching your progress, Stephanie and it has been disturbing," Peter began evenly. "Some of your old co-workers and I are concerned by what we've seen. We aren't sure what you've done but we want it to stop."
"So, let me get this straight; I've worked my ass off to make Floor Manager and you are pissed with me but you can't tell me what I've done wrong? How does that work?" Stephanie asked.
"The next newest Floor Manager has been there eight years, Stephanie. What did you do to it in only two?"
"I don't know. My previous Floor Supervisor had a heart attack and died on the job. After that, I ran my unit as the strongest producer for four quarters in a row, Peter. I earned this," Stephanie pointed out with some heat.
"Well, we don't think so, and we think you should take a step back. You got a walk on your past crimes. We don't think you should be allowed to continue hurting people. The Upper Management didn't want to make an example of you, but you haven't been forgotten. I have little doubt you've hurt more people on the way up. It isn't happening again."
"What do you want me to do?" Stephanie sighed. It was easy to sound defeated now. They'd nearly broken her the first time. Nathan had saved her then. She'd saved Nathan in return, but no one else knew that.
"Take a demotion to Floor Supervisor," he ordered her. Stephanie doubted this was up for discussion. One of Peter's flaws was his rigidity of thinking.
"If I don't?" she asked.
"Your current boss discovers some of your past indiscretions with us," he threatened.
"That's downright underhanded Peter. I was guaranteed that none of that would come to light if I was a good girl and went quietly. Why are you going against that agreement?"
"People like you have to be stopped," Peter insisted.
"People like me? Oh, okay if you put it like that." Stephanie weighed her options. "Peter, can you wait until the end of March for my demotion? I'd like to finish out the quarter at least. That way I'll qualify for that last bonus."
"No. I'll give you until the end of the week. If we haven't heard from you by Monday, I'll take action," he promised.
"Peter please," Stephanie sounded exasperated, "I know you aren't acting alone. I'm sure the whole gang is going to be on in the kill. Give me this much. I won't be back in the office until Tuesday -- we have a weekend team-building exercise -- can you give me until then so I can make a graceful exit?"
Peter was thinking it over. Stephanie didn't do anything overtly sexual. She did her best to look pathetic.
"If we don't have confirmation that you've been demoted by Tuesday at ten, we will send the information over at eleven. We'll make sure you stay in the grave this time," he stated with authority.
"Thank you Peter; I'll make best use of the time," Stephanie said then made a few stabs at her meal. "Peter, I've lost my appetite. I'll cover your meal, but I have to go now."
"That won't be necessary," Peter protested.
"No Peter, you came and warned me. I won't forget it," Stephanie promised him.
She flagged down the waiter, got the bill, paid and left. Once outside she immediately pulled out the phone and called Nathan.
"We have a problem. Something has come up. We need to talk," she told him.
"Oh ... we should meet at the apartment then. I'll be there in thirty," he answered.
"Are you still at work? It is lunch time," Stephanie noted.
"When have you not known me to be dedicated to my job," he stated evenly. Stephanie knew that was right. In fact, she was counting on it. Peter had given her five days to save her life and livelihood; she didn't plan to waste them.
(Sunday night)
Peter and Anne Bartowski sat at the foot of their bed in their slightly upscale home in the suburbs that his promotion a few years back had afforded him. They had duct tape on their mouths and their hands and feet were bound with nylon cord. The smaller of the two assailants had them covered with a gun. She -- he was assuming it was a she -- though masked seemed very nervous.
The larger of the two came in three times, each trip depositing one of their three children onto the floor in a bound and kneeling position. He too had a gun, but he was anything but nervous. He seemed so utterly calm it was frightening. Both the home invaders were dressed in black and wore black ski masks. Once the last child was in the room, the woman put her gun in her belt and pulled a video camera out of a black travel bag the two had shown up with.
The man put a silencer on his weapon which caused the parents to moan fearfully. When the woman nodded the man began speaking.
"I am here to talk to you about Stephanie Lamborne. If you use her name, I will kill your youngest child Mr. Bartowski?" The man said.
Peter blanched then nodded. The woman and the two youngest children started to sob. The man looked to the woman who gave him the thumbs up. She was clearly now recording the events. The man removed the tape from Peter's mouth.
"Who is part of your conspiracy?"
"Who are you?" Peter begged. "What do you want?"
"Who is part of your conspiracy?" the man repeated.
"Listen, I'm not sure of what you mean," Peter insisted. The man turned and blew Peter's eldest child's (a son) brain all over the carpet with a well-aimed shot to the forehead.
Peter gasped. Anne Bartowski screamed against tape and slid off the bed.
"You have two children left Mr. Bartowski," the man said in a dispassionate, almost bored voice. "If you want to keep playing games, I can keep shooting. If you don't want to see any more of your children die, you will answer my questions truthfully and quickly. Do we understand each other now?"
