The order came in the middle of a meeting. Not a surprise, Douglas was always in a meeting. The guard leaned forward, gently pressing the barrel of his pistol into Douglas’s back. He whispered, so as not to disturb everyone else.
“Time to go.”
Douglas cleared his throat and stood. The guard backed off, keeping his weapon hidden behind Douglas’s back. The rest of the clientele seated around the table, and the holograms of those visiting virtually, all turned.
“Sorry for my interruption,” Douglas said with an apologetic smile developed from years of practice. “But my family just contacted me with an emergency.”
“So sorry.”
“Hope everyone’s OK.”
“Hope it’s not too serious.”
And other murmurs of expected well wishes travelled around the table. Douglas held up his hands in a consoling ma
