Life Blood's Vengeance

Long Days, Longer Nights

One of the human interactions I hate most is politics. Business is full of them and the higher you are in the business the more politics there are. That being said the board meeting I am now walking into was going to be the least favorite part of my day.

The emergency board meeting was called last week to discuss the cyber attack and what needed to be done. The short walk to the board room from my office lets me know that many had probably heard the loud shouting of Jackson. On the brightest side I would not have to make excuses for being late or go into great detail as to why Jackson our presenter for the majority of this meeting would not be in attendance.

Many would question my decision to fire him before the meeting, however many believe they would always run the company better than me. Many of them are full of greed and do not understand why I spend so much on charity’s and keep only a quarter of my annual earnings. Some of this even suggested that I just take a smaller salary and give the rest the board in bonuses. There are many reasons these people annoy me, but I was late by 5 minutes and I can now see them through the windows of the meeting room watching me approach. Lucy stands by the door waiting for me to enter first and then follow me.

I walk briskly to the board room door and enter turning my back to the them to deal with the key pad. I dial in my 9 digit code to lock the door and turn on the sound proofing device for sensitive meetings. I hear Lucy whisper to me that the group did hear some of the argument and witnessed Jackson being lead out by security. Many had questions and were angry they were not part of the decision.

I turn around and smile at her and ask her for a French Roast coffee with cream and make my way to the head of the table. I start to address the group of 10 men and women dressed in various dark suits and business attire. Only Dr. Marin my chief medical advisor was in a white lab coat and sticking out like a thorn. “My apologies for my tardiness, as you have no doubt seen Jackson will no longer be joining us in the discussions due to the failure to properly protect the systems he was hired to protect. We will discuss this in depth, but does anyone have any questions about the situation as it now stands?” I raise my eye brows as I settle into my chair.

I wait as Lucy comes over with my coffee from the beverage bar near the window, truly this woman was a saint. I wait for the notorious voice of Mr. Wright who will erupt if me stays silent for more than a minute, “We saw Mr. Jackson escorted out and I do not understand why you would fire the expert of our systems before he is to report these important matters to us. Surely his actions did not require immediate termination.” I motion to my Vice President Theodore O’Lander to get the recording ready. I am so glad I thought to record it, but then again I hoped this would not come up quite yet.

“Indeed Mr. Wright, I would not normally have disputed this meeting’s principal attendee if not for good reason. However, a malicious and corrupt expert creates much danger to us as a business. The information Jackson was to give during this meeting is potentially flawed or incomplete because of his actions that caused the attack to occur. Mr. Jackson has demonstrated much unprofessional conduct including threatening myself as well as being found guilty of attempted embezzling.” Many of the expressions in the room hardened and looked toward the thick files that Lucy was now handing out containing the issues we encountered with Jackson as well as the complete failure report of the cyber incident.

Only Theodore held the most classified full set of documents in a black colored folder. “That being the case the information we will review is a collective effort over last night, and thus will need a third-party evaluation. We are working on getting that second opinion now.” I them collectively start to go through the files they were handed including the copies of what Jackson had given me not thirty minutes ago. Lucy had the files copied that quickly for me. I truly appreciate the technology of this era. Back in the 1800’s I had to basically handwrite all the copies, but now all that was required was a scan and a press of a button!

Mr. Wright spoke up, “Would anyone like to review any documentation created by Jackson first?” A few nod and we start as a group to go through the documentation of how the breach occurred. The business attorney found Jackson’s choice to resign firewall protections to a junior member interesting and requested a follow up appointment with Jackson about the matter. Mr. Wright protested that the information we had was enough, so it was put to a vote of the full board. It was agreed that Jackson would be questioned by our legal team. That being the case it now opened up the possibility that he could be sued by the company for malicious intent to corrupt systems.

We went line by line through Jackson’s file on the insistence of the attorney as he was convinced that the company could push some, if not most of the blame of the cyber attack on Jackson. The liability of the company for the loss of information could in some cases be directly the fault of Jackson. It turned out that the systems had not been patched as they should have for the last three months, the same amount of time he had been dating the secretary of the financial head of the company. The company would still have to fix all the systems, vet and hire a new better qualified IT Director, do damage control with all of our vendors and then collect evidence to try Jackson for the direct crime he committed. There would also be a covert investigation done on his pervious girlfriend.

She would be questioned much more due to the information Jackson had left behind including depositing money from the IT department for new pieces of hardware and laptops into her personal bank account at work. Could they have been anymore ignorant? It was like they wanted to get caught.

The meeting droned as Mr. Wright called every shred of evidence that Jackson was a good employee who protected the business was taken into consideration. We had now spent three hours in the meeting and I was losing my patience with Wright. I looked out the board room window and saw Samuel motioning for me to join him. Thank. God.

“We have been at it for some time and it is time to break for lunch. If everyone will e-mail me their votes as to how to proceed with mitigation of the breach we will act with the majority. The options are to move forward with a third party IT cyber investigation, pay the ransom knowing the risks while also informing the proper authorities or to let Jackson fix the issues he caused.” I stare at Mr. Wright for the option. He had insisted that the issues were not “That Bad” and that he should be given another chance due to his efforts and success in getting the systems back up and running.

If the board chose that option I just might suck them all dry of their blood, just for being that stupid. “Meeting Adjourned”, my Vice President atoned as he turned to the business attorney and shared the black folder with him. I walked toward them and the door as Samuel waited patiently for me.

I ignored Mr. Wright completely as I stepped in-between the two men who seemed to have at least a few brain cells I could work with. I whispered quietly, “We need to speak privately, as soon as possible. I need five minutes through to handle an urgent matter. Get lunch together and meet me with a plan at a time that works.” I nod and laugh as if we talked about nothing and slapped Theodore’s back as I walked to the door after unlocking it with my pin. Theodore laughs and tells me we need to get drinks after work as I open the door.

I stop and smile, “Come over to Benedict’s at 7 tonight and bring your friends.” I can’t stay in after all as the office is supposed to be closed and back of my safety is having no one know I am staying at work. I can only imagine the nagging I will receive, but considering how badly I need a drink already there was no way I would pass up a chance to go to Benedict’s, my favorite Italian bar and breakfast place. Samuel would now know where I am gong at least so he couldn’t blame me for not telling him where I am going.

Why was Samuel back in the offices and why did he not text me while I was in my meeting? I know the man does not like technology and does not understand my fascination with it, however it was a phone those had been around for a long time. They were great devices that were far faster than the messenger and hunting hawks that he had once trained. Still the man would refuse to use one unless someone called him, luckily he at least did that much. It was known to only call him on his cell phone if it was an emergency.

So what was his emergency that he was here without any notification.

I wave him to follow me to my office as I look back to the board room. I see Mr. Wright in an intense discussion with the lawyer and I wish again I was allowed to take the guy out with a punch. No such luck as I turn toward the office door, badge in and let Samuel through. I hear him sigh heavily and I drag his massive, toned body into a chair. “You know you promised to stay here right?”, he grips as he pinches the bridge of his nose. I ball my fist up and knock him lightly on the head.

He looks up at me as I sit on the arm of his chair, “I need a drink and what better way to achieve it.” I take his hand as he tenses and nudges me off. “I understand you are trying to protect me as you promised Papa you would, but I need to handle things here. If it is known I stay here at night I am at bigger risk.” He does not respond, just looking at my hand that rests in his. He rises my hand to his lips and squeezes it tightly.

“My dear, I worry about Michell coming into your life again as well as what you need with Shrimiski’s son. They are both dangerous and to deal with both at the same time is not wise.” If Samuel is this worried about me meeting Shirmski Jr. and comparing him to Michell I truly must be careful.

I move my other hand to his shoulder patting it gently, “Why is he so dangerous? You once said he knows much and is an expert in technology.” He lets me go and I walk around to the other side of my desk. I pull out my chair as he looks up at be through glarier blue eyes that had a tendency to cut to the heart of any matter.

He sits up and sighs as he debates to tell me, “Just tell me already. You know I am stubborn and will not rest until you tell me!” He starts to smile and shakes his head. His eyes dance with mischief as I sit back in my chair waiting with mock patience.

“You are too much like me. Alright I will tell, but it is not a nice story and will not look favorably upon me or your father’s actions during the war. Even if we had a bit of fun. Do you promise to listen and not judge.” I am shocked, what in the world did not father get up to that would involve the Russians and there was not an evil bone in my father or uncle’s body.

I console him and try to look deeply into his expression, “I am sure you did nothing wrong and that anything that happened was just for fun right. It’s not like you bombed innocents right?”

He looks down at his hands and he grumbles, “No we did not, we helped create something worse. We created the Communist Party’s intelligence branch. Shrimiski’s son now is a top official and worse they have known about our kind for a long time.”

I exclaim “They WHAT!” I collapse into my chair and could not think. How many people did know of our existence and how are we to remain safe if so many people know what lives among them. Why were they so stupid to divulge that information to those who might use us. Were they trying to get everyone killed? Could this day get any longer? Why yes, yes it could. At this point all I want to do is sleep and wake up from this nightmare.