Blackout Sam

Chapter 5

Manson sat staring at the information his assistant had provided him with about Samantha Green. He had to admit, she was a good journalist, and he may have underestimated her abilities. It increased his urgency to take her down. When he'd asked her about her evidence the night before, she'd said something vague and he took it as an excuse for not having any but the file before him proved him wrong.

Samantha Green didn't strike or make any move until she had something substantial. He wondered what it was. Could it be Andrew's carelessness? It was annoying, yet it wasn't enough.

Jules walked in with a file in her hand. "I have someone who can help us," she said. "This person works at Samantha's publication, and is willing to spy on her and sabotage her work."

Manson raised an eyebrow. "Who is this person?"

"The person prefers to remain anonymous," Jules said, handing him the file. "But they're reliable, and will know how to get the job done."

Manson flipped through the file, taking note of the person's skills and experience. He nodded in approval. "Invite the person over," he said. "I want to meet them in person."

The anonymous spy arrived at Manson's office later that day. Manson surveyed the prospective spy as they walked into his office. The person had a nervous demeanor. Manson's assistant introduced the person as "Mr. X,"

Manson narrowed his eyes at her,

"Mr. X?" He questioned.

Jules nodded as she gestured for Mr. X to sit down.

"Thank you for coming," Manson said.

"My assistant tells me that you have some information for us."

Mr. X nodded, their eyes darting nervously around the room. "Yes, sir. I work at Samantha's publication, and I can tell you that she's been working on something big. Something that could expose your… activities."

Manson leaned forward, pretending that his interest was piqued. "Go on."

Mr. X hesitated as if weighing their words carefully. "I don't have all the details, but I know that she's been digging into your financial records. She's trying to find a connection between your business dealings and some… unsavory characters."

Manson's grip on the armrests of his chair tightened. This was exactly what he knew. "And what do you propose we do about this?"

Mr. X shifted in their seat, looking uncomfortable. "I can try to sabotage her work. Feed her false information, delay her progress… whatever it takes to keep her from finding anything incriminating."

Manson considered this for a moment. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Very well," he said finally. "I will pay you generously for your services. But be warned – if you fail me, there will be consequences."

Mr. X nodded and continued spilling his knowledge of Samantha and her work.

Manson listened intently as Mr. X revealed the details of Samantha's latest investigation. Mr. X also gave him unnecessary information about her other cases. Manson found Samantha intriguing and how good she was at uncovering the deepest and darkest of secrets.

"Can you stop her?" Manson asked, his voice low and menacing.

Mr. X nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. I can make sure her investigation never sees the light of day."

Manson leaned back in his chair, eyeing the person before him. "You better not fail me," he said. "Or you'll end up like many others."

Mr. X paled visibly, and Jules shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Manson was known for his ruthless tactics, and no one wanted to be on his bad side.

The meeting ended with Mr. X scurrying out of the office, eager to please Manson. Manson turned to Jules, who was signing off forms, with a small smirk on his face.

"Impressive," he said. "You really know how to pick them."

Jules shrugged, but Manson could see the fear in her eyes. He didn't care, though. Fear was a necessary part of his business. And if it meant keeping Samantha Green from exposing his secrets, then he would do whatever it takes.

As soon as Mr. X left, the door burst open, and Jackson, his close friend, sauntered in, looking surprised.

"What's going on here?" He demanded, his eyes scanning the room for signs of trouble.

Mason released a sigh and slumped into his seat.

"Oh no, don't tell me you have another series of woman problems," Jackson sneered, crossing his feet on Manson's desk as soon as he sat down.

Manson's face contorted with rage. "That moron Andrew just screwed everything up," Mason snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "He left evidence behind that led the cops to him and now we're all in danger."

Jackson sat up, all mirth disappearing from his face.

"What evidence," he gritted out, "what'd he do?"

"Andrew was careless. An eyewitness saw him after the Cannizzo job. That's just one. There's also some information from my sources he left some documents lying around and Samantha Green may have managed to get her hands on them. She may know about our activities, and I don't know how much else she's uncovered."

Jackson's mouth fell open. "Did you just say Samantha Green?"

Manson nodded ruefully. Jules, who had been watching the interaction, sighed. Her expression softened as she looked at Manson with concern, her eyes brimming with sympathy.

"We'll figure it out, Mason," she said, her voice soft and reassuring. "We'll find a way to fix this."

Jackson paled at the news, realizing the potential damage this could cause to Manson's reputation and business empire. "We have to do something, Mason. We can't let this go public."

Manson nodded, his jaw clenched with determination. "I know. And we will take care of it. But first, we need to find out how much she knows and who else she's been talking to. We can't afford to have any loose ends. That's why you met that person outside."

Jackson's lips pressed into a thin line. "A spy? Effective as always."

Manson turned to his assistant. "Call in the rest of the team. We need to tighten our security and start investigating. And as for Andrew" he added, his voice cold and menacing. "We are going to use him to fix this mess. We won't hesitate to take more drastic measures. Make sure to keep tabs on Mr. X. Samantha doesn't know what's coming her way."