10~When Something Dark Leaves a Mark

Be Killing Sin or It Will Be Killing You. ~John Owen

---

---

Chapter 10

The office hustled with activity. The hunt was on, and the team had its new victim to dig their claws into and destroy. The client was going to be at the office in an hour. But this wasn’t just some random client; this was one of Duncan’s friends.

The strategic team that Duncan had assembled were killers. They wanted recognition, and he knew they would put a knife in his back to get it. He would have found that admiral any other day, but today, the thought about what they had dug up about his friend made his skin crawl. So he sat there quietly, making one of the women he had hired ask if he was feeling alright. Finally, ten minutes before the meeting, a file was placed before him, and the room cleared out to get the fishbowl ready for the show. His fingers traced the sore spot on his neck while reading the name, Alfred Rossie.

Duncan’s hand went over his mouth, remembering only days ago when the thought of stealing Al’s company out from under him was a rush, but now, something gnawed at him. His life motto was, Money talked; bull shit walked, and it always paid out. Anything, or anyone, could be bought; anything he wanted could be his for the right price. The stash of funds eagerly awaited in his top drawer to be used, ready to grease the right wheels, to blackmail the right ponzi to get the information he needed to play hardball, and today was supposed to be the pinnacle of Duncan’s success. He would get the recognition he deserved and oust the big boss, Bob Cromwell. His elbows went to the top of his desk, and his hands went through his hair and took a handful at the back of his neck, leaving him alone with his thoughts when there was a knock on the door. “Enter,”

Sybil came in with her gray, tidy skirt and blazer, handed Duncan a clean folder, and walked to the bar to prepare his drink. “I tried to get you on the intercom, but you didn’t answer?”

“I was thinking,”

“Oh, about what?”

“Friendship,” He answered, and all the clanking stopped. Duncan glanced up to see Sybil staring at him midway through the pour. “What?” He asked.

“Nothing, it’s just that, I’ve never heard you speak like that before,”

“Well, forget I ever did,” He growled.

Sybil’s eyes dropped, and started to pour the drink once more, “Mr. Rossie is in the conference room,”

“I wanted to look over a couple things before I head in,”

“Yes, sir. But I wanted to warn you that he has brought some top-name lawyers with him,” she said, setting the crystal glass on his desk.

The thought of people sitting in his conference room thinking they could put him in his place made Duncan chuckle. “Al, do you really think that would be able to stop me?”

“Sir, are you feeling well? You don’t have that normal, happy to go get them look about you today,”

Duncan grinned, taking the drink in his hand. “Just getting my plan in order, Sybil. If you’re going to destroy a man you know, it’s best to make it last longer to savor the victory,”

“Alright then. The team is waiting on you, and if you need anything else from me, you know where I’ll be,” Sybil said before shutting the door behind her.

The grin fell as he stared at the amber liquid, and a whisper came to his ear, “How dare Alfred bring lawyers to this meeting. Does he think something so trivial would stop a man like you?”

Duncan nodded. “What the hell was he thinking. He should have known that bringing in lawyers would just piss me off,”

“How stupid could he be. You should go in there and put that little shit in his place,”

“That’s right. He knows I’m not the kind of man to be trifled with. So humiliating him in front of his people will make the victory that much sweeter,” Duncan said, slamming his drink back.

He got up from his seat and slipped on his jacket, and walked over to the bar to pour himself one last glass before doing what he did best, destroy people. “What the hell was I worried about? All these dreams were brought on by way too many drugs, and a whole lot of pussy, nothing more. I am my own man, and no one on this planet will stop me.” he chuckled, looking at himself in the mirror and smoothing back his hair. “Aren’t you a handsome devil; now it’s time for you to go play the part,” he winked, taking his drink in one swig and buttoning up his coat before heading out.

All eyes watched as he came from his office, and he got a rush from the admiration and the fear. The fishbowl was filled with his people, Alfred, and the many lawyers he thought could save his company. “There’s a sucker born every minute,” Duncan smirked, pushed the door open, and strolled into the room. He stood at the head of the table and grinned at Al before he took his seat. “Good to see you came, Alfred. It’s best to do things face to face,”

“Like stabbing a friend in the back,”

“It’s nothing personal. You have a company that I need, and therefore I’m going to take it from you.”

“You mean you want my company to take over this company, don’t you, Duncan?” Al hollered as he stood up and slammed his fist on the table.

The room was silent, but the banter of words had Duncan chuckle. “You can accuse me of anything you want, Al. All of us here understand you would do or say anything to keep your company, but I won’t hold that against you,”

Alfred’s face had turned the deepest shade of red and sat back down. They both knew the truth; Al knew just what kind of man Duncan was and placed his cards on the devil’s side, betting that he would never come after a friend’s company… now, he knew better.

“Now that all that is out of the way, let’s get down to business on how I’m going to break your pasta company apart, shall we?” Duncan grinned as Sybil walked over, set a folder of papers before him, and passed out the others.

Three hours later, the meeting ended. Duncan was the victor and now the most powerful man in the business. Everyone would think twice before speaking out over any decision he made. The thrill of power flowed through his body like a drug. He was leaving the fishbowl when Al approached him, a thin man pulling on his jacket sleeve to stop him.

“You really think you’re something, don’t you,”

“I don’t have to think it, Al, I know it,”

“One day, I don’t know when, but you will be hurting for a friend, someone who will have your back, and you’ll see that you don’t have any. That you burnt all your bridges, and the people who you thought you could depend on for help will want to see you burn in hell,” Alfred seethed.

“Who needs friends when you have power. All the things you just said, those are just fantasies, Al. So, get over yourself. There is no justice or mercy, and thinking that men like me will get what’s coming to them in the end, is nothing more than wishful thinking. Let me be the first to set you straight. I already got what’s coming to me, and it’s going into my bank account as we speak. Now, why don’t you go get yourself a drink to get your mind off what you lost,” Duncan chuckled, smacking Al on the shoulder, and turned and left.

“Why, you son of a bitch!” Alfred seethed, and a tussle pursued with the thin man and a couple of his employees as he walked away.

Duncan pulled out his phone and texted Jewels. “I’m coming over tonight to celebrate. Invite over a couple of your friends to collaborate with us. I want at least three women in my bed tonight and make it a variety for me to play with,”

A second later, she texted back, “Guys?”

“Sure, I don’t mind watching a show to get me in the mood,”

“I’ll have the party in swing when you get here,”

“I don’t want you or the girls you have coming over for me to be touched... I like my playthings to be fresh,”

“Yes Duncan, I know,”

The phone went into his back pocket as he walked into a restroom on the floor before heading out. Duncan had the victory of a lifetime, and tonight he was going to party like it.

The place was empty as he went to a urinal, but a chill ran down his back while he stood there. He glanced over his right should and then his left but saw nothing. His knees felt weak as he finished his business and zipped up his zipper. He turned around and gave everything a once over, but nobody was there. Then, not wanting to be there any longer than he had to, he hurried to the sink to wash his hands when there came a chuckle. Duncan glanced up, and a man came out from one of the stalls in a gray suit with slick-backed white-blond hair and went to the sink and started washing his hands. “Nice job in there today, Duncan. I knew you’d come around again. Men like you always do. Now, go have some fun. Live it up, and forget about all the shit you’ve been thinking about over the past week,”

The man pulled a silver tin from his jacket pocket, took out a black cigarette, and lit it. “I prefer the real thing over those new vaping gadgets. Kids nowadays like electronic-flavored smokes. They would rather smoke something that tastes like a strawberry pie than tobacco, fools.” He said, eyeing the cigarette in his fingers. “They believe the new ways are better than the old. Humans are so gullible. They are led so easily to the lies, it almost takes the fun out of destroying them... almost,” The man winked and patted Duncan on the shoulder, just like Duncan had done to his friend Alfred only a minute ago. “Keep up the good work. I’ll be seeing you soon,”

For a second, Duncan didn’t move; he just kept looking in the mirror and where the man had been. Then, his mind flashed back to the man in his dream, the one who wrapped his thin cold hands around Duncan’s neck. He loosened his tie, looked in the mirror, and saw a slight red outline wrapped around his throat. “No, it can’t be true, that wasn’t real, it was a dream, a damn dream,” but he couldn’t shake the feeling that all of this was real, and he was the pawn in some game, and he was losing more than he ever thought he could lose.