The Darkness - Jason Pinter [52]
the location where you refill and drop off your merchandise and money. Work that starts Saturday morning. Yes,
Saturday. Your sponsor put their reputation on the line
bringing you here. Don't embarrass them. In a short time,
we will be starting an initiative that has the potential to
bring in even more revenue than I've already discussed.
But you only get to be a part of it if you start now. So if
you want to be a part of our organization," Leonard said,
"stay seated. If you decide this is not right for you, I'm
sorry to have wasted your time."
Nobody moved. Chubby had forgotten all about his
cuff links. Nikesh was absently rubbing his back pocket,
where his wallet was surely kept. Greg looked at the
table, briefly, considering the offer, then looked right
back up at Leonard. His eyes said that he was in.
Morgan did not move. The money seemed too good
to be true, but he knew Ken Tsang had fallen on hard
times and had gotten out of it. And if things didn't work,
he could always quit. But the opportunity was too good
to pass up. This was Morgan's way back in the game.
Suddenly a chair squeaked. Everyone turned to the
back of the room to see a short, balding man stand up.
He waved his hands, as though trying to explain a crime
he hadn't committed.
"I...I'm sorry," he said. "I can't do this."
Leonard tilted his head, a look on his face like a parent
who's been disappointed by a child they've put so much
effort into. "Jeremy, are you sure?" Leonard said.
The Darkness
149
"I--I'm sure. I can't be a part of this." He moved to
the back door, still wringing his hands.
"You've disappointed us," Leonard said, motioning to
the rest of the room, still riveted to their seats. "One last
time, Jeremy. Stay. You heard what I said to everyone
about our rules."
"I know, I...I heard you, but...I'm sorry, but I have
to go. Good luck, guys," Jeremy said, and he reached
for the door.
"Good luck, and farewell, Jeremy," Leonard said.
Then, lightning quick, Leonard reached into his waistband and pulled out a gun. And before Morgan even knew
what was happening, a crack echoed throughout the
room, and Jeremy's head erupted in a spray of fine pink
mist.
The dead man's body slid to the floor, leaving a grotesque red trail from the gaping wound in his skull.
Morgan recoiled, nearly tipping back in his seat, and
when he righted himself he shivered when he realized that
the conference room was dead quiet. The eyes that had
bugged out of their sockets were now growing accustomed to the violence that had just taken place. The heads
slowly began to swivel from the body back to Leonard.
He watched them do this, a look of apathy, a look of
simple that's what happens on his face. Morgan recognized
that face. He knew the emotions. He couldn't help but smile
when he realized who it reminded him of. His old boss.
"There will be no dissent," Leonard said. "There will
be no second-guessing, and there will be no turning back.
Every one of you came here for one reason, and that's to
regain some of the respect you had for yourselves. Jeremy
did not have this self-respect, and now he's dead. But
before you start thinking to yourselves that I'm some
150
Jason Pinter
kind of monster, let me tell you that if Jeremy had stayed,
like every one of you is going to stay, you will make every
penny you did at your old jobs. There will be no layoffs,
no cutbacks, no downsizing. If anything, your earnings
will grow at a faster rate than they ever could while you
sat in some wretched cubicle or soulless office. We will
be introducing a new product in the next few days that
promises to help you erase all those debts. Keep making
those mortgage payments. Keep driving that Lexus, keep
that sweet Russian girlfriend who wants to spend five
grand a month at Chanel. You'll have all of that--and
enough just in case you want to throw a dime on the football games on Sunday. Now, you can either take Jeremy's
way out, the coward's way out, or you can get back to
work and