Severance Package Read Online Free PDF

memory.
    He’d tried calling Andrea, who worked uptown. No luck. Circuits were jammed. Jamie called his old college roommate in Virginia, who was able to get through to Andrea. While he was waiting to hear back, the second plane hit. He could hear the roar even blocks away.
    The scream reminded him of that morning.
    “Sit down, Jamie,” David said.
    “I don’t think we’re safe up here,” Jamie said. Only later, as he thought back over the events of the morning, would he understand that he was momentarily gifted with some kind of precognitive blast. A small part of his brain knew what the other parts would slowly come to experience:
We’re not safe up here.
    “Sit down
now,”
David commanded.
    Amazingly, Jamie found himself sitting back down. What had he planned on doing, anyway? Check the windows for burning skyscrapers?
    David cleared his throat, staring at a bag of Geneva cookies that was closest to him.
    “I’d hoped to have more time to explain, to set your souls at ease a bit, but I guess that’s not to be.”
    He ran his fingers through his hair. Jamie could swear David’s hand was shaking.
    “Truth is, I’ve failed you.”
    Nobody said a word.
    Nobody even reached for a cookie.
    This is bad, Jamie thought. He wondered if his most recent résumé was stored on his computer at work, or at home. He just hoped there was some kind of severance package to see them through a few months of job hunting.
    “Most of you know the truth about our company,” David said, “but for the two of you who don’t, I apologize for the shock you’re about to receive.”
    Someone gasped. Jamie didn’t see who.
    “We’re a front company for CI-6, which is a government intelligence agency,” David said. “We are being shut down.”
    Jamie found himself locking eyes with Stuart. We are
what?
    Stuart didn’t look a bit surprised.
    “You should be doing to me what I’m about to do to you,” David continued.
    “Oh, no.” Roxanne gulped. “You’re going to fire us.”
    David gave her a tight-lipped smile, then a shake of his head. “No, Roxanne, I’m not going to fire you. I’m going to
kill
you. You, and everyone else in this room. Then I’m going to kill myself.”
    “David,”
Amy said.
    “Molly? The box, please.”
    It was there in front of Molly—all of a sudden, it seemed. Jamie hadn’t noticed it before. He’d had his eyes on the cookies. Like everyone else.
    Molly opened the box, which was a plain white cardboard mailing box. She parted some Bubble Wrap, and lifted out a gun. With something bulky around the barrel.
    David put his hand out.
    Molly was shaking. Hesitating a moment before she handed over the weapon to her boss.
    But she did, like a good employee. Then she bowed her head slightly.
    David pointed the gun in the general direction of his employees. With a minor flick of the wrist, the barrel could be pointed directly at any of them. Jamie felt his forehead break out into a sweat. He wasn’t sure he was actually seeing any of this, but of course, he was seeing it. Because it was real.
    Unfolding in front of his eyes.
    “What I want you to do,” David said, “is mix a little champagne and orange juice together. Each contain a chemical that, when combined, is an extremely effective poison. It is also completely painless. You will lose consciousness within seconds, and that will be it.”
    “David, stop this,” Amy said. “This isn’t funny at all.”
    “I tried it myself a few nights ago. A very
micro
dose. It’s totally relaxing. I’ve never had a better night’s sleep.”
    Stuart was still trying to play the good soldier. “You want us to have a drink with you, boss? We’ll drink with you.”
    David ignored him. “If you choose not to have a drink, then I’ll be forced to shoot you in the head. I cannot guarantee that this second method will be pain-free. You may require a second bullet. It may be worse if you all decide to do something foolish like rush me. Make no mistake.