Internal Auditor 11
#11 of Internal Auditor
Things did not go well in the meeting and got worse from thereon.
Managed to get this down. Can't say much but this chapter has no yiff in it. It needs to move towards the plot.
Internal Auditor 11
"It's Greg."
That voice. Such distinctive voice that Smith swore that it was him. In fact, it could be him! The tiger pushed Speedy off approached forward. Without a thought to it, the door was unlocked and the first thing that Smith saw was the familiar man that he met many months ago; the exact same bull that he fucked back when he first knew him at gym. Rooted to the ground, Smith wanted to give the bull a punch to the face but considering all things and the position that everybody was on, he held back.
Greg looked back and from the looks of things, he wasn't that happy with his presence here. Everything that the bull planned had gone awry. It wasn't the fact that he was unsuccessful in finding a good place to hide but the guilt and sub-consciousness had finally crept up to him that every night was sleepless and filled with tosses and turns. By the following month, Greg wasn't happy with how things are and he flew back to make things right. Despite his unethical ways of exploiting company profit, he was eager to fix the wrong that he had submerged himself into.
The main point was the document that Speedy held. In the haze of his own removal from the committee, the bovine managed to get hold of documents that he deemed useful for future needs and now was the perfect timing. Despite knowing the fact that he might land himself into court, nonetheless, he came back. Showing no sign of regret, Greg continued to pursue forward. He knew the ins and outs of the company, better than Smith could, in fact. Through valuable sources and mostly assistance from friends within the organization, he managed to gain a better understanding of how Shaun worked.
Truth in fact, most of the employees weren't happy and afraid of Shaun himself. They have never intended to hurt Smith's feelings within working perimeter but they had to put on the façade of a loyal worker to the wolf. The wolf had eyes all over the place and they were mostly working for him or gaining some form of benefits in return. For those that didn't, they worked and lived in fear. So much fear that one employee had to be killed in the process.
"Richard... why..." Greg spoke lowly but held his head high. "He was shot. I don't know how true that fact is but that was what I got from the others."
Smith nodded firmly. "And that is why I saw many empty cubicles. It was kind of odd and I thought it was due to the audit period."
Greg shook his head. "No, it's not that. Many knew about the company's current situation. They didn't care if they were not paid. Their lives were pretty much at stake and no one wanted to risk it."
As he continued on, the group nodded and absorbed through everything that he conveyed. From then on, Greg knew that something must be done to stop Shaun. His ways of gaining power and profits were beginning to land him in prison and the only person to stop all of this was Smith. He was the main man of the company. He controlled the controls of transaction and the tiger basically knew each and every procedure that this company ever had. That was his job and if the law proves to be right, it was time to whistle blow.
Furthermore, he had solid proof of everything that was going on. The document was their best weapon and Greg proved it to be legit. Now, it was down to discuss with Shaun himself. However, Largo hesitated for a moment. "We need to wait for Voden."
"Why do we even need him to come in when we have everything?"
"Basically, you are going to barge in his office, prance around him in circles singing 'busted busted' and bring him to prison? Have you seen his bodyguards? We are of no fight towards them. Speedy, you and I may be good but they are trained to be one. We aren't like them."
The tiger hissed sharply. "Why would I care? C'mon, it's time to end this."
Spoken like a true leader, Speedy led the way. He was impatient as it is with the wolf's delay. Calls were made and backup on the ready. He was determined to catch the son of the famous billionaire and to prove the world that nothing will go right if you play dirty. For each action will be a consequence and this was his payment; blood for blood and money for money. This may send the world of business into a slight spiral and he prayed and hoped that Basil would do something about it. This was his problem as well but if the man did nothing to solve this problem, things may not look good for most industries.
As they approached the front door of Shaun's office, the company secretary stood on guard.
"Miss, if you may, we would like to have a meeting with Shaun." Speedy spoke with a tinge of growl.
The female badger looked to the angry mob and nodded. "But Shaun only wants to see Smith, alone."
"Miss, look, I don't bloody care what that man says. What I say goes and if you're here to block the way of justice, I will not hesitate to hurt you."
His words seethed but the woman did not move out of position. "Your threats do not scare me, Mr. Speedy. I am here as a professional. I do not mix my feelings between company and personal life. Once again, only Smith is allowed inside. He's been waiting."
Smith pulled Speedy back with a tug. "Yes, I will enter."
Speedy glared daggers over to him and growled in disapproval. He never wanted him to be alone with that man. In fact, if he were to be with the wolf, he would at least be in the same room with Smith. This was unacceptable and he would never allow it but Smith was persistent. He assured him that no harm would be placed upon him as long as he is careful with every moment that the wolf made. If things got out of hand, he would be the first to approach. Right now, he needed to have a personal audience. Largo was against this but there was not stopping him now.
Gaining a slight confidence from the group, Smith was off to meet his match. The badger unlocked the door and ushered for the tiger to enter, upon which he did and thanked towards her. As the door closed behind him, he scrutinized the office in detail but something else caught his eye. Rather than just seeing Shaun alone at his desk, a tall broad wolf stood in his amidst. Taking small steps, he approached the two carefully, ears at attention for any sudden moves. The canine; never seen him before. Better yet, who is he?
"Ah! Smith, how good you could join us. Voden and I were discussing about possible future assets!" He cajoled.
Voden, that was his name. From appearance, the canine did not display anything unusual. A blue coat with the formal cutting, tie and slack; the typical nine to five office worker but something seems off about him. He was large, that's for certain. The bulk and outer frame of his body sent immediate signals that he workout daily. Standing side by side, Smith managed to catch a glimpse of the canine's face. Deep and shadowed, carved from years of working experience but he depicted an aura of hate. His eyes pierced through Shaun and from the looks of things, Voden was on his side.
"Shaun, I will be direct with you," Smith breathed harshly, "Please stop this nonsense, now. You have gone too far." As much as he wanted to go on, he wanted to hear his response. He wanted to know what's going on in that wicked mind of his.
The wolf gave a soft chuckle and shook his head. "And why would I do that?"
"Because we've got solid evidence that this whole company is just a vessel for you to make fraudulent activities. I have perfect evidence and you cannot weasel your way out of this."
Despite his threats, Shaun wasn't afraid, none whatsoever. Instead, he gave his signature grin that irked the tiger once more. Every time that bastard does that, he usually fights back with an extra move to make things worse. The urge to wipe that shit grin off spurred the tiger's anger and determination to bring him to justice. Before he could snap back, the wolf beside took a step forward.
"Shaun," deep and gruff, a perfect match for his stature. "Do not pursue further. If you drop the case right now, I can assure you that you will not be brought to justice. Your father will know nothing about this and - "
The wolf slammed the table with both paws and stood up. "You think this is about my father? You think my father can run a company better than I do? You think so, Voden?"
Voden was silent.
"Speak!"
"I do not look down on your caliber as an entrepreneur as you are very well verse with the world of business and the accounting rules and laws and regulations. I have seen the records that you made and I have to admit, it impresses me but it wouldn't impress your father."
Shaun spat at his words as he adjusted his blue coat. "My father is looked upon by many. Everyone placed him as a role model, even the younger generations who lacked interest in business does. What about me? The shadow of my old man."
Every word that was uttered out was the truth. Painful as it is for Shaun but that is how things were for him. Every night, as a toddler, he wanted the love and affection of a father. Since the death of his mother, his father was the only role model that he would place on but he was a complete failure. As he grew older, he was given private tutoring and no one was the wiser. Basil has never shown interest in his son and even to the media, he lied and claimed that he had no offspring. As soon as Shaun knew about it, it broke his heart. That was then and he'd thought that things would change in near future.
It never changed.
The love and expectation that he wanted from his father never came and even after his tutoring days, he wasn't even there to congratulate him. Worse was when he wanted to prove himself worthy under the eyes of his old man. It was easy to gain access to unlimited money and through that, Shaun manages a small business. However, fate was cruel and within a few months, it came crumbling with no mercy. His father had to bail him out by paying a full sum towards his creditors. From then on, he was just another stranger at home. He never was back for dinner and the only companionship he ever had were friends from the online world.
Through that, he discovered ways to build a proper business, learnt a few things along the way but what came next was something unexpected. He has heard rumours roaming around the web that Basil was out dealing in the black market but he couldn't believe any one of those. It was, and is, only a rumour but these 'rumours' were beginning to show their true colours when he found reports and notes about his father's business and investment. As he dug further, he finally realized that his father wasn't the man that he thought he was. The deeper he dug, the harder it was to accept reality.
In the end, they confronted each other.
"That was when I started thinking about the very same thing," Shaun stood with arms across chest. "If my father could do it, why not me?"
"Do not place the blame on your father," Smith hissed. "He's a respectable man and would never do such crimes."
"What? Do you really think that all of these investments and assets that my father has was done through pure hard work? Dream on, ya' stupid fuck. He's as nasty as I am. What you see in me is what you get from my father." The wolf laughed heartily. "This is just great. I am turning into my father. If this is how he makes business, I would hate to see the look on his face when everything comes crashing down."
Voden's eyes widen and darted forward, holding up the wolf with both bare paws, hanging an inch off the ground. "What do you plan on doing?!"
"Something that would kill my father with a heart attack," he pocketed a paw and took out a handheld device, placing a number of speed dial. The larger wolf growled and hissed with extreme displeasure. He grabbed off the phone but it was too late. A soft click reverberated through the room and a cunning voice spoke.
"Have you made your decision, Mr.Shaun."
"Yes I have," he said groggily, still clutched under Voden's paw.
"Are you sure? Do you plan to proceed?" The voice spoke once more but this time, far darker and deeper.
"No he doesn't!" Voden roared, pushing Shaun off the desk. "Cancel whatever transaction he wanted to do. Leave everything to a halt. Do not continue! I repeat, do not continue!"
The wolf stopped and balled his fist up, clearly upset and angry at whoever he was talking with. Smith was in utter confusion at what was happening. Who was this man that Shaun had called? What was his plan! Soon after, the answer came through.
In front laid four plasma screen, embedded to the walls behind and it flickered, turning on by itself and pictures of the ongoing stock market came up. Every few seconds a number would increase or decrease as it should and colours of red and green appeared for a moment before disappearing. Dealings after dealings of the current trading stock market were happening in front of their eyes but that wasn't unusual to any of them. To Smith, this was part of his job study to analyze stock trading but soon after, something was beginning to dawn upon him.
He wouldn't, would he?
Shaun stood back up, snarling under his breath at the rough treatment he received from Voden. Even through that, that smug grin of his continued to stay on. "Continue with what we have planned."
"No!" Smith finally shouted. "You aren't going to do it, right?"
"Oh ho! Finally! Smith! You've figured it out," Shaun clapped. "Took you long enough. I don't even know why we hired you in the first place. You are quite a slow internal auditor. You don't even know what's happening deep within the organization."
"Shaun, please. Don't. This is between you and me and nothing to do with anyone else."
"Dreadfully wrong," this time, he bared rows of predatory jaws. "This is between me, and my father. You are just here to stop me." He turned, back facing the two.
"Sell all of it and pull out all investment."
"As you wish. I am here to serve. This will be my final business with you. I hope you know what's going to happen now. I now, bid you, farewell and good day."
The voice sizzled away and the room came to a deafening silence. Voden breathed heavily as he tried to process the words that came out of his mouth. The realization dawned upon him but it was far too late to stop anything. Smith knew what he had planned but couldn't stop him in time.
As it goes, the four screens that depicted the market value of the stock hadn't change but slowly, something was beginning to move out of place. The occasional green was beginning to stop and red had begun to appear. Pops after pops of red screened upon each stock market and soon after, several companies were beginning to flicker in red. Much to Smith's horror, it wasn't only a few companies but most of them were blinking in red. As he watched on, the numbers dropped; slowly but surely. Every half a minute, a figure dropped. Soon followed by another and another.
"Shaun! Stop it!" Smith roared.
"Never! I will show my father how much wealth we have and how I can be like him! I can operate a business... just the way he would. Hahahaha!"
More and more flickered red. The steel industry, dropped by 20%. Service, 50%. Oil, significant drop of 60%. More and more were affected. Soon, the first screen was completely covered in red, not a single green appeared and the numbers dropped like there was no tomorrow. Shaun laughed and enjoyed the pops of blood red as it flickered on and off, having no mercy upon any of it.
"This is just too easy. I have invested into every dealing that existed in the market and I practically represent the majority of shareholding. How naïve could this people get! Let's see how much they like it when my injections were taken away."
"You sick bastard," Voden raised a fist to punch the wolf but stopped in midair. "Tch."
Shaun stared at that large fist but never showed a hint of fear towards him.
"By pulling out your money, you have left these companies dry and just as the people thought that the company was doing well, they bought the shares as well. Now, they've got nothing. You give them such hopes for a better wealth in investment and this is how you return their hopes? By destroying them into miserable pieces?"
Shaun placed a paw on his forehead and laughed. "You really do think I'm doing this for this company? Voden, please. This whole company is just a vessel for me! A stepping ground to hide my activities. No one would know who it is because I'm not pursuing it as an individual. I've got many that helped me along the way. Names upon names in every investment. They cannot detect who really bought them."
"But I can," the wolf growled. "I know and I can prove it."
"Prove it?" His paw smacked on his forehead and chuckled under his breath. As he looked up and stared at Voden, he burst into laughter but not one due to jokes or sort. It came more of a cackle and bellow of desperation and evil; in other words, he laughed maniacally. "Voden. Oh dear Voden. Do not humour yourself with such act of heroism. I am merely giving what the public wants. Can't you see how the world is going? Turning? It's beginning to churn into a god damn hell!" Fingers pointed out to the window, emphasizing his point.
"Greed and corruption. That's how corporation works. The people wants, we, the corporation, gives. The more they want, the more we give! What we get in return are their money. What's so wrong about that?"
"It's not wrong to give what the public wants!" Voden snapped angrily. "This is total abuse and inappropriate distribution of funds and rewards. This is a world controlled by enslavements due to people like you. This is a world based on crime against humanity. Soon after, capitalism will eat itself and from what? From people like you!"
"Voden, you're just like me. You and me, we were never different from the past, right?" The wolf came forward and puffed his chest out.
The larger wolf hissed and grabbed hold of Shaun by the collar. "We were never the same. What I wanted is for the people to get what they deserve. Not what they can take and grab from others by manipulation. This... this isn't what we talked about in terms of business."
"Things changed." Shaun said with his signature smirk. "You're out of the picture. I have no use of you. Look at the screen. It has been done. Every company is in turmoil now. Daddy will finally see me as his equal."
Voden pushed the wolf off immediately and grab hold of his phone, quickly dialing whatever number he thought necessary. As this goes on, Smith was in a complete blank. Things were moving too fast. Who is this man in the first place? What kind of business dealings has he made with Shaun and what the hell is going on? So many questions ran through his mind but none answered. He had nothing more to do but to stop this nonsense immediately. But how?
Finally, Smith gained his much needed attention when Shaun turned towards him. He grinned as much as he could as he taunts the tiger. "Lovely, isn't it? All these years of suffering. It all comes down to this."
"Shaun, this can be saved. Restore back your investment and things will go right. There is still chance for redemption."
"Chance? Redemption?" Shaun stifled a guffaw. "There is no turning back. I have seen things that you have not, Mr. Smith. Faith in justice? You think the law will prevail? Look around you! The people are killing themselves! Look at the population, look at the corruption, look at the greed as it builds! There ain't such thing as love, or salvation." He stopped momentarily, placing a paw over his chest slowly, shaking his head. "Not in here. Only lust, greed, corruption and it builds and builds and it never stops."
Smith surprised himself by moving forward to hold on to the wolf, shaking him hard. "Yes there is! Your father loves you. Deep down, he does. Even if Basil is corrupted but the love of a father is forever. Deep down, he loves you as his son. But by doing this... this is going to hurt him real bad."
A sudden click cocked to his chest and the tiger stiffened. Smith gulped and lowered his gaze, the image of a gun pointed directly at his chest made him sweat profusely. His breathing got heavier and heart raced out of control.
"I said it before. If you do not help me, you will die."
"Don't even think about it." Another click and a pistol aimed at the wolf's head. Voden was back from his call and fortunately enough, he came prepared for such an event. "I will not hesitate to kill you if I have to. Now put the gun down."
As those words sunk in, the door burst open and in came the team. Speedy was the first to barge in but the sight of two guns appearing in the room wasn't what he had expected. The moment came and Shaun took the chance. He jabbed at Voden's side since he had left his guard and held on to the tiger but Smith relented. Smith at least knew that he was far stronger than the wolf in terms of strength and tried to unarmed the weapon. Through the struggle, Shaun bellowed and growled for dominance as he held on to the weapon. He kicked and punched but the tiger did not budge. Instead, it spurred him on.
"Getroff!" Shaun snapped and kicked. Somehow, through the confusion, the wolf managed to land a punch onto Smith's crotch. The tiger yelped and released the wolf, who immediately gained the upper hand, pointed directly at his face.
"I ask again, will you help me!"
"Urk... S-Shaun! I cannot! This is out of my hands!"
"Then die!" The gun clicked and aimed, ready for the kill.
"Fuck!!"
Evident sound of gunshot reverberated through the building, skin pierced through as the bullet took aim and penetrated through a body. The gun held, smoked with one single shot and everyone went still, rooted to the ground, unable to accept the fate of a single man.
From the distant, a squad of police enforcers broke through the door and ravaged through everything. Tables and chairs were flipped over, papers strewn like trash, littered the area with it. Luckily enough, nobody was at home. Men of about twelve to fifteen per squad came through, everyone holding a gun or taser to prepare for any attack within the vicinity. Every office door was barged open and smashed with no mercy. Even the toilets were left unchecked. Despite through everything, the remaining office that hasn't been examined was the CEO of the company.
The leader gave direct instructions and his men got into position, ready for any outcome that may require their assistance. Looking around, scrutinizing through the empty office and hurricane driven area, there was no doubt that this was the answer that they were looking for. On three, the leader slammed through and the door gave way. His men entered and quickly raised their weapons up to the main culprit, aiming direct to any vital spot.
Shaun stood in place, the pistol straight out as it had released its deathly shot. His throat, out and dry, forcing him to gulp a mouthful of saliva; he was in shook as everyone else.
Laying there splayed on the floor was Black, his heavy hooved paws clutched on his chest, blood seeping off from his fingers. Blake tackled on to the wolf and gave a bellowing roared that shook the room literally. "What the fuck did you do?!"
Even in his predicament, Shaun still managed to bring out his signature grin. "I. Did. Nothing." Emphasizing on every word.
The rhino roared once more and delivered a hefty blow to the wolf's face. Stopping with one punch and slamming his over on the ground. "You sick bastard!" Followed by another punch to the face, and another, and another. All Shaun did was lay there and received his punishment. It was heavy and demeaning. Every part of his body screamed and yelled for the man to stop but he didn't utter a single word. Blood plastered on his face with his nose broken, losing a few teeth in the process.
Vodengot to his feet and hoisted the rhino off the half beaten canine. "Stop! Stop it! What are you doing? You have to stay calm."
"That bastard just shot my brother and you're telling me to stay calm?" His struggles were relentless but Voden was far stronger than he was; this proven by the fact that the wolf won him over a simple wrestling match prior days before.
Shaun closed his eyes and uttered a sigh of relief, glad that the blows were gone but what has been done is done. Blood seeped off from his face and he could feel the black eye coming through, face literally swollen from punches. The squad team brought the wolf back up and straddled him over to one of the men's shoulder, grunting in the process, weak in both physical and mental. He saw the whole team, present in his office. Voden holding on to Blake, trying to calm him down. From the other corner, he saw his brother, bathed in his own blood, slightly breathing but unable to move. The two tigers tried as much as they could to keep the blood from seeping but to no avail. The girls tried their best to help but nothing seems to be going right. As this unfolds, Shaun had no regrets for what he had done.
Before the enforcer could reach over to the door, Smith stopped him abruptly. "Shaun..." The tiger looked at the bruised canine.
"A-Ah... Smith..."
Smith clenched his fist and suppressed the urge to beat him up. "Can we restore this?"
Shaun coughed brazenly with a string of saliva hanging from the side, looking far more pathetic than he used to. He shook his head and closed his eyes, finding comfort on the shoulder the enforcer. "What's done is done. Only father can change it. If he does, father will be considered as the saviour of the people, the man who gave them a second chance. He will gain superiority."
"It doesn't work that way. Basil will- "
"Father did not reveal his son to the public. That you must know and since the people don't, nobody will."
Smith inhaled deeply with remorse boiling deep within his soul. He had a point. Nobody knew who he was. Nobody do and Basil made it that way. The more he thought about it, he sympathized with the wolf's imposition. If this did not prove his worth to him, nothing will but the man may not take it lightly. Without another word, Shaun was carried off to a safer place where he will be treated with care.
His paw on his chest, he was beginning to understand Shaun's situation but for every deed the wolf inflicted on him, he couldn't turn his back to it. The pain and loneliness that made him an outcast; everyone turning against him, it hurt like a thousand needles pricking through his heart. Why does this happen. Why must life be so cruel...?
A sudden cry broke him off from his reverie, turning around to catch the rest surrounding over Black. Fuck. Black was shot, period. Blood oozed from the wounded area and it kept bleeding. Blake was in tears by now and spoke incoherently between sobs, unable to contain his emotions; couldn't blame him even if he could. His brother was the only family member that he ever had and losing someone that he loved through and through was something he wasn't ready for. Help was on the way but the rhino was already in pain, screaming and clenching to sustain the injury.
"Stay strong, brother, please. Do not leave me. I cannot live without you like this. This is not the time." Blake held on to his brother's hardened paw, clutching as his life depended on it.
Black smiled, even through his pain. "I will be fine. At least I know now that Smith is alive."
"I-Idiot," the tiger looked away. "Why would you do that?"
Once again, his smile widened. "To repay the debt that we owe to your father. Because without him, both of us would be dead by now. This is the only way I could think of, to repay him. To make our lives a meaningful one," he croaked and coughed through his words.
"Brother, no more. Save your energy." Blake's voice quivered and shook as he spoke. "You will be alright. Medic! Where are they?"
Black tightened his grip on to his brother's hooved paw. "I-If I don't make it. I would like you to know that I am happy. I am truly happy and have fulfilled my wishes. The first, to repay my debt to Smith's father. The second, to have such a wonderful brother like you in my life."
Blake couldn't hold back his tears and began crying. "Do not say that, please don't go." He sobbed harder, tears streaming down his cheek.
"Shh... It's going to be alright," his paw stroked against head, soothing the crying man. "I will see father and mother soon. Please be happy. Live a good life. Promise me that you will be a good person. Work for the right people and most of all, be surrounded by loving friends. Do... take... care of yourself..."
From then on, Blake couldn't stop himself and let himself go. A team of medic had finally arrived and they had to pull Blake off. It was difficult but they managed. The body was taken and examined, expert doctors were at the ready. They bandaged him properly and got him off the ground swiftly, off to the hospital for immediate check-up. As Black was carried away by the stretcher, everyone looked from where they stood till they were gone. Black was taken.
Blake was released and he fell on his knees, tears running endlessly like a river. He couldn't take the shock. This was far too much to handle and no amount of words could comfort his shaken spirit. Worse, he couldn't say his promise to him. Smith lowered himself and hugged the man as hard as he could, squeezed with both arms to give him the comfort or a shoulder to lean on. At that moment on, the room darkened and everyone was still. The four plasma screen on the wall continued to flicker and blink endlessly; signalling the fall of various companies, each with lowered stock prices as they continued to plunge into deficit.
The house was quiet and empty, no sign of life within the premise but deep inside, there were. Humid and heavily scented candles wafted through the air, making an eerie appearance from afar. Seated behind a table, the man of power tapped on the table and listened to the news that appeared on screen, the only illuminating light that lit the whole room. Various reports and news kept appearing from one channel to the next and it was practically the same thing. Stock market plunged into their doom, companies down on their knees, some making through with enough investors willingly investing; most ruined by a certain man.
"Investors are quickly selling off their stocks but to no avail as the bidding continued to plunge, nobody wanting to buy their assets. Numerous people have gone to the extent of lowering their wager to half their expected profits and above cost, desperately trying to eliminate any further losses."
This went on for minutes as the man in the shadow listened attentively. He sipped on his tea and licked his lips, enjoying the aroma that permeates from the drink. A knock came abruptly and the man growled. "Come in."
The door clicked open and a butler came in, holding two phones on a tray. "Master Basil, you have two very important calls."
At those words, he grinned with both paws on the table. He ushered the servant in and took hold of both calls, synchronizing them together and placed on loudspeaker, the room sizzled with a slight interference but soon, Basil could hear both voices clearly. Once they were on, the familiar voice of a wolf came through. Voden had finally gotten through with Basil and he wasn't happy with how things have turned out to be.
"This isn't how things should work... sir..." Regardless of what his imposition was, the man still had power and respect, something the wolf had earned through various dealings.
Voden finished what he had to say and the room turned silent, the cackle of fire burning in the fireplace was the only sound that came through. Even for the man of power, he kept himself calm and closed his eyes, accepting the sudden news. Voden was right in a way. This wasn't how things were supposed to work. He actually knew that his son was out to do something but to actually learn his tools of the trade and applied in real time was something he never thought the wolf could do. In fact, he even invested in a small part for the company but to divest and diverge into such significant trading, this required at least years of training. And yet, he managed to pull it off.
Basil leaned back and chuckled. Shaun is truly his son. The nature of business runs through his veins and if he didn't know any better, he may have fared better than him. However, he made a huge mistake, a mistake only an amateur would do. The man couldn't really blame him. Shaun was still in training and young, fresh from the oven but to do such crime at this age was fleeting. Now, he was caught with solid evidence to convict him. Why have I been so stupid?
"Sir," a voice spoke and Basil jerked himself up. It was the voice from the other line. "What is your plan now? We cannot let this continue. Stocks are plunging and most of these are under some anonymous names that do not exist. I do not want to know how Shaun did it but sir, with all due respect, we need to do something or else."
Again, Basil fell silent.
"Sir, take this as an investment of a lifetime. Now is the time to invest and pump in money. The market is down but you and I know that a whole lot of these companies are profitable. If we do not do anything now, there are other investors who would take this as a chance to grow. We need to seize this chance."
"I cannot believe you are supporting this," Voden hissed through the phone. "So, it is true. I do not know if this is part of your plan to gain better recognition but this is low, even for you."
Basil smirked to himself. "Then, what should we do? Let it die?"
At this, the large wolf on the other end stopped and chocked abruptly. He was right. The other man spoke. "I will make the arrangements and by tomorrow, we will have a few large companies by our side."
"Good. Very good. Make sure we get the best. I wouldn't want to be beaten by some other bastard."
"Very well, sir. I will leave now." The phone clicked and left it as that. Voden had yet to place the phone down and he wasn't planning on doing so that soon.
"What about your son?"
Basil pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ignore that man. Do not be concern about this, Voden. You do your job and I will do mine."
"Sir! With all due respect from me, I cannot tolerate this!" A bang was heard through the phone. "Your son gave up his life for you, so that you could recognize him as your equal and this is what he gets? Have you not seen his deeds?"
"I do not care." The man stopped there and ended his sentence. "Good bye, Voden." And the phone beeped and the two was offline.
Shaun may have been his son but what he did was something beyond his power. Even if he could bail him out, his reputation will be tarnished if word got out. As of the moment, the public and media do not acknowledge the birth of his son and this could quickly turn into a scandalous report if they knew about the death of his wife. One of the many reason to keep this all a secret was due to his overwhelming power over the market and wealth that comes along. What Shaun had done was give him a head start in this dog eat dog world but would he still acknowledge him as his son?
Basil stood up and walked to the side window, overlooking a beautiful lawn that he had made in his property. A beautiful house matched with a beautiful landscape, fit for perfection... just like him. He clenched and unclenched his fist before finally making a decision that could change his life forever.
From across Basil's residential area, the city was restless as the news broke out and many were panicking over what should be done. One by one, companies are dropping like flies but most had tried to sustain damage. The stock market was about to close in minutes but nobody cared. All they wanted was to sell and be gone with it. The longer they hold on to the stock, the worse it would get. Panic swept through the city but only a handful of people know about the true situation and why it happened. Things were beginning to look grim for some but to the wealthy, it speaks opportunity.
Those who followed the story from the beginning, may not like what I have done here but that's just me. Needed a small plot twist and this may be the climax of the story and one of the main intention of why I wrote this whole series down.
As usual, comments and criticism is highly welcomed. For this particular chapter, I do hope your input comes in.