He had no idea what he was looking at.
There was something expectant in the one that remained, as if it waited. Without thinking of the dangers, without any fear at all, Jared slowly wiggled his hand through the gap and in a moment of unfamiliar calm, extended it below the metal ledge toward the hypnotic light. As his cold and grimy fingers were washed in the bubbling light, the singing around him escalated to a crescendo, and the light floated towards his hand.
Completely captivated, Jared had no idea what was about to happen. It was clear to him though that the spectral creature was trying to reach him in some way. The outer mist closed the last centimetres to his outstretched fingers, the melodic chorus around him becoming as insistent as his heart beat. Then he gasped as the oppressive darkness of the chute faded abruptly from his sight and was replaced with the glinting lustre of late afternoon sunlight on calm ocean waters. For one of the first times in his life he felt a consuming sensation of wonder.
Chapter 1
Demise
Amelia sat back in the chair, an aggressive but resigned expression on her face. In her 41 years she’d only experienced this sort of defeat once or twice, and it was completely debilitating. Brushing her auburn hair back behind her ears, a few errant curly locks escaping her fingers, she flicked her dark brown eyes across each person at the table. Finally she regarded the man at the opposite end of the board room table with a look of profound disdain; this was the person they’d entrusted to guide the company five years ago, and now he was stumbling over an explanation which she knew was fabrication. Everything he’d attempted was a failure.
Interrupting the inane monologue, Amelia leaned forward in her chair and fixed him with a vicious expression. “James, I think that what you’re trying to say is that your strategy to diversify and establish a lower mass market tier, rather than provided efficiencies and economies over the whole, has in fact ended up being an absolute mess.” She spread her hands slowly at his dumb, outraged expression. “I know that’s not exactly what you’re saying, but in reality does that sum up the drivel you’re spewing out?” The hum of conversation abruptly ceased and all was deathly silent.
The insulting words served to rile his ego. “Amelia, I don’t think that’s either fair or accurate, and you’re not in possession of all the facts.”
She stood now, the anger overflowing. This man’s arrogant, pompous naivety had taken them to the brink of bankruptcy, and if Richard, the CEO, hadn’t uncovered the true depth of the disaster, there wouldn’t be anything left. Turning her back on him, she reached down and poured a glass of water. “Well, James, if I relied on your reports, then yes, I wouldn’t be in possession of all the facts, but thankfully we have other sources. Now what’s accurate is that you have no business being a Managing Director.”
James looked as though he’d been slapped. As he made ready to retort he glanced across the other faces of the crowded board table and realised he had no support. Astute enough to realise he was beaten, he attempted to salvage the situation to the best of his ability. “Now Amelia, this was a complex undertaking and we all agreed there were risks.”
“Yes, it was a complex undertaking, one that you were leading.” She placed the glass on the credenza and crossed her arms. “And what it needed was more than having meetings with your pet managers in that rather nice office of yours, or flitting overseas on five-star junkets.” At his icy stare she continued. “The point you need to keep in mind here, James, is that you have a fiduciary responsibility to this company and the board.” Amelia tightened her lips. “That means you needed to tell us about this mess before Richard got calls from the bank asking about security for the five million overdraft.”
Very calmly, but with a veiled menace in his voice, Richard spoke from the far end of the board table. The ten occupants of the room snapped their attention towards him. “The only reason I got that call was because a junior had questions about the application and he couldn’t get hold of you.” He spread his hands. “Otherwise we would never have known.” His expression became vicious. “I’m not supposed to be back in the country yet, you timed this for when you had power of attorney.”
The anxiousness in James’s eyes turned to panic. “It was a temporary measure only. Richard, you need to understand the situation.”
Richard looked to his right, his expression imperious. “Adam?”
From next to Richard the man he’d prompted spoke in cold, authoritative voice. “No, none of this has been temporary. The three new lines are all making losses and our market share of existing brands are all half what they were five years ago.” He exhaled deeply. “It’s taking longer to bring ranges on stream, and the consistency and quality are disturbing. The department stores and chains are cutting back inventory and not giving us the profile they were. In six months tops that additional five million will be gone, and this company ceases to exist. Inevitable.”
The room was silent, though awash with emotions. James finally stood, his bearing belligerent. “It’s clear to me that the board doesn’t support my leadership and initiatives. I think it’s prudent that I tender my resignation.”
Very slowly, Amelia retook her seat. Leaning back in the chair, she laid her hands gently on the arms of the chair, barely containing her rage. “Probably five months earlier than you’d planned, but that’s acceptable to us. We’ll have severance terms drawn up for you.”
Bristling at the insinuation, James leaned forward on the table. “There’s no need, my contract covers those terms very adequately.”
“We won’t be responding to those clauses in your agreement.” Richard’s voice remained calm.
James’s tone was frosty. “You don’t have any choice, the severance terms are a blanket application.”
Amelia spoke again, her composure unflustered. “That’s right, James, we don’t have a choice. But you certainly do.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong here, none of my decisions were negligent, and it’s your lack of vision and support that have damaged this company.”
Richard leaned forward, his voice deliberately calm. “Will you all please leave the room.”
All knew to whom that instruction applied. The directors, Amelia and Adam, remained seated, while all the othersstood and quietly, quickly, left the room. When the last pulled the huge timber double doors shut behind him, there was an implacable silence.
Amelia leaned forward across the table. “James, we need the 1.8 million of your severance package to try and arrest the slide this company is in.” Her expression became earnest. “It’s vital.”
Aloof and haughty in response, his voice was icy. “It isn’t my problem, and I have no intention of letting you exploit me because of your lack of resolve.”
Richard turned in his seat, agitation clearly rising. “Be careful, James, be very careful.”
Amelia continued, “You’re going to depart with a two hundred thousand dollar package. You’ll sign a release we’ve had drafted and walk out of here with a bank cheque for the money today.”
James folded his arms. “And why on earth would I do something ridiculous like that?”
“Because if you don’t, we’re going to investigate the sites you’ve been repeatedly accessing on your computer.”
“What are you talking about?” His voice was indignant, but all saw the blood drain from his face.
Amelia gave him a tired expression. “You once had the best interests of this company at heart, and you did excellent work for