Chapter 1
Velvet Suits
Damien Manne
“Hey Damien,you know how Mark says that he wants us to be prompt for the party? Well I don’t think he wants us to go a hundred on the freeway.”
“Well I don’t like to be late for most things as you know, John, but we are actually 20 minutes late,” I replied.
I could see the panic in John’s face as I sped through and around traffic as we headed downtown. The engine roared as I stepped on the pedal and whizzed around trucks, vans with families, and the occasional motorcycle. John and I left work, Globalvyne about an hour ago, and had about a few minutes to go and stop at a grocery store to grab a bottle of wine and hit the highway. Eyes were boggled as they saw an orange 2018 Lamborghini with chrome rims and red beams, pull up to front of a regular grocery store.
As we approached the tunnel, I clicked a button on the radio to open up the contact list on the mini screen.
“Good evening Mr. Manne, how may I help you today?”
“Hello S.e.t.s, contact Mark Livingston, for me please,” I said out loud in the car.
“S.e.t.s?” John asked.
“Sound enhanced technical support, I designed it as where I can get help anywhere in the world. I also have it on my watch.”
A voice picked up instantly with music playing in the background. Mark was a company executive by day, but party animal by night. He was a heavy drinker, knowing over 100 different combinations with tequila alone. Mark stayed in the outskirts of town in a private mansion. He was married for about a year, until he realized that his love for women were outweighed by his love for money and partying. He quickly settled for a divorce, and his wife had taken about half of the settlements and moved across the country. A year later, he was caught in a scandalous lawsuit against a hotel and sued them for mistreatment of their guests and had gotten a 2 million dollar settlement. Employed by Globalvyne, he scouts for new potential intel scouts to provide information on rival companies. The company uses them as pawns, and just drops them in about a year. Poor guy, he doesn’t even realize he’s a pawn himself.
“Damien,where the hell are you? I have a Dj here and hot wormmen all around~HICCUP~ Man, get over here!”
The poor bastard been drinking already. I figured that 3 hours out, he would be hammered, but 30 minutes? That has got to be a new record.
“Yeah Mark, I have John right here with me, and we’ll be there in about 5 minutes,” I replied.
“Hey, tell John that he needs to bring his sorry, canty ass over here and LIMBO!! Hey Damienn, I’ll call you back in a second buddy. Peace, assholes!!”
“Connection disconnected.” S.e.t.s announced in the car.
“Sounds like hes started the party long before anybody got there.”
“Yeah, it looks like its been a rough year for him.I hear that upstairs was finally gonna cut him off next week.”
“No kidding? Well, I guess its has been long overdue, he has been here since last Christmas.The numbers aren’t getting any higher anyway, so maybe its a good thing. Oh well,too bad he wasn't gonna last that long anyway.”
We drove around the mountainside for a few miles out until the sound and vibrations of pop music could be heard from the distance. We pulled off onto an exit and headed onto a dirt path that lead out towards a mansion sitting out in a distance from the main road. We pulled up to a large metal gate that had a M and L welded into it, in front of the gate, there was an intercom box and a dial pad. I pulled up close to it where I could extend my arm and dialed my phone number into it. After a few seconds, the intercom spoke as it analyzed my number.
“Please speak full name please,” The box said.
“Damien Christopher Manne,” I responded. The box whirred for a few seconds and then the gate opened and we drove through.
The closer we got, the louder the music had blared from the house. As we followed the road, more cars started to accumulate. We drove up to the front of the 2 story mansion and pulled up next to a large stone fountain that sat directly in front of the house, circling the road around it, filled with different cars. Many people were holding conversations outside as the party went on in the inside.The house was quite large yet bland for a man of his stature, having about 8 windows facing the front,two large glass doors sitting at the bottom, with two stone lions sitting next to them. There were a few trees planted at the sides of the house, purposely, as to have the full gaze be upon the house itself entirely.
John and I walked up the steps leading to the front doors and passed a few guests along the path. Most of them were subordinates, some with families, some with dates, dressed in formal tuxedos with velvet ties and different velvet colored gowns. Some guests were actually different corporate executives, appearing with dates of their own,only to have a good time. We walked through the front doors to sight of many people dancing in the hallways and the lights changed to strobe lights, hanging and swinging throughout the halls. Crowds formed as people sat and chat in different areas and rooms. What use to be a kitchen was now a beer hall, with different drunkards and idiots drinking to their hearts content. John tapped on my shoulder and leaned in closer.
“We’re not gonna find him in all this stupid crowd, I’ll search upstairs, while you go look in the foyer room.”
“Ok, good idea, I’ll call you if I find him!” I replied.
John and I separated as we searched through the party infused house for the man. I wormed my way through different crowds as I searched many rooms in the house. I bumped into Linda just as I was going to search the backyard. Very large speakers were next to the door panels.
“Oh, HELLO DAMIEN!!MARK INVITED YOU TOO, HUH?” She yelled.
“YEP! HEY, HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?” I asked.
Linda said that he was mostly likely to be in his study, so I headed upstairs. As I walked towards his study, a sound of a couple having sex in the master bedroom could be heard. I looked away from the filth as I walked past quickly, towards his study. I opened the door with John already in there, talking to mark as he sat behind his desk with Mark tied up in his chair.
“I thought you were gonna call me,” I said to him.
“Sorry, the music was so loud, I had forgotten,” John replied. As I walked in, I turned around and locked the door. “Ok, Mark, where is the list of names?”
Mark said nothing. He was was filled with pain and fear as John inched closer to him with a blade in his hand. Two cuts were visible on his face as blood rolled down with sweat drops to his shirt. His collar was worn out and unfolded. His shirt completely messed up and unbuttoned with one of the sleeves of his shirt torn. His tie was removed from the collar and tied tightly around his neck in one of John’s hands. The moonlight pierced the blinds on the window behind them as their silhouettes could be seen in front of it.
“Come on, Mark. We both know that you have it somewhere in this house. You're the only one who has the copy from last year’s rival list, and you wouldn't hide it anywhere else, but here, your own home,” I said
“I swear to Christ I'm gonna fucking cut your balls off! HELP! HELP!!” He screamed.
“No one can hear you dumbass.You decided to throw such an awesome party, where the music is too loud, but the pain will be just a bit louder,” John replied.
“Come on Mark, just tell him where the list is and we’ll be on our way.”
“GO TO HELL DAMIEN!!” Mark replied.
John took the blade and stabbed it in Mark’s hand and Mark screamed out in agony as blood gushed out and stained the desk.
I began searching around his study to find the files. I walked across the room to search his bar full of drinks. I walked behind it and moved some stools to the side as I crouched down and opened two cabinets filled with different bottles. I moved my hand around the cabinets until I felt a secret lock under one of the drawers and lifted it to release a secret compartment. I lifted out a small briefcase and took over to John and Mark
“ Well, well, what do we have here? Is this what we have been looking for, asshole?” John sat up. He walked around the desk and sat down the blade as he took the briefcase and unhooked the the two latches that locked it. Hidden inside, was several documents that had medical information, different client information,and several specs for different locations that were in construction of being built.
John and I sifted through each of the pages, looking for the one that showed us the name of every rival business that the company was going to destroy. There were files filled for over 40 different clients in the mix of papers.
I found it in the middle of the stack, along with a list of several names of executives who owned each one. Many of these companies were regular corporate, some family owned, but it didn’t matter to us, we were to crush them all with brute force and competition. It was a predator vs prey society, and we will do anything to destroy the competition. I folded the pages and stuffed them in my coat pocket.
“Ok John, we got them,it’s time to go.”
“ Damien, you go on ahead, I have some words for Mr. Livingston here,” John replied.
“Fine, just don’t take too long. We need to get out of this place,” I said as I opened the door and closed it as I exited out.
I walked out of the house and headed towards my car as the party continued. I had to give these files to Mr. Jefferson first thing in the morning, and they needed to be protected at all costs. With these documents, we could put any company out of business. As I pulled my keys out, I heard a familiar british accent behind me.
“Hello Damien, fancy seeing you here!” Mira said with flirty eyes as she smiled while taking a glance over my body. Her flaming red hair danced as she made her way to me, while her green eyes were fixed on mine.
“Why hello Mira, you look rather beautiful in that dress tonight,what are you doing at a stupid party like this?”
“Why thank you, I’m pleased it is to your liking. And why am I here? I’m simply bored. I had nothing else better to do,” she said with a flirty smile. “Why are you here Mr. Damien? I thought you were far too important for these sorts of things? And on top of that you came here unaccompanied, that’s not like you at all.”
“Well you know me, I like to find excitement in these sorts of places, and I’d rather find some nice company then bring it. But what about you? No friend of your own?”
“Hmmm...excitement...I see. And no I’m afraid not, well not anymore. The man I came here with went completely bonkers when he took his first drink. The poor man can’t handle his liquor apparently.”
“How sad, nothing I hate more than a man who can’t handle his fill. Yet, I assure you, you won’t find that an issue with me, so can I interest you in going out for a drink?”
“A fine man like you asking me out for a drink? How could I ever refuse you? That wouldn’t be very polite or very lady like for a woman to decline such a gentleman of your stature.”
“Indeed, after you,” I said as I opened the door for her.
“Thank you,” she said smiling and fluttering her eyelashes as she walked through the open door before her. Just as I closed the door, I heard john’s voice coming up behind me.
“ Hey,going out for the evening, eh? I figured as such, alright, I’ll catch a ride. Just make sure you hand those over to Mr. Jefferson, first thing in the morning.”
“Alright, what about Livingston?” I asked.
“He’ll be fine, I don’t think he wants another nightmare like that for awhile. Alright man, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, see you in the morning.” I replied.
I opened my car door and sat down beside Mira. She smiled and looked at me as I closed my door and started the car.
“S.e.t.s, please direct us to the closest restaurant in the area.”
“ Do you wish to go to a Diner, or a 5-star restaurant, sir?”
“ Very funny, how about one with class?
“ Very good sir, loading directions now.”
“Hmmm,” Mira started. “How long has it been since I’ve been in this car? I don’t remember this being installed then?”
We drove off and left the party, house, and all. I accelerated past the gate and sped onto the highway towards the city.
“Yeah you know me, always uploading new software and such, I’ve had it installed 3 months ago. But yeah we should catch up, you know? It has been a while.”
She smiled cutely, “Yes, it has been quite awhile, I think a catching up is just what’s needed here,” she said as she crossed one of her legs as her dress slid up slightly, where it exposed the start of her thigh. She was an easy target to read, she always has been. Then again, she wasn’t that smart for a woman. I saw through her signals that she wanted me to read. I have never crossed a woman that knew how to create temporary signals, and play mind games in a conflicting and confusing way. A woman with a complex mind like that, could easily play a man like a fiddle. A woman that could know absolutely everything about a man, even his thoughts, just from a few encounters, and use them for her own benefit. But I was certain I would never run into such a woman, they simply didn’t exist. Unlike men, women think with their hearts.
And I knew for a fact Mira was not this, she may be a bit seductive and cunning, but she was not this sort of woman. She would never be capable of such things. She was like every other woman, and I could get everything I wanted from her with no effort.
Mira and I got a couple of drinks and then headed off to my place not long afterwards, then the night ended.