Summer Serial: Part IV
“I fuckin’ should have known. It’s always the most successful ones who are the most corrupt.” Ray was in as good a mood as I would ever see when I told him what happened. “You fucked it up, but you still managed to land on a pot of fuckin’ gold.”
I quit my job a week later, and was getting ready to represent the mailroom workers of America on behalf of the Teamsters. Ray left most of the day-to-day responsibilities with me. But just to be sure I didn’t screw up too much, he put Tim in as my assistant, knowing that Tim wouldn’t hesitate to inform him anytime I screwed up. I reluctantly took on Tim, but it wouldn’t be enough. I decided to hire on a few more people from the mailroom, and Ray was there to help me make my decisions. Allen wasn’t so much of a choice as it was extortion. He knew what went down, and he wasn’t about to see the train leave without him. I wasn’t sure what job to give him, so I appointed him “Special Agent Man In Charge Of Research And Opposition.” Allen liked the sound of the job, especially since it meant having nothing to do with filing paper. I also knew that his skills for inflicting pain might come in handy later on. It had been a fast month since I left Young-Neil, but I was learning plenty.
Not long after I started working, June Reid contacted me to set up a meeting. I brought Ray along just to make sure everything went well. I was so happy with my newfound fortune, and I didn’t want to do anything to screw it up. June also found the world of the ethically challenged an easy one to become acclimated to. She demanded a monthly payment of 2% of our earnings. I wasn’t sure exactly where we would get these earnings from, but Ray assured me it wouldn’t be difficult. She gave us a bank account number and instructions on when and where to wire her the money. I didn’t want to do this at first, but Ray assured me I had no choice. “Besides,” he went on to say, “We’ll find some way to get rid of that heartless bitch. It just might take a little time.”
I figured it would be a good time to give Al his first job.
“My name is Allen you pansy, not Al. Call me Al again and I’ll kick the shit out of you.”
“Sorry, Allen. I have your first job for you. I want you to look into June Reid’s background and find anything we could possibly blackmail her with. I don’t want to use it yet, but I don’t trust her, and neither does Ray.” Allen once told me while I was buying him lunch that he’d done some shady investigating before he went to prison. No one knew why he wasn’t still doing it, but we didn’t dare ask.
I quit my job a week later, and was getting ready to represent the mailroom workers of America on behalf of the Teamsters. Ray left most of the day-to-day responsibilities with me. But just to be sure I didn’t screw up too much, he put Tim in as my assistant, knowing that Tim wouldn’t hesitate to inform him anytime I screwed up. I reluctantly took on Tim, but it wouldn’t be enough. I decided to hire on a few more people from the mailroom, and Ray was there to help me make my decisions. Allen wasn’t so much of a choice as it was extortion. He knew what went down, and he wasn’t about to see the train leave without him. I wasn’t sure what job to give him, so I appointed him “Special Agent Man In Charge Of Research And Opposition.” Allen liked the sound of the job, especially since it meant having nothing to do with filing paper. I also knew that his skills for inflicting pain might come in handy later on. It had been a fast month since I left Young-Neil, but I was learning plenty.
Not long after I started working, June Reid contacted me to set up a meeting. I brought Ray along just to make sure everything went well. I was so happy with my newfound fortune, and I didn’t want to do anything to screw it up. June also found the world of the ethically challenged an easy one to become acclimated to. She demanded a monthly payment of 2% of our earnings. I wasn’t sure exactly where we would get these earnings from, but Ray assured me it wouldn’t be difficult. She gave us a bank account number and instructions on when and where to wire her the money. I didn’t want to do this at first, but Ray assured me I had no choice. “Besides,” he went on to say, “We’ll find some way to get rid of that heartless bitch. It just might take a little time.”
I figured it would be a good time to give Al his first job.
“My name is Allen you pansy, not Al. Call me Al again and I’ll kick the shit out of you.”
“Sorry, Allen. I have your first job for you. I want you to look into June Reid’s background and find anything we could possibly blackmail her with. I don’t want to use it yet, but I don’t trust her, and neither does Ray.” Allen once told me while I was buying him lunch that he’d done some shady investigating before he went to prison. No one knew why he wasn’t still doing it, but we didn’t dare ask.
”You mean Ray doesn’t trust her, and you’ll do what he says you fuckin’ bullshitter.”
“Wait a goddamn min…”
“Don’t say another word. I’ll kick your fucking teeth in. I’ll do this, but I’m going to need a bonus.” Allen had already ‘negotiated’ a salary that was almost twice my own. Ray said that it was necessary to hire someone like Allen, and that he’d cost more. I tried to plead with Ray, claiming I wouldn’t be able to control him, and he wouldn’t do anything unless I had some leverage on him. But Ray assured me that he’d fall into line.
“How much more do you want. You’re already making more than anyone here.”
“I want as much as I goddamn please, now give me another five grand and I’ll find out if this woman fucks donkeys.”
I reluctantly gave him the money, but I also warned him that I needed the information before I made her first payment. Allen gave me an indifferent look and left the room.
While I was taking care of intelligence, Ray was taking care of finance. Now that we were officially affiliated as a legitimate chapter of the Teamsters, we were given a monthly operating budget. But Ray wasn’t satisfied with that. He said that we would have to earn supplemental income to keep people like Allen and our shiftier employees around.
“I say we take some fuckin’ bribes.” His words hit me like a rock. Already we’d done more illegal things than I was comfortable with, and now he wasn’t even trying to hide what we were doing. But Ray could see I was uneasy, and he did his best to comfort me. “Don’t piss your fuckin’ pants, Suzie. You don’t have to do a fucking thing. Just know that I’m going to be doing this, and without it, your piss poor operation wouldn’t last a week.”
That was about as much as we would discuss regarding bribes. The only other time I brought it up was when he asked me to have some mailroom workers in Sacramento strike. He wouldn’t tell me why, and when I asked them if we owed someone a favor, he slapped me in the face and walked out.
“He doesn’t mean to hurt you,” said Tim who had witnessed the whole thing, “he just gets a little up tight sometimes.”
“Fuck off, Tim.” I had run back to my office after the incident and started crying. Tim came in without knocking for which I threw a paperweight at his head. I guess he was used to abuse because he barely blinked when it happened. He was trying calm my nerves and make me feel better, but I was in no mood for it. I just didn’t want to look at his monkey-ass anymore.
Allen hadn’t reported to me since we discussed his first assignment. I just assumed all was going well until the night I had to wire the money to June Reid. I waited until the last possible second, but I still hadn’t heard from Allen. I finally gave in and wired the money anyways. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. If she were planning on turning us into the authorities, the only leverage for blackmail would be my word against hers that she took eighty thousand dollars from us (finally built up the courage to ask Ray how much we tried to bribe Jack with, and he reluctantly let me know). She was a successful partner at a very successful law firm, and I was a semi-legitimate union organizer. We had a Republican state government at the time, so there was no doubt as to who would be fighting on the low ground here.
The next morning, I found Allen at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital. He suffered a broken collarbone and leg. When I was finally able to get in to speak with him, I demanded to know what happened.
“You know you’re paying for the hospital bill, asshole.”
“That’s fine, but what happened with June Reid?”
“Wait a goddamn min…”
“Don’t say another word. I’ll kick your fucking teeth in. I’ll do this, but I’m going to need a bonus.” Allen had already ‘negotiated’ a salary that was almost twice my own. Ray said that it was necessary to hire someone like Allen, and that he’d cost more. I tried to plead with Ray, claiming I wouldn’t be able to control him, and he wouldn’t do anything unless I had some leverage on him. But Ray assured me that he’d fall into line.
“How much more do you want. You’re already making more than anyone here.”
“I want as much as I goddamn please, now give me another five grand and I’ll find out if this woman fucks donkeys.”
I reluctantly gave him the money, but I also warned him that I needed the information before I made her first payment. Allen gave me an indifferent look and left the room.
While I was taking care of intelligence, Ray was taking care of finance. Now that we were officially affiliated as a legitimate chapter of the Teamsters, we were given a monthly operating budget. But Ray wasn’t satisfied with that. He said that we would have to earn supplemental income to keep people like Allen and our shiftier employees around.
“I say we take some fuckin’ bribes.” His words hit me like a rock. Already we’d done more illegal things than I was comfortable with, and now he wasn’t even trying to hide what we were doing. But Ray could see I was uneasy, and he did his best to comfort me. “Don’t piss your fuckin’ pants, Suzie. You don’t have to do a fucking thing. Just know that I’m going to be doing this, and without it, your piss poor operation wouldn’t last a week.”
That was about as much as we would discuss regarding bribes. The only other time I brought it up was when he asked me to have some mailroom workers in Sacramento strike. He wouldn’t tell me why, and when I asked them if we owed someone a favor, he slapped me in the face and walked out.
“He doesn’t mean to hurt you,” said Tim who had witnessed the whole thing, “he just gets a little up tight sometimes.”
“Fuck off, Tim.” I had run back to my office after the incident and started crying. Tim came in without knocking for which I threw a paperweight at his head. I guess he was used to abuse because he barely blinked when it happened. He was trying calm my nerves and make me feel better, but I was in no mood for it. I just didn’t want to look at his monkey-ass anymore.
Allen hadn’t reported to me since we discussed his first assignment. I just assumed all was going well until the night I had to wire the money to June Reid. I waited until the last possible second, but I still hadn’t heard from Allen. I finally gave in and wired the money anyways. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. If she were planning on turning us into the authorities, the only leverage for blackmail would be my word against hers that she took eighty thousand dollars from us (finally built up the courage to ask Ray how much we tried to bribe Jack with, and he reluctantly let me know). She was a successful partner at a very successful law firm, and I was a semi-legitimate union organizer. We had a Republican state government at the time, so there was no doubt as to who would be fighting on the low ground here.
The next morning, I found Allen at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital. He suffered a broken collarbone and leg. When I was finally able to get in to speak with him, I demanded to know what happened.
“You know you’re paying for the hospital bill, asshole.”
“That’s fine, but what happened with June Reid?”
”That fucking bitch. I couldn’t find a goddamn thing on her; so I thought I’d create something we could black mail her with. I crashed into her car, knowing that if I were injured, she would just flee the scene. Then we’d have her by the balls. I got these injuries from the crash.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? What made you think this would work, you fucking idiot?!”
“When I get out of here, I’m kicking your ass.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? What made you think this would work, you fucking idiot?!”
“When I get out of here, I’m kicking your ass.”
”Where is she now?”
”She’s in the room next to me. She wasn’t wearing her seat belt. I think I broke her arms, and one of her legs. Hey…do you think we can black mail her with that; failing to use a seatbelt?”
I was too distraught to say anything more. Ray came in and saved the day. He brought June a gift basket and made sure she didn’t know who had hit her. He paid Allen’s bills in advance, and escorted me home. On our way out, he said, “That Neanderthal shithead friend of yours doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. We should limit his functions to fuckin’ blue-collar work from now on. You got that, you fuckin’ fuck up?”
I was too distraught to say anything more. Ray came in and saved the day. He brought June a gift basket and made sure she didn’t know who had hit her. He paid Allen’s bills in advance, and escorted me home. On our way out, he said, “That Neanderthal shithead friend of yours doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. We should limit his functions to fuckin’ blue-collar work from now on. You got that, you fuckin’ fuck up?”
To Be Continued…
posted by The Great Magnet | 12:19 PM
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