The Assassin's Folly
Chapter Two
Jareth yawned behind his hand, staring up at the ceiling as his father droned on to the committee team. Ever since he had been diagnosed with cancer, Mark Adams was making sure everything was going to be taken care of when he passed. That included days of training and connecting with clients and business partners.
“With these figures,” Mr. Adams was saying, “we should be able to carry on for another ten months if we don’t make any major changes.”
But you do want to make changes, Jareth thought, watching his father turn to the Vice President.
“There are some changes I want to make, though,” Mr. Adams said and Jareth chuckled quietly. “My son,” he gestured at Jareth who sat up quickly, “has been training with me about the ins and outs of the company. I want him to be given a more active role in all of this.”
The Vice President, Carl, scribbled a couple notes. “What kind of duties do you want him to take over?”
“He’s good with people,” Mr. Adams said, straightening the papers in front of him. “So we’ll put him in charge of PR and keep him in touch with our clients and partners.”
Carl nodded. “We’ll make sure that gets done.”
“I think that covers everything,” Mr. Adams said, “unless anyone has something to add.”
He looked around at the 20 board members, all who remained silent. He gave a curt nod and everyone stood to leave.
“Jareth, I want to speak with you,” his father said and Jareth sighed. “Try not to doze off next time.”
“It’s hard not to when you’ve got me up at all hours of the night.”
Mr. Adams pointed a finger at Jareth’s chest. “You’ll be taking over this company after the New Year. I want to make sure you’re prepared for anything.” His face softened. “Besides, you heard the doctor. I’ve got six months.”
Jareth frowned. “I don’t know why you won’t get a second opinion.”
Mr. Adams took his elbow and led him to the large window that overlooked Oklahoma City. He pointed to a small office block about a mile from them.
“Adams Corporation started 30 years ago in that very place,” he said. “It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get where we are today. I’ve enjoyed it but I’m getting old. This cancer is a confirmation for me. It’s time for me to step down and for you to step up.”
Jareth pulled nervously at the collar of his shirt.
“Tomorrow is my day off, right?” he asked and his father nodded.
“What are your plans?”
“Some more Christmas shopping,” he answered, putting his coat back on. “I can’t believe it’s only three weeks away.”
“If only your mother were here,” his father muttered.
Jareth pulled his father into a gentle hug. “She is. In spirit.”
“If you say so….”
-
That night, Jareth lay in bed watching the car lights throw shadows on his roof. He missed his mother just as much as his father and sister. As for his brother…. No one had heard from him in three years. Their mother had died of heart failure five years ago on Christmas Eve. After that, everything had changed. Personally, Jareth believed his father wanted to be with his mother again and that’s why he wasn’t fighting the cancer.
His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang and he groaned when he saw who was calling.
“I’m about to call the cops if you don’t stop it,” he snapped into the phone.
“Just hear me out,” his ex-girlfriend said desperately. “I know I made a mistake, all right? I want to try again.”
“Mistake?” he repeated with a humorless laugh. “Fucking my best friend isn’t a mistake. Now stop calling me.”
He hung up and rolled over onto his side. Almost every relationship he tried to had ended up that way. All the girls ever cared about was the money he was about to inherit. Part of him wondered if he’d ever end up in a relationship like the one his parents’ had.
Mark and Eileen Adams started off as poor as can be. But Mark had an incredible concept for money lending and she stood by his side faithfully. Even when things were rough, she stayed with him, never giving up on him and his dream.
Adams Corporation’s main business was helping restaurant owners get on their feet. So far they had clients in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama. His father was hoping for even more expansion in the next twelve months.
“Not that I’ll be around to see it,” he had joked.
Jareth finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, not even imagining that, at that very moment, a very skilled assassin was plotting his demise.
-
The next morning was cold and snow was in the forecast. After a quick breakfast, he started his Christmas shopping. He stopped by a jewelry store to get his sister, Hailey, an emerald necklace she had been looking at recently.
Hailey was his closest friend and her husband was more than just his brother-in-law. When the falling out with his brother, Marcus, happened, Hailey and James were the only two people he could talk freely to. Just recently they had a baby girl and Jareth was excited to spoil the little girl as much as he could.
He went to the mall’s fast food joint and ordered a hamburger. His father never understood why Jareth preferred to eat under the radar. He kept pointing out all the free food Jareth could get. But he was more interested in giving back to the people around him, not taking even more.
As he ate his fries, he felt someone staring at him and looked up. A stunningly beautiful young woman with waist length red hair quickly looked away. She was dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a black pea coat. She was sitting alone with a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. He debated with himself on whether or not he wanted to go join her but the moment passed when she checked her phone and stood up.
She walked past him as she answered, “Zarah here. What now?”
He watched her walk away, the enticing scent of her perfume drifting in the air.
“With these figures,” Mr. Adams was saying, “we should be able to carry on for another ten months if we don’t make any major changes.”
But you do want to make changes, Jareth thought, watching his father turn to the Vice President.
“There are some changes I want to make, though,” Mr. Adams said and Jareth chuckled quietly. “My son,” he gestured at Jareth who sat up quickly, “has been training with me about the ins and outs of the company. I want him to be given a more active role in all of this.”
The Vice President, Carl, scribbled a couple notes. “What kind of duties do you want him to take over?”
“He’s good with people,” Mr. Adams said, straightening the papers in front of him. “So we’ll put him in charge of PR and keep him in touch with our clients and partners.”
Carl nodded. “We’ll make sure that gets done.”
“I think that covers everything,” Mr. Adams said, “unless anyone has something to add.”
He looked around at the 20 board members, all who remained silent. He gave a curt nod and everyone stood to leave.
“Jareth, I want to speak with you,” his father said and Jareth sighed. “Try not to doze off next time.”
“It’s hard not to when you’ve got me up at all hours of the night.”
Mr. Adams pointed a finger at Jareth’s chest. “You’ll be taking over this company after the New Year. I want to make sure you’re prepared for anything.” His face softened. “Besides, you heard the doctor. I’ve got six months.”
Jareth frowned. “I don’t know why you won’t get a second opinion.”
Mr. Adams took his elbow and led him to the large window that overlooked Oklahoma City. He pointed to a small office block about a mile from them.
“Adams Corporation started 30 years ago in that very place,” he said. “It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get where we are today. I’ve enjoyed it but I’m getting old. This cancer is a confirmation for me. It’s time for me to step down and for you to step up.”
Jareth pulled nervously at the collar of his shirt.
“Tomorrow is my day off, right?” he asked and his father nodded.
“What are your plans?”
“Some more Christmas shopping,” he answered, putting his coat back on. “I can’t believe it’s only three weeks away.”
“If only your mother were here,” his father muttered.
Jareth pulled his father into a gentle hug. “She is. In spirit.”
“If you say so….”
-
That night, Jareth lay in bed watching the car lights throw shadows on his roof. He missed his mother just as much as his father and sister. As for his brother…. No one had heard from him in three years. Their mother had died of heart failure five years ago on Christmas Eve. After that, everything had changed. Personally, Jareth believed his father wanted to be with his mother again and that’s why he wasn’t fighting the cancer.
His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang and he groaned when he saw who was calling.
“I’m about to call the cops if you don’t stop it,” he snapped into the phone.
“Just hear me out,” his ex-girlfriend said desperately. “I know I made a mistake, all right? I want to try again.”
“Mistake?” he repeated with a humorless laugh. “Fucking my best friend isn’t a mistake. Now stop calling me.”
He hung up and rolled over onto his side. Almost every relationship he tried to had ended up that way. All the girls ever cared about was the money he was about to inherit. Part of him wondered if he’d ever end up in a relationship like the one his parents’ had.
Mark and Eileen Adams started off as poor as can be. But Mark had an incredible concept for money lending and she stood by his side faithfully. Even when things were rough, she stayed with him, never giving up on him and his dream.
Adams Corporation’s main business was helping restaurant owners get on their feet. So far they had clients in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama. His father was hoping for even more expansion in the next twelve months.
“Not that I’ll be around to see it,” he had joked.
Jareth finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, not even imagining that, at that very moment, a very skilled assassin was plotting his demise.
-
The next morning was cold and snow was in the forecast. After a quick breakfast, he started his Christmas shopping. He stopped by a jewelry store to get his sister, Hailey, an emerald necklace she had been looking at recently.
Hailey was his closest friend and her husband was more than just his brother-in-law. When the falling out with his brother, Marcus, happened, Hailey and James were the only two people he could talk freely to. Just recently they had a baby girl and Jareth was excited to spoil the little girl as much as he could.
He went to the mall’s fast food joint and ordered a hamburger. His father never understood why Jareth preferred to eat under the radar. He kept pointing out all the free food Jareth could get. But he was more interested in giving back to the people around him, not taking even more.
As he ate his fries, he felt someone staring at him and looked up. A stunningly beautiful young woman with waist length red hair quickly looked away. She was dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a black pea coat. She was sitting alone with a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. He debated with himself on whether or not he wanted to go join her but the moment passed when she checked her phone and stood up.
She walked past him as she answered, “Zarah here. What now?”
He watched her walk away, the enticing scent of her perfume drifting in the air.