Inside Traitors Read online

  INSIDE

  TRAITORS

  INSIDE

  TRAITORS

  David J. Allen

  Second Kindle Edition, 2011

  All rights reserved

  Copyright 2006-2011 by David J. Allen

  Cover art by David J. Allen

  This book may not be replicated in part or in whole without written permission of David J. Allen

  Contact information address:

  David J. Allen

  2417 Dana Drive

  Safety Harbor, FL 34695

  For Additional Information:

  Visit: www.DaveAllenArts.com

  email: [email protected]

  The most precious gift you can give someone is a chance.

  This book is dedicated to the people who have given me a chance.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - Dissention. 7

  Chapter 2 - The Proposal 14

  Chapter 3 - Uprising. 21

  Chapter 4 - The Jackie-O.. 27

  Chapter 5 - New Plans. 32

  Chapter 6 - Inquisition. 37

  Chapter 7 - Beginning. 44

  Chapter 8 - Hope. 49

  Chapter 9 - The Ruse. 55

  Chapter 10 - A Friend. 61

  Chapter 11 - Awakening. 68

  Chapter 12 - Memories. 73

  Chapter 13 - Healing. 77

  Chapter 14 - Family. 83

  Chapter 15 - Fitting In. 88

  Chapter 16 - Denied. 94

  Chapter 17 - Discovery. 98

  Chapter 18 - The Ruse II. 103

  Chapter 19 - Ouch! 107

  Chapter 20 - Laura. 112

  Chapter 21 - Progress. 118

  Chapter 22 - Rumor 123

  Chapter 23 - Femme Fatale. 129

  Chapter 24 - The Con. 134

  Chapter 25 - The Ride. 138

  Chapter 26 - A Clue. 144

  Chapter 27 - Seeking Answers. 149

  Chapter 28 - New Game. 154

  Chapter 29 - Defense. 158

  Chapter 30 - Turning Tide. 162

  Chapter 31 - Surprise. 167

  Chapter 32 - New Rules. 173

  Chapter 33 - New Day. 180

  Chapter 34 - Back to Work. 184

  Chapter 35 - The Split 189

  Chapter 36 - The Meeting. 194

  Chapter 37 - An End, A Start 200

  Chapter 38 - A Calling. 206

  Chapter 39 - The End. 213

  Chapter 1 - Dissention

  The workday at Peterson Software officially begins at nine o’clock. That is the time printed in the employee handbook and that is the time announced on the corporate answering system. But, it’s not unusual for employees to wander in at nine thirty or ten, sometimes later.

  The start of the workday and the working atmosphere in general has always been unregimented and relaxed at Peterson Software. That was the philosophy under which Steve Peterson started his company fifteen years ago. It was a philosophy that proved to be very successful and incredibly profitable.

  Steve Peterson provided his employees with the freedom to set their own work schedules. He empowered his employees. He gave them the chance to succeed and he gave them the chance to fail. The dynamic environment was fertile ground for development of new and innovative ideas.

  It was fifteen minutes before seven o’clock on a Monday morning, an extraordinarily early time for anyone to be starting work at Peterson Software. The sharp metallic click of the spring-loaded lock still echoed through the floor as the solid cherry doors to the boardroom began to slowly open.

  Unseen motion detectors sensed the boardroom activity. Invisible electronic signals were dispatched to the ceiling mounted florescent lights. Light began to flicker through polished brass grillwork as the bulbs awakened from their weekend slumber.

  Cool white light soon engulfed the boardroom. Tim Burke, Senior Vice-President of Product Development at Peterson Software squinted as his eyes adjusted to the unsympathetic light. Tim was not in the habit of being awake at such an ungodly hour. On any normal workday he would still have more than an hour of sleep before the whine of his alarm clock would pry him from the comfort of his bed.

  Tim let out a wide, open-mouth yawn. “Now I know why no one ever comes in at this ridiculous time,” he muttered into the air of the empty room.

  The stately boardroom was impressive. If a potential customer was undecided about doing business with Peterson Software, a boardroom meeting would always help to sway the decision. From the rich deep pile carpeting to the solid cherry wood paneling, no expenses were spared.

  The room was equipped with the latest in technical gadgetry. A twenty-five thousand dollar flat panel LCD television, barely three inches thick, was the latest high tech addition. The stainless-steel framed panel was mounted on the wall, but had not yet been interfaced with the satellite conferencing system.

  Two full walls of the boardroom were glass. One provided a stunning view of Tampa Bay; the other provided a view out to the rest of the fifth floor. The two non-glass walls were covered with a rich cherry paneling made from individual boards.

  Tim walked to the far end of the conference table. The gleaming wood of the table was an exact match to the paneling on the wall. He placed his briefcase on the edge of the table and began to unload the contents.

  The briefcase was packed full of professionally bound reports and numerous copies of full-color charts and graphs. Tim stacked the reports into neat piles on the boardroom table. The mundane work caused his sleepy mind to wander.

  Tim envisioned the illicit meeting that was about to begin. He could sense the excitement of his upcoming battle. It was a battle he had been planning for almost a year. It was a battle he was sure he would win.

  The vivid mental images caused Tim’s heart to race. His tired mind came to full attention. Tim reminded himself that no tasks were to be mundane today. His mind had to be sharp.

  The last sets of documents were quickly arranged on the table and the briefcase was stowed under the table, out of sight. Tim walked over to the glass wall that looked out onto the rest of the floor. His pace was quick and determined.

  Tim gave a sharp pull on the control cord at the window’s edge. The off-white curtains began their march to the center of the window. The view to the employees who would soon be arriving to work on the other side of the wall was closed off.

  Tim could hear a slight commotion outside the boardroom door. He knew the rest of the attendees for the early morning rendezvous were starting to arrive. Tim was invigorated. He was ready to wage his battle to gain control of Peterson Software.

  Kevin George, Senior Vice-President of Marketing was the first to enter the meeting. He entered with an over-sized cup of Dunkin’ Doughnuts coffee in one hand and his briefcase in the other. He also carried a box containing a dozen assorted doughnuts, half supported by his protruding belly and half by the hand that grasped the briefcase.

  “Hey Tim, good morning. Has anyone else joined your early morning get-together yet?” inquired Kevin.

  “No. You are the first,” responded Tim. He didn’t bother to turn toward Kevin when he spoke.

  “This looks serious,” said Kevin jokingly. “I don’t think I ever saw those curtains closed before.”

  Tim did not respond to Kevin’s remark. He proceeded to the center of the curtains and pulled the two sections together. There could be no gaps, nothing to provide a glimpse of the boardroom meeting to the non-invited employees on the other side of the glass wall.

  Tim carefully inspected his work then turned back to the boardroom table. He spotted Kevin unloading his coffee and the box of doughnuts.

  Tim sneered at the sight. “What’s with the box of doughnuts Kevin? You eating for two now?” asked Tim. His tone was
smug and biting.

  Kevin cringed at Tim’s callous comments. Tim always picked the words that would inflict the most damage and point out the greatest weakness in an individual. He used bitter words and piercing words that were meant to inflict pain. He used words to promote his self-important and portentous attitude.

  Around the office, Tim’s peers called him “TB”. It was the first time Tim ever had a nickname of sorts, he liked it. Tim thought the nickname stood for his initials. The employees knew the truth. They knew “TB” was short for “The Bastard”.

  Tim’s peers pretended they were his friends to his face. Some did it out of pure and simple fear. Others just considered it part of good office politics. When Kevin heard Tim’s callous words ringing in his head, he felt fear. He gazed down at the box of doughnuts and prepared an appropriate response.

  “No Tim. I brought these doughnuts in for everyone to share,” Kevin said. His pleasant tone masked his true feelings. “I brought in a few different varieties. Would you like one?”

  Tim dismissed Kevin’s doughnut offer with a quick and simple sideways flip of his hand. He did not feel a verbal response was worth his time or his effort.

  The rest of the early morning meeting participants started to arrive at the boardroom door. Mike Powers, Senior Vice-President of Quality Control walked into the room first. Paul Andrews, Manager of Sales, Frank Peters, Senior Vice-President of Business Operations and Tazban Shirish, the Manager of Network Operations entered after Mike.

  “This better be good for you to drag me out of bed before six o’clock on a Monday morning,” said Paul jokingly, as he entered. “Wow, we even got closed curtains. I guess it is going to be good.”

  The rest of the morning arrivals were still half asleep. They were not too happy about the early start time. They all remained quiet as they took their seats around the table.

  Kevin was already well into his first jelly doughnut. He began to scrutinize the box, eyeing up his next victims. One jelly filled and one Boston Crème were selected and plucked out. Kevin eagerly placed the two selections on an awaiting napkin next to his coffee.

  “Would anyone like to have a doughnut?” Kevin asked, as he slid the box of doughnuts into the center of the table. Several bits of un-swallowed jelly doughnut flew from his mouth as he spoke. There was no response except for a slight chuckle from Paul who happened to catch sight of the crumb shower.

  Paul slid his chair over to Kevin. “No doughnut for me,” said Paul. “But I will take some of that coffee you have there.” Paul mockingly made a grab for the extra-large sized cup.

  Kevin instinctively moved to protect his cup. The clumsy maneuver sent several splatters of the prized coffee sloshing over the rim. “No, no Paul, just the doughnuts,” said Kevin feverishly. He appeared to fear his coffee might actually be at risk.

  Tim Burke, the spokesman and organizer of the meeting, was not impressed by the antics around the boardroom table. He let out a loud huff to convey his displeasure, and then moved to take his place on stage at the head of the table.

  Tim cleared his throat and began to speak. His voice boomed throughout the room. He spoke forcefully, as if he was trying to make up for his slight five foot six inch frame.

  “Well, it looks like we are all here,” Tim started. “And believe it or not we all made it in before seven o’clock. I realize it is early, but we have a lot to cover and we only have today. I think everyone is aware of the reason for the meeting except for Paul and Taz.” Tim glanced around the table. “Is that correct?”

  The room slowly nodded in quiet unison. Kevin reached over and picked up his second jelly doughnut and passionately started into it.

  Tim was in his element. He spoke like a well-seasoned politician. He often emphasized his talking points with grandiose hand gestures and forceful verbal inflections. He loved to speak. To be more specific, he loved to be heard. Tim made a pretentious sweeping gesture to the attendees. His voice boomed out again.

  “As you are all aware, there have been some recent changes to the senior team here at Peterson. At the last quarterly meeting, Frank, Kevin, Mike and I were each promoted to Senior Vice-President within our departments. What you do not know is that we were also made part owners of the company. Fifty percent of the company will be split equally between the four of us. Steve Peterson will retain sole ownership over the other fifty percent. Everything will become effective this Thursday.”

  Paul bent forward in his chair placing his elbows onto the table. “Hey guys, congratulations,” said Paul. “Wow, fifty percent of the company between the four of you. That comes out to twelve and a half percent of the company for each. Is that right?”

  Tim was annoyed. He considered Paul’s words an interruption that provided no value. The irritation was evident on his distorted face. Tim ignored Paul’s question. He continued on with his rehearsed speech.

  “The vesting of the ownership in the company will occur over eleven years. Each of us will gain ten percent of our rights per year of service from the start of the plan. Besides the long wait, the plan doesn’t allow us to cash in on the current company value. Everything is based on the increase in company value subsequent to the vesting dates. The monetary value for us will not be that great unless the company continues to grow as it has.”

  Tim’s words made it sound as if the promotions and the ownership rights were a burden. He paused for a few moments for effect and then continued with a little more life in his voice.

  “The big change is that each of us will be able to vote our full ownership rights on day one. The four of us will have an important say in the future direction of the company. Together, the four of us can set a new course for Peterson Software.”

  Tim started to discuss his plans for the company. His animations became more pronounced. He was running the show. He was in control and he wanted everybody to know it. He raised his hand and pointed around the table at each of the attendees.

  “There has been a lot of interest in an initial public offering or IPO of Peterson stock. By selling stock in the company, everyone in this room will have the potential for substantial monetary gains. These gains would be through company stock, restricted stock and stock options. In addition, Peterson Software will gain the funds necessary to make it a true worldwide leader in software business solutions.”

  Tim’s tone turned more serious. He began to explain that Steve Peterson was against all aspects of an IPO.

  “Steve Peterson does not want to lose full control of the company. He doesn’t want to answer to stockholders and he doesn’t want to share the huge corporate profits,” Tim announced. His words were meant to paint Steve Peterson as the bad guy.

  “This Thursday, directly after the announcement of our new voting privileges, the four of us will raise the motion for Peterson Software to issue an IPO and go public with a stock sale. The four of us will then begin to implement a plan to - ”

  Before Tim could finish, Taz rocked forward and cut him off. “But if Steve controls half of the votes and you four have the other half, you don’t have the votes to get your plan passed if Steve votes against you. Won’t you need a majority?”

  Tim’s arms waved wildly about his head. The attendees in the room had seen the high-flying act many times before. They were used to Tim’s antics and showed little reaction to the droll flare-up. Kevin reached over and took a sip of his coffee and then slipped the last of the second jelly doughnut into his mouth. He ignored the entire outburst.

  “If you let me finish, I will explain,” continued Tim. “I have an insider who got me a copy of the amended company bylaws that will take effect on Thursday. The Legal department is currently reviewing the wording but no changes are expected. I am going to get the final version tonight. If anything changes, we can modify the plan accordingly.”

  Tim placed his palms onto the table and leaned in toward the attendees. His voice dropped a bit in tone. He sounded as if he was about to share a deep dark secret with the group. />
  “There is a section of the new bylaws that governs the corporate voting policy. It indicates that any vote resulting in a tie will be awarded to the side having the largest number of individuals voting for the initiative. This means that in a tie vote, our four votes of fifty percent will win out over Steve’s one vote of fifty percent.”

  “But Taz and I aren’t part of your group of four. We aren’t part owners and we can’t participate in the vote,” said Paul sharply. He gave his shoulders a shrug. “Why bring us into this?”

  Tim quickly turned to face Paul. His face grew to a bright red. He tried to remain calm as he began to speak.

  “You two are here because you are part of the management team. We need to present a solid front on this issue. If you and Taz support our position then Steve may realize he is beaten and support the proposal. We will go forward with the vote either way, but it would be much easier and quicker with Steve behind us. That is why we need both of you to support the plan.”

  Paul put up his hand as if to ask a question and immediately began to speak. “Tim, I don’t have a real warm fuzzy feeling about this. What you are talking about isn’t right. Steve brought you guys in as part owners and now you are going to screw him. For Christ’s sake Tim, he’s giving you part of his company. I don’t think I can support this. I can’t go against Steve.”

  Tim raised his hand and rubbed it over his eyes. He looked over at Paul and took a deep breath. He wanted to scream at the group. They were stupid. They did not understand the true meaning. They didn’t understand the money involved. Tim let the air out of his lungs and forced back his anger.