Issue 11
Part One of 'Hostile Intentions'

Kane shook his head, tired of hearing the same thing.

“Gerbil, I had to pull some strings just to let you be checked out from the hospital early. You still aren’t fully recovered. So Martha is coming along to help the both of us. Think of this as a nice holiday. Look, we’re here.”

They had been in Paris for less than six hours, and Kane already had a headache. After dropping off their luggage and Martha at their hotel, Kane and Gerbil had hailed a taxi to give them a quick tour of the city before taking them to their meeting.

Paying for their taxi, Kane and Gerbil entered the offices of Jameson’s Chemicals, the receptionist looking up as they entered and smiling.

“Jane…wasn’t it?”

“Good morning, Mister Yess. I’m surprised you remembered.”

“Of course I remembered. You’re the one with the nice ti…tea. Umm…Earl Grey wasn’t it? Is Mr. Jameson ready to see us?”

“Right this way. And I served you coffee the last time you were here..”

Jane led them through a door and up two flights of stairs. The last time KY Mergers had done any business with Jameson Chemicals, they had simply worked from a one story corner office.

“Jameson certainly has done well for himself, hasn’t he Jane.”

“He has, Mr Yess. Last year, our company developed a new chemical incendiary from an oxy-hydrogen compound that burns with almost no greenhouse emissions. It’s currently being installed as the fuel supply for most powerplants in Europe.”

“I have read about this compound, madam. Apparently it is very volatile and almost impossible to control if it gets out of hand,” Gerbil said as they reached the landing.

“That is true, Mr Gerbil, but we have developed systems to neutralise and control the substance. As yet, no one has been able to develop these measures, so they can’t try to replicate the chemical. This enables our company to hold a monopoly in this market.”

They stopped outside of Mr Jameson’s office, Jane lightly knocking before entering, leaving Kane and Gerbil outside. Returning, Jane smiled.

“Mr Jameson will see you now.”

Kane and Gerbil entered Mr Jameson’s office, taking the seats proffered by Mr Jameson.

“So Mr. Jameson, before the meeting tomorrow with Brigante Manufacturing tomorrow, I was wondering if you could tell us any additional information,” Kane asked.

Mr Jameson, took off his glasses and started cleaning them. He had gotten older in the six months since they had done business, his hair was now grey and he was thinner.

“Two and a half weeks ago, I received an invitation to meet with the head of Brigante Manufacturing. When I asked why they wished a meeting, they told me it would be in our mutual interests.

“So I went to the meeting and they told me they wished for our companies to merge. We are still getting used to the move from Premise City to Paris, so really aren’t interested in a merger right now. When I told them this, they asked me to wait until they called the owner of the company.

“Luis Bricante came into the meeting and told me he didn’t care why I didn’t want a merger. He said I had three weeks to agree to the merge, or he would take this to the next stage. He also told me that I really did not want to have it taken to the next level.”

Gerbil sat forward in his chair, wincing as his ribs caused him pain.

“I don’t understand, why would Luis Bricante want your company? From what I read of the information you sent us, his company is designed in the construction of heavy machinery.”

“I have no idea why he wants my company, Mr Gerbil, but I do not want to give this company up.”

“Don’t worry, Mr Jameson. If there must be a corporate battle between KY and Luis Bricante, I have every confidence it is a battle we will win. Now, if we could just go through the situation in detail, it will help before the meeting tomorrow.”

Mr Jameson nodded, calling Jane to send in some coffee, and Earl Grey Tea for Kane. Taking out their files, the three got ready for a long afternoon.

The meeting lasted long into the night, as they went over the tactics for the meeting. Around nine o’clock, they decided to call it a night and head home.

They arrived back at the hotel late and exhausted. Opening the door to their hotel room, they collapsed onto the lounge.

Martha smiled as she entered the lounge room, taking their jackets and hanging them up.

“I thought you two might be a little late, so I ordered two late dinners. They arrived a few minutes ago. They are in the dining room.”

“Thank you Martha, what would we do without you?”

“Thank you Martha, what would we do without you. Give you someone else’s job maybe.”

“Gerbil!” Kane yelled.

“Sorry, sir. I do not know what came over me.”

Gerbil muttered something else under his breath as he stared at Martha, but refrained from speaking them.

Finished tidying the room, Martha smiled and asked if she could retire for the night.

Kane let her go to her own room down the hall and made his way into the dining room. The food was still hot, so it must have arrived not long before.

Grumbling, Gerbil started to eat, mentioning that he would have preferred chicken to pork. Kane ignored him.

Finishing their meal, they discussed business for a while before heading to bed.

Kane woke early, showering and dressing, wanting to go over his notes again before the meeting.

Sitting down to breakfast with Gerbil, they ate and checked their information over; Martha clearing away their plates and taking their clothes from the previous day for the hotel to wash.

Kane asked for Martha to call them a taxi as they finished breakfast. Getting Gerbil to fix Kane’s tie, Martha returned from the telephone.

“Sir, there appears to be some industrial action today and the taxi drivers are striking. I checked with the hotel and there is a bus that will take you to Mr. Jameson’s that is leaving in ten minutes.”

Kane thanked Martha and he and Gerbil left the hotel room, taking the lift to the ground floor and outside to the bus stop.

Before long, a bus pulled up, the sign in the front displaying the street that Jameson Chemicals was located on.

Checking his watch as they boarded the bus, he realised that the bus was early. ‘These buses are better than the ones in Premise City,’ he thought to himself as he paid for two fares and took a seat.

Closing his eyes, Kane tried to remember the lessons about corporate negotiations that he had learnt at university. He hated corporate negotiations. ‘Give me a super villain any day.’

Opening his eyes, he saw the bus stop they needed to get off at and pressed the bell for the bus to stop. Nothing.

His frown creasing, he pushed the button again for the bell to ring, but the bell still didn’t work.

Jameson Chemicals appeared ahead and then disappeared behind, the bus speeding past.

Getting up from his seat, Kane moved up to the bus driver. The bus driver’s name tag said Joseph.

“Ah, Joseph. I needed to get off at that last stop.” Kane asked, politely. Joseph turned towards him, scratching under his beret for a moment before answering.

“Zen why did you not press ze but-ten?”

“I did, but it doesn’t work.”

“Ze bus does no stop unless ze but-ten is pressed.”

“But the button doesn’t work.”

“That is not my pro-blam.”

“Well fine, let me off at the next stop.”

“Certainly, sir. Just press ze button and I shall stop.”

“But the button doesn’t work!”

“Yelling in my ear is not going to ‘elp zis situation.”

“So I have to press the button for you to stop the bus?”

“Wee”

“And you know the button doesn’t work?”

“Wee.”

“So how the hell do I get off the bus.”

“As I said before, zat is not my pro-blam.”

They were now three stops past the one they had needed to get off at, and they did not have much time to get to the meeting. The bus pulled up at a set of traffic lights, and before the bus driver could stop him, Kane reached over and pressed the lever to open the doors.

“What are you doing? You cannot touch that!”

Kane leapt off the bus and Gerbil left through the rear door. Turning, he bowed to the bus driver.

“I am sorry, sir, but zat is not my pro-blam.”

Clasping Gerbil’s arm, they hurried up the street, back towards Jameson Chemicals.

They had to stop twice on the way back for Gerbil to catch his breath. Checking his watch, he saw that they were already ten minutes late.

Entering the Jameson Chemical office building, Kane waved away Jane’s protest about their lateness and hurried up the stairs and into the boardroom, Gerbil panting behind them.

Opening the door, he saw Jameson sitting on one side of the boardroom table, all alone. He had shrunk down into his chair and he almost jumped up in relief as Kane entered the room.

Across from Jameson, three men with briefcases and laptops sat patiently, small ear plugs connected to wires disappearing into their jacket. Behind them, pacing, was a giant of a man.

He wore an expensive Armani suit, with silver hair slicked back against his head. He was thin, but lightly muscled and his grey eyes bore into Kane as he sat down, hurriedly opening his briefcase.

“Who ze ‘ell do you think you are?”

The voice exploded around the boardroom, the man in the Armani suit slamming his fists onto the boardroom table. Kane looked up and tried to smile.

“You must be Mr. Bricante.”

“Yes, I am Luis Bricante, owner of Bricante Manufacturing, and I do not like to be kept waiting. I do not like to waste my time.”

“I apologise for being late, there was a pro-blam…I mean problem…with the bus.”

“I do not care! What kind of businessmen takes a bus anyway. Artists and people who write stupid literary comics take the bus! Businessmen take cars driven by other people. Monsiuer Jameson, you expect me to deal with this man?”

“Mr. Bricante, Mr. Jameson has hired me to negotiate with you-”

“Zere is no negotiations. I am through entertaining you people. I am taking over your company and zere is nothing that you can do about it.”

“Why do you want Jameson Chemicals, it’s operation has no connection with yours?” Kane asked.

“I am designing a new heavy vehicle that uses oxy-hydrogen compounds. I prefer to keep ze production…how you say… in-house, hence the need to buy ze company.”

Kane opened his briefcase and removed a folder, passing it across the table.

“I’m sure this can be achieved through corporate partnership, say a 45% interest in each others company and exclusive production rights. Both our accountants and ourselves looked through the figures and found that this could be a viable option.”

One of the three men took a folder out of his briefcase and passed it across the table, ignoring the folder they had been given.

“I thought you might suggest this, so I had my finance department look at zat proposition. By buying ze company, it will reduce costs by 22%. Now is there anything else that you have to say?”

“My client has no desire to sell.”

“I do not care if he wishes to sell. Now let me speak. As of this yesterday, I bought the companies that were your main suppliers, and all of your supplies have been cut. If you choose not to sell to me, our finance department predicts that you shall be bankrupt within two weeks, and zen I shall buy this company for half ze price I am offering you now. I get what I want, Monsieur Yess, and I want zis company.”

“Wait,” Mr. Jameson, bowed his head, tears in his eyes.

“If I sell you the company, will you promise not to fire my staff?” he asked.

Luis Bricante smiled.

“Monsiuer Jameson, I am a fair man. Have the forms signed and deliver them to me at my mansion by 8pm tonight, and your staff will keep their jobs. I shall have my staff prepare to transfer the eight million Euro into your account. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

One of the three men sitting removed a folder from his briefcase and slid it over towards Mr. Jameson. Rising, the three men closed their briefcases and laptops and followed Luis Bricante out.

Mr. Jameson, removed his glasses, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief.

“I am so sorry, Mr. Jameson.”

“That’s ok, Kane. You tried. I don’t think that there was any chance of negotiation.”

“I still feel terrible.”

Mr. Jameson smiled, or at least tried to.

“I remember saving everything I had while I went to university, starting this company while working two other jobs just to pay the rent. It’s been a long, and hard, journey to build it up and then, gone. Please, I would like to be alone.”

Kane nodded, and he and Gerbil left the room. Outside, the company’s workers stared at them silently.

Leaving the building, Kane and Gerbil decided to walk back to the hotel.

“I can’t believe it turned out like that, sir. It isn’t right.”

“No, Gerbil, it’s not. But I’ll say one thing about Luis Bricante. He sure is slippery.”

“That he is, sir. What shall we do now?”

“We find out what Luis Bricante’s oily little plan is.”

“How do you know that he has something else planned?”

“Two reasons. Firstly, he wants that company too badly for it to be a normal business takeover. And secondly, if someone was to ever write down my adventures as a superhero and this was written, and there was no nefarious plan; then the reader would have just wasted his time.”

Gerbil nodded.

“Well then, sir. I guess we just have to figure out what his plan is.”

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