Read #2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love Page 9

  Chapter Nine

  The Furies

  3:41 P.M...

  Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

  Lieutenant Creed approached a secretary at the Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office. "I have an appointment with the Chairman."

  Cathy looked up and greeted, "Good afternoon, Lieutenant Creed. Go right in, Mr. Griffin is expecting you."

  Creed glanced at the waiting room, saw no one there, and made his way down the hall and once he arrived, he knocked on the door and entered the huge corner office.

  Mr. Griffin sat at his desk, working on his computer and said, "Lieutenant, come in. Have a seat."

  Creed closed the door then went and sat. "Do you have new orders for my unit, sir?"

  "Actually..." Mr. Griffin grabbed a H.H.C. from his desk and handed it to him. "I'm disbanding your unit. Here are the orders."

  Creed stood, shouting, "I don't understand. My unit is the most efficient..."

  "Lieutenant," Mr. Griffin interrupted. "Your unit is efficient, and that is precisely why I am disbanding it."

  Confused about what he had been told, Creed took the device, sat, opened the file, and scanned over the document.

  Mr. Griffin continued, "I want you to assemble a special task force under my control." He faced the desktop computer and typed a few things. "I want you to select only the best of your officers. Ones you can trust." He turned his attention back to him. "Then I want you to go into the Third Branch Office S.C.M. files and find other highly qualified men and women. This task force will be under your command, and you'll report only to me."

  "Sir?"

  "I'll need to run Ultra-black Operations. Orthos and his security force is fine for internal matters, and the S.C.Ms. aren't specialized enough for what I'm wanting. I would like you to find the elite in every field. You'll have all the funding you'll need, and you can use Sub-level 120 of this building as your base of operations."

  "What name will this task force operate under?"

  "You'll be called the Furies."

  "Furies," Creed repeated then grinned, pleased with the name.

  Mr. Griffin pushed back from the desk and ordered, "Begin putting the task force together tonight. I need the Furies operational in less than a week. Cathy can assist you with any outside resource you'll need to get your base ready." He paused, opened a desk drawer, and removed a box that fit in his palm. "One other thing. I'm promoting you to captain." He handed the lieutenant the box with the new insignia pins.

  "I don't know what to say." Creed took the box and stated, "Thank you, sir."

  The phone rang.

  "Please excuse me, lieutenant... Actually, I should say, captain." Mr. Griffin answered the phone, "Yes, Cathy."

  "Orthos is here. He says he has the files from the Second Branch Office."

  "Yes, the ones the Vice President wanted to send over. Have the Head of Security come in."

  "At once, Mr. Griffin," Cathy spoke and then hung up.

  Mr. Griffin told Creed, "You have your orders, captain. That's all."

  Creed stood and saluted. "Yes, sir."

  He left and past Orthos who entered the Chairman's office, carrying about a dozen folders.

  Mr. Griffin waited till his Head of Security entered and then questioned him, "Did you have any problems at the Second Branch Office?"

  "No, sir." Orthos placed the folders on the desk. "The Vice President showed no hostility. He seemed eager for you to have these, and he said they are from when you were Head of Security here and he was the Chairman."

  "It was a very long time ago." Mr. Griffin stared at the files, wondering why the Vice President would send them then looked to Orthos and questioned, "Did the Vice President say anything?"

  "Only that he thought he might have some more files. He told me I should stop by later and pick them up."

  "Do so and watch yourself."

  "Yes, Chairman," Orthos replied and then made his way out.

  Mr. Griffin's view...

  I stand, pick up the folders, then go and lie on my dark brown leather couch, and flip through them till something catches my eye. I sit up in disbelief and read it again. It can't be right! According to the files, I have another child, and the revelation is like an earthquake, toppling the world on top of me.

  I flip back a few pages. I thought the child died during delivery, but not according to these records. Hades! I slam my fist on the couch. The corporation lied to me and dared take my child away!