Pa'an

The Gulfstream 5 had only one other passenger on the 8 hour flight from Lausanne to Boston. Sanford Day, senior partner of White, Day, PLC, was finally asleep. Jag was thoroughly grateful for the silence after being drilled in the details of the Ultradata takeover. It was not going to be fair, kind or easy. He gathered Kaiser into his lap in the huge leather chair and stroked his silky white fur. It was a way to relax. The ocean was an impenetrable inky darkness with the glint of moonlight on rolling, good-sized seas. He fondled a snifter of fine cognac, but tonight it tasted like turpentine. Eventually, the little dog dozed off and so did he.

The midmorning drizzle was clearing at Logan Airport, and a harbor breeze brought the iodine salt tang of the harbor and seaweed at low tide. Jag turned before he entered the limo, paused and looked back at the plane. The tail was painted black with a gold pyramid logo. He tucked Kaiser under his arm and settled back into the limo. Sanford gave the driver the address of Ultradata in Cambridge. The limo rolled out of the private plane area of the airport and was immediately embedded in the Sumner Tunnel traffic. The short ride to Cambridge took nearly an hour.

Deliberately, Jason, CEO of Utradata, had no knowledge that Jag was arriving, although he was informed by minions of White, Day that an attorney would be arriving to review documents and petition for a seat on the Board. Reluctantly, Jason assembled the Board for an informal meeting with the new shareholder. They had asked him to step out for their deliberations an hour ago.

Jag walked through the front doors. He handed Kaiser to Elexi with instructions to walk the dog, and entered Jason’s office with Sanford Day at his heels. He strode up to the Boss’s desk and slammed his leather portfolio on the surface. He scowled.

“Good morning, I’m Jaeger Kunstler, the new CEO, and you are sitting in my chair.” He spoke slowly, with a slight German accent, and glowered at the Boss.

Jason was not easily flustered. He picked up the phone and called security. He glared back. “If you are Jesus K. Christ himself, which you are not, you are going to be thrown out in about a minute. Now who the hell are you to make demands in my office?”

Jag moved quickly around the side of the desk, towered over the Boss, pulled the phone out of his grip and slammed it down. “Those are my security people now. Glad you called them. Mr. Day, serve him.”

“Jason Story, you are hereby terminated from Ultradata, by action of the new majority shareholder, Mr. Jaeger Kunstler, as ratified by the Board. Here is the SEC filing, the State filing and the judge’s order.”

The Boss was strangling on his reply when the security guards came in. “Sorry, Boss. We have to escort you out.” They stationed themselves on either side of his chair and gave him an opportunity to get up of his own accord. When he did not, they each placed a hand on his arm and elbow and bodily brought him to his feet.

Jag stopped them. “Your security card, office keys and the keys to your company car, if you please.” Jason threw them on the floor and stomped out, boiling mad, red in the face and screaming. “YOU BASTARD, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!”

“So it is,” said Jag quietly, “so it is.”