For Whom the Bells Rang

Robert Jordan has been stuck at the same dead-end job for the last 10 years. He was promised a promotion years ago but to this day it has not yet happened. He sat at a small desk in a large dull room deprived of light, life, and soul. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all the same lifeless pale gray. The walls and ceiling were stucco. The floor was concrete sealed with rubber. There was no way to get used to the smell of the rubber.

There was more light coming from his computer screen than the fluorescent lights 10 feet above his head. The room was on the 5th floor of the building and there were no windows anywhere around.

Whenever he was not typing on the keyboard, the room was filled with the sound of the analog clock hanging on the wall.

TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK

Once a minute, as the second hand hit 12, you could hear the grinding of the gears.

CLUNK CLUNK, CLUNK CLUNK

If this was not enough to drive his sanity completely away, the sound of the electricity buzzing through the light was almost enough to push him over the edge. Then there was the bell.

DING!

Immediately, Robert jumped to his feet. He grabbed his chest as the sound of the bell startled him. His chest was hurting, and his heart was beating 120 beats per minute. He would have screamed, maybe he did, but nobody else was around. The sound took him back to Afghanistan. His plane was shot down on a secret mission. The only survivor. The walk back to friendly states. Wait. He was never in the armed forces.

DING!

“Mr. Jordan, Mr. Thomas will see you now.”

The voice was a soft whine. Just as dull and gray as the room he was in. Regardless of how boring the voice was, He thought that it was beautiful. It was the voice of Maria. He had spoken to Maria only a few times during lunch break. He had learned that she left an abusive home when she was only 16 years old. Despite having a genius level IQ, that of 145, without a high school diploma, a secretary position is the only job she was able to get.

“Thank you, Maria”, he said. “I’m on my way.”

Robert slowly walked to the elevator wondering what the boss could possibly want with him. With each and every step the sound of the clock and the grinding of the gears got louder and louder.

TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK

CLUNK CLUNK, CLUNK CLUNK

He pressed the up button and the light flickered before becoming solid. The lights in the room flickered as well. The ticking continued. The buzzing continued. The grinding continued. It seemed to take forever. He could feel himself aging while he waited. He imagined that his beard had grown a full 3 feet in the time. As soon as he couldn’t handle it anymore,

Ding!

The elevator door came to a slow jerky open. The light on the elevator was slightly brighter than that in his office. This gave him some relief. But the color was just as boring. The elevator music was an instrumental version of that song talking about a girl from Rio de Janeiro. No, that wasn’t it. She was from Ipanema. It was slow and dragging but it was better than that mind numbing TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK.

The door came to a close with a loud crash. A few years ago, a lady named Manda broke her hand in this door. The door should have reopened when she stuck her hand out. But just because something should happen doesn’t mean it always does. Robert recalled the day he got stuck in there. It was time to leave. He got inside, hit the button for the 1st floor. The door closed and the elevator did not move. He was only stuck for a few minutes, but it seemed like hours. Now, he was in there for only a few seconds, but it seemed like minutes.

As the elevator started to move, he tried to think of what the boss could want with him. Was he being fired? He had heard that a few employees from the 4th floor were let go, laid off, downsized. “What term would the use on me?”

As the elevator ascended, he began to pace back and forth. His mind was going in all different directions. The ding of a bell shook him out of it. Or should I say it took him somewhere else. The volume of the music lowered, and a voice came over the speaker.

DING! “6th Floor”

At the sound of the bell, the door opened, and he walked into a well-lit area with a black marble desk. The boss was a short fat man with a bald head. He wore a bright white suit without a single stain. He had on a black shirt and a red tie. His name was Nicolas Thomas.

“Mr. Jordan”, he said, “I have an assignment for you.” He had a deep raspy voice. He looked right at him without cracking a smile. No emotion at all was on his face.

A tall skinny man with dreadlocks down just past his shoulders handed Robert an envelope labeled “TOP SECRET”. He went by the name Anselmo, and he was the opposite of Mr. Thomas. He wore a jet-black suit with a white shirt and a green tie. He must have been 7 feet tall, and he had the word “PAIN” Tattooed on his knuckles. Robert was scared.

He started to open the envelope, but he was told not to open it until he get back to his office. When he got back to his desk, in the low light of his office, he opened the envelope and found an ID card featuring his face. The name on the ID was John Worthing and the company was Koltsov Lister and Nin. There was a 5x5 inch card that instructed him to gain access to the enemy company and gather intel.

The very next day he walked into a building with the letters KLN on the side. He swiped his fake ID and the door opened. He took the elevator to the 8th floor. This was different. The music was jazzier. It was something he could tap his feet and bob his head to. He stepped off and the lights were brighter. He felt that he might enjoy working here.

He made his way to the main office without being seen. There, he was able to find a small opening in the wall where he could hide. It was once used to store water bottles before KLN bought the building. Now it was just covered with file cabinets.

He hid there while the top executives were in their meeting. He recorded all of their plans for the future. He had a good thing going until he stretched out his leg and his bones cracked.

“Maybe they didn’t hear that”, he thought. But that’s when Golz, a 7’6, 500-pound, security guard pushed the cabinet out the way like it was tissue paper.

“Take him out back”, said the chairman of the board.

He was taken outside, behind the building where 12 men with rifles were waiting for him. They all pointed their guns in his direction.

READY

AIM

DING! “7th Floor”

It was all in his head. He was back on the elevator. That music was still playing. No guns were fired, but he was sweating bullets, and he was still alive. He knew that that was crazy. Why would they ask him to gather intel on the enemy? Why would there be an enemy? He gathered his composure and tried to relax. He continued pacing. He laughed at himself. Whatever the big boss wanted, it had to be something good. Bad news was always sent by letter. If they actually wanted to speak to you with bad news, it wasn’t the big boss that called you. He didn’t have the time. “Yes”, he thought, “Something tells me I’m in for something good”. The music had changed. The wait still seemed to take forever. But then…

DING! “8th Floor”

He stepped off the elevator and found himself in a long hallway stretching both left and right. There to greet him was a tall cool lady in a black dress. She had to be standing 5’9. Her name was Jane Hollies. She was beautiful with a pleasant voice. “Mr. Thomas will see you this way”, she said as she instructed him to follow her. She walked perfectly straight. Her hips shook left and right while her legs remained aligned with her shoulders. He admired the way she looked, the way she walked. But he was not in love with her. His heart belonged to someone else.

It took less than a minute to reach Mr. Thomas’s office. He was expecting a huge, impressive door but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. There were no windows, no name in lights. Only a sign that read, “Office 842”.

“You may enter when ready”, she said and walked away.

He opened the door and Mr. Thomas was sitting at a desk. Same white suit. He didn’t say anything. He only looked at Anselmo who handed Robert another top-secret envelope. His mission this time was to infiltrate the enemy headquarters. Get a lowly job, like mail room attendant. Something small. He would then work his way up to the top. Once there, bring the entire company down. He had all of the instructions on how to pull this off.

Anselmo spoke. He had a deep baritone voice. The type that could wake the dead. “Study it. Remember it. Destroy it.” There was no smile. Without words, his look said, “Or else.”

Robert made it to his office and read everything in the envelope. He then threw it in the garbage and burned it. The sprinkler system went off, but the content was already destroyed.

When he went for the interview at KLN, he handed them an outstanding resume.

“You’re overqualified for mail room clerk”, the interviewer said. “Why would you want to work with them?”

“I was told that I would have to start at the bottom”, Robert said. “That I would have to work my way up.”

“Let me make a few calls.”

The next day he was Executive Assistant to the Vice President of New Products. A very long title but it didn’t put him on the board. He didn’t need to be. He was asked that same day to sit in for one of the members who was sick that day. There was a very important video conference, and it would look better if each seat was filled. The face on the large screen was that of Pablo, the CEO of the company. He had a clear view of everybody in the room.

“I see we have a new board member”, he said.

“This is Gary Bowman”, said Rafael, the chairman. “The newest member.”

“Wow! Mr. Bowman, do you have a twin. You look just like Robert Jordan, A spy for our biggest competitor.”

Rafael pushed a button and in no time at all, Golz walked through the door. He grabbed Robert and was just about to punch him in the face when…

DING! “9th floor”

The elevator door opened. Maria walked on. Robert was hunched down in the corner with his hands over his face in a defensive posture.

“Don’t worry”, she said. “I won’t bite. Unless you really want me to.” She still had the dull voice, yet she was able to add some form of humor to it.

He was lost for words. Although he never told her, Robert has had a crush on her since he met her. He didn’t realize that she had a crush on him also. He pretended that he was only tying his shoes and almost fell when she came. He stood up quickly, acting as if nothing was wrong. How would she take it if she realized that he was having a nervous breakdown.

“What floor are you headed to”, he said.

“Just the 10th. I could have taken the stairs, but I have too much to carry.”

She was carrying a box with a lot of papers. He saw that one of them had his name on it. What could it be? He didn’t want to ask her. She probably didn’t know anyway.

“Did you need any help”, he asked?

“Thanks, but I got it. I heard you have a meeting with the big boss. I don’t want to hold you up. Besides…”

DING! “10th Floor”

He closed his eyes only for a fraction of a second. When he opened them, Maria was gone. Did she step off the elevator without saying goodbye? The door was opened. He stepped off and looked around. He didn’t see her.

The 10th floor was not well lit. As he walked, he heard a low sound.

“PSST!”

He turned around. Through and opened closet door, a hand beckoned him over. Was it Maria? He walked over to find it was Pilar, Pablo’s ex-wife. Why was she there? What could she want? The question continued to come to Robert’s mind.

“I can’t be seen here”, she said. “Most people believe I’m still with the enemy. I’m a double agent working for Mr. Thomas. I know how to take them down for good. You are going to blow up the servers. Here are your instructions.”

She handed him a small briefcase. Inside, he found 2 flash drives, a visitors pass, and a blank sheet of paper. There was also a business card with the words “Unis Velvet” written on it. Right away he understood this to be UV, Ultra-Violet. He needed to use ultraviolet light to read what was on the paper. He happened to have a black light in his office. The paper read:

“Go to the office of KLN. Ask to speak to Karkov. Trust him and only him. Speak to him in private. He will tell you what to do with the flash drives. Destroy this paper ASAP.” Robert knew better than to set fire inside his garbage can this time. He was smart enough to use a shredder this time.

Karkov told him that the flash drives contained viruses that would cause the servers to overheat and explode. However, they must be entered at the same time at 2 different locations. “I’ll take the west wing”, Karkov said, “You’ll take the east wing.” They made sure their watches were in sync and set the time for 10 minutes after noon. This way, everybody would be on lunch break. Nobody would be there to stop them.

The 2 of them went their different ways. Robert made it to the east wing server room. He stared at his watch waiting for 12:10 PM. Just as he was about to put the flash drive in, the door opened. It was Agustin, the COO of the company. In his hand was the shredded instructions taped together. The text was visible. “Karkov”, he said, “has been dwelt with. And now it’s your turn.” He snapped his fingers and Golz walked in from another door. Robert stuck the flash drive into the computer and took off running. Golz was faster than him, but before he could catch him…

DING “11th Floor”

Robert was running not only in his mind, but in real life. He crashed into the back wall of the elevator at full speed. He almost knocked himself unconscious. He laid on the floor, trying his best to get up. In the back of his mind, he was wondering if he even should. Where would he end up next. He decided not to even talk to his boss. He would listen to anyone calling him behind closed doors. He didn’t even want to return to his own office. No! He was going home. He’d deal with the consequences when he returns. If he returns. He got up from the floor and hit the “Ground Level” button, but nothing happened. He hit “Stop”. Nothing. He hit “Call”. Zip. He was stuck. He had no idea what would happen next. Wherever it stopped, he wanted to take the stairs down. It was time to rethink his career.

DING “12th Floor”

He ran out of the elevator the moment the door opened. He went right to the stairs. However, when he opened the door to the stairwell, he found himself in a dark room lite only by a single dim overhead light. The light only reached the center of the room, directly under it. He could tell that there was a person standing in front of him but could not make out his face. “Who’s there”, Robert asked?

With an electronically altered voice, the other person said, “Listen, don’t speak. These instructions will not be repeated. Your mission is to capture the CEO of KLN. Karkov will drive you to his location and where you need to take him. The less you know, the better. Your job is to grab him.”

“I’m not doing anything but going home. I quit.”

“That’s a shame. Without a job, it’s hard to keep your family safe.”

“What! Wait.”

“If you wish to leave, go ahead.”

“OK! I’ll do it.”

Palbo car was parked in his private garage. He was standing outside his car fumbling around to get his keys from his pocket. He pressed the button to unlock the door as Robert crept up behind him, threw a black sack over his head and with the help of Karkov, stuffed him into the trunk of another car. They drove off at only 5 miles per hour. They did not want to draw any attention to themselves. When they reached the street, they picked up speed to match the conditions of the road.

Their destination was unknown to Robert. 10 blocks ahead of them there was a red building 3 stories tall. It was an industrial building with windows only at the top. They barely drove 2 more blocks when out of nowhere, a black car with tinted windows crash into them. They spun out of control and crashed into a pole. A 6’7 Cuban man stepped out of the other car. His name was Fernando, and he had more mussels in his pinky than Robert had in his whole body. He walked toward the car and Robert tried to exit through the other door, but it wouldn’t open. It was blocked by the pole. Fernando grabbed Robert and Karkov. He tazed them, blindfolded, gagged and duct taped them. With one hand he picked them up and threw both in the trunk of his car.

Robert knew a trick for freeing himself from duct tape restraints. Due to limited motion, it took him longer than he expected. He pushed through the back seat just in time to see the car going over a cliff headed right into the Atlantic Ocean. As the car touched the water…

DING! “13th floor”

Robert was sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest. He was rocking back and forth not saying a word. The building only had 14 floors. He figured that whatever was going to happen was going to happen next. He had no idea what that was going to be. He just sat there waiting. He waited for the next…

DING! “14th floor”

He stood up slowly. The door opened and he walked off. Ahead of him was a set of large double doors. He pulled on the left door, and both opened. Inside was a large office, well lit, with large windows. It was a pleasant room to be in. To his left was Andrés Garcia. He was about 21 years old and had a kind face. Eladio, his identical twin brother was to the right. They were in the middle of a conversation about who was the oldest. Eladio was older by a full 90 seconds. When Robert walked in, he interrupted them.

“How man I help you”, Eladio asked?

“I’m here to see Mr. Thomas”, Robert responded.

Eladio stood up from his desk and walked away, while Andrés simply said, “Wait here please.”

The wait seemed to take forever.

“So”, Andrés said, “Are you expecting a promotion. I heard he’s looking for a new partner.”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting any.”

After 10 minutes, Eladio returned. “Mr. Thomas will be here shortly. Please wait just a minute more.”

After a while, a voice came over the PA. “Please send him in.”

Robert walked through the next set of doors. Maria greeted him with a smile. Her smile was beautiful. “Good to see you again”, she said with a dull, gray whine. He thought that was beautiful also. He sat down at the desk. As soon as Mr. Thomas opened his mouth…

DING

“Mr. Jordan, Mr. Thomas will see you now.”

He found himself back in his own office on the 5th floor. He was being driven crazy by the non-stop

TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK TICK, TOCK