My head was pounding as I stood in the middle of the concrete room, rubbing my arms and legs for circulation and warmth. I looked at the bruises and red
marks on my chest and legs from where the duck tape was, ugly I thought, but I'm alive, naked but alive! When I turned towards the table where my outfit
was still mangled in the duck tape, I heard a man's voice.
"How the hell did you get loose?" He asked.
His voice was low and icy. I turned towards the door; there stood a slight man with an odd voice. A strange, bright light was surrounding him, as if he were an
Angel. He had something big and dark in his hand and then I knew this was the bastard the police was looking for. I yelled "How did I get here and why am I
here?" Then I screamed as he moved into the room and closed the door while keeping me in his sight. With the door closed and the bright light out of my eyes
I now had a clear view of him. I've seen him before and in his hand was a mean looking machete. Then I noticed dark wet spots on his clothes. He smiled, then
he launched for me with the machete raised...
One
Typical Midwest weather, the forecast called for rain and heavy winds. It was 8:30 am, sunny, 80
degrees and humid! I was sweating as I look down at my heavy rain coat and boots I'm wearing.
Someday the weatherman or woman will get it right; I thought with a sigh on my lips as I walked
into the building that many have called Castle Greed aka 'The Hornell Building'. Thirty floors, 15
companies. All owned by the Hornell family.
Greed should have been the family's name. George Hornell the founder and CEO of Hornell Enterprises dreamed big. He was raised in an orphanage,
married at seventeen and by the age of twenty-five he had five sons and a baby on the way in 1944. They lived in a one room apartment and were
dirt poor on a Thursday and somehow managed to buy a five story building on Friday. Opened four businesses in that building – Hornell News &
Print, Employment Agency, Messenger Service and Cleaning Service; moved his family to the fifth floor of that building by the following Monday.
How did he do that you ask? Well no one knows and he's not telling.
I say he kissed the Devil's ass but that's just my opinion.
By 1970 he added twenty-five floors, more businesses, employed all his children and had more money and capital than a desert sheikh. There was
just one problem; dead bodies. Never mind that only female employees disappeared or turned up dead on or near the Hornell Building
throughout the years. Each murder has never been solved and some say money made the police or FBI forget to solve any of the crimes. Some say
the Hornell bloodline is supernatural and some say they're psychopaths. I'm going with all of the above.
I've been a Hornell employee since I turned eighteen. Now at twenty-seven I can't believe I'm still here. I've seen and heard things that would send
any sane person screaming and running out of the building in their first year of working. Hey, who said I was sane? Not me. My name is Michele
Glenn and Mondays are from hell.
"Good morning Charles" I greet the day security guard when I enter into the blah foyer. White walls, white floors, white chairs, white everything.
"Good morning Miss Glenn, I see you listened to the channel 1 weather report again."
He says it with a smirk on his face as he looks at my attire. He is always entertained by my bad luck.
"Nice of you to notice Charles" I said with sarcasm. I walked into a waiting elevator and reached for the button for my floor, Charles calls out to me
as I punch the number thirty button.
"Evil and Nasty are here." Charles said.
I feel the bile enter my throat and stick. Those two names put fear in my heart. Nick and Nora
'Evil and Nasty' Hornell are twins. They live up to those nick names. George Hornell thought it
was cute to give his grandchildren those names, 'To keep people on their toes' he said. He even
had ID badges with Evil and Nasty Hornell for them. As if no one could tell which one was Evil or
Nasty. Nick accidentally shredded an employee's paycheck; the same employee who was dating a
pretty editor in the company that he wanted for himself. Nick did the shredding on Wednesday
5 pm at closing. One day before Thanksgiving. It took four days to replace the check – Evil.
When Nora set up a slide show for the holiday party and a picture came up showing her and
Mark Geer swapping spit. Never mind that Mark's seven month pregnant wife was seating next
to him. Did I mention the picture was from the 4th of July picnic of that year? Yeah, now that's
Nasty.
"Thanks Charles" I murmured while the doors closed. Ok. Monday was living up to its name. Great!
Two
It was 10:00 am and no sign of the Hell Twins. Yay me! So, my bff is Margie Hornell. I know, how messed up is that. But she was my bff before she
became a Hornell. She fell in love with Andrew Hornell, one of George's many grandsons. Andrew saw her at a company function and followed her
like Cupid shot him with his arrow. It took two years and some days before Margie agreed to a date. They've been together from that day on. Margie
works on the 15th floor - The Law firm, she's an attorney. I work on the 30th floor; I'm Mr. Stephan Hornell's assistant. He handles the HR and other
parts of the family businesses. Basically he's given me a lot of hats to wear. I picked up my phone and called Margie, she answered on the 2nd ring.
"What's up beautiful, I hear that the rats are circling about." Margie says as a greeting. Margie has mousy brown hair, green eyes, smart as hell and
is 5'4 of one hundred and ten well packed pounds.
I smiled, she always has my back. "I heard that too. Want to meet for lunch?"
"11:30 please, I have to finish a brief, have it checked by B.A. and stop at the drug store."
"OK." I said "Not here though, how about Wangs?"
"Fine by me, see you there." With that said Margie hung up.
I hung up the phone and all the hairs on my neck stood up.
"Hello sunshine"
The voice of Evil stood just inside my office door. Nick Hornell, 6'2 of gorgeous face and muscles to match his height. Too bad he could scare the
Devil because women would love to jump him in all matters.
"Good morning sir" I answered without any emotion on my face.
"Sunshine I've been asking you for years to call me Nick.
When do you think that's going to happen?"
"Sorry sir. My boss prefers the employees not to be on a first name basis with the board members."
"You've been saying that since we've met. Since I know your boss and I'm on the board, I give you permission to call me Nick."
"Is that for all employees?"
"No Sunshine, you, and only you." He says it with a low and very sensual voice.
I want to gag. "Thank you but I'm going to follow what Mr. Hornell wants. Mr. Stephan Hornell." I said with a neutral and calm voice. Nick the Evil
one leans against the door frame, staring at me. I can't describe the look on his face. Now he's really scaring me! "Is there anything else? I have a
lot to do before Mr. Hornell comes in and go over our schedules for the week."
"YES!" He sneers at me. "Soon you will know your place. You will know me very well." He says with menace in his voice. He then grips the door
frame as if to stop himself.
"Are you threatening me?" I ask with a cool and calm voice. I am standing now, my fingers on the edge of my desk, my left index finger above the
panic button.
"No. No threats." His face and voice back to calmness. "Well, look at the time." He say's glancing at his watch. Moving slightly out of my office door
way. "Always nice doing business with you Sunshine."
"We have not done any business of any kind sir." I still had my finger over the panic button. "Have a nice day. I'll tell Mr. Hornell you dropped by." I
gave him a warm smile. Hey, who says you can't give a great send off to a Psychopath.
"Don't bother." He reply's smoothly. "Oh, we will be doing business soon." He states with a silky smooth voice and a killer smile while his hand that
was gripping the door way was now in his pocket moving up and down. And just like that, he was gone...
OK. The hand moving in the pocket was new but Nick is an evil guy; good looking but scary. Nick like all of the Hornell men have skills in martial
arts, boxing and wrestling. Where was Chuck Norris when you needed him?