Chapter 4
If Only..
Mike had spent the rest of the day hiding in the file room burying himself in work. He hated the way the associates looked at him, like he was crazy; a freak. He had practically begged Louis for work, as Mike was avoiding Harvey, who didn't even seem to notice as he was too concerned with whatever he bought when out shopping. Mike did find it strange Harvey even went shopping, but he didn't concern himself more with the issue, as he meant what he said to Harvey. He didn't care what Harvey spent his money on.
He had been in the file room alone the rest of the afternoon and didn't notice that everyone is the room had already left. He glanced at his watch as he let out a yawn and saw it was a little after 11pm. His eyes widened as he realised he'd stayed so late. Grumbling as he realised he was going to have to get a cab home, he packed up his stuff and walked out the file room.
He had to admit it was spooky in the office at night, Most of the lights were off, and he tripped over a few cubicle walls and swore as he wallked through the associate area.
The closer he got to near Harvey's office the more he was sure he heard voices. He slowed his steps down as he peered around the wall corner; absolutely sure he heard voices, neither of which were Harvey's.
He felt his blood run cold when he saw 2 masked men in Harvey's office, ransacking his office, clearly looking for something. Mike stood there frozen for a minute or two as he watched them, absolutely terrified.
Then he shook his head and shakily brought out his phone and dialled 911.
"911 what's your emergency?"
"I'd like to report a break in at Pearson Hardman, two masked men are in one of the senior partner office's searching through files"
"Patrol cars are en route. Your name sir."
"Mike Ross, I'm an associate at Pearson Hardman and I-" Mike was cut off as a text message came through on his phone and apparently someone had messed with his ringtone to play Gangnam style. Mike panicked as he quickly glanced at the two masked men in Harvey's office, who were looking towards where he was hiding behind the corner. Mike turned back to his phone as he tried to stop the ringtone, he eventually did and sighed with relief.
However then he heard voices; closer
"Hey did you hear that?" One of the men said, his voice deep and threatening
"Go check it out" The other said and Mike heard the cock of a gun. At that Mike took a deep breath and ran
He didn't get very far as he felt someone grab his collar and yank him backwards; it was so sudden Mike didn't have time to react. He was suddenly face to face; well face to masked face, with one of the men. He looked in panic as the man towered over him; he was at least 6 foot and very muscular, he could probably crush Mike like a toothpick. But Mike was more focused on the gun that appeared near his face
"What do we have here?" The man said; full of anger and threats
Mike gulped, terrified to say anything. He didn't have to as the guy started pulling him towards Harvey's office and Mike was still too shocked and absolutely petrified to react. He didn't know what to do. The man maintained his hold on the back of Mike's neck, pinching it until Mike was wincing in pain.
"Hey we got ourselves a spy" The man holding Mike's neck shouted, and the other masked man walked out Harvey's office. Mike took note of the fact Harvey's office was completely destroyed, files and papers everywhere, his baseballs and basketballs all over the floors. Chairs tipped over and the couch ripped up.
"Hmm" The second masked man looked him up and down and it was silent. Then Mike heard the muffled voice of the 991 women he was speaking to, his phone was still clutched in his hands
The masked men looked at him and then the other man who was not holding Mike grabbed his hands and snatched the phone. He held to his ear and then ended the call frowning, he called the cops.
"No I-" Mike was cut off as the man holding the gun turned him to face him and then hit him; hard, on the head with the gun. Mike fell to the floor groaning. Then he was picked up and hit again, the same place. This time Mike saw stars. He stayed on the ground groaning and clutching his head, pretty sure he was going to have a concussion. He pulled back his hand and saw blood and felt himself shaking.
Then he felt the air ripped out of his lungs as he was kicked in the chest;
"You little shit! You called the cops! I'm going to make you pay for that!" The man kicked another few times until the other man yelled at him;
"Hey cut it out! We need to focus on getting out of her before the cops come" Mike coughed and choked as the man left him alone and they started chatting, he closed his eyes relieved to have time to breathe again. Although the breathes came out rather ragged. He couldn't make out what the men were saying, all he could hear was the his breathing and the blood rushing to his ears.
Then he felt himself flying as he was lifted up, and he groggily opened his eyes to see the man holding the gun glaring at him.
"What do we do with him?" The man asked and Mike gulped as the two men looked at him
"Depends how much he saw" The other man said, then he felt a hand grab his throat and push his back against Donnas' cubicle
"What's your name kid?" The hand on Mike's throat tightened and although he was scared he didn't say anything. He knew if they got away, they'd come after him so he said nothing.
"Brave kid" The man laughed and tightened his hands around Mike's throat even more, cutting off Mike's breathing again. Mike clawed at the man's hands but it was no use. Mike could feel himself weakening
"What did you see?" The man asked more aggressively and Mike saw the man's eyes were full of rage
"Noo..nothing" Mike gasped
"Kill him" The other man said and Mike's eye widened in fear as the gun he saw earlier came back into view as it was being lifted to his head. Mike had to do something. He used one of his hands to reach behind his back to where he remembered Donna had a vase of flowers. He grabbed it and swung it around so it connected with the gunman's head, he released Mike's throat and stumbled backwards. Mike fell to the floor gasping for air, and stumbling forward as he tried to run. His legs were weak and he could feel his heart racing as he ran along the wall for support.
"HEY! He's getting away!" One man yelled and the gunman Mike hit with the vase picked himself up and ran after Mike, yelling for him to stop. Then there was gunshots that flew past Mike's head and Mike fell onto the floor and he ducked and stumbled. He turned over on the floor, his back on the ground and stared up at the man towering over him with the gun raised;
"If you kill me that's life imprisonment, but if you let me go, then you'll only be charged with breaking and entering, that's only 2 years minimum in prison. It would be better to let me go. Besides I didn't see anything, I didn't even see your faces" Mike rambled as he stared at the barrel of the gun that got closer and closer, as he backed himself away.
"You're smart kid" The man scoffed but didn't lower the gun; "Too smart for your own good" The man uttered the same words Mike's father said to him that night, the night they died. And Mike felt rage and adrenaline course up inside him as the gun cocked again. Mike took a deep breath and in a flash brought his legs up and to the side of the gunman's feet and swung against them so the gunman was knocked sideways onto the ground his gun flying out his hand. Mike quickly rushed over and grabbed it, holding it at the masked man on the floor as he stood up and starting backing away
"Stay back!" Mike yelled, then he glanced up and didn't see the other man. He glanced around widely, then hands were wrapped around his face from behind. Mike instantly realised the other man came up behind him. He panicked as he wrestled with the man from behind trying to claw at his hands, but he had a piece of cloth over Mike's mouth, which had something on it and as Mike was breathing it in, he suddenly felt very lightheaded. Chloroform Mike realised as he felt himself closing his eyes, but he didn't stop fighting with the man and the two stumbled backwards and then they fell sideways right into the conference room glass windows, smashing right through them and tumbling to the floor. Mike tried to fight the chloroform as he rolled onto his back on the bed of glass and opened his eyes so they were slits. Everything was blurry, but we pretty sure he saw one man help the other up and retrieve their gun. One man held it at Mike and the other pushed his arm down and said something Mike didn't hear and then they both disappeared as Mike blinked. He groaned as he tried to get up, they were getting away and Mike felt he had to do something. He turned onto his side and felt glass all over him, he didn't know if he was impaled anywhere as the adrenaline was still raging. His last thoughts as he coughed and spluttered trying to catch his breath and stay awake was of his parents that night they died. His eyes slipped closed as he heard sirens in the distance and thought if only he'd gone home on time. If only...
~~~~SUITS~~~~
Mike sat on the edge of his parents bed watching his mom put on her earrings and his dad putting on his suit jacket and fastening his tie.
"Why do I have to go to this stupid thing?" Mike moaned
"Mikey it's not stupid, it's an important event for your mother and I;" His father turned to face him; "And we expect you to be on your best behaviour"
"I still don't get why I have to go!" Mike whined
His mother turned to him and smiled; "Mike sweetie, it's a charity event, where everyone is bringing their families."
"So there will be other kids there?" Mike asked hopefully
"Yeah of course, you'll have a great time" His mother winked at him
Mike reluctantly nodded and went to get changed
Once they were in the car it started getting tense; well more tense than it already was.
"Now remember Mike, this is important for your mother and I, there's going to be some very important clients there."
Mike rolled his eyes; everything lately seemed more important to his dad than him. He just ignored him and stared out the window
When they arrived Mike glanced around and saw no other kids, he frowned realising he'd been lied to
His mother noticed his reaction and knelt down in front of him; "Sorry Mike I thought there would be other kids here" Mike didn't respond only pulled away from her and walked away, but he was still within earshot
"You lied to me, you said this was a family event" His mother hissed to his dad, whilst plastering on fake smiles and sipping champagne
"If I told you the truth Mike never would have come, and you know we need him to close the client"
"I don't like to use Mike like this" His mother said glaring at his dad
"Do you want to get this client or not?" His dad barked and walked off to approach a client
Mike himself walked off after that, he found an empty table and sat down there, hoping to be ignored. Only it didn't last that long as his mother came over
"Mike sweetie" His mother smiled at him and sat down next to him
"I heard what you said" Mike whispered unable to look at her
"I'm so sorry Mike, if I'd known.." She trailed off; "I'm sorry, but hey we can still have fun"
"Yeah how?"
"We can play a game." His mother always knew how to distract him and cheer him up
So they did play a game, they played many different games whilst his dad mingled with all the people in the room. Mike didn't know any of them, well actually that's not true, he knew one of them. It was the same man his dad brought to his 12th birthday party. He used Mike to impress the client to get him to sign with them, it really hurt Mike.
"Honey" His mother stopped talking and turned to see his dad approaching with the same man that was at Mike's birthday party.
"Good to see you again Mrs Ross" The man shook her hand and she smiled back
"And you Michael" The man nodded at Mike
Mike frowned; "It's Mike" That caught a glare from his father, who then laughed, which Mike knew was fake
"He's such a kidder"
"Well it's good to have a sense of humour, and along with that special brain of yours. I must say you are a very impressive young man" Mike didn't like the way the man described him, like he was a thing; an object. But he knew how much this mean to his father so he merely smiled and nodded
Then the rest of the evening was his father, his mother and the client talking. Occasionally asking Mike a question to test his 'special' brain as he called it.
Mike tuned most of it out as he played with his glass of water, he was bored and tired.
"Yes we took your suggestion to the board and they agreed, Archlings Accountings is the new firm we're using. Thanks for the tips" His father said smiling
That caught Mike's attention as he remembered reading something about that accounting firm, that it was embezzling
"Yes they work wonders"
"You shouldn't be using that accounting firm" Mike blurted out
"Excuse me?" The client asked turning to face him and Mike didn't fail to notice the death glare he was getting from his father
"Archlings Accountings, I read about that firm, it's been accused of embezzling money from its clients. You shouldn't be using them"
"Mikey" His father hissed
"No it's ok. Where did you read this young man?"
Mike shrugged; "Online"
The client smiled; "Well I'll have to have that checked out, thank you for telling me Michael." Although by his tone, Mike could tell he wasn't happy, or grateful
Judging by the way his father was acting, he wasn't happy either
"Would you excuse us" His father said and the man nodded and walked away
"How dare you speak to one of our clients like that? Do you have no respect for other?" His father hissed and his mother glared at him
"James not here!" She growled and then they all left rather hastily.
His father really let loose in the car
"How could you do that Mike? You knew how important tonight was, yet you just intentionally embarrassed your mother and I in front of our wealthiest client. How could you make up a story like that?"
"I didn't make it up! It was the truth, you shouldn't be using them! I just did you and him a favour" Mike yelled back; "That's what you brought me for isn't it, to use my brain to help you impress clients. Well I did"
"You watch your tone with me young man"
"James stop it. This wasn't Mike's fault, he was merely trying to help. He's a smart kid, he may very well be right about this"
"Oh he's a smart kid alright" His father growled gripping the steering wheel so tight until his knuckled turned white
It was silent the rest of the drive back and Mike just glared at the back of his father's head, then turned to looking out the window at the rain hitting the glass. He knew tonight was going to end badly...If only he didn't have an eidetic memory, then he'd be a normal kid, and his dad would stop dragging him to stupid events and stop using his mind to impress clients. If only...
