There was a strange sort of draw to working for the GED. While Rebecca was fully aware that she was playing a dangerous game pretending to work for Ms. Drake there was something about the woman that she liked. She should have been intimidated by the power the woman had, but the woman had a directness about her that she liked. Ms. Drake didn't beat around the bush or present herself as a nice person to do business with as Mr. Kembell did. She was straightforward and did not care if you liked her or not, she only cared about results and respect. Maybe it was that lack of fear that impressed Ms. Drake enough to allow Rebecca to work for her. All free labor, of course, she wasn't good enough to be hired by GED. Yet.
But in some small part Ms. Drake trusted Rebecca, and that was all she needed to keep GED from finding what they were looking for in Jorvik. Not to mention it meant no GED workers ever heckled her, like Dark Core goons did on occasion.
At first the workers at the GED sites hadn't taken her seriously, if anything they were confused by a girl riding into their work area and issuing demands. They had laughed at her until they realized she was completely serious about being sent by Ms. Drake, staring at them with an impassive mask waiting for them to stop wasting her time. Even Midnightwarrior had gotten into the act, he strutted into the work sites, pinned his ears back whenever a worker got close, and carried himself with as much pride and haughtiness that he could gather. There had even been a few occasions where he had made at snap or kick at one of the workers, using his size to intimidate insolent workers when Rebecca could not. In a matter of weeks all GED workers around Jarlahiem recognized her, rushing to work whenever she came into sight in fear of getting reported to Ms. Drake.
"Coffee, black as your soul. And I have the latest samples from Beta," Rebecca said as she rode up to Ms. Drake's office. The businesswoman looked up at her with what passed as a grateful smile from a heartless human being. She took the offered drink, taking a sip before rubbing her head.
"You are the only person on this wretched island I can tolerate, Rebecca," Ms. Drake complained as the rider dismounted and retrieved the samples from her saddlebag.
"More calls from the higher ups?" Ms. Drake took the samples and looked at them, grimacing at the ordinary rocks.
"I need results, and these fools aren't producing any," and there was a window for Rebecca to work.
"Maybe there isn't anything there? They may be incompetent fools, but even a team of monkeys would have found something by now," Rebecca suggested and saw the flash of doubt in the woman's eyes. Good, if she could get Ms. Drake spooked enough maybe she could get her to back out of Jarlahiem. Manipulation was a long process, but all good things come to those who wait.
"No, I know there is something here. I saw the original samples from Jorvik myself. It's sabotage," Ms. Drake snarled and Rebecca did everything she could to not look worried.
"Sabotage, by who? Everyone who works for you fears you too much to try something," she had a feeling Ms. Drake did not mean her, not with the way Ms. Drake lowered her voice as though sharing a secret with her.
"The underlings wouldn't dare. But the locals are stupid enough to cross me," Rebecca's back relaxed, she hadn't realized she had tensed up.
"After everything Kembell did I'm not surprised. He ruined the name of GED here on Jorvik after Hillcrest, not to mention everything else he did in Silverglade and Moorland," Ms. Drake smiled at that, eyes fixed on Rebecca as the woman slowly smelled her coffee and took a drink, not taking her eyes off of Rebecca. She couldn't help but feel nervous at what was coming next.
"Yes, I've heard some interesting things about you and Kembell," her sentence trailed off, and her smiled turned into one you might expect a dragon wearing before eating its victim. She was visibly startled when Rebecca laughed instead of fumbling.
"Yes, I'm sure there are many interesting records of Kembell and I. He pissed me off, and he's still paying for it," Rebecca explained in a vicious smile that made Ms. Drake look at her with something close to pride.
"You may not be having much luck here, but at least you aren't getting into the trouble Kembell has had. I'm sure GED has gotten quite fed up with his legal violations, they'll have to fire him soon with all the bad publicity and fees he's racking up," Rebecca continued and actually got a laugh out of Ms. Drake, much to the confusion of all the GED workers within earshot.
"And to think, when I first saw you I thought you were a spineless pup. You're much more devious and ambitious than you let on, Rebecca, keep it up and you'll do well in the company," Ms. Drake complimented her.
"If I keep it up Kembell will be out of a job and living in disgrace, which probably means a promotion for you," Rebecca teased the woman, getting a smirk and skeptical raised eyebrow in response
"And what's in it for you?"
"Revenge. Not to mention the people over there love me for what I've done, you'll need me to repair public relations."
"I only need their fear," Ms. Drake growled, not good at using anything other than force to get her way.
"Their fear of you and GED as a whole has only gotten you sabotage and interference, but they trust me, they will listen to me. Fear is useful for employees, but not locals and business partners," the girl couldn't help be smile as she thought of how well Ms. Drake was playing into her hands.
"Ahh, I see, you want the power," Ms. Drake surmised, looking at Rebecca with a sort of fondness as the girl mounted up.
"I prefer to use the term 'authority,' it sounds less ominous and holds more legal connotations," Rebecca replied, using her fingers to emphasis the word authority. She nodded to her boss in farewell, grinning to herself. The GED site workers weren't the only ones who she held influence over, although it was much more subtle with Ms. Drake.