After being up so long and being stressed in so many ways I slept the sleep of the near dead. It had been late afternoon when I went to sleep, and it was past time for me to be walking to work when I woke up... Except I was off this Monday.

That was going to affect my message for the week, but then again, my message for the week was far less important suddenly.

I had to do something, I had to inform command about the operation and trigger an alert. It could save lives after all.

I went to my computer, and I went to my arts and crafts section. I inputted a quick paragraph.

'Awkwardly I will not have a picture today, a change in workforce is happening and I have been told to stay home. I know your zealotry for the art, but circumstances have made for an imperfect day. I sincerely hope someone can substitute on my behalf in this regard.

There it was, I used my key words. I never used a negative in any post, I always was positive. I never found a fault in anything he did. Therefore, opening with awkwardly was the first and most important keyword. It was a negative. I then had a word per letter to indicate duress and a word per letter to indicate I was being monitored, a word per letter to indicate a problem had occurred. In this case zealotry meant a problem had occurred. Zealotry was a safe word because I would never accuse an Elite or a government agency of being a zealot. The last part was where I had “hope” that someone could 'substitute' on my behalf. That indicated, as it was the last sentence, that I could not perform my duties due to the circumstances.

If I made a longer document I could include typos, mistakes and such and make a hidden message but now was not the time for that. Now was the time to make sure no one approached me for a moment, and that I would try to get a message out later.

Then I made breakfast because I was starving.

______________

As Monday crept closer to an end I considered my options. I felt seeking a visit with family could be dangerous. I also did not want to check my alarm system because who knows if they hid a camera in there. I did not want to deviate from my normal behavior at all and I could not control circumstances really well at that time. My hidden memory chip would have to remain hidden and a message out could be risky until at least after Tuesday.

I made a plan inside my head as I watched a show that I watch every Sunday. Or rather a lot of television shows. After meeting the other executives and seeing what they were needing, wanting, doing, I could 'inspect' my door frames and find fault with it. Or at least act worried about it. Since there was a sensor in both of the doors the alarm company could be called out to inspect their equipment, perhaps after buying a new door frame and getting it installed. It seemed a reasonable plan. I just needed to ignore the door until I got back on Tuesday.

This was not so difficult. I steadfastly avoided my computer for the rest of the day as well. Instead, I went through and refolded my clothes, washed my dirty clothes, and did things that would allow me to lightly look for a bug or a camera. It was not ever going to be safe here again but that might be resolved by my advancement to executive.

While there was the elites and then there were influences, respected individuals, and made individuals I now was entering the third strata of the mechanism that held up the government. Executives had four ranks, where they could cross over to publicity and be a Made Man, they could also stay hidden and climb up the executives' ladder. The ladder, named for the rungs, was Manipulator, Strong Arm, Industry Giant, and Boss. Every executive was by default at least a Manipulator. The CEO has been a Strong Arm. Our firm was not important enough to rate a Giant or a Boss. An example of a Boss was Lockheed-Boeing. As a major exporter for the nation and the source of much revenue it took a big player to keep meddling lower-level elites from breaking it on accident. While executives could argue with elites and Made Men, they could not create policy nor get away with crimes. But in exchange they could live a life of luxury beyond the reaches of the common person.

For example, I live in a one-bedroom house currently as an unmarried male. As an executive with no spouse, I was going to be expected to move into a three-bedroom house and to seek out a car. I knew that I was going to have to get shown how to drive as well. My parents, just because of my increase, would be allowed a second bedroom to be added to their existing house or they could move to one. But that would be after a while because the government did not do those notifications very fast.

So now I was a manipulator and a facilitator. I would probably be given a straight budget and be expected to keep cash on hand from it to cover our needs. I would also be allowed to make other expenditures to help the company. I was sure of it.

On the way in Tuesday I walked my normal route. I took a standard picture but not video of the license plate cover. I did it by using the app from inside the menu instead of the side button that could be set for camera use. If the phone was hacked, and it very well might be, using the GPS triggered side camera button would have been detectable. I hate being paranoid but without paranoia they will get you.

I got to work and waiting in the lobby was our standard receptionist. “oh” she said and then hung her head low. She reached down and grabbed a manila envelope that had my name on it. “You should open it in your old office” was all she said.

My old office had a few things I would be expected to take upstairs with me. I calmly emptied my trash bucket and started shoving things in. I'd have to leave the poster for someone to remove for me though as it was behind glass.

I sat down halfway through the packing process and opened the envelope. In it was a new set of identification with my picture on it, identifying me as an executive seventh rank, some keys and a username and password on a slip of paper. Also, there was a letter sized envelope which I then opened.

“You will be the assistant to the company auditor” it read, “your office is on the right side fifth down. Read your email associated with the new user and password for more details.”

I thought that was easy enough, so I finished packing and went upstairs. The guard was new. Probably an agent so they could watch us closer.

It was pretty standard fare for them to flood a corporation when they found a high-ranking member of the insurgency standing in as an executive. I was going to have to be careful.

I got in the elevator and rode it up. The walk down to my room was... Very quiet. I thought to myself that there should be someone else up here but by the time I reached my room there was not a single person in sight.

The plaque on the door said my name but underneath it caused my stomach to hurt a little. It read “Assistant Auditor”. Surely this was some sort of morbid joke.

I entered my room. The carpet looked like silk and was blue with red lines going through it in a swirl pattern. The desk was well treated and polished oak and had obviously been designed by a master craftsman. The wall had the typical paintings expected by the elites showing motivational statements to support the nation, and various cabinets, tables, chairs, and even a coat rack adorned the room.

I shook my head then I sat the bucket down. I started to pull out the first thing which was a coffee mug when some light knocking came from my doorway.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I turned around and nearly dropped my mug. It was the agent who audited me Sunday. He was not in a black combat suit like before but this time he was in a suit and tie, and a red power tie at that.

My upset stomach started building up some acids and my nerves started to cringe in terror. Nope nope nope I did not want to see him. That said I asked, “how can I help you agent?” as calmly as I could.

“First don't call me agent, you can call me Director or Eric. Next we have a board room meeting and I would like to invite you.”

“Oh, okay” and with that he waved me forward and down to a room I had never seen before - because I was not an executive and did not need to see it.

It was a very large room with two dozen people already inside, thirteen women and eleven men. Well thirteen men with me and “Eric”. The odds of that being his real name were probably less than the odds of all Elite's giving up power tomorrow at noon.

The cherry wood table, the exotic carpet, the armoire filled with crystal glassware and various alcoholic drinks, there was so much largess presented here as to beggar my imagination. Fortunately for some reason there was a seat near the door. That seat I rapidly took while Eric the Agent went to the head of the table.

“Good morning, all, thank you for waiting. I have several bits of news to announce, the first being that we have a newly made influencer amongst us." That got my ears perked, an influencer of course was someone who could do minor illegal things because they helped support or prop up the government's elites. This man has made the lives of the Elite much more stable; he has introduced a way to help others know exactly what the elites are looking for, he keeps his tongue proper, and he has amassed a large enough online following to be inducted into the influencer ranks.

Was there another facilitator amongst us I considered, peering around the room to see if I might recognize one. Carefully I put on a decent smile while looking them over.

The problem was they were all looking at me, not a one was looking elsewhere. Why were they looking at me? Wait, wait, wait... Surely that does not mean.

I felt a hand on my shoulder causing me to turn to Eric “And so my assistant auditor is not just an auditor, a facilitator, but is also an influencer.” He looked me directly in the eyes as he said the next “Your work had set you apart from the companies' leadership, your actions were noticed by many elites who actively started coming here just to see how good you were. I in fact expect you to easily join the ranks of the respected with your efforts. But I digress, we need to perform the functions of the board.”

With that the boring business of budgets, supply, sales, and assigning manpower commenced for the next three hours. At the end I was given the handshake of every one of the board as they left for their offices, as well as Eric. None even bothered shaking other hands in the room, it was clear there was two of us they were watching and being good to, it just so happened that I was one of those two. How badly have I stumbled to get this much attention? A spy is supposed to be in the shadows, unseen, unbothered, but here I was in a spotlight and a microscope at the same time. It was a wonder I could stand at all and that I was not losing half my body weight in sweat.

When the last one of the others walked out and Eric put his hand firmly on my shoulder, I felt like I could happily accept a heart attack because then I might be able to hide from him for a while. Alas no such luck was happening at this moment. “Would you come with me please? We have a lot of talking to do about your new position.” It seemed to be the thing to do, to follow him as meekly as I could.

We got to his two-room office, he closed and locked the door to the outer one, we walked through to the next room where he pointed at the nearby sofa. “Take a seat please.” He himself got into an exotic looking leather chair. I calmly got into the center of the sofa. Once upon a time my mom told me that the auditors used a sofa as a test and that if you sat at an arm, it indicated nervousness, but if you sat far enough away from the arm and spread your legs wide and leaned back then they assumed you were comfortable in the situation. So, I sat down, spread my legs a bit and leaned into the back of the sofa. However, it seemed Eric, via the wry look he gave me, thought something else of my move.

“Comfortable already in your position there young auditor?”

Think fast I said to myself and then I just started “It's been a long week or so, so many things happening, then a long meeting with topics I had no preparation for and more responsibility and all sorts of new positions, titles, and such,” I paused for a second, “I just felt like relaxing for a moment.” To that he nodded. Then he surprised me by getting up and heading to a cabinet “Do you like Whiskey? I have some wonderful 1994 aged whiskey here and I think you may have indeed earned a good relaxing moment while I introduce you to your position under me.” While he was talking, he grabbed two bourbon style glasses and an old-fashioned bottle of whiskey. He also pulled open a small fridge and continued talking “you were chosen because when we have a compromised board, we need someone who can help look into a corporation to help find more of the traitors. And to be very frank you are known, respected, and were already going places and it was the perfect opportunity. I watched as he took some cloves and dropped them in the glasses, a bit of a cinnamon stick (I could smell it from here), and then tossed in nutmeg, lemon juice, a dab of honey and then added whiskey to near the brim of both. “Oh” he said as he looked at me,” I am making some Toddy's as I figured they would be a great way to relax.”

I reluctantly reached out when he handed me my Hot Toddy, I avoid drinks because, well, our training included knowledge of how many were outed by their drinking, unfortunately I did not see a way to avoid the drink. Fortunately, my parents had told me the secret to avoiding getting drunk, you drink slowly and talk more.

I really did not want to talk more but I really did not want to get drunk and be caught off guard. Discomfort swallowed; butterflies caged I went to start talking.

“It's a shame about those others, I really thought they were good people, not that I had much contact you see” as I started basically prattling to him “but one assumes that everyone should and is loyal to their nation and would not do such horrible things.” I took a small Sip as to be seen as not avoiding the drink, a key requirement in my play I was about to launch.

“Unfortunately, we need to examine those other boards nearby who they may have interacted with, we also need to probably consider their neighbors for how else they should send messages and such, presuming they are not alone of course.”

With this he nodded his head, and I took that as a sign to continue, now I needed to act silly and dumb, ignorant of how these things worked. “We need to have someone look at their computers, and the mail they have received but not yet been thrown out. Oh, I wonder if mail has come in since which would help you track down their fellow scoundrels!” This last part I almost shouted, and I frantically waved my drink spilling a little less than a drink as I built up my apparent excitement for coming up with a supposedly brilliant idea.

“Please calm yourself before you get too excited there, you might not know of methods and mechanisms behind how these people work but clearly you are interested in clearing your corporation's name and getting a name for yourself. And why not, you are going to be a made man and more.

With that he also glibly grabbed my drink before I could tilt it over more, acting as if I was unaware of the drink.

“I think perhaps this part of the plan was not so suitable, do you drink at all?”

“No sir I do not, I could not afford that with my budget before and I had desires for discretionary choices in other directions”.

“No matter” he said “you shall be able to pick up the habit yourself of drinking good drinks where the carpet might not be so expensive.” With that he sent my drink down, sat at his desk and started typing on the keyboard.

“You are right that we must follow leads, tomorrow an agent will deliver to you all of their mail for you to read and examine, you shall see if there is anything out of the ordinary for me. After that we shall review expenditures and after that we shall examine associations and potential accomplices.”

“Tonight, however, I want you to look at this map and choose one of the indicated houses, as you are rising in the world there must be a change in your living style. Since your family is still around, I have also made notes of a few that will allow them to live close to you if you wish.” While he said that he reached into his desk and grabbed a map with sticky notes attached to it.

He then waved me to the door and said, “take your time but do try to hurry, we need to know fairly quick after all” .

I got up and walked out clutching the map to my chest.

When I looked at the map there was no house which would give me a viable route past my parents' current home. However, it was also marked with some options for my parents to upgrade to. One of those perks of being an executive was to provide a better living place for parents and children of the executive. That said there was still no route between work and any of the residences I could choose. Looking more I determined there was a route that led to a store from one of the houses and past where one of the houses my parents could move into. Conversely there was a route for dad to use to get to his place of employment that would pass my house. It was not ideal, but it would work. It was fortunate that they would be only a few blocks away.

None of these places would allow me to continue passing messages, however, and there was also a high risk of my future home being bugged in ways we could not expect. I would need to consult with command through my parents on what to do. Oh, and their new place would likely be bugged... Sigh...