Devil Comes Knocking

Mercifully the remainder of Kayla’s cleaning jobs today have gone off without a hitch. She is incredibly thankful for that she notes while driving back to home base where she will stash her cleaning supplies, sign them back in, leave the companies electric truck to charge and catch the train back to her apartment.

The dark haired woman knows exactly what she’ll do as soon as she gets in, pop the last two pills of Antrej. She’s been holding off. The problem with doing so is that as a result Kayla’s left arm is well into the burning phase of withdrawal. It won’t start bleeding for another hour or so and once she pops the pills the wounds will heal, well far quicker than would be normal without the drugs.

Sadly, the day’s weather has long since taken a turn for the worse, which is why rain is currently lashing down making it difficult for Kayla to see even with the wipers operating at maximum. Because of this Kayla has elected to drive slower, in line with the road conditions. A few horns can be heard honking behind her as angry citizens’ grew tired of her ambling pace and so roar past overtaking her no doubt spewing vitriol into the air. If that is the case she is unable to hear their ranting. Her brain preoccupied with thoughts on how she is going to afford more Antrej and what the hell happened with Ms Ackerson

Finally, Kayla turns into the parking garage of her employer, To A Shine Incorporated. The front end of the electric truck drops away as she takes the declining ramp deeper into the subterranean structure. When the surface levels out some four metres down Kayla takes the long way around, following the clearly marked arrows on the concrete beneath the trucks wheels. Most of the employees don’t bother adhering to the directions but Kayla adheres as it helps her maintain a low profile. Plus, the ‘shortcut’ saves little time and would only cost her this job if she got into a collision with another vehicle, company or not.

With the truck back in its bay and its ‘engine’ cut, Kayla climbs out. The first thing she does is to hook the truck up to the charging point. A long hose like ribbon, yellow in colour with a locking cap at one end is quickly affixed to a concealable recess in the body of the truck, near the front end. With the locking cap affixed to the protruding neck on the trucks charging port, Kayla flicks the switch into the on position. No sound is forthcoming in response to her actions. The first time she’d been met with silence in response to her actions she’d been sure she had somehow failed to instigate the charging cable. Only when she roused the sometime security guard Jonny to check and have him confirm that it is indeed working was she satisfied with her efforts. Following his assurance he even informed that these chargers don’t make a sound. A helpful titbit that would’ve been nice to know prior to her first time taking the truck out because, to be honest, that had been news to Kayla who growing up had heard nothing but noisy chugging charging stations refilling the batteries of these electric beasts.

Now that the truck is hooked up and recharging, Kayla extracts her cleaning equipment and lugs it back into the building proper. From there she stows the items, signs them back in following a comprehensive check which has to be done because the building is liberally littered with security cameras and then sees her head for the exit.

Freedom for the evening, what little of it there is left, she thinks and can almost taste. Unfortunately, before she gets the chance to pass through the main entrance of To A Shine Inc the voice of her supervisor, Hector calls out to her loudly.

“Kayla, you got a minute. I need to speak to you.”

Kayla shoulders sink. She wonders if this is about Ms Ackerson. Surely the woman wouldn’t have dared reveal her infractions. The ones that preceded the slap Kayla unintentionally delivered unto her.

Upon turning and seeing that Hector’s face is red the cleaner becomes convinced that might be exactly what the aging brown haired woman has done. After all, Hector’s face is never red. Even when he’s angry the pigmentation of his skin does not falter from its light brown tan.

It’s the sort of tan most women would be jealous of because it takes them hours a year to reproduce the same effect while Hector achieves it without will, wish or intention. Genes are the key to his tanning success but that has no bearing on what is happening here and now.

Kayla shuffles back the way she came but instead of following the path that leads out back where the cleaning stocks are she diverts toward Hector’s office. Once inside the cabinet crammed space she finds him to have already taken up his sat behind the offices sole desk.

None of the furniture in this room matches. Even the chair Hector frequents is a battered and right leaning mess that if any clients saw would likely insist this is not the look of a professional company. They’d be right, but corporate likes to keep costs low. So low in fact that the chair Hector is sat upon is in fact his own. Apparently it used to be housed in his home. He was about to throw it out because of its state but that same day his office chair broke. Corporate wouldn’t acknowledge his request for a replacement and so Hector brought it in so he wouldn’t be forced to be on his feet all day. He’s too rotund for that. That’s a nice way of saying Hector is fat. It isn’t a mean thing to say for, it’s true. The man is considerably overweight with a beach ball sized belly that stops him from getting close enough to his desk that he can lay his arms from elbow to fingertip upon the paint flaking top.

“Close the door.” Hector orders with a stern expression upon his face. He says nothing else until Kayla has carefully pushed the door too and they have both heard the click. The one that informs that it is properly closed and not simply pushed too.

With the door secured Hector explodes, “What the fuck do you think you were doing with Ms Ackerson?”

“I…She came on to…”

“Shut it. I don’t want to hear your excuses. And here I was thinking you were a good worker.” Hector gesticulates as he speaks. One or both hands flap around in the empty air above the desktop. It’s the most active Kayla has ever seen the man but she hates it. Her first instinct is to cower and so that is precisely what she does. Not because she thinks it appropriate, though she does hold some regret for having slapped the middle-aged brunette, but because if she shows remorse maybe she’ll escape with a hard bollocking, a warning but nothing further than that.

Such hopes are dashed as Hector continues his rant. “You get why this is an issue, a major issue, right? You hit a client, a lonely single woman, in her home.” The gesticulating continues.

Kayla doesn’t see why Hector is making such a big deal of Kayla, a woman, having hit another woman. If the cleaner were a man sure she could see the point her supervisor is trying to make but she isn’t. Then comes the answer as to why it is such a huge issue.

“You’ve got an aug, Kayla. Don’t you see how that is an issue? You’re twice as strong as anyone without one.” Hector’s tone has turned disappointed and downbeat.

“Do you know what she did?” Kayla manages to blurt before Hector has the chance to continue.

“Yeah, I know. She tried to get you into bed. It’s not the first time this has happened. But it is the first time anyone has assaulted her, man or woman, aug or not.”

“Yeah knew!” Kayla exclaims no longer capable of masking her anger with deference. “And you sit there lecturing me! Why didn’t you warn me?” Kayla is spitting feathers.

“Client discretion is a part of the job.” Hector replies without remorse.

“Bullshit!” Kayla roars.

“Believe what you want but it keeps the lights on, for all of us. That’s why you’re fired Kayla. Get off the premises immediately and don’t ever come back.” Hector glares angrily at Kayla with small dark brown eyes which are too close together for the size of his shaved head.

Kayla goes to say something but decides better of it. Instead, she spins on her heels and crashes out of Hector’s office angrily. Then out of the To A Shine Inc building and onto the street. The rain is continuing to pour. Kayla pulls the collar of her coat up around her neck, a snarl carved into her face and then stepping out from the cover afforded by her former employers building feels the immediate peppering of rain drops splatter all over her clothes, head and face.