Chapter 26: Conner

The deal was done at exactly 12:27 PM on Friday afternoon.

The shit hit the fan exactly two minutes later.

We were gathered around the long table in Reed’s mahogany-paneled conference room putting signatures to the contracts that would formally make Price Bean & Whitlock the majority shareholder in Benson Digital, Inc.

Price would own fifty-one percent of the company stock and hold three board seats. Allen Benson would retain a ten-percent stake in the company, as well as his seat as CEO, and the rest of the stock was owned by current shareholders.

Reed and I were on one side of the table with Vincent Simms, our corporate attorney and his paralegal, Pam, who was taking notes. Directly across the table from us sat Allen Benson and his in-house attorney Jeff Chase. Lined up next to Allen were the three existing board members of Benson Digital. Sitting next to me were the two new board members Price Bean & Whitlock had appointed before the ink was dry.

“That about does it,” Vincent said, snapping the top on his expensive Monte Blanc pen and tucking it inside his Brooks Brothers suit. He gathered up all copies of the agreement and stuck them neatly into a blue folder and slid it over to Pam.

Allen Benson started to push himself up from the table, but Reed cleared his throat and held up a finger to stop him. “Before you go, Allen, we need to take care of some pressing business.”

The color started to drain from Benson’s face as he lowered himself back into the chair. Poor guy. He looked like a deer in headlights. His eyes darted between Reed and myself. He asked, “What sort of pressing business?”

Reed gestured to the two new board members who had already been sworn in. They knew what was coming. Everyone did except Allen. I almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.

“Since we have the entire board here I thought we could address a couple of things,” Reed said. “You’re chairman of the board, Allen. If you’ll be so kind as to call the meeting to order.”

Allen Benson stared at Reed for a moment, his eyes going narrow and dark. He growled the words. “This meeting of the board of Benson Digital is hereby called to order.”

Reed had taken one of the three board seats as Price’s representative, so he got to his feet to run the meeting. His assistant, Carla, who had been sitting quietly in one corner, got out of her chair and went around the table passing out a single sheet of paper to each board member. It was the formal tinder offer from Amalgamated Industries to purchase Benson Digital’s computer chip manufacturing operation.

“What the fuck is this?” Allen asked, scowling at the paper. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

Reed ignored him and addressed the board. “Members of the board, we have received an offer to purchase the manufacturing operations of Benson Digital at an immediate return of fifteen-percent.”

“This is bullshit, Reed,” Allen said, wadding up the paper and tossing it in Reed’s face. He looked at me and gritted his teeth. “You cannot do this.”

“Actually, they can,” Vincent said calmly. “There is nothing in the agreement that prevents the board from selling off assets as it sees fit. So long as a majority of the board approves the sale, it’s perfectly binding and legal.”

Allen realized at that moment that he had been blindsided. He turned to look at the three existing board members that he had brought into the game. Old pals who now sat with their heads down and their hands clasped tightly together on the table. He turned to glare at his oldest friend and lawyer, Jeff Chase.

“Did you know about this?” Reed asked, teeth gritted. “Goddammit, Jeff, did you know?”

Before Jeff could answer, Reed interrupted. “Gentlemen, you see the offer before you. I suggest we take a vote and approve it before we adjourn.”

“Over my dead body,” Allen said. “You’re not selling my fucking company.”

“It’s not your company anymore, Allen.” Reed looked him dead in the eye and spread open his hands. “You have one vote. I assume it is a nay.”

“You’re goddamn right it’s a nay,” Allen said. “For the love of God, Reed, if we sell off the manufacturing, what’s left?”

“The patents, old boy,” Reed said as he eased back down into his seat with a satisfied look on his face. “Benson Digital will keep the computer chip patents, which we will license to every manufacturer in the industry. We will make hundreds of millions of dollars before the patents expire.”

“The patents…” Allen Benson blinked for a moment, like a man waking up from a long nap. “This was about the patents all along. You never gave a damn about the manufacturing operation or all those people who work there. You just wanted the patents.”

“Yes, Allen, that’s right,” Reed said. “It was all about the patents. That’s your most valuable asset, not the fucking manufacturing operation.”

“Why buy my entire company?” Allen asked, shaking his head. “Why not ask me to sell you the patents?”

“Allen, would you have sold us just the patents if we had made you an offer?” I asked.

He didn’t bother to say anything because we both knew the answer.

“Very well, then,” Reed said, leaning in to look down the table at the other board members. “Now, gentlemen, we all have things to do, so let’s get this done. All those in favor of selling the manufacturing arm of Benson Digital, Inc. to Amalgamated Industries please say aye.”

Everyone said “aye” except Allen Benson.

He didn’t say a word.

He just got out of his chair and calmly walked around the table.

And broke Reed’s nose with a single punch.