Riley Hampton has no idea who she’s messing with. I look on as the cops help her into the back of the police van. A smile rises up my face. I don’t have to spend a second looking into her file to know this is her first ever arrest. It’s written all over her panicked expression. Reality probably sets in the second they put handcuffs on her wrists and sit her down on the uncomfortable metal bench in the back of that prison transport van.

The funny part of all this is she made a bad play last night. Her cute little scare tactic only served to prepare me for exactly today’s events. Building security is well staffed, and will be for the foreseeable future. Cameras are documenting everything. We even have the police on standby. So although I was at an afternoon meeting while she and her Columbia U colleagues pulled this stunt, I have no concerns.

Well, I had no concerns. Past tense.

Instead of heading inside to my office, I get back into my car and tell the driver to take me home. My phone rings on the drive over. Dear old Dad is slightly miffed by the ordeal. I do my best to reassure him I’m aware of the issue and it’s well in hand.

“You must not have seen the video,” Dad barks.

I have not, but I’m well versed on the entire back story that’s led Riley Hampton here. I just make a point of not telling Dad that I’ve been intimate with the little hellcat.

“I’ll take a look when I’m back in the office tomorrow,” I tell him.

“No. You’ll take a look now. Check your phone. I’ve sent you the clip.”

“Fine. I’ll check it now,” I say, shaking my head.

“Listen, son. I’m making Dustin the point person on this one. He’s got the file. He’ll will liaise with legal until they see it through.”

“Sure thing, Dad,” I agree, intentionally keeping it short because I have something else in mind.

My father doesn’t realize that I have the file he’s talking about. Riley’s little ploy last night woke me right up, but I put that time to good use by looking up her family’s name in our corporate database and document archives. The paper file is as big as my forearm, and I reviewed every report, law suit and settlement document to get an idea of what I was up against. Nothing in her family file surprises me. Alexander Industries has fucked up a ton of lives over the past hundred or so years. We keep hundreds of millions in a settlement fund for exactly that reason. It’s the way big business works.

Armed with what I now know about Riley, a longstanding plan I’ve kept hidden for years can now be implemented. It has been parked, waiting to be set in motion long before she and her awesome gang of yuppies made it to our head office. I just need to be sure no one else in Alexander Industries gets too close. Riley needs a taste of her own medicine.

“Listen out for a call from Dustin,” Dad says just as my call waiting begins to beep.

“He’s on the other line. Later, Dad.” I click the end call button and accept Dustin’s call. “Yes?”

“We have a problem,” Dustin says calmly. He’d better be calm. The man is the company’s most senior advisor, and Dad trusts no one more than him. Sure, the Riley squad is a hiccup, and their timing isn’t great, but their little protest is by no means a reason for panic.

“I heard. Can you give me some time to get a handle on it before the legal team dives in?” I ask.

“Sorry,” he says. “Gerald and Barnes are already on their way.”

“You’ve already sent senior counsel to deal with something this minor?”

“It’s not minor, Malcolm. Take a look at the video. Do you have it?”

“Yes, it’s in my phone.”

“Look at it. I’ll wait. Keep an eye on the posters in particular. It’ll make sense why I sent the legal aces down to the precinct. Did your father get in touch with you?”

“Yes. Okay, hang on a minute.”

I press the home button and quickly navigate to Dad’s email with the link to the video clip. Pressing the play button, I watch. It looks pretty tame to me. Even the minor physical assault on Riley by the overzealous security guard can be easily taken care of with a dismissal, an apology and a small settlement. Dad and Dustin’s reason for panic isn’t clear to me until I catch sight of the five or six posters in the frame. I squint and take a closer look.

Shit. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but these kids have information on two energy companies we own. These entities still use coal, and are supposed to be arm’s length from Alexander Industries. I only found out about this a few months ago, and have been pressing for Dustin to get the board to take steps to divest the two companies before federal regulators find out and stick us with tens of millions in fines.

I clear my throat. If Riley Hampton has this information, it may explain why she played me last night. Or it could just be a coincidence that whoever put those posters together just happened to lump Alexander Industries in with those energy industry power players. Either way, I understand why there’s cause for concern, but I’m not ready to panic quite yet.

“I’m back,” I tell Dustin. “I get it. Listen, can you get Gerald and Barnes to hold out for a couple of days?”

“Why?”

“I may have a pre-emptive hand to deal before you pull out the big guns.”

“I’m not sure. Those posters may be a fluke, but when this video hits the national news, my phone will be ringing off the hook from our associates who have silent interests.”

“Or maybe you and Dad will hear me out the next time I propose we get with the times and start to operate above board.”

“It’s water under the bridge, son,” Dustin says. “We’re moving in that direction.”

“Good. So, do I get my forty-eight hours leeway with the demonstrators, or not?”

“As long as no one makes the connection before that time, you’ve got it. And Malcolm?”

“Yes?”

“Please don’t fuck it up any worse than it already is. I don’t want to run damage control on a bigger situation two days from now.”

I shake my head. If they had listened to me all along, there wouldn’t be an issue to begin with. “Bye, Dustin,” I say before hanging up.

My plan is still a go. I can’t wait to see Riley’s face in the morning. Oh yes. She and her amateur college rebels are about to spend an entire night in jail before I give them a way out.

Payback’s a bitch.