THE CONFUSION HEIGHTENS Caleb noticed the silent pleas in Elena's eyes and started to feel sorry for her. But he couldn't let her off that easily otherwise she'd have learned nothing."Did Mr Pérez mention something about fixing my bike?"He was observing her closely to see her reaction. If Jose did mention repairing his bike, he also must have told her about the open apology. "Yes, he did," she replied hesitantly."So?" "I am willing to take responsibility for the damage to the bike." "And?" "And fix it I mean." Caleb was wondering why she was suddenly being petulant. "Seems to me like you're struggling between preserving your pride and keeping your job." "Caleb," she spoke his name firmly. The tone of her voice made him bolt upright. "I have apologised a thousand times to you. And if you want, I could apologise a million more. But making a scene before the entire staff of your company is a bit extreme." Caleb chortled. "A bit extreme you say? So embarrassing me in front o

BUSTEDThe very next random file he picked up and cross-checked had a hundred billion dollar (100,000,000,000) amount recorded for Vaseline and Liquid Bath Soap production, meanwhile, in the computer, it was input as one hundred and twenty billion dollars (120,000,000,000). Caleb noted the file with a red marker and kept it aside.By the time he had gone through about 15 files, Mr Benson who was sweating in his seat despite the cold afternoon weather which indicated the beginning of autumn, could no longer hold it in. "Why are you keeping some of the files separate?""It's for double-checking with the accounts department after I'm done here," Caleb replied without looking away from the screen. "And why do you need to do that, young man?" "Nothing personal, sir. Just company protocol."He stood up and walked to the desk where Caleb was sitting. "Listen, I know you're new here. And as a new employee, you may want to prove yourself as competent and ept to your employer. But I can as

THE DEAL"You could cooperate with me to enable the company to recover those monies or you could feign ignorance and be accused of complicity in the court of law." Caleb said matter-of-factly while giving Liliana a penetrative stare.She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. All of a sudden, she was feeling self-conscious and cold. But the coldness had nothing to do with the weather.Liliana felt trapped.When she first noticed the irregularities in the records, she was due for a promotion at the time and the position was highly contested by two others: Mr Juan Salvador and Mr Daniel Sergio - both of which were highly connected. She was just a young colleague with a good CV so she had to give in to Mr Benson's demands to garner support for her. The position had come down to whoever won the majority vote. It was the only wise thing to do as Lord Dezani always emphasized due diligence and not favouritism. So when the boss went to Mr Benson for advice since he's the oldest amongst the

DOWN BUT NOT OUT "Wake up, Caleb!" "Can you hear me, Caleb?" "Please open your eyes." Caleb heard voices in his subconscious. He tried to open his eyes but the pain in his head and nose was too severe.He groaned and mumbled incoherently. "Lil... Lil .. Oh, Lil..." and then sleep overtook him again. "He should be allowed to sleep while the nurses monitor his breathing until the sedative wears off." Doctor Fernandez turned to the distraught cab driver who stood at the foot of the hospital bed with his arms folded."But doctor, what is going to happen now?""I will contact his family via his phone. You did well in bringing him to the hospital.""These men came out from nowhere driving in a black Toyota Camry. They overtook our taxi in a commando style," he reiterated, his hands firmly gripping the bed rails. He was obviously still in shock. "Did you see their faces?" Doctor Fernandez asked. She had wrapped a bandage around Caleb's head to cushion the effect of the concussion. H

TWO AGAINST ONECaleb stirred and blinked his eyes. In his sleep, he was hearing the hushed sounds of different voices."Why didn't you inform us the moment he woke up the first time?"His grandfather was saying. "I can't believe my son was beaten up like a common criminal," Leah added."I will personally kill those bastards with my bare hands if I set eyes on them." Lord Dezani continued to fume. "I'm so sorry, boss, but with your permission, I can take care of them for you." That was Jack speaking. They were all standing around his bed in the hospital. The time was 8:40 am. They had all rushed down to the hospital at the first crack of dawn but were delayed at the gate for security checks. The police van carrying two criminals was just driving out when they arrived. "We have been instructed to be extra vigilant," the security guard apologized when he finally realized who Lord Dezani was. "I understand. You are doing your duty." Abhi who spent the night at the Dezani Estate on