most people paid for formal attire. He was larger than Jeff remembered from previous meetings, but it had been a while and when he stood to greet him, Jeff was awed. He must be at least six feet, six inches and tipped the scales at three hundred pounds if not more. He now sported a double chin and an expanding middle. Jonathon Brooks believed in a hardy meal and to Jeff Craft's relief also believed in healthy things. There were bowls of fresh fruit in the center of the big dining room table, next to a platter with assorted donuts and pastries.
A young oriental woman discreetly poured coffee and ice water. Jonathon Brooks quietly said, “Thank you Maria, we won't need anything else.” She disappeared without a word. Jeff Craft looked around, expecting the others, surprised to find himself alone with the big man.
They sat in silence. Jonathon Brooks reached for a donut. “Jeffrey,” he said between bites. “You have been with this corporation for a number of years. You may not realize it, but I have been following your progress for quite a while. I'm in need of a reliable assistant. I'm looking for a man I can trust, completely! A man who will have the good of SERPAC in mind, at all times. A man who shares my vision for the future. I believe you are that man, Jeffrey. Of course your salary would reflect your new responsibilities and so will the profit sharing. With AMAG, that could be substantial! I believe you would be quite satisfied. Interested?”
The question caught Jeff off guard. He swallowed the hot coffee, searing his throat. Ever the company man, he did not dare keep his boss waiting for an answer.
“I'm honored by your faith in my abilities, Sir. I'll strive not to disappoint you.”
“I take it, you are accepting my proposition?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Wonderful, wonderful.”
As they ate, Jonathon talked about the corporate retreat.
“When we embarked on the AMAG project many years ago, I knew we would need a base away from the corporate offices. The competition must be considered when you plan such a major undertaking as AMAG. So I decided that we would move the project headquarters closer to where we would finally do the real testing. We had a military base in mind, close to here. When the Federal Government went on a base-closing spree, we spent a fortune to keep it from happening here. We just couldn't allow the base to be closed. It's ideal for us, ideal for AMAG. It's remote, actually quite isolated, and has very little permanent staff.
“Well, sure it costs us, but Camp Crowder is no longer on the list of bases even considered for closure. I am not sure the folks in D.C. even remember it exists. Anyway, one of our local operatives located the three farms that make up the heart of this retreat. We spared no expense, bought the land and paid a very healthy price. Then we hired a West Coast firm, a very discreet firm, mind you. They converted the whole thing into our retreat. From the outside, it still looks like a couple of old buildings being used for some executive R & R. That's the image we want to present to the local population. But we have labs in the barns and tunnels connecting everything. You will be amazed! We spared no expense! We spared no expense, because we believe in AMAG. We believe that AMAG will be such a success, that it will validate any expense. Our latest venture is our computer network. It's located in one of those big old barns. It links us directly to anything and anywhere in the world, including the satellites we work with. It made AMAG a
A young oriental woman discreetly poured coffee and ice water. Jonathon Brooks quietly said, “Thank you Maria, we won't need anything else.” She disappeared without a word. Jeff Craft looked around, expecting the others, surprised to find himself alone with the big man.
They sat in silence. Jonathon Brooks reached for a donut. “Jeffrey,” he said between bites. “You have been with this corporation for a number of years. You may not realize it, but I have been following your progress for quite a while. I'm in need of a reliable assistant. I'm looking for a man I can trust, completely! A man who will have the good of SERPAC in mind, at all times. A man who shares my vision for the future. I believe you are that man, Jeffrey. Of course your salary would reflect your new responsibilities and so will the profit sharing. With AMAG, that could be substantial! I believe you would be quite satisfied. Interested?”
The question caught Jeff off guard. He swallowed the hot coffee, searing his throat. Ever the company man, he did not dare keep his boss waiting for an answer.
“I'm honored by your faith in my abilities, Sir. I'll strive not to disappoint you.”
“I take it, you are accepting my proposition?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Wonderful, wonderful.”
As they ate, Jonathon talked about the corporate retreat.
“When we embarked on the AMAG project many years ago, I knew we would need a base away from the corporate offices. The competition must be considered when you plan such a major undertaking as AMAG. So I decided that we would move the project headquarters closer to where we would finally do the real testing. We had a military base in mind, close to here. When the Federal Government went on a base-closing spree, we spent a fortune to keep it from happening here. We just couldn't allow the base to be closed. It's ideal for us, ideal for AMAG. It's remote, actually quite isolated, and has very little permanent staff.
“Well, sure it costs us, but Camp Crowder is no longer on the list of bases even considered for closure. I am not sure the folks in D.C. even remember it exists. Anyway, one of our local operatives located the three farms that make up the heart of this retreat. We spared no expense, bought the land and paid a very healthy price. Then we hired a West Coast firm, a very discreet firm, mind you. They converted the whole thing into our retreat. From the outside, it still looks like a couple of old buildings being used for some executive R & R. That's the image we want to present to the local population. But we have labs in the barns and tunnels connecting everything. You will be amazed! We spared no expense! We spared no expense, because we believe in AMAG. We believe that AMAG will be such a success, that it will validate any expense. Our latest venture is our computer network. It's located in one of those big old barns. It links us directly to anything and anywhere in the world, including the satellites we work with. It made AMAG a
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