The Link 3 - The Huntress

Chapter 12 - Teegan

The screen was scary. I don't know how else to describe it, but to say it was scary. Caleb, Victor, and I sat in the conference room staring at the west wall where it hung. A large flat panel, its wires hidden from the world, was mounted stiffly and glaring at me. The image was divided into eight equal sized squares, four on the top and four on the bottom. The bottom right square was an empty black, but the other seven contained people. They were dressed in expensive business attire, the one woman in the top right wore a blue suit my mother would die for. All were many years my senior.

"I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules," Victor said. Two of the men looked like they were annoyed at the interruption. The others were at least resigned to answer Victor's call and held comfortable smiles. "As you know, Mr. Corbett's assets have been held in trust." Some of the eyebrows lifted and more than one looked concerned. "Tomorrow, the press will reveal the beneficiary of that trust. We felt it best that you know before the rest of the world." Eyes shifted, I suspect looking at their respective images of Caleb and I. I stiffened my face, trying to keep my butterflies from fluttering about.

"May I introduce Ms. Teegan Fuller," Victor said, moving behind me. Unbidden I rose from my chair.

"What is this, Waterson?" one of the disgruntled men said. His gray eyebrows narrowed and wrinkles appeared on his forehead. "A secret love child?" I stopped Caleb from rising, internally and with a gesture of my hand. Now was not the time to come to my defense.

"I wasn't expecting crudeness, Mr. Finkelstein," I said. My voice was calm as my eyes traveled from face to face. Victor had thankfully exposed me to their pictures and had me memorize the names. It gave me a slight advantage. "Mr. Waterson has assured me that all of you are the best of the best, and the first thing I hear is a rude supposition about my birth." I watched Finkelstein blanch at my comment wrapped in a compliment.

"Think before you speak, Howard," the woman, Tracy Hardwood, said. She gave me a slight smile, probably happy to see another woman in the fray. I knew through Victor that she was very calculating with a brilliant mind that measured everything and always came up on top.

"I am not a blood relation to Mr. Corbett if that speeds things up," I said. "Suffice it to say that I somehow impressed him as a baby. Whatever his reasons, I am tasked with building his legacy."

"Forgive me," Lance Nelson said," you seem a little...inexperienced for the task at hand." His eyebrows arched with a grandfatherly concern. He was testing my resolve, and I had no intention of collapsing under his pity.

"You are correct, Mr. Nelson," I replied. "I intend to spend the next few years relying on Mr. Waterson to handle the day to day while I gain that experience. I expect each of you to assign me a liaison who will teach me the ins and outs of your respective parts of the business."

"You intend direct control?" Frank Calhoun asked.

"No, Mr. Calhoun," I replied, "I intend to eventually oversee your control, though that will take years. Barring extreme circumstances, you'll answer to Mr. Waterson with the same degree of autonomy you have experienced in the past." I had been going over my statements in my mind for hours. I hoped it didn't sound too practiced. Caleb thought it sounded strong. I wish it felt strong.

"And what if I come directly to you?" Mrs. Hardwood asked.

"My lack of experience doesn't mean I'm amenable," I replied, "I'll defer to Mr. Waterson until I deem myself capable of intelligent decisions." I didn't want any of them doing an end run around Victor. There can only be one king at a time. The queen's time will come.

"What if we disagree with Mr. Waterson?" Tom Kincade asked.

"If you're unable to persuade him, then you're out of luck," I said. "This isn't a democracy. It's business." I was surprised that Victor had been silent since introducing me. He was standing behind me as if he had my back. He was letting them know I was in charge, even it was indirectly for the near term.