Contingent Liability - Kevin Miller (novels to read TXT) 📗

Clarissa Jenkins is a mildly attractive woman in a librarian sort of way. She dresses ultra conservatively with more business than fashion sense. She is always quiet and acts more like a mouse, hiding in the shadows and trying to avoid human contact. She is afraid of answering the phone or of talking to another human in general. However, Clarissa has a passion for accounting. Her father was a great CPA and she aspires to the lofty position he held, until his untimely demise…which brings out the Jenkins family long held secret: they are ninjas.

Clarissa’s father, Alan Jenkins, was a master ninja with a CPA. He worked for a large accounting firm where he worked his way through the ranks to mid-level management. This position led him into conflict with a brutal network overlord, who betrayed and murdered Alan while he was on hold with the help desk.

Clarissa vowed revenge. After graduating from college with her accounting degree she went to work at the same firm that her father did. But alas, she is just a drone, working with the other drones. But all that is going to change…

A land of cubicles many rows wide and many rows deep. The office is well lit and has drab off-white paint on the walls. The cubes are in a neutral grayish-blue color devoid of any patterns. The gray carpet is industrial also devoid of life. Employees stay seated at the desks staring away at their screens. A supervisor walks up and down the aisles wearing his cheap K-Mart suit and $20 dress shoes. He has a gold-plated company watch on his wrist and carries a spiked whip. He menacingly walks up to a random cubicle and begins to intimidate one of the drones.

Supervisor: So, Adamson, you lazy toad, what do you think you’re doing with the McNally report? It’s over 30 minutes late! What the heck do I pay you for, you worthless sack of monkey slime!

Adamson: I-I-I’m s-s-sorry sir, I was waiting for the final tally of the Fergusson figures so I could factor in the ROI for the report.

Supervisor: I gave you a DEADline. I don’t give a rat’s behind what lame excuse you have. Who has the Fergusson figures anyway, tell me or it will only get worse for you.

Adamson: I-I-I d-d-d-don’t know, s-s-sir. I’m sorry! Please no, not again, no, I can’t take it again….

Supervisor: You will tell me a name…one way or the other…

The Supervisor raises his whip and begins lashing into the employees back. The sounds of ripping clothing and flesh fill the air. The blood of the innocent drone splatters on the cubicle walls and the computer screen, as well as the floor and even some on the supervisors face. 10-12 lashes, no one counts. The supervisor finally stops, his arm tired.

Supervisor: The name.

Adamson: Jen…s…..

Adamson passes out in a pool of his own blood. The supervisor now caught up in his bloodlust, turns towards Clarissa Jenkins desk.

Clarissa Jenkins sits calmly at her desk, manually adding up columns of numbers using her trusty Texas Instruments calculator. Her cube is plain, with only a picture of her with her father to tell cube ownership. She is the picture of Zen.

The Supervisor bangs on her cube wall. The other employees sense confrontation and cower in the cubes. Clarissa remains calm and doesn’t look at the Supervisor, doesn’t even take her eyes off the spreadsheet.

Clarissa: Yes, may I help you?

Supervisor: You snotty little filth, don’t take that tone with me.

Clarissa: How may I assist you, supervisor?

Supervisor: You’ll get double now, worm. But first, what the heck did you do with the Fergusson figures? The BOSS wants that report NOW!

Clarissa: You, and he, will get the figures as soon as I finish my triple check to insure the accuracy of the bottom line. It’s clearly stated in the employee handbook that this is the policy.

The Supervisor steams with rage, throws down whip and pulls out his Katana that was stashed in his suit coat. Clarissa still hasn’t looked at the supervisor and remains focused on her columns of numbers.

Supervisor: Don’t quote policy to me girl, I wrote that policy. I want those figures now or you’re worse than fired!

Clarissa: It will be at least another 15 minutes, you’re welcome to wait or you could come back. These things take time to ensure accura…

Before she can finish the word, the supervisor has leapt at her with his raised katana. Clarissa deftly moves out of the way just as the blade comes down slicing her desk. Clarissa reacts by drawing her own katana, obviously a superior weapon to that wielded by the supervisor. The supervisor reels back and strikes again, this time his blade nips Clarissa’s shoulder and glances of the filing cabinet. Clarissa yelps in pain. She then leaps up on top of the cube wall. The supervisor leaps on top of the wall and starts following her.

Regrouped, Clarissa thrusts out at the supervisor, a move he barely has time to parry.

Supervisor: You think this is my first fight? I’ve been doing this job for 12 years!

Clarissa doesn’t respond, instead she does a leg sweep which knocks the supervisor off the wall onto another workers desk. The supervisor stabs that employee for getting in the way, blood spurts from the injured employees wound. Then the supervisor runs around the corner towards the water cooler.

Clarissa jumps off the wall and lands directly in front of the water cooler, blocking the supervisor’s path. Swords clash! They dual furiously for 10-15 minutes, in the process knocking over the water cooler and a copy machine. Finally Clarissa gets the upper hand and pushes the supervisor, who falls backwards over the copy machine. His sword slips from his hand and he begins to speak…

Supervisor: Are you going to kill me? You’re the good guy, you can’t kill me. You’re like the others, weak. I would do it; you don’t have the stomach to take another’s life. Weak, like your father.

Clarissa: What do you know about my father?!?!

Supervisor: Only that he screamed like an animal as they tortured him. He did take a while to die though, I’ll give him that. Let me go and I’ll tell you who his killer was…

Clarissa: I’ll find out on my own.

Clarissa plunges the blade into the chest of the supervisor and twists the blade, then in one swift movement, she takes his head.

The other workers are quiet at first, but slowly they begin to cheer. They have found a champion who will defend them, a hero to liberate them from oppression. They have found…

The Ninja Accountant!

Three shadowy figures are standing in a dark room starring at security monitors. On the screen is the battle between Clarissa and the Supervisor. One of the figures is dressed in a very expensive suit, he’s middle-aged, has thick jet black hair, and an almost handsome face – a man used to power and money. His name is The CEO.

The other figure is a short, balding man with pasty white skin. He is unattractive and clearly overweight. His black t-shirt, black jeans, and doc Martin boots are an odd contrast to the CEO, he is the Network Overlord.

The third figure is a cross between the two, clearly he was athletic, but that was many years ago. Since his knees were blown out in the Big Game in college, he has gained weight and now is almost crushed by his hatred of those that succeed, he is the HR Manager.

Network OL: What is thy bidding, my master?

CEO: Why do you always quote Star Wars? Can’t you communicate normally???

Network OL: Sorry Sir, “Force” of habit…ha ha ha! But seriously, what do you want me to do about the accountant?

HR Manager: Sir, I think we should do a reorganization of that department. Divide up the employees and give them two new supervisors. I have the perfect pair.

CEO: They need to be good – in fact, better than good. They need to be Management Material.

HR Manager: Yes, yes, I see… I think they will do the job nicely. They are well trained, I trained them myself!

CEO: See to it then. We can’t have an upstart thinking that she can cross swords with us.

The HR Manager leaves the room. The Network Overlord remains to work on the rest of the details of the plan. The CEO goes and sits behind is giant mahogany desk and gestures for the Network Overlord to have a seat. The CEO then pulls out a large expensive cigar and lights it, not offering one to the Network Overlord.

CEO: I need you to make this young upstarts life hell. I mean really lock it down.

Network OL: How about unleash a virus on her PC? Or maybe block her internet access?

CEO: Good…let’s also turn off half her key card access and make getting around the building difficult.

Network OL: I’ll get my people on it right away.

CEO: No, not your people, YOU. You will do this personally.

The Network OL gets up to leave, but stops half way and turns to the boss.

Network OL: Do you think she knows?

CEO: That you were the one who murdered her father? I doubt it. But take some time to hone up your skills – you don’t look like you could fight your way out of a wet paper bag at this point, tubby.

Network OL: Yes sir, I’ll get to the Executive gym and practice.

CEO: Take some of your help desk staff with you; make sure they are sharp as well.

Network OL: It will be done as you asked.

CEO: Leave my sight; I need to think of what to do next.

After the Network Overlord left, the CEO stood and looked out the window. He began counting empty parking places to see who to fire next.

Later that day, Clarissa left work, 45 minutes late after dealing with access issues. She arrived at her small house on a quiet street in a nice suburb of The Big City. Her Siamese cat, Suki was waiting for her wondering what took her human companion so long – and hoping she would bring home food! Clarissa changes into sweats and a tank top and sits on the couch with her carry out Chinese food and proceeds to share her dinner with Suki.

Clarissa: Suki, you have no idea what work was like today, it