He surprised even himself with the answer. He'd been planning to ask more questions before eventually saying no, but the word was out of his mouth before he had time to think about it, and he found that he did not want to take it back.
King was laughing and shaking his hand, clapping him on the back, congratulating him, and the board members around the table were smiling and nodding their support. He wasn't sure why he'd agreed, and wasn't being allowed to think about it, wasn't being given the time to examine his motives. He hated The Store and wanted it destroyed, and he saw the opportunity here to infiltrate the enemy, to do damage from within.
But . . .
But there was something to what King had said, and he was not entirely immune to it. The Store offered power. And power was neither good nor bad. It was a tool, only as good or bad as the person using it. He could do a lot of good as manager of the Juniper Store. He would be in a position to call the shots, he could force the town council to roll back the ordinances it had passed, use it to pass better, more beneficial laws.
'One thing,' Bill said. 'I want my daughters out of The Store. Now. Today.
Fire them, release them from their contracts, do whatever you have to do, but get them away.'
King nodded. 'Done.'
'They're out? No strings?'
'If they want to be.'
'What if they don't?'
The CEO shrugged. 'I can't live their lives for them.'
Shannon wanted out, he thought. She'd quit. Sam wouldn't, but Shannon would.
It was a start.
And when he was manager, he could fire Samantha.
'So what do I do? Where do I sign? What happens next?'
'Call your wife. Tell her good-bye. You have two weeks of training ahead of you. You won't be seeing her until you're done.'
'Is there a phone I can use?'
'On the wall behind you.'
He didn't want to talk in front of all these people, but he called Ginny anyway. She'd just arrived home, and he explained briefly what was happening, told her not to worry, told her he'd be back in two weeks.
'They kidnapped you!' she screamed. 'They're forcing you to say this!'
'No,' he said.
'Then what's happening? Why -- ?'
'I can't explain right now. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.'
'They'll kill you!'
'It's nothing like that,' he promised. 'It's a good thing. But I can't talk now.'
They went through this for several more minutes before he finally got her calmed down and convinced that it was on the level. They hung up, exchanging _I love you's_.
If he were her, he wouldn't believe it either, he thought. He had come to Dallas this morning ready to rip Newman King a new asshole, and now he was going to work for The Store? It didn't make any sense.
It _didn't_ make any sense.
So why was he doing it?
He still wasn't sure.
Two guards had entered the boardroom behind him, and he started as they drew even with him and grabbed his arms. 'What the . . . ?' he said, looking around at them, then over at Newman King.
'It's training time,' the CEO said. 'They're here to escort you to our training facilities.'
Bill squirmed out of the guards' grasp. 'They don't have to treat me like I'm a prisoner.'
'Quite right,' King said. He made a motion with his hand, and the guards stepped back. 'Sorry. Habit.'
Bill took a deep breath. What had he gotten himself into here? And how was he going to get out of it?
He suddenly wished he had not taken King up on the offer to come to Dallas.
No. That wasn't true.
The CEO walked over to him. 'We're happy you've decided to join The Store family,' he said. 'You will be a welcome and valuable asset to our team.' He shook Bill's hand once again, and his grip was cold. 'Please follow the guards.
They will take you to our training facilities.' Grinning, he motioned toward the elevator door. 'And have a nice day.'
3
Shannon was called into Mr. Lamb's office, not during her break but almost immediately after starting her shift. Another employee, a new employee, came by to tell her the news and man the register for her.
There was something wrong.
She was ushered immediately into his office, and he looked up as she entered. There was no preamble, no small talk; he did not offer her a seat. Mr. Lamb stared at her from across the desk with barely disguised contempt and said simply, 'You're fired. Turn in your uniform and your _Bible_.'
She blinked, not sure she'd heard right. 'Excuse me?'
'Clear the fuck out.' The personnel manager stood. 'You're through, you're fired, The Store no longer wants you, you stupid fat cow. Get off our property.
Now.' She was stunned into silence.
'Now!'
She turned tail and ran. She didn't know what was happening or why, but she was smart enough not to question it. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, as Grandpa Fred always said. She quickly hurried away from the office, excited and angry at the same time. Excited that she was finally able to get out of here and away, to escape The Store's clutches, but angry at the way she was being treated. The anger was an instinctive reaction, though, an emotionally defensive response, and she knew enough not to act on it. She kept it controlled and sped downstairs to the locker room, where she took off her Store uniform while the camera videotaped her for the last time.
This was too good to be true, and she wanted to get off the premises before Mr. Lamb changed his mind.
She wondered, as she put on her street clothes, why it was that Mr. Lamb could fire her but Sam could not, then decided that Sam had probably arranged this, had probably figured out a way to get her out.
Or her dad had talked to Newman King in Dallas and King himself had arranged this.
No. It wouldn't have happened this fast.
She left her uniform and her _Employee's Bible_ in the locker, went back out onto the floor, stopped by the Customer Service desk to find out about her last paycheck, was told to leave The Store immediately, and then she was outside, in the parking lot, and she was free.
Free!
She almost felt like dancing.
She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to go home yet, and she got in the car and drove aimlessly and happily around town, finally pulling up in front of Diane's house.
She sat in the car for a moment, not sure she was brave enough to go up and knock on the door, but before she could make any sort of decision, Diane opened the front door and started up the walk toward her.
Shannon tried to read her friend's face, couldn't.
'Hey,' she said.
Diane smiled shyly. 'Hey.'
She blurted it out. 'I just got fired from The Store.'
'They fired you?' Diane was up to the car now, leaning in the passenger window.
Shannon nodded. 'Thank God.'
Her friend laughed. The awkwardness that had existed between them for most of the summer seemed to have disappeared, and Shannon was glad she'd come by.
'So what are your plans?'
'Don't have any.'
