The Q4 Review

The view from the 50th floor of the Vantage Corp tower was usually a million-dollar panorama of the Chicago skyline. Tonight, it was a wall of white static.

Mara Vance swirled the amber liquid in her crystal tumbler, watching the blizzard hammer against the reinforced glass. It was 6:00 PM. The annual holiday party was roaring in the bullpen behind her—a cacophony of forced laughter, cheap pop music, and the desperate networking of middle managers terrified of the upcoming fiscal year.

Mara took a drink. The single-malt scotch, older than most of the junior analysts, burned pleasantly on its way down. It was her third. Or maybe her fourth. She stopped counting after she signed the termination orders for the entire Logistics Department earlier that afternoon.

"Ms. Vance?"

Mara didn't turn around. She knew the voice. It was soft, hesitant, and maddeningly polite.

"What is it, Elias?"

"I brought you some water. And two aspirin. Just in case."

Mara turned. Elias stood there, holding a silver tray. He was twenty-four, with messy hair and a suit that fit him like a hand-me-down. He was the only person in the building who looked at her without immediate fear. It made her want to fire him just to teach him a lesson about the real world.

"I don't need water, Elias. I need the room clear."

"Of course. But... there's a gentleman here to see you. He says he has an appointment with the Board, but he needs your signature on the intake forms first."

Mara frowned. "Who schedules a consult during a blizzard?"

"A Mr. Kael."

Elias stepped aside, revealing the figure standing in the doorway of her office.

Mr. Kael was tall. Impossibly tall, his limbs seemingly stretched on a rack to fit into his bespoke charcoal suit. He was bald, his skin the color of wet parchment, and when he smiled, his mouth seemed to contain far too many teeth.

"Ms. Vance," Kael said. His voice sounded like dry leaves skittering over concrete. "A pleasure. I’ve heard you are a woman of... efficiency."

Mara downed the rest of her scotch. "I'm the VP of Human Capital Rationalization, Mr. Kael. I fire people. If you're here to sell me software, you're in the wrong office."

"I am here to streamline," Kael said, stepping into the room. The air temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. "The CEO feels the company is bloated. He has authorized me to... trim the fat."

He placed a black leather portfolio on her desk.

"Start with Gary in Accounts," Kael whispered, leaning close. He smelled of formaldehyde and breath mints. "He has been stealing staplers. And he has a fatty liver."

Mara blinked, the alcohol making the world slightly fuzzy. "Gary? Gary is harmless."

"Inefficiency is never harmless, Ms. Vance."

Mara sighed. She opened her laptop. "Fine. If it gets you out of my office." She typed out the termination notice and hit send. "Done. Gary is officially let go."

"Excellent," Kael said. His tongue flicked out, wetting his pale lips. "I shall process his exit interview immediately."

Kael turned and walked out of the office, moving with a fluid, predatory grace that made the hair on Mara’s arms stand up.

"Elias," Mara said, pouring another three fingers of scotch. "Go tell Gary to pack his box. I don't want a scene."