Chapter five: Pamela the security officer

Chapter five: Pamela the security officer

 

   The Metro building stood the crown jewel on the Boston skyline, in the midst of the city’s metropolis it stood as the center of cultural and economic growth and stability. In the nineteenth century the task of constructing the largest and first skyscraper of its kind fell upon Watson Mccorbien. Now more than a hundred years and two world wars later the monument stood over the buildings and surroundings trees as a constant reminder of mans everlasting endeavor to reach new heights.

               Though such theories had been discredited due to speculation and unreliable sources, some believed that old man Mccorbien built the Metro building for greater aspirations that to house the cities bankers, there are some who believed that in his old age, the Old man had stumbled upon knowledge he refused to share with his wife and children. Some say he had obtained knowledge of the old world, ancient and powerful knowledge that traced back to the Salem witch trials. Raving in madness the old man’s last words echoed throughout the cities history, sealing his lunacy and forcing history to turn away from him. “I built it for the fall! The stormy fall!”

               Security Officer Pamela Valentine stood in the entrance of the Metro building lobby, masterfully concealing her excitement and expectations of the day with her signature passive facade. With an impartial expression she allowed the impressive architecture of the lobby to wash over her. Large and open, the lobby alone could house a little under a hundred people.  Grand chandeliers hung from the tall eloquently tiled ceiling, its white fluorescent lights warmed by the immaculate, reflective marble tiled walls and floors.

Pam caught her reflection on a nearby wall. Pulling her baseball cap fully onto her head She examined herself out of habit; she was about five nine, her dark brown hair was tied into a tight tony tail that descended to the collar of her security uniform jacket. She wore little to no makeup; some foundation, but nothing else. Due to her strict addiction to her kick boxing classes at the gym, her body was lean and fit, her chest, average, her legs, toned.

She remembered the early years of her childhood. Sneaking into her father’s room in the early hours of the morning and helping him put the finishing touches of his own security officer uniform. She remembered and implemented his process every morning from memory. ‘Shirt, pants, tie then shoes.’ The memory caused a break in her facade. For a moment her eyes betrayed her; the anger they portrayed, the anger she fought to keep hidden, had revealed itself. This building, forged from mysterious and skeptical origins had taken the only thing she had ever loved. Working to protect something so influential to the destruction of her happiness was at times maddening. She wanted nothing more than to see this building become a mountain of smoldering ash and debris, but as much a part as this place had in distorting her life, she could not shake the feeling that this building held a secret, a truth that could help her salvage what was left of it.

“I built it for the fall! The stormy fall!

               Mccorbian’s final words had served as the most compelling clue she  had come across. Though cryptic she could not ignore the old man’s final worlds in comparison to the storm heading for the city, and the mysterious circumstances of her father’s disappearance. ‘You can do this Pam.’ she coached herself as she pushed her smoldering hatred deep down. ‘One more day.’

 

               “Ms. Valentine’s occupation as a security officer was not a hazardous one. It consisted of directing wanderers to their desired location, wandering aimlessly within the lobby of the cultural Museum, and on occasion escorting a delinquent off the property. As Pam reached the grand Oval receptionist desk she saw no reason to think that this day would be any different than any other. She was wrong.

               Pam sat uncomfortably in the small brown plastic chair that rested in front of her supervisor’s desk. After spending the entire elevator ride and the brisk walk to the office pondering the cause for why she had been summoned with such haste she watched Ed Linkmen’s full head of silver hair emerge from the piles of paperwork that landscaped his desk. She read his worried expression and realized that he was not going to offer her the raise she had been hoping for.

“ "Pam, I received a call last night,” Ed’s elder, husky voice sighed as he removed his frameless glasses and whipped them on his shirt’s chest pocket.

“ "That’s great sir,” Pam began, her naturally playful demeanor only emerging due to the familiar relationship she and Ed shared.

“ "I'm glad one of us thinks so, I was having the best day until then.” Ed continued, continuously fogging up his glasses and whipping them against his chest. “I trust you had a Good Sunday?”

“ Nothing out of the ordinary sir: hit the gym, read a little,” Pam shrugged.

“ "Oh,” Ed responded as he leaned back in his chair, his overweight body and his laminate that read “Head of security” now viable for Pam to see. “Well I had a great weekend; Susie got an A on her spelling test so we all went out for pizza. She’s reached an age where the only time I get to see her is when I’m offering to buy something for her. Teresa and I had finally gotten some alone time, and just before we were going to close the bedroom door, I get a call from human resources.” Ed’s eyes shifted from his glasses to Pam as she shifted in her uncomfortable chair. The reason she had been called suddenly rushed to memory.

“ "Look sir, I can explain.” Pam cried, but was silenced by Ed’s notorious finger wag.

“ "That’s why I called you here Pam; I want you can explain to me how you thought it would, in any scenario, be acceptable to   taser  a fellow officer  fourteen times? Then I want you to explain to me why I shouldn’t have you escorted off the premises and into police custody?” Ed’s face was not of anger; instead Pam could feel the weight of worry and disappointment press down on her.

“ "Twelve,” she mumbled.

“ "Excuse me?” Ed’s voice finally showed anger.

“ "I only tasered the dick head twelve times.” Pam corrected, shifting in her chair once more.

“ "I don't care if you tasered Ronald a million times, in less than a minute you changed a grade school class trip into a three ring circus!” Ed was shouting now, Pam could hear what he was saying but was having a hard time feeling any remorse for tasering a ‘dickhead’ like Ronald. “…And you ruined me and Tessa's special night!”

“ "Look boss, I know what you're thinking, but I had a good reason!” Pam reassured giving up on the chair and deciding to take her chances standing.

“ "This had better be good Pamela.” Ed sighed taking off his glasses once more and rubbing his temples’.

“ "I’ve got one word for you…Pedophile!” The word made Ed’s face tighten in disbelief, Pam noticed and continued, “I know what you're thinking; Ronald? No way right? Wrong! This guy had followed the class around the entire trip! Offering to buy the little girl’s lunch, acting like a monster and chasing them around the lobby, oh and he had a favorite! Yeah, she was a little cutie with pigtails, and he didn’t leave her side the entire time! I think her name was Candis…Cindy?”

“ "Christy… his youngest daughter,” Ed answered before Pam could finish. The stern look of accomplishment that hung on Pam’s face was instantly torn down; she had taken pride in the accomplishment of taking down a larger opponent like Ronald, but attacking a Pedophile sounded a lot more rewarding than attacking a loving father.

“ "Ed, I…”

“ "You're fired.” Ed stated plainly, putting his glasses back on his face. Pam’s lost expression caused her stance to sway.

“ "Ed, please, I…I …need this job!” she pleaded; Ed rolled his eyes as he began to stack papers.

“ "I want your locker cleaned out by the end of your shift.” He responded warily, trying to pay attention to the computer screen and not the emotional wreck in front of his desk.

“ "Look, I messed up, I get that, but all I'm asking for is another chance.” She pleaded, not only to her boss, but to a veteran security officer that had watched over the Metro-building for over thirty years. Her cries for sympathy and compassion were targeted to the Ed Linkmen that she had known ever since she was seven years old, the Ed Linkmen who worked with her father for over five years before the accident.

L Linkmen looked across his desk, towards the five nine, twenty year old that stood in front of him, and did what she swore he would never do again.

“ "This is your last chance,” Linkmen mumbled under his breath, the sounds of the words made Pam’s face light up with enthusiasm.

“ "You won't regret it sir! Tomorrow when Ronald gets out of the hospital ill apologize to him in front of everyone! It’s going to be…”

“Hold on their Pamela, there is going to be conditions to your ‘last chance’.” Ed interrupted her frantic long winded thanks. her sudden excitement faded. “I can't risk this happening again Pamela.” Ed began, rising to his feet.

“ "My thoughts exactly sir,” Pam agreed.

“ "So you're going to have to take an anger management class, and I’m going to have you work the graveyard shift until further notice,” The words were like bullets to Pam’s chest but the situation could work to her advantage.

“I’ll work the day shift as well sir.” she added her face solemn and repentant. Already thinking of the countless reasons why the graveyard shift would give her an excellent excuse to look around and wait for the storm.

“Wait,” Ed sighed, unable to watch Pam leave on such a note. “Pamela, you're a young and good looking woman. why don't you get a boyfriend or something? Something to do that takes you out of your own head.” Ed’s complement caught her totally off guard, she had never given much thought to how attractive she looked, she had spent so much of her time focused on her search she had scarcely given any thoughts to anything else.

“Goodbye sir,” Pam said as she left the Office and made her way to the elevator.

……

               The coffee room in the metro-building was a constant stream of information, fact or fiction the things that were talked about and speculated over in the coffee room held enough weight to shape the day that followed, the power of the rumors that Colón had started about Abby eventually led to a messy divorce, Mari’s opinion of the orange soda that was commonly found in the refrigerator led to all sodas being forbidden inside the main lobby, but of all the rumors and speculations that had risen and fallen over the years, in one swift motion they all seemed inconsequential compared to the well-known fact that Pamela Valentine was Mr. Linkmen’s s golden child.

Unknown to Pam her fellow coworkers had waged a small betting poll on how superficial the reprimand would be this time. It was no secret that Pam had a temper, and that being on her bad side was hazardous to your health. However what no one could discover in the six months that she had worked there was if in fact she had a good side at all. So when the lobby attendants mentioned to the janitors who spoke to the other security officers in the coffee room that Valentine had been sent to meet with Ed, following Ronald’s beating, They were not surprised to see her walk through the doors of the coffee room still wearing her laminate and her Taser.

“And there she is,” the agitation of one of her male Coworkers voices greeted Pam as she entered the room and headed for the marble counter top where the coffee pot rested. Pam could fell the envious eyes upon her as she held her eyes on target and casually poured a fresh cup of coffee into a mug.

   “What do you want Michel?” she exhaled having no desire to deal with his annoying and vindictive personality.

“ "I just want to know how you did it?” Michel asked mockingly, no longer sitting contently in the table at the end of the room but at the counter next to her.

“ "How did I do what?” Pam answered calmly, her breathing evenly spaced through her patience was dwindling.

“ "Cut the s**t, how'd you manage to get out of this one ? Get a little friendly with the boss?” Michael’s voice rose, catching the attention of the other members of the coffee room. It was a common stress management tactic to visualize yourself critically injuring people that annoy or insult you openly. However very few were able to do this with as much elaboration and sensitivity as Pamela Valentine. Down to the second, she had the uncanny knack to size up her opponents and formulate an executable plan for their demise. The insult made Pam slowly turn the face the six foot three, lanky co worker beside her. Her dark green eyes fixed on the wicked smile that rested on the slender, freckled face.

Step one: daze by throwing scalding coffee into face

Step two: in dazed state he will swing out wildly, use momentum against him, grip wrist and back of neck, smash face into marble counter surface.

Step three: Taser crotch until he relieves himself.

“Uh, earth to Pam? Anyone up there?!” Michel’s childish snickering snapped Pam back to reality with a new found confidence. As their eyes locked she allowed a fraction of her anger loose, the anger that if tangible could engulf the entire lobby within its inferno. Michael and Ronald had been inseparable ever since their first day in the office, but unlike Ronald,’ Michel was all bark and no bite, which made him harmless, unless Ronald was around. Pam’s plan was to let him feed off of this hollow victory for as long as he desired, she just had to make it to the graveyard shift, where she could finally be alone.

“I don't know what you're talking about Mike, but I'd watch my mouth if I were you, you don't have your ‘big strong man’ to back you up,” Pam mocked staring him down until he diverted his eyes. She placed her back to him and finished filling up her cup of coffee on the counter. She then faced him again, this time an inch from Michel face, his confidence in free fall. “Remember Mike, Punks jump up to get beat down.” She said calmly grabbing her mug and making her way to the door. She walked slowly because she knew she would not be followed, the rest of the occupants in the coffee room would only watch her leave, and once gone would make fun at Michel’s bewildered face, and the fear that he simply could not shake. the coffee room would ordain her a force of nature and the likelihood of her being invited to a after work function or further discussion of the topic would become unlikely, In truth Pam did not care, for she had survived this long without friends and family, she saw no reason to start now. She pressed it deep down, locking it away until she forgot about it. She had to remain focused on the task at hand. ‘One more day.’ She exhaled as she began to make her rounds.

Author's Note

typos are a working process. enjoy!