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I recognize AHCC from the news headlines over the last few weeks. They have had several MSHA violations over the years, which the supervisors instructed the mining crews to just put band-aids on. Stupid ass move. These men bust their asses underground and frickin’ CEOs couldn't care less about their safety! No, they just wanna turn that damn black coal to diamonds jingling around in their pockets. Hell if I'll ever operate Simon Energy that way.
Setting the laptop in the floor, I stretch my back, sore from being hunched over in the floor for the last several hours. My brain feels cloudy, and trying to process the facts is impossible. Why would Daddy keep all these pictures and documents locked up in this chest? Why were they so important to him? What am I missing?
Frustrated that I can’t piece together the puzzle, I gather the pictures and clippings to return to the chest. The last stack that I pick up is the life insurance documents. All of Daddy’s policies were finalized at the reading of his will, so why is this one lone document locked away? Curiosity gets the best of me, so I read through the contents, trying to find the beneficiary. The policy is for the sum of five hundred thousand dollars. Upon the last page it is written:
Beneficiary: Drew Varney
Relationship:
Chapter 12
Carly
A loud piercing noise stabs my eardrums, waking me from my sleep. I press the pillow to my face and try to drown out the noise. The piercing beep continues strongly, and I give up. Raising my weary head from the bed, I find the source of the noise—my cell phone—and embed it into the side of the wall. The beeping ceases as I roll over and try to fall into a deep slumber.
Five minutes later the piercing noise is back. Slinging the blanket back, I jump out of bed, stomping over to grab my phone to see what the hell is going on. Ahhh, the alarm. I stretch my arms above my head and groan deep like a zombie as I trudge toward the bathroom to get ready for work.
I drive the long, winding, country roads through the barren mountains. The mountains are always gorgeous, but they look a sad, lonely state, much like I feel. The hills are dying as fall has taken over, laying bright, colorful, crisp leaves all over the ground.
I pull into my space at Simon Energy and quickly make my way into my office, trying to dodge contact with everyone. It’s early still, so I accomplish this mission with ease. At my desk, I power on my laptop and sift through the hoard of mail that has been growing over the last week. Next, I check emails, then print the productivity reports. I thoroughly check the report for each mines and see that progress is steady, but I’ll have each supervisor break down the details in depth during the meeting. Finalizing my morning tasks, it’s nearly time for the supervisor meeting, so I prepare my paperwork. On my way to the conference room, I stop by Shelly’s desk and ask her to contact my attorney, James McCoy, to set up an appointment for later today. With a pleasant smile, Shelly accepts my tasks, then tells me she will bring my coffee to the conference room.
As I enter the conference room, I keep my head held high, trying to keep up the appearance of the mean, bitchy boss while inside I’m wilting like a flower. I scan the room, making count that all the men are present, and I have to grasp onto the chair to gain my stability when I graze Colton’s piercing black as night eyes. A crashing wave of nausea rolls through my stomach as unsettled nerves attack me. I thought I was ready to move forward, but right now I want to run out of this room like a frightened little girl. Heat crawls up my neck and curls around my face, staining my cheeks a cherry red. I take a deep inhale, trying to calm my nerves before settling at the head of the large rectangular table.
“Good mornin’, y’all. Sorry, I had to miss our last productivity meeting; I’ve been sick with the flu. I’ve read the weekly productivity reports, and everything looks to be running at a steady pace. Keep your productivity up, fellas! High productivity keeps this company above water, our stocks high, and food in your families mouths. When was the last MSHA inspection?”
“Last Tuesday at Coal Branch Mines, and it was a bitch, Simon,” a husky voice from the far end of the table replies. Rolling my eyes up from the reports, I recognize the face, but I can’t place the name; Cooper maybe?
“What violations were we hit with?”
“A shit ton. Hell of a lot more than we ever had when Big John was around.”
“Watch your damn mouth, Cooper,” Colton spits at the man, warning him about what he’s wanting to say.
“Thank you, Weston, but it’s okay. I’m interested in hearing what he has to say.” I nod at Colton. “It’s Cooper, right? Go ahead; get it off your chest,” I reply with a coy smile as I arch my right eyebrow, willing this asshole to continue pissing in my direction. He nods as he bucks out his chest, trying to intimidate me.
“Big John didn’t let prick inspectors come into his mines, shittin’ all over his miners. This damn job is shitty enough without ’em breathin’ down our damn backs every other week with dumbass violations that we’re gonna get over and over no matter how many times we try to fix ’em.”
“So how do you suppose I resolve the issue with MSHA, Cooper?” I lean against the table, eager for his response. His no doubt, dumbass response.
“Ya pay the sons of bitches off just like Big John did!” Yep, there it is. Dumbass.
“Damn it, that’s enough, Cooper!” Colton yells as his fist comes crashing down to the top of the table. “I don’t give two shits whether you agree with the way Ms. Simon runs Simon Energy or not. You are her damn employee, and I swear my hand to God if I hear you cuss at her again, I’ll knock you on your ass! You feel me?”
“Whoa, Weston, buddy, what the hell’s your problem? We all know what a pain in the ass it is to get violation after violation for shit we can only do quick fixes on, ’cause we have to keep productivity up. Big John got that! That’s why he lined the inspectors pockets each time they came knockin’. They went away with a smile on their face, and we kept minin’!”
“My damn problem is you’re bein’ a disrespectful asshole. Watch your tone with Ms. Simon, or I’m writin’ you up on suspension.”
“Damn, bro, you hittin’ that? That what gotcha all pissy? I’m bein’ mean to ya woman?” Cooper laughs. “Shit, Weston, don’t act like you’re innocent to payoffs. How many times have I seen you in that very office with inspectors and Big John, huh?” Cooper sneers at Colton.
Before I can react, Colton takes two strides toward Cooper and makes good on his promise with a right hook, connecting with his jaw and leaving him to crumple to the floor. Colton grabs his tablet and writes up a suspension slip, then tosses it on Cooper’s dazed body.
Turning toward the rest of the men, he shouts, “I will not put up with any disrespect of Ms. Simon on my crew. If ya got a problem with that, then pack your ass home. If not, then keep your ass in that seat ’til she tells ya to get to work! If you don’t mind, Ms. Simon, I have to get back underground.” Colton’s eyes lock on mine, holding my gaze and melting my soul as he nods and leaves the conference room.
“Carly, I don’t agree with Cooper’s disrespect of his supervisors, but Weston got out of hand. We can’t have employees, hell a superintendent of all things, goin’ around knockin’ men on their asses,” Mack says, one of Daddy’s favorite old miners. Mack has been with Simon Energy for as long as I can remember.
“Mack, I’ll handle Weston. Let it be. As for the debate of ‘paying off inspectors,’” I mock sarcastically with air quotes, “there will be no discussion of such. Simon Energy will be a safe mines. If the inspectors find violations, then we will fix them. I don’t give a damn if I have to hire a frickin’ crew just to work on violations twelve frickin’ hours a day. Inspectors will not be paid off. That’s how miners lose their lives; do y’all understand that? Safety first. Now, get your asses to work.”
Kicking back the large leather chair, I stand and gather my things. As the men begin to fall out of the conference room, I notice that Mack is hanging back. As I walk past, I offer a kind smile. “What’s on your mind, old timer?”
