67. Misleading

67. Misleading

The Auxiliary Armory PLC
George arrived early and met Mabel, the Janitor on duty that week waiting for him. From the look of things, Laura may accuse Gilbert of vilifying her before the President's Representative as well.
“Good morning, Sgt. Young,” she greeted him happily.
Without opening the door, George scanned her before he responded to her greetings, “Good morning, Janitor. How may I help you?”
“I'm on duty here this week,” she explained.
Instantly, he resolved that he would not work with her and requested, “That's good to hear. Ask your boss to send Gilbert to me.”
Despite her crestfallen face, he never expected her to argue with him. He opened his door and walked in.
“What is wrong with this, Gilbert? Why must he send for him?” She asked herself bitterly.
They preferred the President's office to any other office in the complex because it had less work. Unlike the General Manager's and the Accountant's offices where most of the activities of the organization take place. They will sweep, serve tea, and wash the teacups several times before the end of the day.
Nevertheless, she moved and grumbled, “Who knows what he had told him about me that made him hate me.”
After she left, Laura who expected to see the office empty, opened the door and marvelled. She walked in with the gait of an Executive Secretary and looked around
“Wow! This is beautiful,” she said joyously.
Meanwhile, George's mood changed when her door opened and he saw her instead of Gilbert. In her quest to be nice, she walked into his office and met him standing with the comportment expected of the rightful President. She was intimidated but put herself together at once.
“Good morning, Sgt. Young. How was your weekend? How are your parents?” She asked happily in a rush.
George was about to answer her before she spoiled her case by reminding him that he was a small boy who should still be under his parents.
“Get Gilbert for me,” he ordered and deleted the smile on her face.
She was taken aback by his sudden outburst. Before she could process what could cause that, he thundered.
“Can you hear me? Get Gilbert for me.”
To her, the day was too young for bickering and she must keep her eyes on the ball if she must get the President's contact from him.
“I heard you, Sgt. Young,” she said and walked away.
“Gilbert is not supposed to be on duty here this week. Why does he want him to come and trouble me?” She mumbled as she walked to the Janitorial Office.
Meanwhile, George sent for the Maintenance Manager and he arrived at once. He got up quickly from his chair and saluted him.
“Good morning, Capt. Sawyer.”
“Good morning, Sgt Young,” he returned the salute.
“Kindly take your seat,” he offered, and sat down as well.
“Thank you, Sgt Young. You sent for me.”
“Yes. The President said I should inform you that he is pleased with the painting of his office.”
“Wow! That is good to hear. How did he see it? Did he come around?”
“I sent the video and pictures to him.”
“I see. Let him know that I am delighted to hear that, and I wish to do more.”
“It is all right. I will let him know that. Meanwhile, he wished that the gate and the fence should be given a facelift.”
“I thought as much.”
“Yes. The barbed wire should be discarded and replaced with the new one.”
“I got it.”
“I would like to have the budget as soon as possible.”
“Consider it done,” he said, and the meeting came to an end.
The Janitorial Office
The service was contracted to an independent contractor who occupied one of the offices on the first floor. When Laura got there, she met Mabel complaining bitterly to the forty-year-old Supervisor, and she took advantage of that.
“Supervisor, she is right. Gilbert is not supposed to be in the President's Office this week,” she explained.
“We are talking about the President, and we can't question his choice,” the Supervisor pointed out.
“I know that we are talking about the President, but you cannot allow him to alter your roster, or it would distort the smooth running of your work this week,” she pressed on.
“You are right but I can always adjust …”
Without delay, she interrupted and urged him, “Don't be scared. He has a listening ear. You can come over and explain to him.”
The Supervisor looked intently at her and she urged him again, “Come with me.”
He took a deep breath and reluctantly agreed to follow her to the office. Meanwhile, Mabel who must work there by all means, tagged along.
Tim's House
Tim got home and continued with his curiosity about how Laura intended to get across to the new President. He was glad that they had come up with something.
“Why are these people like this?” He thought after watching them.
He laughed softly and asked himself, “Does she get along at all with George, how much more getting his phone or serving him tea?”
He disconnected after she left for work and switched over to the office.
“She will cause this Supervisor to lose his job,” he declared when he followed her to the office.
The Auxiliary Armory PLC
The Supervisor took a deep breath and reluctantly agreed to follow her to the office. Meanwhile, Mabel tagged along.
George had dusted his seat and sat down. He was preparing his attack on the South Coast while waiting for Gilbert and his door opened. He looked up and saw the three people with whom he had no business. Furthermore, he focused on them and waited for the male among them whom he was seeing for the first time to speak.
“Good morning, President,” the deceived Supervisor greeted him while Laura and Mabel focused on him.
George scanned him in his usual manner before he answered, “Good morning. Who are you and how may I help you?”
“I am the Supervisor of the Janitorial Services Company. I have come to let you know that you're altering our roaster by asking Gilbert to be here this week instead of Mabel. She is …”
“Excuse me,” George interrupted him and asked, “Alter your roaster? What has your roaster got to do with my request for Gilbert?”
The Supervisor was lost but the counsel from Laura kept him going.
“What I am saying is that Gilbert is not supposed to be here this …”
With the attack he had prepared for the South Coast and his urge to make minced meat out of them, test running with the animals before him would not be a bad idea.
He got up from his swivel chair, faced Laura with murderous intent, and commanded, “Don't return to this office without Gilbert.”
“Yes, Sgt. Young,” she accepted in trepidation and rushed out of the office.
Likewise, he faced the Supervisor whose head was heavy already, and ordered, “To avoid altering your roster, go to Capt. Bolton and inform him that you wish to revoke your contract with us. Period.”
The Supervisor was not prepared for that, at least not on a Monday morning,, and had a cold sweat immediately.
“I don't mean to disobey you. Please …,”
“Get out of my office,” he roared and pointed at the door.
Now, all odds were against them. If they were not scared of his voice, the redness of his eyes could not be overlooked either. Quietly, they walked out of his office in regret.
“Have you seen what the two of you have caused?” The Supervisor berated Mabel.
The befuddled Mabel only followed him silently. Nevertheless, they returned to the janitor's office and met Laura waiting for them.
“Where is Gilbert, Supervisor? I mean which office did you assign him to? I want to take him to Sgt. Young, please.”
The only thing that the Supervisor wished to do currently was to kill her.
“If you like yourself, leave my office. Silly girl,” he shouted at her.
“Leave your office? Where is Gilbert?” She asked anxiously and the Supervisor glared at her.
Unfortunately, she was not aware of George's standing order to the company. Therefore, she quietly walked away when she got no answer. To save her head and job, she had to go from one office to another to search for Gilbert.
“Sht!” She cried out when she considered the task and began her search.