Anarchy in New Enlgand (2 page)

The room became silent. "
Not bad
," Drake thought. He had certainly heard worse. While Drake’s bulldog demeanor did not change, he nodded his head a few times in mild approval.

"Yes," Drake replied in a stately manner, "Cape Cod Criminology sold insurance to people who wanted protection, and my grandfather," Drake motioned to a portrait on the wall, without shifting his glance from Hunter, "provided a piece of that protection. He started small, mostly just with patrols and response, while Cape Cod Criminology would handle the investigation of crimes. Starting around here, close to the area where Food Corp opened its doors after the New Dark Ages, provided a large enough customer base so that the cost per customer was not overwhelming for a young up-and-comer like my grandfather. He had a reputation, you see, even before NESA was started. Everyone knew you could trust the man. It was only natural that he monetize that trust to keep people safer.

"My grandfather was one of the first police officers in the Worcester region after the 2020’s collapse and 2040’s rebound, and spent years accumulating enough capital to launch New England Security Agency. He had enough good relations in the security business to land the Cape Cod Criminology contract for the Worcester area as the company expanded west.

"At first, he handled patrols and emergency response for Cape Cod Criminology in most of central New England. NESA would check up on homes who subscribed to that service, and respond to emergency calls while on patrol. We were the first to enter into sharing agreements with other companies, so that we would respond to each other’s customer in an emergency if we were closer, and settle up at the end of the month.

"This caught on quickly, and was soon adopted by every company in New England, setting the golden standard for security. We all have New England Security Agency, and my grandfather to thank for that. In fact we have him to thank for arbitration agencies as well, which younger folks might take for granted these days," Drake raised his eyebrows, staring almost accusingly at the younger men and women in the room. He had gotten to his feet and was slowly pacing around the large meeting table with his hands folded behind his back. Every now and then he would stop and make a hand gesture, or focus his stare at Hunter, who was sweating and nodding in agreement with wide eyes to every word Drake spoke.

"You see, not all security companies were as reputable as this one, back in those days. There was one who would not back down; protecting a vile man guilty of rape. All the evidence was against him, but the man had resources. It was our company against his company, and no agreement could be made. Well my grandfather, being a problem solver, got together with all his contacts from other reputable agencies, including Cape Cod Criminology, and started an association that would review cases, and hand down verdicts when two security companies could not come to an agreement. They called it an arbitration association, which eventually evolved into the arbitration agencies we have today. This system, now used the world over, has its roots in my family. Without my grandfather, who knows if rival agencies would still be battling to this day? Because of NESA, peace is a product in demand. And a valuable product at that!" with this Drake raised his index finger to accentuate the point.

"Think about the costs associated with war. Because of that arbitration association, we did not have to expend needless bullets, acquire expensive armor, build intricate fortifications, or expend human life. And yet we had an authority to review our data, and tell us when to allow action against a customer of ours – if they had violated another’s rights. This way, we could offer the utmost protection, while not wasting resources defending guilty clients. The arbitration association notified security agencies of impending arrests of their clients, to allow for any appeals by the protecting agency, and so that agents would never draw guns on other agents. It was NESA who standardized cooperation among agencies, and legitimacy in criminal proceedings.

"And the trend my grandfather started concerning responding to others’ customers, he also began in arresting suspects wanted by rival agencies. In hindsight it seems so simple, like bounty hunters of the old world, that a nominal fee is paid to the agency which captures the suspect. A simple idea, yet of no value until put to practical use.

"New England Security Agency expanded over the next 25 years to fulfill all contracts of Cape Cod Criminology. But when the time came to sign another exclusive contract, my grandfather, with the guidance of my father, negotiated a contract that kept all of NESA’s prior duties under Cape Cod Criminology, but did not exclude the possibility of us fulfilling other contracts. This gave us room to expand, and with that, NESA opened our first insurance office, and began selling crime insurance, in addition to our policing activities.

"As my father took the reins of the company, business boomed, and New England Security Agency customers could be found from Bar Harbor to Hartford; from Burlington to Newport." Drake’s back was now to his employees seated around the table, and he was staring at a large map of New England, mounted on the wall as he talked.

"By the time NESA reached 50 years as a company, it was New England’s most successful and popular security agency. We boasted the lowest percentage of canceled contracts of any security agency in New England. Everyone knew we would go to bat ferociously for our truly innocent clients. But we were also respected for graciously abiding when one of our customers committed a crime. As our contracts still state, our protection will be withheld in the event that a customer commits a crime that has a clear victim. NESA’s evidence has always been valued by arbiters because of its meticulous detail, and valued by customers because of the dedication we show in bringing criminals to justice, and protecting clients from wrongful prosecution.

"Fifty-three years after the company was founded, my father handed down control to me, and I became President and CEO." Drake turned back around rather quickly, remembering he was not alone in the meeting room. "And that is how this company came to be, and how it will remain. Working in public relations, it is up to you to keep the reputation of New England Security Agency as crystal clear as it was when my grandfather poured his blood, sweat, and tears into building it."

After a few moments of silence, with a continuous stare from Drake, Hunter realized it was his turn to respond. "I cherish the opportunity sir!" he quickly recovered.

Drake gave a final nod, and walked towards the conference room door. Before he left the room, Drake turned to add as an afterthought a brief closed mouth "smile" and eyebrow raise that quickly returned to a natural droopy face as he headed to his office.

The executives streamed out of the office in relief, loosening their collars and drawing deep breaths like they had just resurfaced from under water. Jay was filling in the blanks for Hunter.

"Drake has pretty much kept everything in the company the same for the past 15 years up to this point. Unfortunately, he’s not always super accepting of new ideas... which makes us a little old school. Even though we still have some of the best numbers in New England, competition is rising to rival NESA. Really it’s only been the last five years our region wide front runner status in the business has faded. Believe me, public relations is what this company needs now, more than ever."

Hunter was still nodding, but less nervous now. His head was spinning from having so much thrown at him all at once. As the two entered Jay’s office and sat down, Jay continued.

"As profit margins shrank, Drake was forced to trim aspects of the company. Some of our investigations are now contracted out, and customer relations are handled by contractors more than ever before, which we, in part, oversee. There’ve been whispers that the company is in danger of shrinking back to its original state of little more than a patrol company. Essentially it’s my job, and now yours, to make sure that doesn’t happen. Sometimes it feels like we are swimming upstream, but it is really a rewarding job. Like today, Drake agreed to team up with ICE; that’s a big step. I hope you’re up for the challenge." Jay smiled at Hunter while taking a seat on the side of his desk with the drink he just poured.

"I’m excited to get started!" Hunter was relaxing a bit, but still seemed anxious. "Isn’t it a little early to be drinking?" he questioned, adding a smirk when he realized the risk of offending Jay.

Jay laughed, and stood up to walk around his desk. "Its just after administration meetings that I pour myself a drink this early!" he joked. Jay swished around the remaining liquid in his glass, and downed the rest with a grimace. "What do you say I show you to your desk?"

Drake returned to his office to try to figure out how to keep the company profitable. Drake’s office was furnished mostly in dark-stained wood with leather chairs, and bookshelves with books that looked like they were a hundred years old – some were. His desk sat in front of a large arched window reaching from just above the floor almost to the ceiling.

People were getting more bang for their buck these days from security agencies, and NESA customers had more than one reason to jump ship.

There was plenty of competition in the New England security market. Things were not very volatile, and crime was low, so there was not much risk to choosing cheaper options for security. People didn’t often victimize others, at first because they knew they would get caught, but then out of habit. Everyone was raised to know that aggressing against someone was wrong, and there would be consequences. Additionally it seemed primitive to most people these days to use violence, or take something that didn’t belong to them.

In New England, there was so much wealth, that no one would ever find themselves in the position where they needed to steal to survive, at any rate. Crimes of passion, though rarer, were the main form of deviance; but still, 1 murder per 100,000 people would be a year with a shockingly high rate.

Drake’s failure was that he did not expand what his company offered in their security packages. Many security companies these days were smaller parts of larger insurance companies that did not only provide security, but offered trash pickup, fire protection, transportation, health insurance and a whole range of other services. Drake did not have the energy or business savvy of his grandfather or father, respectively. He was well-versed in economics, finances and accounting, but he was never that great in negotiations, and building relationships with other businesses. He was seen by other CEO’s as a "my way or the highway" type guy, when the general business environment of the time was more flexible.

Businesses survived by working together. They survived by knowing their strengths, and recognizing their weaknesses. There was no shame in outsourcing an aspect of your company if it could be done better, and integrating products was in high demand throughout industries. For a population that all thrived on working together in their productive endeavors, these consumers demanded businesses that mirrored their needs, wants, and values.

Drake was too reluctant to make a deal with other highway owners when the bundling boom had most companies offering a one stop shop for multiple services. NESA owned highway 90 from Boston all the way to 20 miles east of Albany. But only NESA customers could get on without paying a toll every time they entered.

Drake was behind the times, because virtually every other highway in New England had ceased charging tolls years earlier. Instead highway owners made agreements amongst themselves to sell traveling rights to companies and customers in bundles. A Corner Cop Security sticker – embedded with a chip – gave access to just about every highway in New England, without making customers stop for a toll, because their toll was included in their Corner Cop Security package.

If an NESA customer wanted that kind of road access, they would have to purchase a separate travel package from another company. Vehicles traveling on roads without authorization were often issued citations and fines from patrolling officers; officers hired by the highway owner. They knew who had paid because the chip in the authorization stickers sent out a signal. And security companies often provided customers with a service that confirmed an officer stopping them was legitimate. But it was worth it to just get a travel package, not have to buy multiple road subscriptions, and avoid fees for traveling without a subscription. Customers liked when they could obtain multiple services through one company, it made things simpler when paying the bills.

And now, once again, Drake was looking at the all too familiar sight of slipping numbers, and customer cancellations. This is when Drake would normally cut another corner to save another buck, knowing full well he was just kicking the can down the road to the next quarter, when customer satisfaction would again fall, and he would be once again forced to find another dollar to cut from the budget.

Although a dollar didn't technically exist as a currency anymore, dollars were still referred to as units of measurement. One dollar could always buy the same amount of goods – a candy bar or a drink generally cost a dollar – but one unit of any particular currency might be worth ten cents, ten thousand dollars, or anywhere in between. Stores paid for a standardizing service at the checkout that told them how much to charge in any one currency, depending on the value at any given time, and their prices were expressed in dollars. Companies and banks were typically happy to have their currencies valued around $1 per unit.

Outside, the leaves were showing the first signs of change. It was that perfect crisp air that only required a sweatshirt to be comfortable. Drake momentarily let his mind wander to another fall day thirty years earlier when he wasn’t holed up in his office. He was walking with a girl admiring the foliage, thinking that he could spend every day just like that one. She was smart, and always talked about becoming a teacher, but Drake would tell her she shouldn’t stop there.