Only the Strongest Survive

by

Ian Fox

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

Ian Fox

Only the Strongest Survive

Copyright 2011 by Ian Fox

Smashwords Edition License
Notes

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* * * * *

Chapter
1

Emely
Donnovan, the CEO of Donnovan Corporation,
slipped out of her black Porsche Carrera GT sports car and hurried
to the entrance of the office building. “Here are the keys, Mr.
Kruger,” she said to the porter. “The usual space,
please.”

“
Of
course,
ma’am, as always, Ms. Donnovan,”
the doorman said while inhaling the alluring perfume wafting far
behind her. His eyes followed the rhythmic sway of the hips and her
perfect figure. She was wearing an elegant light-blue pantsuit, and
the very high heels on her shoes added additional charm to her
appearance.

Emely
was
a slender woman of forty-nine, with
reddish-brown, curly hair and lively eyes. Her facial features were
beautiful and symmetrical, but her domineering behavior often made
men feel awkward. She was highly intelligent, fearless, and
stubborn.

Emely’s
regular
day started at six, when she
would twist her body every which way to some of the latest dance
music. She had her morning aerobics to thank for her toned, shapely
thighs, pert behind, and firm breasts. Twice a week she also
visited a fitness club owned by the Donnovan Corporation, to
maintain her strength and flexibility.

Emely
Donnovan owned 42 percent of Donnovan
Corporation. As the CEO she had called a special meeting of the
executive board for this morning.

When
she entered a large meeting room on the eighth
floor, the other board members were already in their seats around
the big, oval table, and got up as soon as they saw her.

“
Morning
, everyone.”

The staff,
calling her by her first name, returned the deep-voiced
greeting.

“
To
day’s meeting will be very
brief,” Emely said, taking her place at the head of the table. She
opened her leather-bound pad and placed on it the fountain pen she
had been given by one of her Arab business partners. Leaning into
her high-backed leather chair, she cast a quick look around as if
to make sure that everything was in its proper place. Meanwhile her
elegantly manicured nails on her right hand drummed on the table a
couple of times. “You all know Gigany International, the
pharmaceutical company, which has a 40 percent share of the
American market. I’ve heard from reliable sources that the company
is in serious financial trouble.”

All
those present were aware that “reliable sources”
meant industrial espionage and other questionable means of
obtaining information, so no one doubted the truthfulness of what
she said.

“
They
are
primarily involved in the manufacture
of medications and other pharmaceutical products. I believe the
company is potentially stable, but needs fundamental restructuring
of its management. A week ago you received their balance sheet,
income statement, and other financial reports for the last five
years.” She stopped for a few moments to assess the concentration
of the board members.

“
Our aim is
to take
over the company using the
following strategy: In the next two weeks we will buy up the
highest possible number of shares, gaining at least a 35 percent
ownership right. Because I know that due to their financial
difficulties they will soon put another ten thousand series D
shares up for sale, we will also buy those and become a majority
holder with at least a 51 percent stake.”

She
straightened
in the leather armchair,
took a deep breath, and went on: “I propose we take a vote on the
takeover of Gigany International.” Her bright eyes scanned the room
once more. “Who’s in favor?”

Some board
members raised their hands. The CEO assessed the state of affairs
wit
h a single glance. “Seven in favor,
four against. I conclude that the proposal has been
accepted.”

Blake
Crouse,
the board member responsible for
legal matters, the head of the legal department, and owner of a 12
percent share of Donnovan Corporation, had voted against it. To
him, a vote in favor indicated that money and power were all that
mattered, that no one cared about the damage caused. Numerous
financial studies had been done, but no one asked how many years
and how much effort had been invested by the current owners into
the development of the company that just happened to get into
trouble. By his account, the Donnovan Corporation already had
enough enemies because of their greed.

Emely
placed
her hands on the oval cherry wood
table as a sign that the meeting was concluded. “That’s all for
today. Thank you for coming.” She looked around, pushed back the
heavy chair, and set off toward the door.

“
Mr.
Kruger,
” she said into her cell phone,
“my car, please. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

She went to
her office and
gazed at the huge aquarium
on the right, beside the door. The colorful fish and the rich
greenery always filled her with calm. Her huge, classy office had a
lush array of tropical plants. The early morning sunshine pouring
through the floor-to-ceiling windows reflected off the
leaves.

She sat at
her desk, took a few breaths, and called her
stockbroke
r. “Please announce our
intention of buying the shares of Gigany International at a
suitable market price. Then begin buying. We aim to acquire a 35
percent share. Have I made myself sufficiently clear?”

“
Of
course
.”

“
OK, start
immediately.”

S
he put down the receiver, raised
her eyebrows, and did a mental check that everything was as it
should be. Her motto was: “Only the strongest survive.” It’s the
law of nature, she thought.
If
God had wanted equality and justice, he would have made it
so.
She got up and went to the
elevator.

Emely
felt good, driving with a smile on her face,
along the wide avenues of the Chicago suburbs, glancing at the
various buildings. She had moved to the largest city in Illinois
because of the rapid growth of her company and because Chicago, as
the third most populous city in the States, offered her numerous
business opportunities.

Just over
twenty minutes later she reached the highway leading to Rockford,
where she was meeting a realtor. While she was
mentally drawing up her negotiating strategy, a black truck
suddenly appeared in front of her. It cut in so quickly she had to
jam her foot on the brake pedal in order to avoid smashing into the
truck. Emely blasted her horn at the driver.

She
needed to move to the outside lane to overtake
the truck. As soon as she turned on the left turn signal, another
truck appeared on her left, also black, stopping her from changing
lanes. She waited patiently for the vehicle to go past. She kept
looking ahead and to her left, gripping the steering
wheel.

It seemed as
if the two transport vehicles were connected in some
way
. They were both gradually slowing
down. Emely lost patience. She hit the steering wheel and blew five
longs blasts on the horn.

The two black
masses were slowing down, moving toward the
hard shoulder. She felt trapped. She was forced to play
their game.

Suddenly she
noticed that
both trucks had their right
turn signals on. The two vehicles were slowing down and so was
she.

When her car
stopped completely, she opened the door and
got out. “What the hell?”

Since she was
fearless and decisive by nature, the thought of being in danger
never crossed her mind.

Two masked
men wearing black coveralls jumped out of the
back
s of the trucks. She realized
immediately the fix she was in and ran back toward her car. After
only a couple of steps she felt a hand grab her neck and she cried
out in pain, “Who are you? What … do you want from me?
Help!”

However
much
Emely shouted, no one could hear
her. The noise on the highway was so loud due to the heavy traffic
that her desperate cries for help carried only a few yards. The man
holding her by the neck took no notice of her screams. With his
other hand he lifted her like a feather and carried her to his
truck.

She resisted
with all her s
trength, trying to free
herself, kicking her legs in all directions. The other man
immediately came to help the first and grabbed her hands. He took
two pairs of restraints from his pocket and first fastened her
hands and then her ankles.

As planned,
t
hey put the corporate CEO in the back of
the truck and slammed the heavy door. Emely lay helplessly on some
damp cardboard, trying to get out of the restraints that were
stopping her from getting up. She looked around in the darkness and
saw numerous stacks of empty boxes.

Oh
no, this can’t be tru
e,
she thought.
I’m being kidnapped and now they’ll ask for a huge
ransom.

The two
ve
hicles set off, turned off their turn
signals, and continued on their way as if nothing had
happened.

*

She had a
feeling they were driving forever.
At least four hours,
she guessed.
After a while she began to be thrown about more. She felt that they
must have turned onto a dirt road. In spite of the cardboard on
which she lay, she was getting bruised because of all the shaking.
After what was probably about twenty more minutes, the truck
stopped. Her heart began to beat faster.

One of the
men
opened the door and jumped up. He was
holding something black in his hand.

On
seeing
a mask covering his face, Emely
shuddered. She began thrashing around so much that she hit the
floor with her head a number of times.

“
Keep
still
, lady, or you’ll only make it
worse,” he warned her. He put the blindfold over her eyes, lifted
her, and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of
potatoes.

“Let me go! Please!” she shouted. Tears came
to her eyes. “I’ll pay you as much as you want.”

“
Of
co
urse you will. When the time’s
right.”

“
How much?
I’ll dial a number and in an hour you’ll have the cash. Just let me
go.”

He
went up some stairs and opened a door. The
helpless Emely was still folded over his right shoulder.

“Let me go!”

“We’re not interested in money,” he said.

He opened the door to a room and placed her
on a metal bed.

“
So what do
you want
? Tell me, please.”

The man took
no notice of her questions. He slowly removed the
restraint from her left hand and fastened her
right wrist to the metal frame of the bed. Then he did the same
with her ankle, only this time he fastened her left leg.

“Why don’t you answer? Please, tell me what
you want from me,” she said in a more demanding tone.