Chapter One
Jake
“Kristen?”
“Yes, sir?” Kristen’s voice came through on my intercom.
“Get me Natsuo Hattori on the line.”
“Right away, sir,” she replied.
A few minutes later, I saw a green light flash on my office phone, and I pressed the little button next to it. “Natsuo?”
“Hello, Mr. Middleton,” Natsuo replied immediately in his thick Japanese accent. “It’s very nice to hear from you.”
“I wanted to discuss a new contract with you,” I said. “Hopefully, you can pass this conversation along to your boss. I think it will be mutually beneficial.”
“We are talking with other contractors at the moment, Mr. Middleton,” he replied, sounding reluctant.
“That’s because you haven’t heard our new rates,” I told him, spinning my tone into one I hoped was appealing. “Trust me, Mr. Hatanaka is going to be interested in hearing about this.”
“I…will see what I can do,” Natsuo said, at last.
“May I make a suggestion?”
“Of course.”
“Convince Mr. Hatanaka to attend the meeting that’s taking place in five days’ time at my corporate office,” I said. “It shouldn’t be too difficult, considering you are both in California at the moment.”
Natsuo paused for a moment. “How did you know that?”
“I make it my business to know these things,” I replied.
He laughed lightly. “Mr. Hatanaka worked with your company almost a year ago now,” he said. “He was not so happy with the job that was carried out. But I think…with you…it might be different.”
“Thank you, Natsuo,” I smiled. “Coming from you, that’s high praise.”
“I shall tell Mr. Hatanaka all about you—the Major CEO.”
“Is that what they call me?”
“It is unusual,” Natsuo pointed out, “for a CEO of a major maritime shipping company to have served in the army.”