CHAPTER 5: BOARD MEETING.

An hour was wrapping up like it was just a mat. It was a very urgent situation and required urgent action. Tracy was already on the move. However, she knew she had not finished in time. 

What was one expecting? 

She was a woman. People do say men are the ones who don't need that much time to get themselves ready to head out. Well, Tracy would agree to that . She always felt good dressing up. Though not to take the whole time in the world to do that, she still felt like a queen staring at her elegance right through the mirror. 

" Can we go faster? " She muttered to herself. 

It was a statement rather directed to her car than to herself. 

" No way. We obviously can't. Those damned cops will have something on me."

She let out a sigh and continued steering, increasing and decreasing the speed at intervals. It was almost an hour. She was close to the office, not close enough, though, when she got stuck in a traffic jam. 

" What the hell is this? " She said frustratingly, slamming her palm against the steering. 

Heaving a deep breath , she glanced at her wristwatch. It was already eleven minutes left before the board meeting. 

" Damn it! " She cursed under her breath. 

If there was one thing she despised personally, it would be not being punctual to a meeting, most especially, if one was the one that called the meeting.Her phone began to ring . It was Fiona. 

" Hello, Fiona. "

" Ma'am, Tracy, it is almost time. "

" I am very aware of that. I am stuck in traffic. "

" Damn it. That is not good for a morning like this one. What do we do about this?"

" Is everyone there already? "

" Almost everyone has arrived. "

Tracy shut her eyes and drew in a long breath . Her head was spinning. The situation was a serious one . There's a great need for her to be there. Maybe she had made a mistake by setting the time of the meeting by an hour . Perhaps, those board members are already angry with her. 

" Hold them there. Tell them I will be there in a very short time. Okay? "

" Yes, ma'am. I will do that right away ."

The call came to an end. Tracy remained there in frustration for the next couple of minutes. It was about half an hour when she was finally released from the jam in the traffic. This time, she drove carelessly. Her thoughts were wired towards the board room. The group was already having serious issues. Any sort of internal strife will end up rupturing the position entirely. 

In a matter of minutes, she was already speeding into the premises of the official complex. She drove through the tarmac and hit the brakes , stopping the car carelessly at the wrong spot. 

" I'm damn late. Damn it. " 

She undid the seat belt . Grabbing her laptop and a few files, she jumped off the car. A security person walked towards her. 

" Good morning, ma'am," the dude greeted her. 

" Here you go," she threw her car key at him," Drive it to the garage. "

The dude caught the key in the air. 

" Yes, ma'am."

Just a few feet away from her, Fiona strode elegantly, dressed corporately in a blue shirt and black pants . 

" Good morning, ma'am Tracy," Fiona said, walking to her. 

" Hey, " Tracy turned to the security guy." Don't drive yet. " She turned to Fiona, " Grab my bag. And the rest of the files too. "

Fiona wasted no time in doing that. Soon, they were both in the elevator headed to her office floor. 

" How many minutes late am I? " Tracy asked, breaking the silence that had existed for a while. 

" Uhm, " Fiona glanced at her wristwatch." Almost an hour late. "

" Hmm, " She exhaled tiredly. " You said they're almost complete. "

" That was earlier on. Right now, they are complete. Everyone on the board is there . They became complete about fifteen minutes ago. "

" I see . "

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. Tracy , without a word, matched out, her gaze straight to the boardroom. She walked past her office without taking a look in that direction. 

" Ma'am Tracy, aren't you dropping by your office?"

" This is not the time. They've been waiting. Here you go," she turned. " Take everything to my office. "

She handed the files to Fiona who was now loaded with files while she continued walking with her laptop. 

The boardroom of the Hall group was an ecstatically decorated heliocentric room with perfect lighting. A very large circular table sat boldly right in the center of the room with swivel chairs all around it according to the number of the board members. There were twelve of them seated with little or no trace of a smile on their faces. Everyone was at the brink of losing it . 

" You know what?" Mr Jones said, rising to his feet . " I am leaving this Godforsaken room!"

" And where might you be going?" Tracy's voice sounded as she walked into the room with her laptop rightly placed on her left palm and her right hand surfing with the mouse. 

There was little murmur through the whole room. Their displeasure could not be hidden. 

" You called for a meeting and this is the time you deem fit to be arriving, " Mr Jones said. 

" I strongly believe that my secretary briefed you people on the reason for this lateness, " She dropped the laptop on the table while assuming her seat . " I got stuck in traffic," She smiled. " Well, that is by the way. I sincerely apologize to everyone here for not keeping up to time."

" What is going on?" A board member, Mr Bleadon asked , rising to his feet. " We just woke up one day and all that we see all over the media is that our stock value has been on the decline . I hope you know what threat this poses . "

" What is behind this?"  

Tracy cleared her throat, " It would have been what. However, it appears not to be the case this time around. " She paused and glanced at the faces staring back at her. " It is who. " 

" Who? "

" What do you mean ?"

" How can it be who?" 

The questions poured in. It was normal to expect them. 

Who would be powerful enough to cause such a drastic drag on the stock value of the group right in the market. 

" We are dealing with the Holt Empire," she stated firmly. 

The mention of the Empire sent shock waves through the entire room . They all adjusted their positions. 

" How would you know that? " Mr Jones asked . 

" Everyone, look at this, " she said and hit a button on her system . " I just forwarded a chart analysis to you all. "

The people hit their systems. 

" Right there is a chart , two charts , actually, that have been merged to form a mutual line trend," she cleared her throat and rose to her feet ." The one on the left which is on the decline is the Hall group. That on the right which happens to be on the increase is Holt Empire. "

" If I can read your mind correctly, you are trying to say that what's leaving us is entering them," a board member chipped in. 

Tracy nodded , rubbing her hands together. " While we are losing percentages of our value , theirs is on the increase. "

" We are so screwed right now, " someone said frustratingly. " What's the way out?"

" In fact, what's their interest in us?"

Marry me. 

Greg's voice came to her again. 

" Well, as it stands right, I —"

Her next words were cut off by the sudden forceful entrance of Fiona. She looked pale. 

" What is the meaning of this?" Tracy asked. " Is there a problem?"

Fiona gulped down saliva before speaking. 

" Trevor Holt is en route to this place. "

Trevor Holt . The name ran through Tracy. She grasped it in an instant. 

Greg was coming. She felt her legs grow weaker..