32: Collecting debt

I hesitated for a moment, maintaining a stoic expression. The men in the room murmured to themselves, trying to adjust to the fact that I was now in charge.

"We have business to take care of, and we have quotas to meet. That will happen, without excuses," I asserted firmly. "There will be no undermining of our operations. We will continue as if nothing has changed. Any information you gather must be reported immediately to Grinder or myself. Any delays or disruptions in shipments will be brought to my attention, and I will handle the responsible parties. All land transactions will go through me alone. If any developers try to back out, they need to understand the consequences. Is that clear?" I let the silence linger, uncertain of how my announcement was being received. They were smart enough to hide their true feelings.

"Yes, boss," a few of them mumbled in response.

"What about the hit?" Joey asked, breaking the silence. I looked directly at him. He had been around for years and r