Alex opened the door and found a man in his forties sitting behind a desk. He was pale with short-cropped hair, and he wore a well-maintained uniform over his thin body.
His name was Tony Lewis, and he was the head of the campus security at Johns Hopkins University.
"May I help you, young man?" he said with a smile.
Based on Alex's age and appearance, Tony had thought that he must be a student. And most of the students at Johns Hopkins were rich and well-connected. Tony never talked down to them if he could help it.
Alex understood immediately that Tony had misjudged him. "Hello, sir. I'm here to apply for a job."
Tony was surprised. In his experience, nobody applied for jobs in campus security unless they had no other options. His entire staff was composed of guys who had been on the job for twenty years or more, and new applicants were few and far between. That someone like Alex would show up seemed almost impossible.
Tony might have been happy to have a young new recruit at his disposal, but the timing was terrible. Several workers had been in touch. They did not have the right qualifications for the job, but they were willing to accept a lower rate of pay. Their lack of qualifications didn't matter as long as there were no other applicants.
But now Alex had waltzed into his office. Tony needed to find a good reason not to hire him.
The smile on his face disappeared. He leaned back in his chair and glared disapprovingly at Alex. "Tell me about yourself."
Alex was slightly taken aback, so he resorted to providing his basic information. "My name is Alex. I'm five foot eleven tall, I weigh 187 pounds—"
"Yeah, all right, then," Tony interrupted. He thought for a moment before continuing. "Alex, I don't think you'll be a good fit. Thank you!"
Alex didn't understand. He was young and healthy, and a much better fit for the job than anyone he had come across on the way in. There's something going on here, he thought. But I have to get this job!
"Sir, please reconsider. I really want this job," he pleaded.
"Oh, really," Tony answered and looked questioningly at him. "I bet you think you'd be great at it, too! But why can't you find a job somewhere else, then? You saw those men out there. We've all worked together for a long time. We know each other. I don't need some kid to come in here and mess up our routine."
What Tony was saying was half-true, but there was also the money to consider.
"I won't make any trouble. I promise."
"But that's not up to you, is it? You won't fit it, and you'll destroy the unity of the whole team."
Tony grew impatient. He needed some other way of making his point. He stood up, opened the door, and gestured to Alex to follow him. "Come and meet the team. If they don't object, then I won't either."
When they came out of the office, the men watching the monitors immediately sat up straight. They looked at him with fear in their eyes, as if they expected to be fired at any moment.
Tony simply smiled and browsed the room. Then he pointed to Alex. "This kid's here to apply for a job. What do you think? Should I hire him?"
The other security guards knew immediately what Tony wanted them to say. This was his usual procedure for getting rid of unwanted candidates. He expected them to help him turn Alex away.
"I don't think so," one of them said unconvincingly. "Kids these days don't know what having a job means."
"Tony, please find someone else," another one chimed in. "I don't think this kid's cut out for it. He'll just give the rest of us more work."
A third man came up and patted Alex mockingly on the shoulder. "Look, kid. Security's not a good first job straight out of high school. Why don't you go work in a juice bar or something, and let us do our thing?" Everyone in the room started laughing.
"You heard them," said Tony. "You seem like a good kid, and I'd consider it if anyone thought it was a good idea. But they don't. Now get out of here. We have work to do."
"Hold up, chief," a voice called out from across the room. "I think he should stay." Tony's smile disappeared as he looked in the direction of the speaker. It was the younger man who had opened the door for Alex.
"What's that, Don?" Tony stared angrily at Don Landers.
"I think we should give him a chance," Don repeated. "If you need someone to work with him, I'll do it."
The other security guards looked derisively at Don. It was clear that they didn't like him.
Tony was still staring at him with an ice-cold gaze. "This is what happens when you hire people who don't belong. Well, Don, I know when I've made a mistake. You're fired! Please leave by the end of the day."
Don was gob smacked. He hurried over to Tony, grabbed his arm, and said anxiously, "Tony, please don't fire me. My sister still needs me to earn money for school. I can't do without a job."
Tony sneered at him. "I gave you a chance, didn't I? It's not my fault the job doesn't suit you. Now let me go!"
Tony couldn't get out of Don's grip, so the other security guards took hold of him and pulled him away. Then they escorted Don and Alex out of the building.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked. Don was pale and sweaty. He didn't seem to be handling the situation very well. "Let's get some air."
Alex helped him out of the building and sat down on a bench in front of a small pond.
"Sorry," Don said. "I'm anemic, so sometimes I get lightheaded. Especially when I get worked up. I'll get better if I sit for a while."
He seemed to be getting better already, and Alex felt relieved. "Thanks for sticking up for me."
"That's okay," Don answered. "It was mostly for my own sake. The other guys are older than I am, and I've only been there a few months. They treat me like I don't belong. But if you were there, there'd be two of us. But now I guess there's none." He smiled bitterly.
"If you have anemia, aren't there better jobs out there for you?" Alex asked.
"Not really. I've tried being a hotel waiter, a valet, and a truck driver. I almost drove into a ditch once. Working security's actually easier, and my illness doesn't affect me much. So I ended up here."
"What about you?" he asked and turned to Alex. "You seem healthy enough. It can't be hard for you to find a job. When you do, maybe you could help me."
"I want to work here," Alex said and shook his head.
"Well, that's not going to happen. Tony only hires people who'll take lower pay. The competition's too great."
"That's not necessarily true," Alex said with a smile. "You just need to know how to compete. Stay here and rest for a while. I'm going to the bathroom."
Alex rose and walked away. He stopped underneath a tree, took out his phone, and found Rufus' number.
**
Meanwhile, Tony had returned to the office and sat whistling with his feet on the desk.
He was in a very good mood. He had gotten rid of both Alex and Don, and now he sat fantasizing about the money he would save on one of his cheaper new hires. Life seemed very good.
He took out his phone and opened the photo gallery. It was filled with the pictures of women he had chatted with online. His favorites were the college girls. As he scrolled through the photos, he imagined taking them to fancy dinners at hotel restaurants, and then he thought about bringing them up to a hotel room to have some fun.
Just as he was getting lost in his fantasies, the phone rang and scared him half to death. He sat up and gathered his senses. Then he answered. "Hello? Who is it?"
"My name is Rufus Clifton," a quiet voice said. Tony shuddered and broke into a cold sweat. His hand began shaking, and he almost dropped the phone.
He had lived in Baltimore for over ten years, and he knew about the Cliftons. He knew about their wealth and influence, and he had heard that Rufus Clifton handled underground operations all over the city. Maybe even all of Maryland. What could such a man possibly want from Tony, the insignificant head of campus security at a local university?