CHAPTER ONE

 

 

 

Present Day

Saturday, June 9

Mars, Pennsylvania

(13 miles north of Pittsburgh)

 

 

Jonathon Payne was covered in sweat as he stared at the ceiling fan above his bed.

He hadn’t slept well in weeks, and it was taking its toll.

But unlike his military brethren who often struggled with the things they had done for their country or the horrors they had witnessed overseas, Payne’s recent nightmares had come to life the day he had left the service. And he didn’t need a shrink to tell him why.

He knew why he was miserable.

The answer was abundantly clear.

For the past decade, he had been doing a job that he hated and living in a home that didn’t feel like his, and it was finally catching up to him.

As much as he worshipped his grandfather—the man who had raised him after Payne’s parents had died in a car crash—and wanted to protect the company that his grandfather had built from scratch, he knew it wasn’t the life for him.

He wasn’t suited for the business world.

He was built for something else.

He was built for combat.

Payne stood 6’4” and was a chiseled 240 pounds. He had brown hair, fair skin, and a body littered with scars. Though he was quick to smile and generous to a fault, he burned with a quiet intensity that demanded respect.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Payne had been so effective behind enemy lines that he was selected to lead the MANIACs, a highly classified special operations unit composed of the best soldiers the Marines, Army, Navy, Intelligence, Air Force, and Coast Guard could find. Established by the Pentagon, the MANIACs’ goal was to complete missions that the U.S. government couldn’t afford to publicize: political assassinations, anti-terrorist acts, etc.

The squad was the best of the best, and their motto was fitting.

If the military can’t do the job, send in the MANIACs.

Payne had thrived in that environment, accomplishing the impossible on more than one occasion. Despite the danger—or maybe because of it—he had loved every minute of it. Putting his life on the line for a worthy cause was the noblest job he could imagine.

That is, until his grandfather died without warning.

Leaving Payne as the sole heir to his fortune.

Suddenly, he was forced to make a choice.

Do I continue the job I love, or do I honor my grandfather’s wishes?

It had taken him less than an hour to decide.

Payne had called in every favor he could and was honorably discharged from the military in less than a week. It might have been his most impressive accomplishment to date. Top-level operatives were rarely let go by the Pentagon, but they had made an exception for Payne.

Sadly, the day he was officially released was also the day of the funeral.

And it had forced Payne to mourn twice.

For the loss of his grandfather and for the end of his career.

Of course, things could have been worse. He wasn’t digging ditches or shoveling shit. He was running a global corporation from a swanky office in a city he loved while living in his grandfather’s mansion in the suburbs. He set his own hours, worked with people he liked, and had an unlimited expense account.

And yet, his life rarely brought him joy.

In fact, it did the opposite.

Every single day he was forced to put on a mask and pretend to be happy. He knew the best leaders didn’t bitch and moan about their problems. They sucked it up, put on fake smiles, and encouraged their underlings to do their best. So that’s exactly what he did.

But it was killing him.

Day after day, meeting after meeting, the conflict welled up inside of him. If he didn’t do something about it soon, he knew he was going to burst.

So he eventually did what he did best.

He planned his escape.

 

◊                      ◊                      ◊

 

If his grandfather had owned a restaurant or something similar, Payne would have sold the family business years ago and moved on with his life.

But Payne Industries was a different beast altogether.

It was a multibillion-dollar manufacturing conglomerate with a burgeoning tech division, and Payne was its main shareholder and CEO. His departure was going to affect more than just him; it was going to negatively affect the lives of thousands of employees around the globe.

Unless he executed his plan to perfection.

With the help of his best friend, David Jones—who had been his second-in-command with the MANIACs and had departed the military shortly after Payne—they discreetly researched several men and women who were potentially suited to take over as CEO. They eventually winnowed their list to five candidates, and with the assistance of key members of the board of directors, they secretly interviewed each for the position.

In the end, the decision was unanimous.

The new CEO of Payne Industries would be Sam McCormick.

Not only was he one of the board’s longest serving members, he was a carryover from the final years of Payne’s grandfather. Someone who was well-versed on the company’s history, but also a forward thinker who felt they should continue to pump money into the new tech division to prevent the company from becoming stagnant.

Payne had the utmost confidence in McCormick and considered him a mentor of sorts. His office had been right down the hall from Payne’s, and he had always been there to offer advice, particularly in the early years while showing Payne the ropes. Some people would’ve resented the nepotism—an inexperienced family member coming in to take over a large company—but McCormick had never talked down to him and had always treated him with respect.

That had made a lasting impression on Payne.

An act of loyalty that would be handsomely rewarded.

Of course, Payne had learned a thing or two about business over the years. He knew that allies could become enemies overnight, and companies could be bought or sold on a whim. To make sure his grandfather’s company would be protected and wouldn’t stray too far from his family’s ideology, Payne decided to keep fifty-one percent of the company’s stock.

That way he would always have a say in Payne Industries.

Even if it was from a beach, thousands of miles away.