To Hell with Airships!

After his talk with Mendoza, a dazed and confused Ranell returned to the GML headquarters to attend a meeting about financial projections. These projections are all lies! He wanted to scream.

What will they do when this all comes out? Ranell looked around the room at his co-workers. For the most part, they didn't know what was happening, or maybe they suspected and had looked the other way. It was very likely that some, or all, of them also faced criminal prosecution.

His teammates noticed his agitation but nervously refused to comment on it. The financial projections resumed, but the group dynamic was in shambles.

Larbonne spoke first, “Josef, perhaps we’ve done enough for today…”

“Yeah, I’m done.” Ranell crossed his hands in his lap. He wore a pensive look, and his head nodded almost imperceptibly, as if he were reaching some major decision. “Yeah, I think I’m done with all of this.”

"What do you mean, Josef?" Anderson asked. “Working on these projections? Trying to find solutions for our airship problem?” Anderson never let anyone forget that the decision to purchase the airships had put GML in this position.

“To hell with the airships!” Ranell barked.

Ken Stass, his Director of Planning, raised a tentative hand.

“What, Ken?” Ranell sneered condescendingly. “What is it now?”

Ranell’s venom unnerved the poor man. “Um… nothing. Just an idea, never mind.”

“To hell with your idea, Ken! What part of ‘I’m done’ didn’t you understand?” Ranell abruptly ended the meeting and marched back to his office. Locking the door behind him, he moved toward the cabinet where he kept his bottle of Talisker.