The Facility

Chapter One

Monday, October 4th, 2018
8:23 a.m. Washington D.C.
Meredith Gray

        Stepping out of the crowded elevator, Meredith set foot in the most chaotic, self-righteous floor in the J. Edgar Hoover Building. She shoved her way past the employees that inhabited the large center room, those without offices and only cheap grey plastic separating them from their obnoxiously noisy co-workers. Meredith liked to think of these people as the ‘grey-cubbies’.

She let out an exasperated sigh, thrusting open her shared office door. When she first received the office, Meredith would make a big show about opening her door. That ended quickly when she realized nobody cared, and soon neither did she. Besides it wasn’t just her office; she had to share it with her partner as well.

When she walked in, Meredith shrugged off her long winter jacket and threw it across the length of the brown leather couch.

Walking past the first desk, she moved over to her anally, neat desk and placed her clearance, dark-green Birkin bag on the edge, lifting a large pile of files precariously stacked. She glided out of the room, the door swinging shut softly behind her, and her shiny, black stilettos tapping the floor with each calculated step.

As she crossed the narrow and bland looking hallway, Meredith looked down at her first generation Apple Watch—a gift from her parents two Christmases ago—and cursed D.C. traffic.

Her quickened steps and nudging elbows couldn’t have saved her, neither her harmless threats to move faster, when someone stopped her from her tracks.

“Ms. Gray, I have those reports you asked for. The one on the Plaintiff-Appellee vs. Connor case, they’re right here.” Eddie was one of the many desk-seeking employees inhabiting the vast ‘grey-cubby’ territory. Even though he was trying his best to climb the work ladder, Meredith liked him; he knew when to keep his eyes from wandering and his mouth shut, so she humored him by bringing him more work than most could handle.

“That’s great, Eddie, can you please put them on my desk?” She tried to squeeze around him but only got as far as his large smile allowed. Maybe this wasn’t a prime example of his great work ethic.

“Of course, Ms. Gray, anything else?” he asked, ready and willing, a bounce in his step and an encouraging, annoying pearly white smile.

“No, that’s all, now if you’ll excuse me. I think I’m late for a very important meeting.” She brushed him off.

Meredith’s smile was forced and painful to watch. Her nerves skyrocketed at the thought of her boss’ face when she walked in three minutes late. Humphrey was a stickler for punctuality. And she thought of the heavy files in her hands, about how important it was that they got to the right pair of eyes.

“Of course. . . Terribly sorry, Ms. Gray.” Eddie’s cheeks turned a fire truck red like a thirteen-year-old boy.

Meredith waved him off impatiently, pushing her way past and briskly heading to the door at the end of the hallway. When she strode through, a powerpoint had already been set up at the far end of the table, but looking around the small room, she sighed in relief at the sight of all the socializing parties. She made her way to an empty chair, placing the heavy files on the table in front of her before pulling back her chair and sitting.

Meredith stared at the stack for a moment before her eyes gradually moved up to a platter of pastries. Leaning over the table, she snatched a plain bagel from the assortment, peeled off a small piece and plucked it into her mouth.

          “Plain Jane, huh?” A deep voice chuckled from beside her.

She whipped her head over her shoulder, her high pony slapping the side of her face, and saw Adam, a colleague of hers, pulling out the empty chair next to hers.