My Friends
By: Dominique Laree

The door slowly wheeled open , it's rusty hinges sqeaking in protest at the sudden use. Heads turned and stared as a tall man walked in. He had light brown, curly, and light hair.It fell about his face, framing it in a way that had girls swooning wherever he went. The other men in the room, for women were strictly forbidden, stared at the man, some with looks of awe, and others filled with hate.
"Gentlemen! Welcome, and good day to you all!" The tall man said, his voice reverberating around the room. He sat down. The men all flinched at the loudness of his voice. "Now some of you may or may not know who I am," he said, sitting back comfertably in the chair. "My name is Zeke Rafonlia, I am head of a weapons company in Iraq." Several men shook their heads in disgust.
Zeke continued, ignoring the movement. "As you may know, most of you here are either heads of some metal making company, or some other company that is essential to the weapons depot." A man shifted uncomfertably. "Yes yes we know. What we don't know is why we are here Rafonlia. I am your biggest competitor in weapons distribution and I want to know why you invited me to this little tea party at all." An old man in the back of the room asked.
Some nodded. Zeke chuckled, knowingly. "You sly old coot, my dear friend Sigmund, you are too smart for me. I called you all here because I have a proposition for you." Zeke paused for dramatic tension. "I want to merge with all of you and by working together, create the best weapons company in the entire world." The men assembled all gasped.
"Think about it my friends," Zeke begged them. He pushed a button on his chair and men in suits walked in carrying heavy tomes of paper. They set one down in front of each businessman and then left. "These are contracts agreeing to merge with Rafonlia Incorperated," He said, watching with anticipation. Sigmund smiled. "I for one would have no qualms against merging with Rafonlia, I will sign the paper," he announced proudly.
He pisked up the pen, placed it a centimeter from the contract, and signed his name in the air. When he looked up, every other man was signing their contract and Zeke was smiling happily. He pressed another button and the suited men came back into the room and took the contracts, leaving as quickly as they had come. "Now my friends, I thank you for your generous contributions," Zeke boomed, a huge grin on his face.
Sigmund's smile widened. Several of the men looked around, confused. "What is this Rafonlia?" One asked. Zeke laughed, making them all flinch. "You have all signed a contract not only merging your companies with mine, but giving me all profits from them too." He laughed as the men all stood up shouting indignantly. Sigmund laughed and they all turned towards him. Zeke stopped laughing almost intsantly.
"Oh 'my friend' you are so funny'," Sigmund said and pushed a hidden button on his hearing aid. Several men in black burst through the skylight and grabbed Zeke. "You have been a thorn in my side for too long." "W-what is the meaning of this?" Zeke yelled, struggling effortlessly in the iron grip of Sigmund's men. "Oh did you really think that after being enemies for so long, I would instantly trust you to let me into your territory without a catch?" Sigmund asked sarcastically. "I suspected you of some trickery and to finally have you away from your bodyguards was the perfect opertunity for me."
"I positioned my men in your establishment and they learned of your plans for tonight, so I had them switch out your contracts. Now these men merely signed a contract promising to eat an ice cream with you," Sigmund laughed at Zeke's stunned expression. Sigmunds men carried zeke past him and he grabbed his shirt. "How did you do this without me knowing?" Zeke asked, as he was dislodged his Sigmund's shirt.
Sigmund frowned disdainfully. "I have been alive for 87 years 'my friend,' I've had some experience in this game," he said and waved to the back of Zeke's head as he was dragged down the hall away from the men he had called 'friends.'