I trail him to the next space, poking my head into the well-equipped training area.
“The canteen is on the other side of the main working area. We provide free meals delivered by an in-house catering company who provides meal options to suit a wide variety of diets. We also hold regular after-hours events, like yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and we provide a subsidy to off-site staff so they can avail of similar services in their locality.”
“Impressive.” They have made themselves competitive with Silicon Valley, and that’s no easy feat.
“A healthy body and mind equal a more productive employee. It’s a no-brainer,” he says, opening the door to a large conference room.
“This is our main meeting area, and the rest of the doors you see on this side are smaller meeting rooms and breakout areas where the team can congregate to brainstorm.”
We walk back the way we came, passing by the doors we entered, and I see three small offices tucked into the alcove with the reception area behind the wall at the rear and the main working area laid out before them. The offices are constructed completely of glass with blinds for privacy if needed. Xavier guides me into the last room, not even knocking before he swings the door open.
Sawyer Hunt is sitting behind the only desk in the room, and he raises his finger to his mouth, cautioning us to be quiet, as someone speaks through the large computer screen facing him.
“I’ll have to call you back, Haruto,” Sawyer says. “In the meantime, email me your list of questions.” He ends the call and stands, smiling at me as he walks out from behind the glossy white desk. Xavier closes the door behind us. “Would it kill you to knock?” Sawyer says, narrowing his eyes at his husband.
“You’ve been saying that to me for years,” Xavier replies with a grin. “It hasn’t worked yet, and it never will.”
Sawyer rolls his eyes as he strides toward me. “I’ve tried to knock some manners into him, but I might as well bang my head against a brick wall.”
“Shut it, drill se—”
Sawyer glares at Xavier, cutting him off mid-speech. Xavier chuckles. “Works like a charm every time.”
These two are known for butting heads, and I’m sure it keeps things interesting in their relationship. It wouldn’t be for me. I like an easier life and I love how seamlessly Cheryl and I fit together. We get each other in a way most couples don’t. I know I’m lucky. I definitely hit the jackpot with my wife.
“Ignore him,” Sawyer says. “He loves winding me up, but he’s far less irritating with everyone else.” He extends his hand, and I shake it. “Thanks for dropping by. We were thrilled to get your call. Your timing couldn’t be more perfect.” He gestures toward the empty chairs in front of the desk. “Please take a seat.”
I claim one of the chairs while Xavier claims the other, and Sawyer returns behind the desk. “Thank you for seeing me. I’m grateful for your time,” I say.
“I’m not going to mince my words,” Sawyer replies, proving he’s as much of a straight shooter as his husband. “We want you to come work with us. This isn’t news to you. Working with you as the FBI liaison on the few projects we have completed together has only cemented our view that you would be an asset to our company.”
“Those projects are one of the reasons I’m sitting here today. Your professionalism and expertise are above reproach. I enjoyed working closely with both of you immensely. Your obvious passion is an added bonus. My role in the FBI has changed a lot over the years, taking me further and further away from IT, and I’m no longer happy.”
“Not to mention how dangerous it is,” Xavier says, pinning me with a knowing look. It’s no secret I was shot on the job last year as it was widely reported in the media. They found out I was working with the bureau a year after I became a field agent, and the media intrusion is another reason I’m eager to get out now.
“What we do doesn’t come without danger either,” Sawyer warns. “The main face of our operation is the support services we offer to medium and large corporations, but you are aware we have a secret division that provides more specialist services.”
“I am aware of the risk and prepared to accept it. Let’s not pretend I haven’t pulled tons of shady and illegal shit in my past. My skill set is perfectly aligned.” S.I.S.S takes on top confidential consultancy projects for government and private clients, both individuals and firms, which amounts to spying, hacking, and other activities that would be considered illegal if it became public knowledge. A lot of parties have vested interests in keeping those activities on the down low, and with the structures and processes in place, it’s unlikely it would ever get out in the public domain. If it did, S.I.S.S. could gain a lot of dangerous enemies, and we all could become targets.
“You don’t need to sell yourself to us, Keven. We know what you can do. The only discussion is if you are in and in what capacity.”
“I’m in,” I say without hesitation. “I’m prepared to immediately resign from the FBI if I have your word there is a role for me here.”
Sawyer slides an envelope across the table to me. “We took the liberty of preparing these in advance. Inside that envelope are two offers. We propose you go home, review them carefully, talk to your wife and your lawyer, and mull it over. Return on Monday morning, and we can talk it all through. Unless you need further time, then you can sign the relevant paperwork, and we can make it official.”
“We are offering you two choices,” Xavier says, elaborating. “To come on board as an employee in a senior management position with a seat on the board or invest in the business and become a joint owner with us.”
My eyes pop wide, and I almost fall off my chair. “You are offering me the opportunity to buy into the business?”
They nod at the same time.
“Why? You can’t need the money.”
“We don’t. What we need is a third opinion when it comes to making key decisions,” Sawyer explains, drumming his fingers on the table. “Things can get heated when we disagree, and we think adding a third owner would help to make the decision-making process easier.”
“It will also help to spread the workload and ease the pressure,” Xavier adds.
“To be fully transparent, having you as co-owner of S.I.S.S. will add enormous benefit to our value proposition. You are a recognizable figure. Our clients will know you worked for the FBI, and that adds a legitimacy government clients will like.”
