Lawrence smiled smugly at them from across the room, then winked before turning to the group. “On that note, are we all set to drop?”
Cash headed over to the love seat, and Raiden followed him. “Watch and learn,” Cash mumbled, mainly to himself.
Derrick took a sip of his fizzy water. “The audio file is uploaded with backups to a few different servers.”
“We’ve got some posts on Reddit,” Mayer added. “It’s up on SoundCloud, all the regular places, and there’s a lovely version with a video of a dancing clown ready on YouTube.”
“Great,” Lawrence said. He took out his own phone and started to play with it, then sat on the arm of the loveseat, his hand on Cash’s shoulder. “I’ll monitor from here since I’m not posting anything myself. And we’ve got a few other friends ready to share as soon as they hear the word. Let’s blow this up!”
Cash wasn’t sure what he had expected, but dead silence wasn’t it. As Lawrence’s friends all played with their phones, he knew they were posting carefully crafted messages to all of their followers, from outraged Twitter rants about creepy old executives to the newly formed#HorizonCriminals. They’d explained it carefully, showing him and Raiden how they intended to blast the “anonymously uploaded” audio file through the wilds of social media until it was so loud, the roar would take Mr. Rios down.
Raiden and Cash both had their reservations. They’d objected that Rios might try to take revenge on Lawrence. Even with the audio files carefully edited and remixed, and with Lawrence’s half of the conversation removed, it wouldn’t be hard for the man to place two and two together. But Lawrence insisted he wanted to go forward and just made them promise a few more times that they’d stick around and keep him safe.
At least that part was easy. Raiden had no intention of going anywhere, and Cash seemed to be on the same page. By timing the social media campaign to coincide with all the other bad news Rios had coming, they hoped the overwhelming effect would knock him out of power before he could plan a counterattack.
“Do you think it’s working?” Cash asked Raiden.
Raiden shrugged. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t.”
“It’s working,” Merry Tyler said. She’d changed into a dress that clung tight to her form, printed with a checkered pattern of the Horizon Zed logo in different colors. “And once the evening comes around and we throw some custom drag content behind it, it will kick up to the next level.” She lifted the pink bowling trophy, then made an exaggerated, outraged face. “Miss Merry Tyler Morehead says,Horizon Zed executives win first place in the category of Major Creeps. I wouldn’t even wipe my asshole with Horizon toilet paper after hearing this prick!”She shrugged. “Something like that.”
Cash laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to work,” he said to Raiden.
“Want to hear?” Lawrence asked.
“What do you mean?” Raiden asked.
Lawrence cleared his throat. “Volume on.”
Immediately, the room filled with the noise of all their devices, chiming and ringing out with the sound of their social media. It was musical, the way the likes and shares kept tumbling in so fast, the bells barely finished ringing before the next chimed out.
Lawrence fell down across the loveseat, landing in both of their laps. Looking up at the guys, he had a nervous smile on his face. “I guess we’ll know in a day or two if it’s going to work?”
“The Panama trip is this weekend,” Cash said. “We might not see the resignation of Rios before then, but we’ll at least be able to do some damage, and we can figure out next steps when he gets back.”
“Fingers crossed,” Raiden said. He pushed his hand through Lawrence’s curls, and Cash was surprised to feel his heart warm at the gesture. “These assholes can’t get away with this forever.”
Cash leaned back, closed his eyes, and listened to the sweet music of the audio file being shared. It might not be everything, but at least for that moment, he had the upper hand.
LAWRENCE
Lawrence was quite satisfied when the resignation of Mr. Rios came, in fact, the very next day.
Cash and Raiden both sat on his living room couch, cable news scrolling along the mounted television as they stared, jaws hanging open. On the screen, the disgraced executive hurried through a crowd of reporters while he held an envelope up to hide his face, lawyers and security following closely behind.
Justice Department opens new inquiry into Horizon Zed allegations after public outcry.
Cash dropped down onto the couch. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” he said. “I’ve wanted to take down one of those executives for years. They’ll do everything in their power to swallow up the scandal, but Horizon’s dirty laundry is going to be all over this town. It’s amazing!”
“And I can’t believe how quick that Instagram shit worked,” Raiden said with an approving nod. “Kickass, Lawrence.”
Lawrence beamed. “Thank you!” He felt like he’d been floating ever since he made it safely back from the office, like everything was suddenly light and easy and falling into place perfectly. But actually seeing one of those men face accountability for his actions gave him a totally different kind of thrill.
He felt powerful. In fact, he felt like he could accomplish practically anything, especially with Cash and Raiden looking at him the way they were.
Cash nodded. “The way things these normally go, his lawyers should do a press conference and make it official by the end of the day.”
Lawrence sucked in his bottom lip. He was sitting in the floral armchair across from them, his legs crossed beneath him. “Just because we’re taking down Rios, that doesn’t mean this is all over, right?” He was nervous to ask the question, but it had been itching at the back of his mind for days.
