Dead-ends

Dead-ends

By

Soul71

Thanks to WAA01, killerarmyguy, and Taco for the edits.

******

Chapter One

Max Larson stood in his boss's office of the IT division of the company he worked for. While he made good money doing it, that didn't necessarily mean he liked the company he worked for the past three years after getting out of his tech school that he had to finance himself since his parents refused to pay for it. If he could, he would have already found another IT job, regardless if he made less than what he did. It would've been ten times better than the job he currently had. Max has been scouring the web for IT jobs after a month of working at Werther's Enterprises. As it was, all the IT jobs in the city had dried up. The company made software, crappy ass software that they monopolized the market with. He didn't write the code; if he did, he surely wouldn't turn in the shit he sees when he has to fix their screw-ups. While he did have some money saved up, just not enough to move to another state to start over. If you don't count the trust fund he has that sits untouched and unused by him for the most part.

Now, if some head hunters had offered to cover the cost of the move and traveling expenses, he would have jumped at the chance to leave Werther's. Max had no love of the company; he figured out he meant little to them, nothing more than a cog. Just another worker drone they would send out to fix the crap they put out on the market. He was surprised the company was still operating, given the very poor product they produced. Nevertheless, they were, and there he stood staring uncaringly at his boss.

"I need you to head over to Goldbloom & Sacks and get their servers up and running again," his boss said with a greedy glint in his eyes.

Max knew he did the work, and the bastard raked in the money for his hard work. Max pressed his lips together, keeping his anger in check. He knew of the company alright. His parents wouldn't shut up about it. Why would they, their golden child was a rising star at the place. Remembering the condescending, wicked, vile smirk on his sister's lips when he came home one day after school (high school) only to find his then-girlfriend in bed with his sister. He could never understand why his sister hated him so much and why his parents obviously ignored every cruel thing she did to him. Since then, he hasn't spoken a word to his sister. Sure he has seen her only on the times he has to visit his parents' place on Thanksgiving and Christmas; otherwise, he would never hear the end of it. Then again, the thought of being written out of their will was growing very appealing as the days grew long. Then at least Max wouldn't have to hear about every single thing his sister miraculously did. It seemed to him his parents thought she shitted out gold, when in truth, Darcy was just a piss poor excuse for a human being. He knew karma didn't exist; otherwise, his sister would have been struck by lightning a thousand times over. Max could dream, couldn't he?

"Can't you send someone else?" Max asked, trying to keep himself from having to be in the same building as his sister.

"No. You're up to date with the new modules, and the other two that are with you on that level are already handling other jobs. Plus, if you don't get your ass down there, I will fire you," his boss said with venom in his voice. "Regardless if I could, someone at the company asked specifically for you."

"You fire me, then just who are you going to send?" Max retorted, enjoying how red his boss's face was getting. He had a feeling who that was and wondered if he wouldn't be sitting in jail in the next few hours.

"Just go do your damn job?!" the man barked, holding out the work order to him.

Max didn't care if the man scowled at the way he snatched the paper from his hand. He already knew he was in a dead-end job. He figured that out after six months, and when he had to fight for a raise that they were obliged to give him; it stated in their handbook that all new hires got and every one after that. Did he put in the extra effort to make himself stand out in his company? Once upon a time, he did, yet when he learned he and his work ethic meant little to them, he only did the minimum.

"I'm getting paid overtime for this job, right?" Max asked, noting how extensive the work was going to be.

"Not on your..."

"I really think you need to read the employee handbook. Seeing how it states that any and all work that would require more than four hours onsite is to be paid overtime, and given the amount of work I'm going to have to do to fix your program's fuck up, it's looking like a two-day job. So again, I ask, am I getting overtime for this?" Max asked in a very cold tone as he glanced up over the work order. He knew how every higher-up hated the fact he could recite their damn handbook so well. It had not won him any friends at the place hence why he was stuck in his current position. Not that he cared; Max already had his fill of pompous self-centered people - namely his sister.

"Yes," his boss begrudgingly admitted.

"Good, if it's not on my next paycheck, well, you get the idea," Max said, turning and walking out of his boss's office. Not that he cared if he talked to his supervisor like that; if they wanted him gone, they could easily fire him, and he wouldn't care one bit. Grabbing his gear, the wheels of his case that held the equipment he would need resounding in his ears as he walked towards the parking lot. Signing out one of the company cars, there was no way he was going to ride his Harley to the site.

*****

"Hello?" Max answered his phone as he drove down the city streets. Hoping that the problem didn't take two days. He would gladly give up his overtime if it meant he spent very little time in the same building as his sister.

"Hello, Maxwell." Biting his tongue when his mother used his given name.

"What is it now? Has Darcy shit out a 24-carat gem-encrusted turd that you just have to regale me about?" Max asked in a testy tone.

"Don't take that tone..."

"Then get to the point of this call; I'm working."

"Your sister's anniversary party is in a few days, and your father and I was wondering if you had a chance to look at the list of items someone on your pay scale could afford."

"I don't give a flying fuck about that damn party. She can go sit on a knife and spin for all I care," Max growled.

"Maxwell?!" Rolling his eyes at his mother's gasp. "You do not use that kind of filthy language around me!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Max rattled off just to irk her some more.

"I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but it better change and quick!" his mother warned.

"Or what? You'll throw me out of the house?" Max retorted as he threw on the turn signal.

"No, we'll just strike you from our will if you don't change this juvenile behavior," his mother warned.

"Go right the fuck ahead; it just means I no longer have to see either one of you or that cunt ever again. So since I'm no longer in the will, I can finally say this. You two are not the holier-than-thou parents you think you are. You raised the most self-centered, maniacal, underhanded, twisted piece of shit that's ever walked this Earth, and that's fucking saying something. Oh, wait, I forgot one, your daughter is a fucking cunt, a stinking, nasty cunt..." Huffing when he looked at his phone as the line went dead. Max didn't understand why she even fucking bothered. The only way Max would ever be willingly in a room with his bitch of a sister was on the stipulation that there was a billion-dollar prize waiting at the end of the tunnel; even that might not be enough to endure his cunt of a sister.

The trunk of the car sounded in a thump as he slammed it shut after retrieving his case from it. Feeling his hand tightening into a fist, the closer he got to the front door. Blowing out a breath, knowing if he didn't calm himself down, he was going to make a mistake, a mistake that would cost him another trip out to the place. Something that he was never going to do again, not if he could help it. Smacking his cheeks lightly to get his mind in the mood he needed when he was dealing with his sister. Max's eyes turned hard as there she stood with that same smirk on her lips.

"Hello, Max," Darcy said with that arrogant attitude of hers. Max remained silent as the noise of the revolving door played behind him. "Mute, I see, typical," she uttered, rolling her eyes. "I steal your girlfriend and marry her. That doesn't even get a rise out of you?" Max knew what she was trying to do. She's done it all her life, at least where it concerned him. He knew it would irk her far more if he said nothing and not play along with her childish taunts. "I see you're still working at that company; I bet you still... no wait, if you're here, that means it's true," Darcy said, trying to get under her brother's skin like old times. Again, Max remained silent as Darcy's cheek began to twitch, which has happened a lot over the past five years. Since he pretty much thought all he was staring at was a human-size pile of shit.

"So, when I write my report that will undoubtedly find its way to your boss and mine, they will see how rude and disrespectful you are to those you call for help; good plan, I bet that will go over so well with them," Max finally spoke. "So if you don't wish to find your skanky ass out of a job, just show me to your fucking server room, so I don't have to see your fucking face ever again." Grinning evilly when Darcy just snapped her mouth shut.

"Fine, this way," Darcy muttered, leading her brother towards the elevator. "So are you coming to the party?" she asked, looking over at her brother as the elevator doors rolled closed, and the only thing that could be heard over it was 'Fuck no cunt.' "Why not?" Max just looked at her like she was fucking stupid.

"Why the fuck would I want to spend any amount of fucking time with you and that slut you call a wife. Did I go to your wedding? No. Did I go to any of those amazing anniversary parties your parents raved on and on about for fucking ever? No. So why the fuck would I go now?"

"My parents?!" Darcy was actually taken aback by that. "They're your parents, too."

"Nope, not anymore, got wrote out of the will. So I don't have to see their uptight asses, or your whorish face, ever again, and it's going to be glorious!" Max sighed in bliss. "My life is going to be so much better now. I don't have to deal with shitty ass cunts like you four," he said, stepping out of the elevator.

"Well, when you're done, just head up to the fourth floor, and I'll sign the invoice," Darcy said, noting how her brother wasn't paying attention to her as she spoke. Puffing out her cheeks as he just waved his hand, telling her to get lost.

After hooking up his docking station to the frame of the main server and connecting his laptop to it, running the diagnostic program, allowing it to run as he went about ensuring there had been no physical damage done to the towers. Pulling out the input monitor from the tower at the far end of the row from the main one as he tried to trace the source of the problem. Looking down at his watch, noting how it was four o'clock and he had been trying to solve the problem for the past seven hours. He knew if their asses released a stable program, this wouldn't have been an issue at all. Running the servers on safe mode and setting the whole system to do a hard defrag, hoping that would narrow the search for the needle of the problem. Yet with such a shitty program, Max knew it could be anything. Knowing how advanced the defrag would be, it would take around twelve hours to complete, which meant he would have to return the next day. Praying that was the last day he would have to deal with his sister.

Walking through the fourth floor towards Darcy's office after asking someone where it was. The invoice for his time and the work he did ruffled as he strolled towards it. His ex-girlfriend's smile quickly faded as she noted his sneer as the two peered at one another. Not saying a word to her as he just barged into Darcy's office.

"Sign it so I can get the fuck out of here," Max said coldly as he dropped the paper on her desk before her.

"But our servers are still down?!" Darcy muttered, getting up from her seat after ending the call she was on.

"Yeah, they will be for some time."

"When? I have to tell my bosses," Darcy explained, seeing the uncaring look in her brother's eyes.

"Don't fucking have a clue; hopefully, sometime tomorrow then you and I can go our separate ways. Believing the past twenty-some-odd years was just a dream, and we are not related," Max said clearly and loudly, causing his ex, Darcy's secretary, to turn in her seat with a shocked look on her face.

"Max... listen..." Watching how Max snatched the signed invoice and turned about and left as abruptly as he came.

******

"Jesus, what?" Max sighed when his father rang. "I thought I was out; I thought I did everything right; you people keep sucking me back in," he bemoaned as he drove back to his work.

"That's not amusing, Maxwell."

"Not for you, maybe, sure as hell was for me. What do you want? Calling to bitch at me too?"

"Boy, watch your tone."

"You called me, not the other way around. So get to the point of this damn call." Smiling wickedly when he heard his father's hard breathing and how his grip was tightening on his phone.

"Maxwell, you're getting on my last nerve."

"Then I'm not trying hard enough," Max retorted.

"You will cease this childish display and join your family in two nights."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I think the word is self-explanatory, don't you? Let's see do I want to spend time with bitchy parents that lavished their cunt of a daughter and believed her shit didn't stink while neglecting their son and demeaning every single fucking thing he has done all his life, or do I want to find some strange woman that night and take her back to my place and fuck her brains out. I think I'll go with my second option; at least then, I know it was me that is fucking me over instead of my so-called family. Have I explained it well enough for your slow brain to comprehend?" Max asked in a snide tone.

"Very well, Maxwell, if that's how you feel, don't bother coming to any other family gatherings."

"Personally, I thought I was already out; I was already planning my vacation to the Virgin Islands. Yet, here you are yammering on about shit you think we have when, in reality, I was just your fucking whipping boy. So, you can take that fancy pen of yours, get out that fancy will, and scratch my name out, because really, why the fuck would I want anything from some blind ass motherfuckers that can't even see the shit that's happening before them? Seeing how we have now established that I meant shit to you two, how about you don't fucking call me ever again, alright? Since I know, sure as hell, I won't be thinking about either of you, not in this lifetime. So are we done with this little heartfelt conversation?" Max asked, listening to the silence on the other end.

"Very well, goodbye, Maxwell."

"It's Max, you pompous ass," he stated before his father could hang up.

Max was whistling as he walked into his office, dropping off the keys and signing the car back in. He was finally free from his family, he hoped they listened, yet he was doubtful. They hadn't listened to him in his twenty-four years of life; why would they listen to him now? Tossing his invoice on his boss's desk, who shot Max a look of contempt before heading off to stow his gear. Storing his gear in the cage where they locked up all the expensive equipment. Getting what he would need for tomorrow so he could be in and out of that place as fast as he could. Hearing the cage door banging as it closed as he walked back down the hall to the exit of the parking structure, all the employees were forced to park in when not using a company car. He was normally gone from the place by three, seeing how he would have his eight hours already in.

Swinging his leg over his bike, seeing the electronics lighting up as he switched the key on. The heel of his foot flipped the kick stand back as he started up his bike. Hearing how the rumble of the engine was amplified by the enclosed, dark space as he gave the handlebar a few twists as he pushed his bike backwards out of the spot. Braking hard as some idiot walked out in front of him without looking as he was about to leave the parking structure. Seeing how the woman, he would admit she was hot, he knew who she was, the CEO's daughter, just stood there glaring at him, thinking he should just worship the ground she walked on. Revving his engine when she tried to speak. Seeing how much that infuriated her, even more so when he just waved, telling her to get the hell out of his way. Wondering if he was going to hear about it tomorrow when he showed up for work as he waited to pull out onto the street. What people thought of his actions, he rightly couldn't give a shit about. Feeling the stress leaving him as he opened up his bike. The wind whipped through his hair as he sped down the street towards his apartment.

"Max?! Max?!" Carly cried out as she raced towards him when he shut off his bike once he had reached his home for the past five years.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Max asked, seeing the worry on his downstairs neighbor's face.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you since you just got home and all but David (her son) can't get his computer to connect to the printer so he can print out his report he has to turn in tomorrow. I'm hoping that you could maybe help me?" Carly asked in a sly tone.

While he had no wish to tinker with gizmos on his off hours, he did like Carly; she was a very nice lady. She would always share her leftovers if she had any with him. Wondering if Carly thought of him like another son, given the way she looked after him ever since he had moved in about a month after she did when she and her husband split.

"Sure," Max stated, easing off his bike. Seeing the relief flooding her body as the tension in her shoulders faded.

"Thank you, Max; you don't know how much David needs to pass this class," Carly uttered bashfully as they walked back to her apartment.

"I was a high school student once, too," Max retorted with a smile on his lips to tell her it was only in jest. He could see David's frustration when they walked into Carly's two-bedroom apartment.

"David, honey, Max is here; let him try, alright?" Carly uttered in a sweet tone as she neared her son as he sat at their computer table.

"Hey, Max," David greeted, his annoyance laced his words.

Max nodded his silent greeting to the sixteen-year-old before taking the seat David had vacated. His eyes moved over the screen as he tried to communicate with the printer. Noting how the computer recognized it yet wasn't receiving the data the tower was transferring. It was a strange problem, to say the least.

"Might take a few minutes," Max said, peering over at them as they just stood waiting on him to make it all work again. Seeing David nod and move off to the couch and flip on their TV while Carly ambled to her bedroom before she shut her door.

"So... how have you been? How's that woman I saw you with?" David asked in a friendly tone.

"Oh, I'm good. Got the best news I could ever get," Max answered with a smile on his lips as he checked the software, thinking it was a communication problem with the two different software.

"What did you win the lotto or something?"

"Something like that," Max nodded.

"I'm kind of jealous of you; that chick was hot," David groaned in that horny teenage voice. "Wish I had a girlfriend like that."