Sodmorrah Incorporated

Sarah didn't notice the bag at first. When she did, her hand froze on the ignition, her knuckles white from the sudden death grip. A flurry of emotions jostled for power. Fear, suspicion, indignation, curiosity. Slowly she took her hand from the ignition and reached for the bag.

It was a small, nondescript gym bag, not much larger than a purse. It looked new. She gave it a quick poke, half expecting something to jump out at her. Perhaps a snake. Nothing did, but the tension she felt didn't ease. How did it end up in my car?

Sarah glanced around nervously. The parking garage was mostly empty this early in the morning, and hers was the only car in this section. Curious, yet still hesitant, she grasped a handle with two fingers and pulled it closer to herself. It was heavier than she expected. She paused as she grasped the zipper. A car came down the ramp on the far side of the garage, its brake lights flashing as it slowed to take the tight curves. She was hyper aware of her surroundings. Taking a deep breath, she slowly unzipped the bag.

Her eyes focused immediately on the packets of green bills, but it took several disorienting seconds before her mind registered what they were. Another surge of panic washed over Sarah, but it was immediately followed by one of excitement and greed. She zipped it up quickly when a car pulled on to her level, the headlights splashing over her. The red Hyundai drove past slowly. Was the driver staring at her? Sarah tracked the progress of the car, which parked at the far end near the stair entrance. The driver, a woman with a pink and grey backpack, headed towards the stairwell without so much as a glance in Sarah's direction. Sarah watched the woman, whom she thought might be one of the third floor nursing staff, until she entered the stairwell and disappeared from sight.

Sarah's nerves were on edge as she started the car and backed out of the parking space. The drive home seemed to take forever. Her eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror. It didn't look like anyone was following her, and by time she pulled into her driveway she was mostly calm.

When she turned off the car she sat for a few minutes, reflecting on the bag beside her, and its implications. It seemed too good to be true, and that's what worried her. All the old adages popped into her mind as she stared at the bag. Money doesn't grow on trees. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Sarah felt pulled in two different directions, and her mind flashed on another image, one of an old Warner Bros cartoon she used to watch as a kid, where an angel whispered in one ear while the devil whispered in the other. Knowing that she was starting down a path she couldn't return, she grabbed the bag and got out of the car.

Once she was inside and the door locked, Sarah began to breathe easier. She felt more in control. Placing the gym bag on the table, she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and drank half of it in four big gulps. Her throat was so dry. Going back to the table, she took a deep breath then unzipped the bag.

Inside was a stack of neatly bundled twenties. She pulled one out. The bills were new and crisp. The paper band around it was blue, and on one side was printed $1000. Her heart began to race. She quickly counted the bundles of money. There were twenty in all. $20,000. There was a lot she could do with $20,000. The possibility of finally being ahead in the game, rather than cutting corners and doing without... it was overwhelming.

But could she keep it? Was it maybe some cruel joke, like that show Punked? She needed time to think this through. Reluctantly she began putting the money back into the bag. That's when she noticed the little black book. Curious, she began flipping through the pages. Every page was blank until she got to the "Y" section. There, halfway down the page was an 800 number. Below that was written two words: Contact Immediately.

Sarah frowned. Was this a prank? Some type of blackmail? She put the book back into the bag. She had to think through this, consider all her options. She spent the better part of the morning mulling over it. A nervous energy filled her as she paced through the kitchen, circling the table like a hungry shark. When she wasn't pacing Sarah sat at the table, her leg bouncing rapidly. She kept picking up bundles of twenties, her fingers slowly caressing the bills as she considered all of the possibilities.

Coming to a decision, hoping it was the right one, Sarah pulled the little black book from the bag, and opened it to the number. Turning on her phone she hesitated briefly, willing herself to make the call. It was answered on the second ring.

"Thank you for choosing Sodmorrah Incorporated. Please listen carefully for your options." The automated voice was similar to that of Alexa, but with the trace of an accent that Sarah couldn't quite place. "To review your order, press One. To cancel your membership, please press Two. To speak with a representative, press Nine."

After a brief hesitation Sarah pressed Nine. The automated operator came back on. "Thank you. Please hold." A muted click, then gentle guitar music filled the silence as she waited. The music soon stopped. "Your representative will contact you shortly. Thank you for choosing Sodmorrah Incorporated." Sarah stared at her phone as the line went dead.

The call left her uneasy, and she was beginning to think it had been a mistake. She stared at the bag of money. What had seemed to be a godsend earlier now felt like a cunning trap. The question, though, is what was she going to do with it? Keep it or dump it?

Almost immediately the doorbell rang. Sarah jumped, her heart racing. The doorbell rang a second time, and that got her moving. Grabbing the bag, she quickly shoved it into the bottom cupboard with the pots and pans. Trying to look as calm as possible, though feeling anything but, she answered the door.

On the doorstep stood a man in a light tan suit, his eyes covered by dark Ray-Bans. He wasn't much taller than herself, yet he still seemed to fill the doorway. His hands were clasped in front of him, holding a briefcase. "Sarah Pierson, my name is Matthew. I'm from Sodmorrah Incorporated, you contacted us earlier."

Sarah couldn't hide the shock she felt. “Yes, ten minutes ago!"

He smiled at her. "We don't like to keep our clients waiting, especially during the initial meeting. There are times, like now, when time is of the essence. So if we could continue inside…?"

Sarah stepped aside, dazed by how quickly she was falling down this rabbit hole. Brushing past her, still smiling, Matthew sat down at the table, placing the briefcase in front of him. He removed the Ray-Bans and placed them beside the briefcase. His eyes were a piercing grey. "Sarah. How are you today? I imagine you have several questions regarding the bag left in your car. I have just two, but it's essential that they be answered first."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He gave her a knowing smile. "Sarah. We both know that isn't true. How else would you have known to call us? So please, tell me this: how much did you handle the money? Secondly, did you spend any? I can't stress enough the need to answer these questions as quickly, and honestly, as possible. Right now, honesty is your only trump card."

"Is this some kind of sick game?"

"You're stalling, Sarah, and I promise you, right now that is most definitely not in your best interest."

Reluctantly she gave in. She just wanted this to be over. "I counted it. A few times."

"Thank you. And did happen to spend any? Gave a few bills away, perhaps?"

"No. I came straight home."

"Excellent, that's good to hear. That speeds up our business tremendously." Leaning forward, he opened the briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of paperwork. "I just have a few things for you to sign to finalize our agreement and I'll be on my way. But first there's one important detail we need to get out of the way. And it's imperative that you trust me."

He studied her. "Tell me Sarah. How is your eyesight currently? Any blurring? Dark spots?"

Sarah's eyes widened. "How did you...."

"It's the toxin working its way through your bloodstream."

Her mouth went dry. "What toxin?

"The toxin covering the money of course. Thankfully you didn't hesitate to contact us. But the clock is ticking and the longer we wait, the less effective the antidote will be. So if you wouldn't mind rolling your sleeve up for me we can fix this little problem of yours "

As he spoke he pulled out a syringe and small glass bottle filled with a pale pink liquid. With practiced ease he filled the syringe, flicking it twice to remove any air bubbles. “Your arm, please, Sarah."

Sarah did as she was instructed, fighting the fear that was trying to control her. She barely flinched as the needle was jabbed expertly into her arm.

"Good. Thank you Sarah. Now onto the formalities. I just have a few spots for you to sign, and we'll be finished. I can imagine that the last thing you want to do is strain your eyes just to read five pages worth of legal mumbo jumbo, so I'll break it down for you. By signing this form, you agree to never mention the events of today to anyone. In addition you will return the gym bag to us, and all the contents therein. As recompense we agree to deposit the agreed upon amount of $20,000 into your bank account in ten monthly installments. If by chance you either refuse to sign the agreement or choose to talk about today's events, appropriate actions by Sodmorrah Incorporated will be taken to ensure your complete and total compliance."

He held a pen out to her. She hesitated, then took it from him. After signing the necessary spots, she placed the pen atop the contract and pushed both towards him. Returning everything to the briefcase, Matthew latched it shut and stood up. "Now the bag, please."

Sarah nodded. She took it from the cupboard and handed it to him. "Why? What was the purpose?"

"Let's call it an experiment on greed and morality. The results thus far are in line with what we expected, but not quite what we had hoped for. I'm glad you are one of our successes. Don't squander the opportunity we gave you. You truly deserve it."

Sarah locked the door after him. She didn't want anything to do with that money, not any more. But she wasn't naive. She knew that eventually, she would covet the money, coming to rely on it. After all, if nothing else, greed is resilient.