Eight until Four

3.

Jo moved down the corridor towards her bag to retrieve her phone and film the evidence from his office.

Suddenly, there was a voice.

"Damaging company property?"

It was Kevin.

Jo turned around slowly.

"You are a creep! You locked me in your office? That's a crime," Jo shouted

Kev's face was fixed. He looked possessed.

"That's a shame. I was going to sponsor your next show and training. It was going to be a surprise," he said.

"What? Why would you do that?" questioned Jo, not believing a word he was saying.

"I like muscular women. I like you, Jo. The way you act on your socials, you connect with me. We have a connection." he explained.

"I don't do that for you, and I'm not on social media for you! I don't work out for you or anyone else, just me. I'm guessing there are plenty of sites and other women that do the stuff you are into- leave me alone." Jo was trying to plan her exit. Going past Kevin was the only way out.

"If you no longer want to play, I'll release the footage. Show all the damage you have done." Kevin held up the camera.

Jo was confused, scared, upset and angry -all in one emotion. Dangerous. It was like an overload.

She walked over to Kevin. Her broad, powerful shoulders eclipsed him as she got nearer.

"You need to give me the camera now, Kevin", demanded Jo.

"It's company property, Jo. You can't have it. Now you need to calm down and get back on with the video," said Kevin, trying to exert his authority.

"Or what?" asked Jo.

Jo wasn't violent nor a fighter. But she decided to use her size to intimidate Kevin.

"Or...I'll send the footage to the Director, and you'll get fired," said Kevin in a panicky voice.

"I get it now. You only changed the rota so you could film me. I bet no one knows about your video. Filming me so you can see my muscles close up. You make me sick," said Jo

"Give me the camera", ordered Jo, stretching out her hand.

Kevin's hand was down by his side, holding the camera. He moved his hand up, trying to hide the camera behind his back.

Jo's reactions were quicker than his. As he raised his arm, Jo grabbed the camera off him and snatched it from his hand.

"Ow, that's assault," said Kevin as he rubbed his hand.

Jo now had the camera.

"Careful, it's expensive. It's the new model," Explained Kevin.

Jo turned around and walked back to his office.

"What are you doing?" asked Kevin.

Jo went back to the mangled filing cabinet. In the top drawer was the small box of DVCs.* She opened the small box. They all had her name on them. Each tape was sixty minutes long.

"How long have you been filming me?" asked Jo

Kevin remained silent.

Jo then forced open the second draw. There were some more tapes. They had the names of other women, Jo guessed, who had worked at the warehouse over the years. It was clear to her that Kevin filmed other women.

"You know this is illegal?" said Jo

"They are all over the legal age", said Kevin, defending his actions.

"You can't film women without their consent!" said Jo

Jo had enough. She turned to Kevin.

"You are sick," she said.

He turned quickly and started running.

Jo ran after him. She didn't know why. She was angry. It was the first time she let the anger take over.

Kevin had run outside near the cycle shed.

Kevin was on his e-bike. He started to glide off.
Jo sprinted over, placing her hand on the carrier at the bike's rear. Jo pulled the e-bike back towards her and used her strong legs as brakes as it started to pull away. The powerful electric motor pulled Jo along for a short distance, her trainers dragging across the tarmac. She pushed down with her calves, applying more downward force. The electric motor sounded under strain as her muscles tensed and flexed. The bike slowed and then stopped, succumbing to her strength. Now, her feet and legs were acting like anchors. She could hold back the e-bike with her strong arm. It gave her enough time to push Kevin off the bike with her free arm. Her free, strong arm swatted him like a fly. He tumbled off the bike onto the ground.

Kevin sprung to his feet. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket. With her much quicker reaction, Jo dropped the bike and grabbed his phone out of his hand.

"Careful! That's expensive. More than you can afford. Give it back," demanded Kevin

"Is it now?" Jo smiled.

Kev came towards Jo in a fruitless attempt to get his phone back. Jo put her hand out, stopping him. It felt like he was trying to walk through a wall. Impossible to do. She then grabbed his jacket in her left hand, scrunching up his clothing; it tightened around his chest, which she had grabbed tightly. Her right hand held the phone out, away from his reach. There was a noise of plastic and glass creaking as her grip tightened.

"Give it back, don't!" shunned Kevin like a schoolboy.

"Don't what?" asked Jo, knowing perfectly well what he meant.

"Don't break my phone," he said in a whimpering voice.

"Too late," said Jo

The noise of toughened glass shattering filled the air. The plastic and metal chassis of the phone crushed in her mighty hand, and pieces fell to the floor. Kevin struggled to release himself from Jo's grip. She lifted him, her bicep easily managing his whole body weight, his feet lifting to his tiptoes. Stranded in her powerful grip, Jo continued to crush his mobile phone in her other hand. Her phenomenal grip strength made short work of the doomed phone. She dropped the crushed, mangled phone to the floor and turned to Kevin.

Kevin picked up his bike and hopped on. He took advantage of Jo, looking away for a second. He clicked the button to glide away, putting his feet into the pedals. Jo kicked the rear of the bike as it moved away. Her foot made contact with the rear wheel,  buckling it. He fell onto the ground, landing in a heap underneath his bike.

Jo walked over, put her foot on the frame, and pushed down, trapping and squashing Kevin.

She got out her mobile phone,

"You're not going anywhere", and pushed down harder with her foot.

Kevin whimpered in pain.

"Police, please," said Jo

*DVC-Digital Video Cassette. A small cassette tape used in digital analogue video camcorders.