Plans Change A Story 15

So the meeting which I had expected to only have a few turned out to be a few more than a few.  There were several more congresspersons and senators who had tagged along not to mention a couple of governors, staffers and an undersecretary, which meant local law agencies and media were everywhere.  Thankfully the show that night was not a complete sell out so I paid for the remaining tickets and handed them out.  My handler had been joined by Susan and her husband, who like myself it turned out was a man who liked to work with his hands and at the moment was between construction jobs.  I gave him the office number and told him if he did not mind the cold we paid well and at some point would be on a rotating schedule but until then we would be working long shifts meaning seven days a week for months at a time.  When he asked what it was we did I told him we were an engineering firm that worked large projects mainly and at the moment most of our contracts were as consultants but that would change and even if it did not there was a lot of leg and getting down and dirty as when we inspected we checked every detail but there were also times where we would take on smaller projects and actually act as the general on the project.  When he asked why I was still working I asked if he ever wondered what happened to all those lucky people who won millions; when he said sometimes I told him most went broke withing a few years and were worse off as they had gotten lazy or some jobs were beneath them.

As his wife took him away to talk to some of her bosses who joined us in the ballroom, I found myself watching Mark who was talking to a couple of people.  When one of the men turned around I knew who his boss was and he was not my favorite person.   As I sauntered over to them Mark's wife who I did not see intercepted me and asked if I had seen the Colonel.  I told her no and she said he was here somewhere.  I shrugged and told her he always like these little gatherings. I took another route and saw the Colonel by the buffet tables.  When he saw me he offered to get me a plate and I told him no thanks, I would be eating later.  He told me he was sorry to hear about that.  I told him I supposed he would be but I was wondering if he was sorry an attempt had been perpetrated on his star pupil or that it failed.  He then asked if I knew where my wife was and smiling I asked if he had missed that I was no longer married as somehow during a hospital stay apparently someone neglected to keep her in the loop and through his minions encouraged her to divorce me and take it all.  He looked around and then told me he still had assets in the field, I nodded and said I understood that and was not about to let them hang but now it was out of my hands.  We both changed the subject as a few staffers came over.  Two of them I knew as they held real power the other was younger.  She asked me point blank if I was Mr. C.  Smiling I told her she read way too  many books as I was just a guy who came in for the food.  Her reply was she worked for a senator who was on the sub committee for and I ignored the rest and focused on the low cut top which got me to thinking about Christina.  The woman told me I was not listening and I told her she was right and if she wanted men to take her seriously she needed to take me seriously clothes.

She asked what was wrong with her clothes: I told her nothing and then said it was my turn and asked if she was sleeping with her boss.  When she told me that was none of my business I told her it might not be mine but his wife or was it her husband should be in on it.  Her face turned red and when she looked across the room I watched to see what senator looked over, it was a man and he was married.  I told the other two and the Colonel to enjoy the food and I hoped someone did not put on the special sauce on the mine hot  tacos.  I could hear one of them after spitting out his taco call me a jerk.  The colonel told him he would be too if he thought someone in his government which he had served for more than half his life had tried to end his life and did ruin his marriage.  When I walked up to the senator I told him he had a cute mistress and I thought it was convenient she worked in his office so he could slip a few through out the day.  When he told me I just said that in front of his wife, I looked at the woman standing next to him and apologized to her but I wondered why he did not deny he was playing the two step horizontally.  When he asked me if I knew who he was i shrugged and said sure he was a married man like I used to be but like me now he would soon be not but unlike me he could not claim it was not his fault and if he tried to cover it up and hide that cute young thing I would bury him, so to speed things up and keep it close he was going to do two things for me first he was going to stop immediately all extra curricular activities that his wife was not directly involved with and since we all knew she did not want to call it quits he was going to quietly get some counseling.  When he asked if there was anything else I told him yes he was going to fire that little girl and hire him someone much older and more trustworthy who knew how to keep secrets; whispering I told him it would not hurt with the misses if he was gay unless of course he was a switch hitter.  His wife raised her finger and i told her I know the girl might talk and then all the parties and dinners and the social life would go away but actually it would not as that girl was about to get a better job.  When one of the congressman asked what that would be I told him there was a certain director of a law enforcement agency who needed a personal assistant and he was in the room tonight and if they were okay with it I could make the arrangements.

The Senators wife asked who I was and I told her I was just a concerned constituent;  I did make it over to the man who was behind my arrest and subsequent two weeks of being tortured by our own.  With me I had the pretty looking thing and had told her she was about to get a better job as the senator was a has been and on his way out.  She played right into it and before I walked off she had arranged to go meet the man who I knew how to do his job but was not someone you wanted to investigate anything as he could not fill in the blanks and therefore jumped to conclusions.  He had let me know we needed to talk and I told him to have his new assistant call me as I nodded to the young woman.  How I managed to pull all that off without the few media people inside the room knowing was beyond me.  How I managed without getting arrested for something was even more interesting.  When I finally did get to sit down with the congressman whose sister had slept with my wife and her friend's husband I was candid and asked if those two women had represented my wife during the divorce hearings.  The representative tried to avoid but our host on record for the evening as it was not me said yes.  I looked at the Representative and told him I no longer needed to talk to him and he could leave.  He looked surprised and I told him I knew he was on the intelligence committee and I knew he knew that for years the company I owned had been used by certain agencies with my full cooperation to get assets into places they would otherwise not have gotten and then after saving his sister three times now someone had tried to take my life though the first attempt there were half a dozen men whose lives had forever been changed by that incident and hopefully for the better of all society.  I did not let him speak as I told him on whatever subcommittee he chaired he would have also been privy to the fact our own government on orders from one of the yes men down in the ballroom I had been illegally detained and tortured for two weeks by our own assets who were directly employed by the government because someone gave them the wrong information.

The man told me he was not to blame, I told him maybe not but what had he done to correct those issues and my guess was nothing and why we were on the subject he probably was also aware that I had been imprisoned and overly medicated throughout the course of those trials and had become aware that the case had been settled in my favor so I was curious where those funds had gotten off too or might they be the ones that were doing a lot of travelling through the network of companies my wife now owned some of which were more or less holding companies that sold nothing and were about to go public.  When he asked how I could no about that I told him funny thing about me was in order to do what I did it was easier to do so as an employee of my own company and no one had fired me until recently.  He had started sweating and asked what he should do and I told him for now nothing as I also knew there were still assets in the field but he may want to get someone else to start calling them back as I had it on good authority two things were going to happen, first was my ex had realized she was in over head and had seen some irregularities and was even now talking to buyer as we speak and I was petitioning the courts to review my divorce decree which would then bring into play why a still active intelligence agent who should not be working on American soil was or should I say two plus those that had been hauled out of my room earlier for illegally breaking in and entering.  When he sat up straight and told me he represented the US, I laughed and told him he would also get a very nice allowance when he was put to pasture next election.  When I was told I would never prove any of this in court I told him as far as he went just like that poor senator I would not have to take him to court just make sure my next court circus was in the media.  I smiled and told him not to worry I would never disclose any secrets and would deny ever being involved with the US government other than having once worked on some civil engineering contracts as well as feasibility studies for the DOD and State departments which were already available to the public.  Waving my hand I told for now we were done talking and when he was ready to retire to come talk to me and I would design him a house or rather two, one for his wife and the other for his gay lover.  The man went white, and I pointed to the door and told him that did not have to become common knowledge but he should think about telling the mother of his children.

When he was gone my host who I was actually hosting shook his head and told me he was glad he was not my enemy.  I told him no that man was not my enemy he just needed to be taught a lesson which should have been taught a long time ago. I picked up the phone and called my old handler and told her instead of standing at the door trying to eaves drop she could come in.  She walked in with her husband.  Looking at Mark I told him I know what agency he worked for and then looked at his wife and told her I hoped she was not still with the agency she had worked for when I first met her.  She looked at her husband and said no she had gone on and got her law degree which is when she met Mark and they both took jobs with the FBI but when they got married one of them had to change jobs so the both did and now she worked for the justice department.  I asked how involved the justice department was with the proceedings over the last year.  She looked around and said she had been sent back and the colonel when this all started had been retired.  I told her I wanted to know two things, first was where my money was from the settlements as I had not seen that in the divorce decree so I assumed they were settled after the divorce and secondly why was she sent to investigate me.  When she said she was not at liberty to discuss any open investigations I nodded and told her then we were done and she could go unless she had warrant and was planning on arresting me then I would be glad to talk to the FBI and the Attorney General and probably a few reporters and then they could cook me for divulging state secrets which by the way I did not do when her husband's boss had me detained in some desert dungeon and tortured for two weeks.  Mark's eyes lit up and looking at my host said it was probably time to go as this was now a crime scene.  I told Mark it did not happen here and if that was what he was supposed to be looking into I would gladly give him all the names of the men and women involved with my detainment and tell him where they could be found but that would have to wait as none of them were going anywhere.

My host interjected and said it was getting late and there was a lot to absorb,  Mark realizing information about an ongoing investigation or rather one that he was just joining was being talked about openly said we could talk later.  His wife told him she would catch up to him later.  When my host that I was playing host to maid to leave I asked if he minded staying as I needed a witness.  She asked me why I needed a witness and I told her that at the moment I did not trust her.  She looked around and then said she would talk to me later.  Before she left she asked how I knew she had been investigating me.  Shrugging I told her I guessed but given recent history it was not that hard.  She then asked if I was really going to petition the courts to review my divorce decree.  I told her yes I was planning on doing just that and I was also planning on reviewing my lawsuits I brought not long ago before the courts as we all new I did not get to be involved in and I feel I may have been misrepresented by my counsel.   She told me it could mean her job and smiling I told her that it was a good thing my good friend sitting with me was always looking for a good story to bring to the big screen.  Chuckling he said he was actually looking for small screen series material.  When she put her hands on her hair to grab her hair I told her not to worry just tell the truth if it came to that.  She said it was not that what she needed was immunity.  My eyes went wide and after a moment I told her I was definitely not the right person to tell that to.  She told me I could help; getting up I brought her over to the sitting area and told her to tell me how I could help.  Just then the room phone rang and I got up to answer it.  It was my wife who was asking where I was at that moment, I told her I was sitting with an old acquaintance and she might know him as his wife it appeared had represented her when she filed for divorce.

She told me she wished she had never done that and I told her the funny thing in life was that marriage was supposed to be permanent but divorce was forever as far as the courts were concerned.  When I heard in her voice the stress I told her what I meant was you could annul a marriage which the Good Lord intended to be forever but you could not annul a divorce.  A voice behind me asked why not, I told all parties listening it did not work that way but if they would like to try to be my guest as it would save me time and money   Taking the handset over to my one time handler and one of the few women who knew almost as well as Christina I told her to work it out and while she was at it try to figure out where my settlement money went.  When my resort handler came in with Susan to finalize the bill with my host I asked how much did I owe him.  When he said he was okay with me paying the whole bill I told him I had not intended to invite the entire congress as I just wanted to talk to the two men who might have an in with my wife's lawyers.  Nodding I sad fine I had the bill and then told the handler since I was not going to gamble how much was the room.  Susan asked if I was serious about not gambling and I told her yes I was serious unless they were cool with me just dropping a hundred and calling it even.  She told me it might be cheaper but not to worry about the room as the tribe was picking up the tab on account of earlier events but she needed to know where I was going to register my new truck so she could make those arrangements.  When I asked if that had already been deducted from my winnings she told me yes.  I asked if I could put it up as collateral.  After checking she said yes.  I smiled and told her to go ahead and open up a tab or whatever they called it and then I looked at my host and asked if he wanted to go play with someone else's money.  When he smiled I told him if he wins I keep that beast and if he loses everything I took the loss but he had to pay the taxes on any winnings.

The handler lead him out and Susan said now about the ballroom, tickets and the meal; I told her to take it out of my account as I had not yet received my card.  Smiling she pulled out a card and told me that it was actually for a line of credit as the funds had not posted.  Nodding I told her to use it then and was told I had to sign it.  I changed my signature for the first time in years on that card and then as she pulled out the bill which was discounted as the tribe was splitting the bill I told her to go ahead and put whatever the value of the truck was on that card and I would keep the truck but give the man playing the credit in his name.  She took the paperwork and the card and left.  I went to the safe and pulled out my attache case and went out and put it in the hummer.  Walking back in to the front desk, Susan was taking care of the bill.  When she was done she handed me the bill and the receipt.  I told the desk to check me out tomorrow and if there were any incidentals I wanted copies of all receipts with signatures and names printed out sent to my address.  I gave them my Vegas mailbox and as I headed for the door I told them if anyone asked I was unavailable.

Plans Change A Story 14

I nodded and told him it was never as cut and dry as some taught and sometimes those doing the teaching were the worst offenders.  The dark clothes we had both acquired along with the tactical boots were for the same purpose, he would just be sanctioned and I would more or less be breaking who knows how many laws.  He told me that tonight he had confirmation there were good guys in bed with bad guys and now he just had to figure out which of the good guys were bad guys.  I told him to have fun with that.  Smiling he said he wished Mr. C had not retired as he would really like to ask how he brought down those boys in the sand box.  I told him to skip it as Mr. C always tended to take things too to that point where the only way through was by the road of pain.  I actually had no idea where my wife lived but with her out of the house it would be much easier to break in, I was hoping I would not have to go there.  I checked into the same casino resort my driver did under the same pretense, I was working with homeland security.  I had never been much of a gambling man though I had been involved on several large casino projects over the years as a security engineer.  My current partner of sorts not tired wanted to play some cards and would not take no for an answer.  Walking by the progressive slots I threw away a twenty and bet the maximum, I never expected to win the jackpot on my first push of the button.

What came next was more or less a small circus of which I should have probably stayed for.  The casino wanted pictures for their advertising campaign and knowing that I took the printed piece of paper from the attendant and slipped away.  From the crowd that was gathering I watched the execs and their media people which too me always seemed to be young women who had to be hired for their looks show up.  The fact is in these modern casinos  they had gotten away from using coins, even if you wanted to play the penny slot you needed a dollar and to me sitting around a card table where the odds were I was going to lose not to mention the machines where I was guaranteed to loose was not where I wanted my money so I had saved what I could over the years and that had been my policy with FES as well, the cash I had stowed in safety deposit boxes was more or less in my mind a liquid asset I could access without going through a bank which had to report on money I deposited in large sums and even if it was not large there would be a record of the deposits and someone in the bank would have access to those funds.  I was not at a bank with a piece of paper that stated I had just won millions of dollars which I knew an uncle wanted a large portion of.  Walking up to the cashier I waited for her to go through her thing.  I filled out the necessary paperwork for the government and she then had me go to the admin office as she did not have that much cash.  There the cameras had come out and I put my hand up and had to tell the young woman taking the pictures she needed to delete her chip as I had not authorized her to take my photo or make use of my likeness for any of her marketing campaigns.

Smiling she told me I had to and I smiled back and told her actually there was no law stating I had to but we could discuss it over breakfast.  The leadership of the tribe had come in about that moment and I introduced myself.  One of them recognized my name and asked if I was here on business or pleasure.  I told him at the moment I was just visiting and had happened to pay homage to the gods of chance and the gods had decided to bestow upon me this piece of paper which had stated I was to be blessed with many pieces of coin but all I have done is fill out forms and have their cute little thing try to get my mug shot so she could tell people even ugly people could win.  When they looked at her she shook her head and said she never said I was ugly, smiling I told them yes she was just about to take me to breakfast and tell me how ugly I was.  The woman shook her head and said she was not about to do any such thing; I told her she was about to take me for breakfast, because she wanted to encourage me to give the money back, smiling she said yes she had been about to say yes to breakfast but not to and then she held up her hand and said she was married.  I held up my hand and said I had been married and hopefully would be again but who knows and I was okay with just eating breakfast while I figured out how I wanted my cash.  I saw one of the tribal elders gulp and asked how much cash were we talking about.  I handed over the paperwork.   Smiling I told him I was okay with all forms of bills after our great uncle received his share of course and told him my room number.  I was told most received a certified check.  I shrugged and said I was not most and liked the cash but if they preferred they could wire the money to my account after I set one up. When I was told they had a bank I asked if they were considered an offshore bank like the good folks up the Dakotas.

Before they could answer I told them that using their bank would be easier and if they could just provide a small sum of cash in bills no smaller than a hundred, say fifty thousand dollars worth I would appreciate it and I was in no rush and would like to go eat breakfast first and then take a nap.  After shaking hands I walked out of the office on a promise from the chief executive of the tribal corporation he would have the paperwork ready upon my return.  When I met up with my agent boy I asked how he fared and he shook his head and told me his wife would not be happy as he lost five thousand.  Smiling I told him I would buy breakfast.  The marketing gal called my name and walking up said she had been misunderstood, smiling I told her I was in the wrong   My counterpart asked who she was and she pointed to her name tag and he politely told Susan he was glad to meet her and if she had any trouble with me to just say the word.  She asked as she pointed back into the casino where I would like to eat.  I told her I guess I needed to tell her I had already had a place in mind, a quaint little place just off the strip as they served good old southern comfort food like grits and chicken biscuits.  She told me she new the place and needed to head over to their tribal offices and then the bank for me.  We rode with her and then then Susan asked the agent his name, he told her most called him Mark.  Nodding she repeated our names Mark and Mr. Christianson.  Mark looked at me but said nothing.  After breakfast she told me thank you for providing entertainment for the day and if I needed to get back just go down to their other casino and catch the shuttle.  I told her I actually needed to go back to rent a car.  When she told me she could help with that; when I said thanks I was told to meet her in thirty minutes at the Tribal offices.  When I was followed by what appeared to be seemingly more and more like a real partner in crime, I asked where he needed to go and he shrugged saying today nowhere but later on when his boss arrived for some dinner party he would meet with her.

I told him that I had things I needed to see to, smiling he nodded toward the direction our tour guide had driven, I shook my head saying how was I supposed to know I would hit the jackpot my first try.  He asked what jackpot and I explained how they had those progressive slots all interlinked to one jackpot and I happened to pick the right machine and being recently divorced I needed to open my own bank account which the owners of the establishment we were staying at were so graciously helping out with as they also owned a bank.  The man breathed in as we walked and said if he won a jackpot he could retire right now; nodding I told him yep and then he would spend lots of money on a new house, cars, trips and a whole bunch of crap that he did not need and would die broke.  He asked what I was going to do with the money. I said I would keep some liquid but the rest I would invest and I definitely will not be telling anyone I won a big jackpot.  I looked at Mark and told him I really had to do some stuff that he may not want to know about or be involved in, which would fit in his bad guy being the good guy to find out which good guy or bad guy was bad.  When we walked into the tribal offices, we were greeted by and older assistant who asked if she could get us anything.  Mark told her maybe some good luck as he had to tell his wife he lost five thousand dollars at one of their casinos.  I told her I was fine, I was just here to sign some paperwork and meet with a gal from their marketing department, I believed her name was Susan.  The woman nodded and said Susan was out at the moment but should be back in a moment.  Just then the Chief Executive walked through and seeing me asked how was breakfast.  I told him mine hit the spot; and was asked which one did I choose.  Mark told him the little country place up the street that served good southern comfort food, but not to worry his man here paid for it.

The executive told us he knew the place and liked to go there on Saturday's but was hoping for my take on their establishments.  I told him I could still do that as that was my profession, as he raised an eyebrow I told him i personally would have moved the check in counter out of the casino into a separate lobby, and then remembered that was his competitor and corrected my mistake and told him actually I liked the all around design of the place but after walking through the casino and smelling like smoke the last thing I wanted was to eat something and had just needed to get some air to clear my sinuses.  Nodding he asked if I could change anything what would it be.  I told him the location of his showroom which I noticed had family shows and since the parking garage was on the far side of the casino that meant families with children who they did not want to yet expose to the scene of watching folks waste their savings or rent money had to walk around the whole facility to get to the entrance of the show room.  Nodding he said he had never really noticed that. I nodded and told him his business was the casino and his goal with the concerts was to put people in each seat inside that casino; but the last time I checked children were not allowed to spend their allowance sitting at one of his video games.  Mark asked if I got that in five minutes.  I told him actually no I had come to that conclusion on a previous trip but I preferred their canyons to their casinos so avoided them mostly and I definitely preferred the smaller resorts to the larger ones as I liked the quiet and the home like feel.  The Executive asked if I did not get that feeling at their resorts.  Smiling I told him not to get me wrong his staff was friendly enough but to them I was a guest which is a polite saying I was the one paying their paycheck and a few of them were willing to talk to you beyond that but most were too afraid of losing their jobs which they probably should be as most did not know how to how to separate friendship from business relationship.  Susan the marketing manager came in at that moment and said she would need to know what kind of car I would be needing.  I told her something with a sturdy suspension that could handle driving in the sand like a jeep.

She made the call and when she was done she laid out the paperwork from the bank and told me I would have to go in to finalize everything.   I looked at my watch and her boss told her he could take care of it as an officer of the bank.  I followed him into his office as the signed paperwork was faxed back and the originals couriered over.  While waiting for confirmation I was asked what canyon I liked best and told him the one that they had recently restricted to guided hikes, but more than that I liked the solitude.  Mark asked why I stayed at the casino, shrugging I told him I too had meetings later and would need a place to shower, nap and change.  Susan came in and handed me a key ring and told me all she could get was a hummer.  I shrugged and said it worked.  Word came back that my account had been funded and when security came into the office with a security bag I counted the money twice as did Mark.  He followed me out to the front of the hotel where there sat a brand new hummer still with dealer plates on it.  Mark asked if he could drive and I nodded.  Climbing in I checked the glove compartment and found the lease paperwork, the entire lease had been paid up front, not quite what I had in mind.  He asked where to first and  told him the bank as I was not walking around with this much cash.

It just happened as I walked into the bank I noticed my old handler talking to an account manager.  I went straight to the merchant counter and asked about a safe deposit box, When asked if I had an account, I nodded and told the young woman that yes I did and it was just opened through an officer.  She looked down and said yes I must be Mister.  I cut her off and said that was me As she brought out me around the desk my name was called.  Looking up I saw my handler with that look.  I asked how her day was going.  Glancing around she told me that it was quite pleasant outside.  I told her to wait as in a couple of hours it would be scorching hot.  When she asked how my wife was, I shook my head and said since I was no longer married that was  a question for which I did not have an answer.  I then asked if she had heard something was wrong.  As I signed the paperwork for the box, I told her I would be out in a minute.  Just then she saw Mark come in and told me she had to go.  I told the back of her head it was nice seeing her again.  Once I had the key to the deposit box I took out all my alias ID's I had on me and dropped half the money into the box as well.  Next I went out and asked for ten thousand to be wired to an account.  I had to call the one woman who did not care what Christina and I were going through as she was still my mom.  The fact was she had managed the trust accounts for the children for years. This ten thousand was going to Christopher's account one of which I had only started later.

After teaching her how to use the computer early on I remembered she got hooked on poker games and I showed her how to trade online and from what I understood she had done well by her grandchildren not that they knew it.  As we left I handed Mark a five thousand dollar bills and told him it was a gift for his wife from a secret admirer.  He looked at me and asked when I had met her and I told him I had not unless that long legged beauty who walked out when she saw him was his wife.  He looked away and I told him not to worry I would not tell anyone.  He was looking at one of the receipts I had signed and noticed my signature. Since most of the names I had used over the years had C as the first letter I only had to change the signature slightly though mostly I did very little signing of anything.  My signature was Mr. C with a wavy line after it.  Mark looked at me and said yes that he was married to that tall woman.  I told him at least they were playing on the same team and that he should call her and invite her over for lunch.  He told me she was working, nodding I pulled out my phone and called her and asked if she could meet me for lunch or at least follow me to the casino where I was staying along with my new friend Mark who I thought she would like to meet.  I could here it in her voice that she hated I had found out a either she was following me or I knew her husband was but the truth was I only guessed she was following me though I did pick out half of her team before I got to the first light.  I prayed for our country if that was what they were sending out.

I was in a hummer a fact that did not escape my attention so in order to have some fun with my entourage I headed for areas where there was desert and took off across the sand.  Mark had grabbed a the overhead handle as I bounced along until I was next to the railroad tracks hidden by the trees.  By the time she made it the casino I had made it to my casino provided room in their attempt to regain some of those funds they had lost but left a few things in my paid for room as the larger room I was not listed in.  I was glad the suite had an attendant and I was assigned a handler who had an eye to get me to a table.  Not going to happen was my thought.  I waited until I thought it was appropriate during lunch to excuse myself and then went and used a house phone to report someone was in my room and they were definitely not maids and gave my paid for room number.  I watched the security out of a corner of my eye and knew exactly when those boys got popped.  My handler had gone off and came back and apologized for the confusion but it seemed I still had another room and several men had been caught in it and would like to know if I was missing something.  Mark followed me up as did his wife reluctantly.  As I went through the room with hotel security I simply said my computer bag was not there and never once said it had been stolen.  People though who have already come to a conclusion about a situation will interpret what they hear to support their theories and it did not fail in this case as law enforcement types for the most part if they were arresting you for one thing, like trespassing, they will assume the worst, I knew that first hand with my little two weeks vacation in the spa from hell.

I decided to put off my break in at Christina's house and wait for the sheriff.  When he came in and saw me he shook his head and asked if I had not had enough.  Smiling I told him I was in town on legitimate business and happened to stop in and since he was going to find out anyway I hit a jackpot on my first pull on one of them one armed bandits.  His eyes lit up and said maybe my luck was changing.  I nodded and said I guessed though if my ex found out she would want that to.  He asked what was I missing and I told him that in the room there had been a computer bag with some cheap knock off notebook worth about two hundred dollars and what would have been the last of my money until some of my new contracts started paying off, but since he was here I asked if those weren't the boys who had been working for my ex wife I saw being escorted out.  When he looked at my old handler his eyes said they were.  I told him other than fact stealing was wrong I would not press charges as it was probably only a misdemeanor and was told actually inside a hotel there were other charges that came into play and since it was on tribal lands there were still other tribal charges that came into play and a whole lot of paperwork and seeing who could pis the farthest to find out who gets jurisdiction.  I shook my head and said I would hate to be the boss of those boys.  Looking over at Mark and his wife he looked like he was having an adventure where as she looked like she had just heard she had a fatal disease.  My resort handler asked if she could move the rest of my stuff.  I told her the sheriff might need it as evidence to which he nodded and when he was through he could find a charity to give it to.  I looked at my watch and told them if they did not need me any farther I needed to go get ready for my dinner appointment with a state representative and whoever he brings along.  I looked at my handler and asked if it was possible to have my meeting here if there was someplace private.  She nodded and said she would see what she could do.  I made a call and asked if the congressmen minded moving our meeting to where I was staying.  I could here that not only he but his our host were both more than happy.  Looking at the sheriff I told him if there was nothing else he needed from me; he told me when he saw Christina to tell her hi.  I told him the truth I had not seen her in awhile but if she called I would pass it on.

She called me as soon as I got to my suite and asked why I had not returned her calls.  I told her I was sorry but did not realize I had to call her.  She got right to the point and asked if I had kissed her client.  I told her to let me think about that and then I told her since I did not know anyone named Her Client I guess not.  She then told me I knew what she meant; I paused for a moment and asked if she was talking about that hotel manager because if she was, no I did not kiss her but she kissed me on the cheek twice yesterday and both times it was surprise to me.  Christina said well the woman thought we were dating and I asked what gave her that impression. Christina told me she had told her I had taken her to dinner last night and I told Christina I took half a dozen people to dinner last night which included a couple celebrating the expansion of their business, the hotel detective and his boss the manager as a way of saying thanks for saving my life when someone tried to poison me yesterday which was really odd as the only persons I had told I was going were her and the children and my business partners.  Christina freaked and asked to please repeat that and I told her it would not have been classified as poison as it was several syringes of some uncut narcotic that had been put into my breakfast which if it had been brought to me on time I would have probably eaten.  Christina said no one told her that and I said not to take it personally as that was not the thing anyone would tell the ex wife who cleaned her ex's clock during the divorce for which he never even had a chance to speak his piece.  Something clicked and before she could say anything, I told her the sheriff sends his love to her.

Christina said yes she had gone out to dinner with him but no she had not slept with him and the only reason she went to dinner with him was she wanted a name of a security firm not connected with the case one that he would trust around his daughters.  I told her I would never have guessed and she told me I was not that good of a liar as I would not have even passed it on if I had not figured it out.  I told her really I would have never known they went out to dinner just that he thought she was up for grabs and that I did not mind since now I would not need to go petition the court to look into the circumstances of my divorce at least from a financial perspective.  Christina asked what I was talking about and I told her business was picking up more everyday and I kind of hit a jackpot earlier in one of those stupid machines she and mom used to like to play when they went on vacation.  Christina asked if I had seriously gambled and I told her to appease the gods I had kissed the twenty goodbye and I figured that they must have liked the gesture as on my first push of the max bet button I won the progressive jackpot.  I could tell she was stunned and then her next comment was that she should have never divorced me in the first place.  I let it hang there for a moment before I told her what was done was done.

I changed the subject and asked about her meeting and she said that was why she had called me as at the moment I was the only one she could trust to give her honest advice.  I told her even if it was at a loss and she had to lose all the properties she should get out.  She said that was not what she had wanted to hear but, I told her that I only said that because I smelled a rat and if something went way wrong with her taking her private companies public then she would be blamed and even sitting in the country club they would eventually send her too was not something that she would want.  She asked what I was going to do and I told her the truth I was going to petition the courts to allow me to challenge our divorce decree.  She told me why did she not like the sound of that even though she kind of hoped the courts would agree so she could take the last six months away.  I told her nothing would take them away but we could put this behind us and move on to the the next chapters of our lives whether it was together or apart.  Her next comment was she could use a good roll in the hay and I apologized for not being able to help with that but I really had to go.  Sighing she said at least she could take comfort she was going to be sleeping in the bed I had slept in and would be wearing my shirt that I left with the manager when I used her shower.  She then told me thanks for what I did for Christopher.  I asked what she was talking about and she told me she would tell me later.

Plans Change A Story 13

The four men my old acquaintance had called were all men and women who had worked for the same uncle who had made use of my services.  I recognized the woman from my time in Asia she was an expert in organized crime but hid her knowledge well and came off as just another woman trying to make it in a world dominated by men.  Two of the men now freelanced for high profile targets and the third I pegged as still in the employ of our uncle and asked if he was known as an agent.  He asked what made me thing he was some sort of agent.  Nodding I asked if he was DEA and shaking his head whispered he was from a smaller branch but this was really not the time and place.  I told him I could always uninvite him; he raised his hands and said the man I was going to see had connections to the cartels, smiling I told him the man did business with everybody including our great uncle and from what I could ascertain all of his businesses were more or less legal.  The woman asked what exactly I needed them for.  Smiling I told her perception plus it never hurt to have eyes and ears attached to a woman and her entourage who could then write up reports describing who they met, what they heard and their overall take on the nights activities.

The agent asked if I knew a Mr. C; nodding I told him I had heard of that name.  He told me he had heard someone was trying to move in on Mr. C's turf.  I told him I had heard Mr. C had retired and never had a turf or any place to call his own or a home for that matter.  The woman nodded and gave a softly spoken hoorah. Someone said that he guessed that would make her the marines.  Smiling she called the man fly boy and told him don't worry about picking her up.  I segued into the details and told them we would be getting a ride into the ranch by helicopter and do not be afraid to go in carrying preferably something compact and fast, but as far as who they would be protecting it was not me but a couple doing some celebrating on the growth of their internet based business.  The agent asked what kind of business; I told him not to worry other than him being a drunk and her a little bit amorous when she drank they were the quintessential poster children for the American dream.  The house detective asked if I was serious as those two would stick out like; I stopped him and told him not to worry as his job would be to stay with his boss.  I was asked who would be watching me; shrugging I said hopefully no one but if I did not get something appropriate to wear, just then a knock came on the door and I saw five hands move and I told them to relax, upon opening the door I found one of the bell staff holding a garment bag and a shoe box.  He explained in broken English Ms. Helthon sent them.  I thanked him and told him to thank Ms. Helthton and if he would be so kind to ask if there was a safe.  The detective translated and the boy nodded and just stood there.  I nodded and told him before I left we would work out our tab and used my fingers to make the universal motion for money.  The woman said something in quick Spanish and the young man smiled and nodded and then ran off and kept looking back.

As I looked back and saw the smiles I asked what she just told the boy and she told me I really should have paid closer attention in my language classes.  Excusing myself I told her some of us had to start working to support a family at a young age.  I was asked when and shrugging as it was not common knowledge I told them I was fourteen when I got got pregnant and fifteen when my wife had our baby.  Eyes that rarely showed surprise all did as mouths dropped open.  The detective told me that I may as well know El Capitan who was more or less a good man had also been invited with his wife.  By four I had taken my computer bag and put it into a safe in the managers house.  I changed the combination during the process.  It was on the way to do so I told the couple down celebrating to go get dressed as I wanted to treat them to dinner.  Our rides were in three helicopters and included a few local judges and politicians along with businessmen.  By the time my helicopter being the last landed the boys and girl I hired had swept the facility with our hosts own security all of whom were American or British.  The man's wife an astute business woman happened to be a British Born American.  She greeted me and sympathized saying they had heard about my divorce but were also happy to hear I had pulled through and had jumped right back on the horse so to speak.  She told me if I ever was short of work just to let her know and she would send some my way.  I thanked her and asked where this new family member was.  Her nose scrunched and said in no way was she claiming this
one.  I heard and elephant just then and she nodded and said it was also a bull and the grandchildren just loved coming over and getting rides.  As we walked over to where the crowd had gathered there was an older man leading the elephant.  My host that night was smiling as he watched his grandchildren and friends ride the elephant.  I walked up to the man who I guess I could consider as a friend.  When he embraced me I had to push him off and tell him I had been shot in the side.  He was genuinely worried when he asked who.  Shaking my head I told him the man had been captured and had met his fate almost as soon as he had been arrested but that was back in the states.  Nodding he said they had the same issues here.  We walked along the cliff away from the party and he asked who was trying to keep my silent.  I told him I did not think it was that well except maybe this last one but I did not think they were connected but I had not really had time to delve into either situation.

Smiling he said the man here would be talking if he was not already doing so and he would keep me apprised.  He changed the subject and asked how Dr. Christina was doing; I shrugged saying she divorce me why I was incognito; he nodded and I told him I thought someone had applied some coercion and it seemed they may be wanting to take a couple of her companies public.  He was thoughtful and after a moment asked what they sold, I told him up to now nothing but there was a lot of cash moving through them and most of my boys and girls it seemed were being paid to stay home.  He smiled and said he asked if I would mind if he bought my companies, I told him to call my wife but I could get him the number to the current director.  He nodded and said he had the numbers but would need a partner in the states.  Smiling i told him I just opened for business.  Laughing he told me he had also heard that and it seemed many of my old customers upon finding out were running to my door.  I nodded and said there had been several but my door may be hard to find.  My phone rang; it was Christina who asked how I was doing.  I told her I skipped breakfast but thankfully an old friend had invited me over for a little dinner gathering.  Christina asked how close I was to the well she could not pronounce the name of it.  I told her to spell it and as she did I told her it was not far.  She told me she had a new client who was the managing partner of the resort and had been invited down and was looking at the website and was thinking about flying down tomorrow to meet with her.  I asked how Vegas was and she told me after losing five thousand she decided it was not her town and went back home or rather he current home which was really empty accept for a couple of friends who had come over to stay with her and her new security company staff.  I apologized to her but I was in the middle of talking with my host.  She got quiet and then said before she went she would like to know when we could sit down to talk about the divorce decree before I went back to court.  I told her I was not sure how she found out I was looking into that but to be honest I was busy.  She sighed and said yes she was getting that as she was hearing all her customers were moving to follow the star engineer she had fired.  i told her not all as I had heard she was making to die for money.  Her next comment was one that surprised me as she said that was what she was afraid of.  I asked how set was she on keeping the company.

She told me she knew how to run a business and over the years had invested in other companies and had sat on the board but she had no idea what I had done to make money and the extent of the contracts and really did not have a clue how to build a house or a dam for that matter.  I told her I knew someone who might be interested and could set up a dinner appointment for her but she would want to make sure she moved all the properties into other companies before doing so and I was not so sure about her making some of those holding companies public.  She said she had not been made aware and I told her paperwork had already been filed with SEC.  I then told her if she was flying down she should call Ben so she could avoid security lines.   Her first reply was he was expensive and my reply it was a tax right off and she could stuff most of her friends in at no extra charge.  She said she would do that immediately and call me back.  I told her to leave a message with Ben as I would probably be out of range.  My host held up his hand motioning that she could stay on his ranch.  I nodded and told Christina about that meeting I was with the man who was interested in buying her company and he would like her, her friends and her mom and children to stay as his guests with access to a private beach.  He looked at me surprised and I told him to hold on.

When Christina was gone I told him sorry about that but I was still in love with my wife and figured there was security in numbers particularly since one of her friends was the sister of a congressman.  The man's eyes lit up, then I told him another friend had just debuted a box office hit and the Good Lord knows that woman broke the mold when she was built.  The man told me unlike popular opinion said of him he too loved his wife and had not cheated on her since she hit him over the head the first time and the last time and thinking about it that might make a good trade as he really needed to find a home for his elephant, some place his grand children could go and visit.   I told him I lived on a golf course, he smiled and said that might be so but he also knew I had the ability to come up with options when he was out of them.  As we walked back we were joined by his wife and my date who asked if I was going to talk business all night.  I introduced her to our host who told her he knew her grandfather very well as they were part of the same social club in Atlanta or was it Seattle.  Shaking his head he told her he saw him at both from time to time.  My date lead me to the elephant and conned me into riding it with her.  I had ridden one before in South Asia and had not been all that comfortable on it and had never wanted to ride another one, my date thought it was the next best thing to wonder bread and was as giddy as a school girl after her first kiss.

When it was time to get off having the beast use its trunk as an elevator got me to thinking, how that would come in handy working on the roof of mom's house. I must have made a comment out loud as my date asked why I needed to fix her mom's roof.  I told her I was talking about my mom.  She looked confused and then said Dr. Christina mentioned I did not have a mom or a dad.  Nodding I said her parents had kind of adopted me and then I told her Dr. Christina was coming down for a house call tomorrow.  The woman got more excited and then said there was only the problem of the hotel being completely booked.  Smiling I told her that was not a problem as she would be staying here along with any family and friends who would be coming down.  When she kissed me and told me that would be fun getting to meet my family I only nodded and told her I would not be there as business had come up.  As the night wore on the woman I had brought along, the couple I had brought along well at least the misses and a few others kept trying to get me away from the crowd.  Thankfully the marines intervened as after the few beers I had had I was ready to take the manager up on her offer to move in with her.  When I had a chance I talked to the team and asked if they wanted to each make another couple thousand and babysit my ex and family.  I had three who said yes and the agent asked if I was heading back to the states.  When I nodded he told me he would like to come with as he was being loaned out to another agency, I nodded.  My host came through and provided he plane but not until after I saw my date home and helped put her to bed as she was feeling rather swell.  I retrieved my bag and made a down payment on those who I had to pay as the agent and the detective passed.  He wanted to know if I had kissed the ice queen; I did not answer choosing to ignore the comment and after giving instructions that no one was to sleep with my wife I left with the agent and we sat in quiet on the borrowed plane into San Diego where he had a vehicle waiting for his use.  We had to stop on the way to the desert as we both needed a few things and breakfast.  I asked who he was investigating and he shrugged saying he was not sure what he did last night was even legal but he owed me as he had gleaned some really good intel and had a better understanding of who were the real good guys and which good guys were really bad guys pretending to be good.

Plans Change A Story 12

It was not an hour later I go the call from my oldest daughter informing me her mom was in the operating room still and it looked like it would be several hours before she was done and mom had agreed to let her take Christopher to see grandma.  The office phone rang. I let the machine pick it up and was surprised to hear my ex handler ask me what was going on.  Picking it up I asked her what she was talking about.  She told me my wife ditched her at the airport and my children had made other arrangements it seemed.  I told her thanks for the update on my ex and my grown daughters but since I was not married any more it appeared I was also out of the loop and was a little busy trying to start anew to keep tabs on my wife or anyone else for that matter.  While still on the phone with her I got a text message from Ben telling me all three of my children were on the way to visit family and not to worry as my mom had accompanied his mom to visit the ranch.  My renewed ticket was to leave Vegas the following day, I left that day and arriving in Vegas used my card to check into a room for a week and then paid cash for a ticket to Mexico leaving that night on a clean passport which I had to shave my head to use as my darkened hair would not stand up to the short blond military style hair in the photo.  With my beard growing out and a bald head, I boarded my plane more than content to enjoy the first class upgrade they had thrown in for free.  Thankfully I had a second ID that allowed me to bypass the security line as my side had started bleeding.

Landing in Mexico I did not expect to be met by anyone but it seemed someone knew I was coming which was no great surprise as I had not hidden the fact.  I saw the men before they saw me and I was able to walk past them by joining a group of women and volunteering to help with their luggage.  I usually avoided the major tourist traps as I really never wanted to run into someone by accident but here I was heading to one of America's favorite weekend getaways.  For that reason I had chosen a more secluded resort outside of town which had private bungalows and thankfully internet access.  Even better they had their own medical staff and I had the wound restitched.  The young doctor trained in America wanted to know how it happened.  Smiling I told him it was a hazard to my trade and thanks to the laws in the states this was a paid vacation of sorts.  At dinner it happened someone recognized me, it was the wife of a client who I had only met once.  Her husband half lit wanted me to spend the evening to catch up.  I told him it was simple I was not longer in the employ of FES as my ex took that a few months back and instead of celebrating out anniversary I was hear to think through some stuff as I was venturing out on my own.  His wife smiled and told me they were down celebrating the phenomenal growth of their little company before trying to figure out how to get the new plant up and running.  I asked where they were putting the plant.  Her husband nodded and said they were thinking about here, or rather Mexico.  I shook me head and told him to have fun with that.  When she asked where I would suggest I told her to take a look at the south, yes the labor costs would be a bit higher but they could probably pick up and already built factory for next to nothing, had an already trained and skilled workforce and could make use of Made in America as a selling point, charge more for it and the security would be easier to deal with as well.

He tried to explain why it was better to make his products elsewhere and I shrugged saying to each his own, but it would take time to get a factory built elsewhere and he would need partners, losing some control over the company he and his wife had spent a life time building.  The man just kept drinking himself into a stupor while his wife maintained a buzz, flirting with me.  When I helped her get her husband to their room as he more or less was passed out, she asked if I wanted to have a night cap.  I smiled and told her thanks for the offer but we both new if I stayed clothes would come off and we would be playing tongue tag on the floor while joined at the hip and that would not be good for her celebration and would definitely make any future meetings public or private uncomfortable to say the least.  She was persistent and dropping her dress she asked if I was sure I did not want to reconsider.  I pointed to the room her husband was in and told her to go get in bed and give me five minutes. With a quizzical look she headed toward the room and told me her husband was in there.  Smiling I told her I would make sure this was thee night she would not ever forget.  As soon as I heard her lay down, I slipped out and left.  Back in my room I locked the door and called the front desk to check for messages and then told the night manager I did not want to be disturbed until noon when I wanted oatmeal and an orange juice brought to my room along with seasonal fresh fruits.  After hanging up she called back and asked if I knew a Mr. C as his secretary had called several times looking for a Christian and I was the only one whose name came close.  I told her the name did not sound familiar.

Sleep came slowly that night or rather not at all as i lay awake trying to piece together what had happened since I had decided to come home.  Christina called my new phone and asked where I was as she was in Vegas.  I told her she had not been there when I was.  She told me it was probably for the best as mom told her she would not come to Vegas as she liked the idea of the church back home.  I let her carry the conversation more or less listening as I got on the computer.  When she said she was using the room I paid for I held my tongue though I was not sure that was a good idea.  Hacking into her companies computer system was easy enough as I had designed the security system.  I would have to get a copy of the divorce decree as I still held the copyright and had the paperwork tucked away.  Thankfully I had been using an outside accountant who new exactly was at stake with the company if the books were wrong and I checked to see her notations.  Apparently someone had been spending a lot of cash in the past few days and she caught it and had started an audit and notified the authorities.  I accessed the bank accounts I was not surprised to find the Colonel had been moving money in and out over the last several months.  Doing some research I found where several of the smaller holding companies I had set up were about to go public.  I smelled a rat as other than owning a piece of FES and some investments none of those companies actually sold anything.  My wife was definitely over her head and not knowing who to talk to as she had not listened I told her after several hours of her just talking that I needed some sleep.  When she hung up I looked up the ownership on her properties and found all of them were held by a company that someone was hoping would be allowed to go public.

My next mover was to research the current man in charge and yes he was my old handler's dad who had retired from the marines as a full colonel.  Trying to find his service record was extremely difficult and when I did call another handler who was still in the business but had moved onto desk jockey work he let me in a little secret neither the colonel or a certain lovely lady were out of the business and were working together on the same project as was her dad who was as black as they came.  My next call was to the colonel's private cell phone he kept for emergencies.  When he answered he asked where I was and I told him not to worry I was not missing as he lied to the sheriff.  When he tried to back pedal I told him he might want to know it was illegal for him to operate withing the borders of our country if he was still working for a certain company.  When he told me he had retired I told him I was glad to hear that and was grateful for all he had done for my family but I would no longer be needing his services.  I could almost see his kindly aged face smiling when he told me he figured that out when the charges were dropped.  I asked him what had happened with my civil suits against the county, the two players and the sheriff's department. He told me they settled, so I asked for how much and was told it was into the eight figures/  I simply asked him where my share of the money was.  When he could not answer I told him he might want to find it or we would be in court by the end of the week.  My next call was not to either of the two lawyers but the brother of the petite little blond who was somewhat surprised to hear from me.

I asked if he was busy the following day, when he said he was working on his campaign, I told him I might be able to help and would like to meet with him at a mutual friend's house in the desert and he might want to not tell anyone why he was really visiting his friends.  With a dinner appointment set up for two days hence in order for him to make the necessary arrangements. I made some calls to former employees who it seemed were sitting on the sidelines scratching their heads, still getting paychecks but not actually doing any work.  I told them they were being bought to keep silent just in case the world blew up or the skies began to fall and my ex did not run the company except on paper.  My next call was to my new partner who I asked what exactly did the new boss have her doing over the last several months and she told me that her job was to do payroll and that was it but she had seen other things like the large cash transactions.  I asked her point blank had she been involved with any of these transactions or the plans to take some of the holding companies public.  When she asked why Christina would want to do that I told her I did not think it was Christina but when the house of cards came crashing down she would be the one sitting behind bars, wondering what the hell happened.  Before I could hang up she told me just so I was caught up we had signed seven more contracts four of which were consulting contracts only for which we would need to do some auditing.  I told her I trusted her to get who she needed and pay them accordingly on a per job basis.  She then told me we would be the Project Managers for a series of safety overhauls for a restaurant chain which would probably take the next five years.  I smiled and told her I was glad to have the work but we did not have the manpower.  Laughing she told me actually she had already taken care of that and had negotiated with three contractors who would actually do the work and the nice thing was we had worked with the owners of all three companies or rather they used to work for us before they settled down.a few years back when I had my vacation.  I asked her what did I need to do and she told me at the moment nothing as she had found a couple of boys who had gotten tired of getting paid to do nothing and had quit who were helping Steven get brought up to speed.  I asked if she new any good lawyers and when she asked why I told her I was thinking about petitioning the courts to review my divorce decree.

She told me she had read a copy in its entirety and it was pretty solid and by the book; I said except for the fact I was being kept in a hospital and not told once that it had happened and my guess the same attorneys who had handled the details were supposed to be representing me.  I was told now that she thought about it was interesting that it had been filed in South Carolina which Christina had not been a resident for more than sixteen years.  I asked if she could also do me a favor and track down my personal items I had taken from me.  When someone knocked on the door I jumped a little but remembered my noon order.  When I looked at the time it was half past noon and taking a look out saw it was room service except it was a familiar face like in one of the men I had seen at the airport.  After securing my laptop and putting it in its bag I threw on a pair of shorts and the only loud shirt I owned and walking out I yelled at the man that he was late and he could take the food back as I was going to talk to the manager as to their poor service.  He looked around at the faces of other guests who had stopped to watch.  When he looked back at me I told him in a quieter tone I did not know who he worked for but he should tell his boss to send him to training camp so he could learn how to do his job and then go get his money back and give back the jacket as it was too small on him and his shoes were all wrong.  When he just stood their I shooed him away as I said if on the chance he had killed to get that jacket then he had better go find a deep hole to bury himself in and hide there for eternity.  When he said it was his cousins I told him to go shared the meal with her and when he looked at it and made a face I told him I thought as much grabbing my computer bag which now had all my ID's and cash I told grabbed his elbow and walked him to the lobby and asked for the manager.   When a young woman came out she eyed me and then looked at the man and shook her head saying he did not work for them, I nodded and said he had tried to say he did as he delivered my meal a half hour late so she might want to call the authorities.  The resorts detective came out and upon seeing him I smiled, when I nodded to the young man he nodded, I told the young man to go run along and gather his friend and eat that lovely breakfast.  When he said he was would get something later I told him on second thought forget his friend and eat all to himself and then led him to a table, sat him down and served him.

I told him quietly he had two choices either eat his breakfast as a good little boy or I would feed it to him.  He took option three and went running but was tripped when he practically ran over the woman who tried to seduce me last night.  The detective an American with a Hispanic heritage I happened to know from years ago scooped up the young man and told him he needed to watch where he was going but first needed to see the doctor to check out his knee.  The woman looked at me sheepishly and asked if that was another victim of my bedside manners; and when she went to grab a piece of fruit I pushed her hand away and told her that meal would be her last.  When her eyes went wide I smiled and told her they were pretty and if she ever found herself unmarried she should look me up and we could finish the game we started last night.  She went red and said about that she was sorry, well maybe not as senior hangover helped put her to sleep.  I whispered too much information.  She smiled and asked if I had a card as I might be right about the south.  I told her sadly since I just started my new business cards had not even been designed or ordered.  Smiling she told me since there business was printing, I walked her to the front desk where the manager was standing at one end talking on the phone and borrowed a piece of paper and wrote down the names of both companies and the new office numbers and the cell phones of both of my partners and told her to call either of them as they would be handling all details.  When the manager looked up at the bikini clad woman she had to do a double take as I shook my head no.  When she looked at this possibly client the woman told her they never were delivered their room service or morning paper.  The manager looked at me as if I were to blame.  I had kept an eye on the food and when a housekeeper went to move it I called to him and said it was mine and to leave it.  Walking over I grabbed the tray and asked which way to the kitchen.

The manager waited until we were in the back hallways and asked who I was.  Smiling I told her I was thinking the same thing as she spoke better English than most Americans with just a hint of the deep south but not the swamp folks more like southern belle say from Savannah.  Smiling she told me I was good and I told her to please call my ex-wife and tell her how good I was as she did not believe me.  When she asked what my ex wife did I told her she made perfect breasts like hers even better as well as helping burn victims and accident victims who needed reconstructive surgery.  The manager only nodded and as we entered the kitchen she asked if I had eaten lunch.  One of the cooks saw the tray and went to run and I told him stop.  I had to ask through the manager why he had wanted to run when he saw the tray and after a game of verbal running in circles he spit out he had been paid to put something in the food.  When he went into the trash to pull out the vials, I smiled and told him to enjoy the money and hoped when they found out he had failed they would not be too mad.  The look of fear came over him.  I did not really care what had been in the syringes but guessed it would have made it look like I had tried to end my life.  The manager asked what I would do in her position.  I told her not having worn high heels before I could only guess on some of it but I would definitely call the local authorities and then try to comfort the poor man whose life had been one meal away from being finished and like all the other women try to seduce him so he could work on a new way to let women down gently.  She eyed me as she led me out of the kitchen after I destroyed the food on the off chance someone else was involved and told me no one had ever used that line on her.

She had her own private villa on the property as it was out of town a ways  I sat out on the veranda overlooking the Pacific as she went in and changed and made lunch.  When she came out and sat down in a bikini she asked how long had I been divorce and I told her honestly I did not know the exact date as it had happened when I was in rehabilitation but having spent most of my adult life on the road for work we had been estranged if that was the correct word.  She looked at the water and then asked me if I really thought her breasts were perfect and I told her yes but it was not what I thought that mattered as she had to live with them.  Pulling her top down letting them fall as they may she told me she always thought the drooped a little much and her ex had thought they were too small.  I tried to be polite and just look at her face but it was difficult.  When she realized what she was putting me through she shook them for a moment and told me I could touch them if I wanted.  When she fixed her top she asked how that was working as to my seduction. I looked down at the table and shook my head and told her if I was still not so in love with my ex I would have asked to show me the bottom half as well to see how well the went together.  Standing up she smiled, pulled on the strings of both her top and bottom took them off and handed them to me and walked back inside.  She came back out wearing a towel and put our lunch on the table.  I handed her back the bikini and she said don't take that the wrong way as she had never done that before not even for her ex; she then stood up and dropping her towel dressed in reverse and asked for my help with her ties.  I did so but fought to stay focused.  When she sat back down she put her feet up on my lap and asked if my wife was really a doctor and I nodded and told her she had been a part owner of a practice in Aspen for almost fifteen years and had just opened or joined another one in the desert play ground of the rich and famous but that also happened while I was being held captive by my lawyer who helped make sure she got everything.  Shaking her head she told me if I only had a prenuptial agreement like she and her ex had that would have been dealt with.  I asked how that had worked for her; smiling she said up to this moment she had asked her self the same thing but now that her feet were getting the best massage she had ever had and had the best job and was part owner of her ex's families company having grown up the daughter of a maid and a gardener she could not complain except that I had seen everything and she had not.

I had not even realized I was massaging her feet but had to cut it short as I needed to use the restroom and grabbing the towel I stood up and asked where her bathroom was.  She told me and I dropped my shorts in her lap as well as my shirt and told her I needed a cold shower.  When I came out feeling refreshed her house detective eyed me wearing only the towel.  He said someone must be looking down on me as those syringes had been straight and uncut and with my enlarged heart I would be a corpse by now.  Taking the shorts back I slipped them back on just in time to meet the local chief of police.  I got the sense the man was a decent man in a really hard position who understood the balance of power had to be balanced with justice or he would not have the job he had.  Smiling he told me after glancing at the manager whose feet were back getting a massage as soon as I sat down that a certain gentleman apologized and wanted to extend an invitation to take a look at his latest addition to his familia.  Looking at my host I told the chief if I could bring along a date I would love to but I might need a small favor as I had an appointment back in the states tomorrow night.  Contrary to popular belief not everyone involved with the cartels was straight out evil as some were astute business men and were in charge of taking the moneys earned and reinvesting it, some of those men that reaped the benefit of these men's business were completely legit businessmen who did not ask questions.  I had known the man who the chief was talking about for years having helped do the engineering on several of his properties one of which was a completely hand built cliff side hacienda not far as the crow flies.  One of the man's passions was raising beef and pretending to be a rancher and I had over the years helped him acquire prized bulls which he had managed to train to be like dogs, really big ones with horns.  When the chief asked if he should tell him two would be attending tonight I looked at the detective and told him make that six.  He nodded and said very well.  When the detective asked what I was planning I told him just find some boys who looked good in suits and could handle themselves and I would pay them for the trouble.

The manger asked what she should wear and I told her something that was comfortable but tasteful while making men lose their ability to keep their chins up and the spittle from rolling off their tongues.  Her next question was to her detective and asked him how long he had known their guest and he told her their guest had helped save his hide on several occasions when he was still working for chump change in countries he had never been to., to do jobs that never happened/  When he was gone the woman looked at her feet pulled them off my lap stood up and kissed me on the cheek and then told me to go get ready for our date. On my way back to my villa the house detective showed up by my side and asked how long I had known the ice queen.  Shrugging as I glanced back I told him since this morning he smiled and said he wished he had my luck. I nodded and and asked who he had in mind.  He nodded toward my bungalow.  Once inside I set down my bag and noticed the few  clothes I had had been hung up.  He noticed I was traveling light. Life on the road was easier that way and in my case I would leave bought clothes with maids telling them to find someone who could use them. In most of the world that meant their families.

Life Is About Mud Puddles

 Life is about mud puddles is what I once believed as a boy on those days when on the way to or back from school I did go, during, before and after the rain.  I remember Granada High School and the creek that ran between it and the main road across town.  On those days that the water was over the bike path was a good time to make friends.  I still smile thinking the number of people I carried on my back to keep their feet from getting wet as I played taxi.  It is not my fault they were all girls.  Then walking into class  late soaked on the days I actually went were those rare occasions I was given my excuse by the teacher.

 Of course that was only a short portion of my life but even after mud puddles were still important like the time I was working the Farmer's Fair near Lake Perris, the stage was set on the inside field of the dirt track behind off to one end was a mud pit.  One day Charlie Daniels was late arriving so jumping into my small pickup I did what any boy would and should do when the opportunity presented itself, I went and got stuck thankfully there was help to pull me out so Charlie's fans did not have to miss their show.  It was moments such as these that I think cement relationships

 In reality it is not so much about the mud puddle as it is more or less about finding adventure in your own surroundings.  Today for me it was after hearing a nearby river had crested portions of it banks I decided to take a drive and go verify for myself that this was the case.  I asked my daughter if she wanted to go along but a friend of hers from church had come over and since her parents think I am evil that was not going to happen, you would think after six years of me feeding their children when they are over and them not feeding mine when she visits their house they would have a clue who the evil one is but alas I suppose they do not teach that in church.  No matter our daughters are still friends and I encourage that as neither of them got to choose their parents.

 Well anyway at first my wife was not going to go and before I could get off our dirt road she called and said she would go, the fact is it is her car as all mine have been sold over the years.  The fact it is a jeep is its only saving grace as it is just too short so when I got up through several areas of flooding and came to much wider spot and saw how deep it was on the trucks I chose to turn around instead of continuing see I am smarter than I look particularly when my wife is in the car.  Stopping along the Hood Canal to take a few photos and would you believe when I looked down I found a buck floating in the sea water.  Hey this hobby of exploring has paid off. Maybe not so much for the livestock who are used to grazing the fields now under water but hey they can go across the street as the grass there is greener at least for now.

Heading back to town well, I wished I could explore some more but don't thing my wife would appreciate sleeping in the back of her jeep in the mountains where it was snowing, me I would not mind a bit, but even though the flag I saw flying reminded me of my freedoms I know I have to make a sacrifice so will have to be content to ponder life as I look at the sunset.

Plans Change A Story 11

Christina was holding my phone and tapping her chin with as she gave me an odd look.  I never expected what happened next.  She called the office and then asked to speak to Rachel.  When she answered Christina asked if she had recently received a call from Mr. C.  Rachel said she had;  Christina nodded as she said she thought so and effective immediately he no longer worked for the company and she should disregard his orders.  Rachel asked if Mr. C happened to be standing next to her.  Christina said that she just became aware who Mr. C was so yes he was standing next to her and as far as his back pay went she could take it out of the account she set up for him and send her the check per judges orders.  I asked Christina when exactly did she have the divorced finalized, she nodded and said strike that take the funds and put them into an escrow account.  Christina told her to tell Mr. Jeffery that she was with Mr. C and would need a ride home.  When she gave her the name of the resort, I began packing up.   When I finished gathering my knew gear and putting it into the larger rolling case I had also bought she asked what I was doing.  I smiled and told her it was nice of her to want to spend the day with me but since she no longer needed my services I was leaving.  I went straight to the office and was lucky to catch a shuttle heading back to the airport.  I had the driver drop me off at a stoplight two miles from the airport and then walked to a cafe just up the street from the airport.  I was not sure who I could call so I called my old handler and asked if there was something else she would like to mention.

She told me I could at least say hi and explain what I was calling for.  I told her Christina had made it final I was out and I was on my way somewhere.  She asked me where I was and I told her that was not important but if she was near the colonel I would appreciate if he looked into the crew that was hired to spy on my wife; I paused and said no that was wrong I meant Christina and my daughters.  She told me that just so I would know both she and Colonel were on the board.  I asked if she could to please tell me whose idea it was for Christina to divorce me.  When she did not readily answer I told her thanks for the help.  The colonel came on and told me we should talk; I told him later when I was in a secure location I would call.  I hung up and waited after ordering a sandwich and a beer.  I watched as the SUV's went by toward the airport.  I kissed my Cabo trip good bye.  Using a different phone I called another number, it was to the owner of a company which managed a fleet of executive jets for charter.  I told him I needed a ride but not from the Palm Springs Airport.  I could almost see him smile when he told me I had two choices unless I had wheels and then the possibilities were endless.  I chose the second option which would mean I would need to get to a small private airport.  I walked the two blocks to the airport and meandered my way through the parking lot stopped near a group of trees and use the camera to take pictures of the airport and specifically of the men who were milling about the SUV's and the sedan which I had taken the keys out of earlier.  As I waited I took out a cap and glasses and when a large group was arriving by bus as a plane was unloading I walked right through the group of men and noticed my wife inside the airport looking at passing faces. I climbed aboard one of the small public airport shuttles and had to wait for a family who was heading gratefully in my general direction.  In order to make room for a couple I took the passenger seat and guessed correctly by the drivers accent, he was from Jordan.  It was not until I was the last on the plane I told him to drop me at the private airport.  When I paid for my trip the extra two hundred dollars I told him was to take his kids to whatever theme park they wanted to go to.

I was not a drinking man per se but that night sitting in the restaurant at the little airport I did down a couple of drinks while chatting with a couple of old timers about engineering, the situation with our dependency on oil and from them I gleaned they were starting to work the fields up in the Dakotas.  Having been apart of the teams who had helped map out those fields for several large companies I smiled.  I hated the idea of going back to the cold but finding work would not be a problem.  When my old friend showed up himself he asked what I had gotten myself into.  I told him I had saved a woman from being ravaged, got beaten by a cop and arrested for it and I was not sure of what happened to that lawsuit as I had been stabbed in the leg with a dirty shank after I was arrested for getting my ribs broke by the cop and ended up in the hospital incognito for several months and then during that time Christina who had said she would not divorce me did and took everything after having an affair with the woman I had saved.  Helping me with one of my bags he told me he thought his divorce had been bad but at least she did not get his company; he smiled and said actually she did so he opened a new one and took all his clients with him.  Once aboard the plane he reintroduced me to the pilot and copilot who I had used on many occasions. Thankfully my good friend gave them what details they did not know.  The pilot asked how I was set for cash.  I smiled and said that part of this trip was to make some withdrawals.

Our first stop was home base for my friend and near one of my emergency fund deposit boxes. Prescott, AZ was not where you would think about headquartering anything but that was where my good friend oversaw a very lucrative business from.  While on the plane he told me he had a proposition to make me.  I nodded and he said he could use someone from time to time to negotiate terms, with clients and help explain how they could make money while losing it.  I looked at him and shook my head; smiling he said he was talking about the tax stuff.  I nodded and told him I was not an attorney and could not give legal advice, the pilot said no but I could explain what I would do if I found myself recently wealthy and went out and splurged on a private jet.  I nodded and told him from time to time if I was not busy I would be glad to talk economic theory.  I stayed at my friends house or rather ranch that night and he allowed me to borrow some wheels if he could come along for the ride.  His third wife I had only met once, but he had been smart enough to have a prenuptial but being ten years his junior she did not seem to care about anything other than her horses, her two young children and making her husband happy to come home.  She told me she was sorry to hear about my loss.  I looked at him and he shrugged saying I had been all over the news over the last year, well not necessarily me but they figured I was involved since Christina was all over the news and was always wrapped into the stories about Christopher's daddy he or rather they as he motioned to his wife figured I had somehow gotten into trouble with her.  Looking down I said I supposed getting married that young had not been such a good idea.

Kasey told me her take was that woman was still in love with me.  Shrugging I did not answer as I had not really had the time to process what had transpired.  At the moment I really did not want to as I did not want to deal with the emotional trauma, but I had to to an extent as I was not so sure who was after me.  The fact someone was, at that moment was evidently clear.  I would need to do some research on this man who had taken over my company, that he was military and probably in the intelligence community was evident. As I let it happen more questions flooded my mind, the first one being why had I been kept sequestered without visitors.  In the spare room study I was too use I set up my computers. Normally I avoided the fluff media but needing information I did a search that brought up fluff media.  Somebody was controlling the flow of information to the media as I was more or less my wife's estranged husband.  She had even won business woman of the year.  I had to give it to her she was taking my quiet little company and turning it into a major contender of which I was no longer apart of.  Two of my stops would be in driving distance and it hit me that trying to get work in America in my own name would not work and though I would travel under aliases getting work under one of them was not something I wanted to do as the headaches of being caught was definitely not something I wanted to do.  In Nevada were two of my stops, but first I would need keys and those were hopefully still at the house in the Carolina's.  As well I had a another set of papers at the office if they had not been found.  I made a call to the home of my longtime office manager.  Her husband answered and realizing it was me he told me just to let me know life was not as much fun now as it appeared his lovely bride who had kind of passed out would most likely be looking for a job.  I told him I was going to have to start a new company and it would be easier to hire someone who knew what she was doing than to train some sweet looking tiny bopper and hope she could remember where she put the to do list I gave her.  His next comment was to ask me if I would need an ex cop as he had been offered an early retirement.  I told him even better than that I could help him set up his own company with his wife in Vegas just as soon as I could get out their and pick up a few things and it would be nice to get an unbiased opinion on the man who was sitting in the driver seat.  He asked when I could be there, I told him to wait a minute and went and asked Ben how long it would take to get to Greenville.  He looked at his watch and told me before sunrise and asked his wife if she wanted to take the kids to see grandma for breakfast.

With that we were headed back to the airport.  On the plane as I watched the children I could feel the emotions forming; a soft voice asked what it had been like not seeing my children grew up.  Glancing next to me I said I actually did get to a lot of games and recitals as the girls were growing up and visited them whenever they were visiting grandma and grandpa and got home for their birthdays as well as Christopher's most years.  Though I suppose it was not the same as being there day in and day out, picking them up when they fell or helping change diapers.  Looking at Ben she told me that in her mind was definitely a good reason for divorce.  I smiled and told her I did not blame Christina and was surprise she had not cut me off a long time ago.  We both fell silent for the rest of the trip.  I must have fallen asleep as when I awoke we were on the ground.  I almost forgot Ben knew the two people we would be meeting.  He was hugging his old girlfriend now married to his best friend from high school. As Ben's wife took the loaner car to see his parents she told me to bring back her husband in one piece and preferably by breakfast.  The two pilots joined us and I was asked what kind of spy stuff would we be doing.  Shaking my head I told them we were not doing anything spy stuff we were just getting my wallet from my Office managers desk and a small box of keys I had collected over the years from my house.  It was the lone woman among us who said she had been fine with everything until Christina sold that house to the company she stole from us.  I told her to take it easy as their was plenty of work to be had with the expanding oil fields in the Dakotas.  Steven spoke up and said there was the issue of me not being gainfully employed by the company and not owning the house.  Nodding I told them the house was being leased out as a vacation rental and from my understanding was being currently rented by a production company making a movie.  With a smile on her face Christina's one time friend said she had never actually looked in that little wooden box.  Smiling I told her it was her dad's old wallet I had used and the passport was in a hidden bottom along with that i had thrown in some of the fake jewelry she and Christina used to wear along with her dad's obituary and pictures of her parent wedding and her children and since it was her dad's old cigar box with his name engraved on the bottom.  I nodded to the pilot and copilot and they nodded.

Looking at Steven I asked if he had retired yet.  Smiling he said two weeks and led Ben and I to his SUV.  he was on the phone almost instantly as he pulled away from the private terminal.  He smiled and said we were in luck he knew the deputies collecting overtime babysitting that old barn and his sister just happened to be the property manager and was more than happy to meet the county code violation people.  Both Ben and I looked at him and he said we just needed to inspect the building which had never ever had a permit issued for the remodel.  I told him because we did not need one and smiling he said in California they did.  Both men were surprised when it turned out I did not need to pretend anything as I was recognized by the director who called the producer out of her trailer.  When she asked what I was doing her I told the truth I was the previous owners estranged husband and had forgot my collection of trinkets and for old time sake I would really love to see the house my children were conceived in.  Apparently my face looked pathetic as she wiped a tear from her eye and led me inside and showed me my house which was filled with lighting equipment and camera gear.  When we got to the nursery I told her to excuse me for a moment and I walked over to the built in changing table and reaching underneath I pushed on the panel which released the latches in the wall.  Pulling on the table the wall opened to reveal a small access way between the interior walls and the old barn.  Steven said he remembered the doorway but not the changing table.  I told him I built it in after Christina decided this would be the nursery.  All four of them followed me up to what had been the play room for the girls.  There in the toy box was a smaller box which looked like an old toy jack in the box it was the only thing I had come to the farm with besides the clothes on my back as a child.  Ushering them out I told the producer she might want to check with the current owner which was essentially the previous owner by way of her company before going snooping.  In any event I set the lock which would take some work and cause damage if they chose to go snooping.

Once back in the SUV Steven looked at the old toy and asked if it still worked and I showed him that it did.  Ben said he remembered that thing and how I used to guard it like it was filled with gold.  I told him it had held memories.  The lock to open the box was triggered by the same handle that made the clown pop out.  It was basically set up like a combination lock only there were no numbers,  I had made use of the music and going forward and backwards it took me a couple of tries before it opened.  At the bottom of the now opened box were copies of every key I had ever needed, they filled a small felt lined tub. Steve said he would have never in a million years thought to look in that toy for keys.  Ben nodded and said if he had and found them he would just assume one of the children had collected keys.  Steve asked if I was sure I was not a spy.  I nodded.

With that done we headed to Ben's parents house for breakfast.  It had been a long time.  While there Christina called and asked if I happened to be there.  Ben's mom was not one to ever lie and told her yes as was Ben and Steve as well as her littlest angels her newest daughter and of course that little angel she used to play with.  Christina asked what I was doing and I told her I was visiting old friends and retrieving the only thing I brought with me into our relationship, my old clown in the box unless she wanted to take that away too.   She told me it was interesting how her office manager quit that same morning I showed up.  I said it was interesting that she quit right before she was going to be fired.  Christina told me she had no such plans and I sighed and said probably not but then she was not actually running the company and either she was going to let him do his job as he saw fit or she should let him go.  She asked if that was the only reason she went home; I reminded her I did not have a home but I also wanted to remind myself what I had given up over the years.  When she started to tell me my son would like to see me I quietly told her she should look at the news sometime as they were pretty clear on that I was not the father and that Christopher's father had rekindled a relationship with the mother of his child.  She told me she did not want to fight and I told her neither did I, and I needed to get back to rebuilding my life.  I handed the phone back to Ben's mom who had a way at calming people down and making them feel like it as all better.  When she was done talking to Christina she told her she would pass it on.  Sitting down to her big table for breakfast reminded me of years past.  I could not stop tears from forming. As we finished and said our goodbyes she arranged for her babies to stay a few days.  By that afternoon we were back in Arizona with two more guests as Steve took his two week vacation to finish out his time with the State Troopers.  At dinner that night one of the women asked me what I was going to do about Christina.  I told them there was nothing I could do as she had made up her mind without me and signed on the dotted line.  When I dumped out the keys onto the table I quickly sorted them.  House and office keys I would give back to Christina.

My oldest called Ben's phone and asked if she could talk with me.  She wanted to know when mom and I were going to work this out.  I had to ask her what exactly she thought there was to work out.  When she asked if I still loved her I said yes but if she had noticed her mom had made sure I had nothing left.  My daughter told me that maybe that was mom trying to start from scratch.  I had let that thought stew for a moment and then gave her my cell and told her to tell mom if she really wanted to talk to call me but if it was for a fight I really did not have time for that as I really needed to start working or she would be visiting me in a soup kitchen.  My daughter told me it was not that bad and I told her to have her mom let her look at the divorce decree and after reading it to call me and let me know what exactly was I left with and I would still like to know why she made the decision to go back on her promise.  When she told me that she felt like a prisoner in her own home, I pointed out to my daughter she was old enough to live on her own and could just leave and if those men pestered her to go to the sheriff and ask for his help and file for a restraining order.  To change the subject I asked how had she enjoyed doing the whole premier thing and she told me it was okay and then asked if I had not seen the news.  I told her no but if she wanted to she could tell me what happened and how her mom looked and who escorted her in.  When my daughter caught herself I asked if it was the fellow who starred in the movie; there was no answer.

I told my daughter I was not mad just curious as to what changed her mom's mind enough to break a promise.  The next morning as I took up an offer to go horseback riding I left early with Ben who decided I was his knew hobby.  Boulder City was my first stop, there I retrieved all the contents from the safe deposit box and closed the account.  In Laughlin I actually had three stops to make all of them at hotels.  One thing I had learned years ago, if you kept a balance with a casino so that when you dropped by they did not mind letting you make use of a safe deposit box.  I also dropped word I was looking for clients.  Vegas was no different.but I actually used the convenience banks in grocery stores.  I consolidated the three safety deposit boxes into one and went down and the way from that bank and rented a mail box.  In Mesquite I found a house for rent and paid cash for six months rent.  While looking it over I saw the pickup down the street for sale.  It was a good deal as I talked the elderly gentleman into selling it to me for half of what he was asking as my wife pretty much cleaned me out. That night we were joined by my knew partners.  When she asked how I planned on running a business out of a house I told her same way we ran a business out of that small office when I first started but at least this office would have a nice view of the mountains, the eighteenth green and our own swimming pool which I figured would be where I would keep office hours.  By the end of the next day I had a registered Nevada LLC, which then owned my percentage in the LLP I set up with both her and Steven and then handed him the keys to the truck and her the money, stock certificates and bonds accept for five thousand dollars.  Steve asked about furniture and I told him he was married to a very savvy and beautiful women who had an eye for interior design and could do so on a budget. His years as a cop kicked in and he asked where the money had come from and I told him I did not steal it or do anything illegal I had just thought it might be beneficial at times to have access to cash and so when I did side consultations I put some away for a rainy day.  Using the computers she wrote all the necessary paperwork and set up TIN's for both companies and then went and started opening accounts including secured credit cards.

The largest of which was for ten thousand dollars which she gave to me. She also set up for the phone services and local utilities.  Ben and I made a flight to New York and then Atlanta after which we picked up his children.  When we were back at his ranch he told me there was two ways we could deal with the bill for playing taxi; he could charge me or he could write it off as client relations but I had to sign a contract.  I told him to talk to the Operations Manager as she handled the details.  By the time we made it back to Mesquite she had lined up with old clients some ongoing consultation work this is where I told Steve he would earn his paycheck.  While his wife went back home as they still had teen children I went with my two old friends back into Colorado north of Grand Junction to a small town which was primarily made up of oil execs, ranchers and the community college professors. During our first meeting I through Dan a very nice bone indeed as the company which had been operating its own corporate fleet was moving away from doing so in order to appease the environmental groups.  Ben took over the leases right then and there and hired the pilots and flight crews.  Before we walked out I had my first job which was not so much  fixing a broken piece of machinery or building a new facility or upgrading an old one but auditing  their current operations in the northern plains.  What they were really wanting to know was how much did they really have to pay to keep the oil and gas fields secure.  As we were driven back to the airport by a senior vice president he asked me how much work did I really want.  I told him that depended on the kind of work and what my resources were at the time.  He told me primarily he was thinking more or less as a consultant.  I nodded and told him whatever I could not handle I knew who to hand it off to.  Nodding he told me he had sent out the word I had opened up shop.  I smiled and said if he stopped by the office we could pretend we like chasing a little white ball around a cow pasture.  He said his wife does and I told him to bring her along as the Senior Director of  Operations loved the game.  When he asked if he would know him I corrected saying he was a she and yes he probably would as she had been the operations manager over at Field Engineering Services.  Nodding he said we were lucky on that one and would pit her against any man in the business.  On the flight back to Arizona Steve asked what exactly he would be doing.  I told him he was going to be travelling a lot and could bring his children.  Nodding to toward where we had left I told him for this it was more or less going up and investigating a crime before it happens and then looking at their bottom line give them several options starting with all the bells and whistles and complete lock down to act like nothing was wrong and use your staff as the security.

I told him what I was going to do was figure out if someone wanted to do some damage with the least amount of resources to cause the greatest financial impact where that would be and then come up with a list of possible suspects.  Ben told him not to worry if I was not available he would figure something out as there was some great hunting and fishing.  Before I started I made the decision to contact the airline and explain to them I had an emergency at work which was why I missed my plane and if at all possible could I reschedule and leave from Either Vegas or one of the coastal airports.  I used my knew credit card to pay the difference.  Ben asked what I was up to and i told I had paid for a flight to Cabo and had planned on going down to drink myself under the table and pass out for a week so I was rescheduling as he would be busy enough and I needed to do some thinking. When it was confirmed we had a contract and a retainer I jotted down some notes for how I wanted a vehicle outfitted and handed it to Steve and told him to bring along our transportation consultant and get us a deal on some used vehicles and have them rebuilt to those specifications, keeping in mind that we would be working in deep snow and may be living in the vehicles and using them as field offices.  I told Ben to keep his ear out for guys with a good mechanical aptitude who could learn quick and fix just about anything.  They dropped me off at the house in Mesquite before driving back to Arizona.  Christina called me to tell me she had lost a longtime customer.   I told her it did not concern me.  Raising her voice she told me to please stop.  I shut up and listened to her vent, when she was done I asked if she felt better because I was a little busy with my new job.  When she asked when that happened I told her pretty much as soon as I started a new consulting company.

Christina caught her breath and calmed down and when she had regained composure she told me she had not called to fight but to ask if we could have dinner.  I told her to figure out a time or place and I would see if I could fit her in but it would have to wait a week or so as I would be out of town.  I stopped the small talk when I asked who she had gone to that movie premier with.  She asked what had I heard and I told her from what it sounded like she had been getting chummy with Christopher's dad again and I was having this idea that might have been a catalyst in her decision to go back on her promise.  Christina told me nothing had happened beyond them agreeing to be civil on behalf of Christopher and his wife had another engagement so when she arrived she agreed to walk in with him so he could ask how I was doing.  I told Christina about losing contracts in this line of business it helped if the person running the company knew something about what the company was doing and did not just use it to bring along his boys to hold their boss hostage in her own home.  She told me she was not hostage and I asked if she wanted to go skinny dipping in that big old pool how many men would be watching and has she asked her daughters how they felt having strange men watch their every move while those men were bleeding dry their inheritance.  Christina told me she had to get ready to go to the clinic as she had a surgery to perform.  I told her I bet she was not going alone.  She told me it sounded like I thought these men would rape their daughters. I told her it was a possibility as they answered to know one accept the man she turned over the company she stole from me to.  Christina told me they were all ex soldiers and I told her I hated to burst her bubble but not all soldiers were choir boys and I had known more than one to take what he wanted even from his fellow soldier as she was available.  I told her it was quite simple they had guns and she and the girls did not and if something were to happen Christopher bless his soul would try to stop them but either end up among the deceased or worse suffer the same fate.  She told me not to worry as he colonel had been staying at the guest house.

I asked her if he had been involved in the divorce settlement and she said her two girlfriends had handled it.  I had not seen that and I told Christina if she was smart she would get the children leave the house and jump on a plane and go home to mom's and sell off Field Engineering Services.  When she told me it was not that simple I asked if she had really wanted to divorce me and she told me no.  I told her to load the kids in the car and head for Vegas with her whole entourage if necessary and check into the Bellagio and I would meet them there. When she started to hesitate I told her not to even pack just get in the car with the girls and Christopher and I would arrange for her wedding dress and get her mom out here.  When she hung up I called Ben and told him I needed him to pick up my mom and anyone else he could think of and haul them to Vegas so they could watch Christina say I do.  I called Christina Back and asked how she was moving and she told me she had the children but had not yet told the colonel and I told her not to as he was the same man who kept me hidden for almost a year.  Something clicked and she said she would meet me there.  When she was gone I called the sheriff and asked if he had looked into my lawyer at all.  The sheriff said it was interesting I called as the man had just left saying he was reporting me as missing.  I told the sheriff I was most definitely not missing as I was in my new home in Nevada and if he could do a small favor I would owe him one as looking back I believe I was kidnapped and put into a medically induced coma by that man or on his orders.   When I hung up I received a call from my old handler who asked where I was and if I was safe.  I told her I was and asked where she was.  She told me at the moment she was driving like a bat out of hell with my wife and children headed for the airport to catch a plane headed for Vegas with her team cleaning up after them.  She told me not to go to hard on her dad as he was trying to run that company but he really had no clue what a field engineer did.