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.