When we got off the plane, we were met by three men from Miami. Not one of them gave the traditional Italian greeting which immediately pissed me off. I looked at little John to see what his face showed, but I saw nothing.


“Where's that son of a bitch from Kansas City?”


“He couldn't make it, he's up there planning war on your lab.”


“He won't blow it. It'll take out too much of that neighborhood.”


“I think otherwise, that's why I'm here. You just admitted to me it's yours.”


“Yes, it's ours.”


“You built it without permission. Excuse me for a moment, I'll be calling all the other families in for trial.”


“What the hell for!

Little John flipped out his cell phone and dial his phone. When it was answered, he said one word. “Sundown”. He then redialed and then “Shadows”.


He said, “I want your video and I want all the proof you have of what happened up there.”


“We have no video.”

Little John said, “That's the second lie you've told me since I've been on the ground. One more and I will kill you myself and give your fair city to this woman over here.”


The man look at him and said, “Since when did our organization start fraternizing with women?”


“When I decided. She's the first and I can well guarantee you she'll run this place better than you.”


“My guys won't follow her.”


I started walking to their limo. Their driver opened the door for me. As I got in, I saw they were following me.


As soon as they got into the car, little John said, “That's three lies. You just followed her yourself.” His eye were smiling.


“Who the fuck is she?”


“It's not of your concern. Be thinking of reparations I can give them for your lies and deceit.”


“They didn't ask, they told me to get the fuck out. No one tells me to get out of my own place!”


“It wasn't yours. You were there with permission. They went to Charleston and they got permission. Did you call Charleston when you were told to get out?”


“No”


“Then where did you follow the rules? You chose to believe because you weren't called that you were still welcome. By the way, that's your fourth lie. We will now be planning on your absence after trial.”


He looked down and dialed his phone. “Monsoon” he said into it.


He looked back up and said, “Your organization is about to experience something I never thought would happen. Your organization just got given to Kansas City. He turned and looked at me and said, “It's yours. Get your people down here.”


“Who the fuck is this!”


Little John nodded to me and I hauled off and slugged the guy. “Let me introduce myself to you, motherfucker. When you greet someone, you ALWAYS greet them with the Italian greeting. If I'd had permission, I would have hit you then.

Who the fuck I am is Little Gino. Head of Kansas City. You've lied and I'll kill you myself when this is over.”


“You'll never take it.” he said panicked.

“I just did. Because of your stupidity, I've got to get people down here and I've got to claim it.”


“Rhette, sit back.”


I sat back.


“He will die and I promise you can do it.”


“Good. I'll get you the recording of the conversation between Dave and he where he was requested to get out.”


“I already have it. Dave was asked for everything involving this mess when I spoke with him earlier. I expected treachery, but nothing to the extent it's happened so far.” He looked at the men and said, “Which one of you are his right hand man?”


“They're my guards.”


“That's the last lie. I will speak with you no more. Which one of you are his right hand men because if he told you to come onto the tarmac with him to greet me, I'll kill you both. No one is greeted by guards!”


They looked nervous.


“Little Gino, just as soon as we get to where we're going, we'll be greeted by my men down here. They'll have taken over his operations. We will then watch the video my men are shooting of the explosion up there. They've got a special video to show this man of his man up there screaming like a bitch and confessing more of this man's treachery.”


He looked at the man and said, “Your man is confessing now to figures and totals which are like nothing you've reported. Little Gino's videos and heat signatures showed me the true size of your operation there. You weren't given permission to build that. For that, you jeopardized this whole operation.

IF he can find it on his screens, I'm surprised the feds never found it. I'm supposing they never looked there because it's an elite neighborhood. When it's blown, those people will be asking for answers of which none will come because you will be dead.”


We pulled into a warehouse. It stopped and the driver got out and came around.


“Little Gino, wait in here with me until these men are taken away. You three, get out and get taken to the spot where we will have trial.”


“You can't do this!” the boss screamed.


“You too scream like a bitch when you know it is over. My men are already here. They've already taken your forces peacefully. If you listened, you heard no bullets bouncing off the windshield of this car which would have told me my men hadn't succeeded. Get out and I won't tell you again.”


The three moved and little John put his hand upon my knee. The door shut and he locked it.


“I will give you this city. It saddens me, but the final asset he possessed was the key to it. You will need to get David down here and give it to him to run. I hope this doesn't upset your plans too much.”


“We have no men down here and no structure. We'll be slaughtered.”


“My men have been infiltrating for nine years. They gave me a loyalty pledge before they gave him it. I will bring them to trial and formally charge them, but as I said, it's a formality. What I will do is I will meet with them and tell them I will absolve their disloyalty if they will pledge it to you.”


“Ok, where are we heading now?”


“We're not. We're going upstairs and we're going to watch the explosions which will be caught on camera and given to CNN. Steve has been coached as to what he will do because we need him to say all of our forces are his elite operations.”


“How are you going to explain the financial part of it?”


“A very wealthy benefactor is paying for them. That benefactor, on paper, will be that man who will die with his head cut off.”


“Damn, I didn't bring my other suit of clothes.”


He chuckled and said, “You won't get bloody.”


“I want to do it.”


“It's out of your hands. I promised it to someone else.”


“Ok”


“Your boundaries are Miami and three hundred miles north. That's it.”


“Ok”


“I wish that man had agreed so easily and kept his word. Tampa gets the honor of doing the deed for lands this man has taken and used to set up another lab without permission on those lands.”


“OH man.”


“Yeah, I regret you can't do it, but you've not been injured as much as Tampa. In a moment, Tampa will be in here. Assure the man this isn't your normal appearance so he will get to know you in the future without the disguise.”


“Let me call Dave and get him down here.”


“He's been made aware. He's been told what Monsoon entails and is coming. My man up there is named Steven too. We'll have to find a way to differentiate the two so there's no confusion.”


“Mine's named Steve. Steven can keep his name. Mine won't do anything with this operation except what he's allowed. I think it will keep it seperate.”


He nodded and said, “I'm sorry how this has went. I know it's sudden, but your men are celebrating.” He patted my knee again and said, “You know, you're enough to have me thinking about finding someone. Gino was a lucky man.”


“Steve is now. Gino let me go.”


“Yes, and do you know my dad even thought that was a bad move?”


“Really?”


“Yes.” He said, “That one Gino had will come back to bite him if he's not careful. But I knew it was different than that. I just didn't expect you to take this long coming back.”


“I didn't want to come back now. I didn't want to owe anyone anything.”


“And you don't. Consider what we've done favors returned and not granted.”


“For what?”


“For keeping the problem area under one rule for so long. For taking another problem and making it better. And for future sanity down here.

I'll let you know now, this area here is going to take every trick you two have up your sleeves. It's infested with so many who are trying to get footholds.”


“We'll be working on it. It might be messy for a while, but we'll be gaining holds.”


“I have complete confidence, that's why I made the decision to go ahead and give it to you.

I'll tell you now, you're going to be viewed with more respect than even I. This hasn't been done previously.”


“I know. I'll get a handle put on this. I need to ask a question.”


“What is it?”


“Can I recruit?”


“Whom?”


“Anyone and everyone who we can use.”


“Don't put them in positions of power without my permission.”


I nodded and said, “I think it will work now. What I will do is ask I have one that's up under David so they will know. I will make that selection myself and then bring the person to you.”


“I trust your judgement. I'll give approval when you bring the person, but please select wisely.”


“Oh, I will. I know what we face if I don't.”


We heard gunshots. I saw the two go down.


“It is happening. When I get the knock, I'll let him in. I think you will be surprised at who it is.”


“I have a feeling.”


“Give me your thought.”


“He can't cook worth a fuck and he's already seen how I'll protect my men.”


He laughed and said, “You are too observant.”


“I know who Gino hired and it wasn't that man. When he said Gino hired him, I thought for a moment I was mistaken, but I know I never met this man. When it's combined with the menu selection, I hope he learned a thing or two from me on what his men need fed before he ever needs to go to war.”


“What did he do?”


“We had this planned for Monday morning. He's feeding them greasy food today and had it planned to feed them it again tomorrow.”


“Oh man!”


“Yes, I told him if he insisted on feeding my men it tomorrow, he would be hauling that chow buggy back to Tampa without feeding a thing and I'd have it catered.”


He laughed and said, “I bet he realized he had you pissed.”


“It made no sense, so we quickly formulated a menu I would approve and then I started giving him cooking advice.”


“I hope he uses it. They use that chow buggy for a lot down here.”


“I imagine they do. What I will be doing is creating ways I can gain goodwill amongst the locals here.”


“I think you'll gain it. I can see the wheels turning.”


“Was David suspecting this would happen?”


“No. My decision got made when he kept lying. You will see David is a person you can trust, but it is wise not to trust anyone.”


“I don't like this feeling, but once I know I can trust him, I'll be better.”


“And me?”


“And you what?”


“Do you trust me?”


“I will see. You've made promises and those remain to be seen.”


“I'll get your trust.”


“Let's hope.”


“You've gained a lot of territory in one day. I'll arrange a meeting with St. Louis.”


“Let me ask one thing. When you bring them to me, do NOT bring anyone by the name of Michaels unless it's little Jimmy. I'll work with him, but tell the elders to go to a nursing home because I will NOT work with them.”


“What are your feelings there?”


“Too much animosity. They're not related. It's that part of me studying history and remembering all too much.”


“I was afraid it was feelings carrying over from Kevin's cellmate.”


“No. Big David did cell with him, and he did teach Kevin prison ways, but his tutilage didn't help Kevin.

Speaking of that, I will be bringing in someone from the outside for Springfield, Missouri.”


“Ok, care to elaborate?”


“Yes, His name is Tiny Ray. We were friends in prison. He's gay, but that's not an issue. What is an issue is the man took being stabbed nine times so I could go home unharmed.”


“Oh man!”


“Yes, so I want to reward that loyalty. I know that leopard never changed his spots and I know he will be someone who will make wise choices.”


“Keep him close. He's demonstrated his loyalty.”


“That's why I want him in.”


“Ok. Please bring the man to me when you bring him in. I want to meet him.”


“I will.”


“You're going to need a jet. I'll arrange for yours to be made.”


“When you do, have it painted to match my new Rolls.”


He chuckled and said, “I have a feeling those will be your colors.”


“I like the combination, but the two remind me of the colors when I think of Gino's home.”


“Come to think of it, you're right!”


“He got me all of this, so I'm repaying in little ways...even if it is symbolic.”


“Your loyalty to him is amazing.”


“It was love, not loyalty.”


He nodded and we heard the knock on the roof of the car. Little John opened the door and in got the cook. He smiled at me and said, “This is a surprise!”


“Yes, now my men can eat!”


He laughed and said, “I knew my cover was blown when you told me to pack up and get out.”


“It was safe until he told me I would be surprised who it was. “You're the only person I know from Tampa.”


“Then you need to get to our city more often.”


“It's beautiful, but I've already got three football teams I'll have to put up against yours.”


He laughed really loud.


“Well, I'm at a significant disadvantage.”


“Ooh, don't let your fans hear you!”


“I....I...I didn't mean it that way!” he said laughing a nervous laugh. “I meant three to one.”


Little John said, “In that case, mine is better than any of yours.”


I looked at him and said, “You're wise if you utilize that too.”


He nodded and said, “I see what you mean.” He looked across at the cook and said, “Rhette was teaching me what makes his people so special. A whole lot of things are becoming clear what I need to do in my own city. You'll be wise to take lessons from him.”


“I already have seen some things which really make me impressed. The way he went to bat for his men is one of them. He didn't step out of my ass until he knew I would give them what he wanted. After that, I thought about how I would have been and I realized I'd done what I was going to do to his men several times. That will change.

One other thing I see is how his men are a part of his family. He looks at them as family and sees no lines. All of his men see that and they pull up to him like a cat which is purring. Even his pilot is willing to come out of his jet and kill for him!”


Little John nodded and said, “I need to pay more attention to details. Rhette sees a problem and takes care of it immediately.”


I said, “I hope with all this extra territory, I'll be able to demonstrate to you the other way I'll handle them. It's not that much per month, so I'll have to do it in order to stay in close contact with everyone.”


“I think I'll ask to be put on your list so I can attend the meetings. I'd like to see how it works so I can get a grasp before I make it wide spread.”


“It will work. I do know that. I'll need that jet to get in and out of cities so I can keep up morale.”


He nodded and said, “I'm going to start that too. You've given me a lot of homework.” he said looking down. He looked up and said, “I'd like for you to become a little brother to Rhette. I know he'll be attentive to you and I think you two will build up your areas together where they're strong bonds.”


The cook said, “I'd be happy.”


I asked, “You'll be able to run your organization from up home?”


“Yes, mine is a small operation.”


“We'll change that, you've got a lot of good territory. A lot of it is utilizing your investments and getting invested in what you're controlling.”


“We have little money.”


“Why? You've got a port and you've got at least three major cities.”


“We had a bad shake up.”


“Then what we'll need to do is to empower your men to feel free to cultivate your boundaries so it's brought in profitable.”


He nodded and said, “I'll have to ask your assistance.”


“No problem. What I'll do is get you in on our web conferences and what I'll do is start getting you on my stops as well as David's.”


“That's another thing I really respect about you. Your relationship with David has shown me how close you keep him.”


“I've empowered him because I know he's smarter in business than me. What I want you to do for your homework is to find yourself a good accountant, a good lawyer, and a good businessman in your organization. You keep your muscle and we'll use those people to build your organization.”


Little John said, “I'll do the same.”


“What you need to do too is you need to start cultivating your turf for some people who are strong in the other ethnics. Yes, you need those men, but if you can draw in from the others, you'll find you've gained from them and their strength is now a part of yours. Those men will talk and they'll speak to the other groups and undermine their base of support. That's what I'm going to do here.

What I've got to do now is I've got to get this area better financially. I'll pull in ordinances and lend it to them, but they're going to have to pay me back.”


“You need to look at this area as a part of yours.”


“No, it's like you looking at New York as yours and all the rest as yours. You delegate authority, as do we. It's what makes us strong, however this area can't be seen as part of Kansas City because if they do, they'll lose their identity. For me to do that wouldn't be fair to either Kansas City, or Miami. I'll treat them each as children, but that's it.”


He nodded and said, “I'm now seeing what you're doing. I hope I've not made a mistake in giving you this territory.”


“What does that mean?”


“You've got six areas now under you. That's a base of support that could take me out.”


“Bullshit. I gave you my loyalty and support and you're now suspecting I'll be a liar. That's unwise on your part.”


He smiled and said, “I didn't mean to offend you. I'm guessing I'm feeling insecure because I'm seeing where your strengths are.”


“That's understandable, but what you will learn from me is how to manage better and increase your power. Did you mistrust a teacher in grade school?”


“No”


“Then look at me as teaching you as if you were a lad again. You'll learn newer and better and together, we'll rise to be more powerful than ever before. The one thing we must do is not get so set in our ways the new ways become suspect. If we do that, then we're no better than those dinosaurs you're going to have to replace.”


“I'm now understanding what I've got to do. It makes more sense.”


“Well, let's get out of this car and go see what I've gotten myself into.”


He laughed and said, “You're really interesting to me. You teach and then you sound like a mother.”


“Me-maw taught me well. Gino thought he had the power, but I knew she ruled through her little humming and the way she pursed her lips. If she gave that man any sign she wasn't happy, he knew he was in for a world of hurt until things were back to rights.”


He chuckled and said, “My grandmother was the same. My dad was all flash, but when he got home, he was still her son. Maybe we should turn this thing over to the old women.”


“If you do, all the young Italian guys we bring in will be stripping!”


They roared with laughter and he said, “I imagine so!”


We got out of the car and I asked, “Why a warehouse?”


“They chose this.”


“Well, it's got to change.”


“Change it, but don't be too obvious.”


“I'll probably find a penthouse like out in San Diego. We can run operations from here, but all the main power will be there.”


“I like that out there. You need to go see him.”


“I know. It's been too long.”


As soon as he made the statement, I knew he knew about Lance's condition.


We walked over to the offices and up into the board room. In a hallway, I ran my finger over a window ledge and came back with nothing but dust and shook my head in disgust. CNN was on showing the black smoke rising from the island.


“We've got to get home soon. Let's watch that video.”


We watched the video and then we continued to watch reports from the area. At least five times in fifteen minutes, I saw Steve on the news. It seemed the camera man was following him wherever he went. What made me proudest was the look on Steve's face. I knew he was worried because his eyes were squinting some, but his back remained straight. The best shot of the whole day, I thought, was one of Randy's girls running up to him crying and him picking her up.


“I'm scared.” she said with her finger in her mouth.


“It'll be alright. I'm here.”


I turned with tears in my eyes and said, “Buy me that footage. That's what we're going to run as one of his ads.”


“It's your footage. The camera man is one of yours from Kansas City.” he said with tears in his eyes. He looked at me as a tear ran down his cheek and said, “I could run that man for President right now and he'd get it. You need to call him and tell him to make the announcement tomorrow he's running for Governor and criticize the Governor for his slow response.”


“Ok, we'll need to do it subtly with a sign on his chest or something. I don't want him seen as using people's misery for his betterment.”


“I'm going to make some calls and tell the DEA, FEMA and FBI to start referring to Steve in all their comments in a favorable light.”


“What are we going to do about getting them having someone to pin this on?”


“The man's head and hands are being sent to Washington so they can use it to pin it to him. No mention of where he's from will be made.”


“Ok, but refer to him as a major underworld drug manufacturer. I'll tell Steve to make a statement about him stamping it out in his area and apologizing to his citizens for not knowing it's there.

You get someone who is notable on CNN to corroborate how grow houses are in average neighborhoods and most law agencies are fooled so he's not looking like an idiot. Then, you get me a grow house not too far away we can be seen as busting.”


“Man, you're putting this together.”


“I need to hit hard and have those people up there seeing he's doing something. What we'll need is someone that's a neighbor who acting upon what he heard on CNN and reporting it to the Sheriff. We need a hero in this that's an average citizen.....hold on, get Andrew to do it!”


Little John was smiling and said, “You're orchestrating this thing like it was your whole plan.”


“Yeah, but if we can keep a momentum, it's not going to be yesterday's news tomorrow and history by Thursday. I want us to get a good week from this because that's how long it would take for us to recover from a hurricane.

You tell CNN to keep that man live as often as possible for the next three days and then get me a grow house he can bust on Tuesday which will get him a new ignition of fire up there. I want the FBI to be left scratching their heads and saying their scans with their copters for heat didn't even turn up anything so it's not pointing fingers at Steve as being inept. Then, you get neighbors around that house who are being seen saying “the people who lived there look average and we didn't even suspect.””


“Oh man, this is going to be good.”


“We need to get home. I want Steve to be on a dozer by Thursday with a camera man filming and Steve saying that road much be rebuilt. That will get us a tie in to roads for his campaign.”


“Holy Shit! I see how you're doing it now!”


“Yeah, I want the average Joes to be watching him take control and I want them to be nodding their heads in agreement. IF we can get a whole state to doing that, then we'll have the good old boys eating their hatred when they find out he's gay. Because their friends will turn it back on them. I'll stay in the background seen comforting some of the elderly. Tell the camera man to get me footage of it all on CNN. I'll get the votes of all the fringes.”


“Ok, we'll get it done. I think we need to get you back up home. You're going to be running my ass ragged down here.” he chuckled.


We went down and got in the limo. The bodies were already taken away, but the bloodstains remained.


When we got to the airport, little John tapped my arm and said, “That jet there is just like the one you'll be getting.”


“It's beautiful.”


“Yes, I think mine will be one when I replace it. The value of them are amazing.”


“Good. I hope not having an American made jet will not bite me later.”


“Boeing's not going to say anything because they're in on that endeavor.”


“Good.”


We flew out and then I turned to the cook. “You would have had to left right after us!”


“Yes.”


“You could have flown down with us and it would have saved fuel.”


“No, it was meant to be as a surprise, but when we get up there, don't let my identity out.”


“I won't, but I've a question.”


“What is it?”


“Tomorrow, you're going to have help in your trailer. She's a woman who is my beautician. I need to find a nice older man for her. I have a feeling she's well aware of the family, but I want to find her someone.”


Little John said, “How do you know she's aware of the family?”


“She made mention to the Charleston family.”


“What's her name?”


“June.”


“Ok, she's a widow.”


“She said she was divorced.”


“Yes, but he's now dead. She should be on benefits. If she's not, let me know.”


“Ok, I'll casually ask.”


The cook said, “Maybe I could be more better to find out. She won't view me as someone who is in any position.”


“Ok, I appreciate it.”


As we flew, little John was calling people and giving them orders to fulfill what I was wanting. When he got off the phone once, he chuckled and said, “That man said he's dealt with a lot of campaign managers, but this campaign manager is better than what he's dealt with before because of the amount of orchestrating.”


“I love him. I've got his best interests at heart.”


I dialed the phone and called Rose, “Hello?”


“Hi, what I need you to do is get a bunch of elderly together, both black and white so I can have a photo op with Steve when we get back.”


“He's rather busy right now.”


“I know. It's my camera man that's on him and getting him all over CNN.”


“Really!”


“Yeah, so what we need is that photo op so we can garner the elderly vote in the elections.”


“Ok! I never thought of that. If we can make them a star on CNN, they'll remember and then when we show that ad, they'll be a star again on the commercials.”


“Yes, and we've already got the footage of him with Randy's little girl.”


“What happened?”


I told her and she said, “Oh hon, I've not seen it but it's brought tears to my eyes.”


“It's one of those moments which just happened.”


Little John tapped my arm and said, “Tell her it will be on CNN at the top of the hour. We're running it for the next eight hours.”


“Did you hear that?”


“No.”


“He said he spoke to CNN and they're running that spot at the top of the hour for the next eight hours.”


“Ok, I'll watch it. Tell him thank you.”


“She said Thank you.”


“Tell her she's welcome for giving you someone you can love that much.”


“I heard him.”


I got off the phone and little John said, “I've got a house for you. Ray over here will get those plants in and get it looking like a real grow house. When you get a chance, you get that kid out there being seen in the neighborhood by a neighbor and then we'll get him see talking to Steve on that live shot. Then, on Tuesday, after the bust, we'll have Steve do a quick photo op with him being labeled a local hero because he told. I'll get you people Steve can be seen arrested who will be the ones responsible for it. We'll do that on Friday to stir it up again. Then, we're going to have the Sheriff down in the county down there get a report about that lab and be seen with the FBI and the DEA going in. I made that deal so we can get those guys to give Steve equal billing on everything. They'll be doing photo ops on live shots and press conferences so Steve's face stays out there.”


“Thanks.”


“No problem. It gets rid of our problem and it helps you. It's worth it.”


“You're sure it can't be tied to Miami?”


“I'm sure. The county records are being changed now. The man is being listed as coming from that address up there.”


“Ok, that will make it tidy because then the FBI can't find anything.”


When the plane landed, little John said, “We'll wait to get off. You go ahead and get off.”


I looked at him strange, but figured he had business to discuss with the cook. When I got to the bottom of the steps, I saw Steve running to me. He swooped me up into his arms with a huge embrace. I saw the camera filming us and asked, “What the fuck?”


“Photo ops hon” he whispered in my ear.


“I'm in drag!”


“Yeah, we're doing what we can to snag the red necks and have them saying you're hot and I'm a lucky man. They'll jack off thinking about you and then when they find out you're a guy, they'll have doubts about themselves.”


“Ok, I'll play along and give them the strut.”


We went over to his patrol car and said something to the camera. Then he came around and got in and drove us out of there.


“I just told the camera and everyone you were already flying in and I had given you my word I would be picking you up, so I had to keep my word no matter what. I also told them I would fill you in on the situation as I took you home.”


“Good, now I'll be insisting on going downtown to where your mom is to comfort people.”


“Huh?”


“I called your mom and told her to get a group of black and white elderly together so we could comfort elderly. It will get their votes later.”


“Oh man, you're thinking of it all!”


“Hon, the best one was when you picked up Randy's little girl. It had all of us wiseguys with tears in our eyes.”


“Really!”


“Yeah.”


“That wasn't even supposed to happen. As it turned out, it was the crowd that had scared her.”


“Well, it's going to be one of your ads and then we're going to tell the adults of the state you comforted them too when you were handling the situation. Then we'll say with an announcer, “For Six Days, Sheriff Steve Jackson handled himself in a manner which the Governor did not.” Then, we're going to have you make an announcement tomorrow criticizing how the Governor hasn't acted as fast as he should have. What you don't know is the Governor is being told to stay the fuck away.”


“Really?”


“Yeah, we're orchestrating things behind the scenes you have no idea.”


“Like what?”


“The feds area all being told whenever they make statements to praise you and talk you up. They're going to be out here in photo ops with you as you're entirely too busy to talk to them otherwise. Then, when they do have press conferences, you're going to be there and you're going to be deferred to.”


“Man!”


“Yeah, it's going to make you look like the man in charge. Little John said he could run you for President right now and get it for you. He's pushing buttons as fast as I can. Together, we're on this for you hon.”


“So this is going to run for six days?”


“Yeah, right now, we're getting a grow house put together. Sometime, Andrew will be seen by the neighbors and then he's going to come up to you on camera someplace and be seen telling you something. On Tuesday, you'll bust that house on camera and then, you're going to make him a local hero on the air.”


“Wow!”


“Yeah, right after that, CNN will have someone who is an authority on there speaking and saying how you couldn't possibly know about those things because that's the way the drug manufacturers work.

Then, we're going to have the FBI say they never even saw the grow house on their scans of the area and how they would like more citizens to report suspicious activity to their local Sheriff.”


“Man, this is turning into something else!”


“Yeah, but the eyes of the state are upon you and everything after this is going to be reported as something which is your response to making your area safer. With CNN reporting it, you sure know the whole state is going to watch and each one is a free ad for you running for Governor.”


“Ok, Dave and I had a really good talk.”


“Good. Now, I need to tell you something.”


“What?”


“I got given the Miami area. It shouldn't affect us any because I'm going to put Dave over it. It's going to take some to get it up and running.”


“What happened.”


“Little John had all sorts of information we couldn't get fast. When we got down there, the man didn't kiss him on both cheeks which was a like a face slap to him. Then, he lied repeatedly about everything, but he did admit it was his. What we later found out was there's another huge lab that's in Florida attributed to this man.”


“What they going to do about it?”


“It's going to be discovered and reported. That's what's going to get the DEA and FBI out of here. It's our deal to get them to talk you up to the press.”


“Ok, I'm understanding how this is done a lot better now.”


“Good.”


“So, do you want photo ops?”


“Yeah, I want us seen together for a while. I want us to be seen as working together and us being the ideal couple.”


“Ok, but all the state is going to be amazed at how I'm luckier than hell.”


“They better be looking at me as the lucky one.”


He smiled and held my hand. “I'm going to be doing a few kisses publicly. I want them to see we're affectionate.”


“Ok, now on Thursday, we're going to have you over there on a bulldozer.”


“Why?”


“Because I want you to be insisting on those homeowners getting their road back open. It's going to tie you into providing good roads to the state.”


“Ok, that's a good idea.”


“Thanks, now we have to be seen somehow with the disadvantaged youths as you being seen as caring for them.”


“We'll see if I can think of something.”


“I'll see what we can get for a basketball game outdoors. That would look good for a photo op, but wait until I'm out of my dress clothes because I want to be in something which tones it down a lot more.”


“Ok, you're doing amazing.”


“Thanks, I've got some more news, but it can wait. What we'll do is we'll put this to bed right after dark. I do want you to have night shots, but right after that, we'll get home. They'll have some press conferences, but those won't last long. You'll probably be asked to do a lot of news tonight and then I'd say, Larry King will have you on probably Wednesday. If possible, I'll do that with you. It should really be amazing because I think we'll come out there.”


“Ok, I think the quicker we're honest with the public, the better.”


“Me too. What I'm afraid of is them catching wind about me and that news back home.”


“Ask little John to keep it down low. It wouldn't look good if we're seen as being just together. It will look staged.”


“I understand.”


I flipped open my cell phone and called little John.


“Yeah”


“Ok, here's what we need, but you've got to get to CNN and the news back home and tell them to keep my involvement with my beating out of the press. They'll investigate me and this could blow up as being staged.”


“I never thought of that, I'll get on it.”


“On Wednesday, get us on Larry King. It will be good for Steve because we'll have the grow house from Tuesday. What we'll do is we'll come out of the closet on Larry King. By then the good old boys should have whacked off a few rounds.”


He laughed


“With us coming out, everyone's going to see us as normal and him as being a lucky man....when I'm the lucky one. Get the National Enquirer on the phone and tell all them to leave any investigative journalism out of it and give us a favorable slant on being gay. Ok?”


“Sure, that will make you household names and bring the average public to bat for you.”


“Yeah, now, what we're doing is we're going to do a lot of photo ops so everyone can be seeing us as the first couple. Ok?”


“Sure, we're just pulling up to the plantation now.”


“Alright, we'll see you later. I'll be contacting you periodically.”


“I'm getting ahold of some publicity people to throw them together so we can think of more things.”


“We're going to be getting a bunch of youths together so we can get the photo op. I need someone to bring my clothes in from earlier so I can change out sometime.”


“I'll have Alex do it. Your security needs to be around you.”


“I never thought about them. Where are they at?”


“I'm not sure, but they should be there.”


“I really don't like not knowing where they are. This is crazy.

What you can do is you can open a school as an emergency center. Get some food over there and get those kids to playing basketball. We can use that for the photo op. It doesn't matter if there are any displaced people.”


“I'll get it done. You're doing great.”


I rung off and Steve was smiling. “You're brain is going fast. I'm proud of you.”


“Well, it has to look real.”


“It will. You're thinking of things I wouldn't.”


We got out of the car over where they had the road blocked off near the causeway. The position Rose had chosen for the photo op with the elderly was amazing. It showed the smoke rising in the back ground.

I went over to the camera man and said, “You get that shot with the smoke rising and us comforting these elderly. You get close up shots, but you do NOT get my eye socket.”


“I never even noticed.”


“Well make sure they don't either, but I want them to see the tears.”


“Ok, I'll get it.”


“We're playing things fast and if you see anything you think would be a good photo op, you scream it at me. We've got several in mind, but the goal is to get him in the Governor's mansion.”


“Will do.”


I turned around and put the artificial tears in my eyes. When I turned around, they looked genuine. Mascara was running and I knew I'd need to get a new face done before I could do anything else.


When I went over, I began shaking hands with people. A short black lady saw my tears and instantly hugged me. “Baby, it'll be alright!”


“Yes, with him here, we'll be fine.” We turned and looked at the smoke rising and then when we turned back, I turned so my left side was showing and my good eye socket was closest to the camera. The tears were flowing and I hugged her to me again with my head raised. Right behind me was the rising smoke. I heard a camera doing it's snap whir...snap whir...snap whir...(Who knew the fucking thing would end up on the cover of Newsweek? Damn I'm good.)

I continued down the group of elderly and shook hands. When I got to an old man, he said, “It made me think of Pearl Harbor all over again.” By then, the camera man was close and got his comments. I knew it was going to be another moment. I hugged him and said, “Thank you for serving our country.” We parted and he said, “He's a lucky man.”


“I'm the lucky one. You made the world safer for us once, and he'll do it again.”


When I stepped away, the camera man was smiling like you wouldn't believe. “You just got the veterans votes too.”


I walked along the causeway and when I got to the blockade, an FBI man said, “Mrs Jackson, you're cleared to go through if you'd like.” I looked at him strangely and he smirked. “They've got a HUMVEE over there.


“Can I bring this news man?”


“He can take shots, but if there's a body laying around, he can't show them. We're not allowing press in yet.”

“Ok” I turned to the camera man and said, “Come on. You're getting them the exclusive.”


He smiled and said, “When we get up there, you put on a show of crying but looking proud. I want this state to feel you're with them emotionally.”


“Ok, I'll think about it as if it were my home that got blown to hell.”


“It was something else. I'll say that. The shock wave from the explosion was enough to knock windows out and set off alarms all over the place.”


“Has CNN reported that?”


“I don't know.”

“Let me call.”


I called little John. “Yeah”


“Has CNN reported what the shock wave was like? It knocked windows out all over the place and set off house alarms.”


“I'll tell them to report it and find the furthest alarm and have them report that.”


“Ok”


“Thanks, it will give them something to put in as filler. That last scene of you was amazing!”


“The next one's going to be good. We were allowed to go up to the blast zone.”


“What!”


“The FBI cleared me to go through.”


“Ok, well that means our man is working. Good.”


I rung off and said, “The shot you got back on the causeway was awesome.”


“I knew it would be.”


“Keep this up and whatever they're paying you, I'll double.”


“Ok, you got yourself a deal.”


“Get him some really really good shots. I don't care how you do it, but I want him to have shots like you wouldn't believe.”


“We've got a ton of them. I'll get more. This is my specialty.”


“Great. Where are you from?”


“Kansas City, I knew you when you and Tony were together.”


“That was a whole other life.”


“I can tell. You're looking a lot different.”


“Yeah, a lot of plastic surgery.”


“I can tell. When I heard your name, I remembered you, but at first, I thought it was two different people. When you mentioned your eye socket, I instantly knew. What happened?”


“I got beat by four guys back home. It was in the news last week when they got arrested.”


“Ok, I filmed the Sheriff up there. He is a real asshole.”


“Yeah, but he'll not be Sheriff in the next election.”


We pulled up to the blast zone and got out. “I'm going to go back as far as they'll let me and get shots of these trees broken off. You go up there and I'll get a shot of you. Don't be wailing away, but just have tears in your eyes. I'll give you a shot and then, I'm going to take it on past you to the devastation. This is fucking incredible.”


I went up and I heard his footsteps away. I put the artificial tears in my eyes and got ready. He came up and then, he got the shot of me and I shook my head sadly. He went past and I went back towards the HUMVEE. When I got to the HUMVEE, I heard a “Hmmpf” off in the brush. I turned to look and listened for where it came from. My senses were alert because I expected to be shot at any second. Then, I heard “Hmmpf”


“We GOT ONE!”


“What!” a military man said behind me.

I was already running toward the sound. “Hmmf”


I looked down below a patch of brush and squatted. The patch of brush moved and I saw fur. “Hurry! It's alive!”


I moved the brush. It was one of their dobermans. I lifted it's head. The cameraman came running and the way he was running, I knew he was filming. I lifted the dog and a faint squeal came from it. I put my head down near it's neck and said, “It's ok boy! No one's going to hurt you any more.”


It looked up at me with pain in it's eyes and I said, “Get me a veterinarian. This animal's hurt bad.”


I carried him up and got in. The military man got in the humvee and said, “We'll get you there, I know where one is.”


The cameraman got in and said, “This is incredible. CNN's now screaming in my ear asking to continue the shot. I'll get it when we get you out of the truck. You get me a lot of tears when you have to release that animal. Being a dog lover will endear you to a lot of people.”


“That's not fake. I've got a cocker spaniel at home. She's my world.”


He smiled and said, “Well, this one just got you a huge following.”


“Well, if I can this one's going to be mine. If you can save a dog like this, it'll give it's life for you.”


“Hmmpf”


“It's got a lot of broken bones.” I said. I could feel it's rib cage really flailing from double fractures.


We rolled through the road block and didn't stop. He rolled up up around the corner and into a parking lot. The cameraman jumped out and around the truck as the military guy opened my door. I got out and carried it in. The receptionist said, “Oh my god! Doc!”


A man came out and I said, “This dog was up in the blast. It's got a lot of broken bones.”


“Bring him in here. We'll get him looked at.”


“Whatever it takes, I'll pay it. I want this dog to live.”


“It could be expensive.”


“I'll pay it.”


“OK, give your name to the receptionist.”


The camera man was standing in the reception area when I came in. The tears were real. My front was covered with blood and mud. I went over to the receptionist and said, “Here's my name. My cell number and my debit card number. Use whatever you need to get that dog well.”


“Ok, we'll give you a call.”


I went back outside and turned to face a camera. I brushed back my hair and said, “Get that away please. I need time to be alone.” The tears came and I crouched down.


Wisely, he didn't stop filming.


“We've got to make this world safe. If he can't make it safe for everyone, what in the hell are we doing?” I wondered.


Steve came over and said, “Babe, are you ok?”


“Oh Steve”


“Honey, it's ok. I just heard.”


“That dog is just so broken.” I said sniffling.


“He's in good hands. I need to make sure you're ok. You're my world.”


“I'll be ok. I want that dog.”


“You can have him. I'm sure his owner is dead.”


“It's terrible up there.”


“Yes, but we'll have to make it better.”


“It's too much.”


“Honey! It'll be ok. Sometimes the bad guys don't win.”


“You promise?”


“Yeah”


“I love you.”


He hugged me and said, “I love you too.”


The camera man said, “Cut!”


“You motherfucker! I told you to stop filming!”


“I couldn't. It was the best shot I've ever had. This is like fucking 'Gone With The Wind'!”

“It better be because to me, that was a private moment.”


Steve smiled and said, “Hon, raise your voice. You're sounding like a man. Your make up's a mess and your clothes are ruined, but they've got your clothes over in my car.”


“Ok, well dude, you going to go to a restroom with me so I can get changed?” I said looking at the camera man?”


“No, but I'll film you coming out.”


“Well, it'll have to be a unisex bathroom. We've got to keep the game up for now.”


Steve said, “The Citgo station has one.”


“Ok, let's go there.”


We drove over and I went in to change. The station had a television on and said, “Mrs Jackson!”


Steve snickered and I said, “Shush!”


“I need to use your restroom to change if you don't mind.”


“Sure! It's a pleasure to meet you.”


“The pleasure is mine.”


I went into the restroom and changed. In the bag, I found a wash cloth. I used it to wash my face and after a quick tidying up of my hair, I took a look at my eyes and saw the eye shadow was still in place. At the bottom of the sack was eyeliner. I put it on and then stepped back to take a look at my appearance. I threw everything in the sack and then stepped out into the store.


“Thanks!”


“Mrs Jackson, we're going to be holding a benefit at the Methodist church, would you please come?”


“Sure, I'll be there with Steve. When is it?”


“Next Saturday.”


“Ok, count us in. I'll call myself and leave a message so I get it put on my appointment calender.”


I flipped open my cell phone and called the house and left the message. All the while, the camera was rolling.


When we stepped outside, Steve came over and said, “You're looking a lot better. Come here and give me some lovin's.”


I went over and kissed him. He was leaning back against the hood of his car. The he lifted me. The shot was really nice. “We're going to go over to see the center the Red Cross set up at the high school.” he said loud enough the camera could hear.


“Ok, maybe they need someone to serve food.”


We rode in the patrol car over. When we got there the camera man walked backwards leading us into the center. I went over and asked, “Do you need anyone to serve food?”


“No, no one's here yet, but we expect a lot of those military and fire personnel in soon.”


“Ok, if you need me, here's my cell number.”


We went out and I saw the boys playing basketball. One did a wolf whistle and said, “Sheriff, is this your lady?”


“Yeah”


“Man, she's a knock out!”


I went over and said, “Ok you guys, here's the game. I dribble the ball up and the Sheriff's on my team. You guys think you can beat us?”


“Yeah!”


“Well, this is street rules. The rules of the street are there are no rules. If I make a point, then you guys got to stay off drugs for a year. If I make five points, you guys got to call me if anyone ever tries to get you to take drugs and I'll bring my man over there. He'll arrest them and you'll stay away from it, ok?”


“What happens if we make a point?” One asked.


“You make a point, then we buy your guys lunch. I'll tell you now, we're only going to play for five minutes. Ok?”


“Sure”


I dribbled the ball in and did a lay up and got the first point. “That's a year.”


“Ok”


“One threw the ball in and I did a run and snagged it. Before they knew what happened, I hit the net with nothing but air from the three point line.”


“Five points!”


“No fair!”


“Yes, it's fair to you. Now, you guys hurry up and make your point so we can buy your lunch.”


They smiled and said, “You set us up!”


“And be thankful you were. The point is to keep you safe from drugs, not to play basketball.”


They threw the ball in and I stood back. They made their point and I went over and did high fives. “Ok guys, here's the deal. Tomorrow, you meet us downtown at McDonald's. You guys bring your friends who want lunch and you tell them I'll buy if they'll agree to the terms of this game. IF they don't and you change your minds, then consider yourselves losers because that's what you'll be if you take drugs.”


“Ok”


I went over and walked away with Steve having his arm around me. “Babe, that was amazing.”


“Yeah, but this is turning into an ad for me. This is supposed to be about you.”


“No, because I'm not going to be able to do everything. Everyone's going to see you standing there with me and are going to think of you as the most vocal first person ever.”


“Well, I want us to keep our word to those kids. I sure hope McDonald's is prepared for the amount of kids we'll have. That announcement just went out over CNN. I'm sure we'll have kids from Charleston and Savannah here!”


“That's ok. If the message gets out, we'll pay for it.”


“I think so too.”


I turned and the camera man said, “CUT!”


“Dude! Please let us have a clue when you're still filming.”


“CNN's screaming in my ear they're wanting everything they can of you two.”


“It's not a reality show!”


“That spot right there is awesome. They're telling me their phone lines just all went lit.”


“Really!” Steve said


“Yeah, Parents are now telling their kids they'll take them to McDonald's if they'll agree to those terms!”


“Holy Cow!” Steve said laughing. He looked at me and said, “Babe, that was what this is about. You're not meaning it, but look at what you're getting us”


The camera man said, “Rhette, we need to go back and get shots of the people milling and you two doing some comforting. We need him to be strong for the people.”


“Ok”


We got in the car and the camera man jumped in the back seat. “I'm filming the conversation.”


Steve took my hand and began driving. “It's hard for people to fathom what's over there because of the road being blocked. I think your filming will be good for people. IF they can imagine their whole neighborhood being blown off the face of the map, then they'll know those drugs are not only unhealthy, but dangerous for everyone. What's hard for people to get a grasp is the amount of lengths people will go through to get them. Out there in America, there are mothers selling babies, kids robbing houses, and people killing people just for the next fix. We've got to stop it.

In my county, the worst thing I thought I faced until today was sales happening. Now, I see this and had no clue. How many times I've driven through that neighborhood, I'll never know. If I can do it and not know, then how many people were in danger? How many people are in danger all over this country?

Babe, your hand's shaking!”


“I'm thinking about you possibly being hurt. It'll go away. It's something I've got to get used to.”


“Nothing's going to happen to me!”


“Steve, how many people over there are dead because it wasn't going to happen to them? They're dead now. How many more people have to die before it's safe?”


“Things are going to change. I've got to make them change.”


“Ok, but be careful. The bed's awfully cold without you.”


“As long as I've got you, I'll make it home.”


We drove down the street in silence and I said, “Sometime, I need to go check on that dog. That poor animal. It'll probably cost us ten grand, but I want that dog to live.”


“It was an attack dog.”


“It was a dog living it's life in the best circumstance. How many people do you know that were mean people who got out of it and became better?”


“A few”


“Should they have been left to die? No. So this dog has to know life is better and someone cares.”


“That's what I try to do for all my people out here. I show them I care and I hope they'll get better.”


“All it takes is if you'll believe in them. Let's get back out there and show them we care.”


“I'll get you to see your dog babe.”


“Ok, I love you. You know that.”


“I know it and you know it too. If anything ever happens to me, you know I did what I could. Ok?”


“I will, but I've got to have faith.”


He parked the car and we got out. “Mrs Jackson! Over here!”


I turned and saw cameras. I smiled and said, “They think I'm famous. Hell, I'm not even married to the man yet!”


My cell phone rang and I answered it.


“Honey!”


“Yeah mom”


“You're on CNN!”


“Yeah, we had a bad explosion here.”


“Are you ok?”


“Yeah, we're trying to make things better for everyone. It's rough.”


“Well, I'll tell you, you two are really making history because they're showing everything you're doing live on CNN.”


“I know. Today's news and tomorrows has been.”


“I hope not. My God he's handsome!”


“Yeah.”


“You're looking good, but everyone thinks your a woman!”


“I know, we're going to change that.”


“Don't! IF you do, they'll dump you guys like you wouldn't believe. We'll figure out a way, but don't cost him his support.”


“I won't mom. How about if you guys come out. I'll send a jet for you if you want to.”


“Honey, we've got a family get together tomorrow.”


“Tell everyone to hop the jet and we'll have it here. I'll have you home tomorrow night in time for them to go to work on Monday.”


“We'll come out when things settle down.”


“Ok, I need to get off here. There are people that need us.”


“Ok hon, we love you.”


“I love you guys too.”


I rung off and saw the camera still pointed at me. “Do you mind? That was a call from my mom telling me my face is all over CNN. You could've pointed it at him!”


“He's in the restroom.”


“And I was on the phone with my mom. Sheesh, point it at everyone and ask them what they think. Ask them what we can do for them to make them feel more secure? I'm trying to be nice here, but without the support of his voters, I'm nothing but his partner.”


“So you're in this together for the long haul.”


“Till death do us part if he'll keep me that long. I mean, I'm not very attractive in the morning.”


He chuckled and said, “You're sizzling.”


“You might think, but the mirror tells me otherwise. I have bad hair then and it's looking like I'm in real serious need of a glamour shots moment then. Then, I have my cup of tea and I'm better. It takes that much caffeine for me even to face a mirror.”


He chuckled and said, “Let's go see you with the people.”


“This isn't about me. This is me supporting my man and hoping the voters will see him as someone that will be worthy of supporting.”


“So he's going to run for re-election?”


“Ummm....not for Sheriff...I do know the state needs him, but he's wanting to retire. I really think he's too young to give it up yet. Can you think of him in a rocking chair on the front porch? I can't....however good he'd make it look, but holding a baby? Oh, I could see that.”


“You want children?”


“Yeah, but not with him as a Sheriff. Something safer yes, but the thought of me explaining to a toddler why daddy's not coming home would kill me twice. I mean I'd already be dead inside.”


“So if he runs for a public office, you'll support him?”


“Yes. Without a doubt, yes. But for him to make a difference, it'd have to be an office where a difference matters. We've got good Senators, but where's the Governor here? I mean, Steve's here and he's showing the people, but aren't people of this town citizens of this state? Maybe if we could talk him into thinking about it, he'd do it, but the man wants to retire. I think he's too good for that.”


“Babe! They filming?”


“I don't know. The cameras pointing at me but who knows!”


“Well let them get a shot of this and then we'll go shake some hands.”


“Did you wash yours?”


“Don't I always!”


“Yeah, but.....well, they probably heard that.” I said chuckling.


“Then they know we're real.”


He kissed me and hugged me to him. “CUT!”


Steve chuckled, “So you were filming!”


“Yeah, CNN loves you! They said they've got to go to commercial, but to keep the cameras rolling.”


“I told them to let you know they want you for Governor.”


“Really!”


“It was a confidential conversation so they now think I thought the camera was off.”


“Sneaky.”


“Well, sometimes if a woman thinks she's hearing something confidential, she's hooked. I bet I've just gotten you the women's vote. They know I love you and I want babies.”


“Cool. Let's go shake some hands.”


“Guys, I just got news the President is coming!”


“You're not live are you?”


“No”


“Then let me know when he's here because I'll get the fuck out of dodge.”


“Why?”


“Three....two.....one.....”


“Because if he's coming and he can drive past these fucking gas pumps with prices like that and he knows people are paying that much for a pound of hamburger and a quick meal of Hamburger Helper is now an expensive meal, then I don't want to be seen with him. Take that to the bank because people can't afford much more than that now.”


“Babe, I think they're live.”


“Oh....well, then they know what I think.”


He chuckled and said, “You're keeping it real. That's for sure!”


“CNN said to watch the cussing. They got half that word cut off.”


“Which one?”


“Fucking”


I smiled. “I bet their sensors love you too and we're now on commercial.”


“No, we're still live.”


“Ok, I'll have to think of another word that means being screwed because that's how I feel each time I go shopping.”


Steve said, “Hon, if we can get people to believe things will be better, then they will be.”


“You can try dear, but sometimes it takes more action than what we're seeing. We had an election where 'Change' was the key word. I'm not seeing much change out of a twenty when I go get gasoline.”


“Everyone's having it tough.”


“Yes, but people are losing their homes, their jobs, and their financial futures and what we get is “we're facing a little crisis”. Ask those people to define on a pain level how big that crisis is and they'll tell you having a baby is mighty small, but it causes a lot of pain to a woman in delivery.”


I went over and started shaking hands and hugging people. I saw Steve over talking to the camera man. I hoped he was giving a good interview. When I got to the barrier, I went over and began shaking hands again. When I was about half way, Steve met me shaking hands. “Babe, CNN's now wanting a statement on what I just told them.”


“What'd you just tell them?”


“I told them I was too busy to go home and make a baby and as much as I loved you, I'd have to pop the question first.”


“Ok, anything political?”


“He was trying to press me and I told him I'd have to discuss it with you, but my plans were to retire. He then asked me where the Governor was and I told him I didn't know, but I sure knew where he wasn't. In a rather tense voice. Then, I made it sound better and said if I did ever run, it'd be where I could make a difference and have your support.”


“Good, you're pulling on the women's heartstrings too. We'll get them to really start paying attention to what goes on in the next few months.”


“That's what I think.”


My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and I answered it.


“Rhette”


“Yeah lil John”


“You're doing amazing. You stay close to him and keep it up. I see what you're doing. That comment about shopping was over the top. Anyone who's paying for bills and groceries just signed on. They see you're for real and not one thing you said could be argued as not true.

That conversation you had with the camera man was incredible. You just told every woman in the state what it's like to be a politician's wife.”


“I'm thinking. It's hard to not just blurt it out.”


“I could tell, but you're doing marvelous. Now ditch out and go see that dog.”


“Ok”


“Steve”


“Yes babe.”


“I'm going to go see the dog.”


“Ok, one moment and I'll be there.”


“You'll know where I'll be.”


I went walking and the camera man followed me.


“I'm going to see the dog. I think if I can hold onto it's paw, it'll know it's got someone rooting for it.”


We went around the corner and into the vet clinic.


“Can I go back”


“He's got it in surgery”


“Ok, I'll wait.”


“It's going to take a long time.”


“Well....I'll wait...if you don't mind.”


The camera man asked. “You're wanting kids and a doberman, do you think it's safe?”


“You know, I don't know. My first instinct is to say yes, but then I think it's been trained to be an attack dog and a small child might hit it in the face and it might get upset, but I'd like to believe I could have them both. Maybe I'm being naïve.”


“Kids or a dog?”


“Kids without a choice. A baby is a part of you. They're your future. They're someone who takes your life forward and gives you future generations.”


“Kids cost a lot.”


“Yes, and? Because some things are worth having. A child is one.”


“Steve says he'd give you a baby, but the politics is something he'd have to discuss with you.”


“I imagine. If he didn't discuss it with me, we'd have a problem. I mean I'm understanding about a lot of things, but communication in a relationship is vital. One thing I refuse to do however is manipulate him for what I want. If he says we retire, I'll retire. If he can get people to convince him otherwise, then I'll go out and support him completely. It's not about me in this....well it is, but he gives me what I want and I want him happy. I can't see him happy retired. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe he's content with fishing, but that'd bore me out of my skull.”


“What do you do for a living?”


“I just sold my business. Now, I'm looking for something else. My writing takes up a large part of my time, but since he's come into my world, I'm content with being a part of it.”

“What do you write?”


“Romances.”


“Really!”


“Yes, look me up on the web. I'm there and no, I won't give a public advertisement. Please switch the subject. This isn't about me.”


“This is about you two as a couple.”


“Yes, but this is about us being there for those who need us.”


“What do you see for the future?”


“As in what? For us?”


“Yes”


“After today, we're going to have to take it to the streets. We're going to have to see people are feeling safe. A job of any public official is to realize their job and do it with the best of their abilities.

Him being Sheriff is an awesome responsibility. He has to make people feel secure and safe. I think he's feeling he let them down today but he actually didn't know. I do know he's going to have to sit down with his guys and ask them if there were any reports, but I'll tell you now, Steve's the sort of man that if someone made a report and it was ignored, Oh man.”


“He'd be upset?”


“Wouldn't you be? I mean, think of it. Those people are like a team. If one of your teammates knew something and let you down, wouldn't you be disappointed in them?”


“Do you think he'd suspend them?”


“That's saying they knew something, but suspension would probably be the least of their worries. A good old butt chewing would be more in line of what I'd give. I mean, they were driving through that neighborhood and could have been a part of the dead! Innocent kids probably rode their bikes....oh man, If I was a parent, you know how shocked I was and thankful! It sends chills down my spine.”


“They're cutting away”


“Good”


“They've got a mall shooting.”


“Oh jeez”


“We're still live.”


“Tell those families our hearts are with them.”


“We're down”


“You're doing amazing.”


“They tell me that, but I want this on him.”


“You've got to stop making it look like a campaign spot out there. In here it's real, out there, it's not.”


“That's the reality of politics.”


“I know. I think you're showing them. How are you going to bring in being gay?”


“I have no clue. Somehow, I'd love for it to already be known.”


My cell phone rang


“Hello”


“Bring it on home.”


“Ok”


Steve came in and said, “Babe, I'm going back over to the blast zone.”


“They just told me to bring it on home.”


“Ok, I'll see you later.”


“Ok, let me give them a message here and I'll go, but would you check on the dog before you come home?”


“Sure, if they're open.'


“Oh man, they'd leave him here alone?”


“I don't know. You might ask.”


I went over


“Yes”


“How late do you stay open?”


“WE close at six”


“Are you going to leave him here alone”


“We have someone that sits with them.”


“Is it possible I come and visit?”


“I'll give you the person's cell number. That way you can.”


“Would you have the doctor give me a call?”


“Sure”


“Thanks”


I went out and called Alex' number. “Yes”


“Where the hell you at?”


“About twenty feet from you?”


“Well, I need to get home.”


“Ok, let's get there. Our car is the red Impala.”


“Ok”


I went over and heard the door lock pop. I got in and then he did. As we drove through town, he said, “You're really in neck deep.”


“You telling me. Sometimes I'm getting hit by waves. I feel like I'm drowning.”


“You need an advisor.”


“They've got some coming.”


“You holding up?”


“Yeah, but today has been one of those days.”


“I understand.”


“Miami was bad, but I've got you St. Louis.”


“Really!”


“Yeah, I got David Miami.”


“Holy Shit!”


“Yeah, little John was pissed. The Miami guy kept lying. One thing you don't ever do is lie. If you do, you best be sure no one can verify you're doing it...especially him.”


“What happened.”


“I can't say....well, you're going to be over a city, so I'll let you know. We went down and the first thing he didn't do was kiss anyone on the cheeks. Then, he admitted this was his, but he then lied about everything else. It was insane.”


“Oh man.”


“Yeah, but the icing on the cake was him having another lab in Tampa's territory without letting anyone know...or so he thought. His mistake was little John had a few of his guys in there and they were reporting everything to him.”


“So I'm to expect that in St. Louis.”


“What you're to expect in St. Louis is the Michaels bunch to be out. I don't want to risk any confusion at all. Then, we're going to go in and we're going to have everyone swear allegiance to you and to me. When that happens, not only will they be double crossing you for him, but they'll be double crossing me. When that happens, we'll have insurances which if we're ever caught up in any shit, then those people will die...I'll be damned if he pulls it on us.”


“You don't trust anyone, do you?”


“I trust the man I'm sharing my bed with and that's it. All else have motives to do something else.”


“Bad policy, you can get screwed more ways than one.” he said smiling.


“You telling me. Kevin got that off. With Steve, he's right next to me up to his neck, so if I go down, he goes. If he goes, I'm going to reach out to you and everyone else to pull us up and out.”


“I'll be there.”


“I hope. You know, I really wish there were some times we knew each other in the past, but it wasn't meant to be.”


“Don't ever count the bridge burned.”


“I won't, but when I reach out to you, you're going to have a basket case because that will mean he's dead. Hopefully, you'll have someone in your life by then, but if not, then you can best be assured you'll have first considerations.”


He smiled and said, “Thanks.”


“I'll tell you now I forgot about you in life happening.”


“I know. I've been keeping tabs. I also know how many trips I've taken across the state checking on you.”


“Why?”


“You got beat and I wanted to go out and find them and kill them. I went and please believe it wasn't possible for me to find out who they were. Everywhere I looked, it was walls. The police station there isn't only racist, they're bigoted.”


“I know. Interestingly, one of the cops and I had a close relationship when I was in high school.”


“Really?”


“Yeah, I can tell you he's not talking and they don't have a clue, but he's a fucking snake if there was one because he was supposed to investigate a theft and did nothing.”


“How do you know?”


“The person who stole a computer from me was gutsy enough to use my internet account. I called the provider and they told me they could give the phone number it was calling from, but it'd take a police officer to call. I told him and when he got back to me three months later, he said it'd stopped calling and the company no longer had the records.

I'll tell you now he never called because as soon as I hung up the phone with him, I called them. They told me they had absolutely no records any law enforcement officer had ever called. I would trust her because she nearly gave me the phone number of the which it was calling from. By then, my insurance had paid, so I had to be satisfied, but the point remained the people were in my house.”


“Let me do some checking for you.”


“Ok, it's been several years.”


“They have to hold onto those records for FBI. I know they've still got them.”


“Do what you can and when you get anything, you find out who had that number at that time and then you drag them to me and I'd prefer they already be half dead when they land at my feet.”


“Ok, it tells me you're pissed.”


“Pissed is an understatement. That was the first time they broke in. The second time, they stole a whole lot of things. One of the worst times I've ever spoken to my mom was then because I was out of the area and had asked her to go up to the house and get all the electronics and valuables. She put it off and then it went out the door. When I got through chewing ass, I felt bad, but she went up and got the rest. One thing I will do is I'll get you some of the items which have their fingerprints on them.”

“How'd you get them?”


“I found a peck basket they used to load a lot of silver items in from the dining room. They apparently forgot them. Since then, I've put it away because I switched and went to brass in there. None of it has been touched...that was in that basket.”


“Good, that should lock them into being in your house. You need to get an alarm.”


“I have one now. On top of that, I have video surveillance and ownership of all the houses in my neighborhood. I rent them out and as part of their rent, I knock off fifty bucks if everyone will keep an eye on my house for me.”


“It work?”


“Yeah, the only thing I've had come up missing since then was a lawn mower. I went back through the video and came up with the images which I turned over to the police. As you can imagine, nothing was done. My comments about the way the police handled things on a message board are what led to my getting beaten.”


“You going to have anything done to that police chief in jail?”


“He has to make it there first. In my opinion, I don't think he'll ever see the inside of a prison. I hope I'm wrong, but with the judge there, I doubt it. If he walks, he won't be for long.”


“Ok, I'll keep an eye out.”


“Don't use that phrase. When your eye ball is literally hanging out, it's not fun.”


“Oh fuck. I'm sorry.”


“I know it's just a phrase, but phrases like that and 'turn the other cheek' really bother me.”


“I can understand.”


When we pulled up to the plantation, they saw I was in the car and waved us on through. We got to the house and as soon as I got out, I saw they'd taken the fence line towards the ocean and turned it into a campground of semi trailer bunkhouses. It looked decent, but I was bugged by the open campfires burning. Rather than walking into the house, I walked over to a campfire and saw they'd dug a pit with a mound of earth used as a ring around the pit. I was satisfied they'd taken the precautions, so I made my way back to the house.


On the front steps, I was met by little John. “The woman is being a rude bitch.”


“It's her house. Imagine if you had to open your home to three hundred people the day after your husband died and then see where you'd be.”


“She said you don't want smoking in the house at all.”


“I don't. I won't allow it any of my houses. Take a look at this place. It's a big huge tinderbox of wood. Then, take a look at how fast it'd burn without a sprinkler system and then ask yourself if you could make it to the front door or how many men would die if it caught.

This front porch is concrete. Those steps are too. Everyone can smoke out here.”


“I'll go apologize to her.”


“If you said anything to her directly to apologize to her about, You can see your ass to the edge of the property and step over that line because that's as welcome as you'll be here.”


“Lose the attitude.”


“ALEX!”

Alex came out.


“Did you step across the boundaries of being a guest in my home? Yes or no?”


“No.”


“Good, you can stay. If you had, he would have shown you and all these men off the motherfucker.”


He looked at me and I could tell he wasn't happy.


“I won't lose the attitude when it comes to people's generosity. You might pull that shit up north and get by with it, but not around me. You couldn't have pulled it with Gino and it's not happening with me.”


“He would have acquiesced.”


“And you think I will!”


“Apparently not.”


“You're damned right I won't. I appreciate the help, but it's help. It's not a lifeline and it's sure not something I can live without.”


“You swore loyalty.”


“And you swore it back. Maybe you forgot! Common decency is a part of respect or have you forgotten?”


“I can pull my men out.”


“Then do so. It doesn't bug me one fucking bit. If you've not been paying attention to the news, Steve's not announced a damned thing. If you break what we have up until now, I'll have your ass in trial so fast your head will spin. Those promises would become lies and believe me you don't want that fucker over there to stand you up for trial. I know Italian.”


“Rhette let's go in the office. It's been a trying day.”


“Apologize to my mother in law first.”


“I didn't do anything to warrant an apology.”


“Then what the fuck's the problem?”


“The problem as I see it is your attitude.”


“Which part?”


“The tone of your voice.”


“The tone of my voice is in direct response to your implied threats. Now, you want it to cool, remember you're a guest or get the fuck off my property.”


“I'll go apologize to her. This isn't worth ruining a friendship over.”


“I know, but one thing you've forgotten is I've not bowed and kissed your ring. I have a feeling I won't be if this is what you expect.”


“You're God damned right and I've just made a fucking mistake of the century, haven't I?”


“Yes, you have. Now, you want it, then keep your word. If you don't then, we'll be all to happy to pull out...with the territories you gave your words we'd have and please don't delude yourself we need your help. However, when you take credit for everything I've taught you for managing men, I'll appreciate the thank you notes.”


I went in the house and saw Rose there. She'd been crying.


“What's wrong?”


“I just told him what I knew you would want.”


“And what did he do or say?”


“Nothing. He said he'd talk to you when you got home. It's like I wasn't even there.”


“Ok, I'll take care of this.”


I stepped back outside and hit my fob. Men came running.


Alex said, “What do you want to do?”


“Little John, you disrespected her in that house. You step in and you apologize and then you step out and don't ever enter that house again. If you do not like that, then I'll have my men move yours off the property beginning in five minutes.

Alex, get the men together because we're going to be moving some people.”


Little John looked at me and said, “Rhette.”


“Rhette is the name I was given birth to be. If you're speaking to me as a friend, then do what I ask and I'll forgive. If you're speaking to me with any sort of intimidation, know I'll be moving my men.”


“Rhette, I'll go apologize.”


“Good. Alex, you can step down.”


“Ok”


“He's sworn to me.”


“Alex hand me your pistol.”


Alex handed it to me. I put it up to his forehead. “Who have you sworn allegiance to?”


“You”


“Little John, where the fuck do you get off lying about my man?”


“He swore to Gino who swore to my father.”


“Then Gino didn't swear to you. So therefore your father is dead and Gino's dead. He swore allegiance to me yesterday.

Let me make this clear. If David swore allegiance to you, then I'll kill him myself. He was not in a position to do so and he'll testify to that at trial.”


“You're correct.”


“That's two lies in the past five minutes. One is you did not do anything to warrant an apology. The second is by saying Alex is yours. Shall we go for a third because the pistol is in my hand and the moment you do, I've got grounds to kill.”


“Rhette, simmer down.”


“Little John, by the rules and articles of our organization, you know I can't back off. To do so would imply I'm weaker. I'm not, nor do I owe you anything except the expectation you keep your word. You know as well as I, if and when we went to trial, you'd have to give up your organization to me for the deal you made or you'd have to give my areas preference before your own. Do you think I'll do that?”


“I think you'd have me dead.”


“I think so too. Now, go apologize to my mother in law and step back out here.”


He stepped inside and I followed. “Ma'am, you have my sincerest apologies. I will never disrespect you and yours again.”


She smiled and said, “Thank you. Now, you two, go into the office and make up too, or else...”


He chuckled and said, “Rhette, we've been ordered.”


“I know and because I love her like a mother, we'll do it.”


We went into the office and he turned around to face me. I shut the door and he stepped over towards me.


“Rhette, I'm sorry.”


“I am too. Please don't put me in that position again.”


“You passed the test even more than I had imagined.”


“What fucking test!”


“Rhette, I know and you know you're not a member. You are as powerful as I already. Not one time in the history of this whole syndicate have we had a situation where we've got someone operating things without being in the group but acting as a member with all the members believing he's one of them. You now know how it's done. What you haven't figured yet is how vulnerable I am because you could go and get people's loyalties and build within our groups your own power base.”


“Is that what you want me to do?”


“I'm using it as a way we could nullify things.”


“You are aware how easily I could have you killed now, don't you.”


“Yes, and you're aware of that possibility. What do we do about it?”


“I'm going to make the assumption you're going to pretend we didn't have this conversation and I will too. BUT, the conversations on that plane will stand. That decision on Miami stands. Ok?”


“Ok, now, look at me and answer a question.”


“I will”


“Can you trust your men enough to keep them with mine in this operation?”


“Yes”


“Are you sure because mine are sworn to me.”


“Mine are sworn to David who was sworn to me. David does have my word Kansas City is his. By your actions he's even in Miami...not mine and if you do anything to him, so help me, you'll regret it.”


“I'm not. Now, what I want is your friendship as a brother and not as an underling.”


“Come here.”


I went around the desk and I took the letter opener out of the desk.


“Hand me your hand. This is kid's stuff, but it'll work. You'll bear the scar as will I if we ever have to go to trial on it.”


“What are you going to do?”


“Make us blood brothers. To be brothers, we'll have to share the same blood. What that garners you is trust as I would a member of my own family....not that family out there, nor an in law, but the family God created. You know as well as I, they won't let that be ignored.”


He stepped over and held out his hand. “This is going to hurt a whole helluva lot. I'm not doing a thumb because you can cut it off. I'm using your pistol hand and mine.”


He laid his hand down upon the desk and I sliced.


“Now do mine before I change my mind.”


He sliced open my hand and then we held them together. “Now, it is done.”


He smiled and said, “It's done.”


“Your allegiance to me and mine to yours is as family and not as anything else. When and if we're ever asked, our replies will be we're brothers and nothing else in regards to organizations.”


He nodded and I said, “A contract has to be verbal. You know that.”


“I agree.”


“Good”


“You're a hard hitter, you know that!”


“I have to be. You're not the easiest man in the world to get along with.”


I hugged him to me and said, “Your voice recorder and mine both will attest to our agreement.”


“Yes.”


“Ok, where are we on everything else?”


“You buried yourself today. I have no idea how the hell you're going to get out of it.”


“What did it look like on CNN?”


“You looked like a woman. If I had anyone do polls, I'd say you're probably more powerful than him and a hundred percent of the people polled would say you're a woman.”


“Ok, I'm sunk as far as I can be.”


“Not necessarily. There's a way to get around it, but it's entirely up to you.”


“Tell me because I'm not seeing it.”


“You're not the one who has to swear into office. He is. I can make it so it's not an issue in the campaign by anyone who runs against him, but that's not going to be cheap.”

“Name the price and I'll see.”


“As my brother, you'll never see the price tag.”


“Thanks.”


“Rhette, one thing I'm going to do is I'm going to start getting you different cities. It will increase your power base so if it ever happens I'm killed and they attempt to put someone in, I want you to get to as many of those members as you can and you get them to swear allegiance to you.

Each time we have someone new come up, I'll have them swear to you before they swear to me. This will have them beholding to you first. I don't trust the fact I have to go to Italy and can't get things done. It's bullshit and I don't ever want to make us weaker by not having you there with me. You know and I do what I'm saying has an instant death warrant on my head. It's just as bad as if I had went to the feds. That's not happening, so we have to keep the family strong.”


“I'll do what I can, but let's not ever have a scene like that again. Now, how many of your guys heard it?”


“None”


“You sure?”


“Yes, they'd be in here killing us now if they had.”


“Alex heard as did Rose, but they can be trusted.”


“You sure about Alex?”


“John, listen. If anything ever happens to Steve, Alex will be the one for me. I regret I forgot about him until he showed back up but that man remembers the past and he's been there more for me than my own lover at times.”


“I know.”


“Now, I'm going to ask you a question and I want the truth.”


“Ok”


“Who do you have in my men?”


“In Kansas City? Or the whole territory?”


“In Kansas City, and then we'll move to St. Louis because I already know you have men in Miami.”


“In Kansas City, I've got two.”


“Bring them to me and then pull them.”


“Why?”


“Because if we're to trust each other completely, it goes from that. I'm honest with you and I expect it in return.”


“Ok, I'll go get them.”


“Not yet.”


“They're here.”


“Good, then it will make it easier, but we're going to talk of St. Louis now. How many there?”


“I think at last count we've got about eighty people there.”


“Why so many?”


“There are factions. The pot is really boiling there and I think it will explode if one of them gets it. If I can get someone from the outside there, I'm hoping to do what Gino did by bringing you in. He knew what he was doing on so many levels, he amazed me.”


“Me too...and David three. What I will do is I'll need you to get me their names. If things kick off, I'll want them to be safe because we'll be going in there and we'll be only taking a sledge.”


“Why?”


“Because I don't need an axe. I learned at that trial the sound of a sledge hitting a head makes more of an impression on people than an axe ever did.”


“Oh jeez.”


“If you want the truth, the number of people I was having to swing on had me confused. It wasn't until I was already up to the table I realized I had the sledge in my hand instead of the axe. Rather than make myself look weak, I used it.

Later, when Gino and I talked, he told me the thought he had was I wouldn't do it, but when I did, he knew I was more loyal to myself and him than anyone would have been.”


“True.”


“Now, in Miami, I'm going to need your help or your men's help. I fully expect right now we're going to have everyone out there trying to grab power and I'll be surprised if we're not at trial before this is over.”


“We will be. David's already phone and said his guys he's taken with him have gotten into their digital files and all their records. Don't be surprised if we're not at war with a lot of different factions down there.”


“Why?”


“The man's been promising things which weren't his to promise. One of the companies he promised is mine. I'll tell you now the moment that man thinks he can take it, he'll be killed.”


“Take him to trial first.”


“IT's going to be damned tough.”


“I know, but it's a part of your organization which makes it a part of your assets.”


“I know, it's just taught to think we'll have to do it that way when my first instinct is to pass judgement.”


“Ok, what I've got to do is get back out there. Your men are probably going insane because I know Alex is. I'm in here with his pistol.”


“Oh fuck. I'm surprised no one's busted down the door.”


“I doubt if Rose would let them in.”


We went out into the hallway and there stood twenty guys. I smiled at him and he smiled at me. “Guys, stand down, it's safe.”


He said, “My guys too.”


I handed Alex back his pistol and he smiled. “Things good?”


“Yes, more than you know.”


Little John went over to Alex and gave him a hug. “You'll never be put in that position again. I promise.”


Alex smiled at me and said, “You've got some worried people in the living room too.”


“Who?”


Rose came up to me and linked her arm into mine. We went into the living room and there stood my mom, dad, brothers and my brother's wife. Over standing at the mantel stood Kevin.”


I went up to my mom and hugged and kissed her. Then hugged my dad and brothers. I said hello to my brother's wife, and then went over to Kevin and hugged him.


“Have you met him?”


“Not yet, we just got here. Steve's mom ushered us in here and was on her way to get you. This place looks like a military camp.”


“It has to be. We're on high alert.”


My mom said, “Well introduce us!”


“Mom, this is Steve's mom, Rose. Rose, this is my dad and this is my brother Ash, and my brother Brent. This is Brent's wife, Bethany.”


“Welcome to my home which is now Rhette's.”


“Where's he at?” My mom asked.


“He's in town. He'll probably be late.”


“Oh, is it bad?”


“How much did they show of the blast zone on the news.”


“They were starting to show it when you found the dog.”


“I'll have to tell Steve to get up there and show it. It's huge.”


My dad asked, “How big of a space?”


“Probably an area of six foot ball fields wide and at least a mile long. It's hard to guage how deep because it's already filling with ground water.”


“They'll have a hard time filling it.”


“Why don't you have someone take you up there. I bet you could get a common sense approach to the situation. You know the feds. They'll have it designated a park or something before they get those people back their road.”


My dad shook his head and said, “Tell them what they'll need are a bunch of trucks full of boulders and a lot of concrete.”


“Here, I'll dial Steve and have you speak to him. It's sort of like picture phone if you watch CNN, because they're running him live. You'll be able to see his lips move when you hear him.”


My dad took the phone and I said to my mom. “Will you excuse Kevin and I for a moment, I want to get him introduced to JT. JT will be going nuts if he knows he's here and he's not gotten to meet him yet.”


“Go ahead hon, I want to get to know Rose.”


“Rose, take them out and show them the car. Have each of them tell you what they want and write it on a pad. Little John can get us what we want in no time.”


Mom said, “Little John's here!”


“Yeah, he's in the hallway or was.”


“I need to speak to him. I've not seen him since his daddy died.”


Kevin came with me and I started asking people, “You seen JT?”


“They're serving food, you know where he is!”


“Ok, Kev, he's down in the breezeway. You're ok with this right?”


“Yeah, I'll meet him and see.”


“Ok, have you been over to the house yet?”


“No, we came straight here. You'll have to explain to me what's going on.”


“Ok, but let's do this first.”


We went down the breezeway steps. Kevin asked, “Who puts steps this wide to go to the basement?”


“ It's to the breezeway. Out here, it's an entertainment area. The house blocks the wind and what doesn't go up and over comes down and under. It's nice because it's shaded. It's paved with bricks and is like a pavillion”


When we got to the bottom of the steps, I looked and saw JT over at a table by himself with my laptop.


“Go over and tell him you'll do it live.”


“What live?”


“That video of you stripping.”


“He's watched that!”


“Hon, he's in love with it. I bet there are parts of your body he's looked at that I've not even seen.”


“Oh jeez, what a way to make a first impression.”


“I gave you glowing reviews.”


“Why do you have your hair back to blonde?”


“I'll tell you all in a moment.”


I went over and went around the table so Kevin stood behind him and I was in front.

“How many times have you had to recharge the battery looking at the video?”


“A few, why?”


“What if I told you I could arrange it to make it possible for you to see him in person.”


“I thought you said he'd be out next week.”

“I did, but I was just thinking.”


“Thinking what? It's a long jet ride.”


“Well, how about standing up for a minute and I'll use some magic.”


“Why?”


“Because....well, let me ask you this. If you could see him, what would you do first?”


“Oh man, besides get a hard on?”


Kevin chuckled and JT looked around.


“What the....!”

Kevin hugged him and said, “Well, start getting one, because I'm here!”


JT said, “Rhette, you're terrible!”


I chuckled and said, “JT, meet Kevin. Kev, meet JT.”


“What are you doing here! I thought....”

“We decided to fly in and spend the night and then fly back out tomorrow.”


“Great!”


I said, “JT, how about taking him over to the house and showing him the place.”


“Ok”


JT looked at Kevin and said, “You're going to love it. It's beautiful.”


Kevin turned and said, “Rhette, go upstairs to your room because a little girl is going to really be scratching at the door.”


“She's here!”


I took off running. I made it up the steps and ran through. Everyone laughed and without saying excuse me, I ran up the grand staircase. As soon as I opened the door, Gyp ran out and made it about ten feet before I said, “Gyp! I'm here!”


She turned around and then ran and jumped into my arms. Her licks upon my face and my kisses into her fur were all it took for me to have tears in my eyes. “Well, let's let you down so you can go explore.'


I set her down and she was doing circles at my feet she was so excited.

With Gypsy, if she's happy, she bumps you and if she's upset she bumps your legs. She was double bumping and panting so I knew she was happy.


“Let's go downstairs so you can meet everyone.”


We went downstairs and she immediately began running and sniffing the floor where I'd been and Kevin.


I saw Alex and said, “Make sure the guys keep the gate shut. We don't need her out of the yard enclosure.”


“Ok, I'll get it shut.”


We went back to the breezeway and she went over to Kevin and JT. I said, “JT, meet Gypsy. Gypsy, this is JT, what do we do when we meet new people?”


She sat and lifted her paw. “You've got to shake, JT.”


“Oh ok”


“Be expecting a kiss after she shakes.”


He knelt down and shook her paw. She kissed his cheek and then came running over to me.


“Let's go get you a treat so you can meet a friend of mine Gyp. He'll be a friend to you too.”


We walked over to the chow buggy and as soon as the cook saw me, he smiled. “You'll have to come out and meet her and show you're a friend.”


He came out and I said, “Gyp, I'd like for yo to meet someone who will be a friend to you.”


She sat and I said, “Gyp, he's the cook. You come to him and he'll give you treats.”


She lifted her paw and then he shook it. She kissed him and then he gave her a piece of bologna. She gobbled it and I said, “Don't spoil her too much otherwise, she'll be down here showing you all her tricks expecting a treat for each.”


“I'll cut up some pieces so she's not eating whole slices. I hope you know the camp just got a mascot.”


He looked at me and said, “The guys are going to ask you and Steve if they can restore those cannons. They want to fire one to see what it's like.”


“Is it safe?”


“They look good, so I'd say once they're restored, they'll be fine.”


“Well, take them and have them x-rayed.”


He nodded and said, “Things are coming along nicely.”


“Yeah. Listen, sometime I'd like to sit down with you and Dave so we can discuss things. If we're going to be your neighbor down there, I think we should know what we can do to help each other.”


“LJ said you'd act as a big brother for us. I know we'll sure need it.”


“What I'll do is show you how to manage men. I think what this whole organization needs is a seminar on management styles to get the best out of people.”


“He said you'd make a world of difference. I can already tell, because he's sure made some changes. He seem less gruff than he did. He actually gave me a compliment where he used to do nothing but give complaints and see faults.”


“It's sort of a trickle down theory. I mean, if the head is telling the body nothing but negative things, then the body returns negative things. If the head shows positive energy, then everyone's happier.” I paused and then asked, “Would you want to join an organization where all they're going to do is criticize you? No, but you would if you saw something there which you thought would benefit you.

IF you take a look at our enrollments, you'll see where we had strong leaders, you saw a build up on our ranks. When we had negative, you saw a decline. Right now, we're at a really pathetic level. It's no fucking wonder the feds can think they can come in and overthrow us. Shit, there's no one left!

What we've got to do is we've got to be positive. We've got to give back and we've got to make it so people are empowered. I'm not talking about little people running around with big attitudes talking about whacking everyone, but instead, I'm talking about an average person thinking enough of being a part of us they see us as like joining the Elk, Moose, or Lions.

No, we won't have a storefront operation like those, but I sure as shit don't want to be sitting with a hood on my head like them other dumb fucks.”


He smiled and said, “It sounds good, but keeping the members busy is where it's at.”


“Not really, with positive energy, it' not all about kicking someone when they're down. You're in a hurricane zone for chrissake and I bet you've never took this buggy out and fed one hurricane victim. That's what I'm talking about...going out and setting up shop and not advertising who we are. Get people to wondering and then, eventually they'll come around and start asking little questions. When you see someone asking, ask them if they'd like to help. IF they don't, then move on and find the one's that do. Those are the members you want because they'll be there when the time comes to save your ass. They appreciated what you did.”


“So use the trailer as a membership tool?”


“Yeah, start thinking about what you can do to get people to want to join. Fuck all the bullies dragging in other bullies. All we've gotten is a bunch of hot heads. Now, let's pull in the truly nice people.”


“You'll have us looking like the Southern Baptist Convention.”


“No, because our guys like to have fun. Here's another idea. Go out and get yourself some sound equipment. Get a flat bed semi and get a popular DJ to come in and play the ethnic music for a street dance. Publicize it and get a carry in started amongst the women. Those women will tell their friends who will tell their friends and then casually but ever so slightly deliver the chairs and tables a little late. Tell your guys to take one chair each and set it up. The ones that begin setting up for everyone are your future leaders. They thought of a whole group instead of themselves.


“Then what?”


“Go over and talk them up. Tell them you noticed they were showing real leadership skills. Then, get the conversations over to them. See if they need a job. If they do, contact one of your companies and get them the job. Then, invite them in. If they come, great. If not, then your company got a future manager and you know it's going to be more profitable for you.”


He smiled. “You've got ideas I can see working. When someone comes up and tells me to go out and get guys, I draw a blank. The only thing I know is to go to my guys and tell them to go pull in some guys.”


“Yeah, and where do they get them? They go to the bars and start pulling in people who get off on bouncing people out of there. They go for the ones who are bully motherfuckers. Yes, we need them, but to me, they're like the green berets, we need them for certain things and in everyday life, it's not all about going around and extorting money.”


“Then how are we going to gain financing?”


“What we're going to do is we're going to go into a company and sit with the leader. Get some goods on him and then, say, 'I'm the mafia and I'm here to help. You can either do this the hard way, or the easy way.' Use the shit they see on television to get them scared and let them choose the easy way.”


“Then what?”


“Be creative. Tell them as of that moment, they no longer hire staffing agencies. Tell them they'll no longer need a security staff. Tell them their maintenance just got sacked. Do the jobs which you know that company needs in order to keep it feeling secure about itself.

Tell them you'll help them go out and get good employees. Do job fairs. Do things that help that company grow more profitable. Make it a part of your contract with them they'll pay you a part of the profits, but don't suck them dry. And then, pull in the money by helping them make money. IF you do that, then they're going to be happy to have you there.

Those guys go out to meetings and luncheons with other companies heads. They get transferred. They go into other regions where the companies aren't under us. If they're working relationship is good for them, they'll see the fucked up way it is and if they're smart, they 'll be screaming out you to come help them out.

Get them to promoting you. Before you know it, you'll have a bunch of companies up under you. And because you got them results, their corporate heads are going to be thinking they're a whiz kid and get results.

But, if we ever let one of them down, they'll say we suck, so we've got to get everyone on board and get some of the ones who are not progressive in their thinking out of that position. ”

“Is that what you did out in San Diego?”


“We've done that everywhere we've went. What's more important, is we kept our promises. We made them more profitable and we got the bullshit stopped. Employee theft goes to zero because they get told to haul their asses out of there. If they think they can cause you problems, I'll tell you now it's mighty hard telling someone shit about you through a broken jaw and it's hard for him to find a job if all your companies won't hire him.

But, what we did in San Diego and Seattle is we had a company who was getting their backs broke by the old methods....someone showing up at the door and wanting a payment. It's damned hard to do that when most of you inventory is getting stolen and running out the back door. It's hard to do that when you've got a union in there tightening the screws so tight they can't breathe.

In the old days, the unions used to be us. In a lot of areas it still is. But now, we've made things so bad no one wants a union in there. No one wants us because all we did on both counts was had our hand out. We made it so their only recourse was to go overseas. But, with Wal-Mart on the scene, there's no room for breaking backs. It's them doing it.

What you don't know is I'm planning on starting to hit back. I'm going to start putting up ads for candidates who got our jobs to stay. I'm also going to be going to some of the stores which compete against Wal-Mart and tell them, “I will pay for all your advertising needs if you will pull the jobs back into the country. Raise your prices and dare to make a profit, but if it's not American, it's not coming in the door.”


“They'll go broke!”


“No, because I'll tell you now, we're going to go head to head with Wal-Mart in small town America and we're going to lay the truth out there. We'll tell them, Wal-Mart caused this many jobs to leave your town. We brought this many back. We ONLY buy American made goods. Our prices are higher, but we're employing you, the American consumer.

When there's a candidate out there, I'm going to see if they're sponsored by Wal-Mart and if they were with them during the years Wal-Mart got rid of X amount of jobs. Let them dare say it's the American way of doing things because I'll tell you it's American's out there when they're sending jobs over seas.”


“We've got to do that with groceries too.”


“Yeah, but we've got to stop urban sprawl. The only way we can do that is to make the inner cities safe. Every one of us except Kansas City has let the cities down. In Kansas City, in order to save the Italian neighborhood, we saved the city. Gino was lenient, but he took no prisoners. The worst thing in the world he hated was a thief. He'd cut the man's hand off and then take him to one of his doctors to fix him up and put him back out there. As a momento, that man got handed his hand back and told to slap his own face with it each time he thought about stealing. BUT, if the man got caught again, it was over. He became fertilizer because there was a tree limb grinder with his blood on it.”


“I heard what happened.”


“Were you at any of the trials?”


“Yes, the one where you took over.”


“That one was particularly bad. A lot of people got hurt or killed, but it got us the organization back. What you don't know was that day was the turning point for the organization. Gino walked away from that trial and said we needed to do something different. We did and since then, it's been great.”


“If it was so great, then why'd you leave?”


“Because there had to be down time for us to be a couple. When you're “ON” for sixteen hours a day, There's no down time. Gino micromanaged to a fault. He'd not let anyone do their jobs without standing over them. At night, we'd go from restaurant to restaurant and then from bar to bar just so his presence was known.

Finally, I was tired of it. Either we could be a couple and have time for us, or I could leave and find someone who would. He knew it bugged me, but that was our deal going in...if I ever didn't want to be there, then I was free to leave.

The problem was he knew he'd be lost without me. He also knew it would have to change and for him to make that big of a change would have been for him to totally leave the family. He agreed to try it for one weekend a month. That's all I asked. I went to college and he said he'd be there. Well, to say he broke his promises was an understatement. It didn't take me long to figure out I would be better off if we weren't together.”


“You broke his heart.”


“He broke mine! All I asked for was one weekend. When the person you love has to beg to get a weekend a month, then you're not meeting their needs. I'll tell you now if I have to beg for one minute with anyone, I'm not with them. I let them have their space, but believe me, I know how to put the right foot in front of the left and walk out.”


He smiled and said, “I never knew all that.”


“I never put it out there to know. I loved him enough not to go out there and undermine him. He's dead and if it's a lesson you needed to be taught, then you now know.”


“I do the same thing in my relationship.”


“You're with someone?”


“Yes. We've been married for twenty years.”


“And you can up and leave for six weeks without staying in touch!”


“Well, that needs to change.”


“Dude! I'm surprised it's not getting changed for you! You need to start putting some effort into it. And yes, I will pry. And yes, I will tell you what I think you need to hear. And no, if you ever think you can tell me to mind my own fucking business, I'll tell you it is my business because my personal opinion of you just got devalued.

I'll help you build it back up, but man, who the fuck is she? Because I'll tell you now, she's not the welcome mat out on the front porch...but she's sure getting walked upon.”


“I'll do it better.”


“Dude, you'll do it now. I'll man this post. You go home and you make it good. Have a talk with her. Apologize and then, you sit with her and make plans. Does she work?”


“No.”

“Then why isn't she here?”


“This is a man's place.”


“Bullshit. Go call her and ask her if she wants to come. I was thinking about hooking you up with someone! Now, I'm going to do what I can to see if I can save what you have!”


He said, “Let me call her.”


“Do you have a jet?”


“No, we don't have that much money in our coffers.”


“You will. Trust me on that. You tell her to come up and you tell her I'll send our jet down to get her.”


I flipped out my cell phone and called Dave.


“Yeah.”


“Dave?”


“Yeah bud.”


“What you finding?”


“Oh man, this place is awful.”


“I know. Go rent a penthouse someplace or buy one that overlooks the docks. We'll open up shop there.”


“This is going to take a lot of work.”


“I know. Now, what are you going to do about Rose?”


“Hon, I'm not going to be down here that long.”


“Why not?”


“She needs me.”


“I know that, but when are you going back down?”


“Probably in a week or so.”


“Can you trust it will be fine?”


“With the amount of organization this place has, it won't, but that's already happened. I've had four guys so far who I've had to get rid of.”


“Keep it clean.”


“I am, but this is insane. We're really going to have to start from scratch.”


“I'll be down to help and I'm but a phone call away.”


“I know, but I'd like to do this one myself. I mean, maybe it will give me more respect for what my dad did.”


“It will, but pull whatever you need out of Kansas City.”


“I won't pull men and I won't pull equipment. I will need a lot of money.”


“Ok, we've got it and you need it, so it's yours. Buy the best.”


“Rhette, ask little John what he's got down here.”


“He's got about fifty men. You should be getting notified who they are. Use them, but don't depend upon them. Get them to help you set up the organization, but when it's time, we'll get them out.”


“How are you doing?”


“He and I have had words, but we made up. He now sees my point.”


“Don't back down.”


“I didn't. I was so close to taking him to trial you wouldn't believe.”


“That wouldn't have been good.”


“No, but he gave me that territory and all of Missouri and forgot I wasn't sworn to him. And yes, I did go that far. He knew he was sunk and he knew he'd face the consequences.”


“Well do something to make it up to him.”


“I did. We're now blood brothers, but he got told I'll never swear allegiance under him. To him, I'm an equal.”


“Wow!”


“Yeah, but realize those men need to be used and then gotten out of there. Our deal is he's pulling them and not putting any in on you. If you suspect, let me know, because I'll have him brought to trial over it. He gave me his word.”


“How many is in Kansas City?”


“He says two, but we'll see. Anyone who I suspect is going to be brought before me. He will be there and they will be told we're not under him and if they swore allegiance to him to step across that line...BUT, if they swore allegiance to you, then I'll probably kill them in front of him.”


“Let me handle that.”


“Ok, but we'll need to do some housekeeping.”


“Do you think he's being honest with you?”


“Yeah, strangely I do.”


“Good. Tell Rose I'll be back up tonight. I'll be damned if I sleep down here in this place.”


“On your way back up, go by Tampa and get that man's wife. He's going to begin working on his relationship with her. We'll probably have to counsel them, but the way he's treated her, I'm amazed she's took it for as long as she has.”


“You'll find a lot of the older Italian women are like that. They'll let a man do whatever he wants as long as they keep the ring on their finger.”


“Well, in order for this thing to be progressive, we're going to have to pull ourselves out of the dark ages and get with the program. How can we expect everyone else to be happy when our homes aren't?”


“I know that, and you know it, but a lot of them don't.”


“Well, when you get up here, don't go to bed until I am spoken with. I've got a few things I need to talk with you about in person and it's best it's not over the phone.”


“Ok, what we'll do is we'll take a four wheeler down the road. I'm going to ask my man to do bug sweeps until this thing is over. I don't trust him at all and would like to think he wouldn't, but strongly suspect everything's already bugged. I do know we'll be going over everything with magnifying glasses when this is over.”


“Well, it's been a long day already. You stay safe down there.”


“I am. This building is zoned off like a bank. I've got four men on the roof and four on the ground. Then, those who are coming in to see me are stripped and put into work coveralls before they speak to me.”


“Good. Stay safe. That's what your dad did.”


“I'm having to remember and it's hard. I'll be asking you to double check things I'm doing so I'm sure I'm doing it right.”


“You need to take a bug man down there and get that office swept.”


“I hadn't thought of that. I've probably already said too much.”


“No. If it's about little John, then feel free to say what you want. You're not under him, so it will help him to know what we really think.”


“I worry about that, but I'll have to trust.”


“That's why I need to speak with you.”


“Ok, I'll see you after I see Rose.”


“That will be fine. I'll talk with her.”


“Ok. Rhette.”


“Yeah.”


“Don't take Steve up in a chopper when you're doing maneauvers. He'll think he can and for a learner, I think it's best he get some sane flying time in before he starts stunts. It'll break your heart if anything would happen and we'd be in a mess.”


“Ok, what are the new choppers like?”


“We've got one bird that's lazy. It controls fine, but there's just something that's lazy about the engine. I'm having our guys look at it, but if we can't get it pinpointed, the damned thing's going back. I did get them paid like you said and I think it made all the difference.”


“Thanks.”


“No, thank you. If we cover each other's backsides, then we'll be ok.”


“Well, when we go into St. Louis, all of us are going. Little John says that thing's a pressure cooker waiting to go off. He said it's boiling now.”


“What have you done about that?”


“I've already told him the Michaels are out...all except little Jimmy. For him, I'll let him stay, but none of the others.”


“Don't even trust him all the way. He grew up and you need to know he's even going to be influenced by them.”


“Yes, but what I'm worried about is working with Michael. The man's my weak point. I try not noticing any other man on the face of the planet, but he walks into a room and I'm drawn in.”


“It's because of his charisma. He's been taught from an early age, he's going to head it and there's not others that will do it. What he needs to have done is you need to go out with him alone and tell him Alex is your choice and you'll have him work with him in tandem, but he's not going to get anything off. Tell him, the moment you catch him, he'll go to trial and you'll seek execution. If you have to do that, you get every one of his guys and get them brought up too.”


“Well, the key there is getting them sworn. If they don't swear, we'll be cleaning house. I do know he'll have to swear to me or I'll have to do it without him.”


“Rhette, we'll talk later. I've got someone here I need to speak with.”


“Ok. I love you dude.”


“Love you back. I'll see you later.”


About ten minutes later, I received a phone call from someone down there. “We're taking Dave to the hospital. It doesn't look good.”


“What happened!”


“The man who he met with knew some sort of martial arts. He's dead now.”


“Get him there and get me word back. I'll be there.”


I went to find little John. I found him and said, “I need your jet. I've got to get to Miami.”


“What's happening?”


“Dave was just attacked.”


“What!”


“Someone he met with went through strip search and then attacked him.”

“I'll come with you.”


“You tell your men to go out and find every one of that man's partners and get them all into that warehouse naked and hog tied. Tell them I'll need some sulfuric acid and you tell them I also want a bottle of that medicine which dialates pupils.”


“What are you planning?”


“I'm going to go to trial.”


“What!”


“I'll dilate their pupils and then I'll put a sodium vapor over them. With a little duct tape, their eyes won't shut and I'll begin dropping drops of acid on them until I get told what I need told.”


“What's that?”


“Just do it, I've not got time!”


I ran up the steps and said, “Mom, dad, I'm sorry, but I've got to get to Miami. Dave's been hurt and I've got to be there.”


Kevin looked at me and said, “He going to be ok?”


“I don't know. They never said. I'm sorry guys.”


“We'll stay here and then get back home tomorrow.”


“We'll have him up here by then with a hospital room set up in the house.”


I turned to Rose and said, “Rose, I'll bring him back up. You tell little John you want Dave's room turned into an ICU unit by the time we get back.”


I ran out the front door and said to Gyp. “Sit.” She sat and I went through the gate. “Go to Kevin”.


She took off and went to the door and barked to be let in. I ran over to a helicopter on the ground and got in. Little John came out the front door and ran to the chopper while speaking into his cell phone all the way. When he got in, I lifted off.


“Tell them I want that jet to scoot.”


“It will.”


“Get these guys to get Dave's room at the house turned into an ICU.”


“Rose told me and that's already being done. Just get there.


“You on the phone with your men?”


“Yeah.”


“Why wasn't there someone closer?”


“I don't know. It's probably his request.”


“Well, from now on, our policy just got changed. We're not to speak to someone without our guy in between and one person outside the door with pistol drawn. This won't happen again.”


“I'm calling now to get a report.”


“They said they were taking him to the hospital. Tell the guys who are protecting the building to stay in place and to shoot first and to stack the dead inside until we get there. Then you have them bring in ten gators and a meat saw.”


He looked at me and said, “Do you realize how fast you think and adapt to the surroundings.”


“I don't have a garden to fertilize. Besides, the intimidation of things is going to be changing there. Before I leave, you're going to see about twenty dobermen as an outer ring on that building. On the inner ring are going to be pit bulls. Then we'll have it automated to make it so we know how to get into the building, but they can't get out.”


“They can get through the roof.”


“That's changing too. I'm putting kill fence up near the ceiling. Then can come through and drop onto it. I think they're wanting into that building for a reason.”


“There's nothing there!”


“You know that and I know that, but maybe we're missing something. Tell the men to go around and look for anything that looks like a hydraulic lift control. If they did what I think they did, we've been missing it and it's under that floor. It's certainly not in that office and not in the ceiling. My thought is it's under the floor.”


He smiled and said, “I'll get them in there.”


“No! You get them to find the spot, but you don't send anyone in. If it's booby trapped, then we'll have a world of shit.”


“Then how are we going to get in?”


“You're providing the acid and the gators, right?”


He chuckled and said, “Now I'm getting you.”

“We'll go through men until we find the ones who know.”


“Do you think we killed them today?”


“I don't think so. Who would know about electronics down there.”


“My man, but he never spoke about seeing anything.”


“Well, I'm going to ask you so questions and I need answers.”


“OK?”


“DO some checking and see if the contractor who built that building. Also check to see who did the concrete work. Someplace, there's got to be a link we're over looking, or it's not there in that building. To me, it's strange an organization that big is being ran from that warehouse.”


“I don't know. We've got a major city being run from a taxi cab stand and another being ran from a newspaper stand.”


“Well, that's low fucking overhead, but I bet it's hell having a conference with the guys.”

“We lease a hotel.”


“Then get an apartment building downtown and turn a floor into the training area and another into the office space. We've got to get more professional about these things. Not all of them are that poor.”


“No, but those areas send money home to us.”


“You're breaking their backs for chrissakes. Give them back something at least!”


“Ok”


“Do you have them trucks in those towns?”


“No”


“Then a helicopter and a jet is out of the question. To me, it sounded strange when I heard Tamps didn't have a jet, but I imagine you're proud to say the man's living in the projects too.”


“No, it's not that bad.”


“Well, I'm glad I found out with you at the helm because there's time to turn it around. You're going to have to start pumping money into these towns and giving back. I've got my man in shit over this and I'll not stop until things are changed.”


“Don't make if too fucking cushy down there. My men are there and they'll expect it from me.”


“That's your problem. Mine are going to be treated well. We do that and we keep our numbers up. I just laid it out to Tampa and he's going to get his numbers up. I had no clue the man was sending all his revenue to you. That's bullshit. What's the fucking use of going out and getting anything if it all goes to you?”


“We protect them.”


“Yeah, I'm seeing how good that is. My man is laying in a hospital because of it.”


“Your men were down there too.”


“My men were on the fucking roof. Mine were on the ground protecting your men's asses! NOW, I'll tell you one thing. That will change. Your men are going out and mine are coming in. If I'm going to die, I'll know it's because they actually gave a fuck.”


I landed the chopper and shut it down. We ran across the tarmac to the waiting jet and hopped in. As soon as we were in, I said, “Get this bird in the air and you see if scoots as fast as it can. If you don't get me there in an hour, I'm going to find out why and you best know it will all come back to you.”


“There's no way we can get there by then.”

“Then you sit in the fucking back and I'll make this fucker move. Little John, you call ahead and tell that control tower I'm coming in and I'm not going to stay up in the fucking air. When I hit their air space, they better have me a reservation because it's coming down whether they like it or not.”


“You'll be arrested.”


“The moment I do, you will too. You think about that. Get that phone dialing.”


“I'll see what I can do.”


“Is the air terminal under us?”


“Yes”


“Then you tell them if I'm not happy and satisfied, they won't be at midnight when all their workers walk off their jobs. By God, when it comes to flexing muscle, I know how to do that!”


He smiled and said, “Ok, I'll tell them.”


“Tell them if I have to land this son of a bitch on the docks, they'll be shut down until the federal investigation is over. I bet you they get me an open runway.”


“Let me dial the phone Rhette!”


I spooled up the jets and released the brakes. “Sit back because this takeoff will be steep.”


The copilot said, “Here are our headings.”


“Good. Call them out. Where do I need to level this thing off?”


“Thirty two thousand.”


“We'll be there in a heartbeat. I want the thinner air so I can get there quicker.”


He smiled and said, “You've flown a time or two.”


“More than you know, but not with a fat girl like this.”


“Her max is 544 mph.”


“Ok, we'll see if I can get it to go faster.”


He laughed and said, “Be careful. She'll get unstable.”


“It's not my bird. Mine's in Miami. I know ours will go a helluva lot quicker.”


“What's he got in it?”

“Attack jet engines.”


“Oh shit!”


“We've got the company under our umbrella. They'll get us the engines.”


“You might tell LJ that.”


“He's going to be getting told a lot of things. A lot of them he won't like.”


We went up and as soon as I had her to cruising altitude, I pushed the throttles forward. When we began to get speed alarms. I silenced them and said, “Ok, I”m at six twenty. She'll be hot, but if anything's wrong, I'll pay for it.”


“You got that kind of money?”


“In my personal account, I could by eight of these...if they're fifty million each. In my corporate, I could put a fleet of these up. I'll tell you now, the jet I get will go faster than this thing.”


Little John came up forward and said, “Why don't you come back and let them fly this thing.”


“Because with the alarms silenced, auto pilot won't engage. It's me that's flying this thing and not some damned machine that will let this big old bitch take all day. When you see about getting me that Russian plane, see how fast it will go. If it won't beat this, then we'll go with some of our own.”


He smiled and said behind me. “Rhette, we've got a whole other office that lifted. It's glassed in and has some sort of alarm system hooked to an air handling system. When we pulled it up, the men who were in there were all killed.”


“Good. It'll save me from having to do it. Now, tell them to leave it up and cut the glass out of it. If it's a poisoned gas system, the outside air will mix making it inert. You might have them do a test to see if it's a toxic chemical. If it is, then we're probably screwed, but get a computer man in there to the links and see if he can patch into the system.”


He nodded and said, “What if he can't?”


“IF he can't then we just left my man who can. We'll see if he can link in from up there, but without seeing it, I bet he won't.”


“We'll see. They just took Dave to surgery.”


“What's happening with him?”


“He's got a very bruised neck. Nothing was broken, but everything was stretched all to hell. My man that was there said he turned with the blow and went limp which probably saved his life. The man did get in several good blows to his mid section. They're removing his spleen now and they think he might have more internal injuries.”


“You explain to the hospital administrator he's coming with us so he needs to get stabilized.”


“You're thinking about flying him?”


“I'm concentrating on getting his ass out of the hospital. If the feds figure out who he is, we're all sunk. He has enough things on his person they'll know he's not a normal man off the street.”


He nodded and said, “I'll speak with the hospital administrator. We'll get him out of there.”


“To them, I'm his brother. Tell them our father is dead, but we've got an ICU unit waiting. They on that?”


“Yeah”


“Well, I'll tell you now I'm getting my men down here. If we have to go to war with this city to take it, then I'll use what means I need to. When I do, we're killing first and then separating them after they fall. It's bullshit this was allowed to get out of hand.”


“It was out of my control.”


“Bullshit. With good management, it's all under your control. Your responsibility is to give them back things and not to keep raping them. Maybe you don't know that, but I'll tell you now I'll be changing things so it meets my management style. When my profits go up, I'll tell you now you're going to miss them. IF you're going to keep giving me territories, I'll need to put money into them.

Which is the next territory I'll be receiving.”


“I think Ohio, but I don't know. You might receive Arkansas and Texas.”


“We'll take Ohio first. My reasoning is I want something that's going to be good for me to point at and say, 'WE got it straightened out. With five cities in it, I'll be having my hands full.

What you might do is pull your heads in Arkansas and Texas as well as Ohio and get them down to speak with me. I figure if I tell them what I expect, they can go back and get them to doing what's needed. If not, then they better be prepared to be replaced. I'll not train a man twice to do a job once.”


“I'm seeing what you're doing. You're going to teach them the job on the job.”


“Yeah. With Dave out of commission, I've got to get in and run things. I'll tell you now, I'm not one to take bullshit. He might have to kiss asses, but I sure don't. If someone's going to drag their feet when change happens, I can sure get it done easier without them and with someone who will.

You might speak to little Jimmy and Michael and get them down to the camp. I want them to see what they'll have coming in on them when I have to go up against them.”


“That might not be a good idea.”


“Bullshit. They're going to look at each other like two caged bulls. When we release them, they'll either run, or they'll charge each other. What I'll do if that happens is I'll go in and see they'll have a funeral where all the mourners have to sit together to pay respects. You know as well as I do that's the ultimate disrespect.”


“Did you learn that from Gino?”


“Yeah, he put down six of them and had the funeral at the same time. Then, he went in and planted ten bombs and went up and told everyone they would either do things on his terms or he'd blow the place off the map. He gave them ten seconds to decide and told them if one of them moved, he'd have them dropped and they'd be rolled into the casket and buried with an opposing leader.”


“Ooh, I bet that didn't set well.”


“No, but who gave a fuck what they thought? The moment of action was making that decision. Either it could be done with them or without them.”


“I'll go call in all their leaders. I think what we'll do is put them in there with the gators and see what happens.”


“No, let me go in and speak with them. Either they'll swear loyalty, or they'll die in front of me.”


“You sure about this?”


“I've never been so sure. They need to know how fucking ruthless I can be and how serious I will be. If they want to make things complicated, I'll show them how they'll wish they'd never brought it to me.”


We flew on and as soon as I entered the air space for the Miami Dade area, they told me to come in on a heading and they'd have a runway cleared for my landing. When we got fifteen minutes out, I told the co-pilot. “It's yours, I'll go back and get strapped in.”


I went back into the back and sat down. I strapped myself in and said, “We'll be flying back ino our plane. What have you heard from the hospital.”


“It won't be tonight. They're not able to get him stabilized.”


“Tell the doctor you want to know the moment he becomes stabile because we'll be in getting him transferred.”


“You sure?”


“That's the second time you've asked me if I'm sure. You might leave your men out there without a net, but for me, that's not an option.”


“You get really testy.”


“You seem to think when I say something, I don't mean it. It would save you some grief if you would believe me when I tell you things the first time. It's the one flaw I see with our friendship that's grating at my nerves the most.”


“I'll learn.”


“I hope because there's going to come a time when I'll turn to you and tell you that was the last time and walk away from you writing you off. I don't disrespect you in that manner and I take offense, believe me it's taken that way.”


“I don't mean it to be.”


“Well, how would you take it if I questioned everything you said? Maybe you do that with me, but I'll tell you now, you need me a helluva lot more than I need you.”


“I wouldn't necessarily say that.”


“Then how would you take it that I need you? I've got enough money I can go back to living a normal life. Do you? And, if you do, would you even know what normal is? I do and that's what I want. All of this isn't normal.

The way I feel, I've been drug into this and only because of my sense of commitment to a friend's memory do I even play along...and yes, that's what I perceive Gino to be...a friend. To me, a lover would have meant more, so we ended things. He got his life and I got mine. Then, he drug me back into this.”


“You can't get out.”


“Bullshit. I can get out any time I want. Maybe you can't but I sure as shit can.”


“Maybe it's such a part of you, you have to live it.”


“That would be where you are wrong. I lived life. I got beat. Not one time did I have a body guard and not one time did anyone find the people and do me a favor. Your actions up there are your actions to clear yourselves. I didn't do a thing. That's your mess and not mine.”


“It's not mine either.”


“And that sir is where you're fucking wrong. Had it been managed better, this situation wouldn't be occurring. Had it been under my management, I would have been blowing the son of a bitch the moment I found it. You didn't. Somehow, you thought it'd go away. It didn't. But isn't it amazing when it hit my range of vision, it got blown.”


“And who ok'd it to be blown.”


“You're going to stroke your ego on that! The son of a bitch was going to be blown anyway with or without you. You were brought in so you could stand behind us because they didn't leave. The point got made and speaking of that, where's the money from it?”


“I don't know.”


“Well, I'll find it. If you received it, I want it back.”


“I never received it. I received moneys, but nothing to that extent.”


“Then it's here someplace. When I find it, I'm keeping it and it's going into our equipment we'll need.”


“What do you want?”


“Send me twenty trucks. I want them all armored to the hilt. I want enough ammunition and ordinance to kick off a war and hold people at bay until I can resupply from Kansas City.

Speaking of which, what do they have for their ammunition and ordinance?”


“It's in the basement of the man's house.”


“Either that's a helluva big house or that's a pathetic excuse for protection.”


“I discussed it with him and he thought he was covered with having his men armed.”


“You should have slapped him down then for insubordination and told him to get himself protected. If it had been me, I would have went back home and flown a memo over to him outlining to him what I expected to have in his supply.”


“I never thought it was that important.”

“Not Important! Geez! Our lives depend upon us being in a war if needed! With me, I've got five warehouses full of the shit! With us, every man has the ability to come in and create a gorilla post and be protected. We have whole shields, half shields, and we've got sprays. We've got mines and we've got enough trucks loaded so all it takes is a phone call and we roll. I know all it takes is for me to put in a phone call and they'll be here.”


“It sounds like you have more than even we have.”


“Because it's a priority! Who are you going to count on if you have to go to war?”


“I hadn't thought of it. I have those men and I have the choppers and the boats. I've got planes and I've got ammunition and ordinance, but to be really honest, my men haven't trained.”


“Then you get their asses to Missouri. We've got a whole city set up so we can train. We've got blocks of houses and we've got taller buildings where we can go train for a wide variety of skills. Hell, with Gino, I had to learn to shoot with or without a scope. I had to shoot a pistol until the thing became an extension of my self. Then, I had to train with lasers so I could use them at night. He thought enough of it all to make it a priority. He wanted it so if needed, I could fight my own way out of a situation.”


“Then why didn't you take martial arts training?”


“Because, the way I saw it, if I were to ever be in an altercation, I'd be protected and they'd not let me fight anyway. We traveled by limo and when we traveled, there were always a whole bunch of guys who protected us. It wasn't going to be like someone could even get to me.”


“It would have came in handy for when you were beat.”


“That's where you are wrong. With that beating, there were bricks. There was a ball bat and there were four men. One of them even had a log chain.

If you must know, they ripped the top off my car to get to me. They put a brick through the front windshield and then bashed it with a ball bat. All they would have had to do was open the door, but they wanted to terrorize first.

When I got drug from that car, I wasn't even out of the door before they were slamming it on me. Then it was the ball bat and then it was the boots kicking, gouging and tearing.”


“You sure you don't want them killed?”


“There you go again.” I said turning away from him.


“I'm sorry.”


“You know, Dave and you fell from the same fucking tree with that “I'm sorry” bullshit. You're not sorry. You're lazy. You expect people to bend for you. Well, that's not happening.

Now, I'll tell you one thing and you listen clear. The next fucking time you question what I say, I'm done with your dumb ass. It's come to that, so you take it to the bank. You want to see what I'm made of, well by God, you're now seeing it.”

“Rhette, I'm not used to listening to a friend describe a beating like that and not being able to go take care of the problem. To me, the fuckers would already be dead. I know you want them to pay longer, but that's the difference between me and you.”


“No, here's the difference. When it's the state that's going to house them, I want them to be in pain every single day. If it were up to me to put up with them, they'd be dead. The alternative is way better. I could pay someone to kill them now, or I could pay someone two hundred and fifty bucks a month to see their lives are hell in a cell. No matter how you cut it, that's three grand a year for each man.

Now for a hundred and fifty grand, I can get them put through hell for the next sixteen years. If they're lucky, they'll get a minimum of fifty years. That sixteen is what they'll do. I want them to pay every single day while they are in there and then when they get out, I want them drug up and off the street and then we'll see how much pain they'll endure.”


“I'm understanding you better.”


“I've been to prison. I know how some of them have it in there. I saw one guy go from being a really decent looking guy to looking like he was a zombie from the repeated rapings he had. I knew it was ordered for him to endure them and I also know he brought it upon himself.

I also know of a guy who tortured and killed his grandma. She was kind enough to give him a place to live when he got out and he was kind enough to beat her, kill her, dismember her, and then put her in a trunk out in the attic of the garage. For that, he's now confined to his cell and to his bed. He can not, nor will he have the luxury of getting up and out of that bed without permission for the next forty plus years.”


We felt the jet land and I asked, “You've got a limo that will get us there fast, right?”


“To the hospital? Or to the warehouse?”


“To the warehouse. I want these guys sworn to me. I want to see that room. I want them to see I know about it and I want them to know I'm going to find what it contains.

I want them sworn to me so when they learn what I find, then they have to endure the consequences.”


“You prepared to do the other?”


“Every bit. No one will leave there without being sworn to me.”


“Do you really want the gators because they've not got them.”


“No, here's what we do. You get me a refrigerated truck semi and you pull it in. What we'll do is we'll herd them in there. When one is ready to swear, then we'll let him out. The ones that don't will be frozen and we'll be able to take them out and dump them into the ocean.”


“They'll float.”


“Not if they're in the hold of a boat that goes down!”


“Oh, now I'm understanding.”


“It's a whole lot easier to put a frozen body through a tree shredder if they're frozen. It can be put on the boat and all the parts can be shot off into the cabin. Then, it can be driven out and sank.”


“You going to drive it?”


“No, your guys are. You said they needed targe practice and I'd say if they can't sink a boat, then they're pretty pathetic.”


“I'll get it done.”


“Tell one of your men to go scour the sale items on supermarket sales walls and get me a boat that's where I can take it to the port. The sound of a diesel motor there won't alert anyone and the sound of those bodies going through the shredder won't set anyone off.”


“Ok, I'm getting the picture.”


“Good. Have you begun the call in?”


“They should be on their way.”


“Now I'm not going to wait all night on these fuckers! They should know if they're called, then they come at a moment's notice.”


“I can't make promises. With the structure they have, I can't promise a single man will come.”


“Well, have your guys ready for us to go drag people out of bed tonight. I'll go out and collect them myself. Believe me, by the time we get done with things, they'll be ready to swear in.”


We got out of the jet and then got over to the limo. The man was told to take us to the warehouse. We drove there and I said, “You better tell me who your men are when we're here. You pull them out and you stand them over to the side. I won't have them killed for being sworn to you.”


“No, I want to see if they'll swear to you. Either way, they'll be sworn to you by the time we're done.”


“You'll have to tell me each man's specialty and explain to me why they're here. I'll decide if I want them to stay.”


“It'd seem to me you'd need every man you could get.”


“Yes, but I'm not going to keep dead weight upon my payroll.”

“Another thing, I know it's late Saturday, but I need a real estate person who can show me Penthouse apartment condominiums. We're pulling up out of there and moving.”


“Where do you want it?”


“I want it to look over the port, docks, and the marina district. Only the Penthouse top floor will do. I want the top floor or floors. And it must have a helipad. This travelling by car is really sucking.”


He got on the phone and ordered a freezer reefer unit to be brought to the warehouse. When he got off the phone, he said, “They'll have it there within an hour.”


“Ok, will they have the freezer cooling it?”


“I doubt it. They usually deliver it without it on and then it's turned on when the cargo is put on.”


“Ok, well, what I'll do is have them put in and then turn it on. What they'll do is they'll run to the back to huddle together to keep warm. It's going to be hard when they're buck assed naked.”


We got to the warehouse and got cleared through the checkpoint to enter. When the limo stopped inside, we got out. I saw the room raised and asked a man walking towards us, “How did it check out?”


He looked at me and then looked beyond me. Little John came over and said, “Rhette, this is Tad, he's one of mine.”


“Well, I asked the fucker a question and he never acknowledged me. He can go over with your group that will be going home.”


“He's our computer tech.”


“And he's on the next flight out of here. I'll get my own guy down here. I don't need someone who will ignore me when I speak to them.”


Little John said, “Tad, we need to speak.”


The guy walked off “You're being too hard upon him. He doesn't have a clue who you were. He knows me and he knows he best damned well speak to me first in a given situation.”


“Well that's nice. Now, I'm being too hard upon him.” I said with my voice dripping with sarcasm. “He still goes North.”


I flipped out my cell phone and called Alex up at the house. “Yeah!”


“I need our computer man down here.”


“Let me see if I can find him and I'll call back.”


I turned to little John and said, “I'm not trying to be a bitch. I've got to be rough with them so they don't take me as being weak. It doesn't matter if he's sworn to you or to me, from now on, if I speak to him first, then I get answered.”


“I'll speak with my guys.”


“Which ones are yours and which ones are mine?”


“Mine have that red stripe around their heel on their boots. We did that to identify them if we were in a war and taking home dead.”


“Ok, so let's separate them and get this show on the road.”


I went over to the men and said, “All of the Miami guys, I need you over here in formation.”


They looked at me and did nothing.


I went over to one of my men who held a machine gun. “Let me use this please.”


He handed it to me and I asked, “This live?”


“It's in bursts of three. You flip this to go from one to three to fully automatic.”


“If I shoot a burst of three, how far is this thing going to be heard?”


“With that silencer on the end, it will be heard about half a block. It shouldn't be heard outside of this building.”


“Ok”


I turned and let loose with a burst up towards the ceiling. The sounds of ricocheting bullets sent everyone crouching for cover.


“As I said gentlemen, I would like for you to line up in formation. Your leader is dead. I'm the new one. IF you do not move, you'll not live to see the next minute.”


Guys started moving at a fast pace. When they were in formation, I said, “Here's what we're here for. We're here to do a swearing in ceremony. You're going to swear the oath you did to the last guy and it's going to be to me. When you're through swearing in, I want you to go over and give your name and address to the first man through. He'll take your information and a ring size from your pinky on your left hand. I'll get the rings made identifying you to me and you'll have them sent to you.

From this moment on, we're going to meet here on Mondays. We'll have a burning barrel in here with a fire going. You'll be handed a newsletter to read updating you on the plans for the week and then, we'll ask you to burn it.

One thing we will require is you to understand who you are and what your family members are within your household. If you have dependents, you are to list them. We'll get the proper paperwork filled out eventually. This is sudden and it's not something I was expecting. My organization is better than this, but we're having to think on the fly.

My name is little Gino to everyone of you. That's my name I use here and that's what I expect to be called. If you have issues, then you call me on my cell which will be provided. Right now, that is a long distance number. It will not be in a few days. When it gets changed, it will be a 1-800 number you call and it will be forwarded to my cell wherever I am. Let it ring more than five times because at least two rings will be for that to carry over to transfer, then it takes two rings for my cell signal to catch. If you don't understand it, then ask the man next to you because one thing I don't do is I won't repeat myself. Is that clear?”


“Yes Sir!” They shouted.


“Good. Now, if you are ready to swear loyalty, then come over here. If you are not, stand there and we'll have you dealt with accordingly.”


A guy came over and I handed him the swear card. “Get on your knees and then read the card and swear in by kissing my ring.”


He got on his knees and read the card and kissed the ring. He stood and I said, “What's your name?”


“They call me Hatch.”


“Ok Hatch, would you put your information on that clipboard and then sign it for the men as they come through?”


“Sure.”


“One thing you need to explain to them when they sign in is they defer to anyone from Kansas City. I'm head of Kansas City, but now I'm over this. You're just as important to me, but until we get the place into order, we'll be having a lot of men in here to train you.”


“I'll explain it to then.”


More guys were coming in. I went over and said, “Guys, when the new guys get in here, Explain it to them what's going on and then we'll get this going. Now, I need five more of you to come up.”


Five more came and I said, “Guys, when you get through, I'm going to have you go over to him and he'll get your information. He'll give you an additional piece of information and then I want you to take a few pieces of paper from him and get a few tables from upstairs and bring them down. It'll be your jobs to do this five at a time. We'll be through quicker and then, we can hold a meeting.

What you need to do one at a time is take this card, get on your knees, read the card, and then kiss my ring.”


The first guy did it and then he went over to Hatch. The second and so forth. When they were done, they went upstairs and got two long tables and brought them down. I waited while they got things set up for themselves.


Little John came over. “The real estate person is coming. The truck is now parked at the dock. When we get the guys sworn in have them file over here and get back into formation. There's a bunch of stacking chairs in that storage room. We'll have them get their chairs and get into formation and have them sit. This is going a lot easier and faster than I thought.”


“I think what we have here is the best of the bunch. I imagine a lot of them are out getting drunk and we'll have them coming in after bars close.”


“I'll get word out to the bars to get them in here.”


“If you can do it without alerting the feds, then do it, but if not, they'll come in.”


He nodded and I went back over. “Guys. If you plan on swearing in, stay in formation. If you don't, then over here is where I'd like for you to go. Over there is what I consider my elite guard, they'll help you in and they'll assure me you stay. Those guys up there at the office are my guys from Kansas City. They're the elite of the elite. Get used to those faces because they'll be your new contacts through this location.


About twenty guys got out of line. I went over and rolled up the door where the semi was parked. I opened the door and said, “Gentlemen, knock when you're ready to swear in. Go on in.”


One turned to walk away and one of little John's men drop kicked him and knocked his ass down. “He said get in there. You can either do it my way, or his. It doesn't matter to me, but one way or another, you're going in.”


About twenty of the New York guys came over and drug the man into the trailer. Then, they herded them in. The door got slammed shut and I nodded my head to little John. He turned to one of his guys and said, “GO turn on that freezer unit.”


The shock throughout the room was evident.


“Men, One way or another, you'll swear in tonight or you won't leave here. I'm not going to jeopardize your security by having those men leave here without being sworn. If they do not swear in, they will freeze to death.”


I turned to little John's men and I said, “Go in and get their clothing and see everything is off them. That floor is metal and I want them to feel it getting colder on bare feet and bodies.”


The stunned silence again went through the crowd.


“Men, I'm not a mean or vengeful person. I'll do what I need to get you guys safe and secure, but I'm not going to put up with bullshit.”


I turned to little John and asked, “Have all these men been searched?”


“I'll check.”


He came back and said, “Guys, here's the deal. You were supposed to be strip searched before entering. If you have any weapons upon your person, come over here and bring them. You can lay them upon the floor, but you're not to have them in here.”


One guy said, “Why?”


I pointed to the room and said, “You see those fucking dead bodies in there? They're dead for a reason. Now, you can blow a hole in the window and we'll all probably die. Or, I can protect your dumb ass and see no one gets off shots and we'll stay alive. Which do you think I want?”


“Then why the hell did you shoot?”


“Because you guys were ignoring me. You choose to disrespect and now, you know better. I'll expect that loyalty and respect in the future...if you want it in return.”


He nodded and said, “I've never seen that room before.”


“That room was hidden from a lot of you. The man who was your leader chose to hide it from you. You now know I'm different. I'm not going to expect better treatment for me than I would for you. I could have hidden it and it would have been business as usual. Instead, I'm showing it and letting you know the secrets are over.”


I went over and said, “Next five.”


We went through this time and time again until we had a hundred and fifty. I went over to little John and asked, “How many men are in the ranks?”


“Twenty two thousand.”


“Jesus! We'll be here all night!”


“Yeah, but we'll get things done.”


“We've got to speed this up.”


He stepped forward and said, “Guys, line up in rows of five. We're going to do this different. I'm going up to the copier and I'll copy a bunch of that card. He's going to walk in front of you and you're to read the oath to him and kiss his ring. When you get to the front of the rows, just drop to your knee so we can get this over with. We're wanting out of here too, so the quicker the better.”


They rearranged themselves and I went to the front of the line. I handed the card to little John and said, “Twenty five copies. That should get the first five rows prepared.”


“I'll make a hundred and fifty. They can hold them and when they're done, we can give them a meeting. You tell the first bunch what you want them to know and I'll repeat it to the following bunches.”


“Ok”


I turned to the guys and said, “Guys, you know the drill. Normally, we do this swearing in as a rite of passage. USUALLY, we don't replace a head unless he's been killed and there's someone to replace him you all know and it's someone we know who can be trusted.

The dumb fuck pissed off little John over there. He pissed me off in one of my operations and you're now seeing that on CNN. He was told to get out. He didn't leave. We blew the fucker off the face of the map.

Now, we could take this city by war, but I have a feeling you have no clue what the hell that entails. You will know because you'll be trained, you'll have the security of knowing you can hold your own down here and know we're going to have you guys being thought of as more than a secondary city.

I head Kansas City. Today, things changed and I was given all of Missouri. Because of that dumb fuck's actions, I was awarded you. You might think I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground, but I'll beg to differ. If you choose to war with me, you will die. I'll promise that. If you think you can hold your own against me, you need to know I've probably got more weapons and ammunition that every man, woman, and child in this city. That's not including the mines, bombs, and other detainating explosives. As you saw on CNN, I can and will put a whole in the middle of a fine subdivision. It doesn't matter to me.

Now, what I will promise you is this. First of all, you will be treated as equals to Kansas City, San Diego, or any other part of this country I have. To me, it's like a parent with kids. Miami is no better or worse.

What I will promise is life is going to change for the better for you. From now on, you have doctors services. You have dental, and eye. You've got colleges for your kids and you've got resorts, and air fare to get there. When you want, you just let us know and we'll get you there. If you think I am lying, you go to the web and you check on Ginorocity Hotels and Casinos and you'll see what we've got and what we're building. I think you'll be amazed.

One other thing. You are going to be trained. If you need jobs, you let me know. You will be employed and your family life will be better for your membership.

Are there any questions?”


“What about the other cities? Can we transfer there?”


“You let me know if you'd like to go there and I'll see you are either given the same position in that organization or a better one. One thing I will tell you is we will take you as far as you want to go.”


“So you're saying if I want to go to Las Vegas, you'll get me in there?”


“No. I don't have anything there except hotels. Right now, we've got four. We're building two more and one other just got conceptualized today which we will be in partnership with Tampa.

One thing I will tell you now is we have relationships under my care with Tampa and Charleston. They are considered little brothers of my kids. That doesn't mean they are family to me, but that means if they come into my house, they are guests and are to be treated as guests. Does that make sense?”


Everyone nodded and I said, “Before long, I have it on good authority we'll be expanding more. This country is antiquated and in real need of new management styles. My styles work. I'll pay attention to you and I'll give you all you need. You should find yourself needing for nothing. If I can't provide it, I will get it for you. BUT, what I do want you to know now is I expect each of you to attend meetings. I expect you and your spouses to attend seminars and I want them to be as proud of being a spouse of a member as you.

Also, one thing we have not done previously is we've not brought in women. I'll tell you now, under me, that's going to change. I know women can be pretty lethal when they want to be, and they're not going to cry over killing a man. It makes no sense to put women in the military and then not be able to use that training when they're released. Many of you use that training here, so you should be in agreement it's come in useful. If you don't think that now, you will when we get you into training.”


“What will we be trained for?”


“You will be trained for hand to hand and urban warfare. You will be taught to aim, shoot, and fly. You're going to be trained with the best. One thing you will see is those anti-mine trucks down here. The only difference is you will find ours will be painted flat matte black rather and fatigue.

You will also see we will be training you for humanitarian efforts which will be used to aid the local police authorities That might sound foreign to you, but to me, it's how we've gained Kansas City and that's how we've held it for twenty years going on twenty five.”


A hand shot up, “What if we have felony warrants out for us. Do you want us to jeopardize being caught?”


“Here's what I expect. I expect you to help us on these sweeps. When you see how we do these, you're going to be amazed at the technology involved. You will be amazed at how you can have a suspect caught and apprehended and then have them put down without being there for the handover. About the time you see the police is when you will be going around the corner to get off that block. They will know who you are and they will let you drive on because that's the deal we have with them.

IF you are caught, then you let me know and I'll have your ass out of jail before you have a night in there. HOWEVER, if you are a complete fuck up and you get your ass arrested in a bar fight, then don't come to me asking you to get your ass out of jail. I've got better things I can spend my money on and one of them isn't to put it out for dumb fucks.”


The guy seemed pissed and I continued.


“Yes, that does mean I will hold you to a higher standard. You're to be in those bars and night clubs for security purposes only. IF you are a source of their problems, you are costing them a dollar profit which means you are costing me money. My money is gained from those profits.

Now, do you think you're big enough to stand between me and a dollar bill when it's not yours? I think not. I will have your ass pulled out of the place and I'll have you beating a cadence down on the docks. If you think you're scoring good pussy off the docks, let me tell you to think again. That's some skanky shit that's down there!”


A lot of guy really laughed and I said, “Guys, I'll be generous with you, but I won't be anyone's fool. From what I hear, you've not been involved in a trial down here. That will change! I believe in the structure and I believe in management, but I will not allow you to walk on me or even think you are putting a foot towards me.

Do you see those men over there who are dead? Do you see the men I put in that semi? Well, you're not seeing the seven others who have died so far today. Now, ask me if I give one fuck about them? I care about the men who fall for me, not against me, so stay on the right side and I'll take care of you.

Are there any other questions?”


There were none, so I said, “Those of you who asked questions. Please come forward.”


The guys came up and I said, “Gentlemen, meet the new leaders for your section. They showed leadership qualities which made questions known to make you better informed.”


They looked surprised and all the other guys got up and left.


“Guys, we're going to be getting you leadership training. What I will do is I will have White papers and I will have green papers for everyone. Yours are the green papers. The other men's papers are the white ones.

Each Monday, everyone will come down here and get a new paper and check in. We will take roll and find out who've missed. When a man has missed three meetings, it will be your jobs to go get them out of bed in the middle of the night and drag their sorry asses down here.

The only men who will be allowed to miss meetings are those who have notified us prior to a meeting. If I can't be respected enough to be notified, then they can't be respected enough to not face trial. That's how this will run until we get you trained.

What I will need to know is where you work and when you work. You'll have to make yourselves available for that training, but you will be handsomely rewarded for that knowledge. You will probably find yourselves at the heads of some of the largest corporations in this city.”


They looked surprised and I said, “Amazing isn't it. That's what I do for those who show initiative. But, with that comes responsibility. One thing I won't do is I won't ask you to do anything I will not do myself.

Is that clear?”


They nodded and I said, “You're dismissed unless you want to see how the other meetings go.”


One said, “I'll stay.”


The others left and I said, “Sir, you just stepped up a notch. Go over to little John and introduce yourself to him. Those men who walked out the door are now underneath you along with those other leaders.”


“You're making this seem easy.”


“It takes but one thing to get ahead and that's a willingness to help yourself and your fellow man. You helped them by asking questions. You're now stepping above by showing concern for others. Between you and I, don't let what I told you out or we'll have everyone wanting to be in your spot.”


He smiled and I said, “Go ahead and go over to little John. He'll help you.”


He went over to little John and I went over to the next group of guys. We went through the next group and before I went over to give them their meeting, I went to the door of the truck and said, “Ask these dumb fucks if any of them want to pledge yet?”


They opened the door and a mass of shivering bodies. Were standing there. “Anyone want to pledge loyalty?”


Two nodded and I said “Step out”. One fell and I went over and helped him up. I went up to the my guy who was standing there and said, “Don't ever let a brother fall again.”


I went past with the guy and said, “You pledge and then you go up and get your clothes on. Warm up and we'll put you into the next group of pledges. My advice is for you to ask questions so you can rise above those. You've already demonstrated loyalty, it's to the wrong man.”


He went up the steps and I nodded to the group of Kansas City men up there.


When I went over to the meeting, little John said, “I'll take these guys. What do you want me to do with this one?”


“You show him what you're doing because he's going to be a leader down here.”


He nodded and I said, “I've got to call up north and see if they've got my people places to sleep.”


“Is there a question?”


“There shouldn't be, but you know how we're dealing with people. Some of them don't know what to do unless you give complete directions.”


“Where you putting them?”


“My guards are down here with me...or will be. They've got empty bedrooms, so my family can go there. I imagine Kevin will be over there with JT.”


“You expecting them to fuck this soon?”


“No, but if it's meant to be, they can take the time to be together.”


I called up home and Rose answered. “Hi hon!”


“Hi, I'd like for you to put my family in the rooms my guards have left open. I'll be in later, and we'll sleep then, but it's not fair to ask my parents to sleep someplace when good beds are available.”


“I'll get it done. How's David?”


“He's still not stable. I've been told I'll be the first to know anything.”


“Steve's on his way home.”


“When he gets in, tell him to give me a call. I'm but an hour away by the jet and forty minutes by my jet. I promise I'll be home soon.”


“You coming home without him?”


“I've been assured he'll be transferred just as soon as he stabilizes. What we'll do is have him life flighted up, so it won't matter if I'm there or here. What matters is he gets the best care.”


“What happened?”


“Someone got through security who knew martial arts. Our lapse nearly killed him. I'm sorry.”


“Honey, accidents happen.”


“Well, for us, it won't be allowed to happen again. I expect more from myself and I expect more from those who are supposed to keep us secure.”


“Well, hurry home. We're having a wonderful conversation, but we're also keeping CNN on in the back ground. What we've done is we've brought another television in because Fox is now running everything, but CNN is really talking a lot about you and Steve's relationship.”


“Really!”


“Yeah, they're spearheading an effort to get messages to Steve to run for Governor. They see what he's done and they're all asking where the Governor is.”


“Well, what we'll need to do is we'll need to get Steve plenty of time so he can attend these disasters and be out being seen by the public.”


“I'll start keeping an eye on things and letting you know what events we have here in the state.

Rhette?”


“Yes.”

“Tomorrow, we need to go to the funeral home to make plans. Will you have time?”


“What time?”


“They said anytime between ten and two.”


“I'll make time. Things are hectic here, but we'll make time. You mean more to me.”


“Ok, I was concerned.”


“As long as I know what we've got, I'll never miss a family function.”


“Do you want to speak to anyone?”


“Is Kevin there?”


“He went with JT.”


“They hitting it off?”


“Kevin's a delight. JT's already head over heels I think.”


“Good. I was concerned.”


“I think it's a perfect match.”


“Did they get the room set up for Dave?”


“They're doing that now.”


“There at the big house?”


“Yes, in my room.”


“Ok, but what I expect is you not to wear yourself out. It's not fair to you.”


“Rhette, it's something I want to do. I do really care for him.”


“I know you do.”


“Do you want to speak to your mom and dad?”


“Yeah.”


My mom got on the phone. “Hi hon”


“Hi, I'm really sorry.”


“I understand. It's just bad timing.”


“I understand that! Are you doing fine there?”


“Sure, I think it's real sweet what you're doing?”


“Which things.....you know I'm such a sweet person!”


“Getting your brothers a car too.”


“I figured they would appreciate it and that way what I'm doing for you isn't being seen as something I'm not doing for them.”


“Well, don't be blowing your money all in one place.”


“I'm not. What I'm doing should be a one time shot if they drive them with some sense. I'll tell you what I'll be telling them. I won't put gas in it, but I'll sure maintain and license the things.”


“Well that's beyond the call, but I think you've got a lot of people here really excited about that car.”


“Good. Did you hear how the door sounds?”


“Yes dear. Everyone drove it and it's one of the best handling and quiet cars I think I've ever driven. You can rest assured I'll be driving mine.”


“Well, I need to get off here. What I need to say is I'll be up there in about two hours. We're going to finish up here and then we'll be back.”


“Ok, don't worry about us.”


“Steve should be pulling up soon. Treat him like you would us.”


She laughed and said, “Honey, that man is really handsome.”


“It's the uniform. When he's out of it he's attractive.”


“I bet when he's out of it, he'll take your breath away!”


“Mom, that's when he's out of his clothes period!” I laughed


She laughed and said, “I imagined that.”


“Well, I'll get off here. I love you.”


“I love you too.”


I rung off and then told the guys. “This next group is going to be three hundred. Those of you who don't get in, come back tomorrow night. I'll be here.”


I went over to the groups and we went through the procedure with three hundred. Afterwards, I went back over to the truck and said, “Open it. The ones that stay this time will die.”


The guy opened the door and I said, “Ok, if you want to pledge loyalty, then do so. If you want to die, then that's your choice. I'll not be back for sixteen hours.”


Twelve of the guys nodded, but the remaining stayed. When the door shut, I said, “Throw those men in body bags.”


“Why?”


“That's a metal floor. They're going to stick if you don't.”


“That's heartless.”


“No, that's the cold facts.”


He chuckled and I said, “Guys, you made a wise decision, but I'll tell you now, as of now, you're on probation. You need to give me a thousand hours to pull yourself off probation. If you show any other signs of disloyalty, you will get what those men are getting in there. Do you understand?”


They nodded and I said, “Ok, let's get on with this so we can get this meeting started.”


They pledged their loyalty and we went over and got the meeting completed.


When we were finished with the meeting, I went over to little John and said, “Let's get to the hospital. I want to see him and let him know I'm here.”

“Then what?”


“I'm going home in my jet. You can go up to Tampa and get that man's wife and then come on home. My parents are up there. My mama wants to see you especially, so she'll probably be waiting up.”


“How's she doing?”


“She's doing fine. She wants to speak to you.”


“I think I know what it's about.”


“Ok, well, let's get to the hospital.”


We went to get into the limo and I told one of the men, “You stay and keep the men here. When the others get here, you tell them six pm tomorrow night and if they're not here, then we'll be out looking for them.”


“What do you want done with the bodies?”


“We'll process them tomorrow night. Don't concern yourself with them.”


We got in the limo and drove off.


“Rhette, it was a shaky start, but you're doing damned good.”


“That's only a thousand men. Rounding all the others up will be a chore.”


“Someplace in this place has to be the roster.”


“Well, we'll find it and when we do, I expect those men to be drug in here.”


“You're doing things wise by having that man be one of your leads.”


“It was something Gino did. Surprise someone with the power and they'll be good. I'm just sorry Dave didn't have a say in it.”


“He knows you're making the wisest decision for him and for yourself.”


“Were there very many tough questions?”


“Not really. I know your organization. You offer a lot more than we do.”


“What we have is corporations we can get them in on the rolls for the care under them. They're non paid benefited employees. Those who we can't get in that way go under the hotel casinos and we get them covered that way.”


“How do you do that?”


“A lot of companies will take our healthier ones on their rolls. The ones who are too sickly, we put on our rolls out there. There's enough money coming in the insurance company doesn't bitch too loud. I've only known one so far they wouldn't cover and Gino covered that kid's health coverage himself.”


“What was that one?”


“A kid had really bad Cystic Fibrosis. The father had lost job after job due to the amount of time they needed to be in the hospital with him. Basically, it was a situation where both the parents had to be there because it was a full time job for both of them....suctioning, and a lot of respiratory and percussion to get the stuff up and out....Gino hired nursing and he hired the best he could get them. What he did was he got those people back a life to where they knew the kid had the best.”


“What happened?”


“The kid eventually died, but the man is now one of the best we've got. He knows the amount of money we put in for the kid's care and he knows how Gino did what he could for them. The man would get the hospital bills and Gino would take them and get them paid.”


“That was a great thing he did.”


“It's an investment into one man. The man's since repaid it through loyalty time and time again.”


“Do you know him?”


“I know him and I know Dave's shit all over the man. I've now gotten him equipment to fly which he won't feel like he's going to die flying it.”


“Oh man.”


“Yeah, even Dave needs me for the details. I'm sure if he knew what his dad did for the man, he'd have been better, but Gino didn't publicize those sorts of things.”


“So there are things he probably did that not even you would know.”


“Yeah, you're probably right.”